Christian think about this

 Christian think about this

Jesus said,

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” Matthew 7:12.

Think of it this way

If you are

demonstrating against anyone. 

You are telling them 

they can demonstrate against you.

If you are 

speaking out and trying to restrict the rights of others 

given to them by the lawfully elected government.

You are telling others 

they can try to restrict your rights.

If you are 

imposing your morals however good they may be on others.

You are telling them 

they can impose their morals on you, even if they are not as good as yours.

If you are 

trying to impose your faith on others rather than presenting your faith.

You are telling others 

they can impose their faith on you.

If you are

judging others.

You are telling others 

they can judge you in the same way.

If you 

are telling the world you are a Christian

You should be telling the world 

I love you as God loves you,...

unconditionally.

Please think about it.

A pearl of great price

  A pearl of great  price

Jesus said,

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  

When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:44-46

If you found something of great importance to mankind. Something that would change lives. Would you not want to share it?

That is what we as Christians, as true followers in Christ Jesus believe we have. We believe: 

Jesus is the Son of God

The Saviour of all who believe in Him.

We believe He gave his life for the sins we committed.

A Christian confession

  A Christian confession.

The Apostle Paul wrote,

“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  

As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:9-13.

The apostle Paul make it very clear how we get to heaven, how we are saved from hell. By believing in Jesus, and confessing that He is Lord before men.

Paul makes it clear there is no difference between Jew and Gentile. The same Lord is Lord of all. 

That “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

In order to believe such a thing you need faith because the writer of Hebrews states,

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.   Hebrews 11:6

Do you believe Jesus is Lord and God the saviour of all who believe in Him?

Please think about it.

God lets you choose

 God lets you choose

The gospel of John records,

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

"Yes Lord" she told Him, "I believe you are the Christ the Son of God, who was to come into the world, John 11:25,26.

C. S. Lewis wrote,

“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” C. S. Lewis.

God gives every person everywhere a choice. You can accept Jesus is who he claimed to be the Son of God, the saviour of all who believe in him, the resurrection and the life, or you can reject his claim. 

The choice is yours. God will not impose His will on you. 

From the dawn of creation God has given man a choice believe in Him or reject Him. There is no in between.

Believing God exists and Jesus is God incarnate is an act of faith. The writer of Hebrews states,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  Hebrews 11:1

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6.

The choice dear reader is yours.

Please think about it.

Nothing is Hidden from God

 Nothing is Hidden from God

The writer of Hebrews states,

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:12,13.

C. S. Lewis wrote,

“We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God.” C. S. Lewis

Whether you believe in God or not you as an individual will be held accountable by God’s standards. 

I believe God has placed in the heart and minds of all men the basic standards to which He expects the individual to live by. 

I also believe the more you know about God the more you will be held accountable for. 

Thus those who studies the scriptures will be held to a higher level of accountability than those who do not.

This should serve as a warning to all those who believe themselves to be Christians. Men and women who read the Bible.

If we are studying the Bible then we will learn what God expects of us and must obey. Additionally we must be carful to correctly interpret what the bible says. We must not manipulate scriptures to say what we want them to say.

In reading the Bible we may read many things we do not like. As a result we may be quick to dismiss them and not obey. This must not be so. We cannot cherry pick what we wish to believe.

St. Augustine said,

“If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.” St Augustine.

Ultimately I believe we all will stand in front of God. The writer of Ecclesiastes said,

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole  duty  of man. 

For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes12:13,14.

This I firmly believe applies to all people everywhere. Especially those who call themselves Christians.

Please think about it.

Truths Universal

  Truths Universal

Jesus said,

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,  bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.... 

Do to others as you would have them do to you." Luke 6:27,28,31 

The great American civil rights leader said,

“We thank thee, O God, for the spiritual nature of man.

We are in nature but we live above nature.

Help us never to let anybody or any condition pull us so low as to cause us to hate.

Give us strength to love our enemies and to do good to those who despitefully use us and persecute us.

We thank thee for thy Church, founded upon thy Word, that challenges us to do more  than sing and pray, but go out and work as though the very answer to our prayers depended on us and not upon thee.

Then, finally, help us to realize that man was created to shine like stars and live on through all eternity.

Keep us, we pray, in perfect peace; help us to walk together, pray together, sing together, and live together until that day when all God's children, Black, White, Red, and Yellow will rejoice in one common bond of humanity in the kingdom of our LORD and of our God, we pray. Amen.

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Both the words of Jesus and Martin Luther King jr. are universal truths, both Christian and non-Christian alike need to put into practice. 

For in doing so we will make the world a better place.

Please think about it.

Fill your world with love

  Fill your world with Love

“Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast,

 it is not proud.  

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,

 it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil 

but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,

 always perseveres. 

Love never fails....

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.”  

                                                                        1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13

The above is a quote from the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians. It to my mind is the purest definition of love ever written. It defines love perfectly.

I believe we as Christians need to look at this definition weekly if not daily. We need to write these words on our heart. Commit them to memory. 

But above all we need to practice what they are saying. 

Notice there is no conditions set on the love Paul writes about. No “buts”

When Jesus calls us to Love God, our neighbour and our enemy this is the kind of love he wishes us to have. 

This is what being a Christian is all about. It’s not about “I have my rights!” or “you are wrong and I am right!”

It’s about humility and understanding. 

Love is a door we open even to our enemy. It is the highest ideal of Christianity spoken of by Jesus himself in John 3:16,17

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16,17.

In Matthew Jesus is quoted as saying, when asked,

 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 

Jesus replied: " ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  

This is the first and greatest commandment.  

And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.'  

All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:37-40.

Earlier in Matthews Gospel Jesus is quoted as saying,

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”  Matthew 5:43.44.

All too often we Christians fail to show love. We judge those we disagree with or say disparaging things without thinking. We fail to watch what we say. Fail to realize that our words can hurt. 

Long before I became a Christian I watched a movie called “Good by Mr. Chips.” the theme song for the musical version was called Fill the World with Love it had these words,

In the Morning of My Life

In the morning of my life

I will look to the Sunrise

At a moment in my life 

When the world is new.

And the Question

I shall ask only God can answer.

Will I be brave and strong and true,

Will I fill the world with love my whole life through?

Will I fill the world with love my whole life through?

In the evening of my life

I will look to the sunset

At a moment in my life 

When my life is through.

And the question I shall ask only I can answer 

Was I brave and strong and true.

Did I fill the world with love my whole life through?

Did I fill the world with love my whole life through?

                                                           words by Leslie Bricusse.

  At the end of your life will people say of you that you filled the world with Love?

Will God?

Please think about it.