Acts or Righteousness

Acts of righteousness
"Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
Matthew 6:1-4    I believe giving is an essential part of being Christian. We need to help those less fortunate to the best of our ability.
   We can all do something for someone.
    I remember my mother in law when I first met her. She was as poor as a church mouse. She was living well below the poverty line. Yet she always had a cup of tea or a snack for someone who dropped by.
   At Christmas and new year there was always food enough for everyone and an empty chair ready for any unexpected guest that might drop by.
   She in small ways helped those around her to the best of her ability.
   My parents both non-Christians brought us up to help others in need. My father a union activist always said he did so because he wanted to better the lives of the average worker.
   This was ingrained into us as we grew up.
Neither my wife’s mother or my parents ever made a big deal about it. And it wasn’t until their funerals that we realized just how many lives they had touched.
   This is how it should be for Christians.
   The Jews have a word for it Tzedakah,
   Tzedakah is a Hebrew word for what we in English call Charity, but it is more than that.
Charity suggests an act of generosity by the wealthy for the benefit of the poor and needy.
   In Judaism however giving to the poor in not viewed as a generous act, it is considered an act of justice and righteousness. The performance of one’s duty giving the poor their due.
C. C. Montefore states, "
It is the highest ideal in Jewish teaching—for it is the highest application of Jewish ethical values. It is Judaism in action—and Judaism is inherently and deeply a religion of action, a way of life, a way of living." Some Jewish teachers consider it the highest of all commandments and a person who does not perform tzedakah is equivalent to an idol worshipper.
Certainly if we look at the teachings of Jesus we can see this teaching.
Jesus put people first. He stressed the importance of the individual. When he states, "
And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." Matthew 10:42.
This is an act of tzedakah. The scripture at the beginning of this piece makes it clear Jesus’s teaching on giving when He states,

"Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
Matthew 6:1-4I believe like Judaism from which Christian ideals come, Christians have an obligation to the poor.
Anne Frank a young Jewish girl hiding from the Nazis in occupied Holland wrote these words,

"Give of yourself, give as much as you can? And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness! If everyone were to do this and not be as mean with a kindly word, then there would be much more justice and love in the world. Give and you shall receive, much more than you would have ever thought possible. Give, give again and again, don’t lose courage, keep it up and go on giving! No one has ever become poor from giving!"Anne experienced Tzedakah from those Christians who hid her.
It was their duty to do so even though it placed their very lives in jeopardy.    We as Christians need to look carefully at our lives and ask ourselves are we giving enough? Are we doing all we can do by our words and our deeds to help those around us?
   I got the following list from a web sight written by Tracy R. Rich on tzedakah. It lists the ways to give from the least to the best.
   I place it here for all Christians to think about.
Giving begrudgingly
Giving less that you should, but giving it cheerfully.
Giving after being asked
Giving before being asked
Giving when you do not know the recipient's identity, but the recipient knows your identity
Giving when you know the recipient's identity, but the recipient doesn't know your identity
Giving when neither party knows the other's identity
Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant

Merry Christmas

.

To all who read this blog.
My prayer for you is, whoever you are, May the love of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be with you this Christmas and throughout the coming year.

what is a Christian

What is a Christian

Over the years I’ve met and heard in the Media and other places people who call themselves Christians. Yet to hear them talk you’d think they were the most judgmental even bigoted and people you’d ever met.
A lot has been said and done in the name of Christianity. Many people zealous for the faith have forgotten the fundamentals of the faith, leaving a lot of wreckage in their wake.
These people potentially have by their words and deeds sentenced many people to hell.
A great burden is placed upon the Christian, one that involves the eternal well being of all they come in contact with.
For me the following is what I believe a true Christian must believe and follow.
I could write a book on each scripture reference and at a later date I just might. Still here as brief as I could make it is what I believe makes a Christian a Christian.

First they we must believe.

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; 

bind them around your neck, 

write them on the tablet of your heart. 

Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 

in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” 

                                                                                            Proverbs 3:3-6  

Second,

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.

 No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

                                                                                              John 14:6

Third

“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

Fourth

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—

and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 

not by works, so that no one can boast.  

For we are God’s workmanship, 

created in Christ Jesus to do good works, 

which God prepared in advance for us to do”. 

                                                                           Ephesians 2:8-10

Fifth,

Then Jesus came to them and said, 

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,

 baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  

and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

 And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

                                                                                                    Matthew 28:18-20
Sixth,

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. 

Therefore be as shrewd as snakes 

and as innocent as doves.”

                                                                      Matthew 10:16

Seventh

“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
Eighth,

“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, 

that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. 

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain 

on the righteous and the unrighteous. 

If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? 

Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  

And if you greet only your brothers, 

what are you doing more than others? 

Do not even pagans do that? 

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

                                                                                         Matthew 5:43-48
Ninth

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.”  

                                                                       1Corinthians 13:4-8a
If Christians follow these scripture I feel strongly that they can and will reach those around them.
Living in North America I as a Christian have unprecedented freedoms to talk to people about my faith.
There are entire Christian television networks. Millions of people watch daily various evangelist and pastors preaching the word of God.
Sadly there are many that while preaching have put their own biases on that word. In doing so they have turned people off.
Standing in a pulpit be that in a church building or in the media and spitting hell fire and brimstone I’ve found doesn’t win people to Christ, especially in the twenty-first century.
People know there’s sin in the world. They may call it by other names but they know the world and the people in it are far from perfect. They know there is a need to change for the better.
But screaming judgmental dogma from the pulpit will only push people away potentially sentencing them to hell.
The Apostle Paul once had a unique pulpit. He stood before a bunch of what the bible would define as sinners and those of other faiths. In fact he was asked by those men, Epicurean and Stoic philosophers  to speak to them in the Areopagus in Athens,
What he said should be a model to us on how to speak to those of other faiths and beliefs.
This is what he said,
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.  For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. 

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.  From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.  ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 

“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” 
                                                         Acts 17:22-31
Paul presented the Gospel plain and simple. Not your condemned to hell, no you vile sinners. He simple presented the word of God. As should every Christian believer.
If you are a Christian I would ask you to examine yourself and see if the way you present yourself and the gospel to others is positive or negative.
Look at it from the none believers eyes. If you were a none-believer would you receive the message you are presenting?
If you do not believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, God incarnate. The saviour of the world, consider what was said above.
I truly believe Jesus came to save the world and I believe he wants to come into your life today. And he doesn’t care who you are. His first thought is for you as a person. It is not contingent on anything you do.
The basic premise of Christianity is God reaching down to man because man is not tall enough or good enough to reach up to God.
Think about it.
If you have any questions contact me at. Nealbelieves@gmail.com

Love

Read Luke 6: 46-49

“Why do you call be “Lord, Lord.” 

and do not do what I say?

 I will show you what he is like 

who comes to me and hears my words and put them into practice. 

He is like a man building a house, 

who dug down deep 

and laid the foundation on the rock.

 When the floods came the torrent struck

 that house but could not sake it,

 because it was well built.”

                                                                                        Luke 6:46-48
If there is one thing that we must do, is make sure we dig. Dig into the Bible. Deep into the very word of God. Look closely at the words and ways of Jesus. Study the letters of the apostle to the church.
The Bible, not the words or interpretation of man must be the foundation on which we build our faith. Man makes mistakes God dose not. I believe when there is a conflict between what the bible teaches and what a man says, that the man has made the mistake not God.
I have been fond of referring to 1 Corinthians 13:1-8a. It is the definition of love. The definition of love given in the first eight verses of 1 Corinthians 13 is shown by Jesus who endured all thing even to the death of the Cross for us.
But we must not forget the rest of that chapter which says,

Love never fails. 

 But whether there are prophecies, 

they will fail; 

whether there are tongues 

they will cease;

 whether there is knowledge,

 it will vanish away. 

For we know in part

 and we prophecy in part.

 But when that which is perfect has come, 

then that which is in part will be done away.

 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; 

but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

 For now we see in a mirror dimly, 

but then face to face. 

 Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

Now abides faith hope and Love but the greatest of these is Love.

                                                                                                                   1 Corinthians 13:8-12
Man is fallible, prophesy’s fail, knowledge is lost and changes. Things change in the world. But the one thing that never changes is the Love of God.

Something to think about.

We must build our house on the foundation of love. Not only in word but in every deed we do. We must show the love of God to all mankind even our worst enemy. This is what Jesus did. This is what God did.
John 3:16,17 say it all. Read the words carefully,“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in    Him should not perish but have everlasting life.“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the word through Him might be saved.”
Only if we have an unfailing love for God and our fellow man can we truly take that word to a lost and dying world effectively.

The birth that had to be

‘In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)   And everyone went to his own town to register. 
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,   and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” 
                                                                                                                                          Luke 2:1-7
Imagine this. You are a multi billionaire with everything you’ve ever wanted at your finger tips. You have servants aplenty. All you ever had to do to get anything was to snap your fingers and someone would get it for you.
Additionally you’ve been very healthy. You’ve never known what it was to be sick in your life.
Now in all honesty how can you relate to someone who is just the opposite? Someone who is so poor they are living from day to day. Every penny they have has to be carefully spent. They live from pay check to pay check and quite often they have to choose weather to spend the money on food for themselves and their children or pay the electric bill.
When they are sick they worry that they can get the right health care and drugs to help get them better. They also worry that they will miss too much time at work and thus have even less money for food and shelter.
Can a multi billionaire even stand in judgement of someone this poor?
In all honesty I think a multi billionaire can intellectually say he understands but having not experienced that kind of poverty and the physical and mental strains it puts on a person he can’t truly relate.
At the same time while he knows what it is to be human judging a man of humble means can also be difficult.
I think that’s what God realized after he created man. It goes without saying that God the creator of mankind has the right to stand in judgement of his creation, especially if it isn’t going in the direction He expects.
Still when a man stands before God he could in his defence justly say ‘you don’t know what it is to be human. What it is to face the day to day temptations and trials a man or woman has.’
But God can. He can do it because He chose to send His one and only Son, Jesus Christ into this world.
Jesus in his lifetime experienced what it was to be human. He felt the sun against his face,and the rain. He had friends, attended weddings and funerals.
He taught the truths of God to thousands and was regarded as a great teacher. At the same time he was despised by many of those in authority amongst his people.
From his earliest days he knew what it was like to be a political refuge, his parents had to flee to Egypt, to escape Herod’s wrath.
Jesus showed us and taught us what God wanted us to do.
While he spoke out against the Jewish leaders, the leaders of his people to correct them. He never spoke out against the ruling secular authorities of Rome.
Still he was falsely accused of breaking the law. Even the Roman governor of his day said Jesus had done nothing deserving of death.
At the same time for political expediency he let Jesus be flogged and put to death on a Roman cross.
Because of all of this Jesus can justly judge the individual. He understands everything about being human.
Now all of that being said we know that the sole purpose for Jesus coming to earth was to save the world. John 3:17 stating, “ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world would be saved through Him.”
God fully understands that we cannot live a perfect life that’s why He sent His Son to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins.
John 3:16-17 put it this way,
Jn 3:16 “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.  17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
The bible makes it clear that it is God that is reaching down to man to offer eternal life.
Ephesians 2:8,9 states,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.”
God simply wants us to admit we are sinners to confess our sins to Him directly and to ask him to come into our hearts and lives.
If we do this with a sincere heart he will come in and direct us along the paths of righteousness.
The choice is yours. You can do it right now. Simply say this prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father,
I admit that I am a sinner and fall short of what you want for my life.
Please come into my life today and take away my sins.
Guide me and direct me in the way you would have me go.
                         In Jesus name I pray
                                              Amen.
If you’ve prayed this prayer I would suggest that you start reading the bible. You can’t learn about God unless you do.
The other thing you should do is find a church that teaches directly from the bible and attend it.
We all need encouragement from other Christians it helps us grow in our faith.
Pray and ask God to help you find such a church in your area and He will reply.

A lesson from 19th May 1536

A lesson from 19th May 1536
“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.” Luke 6:27,28

Every so often out of the blue God gives me an example of what a Christian should be like. This one comes from courtesy of today in history on my Google home page. It reads,
“They came for Anne on the morning of May 19th to take her to the Tower Green, where she was to be afforded the dignity of a private execution. The Constable of the Tower wrote this of her:
“This morning she sent for me, that I might be with her at such time as she received the good Lord (i.e. took Communion), to the intent I should hear her speak as touching her innocency alway to be clear. And in the writing of this she sent for me, and at my coming she said, "Mr. Kingston, I hear I shall not die afore noon, and I am very sorry therefore, for I thought to be dead by this time and past my pain ". I told her it should be no pain, it was so little. And then she said, "I heard say the executioner was very good, and I have a little neck", and then put her hands about it, laughing heartily. I have seen many men and also women executed, and that they have been in great sorrow, and to my knowledge this lady has much joy in death. Sir, her almoner is continually with her, and had been since two o'clock after midnight.
She wore a "red petticoat under a loose, dark grey gown of damask trimmed in fur". Her dark hair was bound up and she wore her customary French headdress. She made a short speech:
“Good Christian people, I am come hither to die, for according to the law, and by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I am come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of that, whereof I am accused and condemned to die, but I pray God save the king and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never: and to me he was ever a good, a gentle and sovereign lord. And if any person will meddle of my cause, I require them to judge the best. And thus I take my leave of the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me. O Lord have mercy on me, to God I commend my soul.”
The Anne spoken of is Anne Boleyn king Henry VIII second wife.
Anne’s trial was a sham, an easy way out for Henry, who was looking for a male heir. Anne couldn’t supply the need so she was accused of adultery, incest, witchcraft, and high treason. All of which historians say were untrue.
Anne however in her short time with Henry made a significant mark on History. Anne became the power behind the thrown.
Anne was hailed as a Christian reformer, Martin Luther even noting it was a good that she came to power.
It was because of her the Church of England split with the Pope.
She arranged for her personal chaplain Thomas Cranmer to become Archbishop of Canterbury. She encouraged Henry to look to the advice of religious radicals of the day such as William Tynsdale who denied the power of the Pope. A man who to the dislike of the Pope translated the Bible into English.
Additionally another radical slash reformer of the day Thomas Cromwell became Henry’s favoured advisor.
Unfortunately Anne lost favour with the king simply because of her inability to produce a male heir.
Henry would marry four more times and get his son. The Son however would not reign long. Ultimately it would be Anne’s daughter Elizabeth who would rise to power and be remembered as one of the greatest monarchs in English history.
But having said all of this, I wish to make this point.
Anne could have become bitter and resentful toward Henry and how she was treated. She could have become sombre and downcast yet the constable of the tower noted.
“I have seen many men and also women executed, and that they have been in great sorrow, and to my knowledge this lady has much joy in death.”
Anne seemed to be resigned to her fate. Not vengeful at all. She seems to have exemplified the scripture I quoted at the beginning of this article,
“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.” Luke 6:27,28
Anne’s final words seem to show she was a dedicated Christian,
“Good Christian people, I am come hither to die, for according to the law, and by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I am come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of that, whereof I am accused and condemned to die, but I pray God save the king and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never: and to me he was ever a good, a gentle and sovereign lord. And if any person will meddle of my cause, I require them to judge the best. And thus I take my leave of the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me. O Lord have mercy on me, to God I commend my soul.”
Question, how would you fair if you were put in Anne’s shoes?  True Anne was dying because a King simply wanted a son. But never the less she was Christian and did constitute change in a very real way in England. Changes that echo down the centuries to us.
According to human rights groups between 115,000 and 163,000 Christians die for their faith each year,(7 people an hour).
Seventy-five percent of all religious persecution is directed at Christians.
Half of all the Christian persecution in history 35,000,000 deaths have occurred in the twentieth century alone.
Yet the church in the western world seems to be silent.
A personal project for you the reader.
Write a letter to your member of parliament, or congress. Your prim minister or president expressing your opinion on the persecuted church.
Ask them to do all within their power to help persecuted Christians around the world.
Open Doors International, a group that reaches out to persecuted Christians, lists the 10 most repressive countries for minority religions and Christians in particular: North Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Maldives, Afghanistan, Yemen, Mauritania, Laos and Uzbekistan.
And if you can do nothing else pray for our Christian brothers and sisters living under persecution.