09/22/2026
Before Paul (originally known as Saul) came to know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, he was a very vicious and dangerous man. He persecuted, destroyed, and murdered people who claimed Jesus as their Lord and Savior. But when Jesus met Paul on the road to Damascus, Paul's life was changed forever. Jesus didn't leave Paul unchanged.
When a person meets and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior of his/her life, Jesus doesn't leave them where they were. He changes them from the lost wandering sinner they were to a child of God... Jesus moves in and changes the heart. A person's wants are changed. A person develops the desire to help others...to share Jesus with others...to be kind to and to love others.
Jesus doesn't leave a saved soul to wallow in a state of self pity, self righteousness, manipulation, hatefulness, or retaliation... A saved soul is changed for the better.
A saved soul still has struggles. They are still faced with temptations... Life isn't always smooth sailing...but one's behaviors, the way one views things, and how one reacts to situations are changed. A person continues to grow more Christ like and less worldly.
โDear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religionโhow I violently persecuted Godโs church. I did my best to destroy it. I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors. But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus. Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lordโs brother. I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie. After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. And still the churches in Christ that are in Judea didnโt know me personally. All they knew was that people were saying, โThe one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!โ And they praised God because of me.โ
Galatians 1:11-24 NLT
โMy old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.โ
Galatians 2:20-21 NLT
Grow in Jesus ๐ smile ๐ and spread some kindness ๐ค ๐
I love and miss you Alex Garrett ๐ I will see you again ๐ all because of Jesus ๐