Jesus is

  Jesus is

In John’s Gospel we read,

"Jesus said to her, (martha)"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 11:25,26,27.

In Matthews Gospel we read,

"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" 

They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 

"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Matthew 16:13-16

In the book of Acts we read Peter saying,

"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." 

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  

The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call." Acts 2:36-39.

So who is Jesus? Those close to him Martha, Peter and the other apostles believed him to be the Christ, the Messiah.

The apostle Paul tells us why Jesus came to this earth. In Romans he writes, 

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8.

Do you believe Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, who died for your sins?

Please think about it.

Jesus the Christ

 Jesus the Christ

In the gospel of Matthew we read,

“Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?"  

But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." 

"Yes, it is as you say,"Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.  

What do you think?" "He is worthy of death,"” they answered. Matthew 26:62-66.

Jesus knew what the penalty for claiming to be the Christ, the Messiah, was. Yet he never denied that he was the messiah, God incarnate. 

I like what C. S. Lewis said of Jesus,

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. 

A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. 

You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.

So who do you think Jesus is, a lunatic, a great moral teacher, or the Son of God, The saviour of all who would believe in Him?

Please think about it.

A duty to our Children

  A duty to our children

In the book or Proverbs we read,

“Train a child in the way he should go, 

and when he is old he will not turn from it.” 

                                                                        Proverbs 22:6.

In the Talmud we read,

“Whoever teaches his son teaches not only his son 

       but also his son's son, and so on to the end of generations.” 

                                                                                      The Talmud

I believe God has given every parent a duty to show our children the way they should go in life. I found this quote by Joshua Loth Liebman that to me expresses our duty to our children. It reads,

"Give your children unconditional love, a love that is not dependent on report cards, clean hands, or popularity.  

Give your children a sense of your whole-hearted acceptance, acceptance of their human frailties as well as their abilities and virtues. 

Give your children your permission to grow up to make their own lives independent of you.  

Give them a sense of truth; make them aware of themselves as citizens of a universe in which there are many obstacles as well as fulfilments.  

Bestow upon your child the blessings of your faith.  

These are the laws of honouring your son and your daughter.  

Out of these laws will be built the Declaration of Independence for the coming generation, a spiritual and emotional independence that, in turn, will make the world free, democratic, safe, creative".  Joshua Loth Liebman.

If you have children are you doing this?

Please think about it.

Above all put on Love

  Above all put on love

In the book of Colossians we read,

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3:12-14.

As Christians we are asked to clothe ourselves with...

Kindness

Humility,

Gentleness

Patience.

We are to forgive whatever grievances we my have against one another.

We are to forgive as the Lord forgave us.

And above all we are to put on love.

When you look at your life or when others look at your life do you and they see these attributes in your life.

You are my God

 You are my God

The Psalmist writes,

“You are my God, and I will give you thanks;

 you are my God, and I will exalt you. 

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; 

his love endures forever.” 

                                                         Psalm 118:28,29

If you claim to be a Christian you in all sincerity do what the Psalmist is saying here?

Do you truly believe all that is said here?

Please think about it.

Correctly handling Gods word

 Correctly handling Gods Word

Jesus said,

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  

By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  

Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  

Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  

Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  

Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:15-23

We as Christians need to take a good look at the pastors evangelist and Christian teachers we follow. We need to check if they are handling the scriptures correctly. We need to not just read the Bible but study it as well. We need to take time to pray and listen to what God is saying to us through the scriptures.

Many false preachers will quote, 

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Matthew 7:1,2

That is true when we are looking at those outside the church and judging where they are going to spend eternity.

The apostle Paul however writes,

“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1Corinthians 5:12,13.

Sadly many false teachers, preachers and evangelist hide behind twisted words. They say what they feel will make there listeners feel good. Words that are not correctly interpreted scripture. Words that are often meant to mislead people or enrich their own pockets.

Now within Christianity there are some minor differences in interpreting scripture and there is nothing wrong with that. 

The problem come when the false teachers say things that are far from what the Bible teaches. It is such teachers that need to be expelled from the church. 

 The apostle Paul states,

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”  2 Timothy 2:15

Question: Are you handling the word of God correctly?

Please think about it.

The need for Christ

  The need for Christ

The apostle Paul wrote

"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  

They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." 2Timothy 4:3,4

Perhaps its because we are in an information age and we see more things happening because of it. But I think not. I believe our society is degrading. People are becoming lovers of self. And have been doing so for many years.

Sadly in 2026 there are many calling themselves Christians who have twisted the words of the Bible to suite their own philosophy or to enrich themselves. 

While going through my wife’s books. My wife being the ultimate book worm. I found a book called the essentials in Christian Faith by John B. Harrington. The book could have been written yesterday so relevant is its message. Yet it was written in 1958.

Harrington quotes Paul Gallico in Esquire Magazine in 1948 he writes,

"A writer in a popular magazine has written the following words; 'We are all, if you will pardon the expression, Headed for Hell in a handbarrow. If, ever the people of the world stood in need of a spiritual revival, it is now. We are beginning to poison the face of the earth with our miserable presence. The brakes are off. The cart of the world is sliding down the way greased with hatred, ambition, lies, self-seeking and avarice toward the pit.'"

Harrington notes that Gallico makes no pretense of being "a religious man" noting that "...for him it is precisely religion in its organized forms which has in part caused the situation he deplores. He is careful to state that it is not "religion" for which he is looking. For in his opinion, religion throughout the history of our culture has advanced its control over human beings by the investment of bigotry and persecution. 

Yet, out of despair over the current human situation he says; ‘The voice for which my heavy spirit is yearning must reach us all... For if it is not heard, we are lost. Something beyond our material enrichment and lust for power and position, some rewards founded on good will, selflessness, and the innate dignity of the human spirit...honour, humility, decency courage."

What Gallico is speaking about is what the apostle Paul predicted. And the solution to the problem. The only solution is the love of Christ Jesus.

Jesus said,

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30.

True Christianity is built on love. Jesus 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 neighbor as yourself.’  

All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40.

Jesus also 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.

If you consider yourself a Christian are you doing this?

Please think about it.