0"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit." Philippians 4:23 "We read Paul's writings because we recognize in his passion to know Jesus what should be our passion, too. We see in his love for the churches and his appeal for unity among Christians the kind of spirit we need also. His continuing call to holy living reminds us of the life we have been called to live and his determined defense of the gospel reminds us that there is truth that is eternal. Paul's proclamations of Christ's supremacy and his appeals to prepare ourselves for the Lord's return challenge us to set our hearts on things above. We read Paul because we believe he is telling us the truth about ourselves and our God. We read Paul because we believe him when he said, "This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words" (1Corinthians 2:13). We read Paul because we believe the Lord chose to speak through this servant and that God is speaking to us through him." Dr. Mike W. Ireland A man with a prophet's heart, Dr. Mike W. Ireland has been preaching Jesus for over 50 years. His ministry has included overseas missions, seminars, radio and television. He was a professor for 20 years at Harding University where he taught the Scriptures to countless students and shared what it means to live in the grace of God. Although retired from university teaching, he continues to preach and write. He is the author of From Morning to Evening and The Gift of Ministry. He and his wife of 51 years, Deborah, reside in Searcy, Arkansas.