Taking the first step

  Taking the first step

“After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. 

When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples  to ask him, 

“Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” 

Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see:  

The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.”  Matthew 11:1-5

Here while the apostles are carrying out their first mission John the Baptist now in prison sends his disciples to ask Jesus if he is the Messiah. Jesus answers,

“Go back and report to John what you hear and see:  The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.”

  All of these are signs of the Messiah. 

How much more proof is needed with respect to Jesus. He was doing these miraculous things in front of people.

Things the scribes and pharisees of the day were not doing.

Jesus was showing He was Lord by everything he was doing. Then leaving it up to the individual to decide who he was.

Jesus also states, “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.” Matthew 11-6 

One commentator stating that he didn’t want “discouragement and doubt to ensnare John”. Something that could have easily have happened to John considering he was in prison.

I think from time to time even the oldest Christian has questioned his or her faith. 

It’s a part of human nature to question things, especially when we are going through troubled times.

Still we must understand that all believers go through troubled times. Times when we think that God is not hearing our prayers because we can’t see anything happening. 

That’s when we use our faith the most. Faith being,

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

Martin Luther King Jr wrote,

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Are you making that first step?

Please think about it.  

God Knows us

 God knows us

In the book of Hebrews we read,

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.  

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.  Hebrews 4:14,15.

When we stand before God we can never say “you are divine and don’t understand what it is to be human. Thus you can’t judge us.”

We can’t say it because Jesus does know. 

Jesus was born to human parents. His family had to flee to Egypt to avoid being murdered by Herod. He lived a normal life. He felt the sun on his face. He felt the rain. He knew what it was to celebrate a marriage and other common events.

He also knew what it was to be tempted. He knew what it was for the ruling powers to speak out against him. And he knew what it was to be betrayed by one of his disciples. He knew what it was to be falsely accused beaten and crucified. 

So when we stand before God He can say I do understand what it is like to be human.

And the question becomes do you believe in Christ Jesus and all he did for us. The apostle Paul writing,

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8.

Please think about it.

An integral part of your life

 An integral part of your life

In the book of Deuteronomy we read

“Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk to them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up

You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9.

Here is a commandment from God to worship Him. Not only that we are to make it an integral part of our daily lives. We are to teach our faith to our children and talk about them in our every day life.

Jesus quotes this command 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 22:36-40.

So the question become is God an integral part of your daily life?

Please think about it.

How do you praise God?

  How do you praise God?

The psalmist writes,

"Praise the LORD. 

How good it is to sing praises to our God, 

how pleasant and fitting to praise him!" 

                                                                Psalm 147:1

How often do you take time to praise God?

In Psalm 150 we read,

Praise the LORD. 

Praise God in his sanctuary; 

praise him in his mighty heavens. 

Praise him for his acts of power; 

praise him for his surpassing greatness. 

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, 

praise him with the harp and lyre, 

praise him with tambourine and dancing,

 praise him with the strings and flute, 

praise him with the clash of cymbals,

 praise him with resounding cymbals. 

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. 

Praise the LORD. 

                                  Psalm 150.

There are many ways to praise God Psalm 150 tells us that. Depending on our circumstances we can also praise God without speaking.

So if you consider yourself a Christian a true follower of Christ how do you praise the Lord?

Your treasure and you

  Your treasure and you

In Matthews Gospel we read,

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 16:19-21.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. Where is your treasure?

In Luke’s gospel we read,

"A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone.  

You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honour your father and mother.''" 

"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said. 

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."Luke18:18-22  

           So where is your treasure? 

Are you willing to give it all up to follow Christ?

Now while God may never tell you to give up all you have. I think it’s important that we be willing to give it all up.

Here in North America where I live. We live in a very materialistic society. As a result losing all our material possessions can be devastating. 

Are you willing to give up all you have to serve Christ?

Please think about it.

Drawing near to God

 Drawing near to God

In the book of Hebrews we read,

“...let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:22,23

Drawing near to God. To me this means coming daily to God in prayer. Studying and meditating on the scriptures.

It means making prayer and studying the scriptures a daily habit.  It means searching the word of God to see what I can learn from it about God and what He wants for my life.

Do you do this?

Please think about it.

Knowing Gods voice

  Knowing Gods voice

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

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.  

By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.  

For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” Hebrews 11:8-10.

I can only imagine what it must have been for Abraham to take that step of faith. Martin Luther King jr. the American civil rights leader said,

Faith is taking the first step 

even when you don't see the whole staircase.

                                                              Martin Luther King, Jr.

And Abraham was taking an enormous step of faith. 

I think its obvious that Abraham knew the voice of God when he took that first step. And I think we need to know the voice of God so that we can be sure we are we are doing Gods will.

In order to do that we need to study the scriptures carefully so that when we hear Gods word we know it is Him and noone else.

Do you study the scriptures daily? If God was to speak to you today would you know for certain it was God speaking to you?

Please think about it.