Strength in Weakness

Strength in Weakness
The apostle Paul writes,
“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.  
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 
When I read this passage I am reminded of the rich man that came to Jesus as recorded in Matthew’s gospel. Matthew records,
“Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” 
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” 
“Which ones?” the man inquired. Jesus replied, “ ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’’” 
“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” 
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” Matthew 19:16-22.
The young man in this situation put more faith in his wealth than in God. That is not what God wants.
The point here is that we should be putting our faith entirely in God not in our wealth or our own strength.
Now there is nothing wrong with being strong and wealthy. However we should not put our trust in them. Our wealth can vanish in an instant. Our strength can do the same.
The prophet Isaiah states,

“A voice says, “Cry out.” 

And I said, “What shall I cry?” 

“All men are like grass, 

and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. 

The grass withers and the flowers fall, 

because the breath of the LORD blows on them. 

Surely the people are grass. 

The grass withers and the flowers fall, 

but the word of our God stands forever.” 

                                                  Isaiah 40:6-8

It should be immaterial to our faith whether we have wealth and strength. We should never boast about these things. We need to believe the words Christ spoken to the apostle Paul when he said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 
If we must boast we should be boasting about Jesus and all He has done for us.
Please think about it.

Christians Purify Yourself

Christian Purify yourself
The apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians states,
“Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 
“I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 
Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1.
In my previous blog post I noted that to be Christ like not only meant loving people but sitting down with sinners and others to present the message of Christ to them.
Here the apostle Paul is making it clear to believers in Christ that we need to keep ourselves clean from the contamination of the evil of the world.
However that does not mean refusing to associate with the people of this world. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians states,
“I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.
But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.” 1 Corinthians 5:9,10,11. 
Paul make it clear we are not to associate with someone calling himself a brother in Christ who is doing immoral things.”
In 2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1, Paul is saying that we personally need to keep our lives clean. Paul makes it clear stating,
“...let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
The apostle Peter writes
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 
Dear friends,
 I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:9-12.
As believers in Christ we should be living as good a moral life as we can. So much so that without us even saying a word those around us will realize it and even be attracted to Christ because of it.
Please think about it.

Being Christ Like

Being Christ Like
The Apostle Paul writes,

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; 

the old has gone, the new has come!” 

                                                                        2 Corinthians 5:17.

If we are truly sincere when we ask Christ into our life we do become a new creation. Slowly perhaps at first our lives begin to change. We start to turn away from things that are not pleasing to God. God becomes first in our lives and we have a truly hart felt desire to serve God in whatever way we can.
That being said here is something for you to think about if we want to be Christ like.
First of all if we desire to be Christ like we will desire to 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.
Not only that He said,
“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?  Matthew 5:43-47.
If you are becoming Christ like you will also “sit with sinners”
Matthew’s gospel records,
“While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples.  
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” 
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:10-13.
Jesus sat down with sinners in order to show them the way to heaven. This is something we must do.
If you are becoming Christ like you will not judge others especially when it comes to where they will spend eternity. Jesus said,
“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
We can’t be judging others because we do not know what is in their heart. Billy Graham the American Evangelist said,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge 

and my job to love, 

                          Billy Graham.

This to me at least in part is what it is to be a new creation in Christ. It is what it is to become Christ like. For in becoming Christ like we are showing the love of God and Jesus said,
“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.
Please think about it.
  

We Live by Faith

We live by Faith
The apostle Paul writes,

“We live by faith, not by sight.” 

                                2 Corinthians 5:7.

The Christian life is very much a life of faith. As Billy Graham the great American evangelist put it,

I can't prove it scientifically, that there's a God,

 but I believe.

                                Billy Graham.

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.

Acting in faith is not exclusively a Christian thing or for that matter a religious thing. Scientist act on faith all the time. Scientist look at the world around them and make hypophysis. They state because of what they see certain things must be true.
Einstein was one such scientist he made predictions that were not proven until long after he died. Predictions he believed by faith all his life. He believed them because he had evaluated what he seen and established for himself that what he believed is true.
Thus it is with Christians we look at the world around us, the heavens above. We see how perfectly constructed it is and see the hand of God. The Psalmist saying,

“The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

Day after day they pour forth speech; 

night after night they display knowledge. 

There is no speech or language 

where their voice is not heard.” 

                                  Psalm 19:1-3.

Thus the question becomes do you believe in God.
  The Apostle Paul writes,

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

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

                                                                    Ephesians 2:8.

Do you believe this?
Please think about it.

Trust in the Lord

Trust in the Lord
The writer of Proverbs states,
“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 3:5,6.
Charles Spurgeon the great evangelist said,
“The Word of God will be to you a bulwark and a high tower, a castle of defence against the foe. Oh, see to it that the Word of God is in you, in your very soul, permeating your thoughts, and so operating upon your outward life, that all may know you to be a true Bible-Christian, for they perceive it in your words and deeds.” Charles H. Spurgeon
As believers in Christ we need to spend as much time as we can studying the scriptures. We need also to put what we learned from the scriptures into action.
It’s one thing to study the word of God its quite another to put what we learn from it into action in our daily lives.
When we do however people will notice. Francis of Assisi states,

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 

                                                                     Francis of Assisi.

It can be hard at times to trust God and not lean on our own understanding. This is especially true if we are going through hard times. However it is when we are going through those hard times that we need God the most.
As believers in Christ we need to heed the words of the Psalmist who said,

“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 

He restores my soul. 

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 

I will fear no evil, for you are with me; 

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

 You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, 

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” 

                                                                      Psalm 23

Question: Do you put all your trust in the Lord?
Please think about it.

Flee Idolatry

Flee Idolatry
The apostle Paul writing to the Corinthian church, a church that was surrounded with idol worship and a myriad of temptations said,

“Therefore, my dear friends, 

flee from idolatry.” 

                            1 Corinthians 10:14.

At the very beginning of the Ten Commandments God states,

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt,

 out of the land of slavery. 

“You shall have no other gods before me. 

“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven 

above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.  

You shall not bow down to them or worship them;...” 

                                                                   Exodus 20: 2-4a.

We who live at the beginning of the twenty-first century have idols all around us. We may not consider them idols but they are. Anything that we hold in higher esteem than God is an idol.
We see our idols in the media every day. Be they fancy consumer goods. The acquisition of wealth ahead of worship of God. Even our cars, and homes.
These things may not seem like God’s after all they are inanimate objects and in and of themselves are harmless.
That was the same with the idols in Corinth. The carved statues to the Greek god’s were just stone. Harmless.
The harm comes however when we as individuals start to believe that such things have the power to change our lives. That they will give us a better life, or meaning in our life.
When we start turning to them rather than putting God first in our lives and worshipping him alone.
Matthew’s Gospel records the temptations of Christ. The third temptation was to worship Satan. Matthew’s Gospel records,
“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.  
“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’’” Matthew 4:8-10.
Notice Jesus makes it clear,
“For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’’
As believers in Christ Jesus we as individuals need to take stock of our lives and ask ourselves if we have any idols in our lives.
Please if you consider yourself a believer in Christ think about it.

Servants of God

Servants of Christ
The Apostle Paul states,
“So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.”  1 Corinthians 4:1.
The Apostle Peter writes,
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 
Dear friends,
 I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:9-12.
According to New Testament Scripture we as believers in Christ are servants of God. Not only that the apostle Peter calls us a,
“...a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God,...”
People around us should see this without us even saying a word. Francis of Assisi said,

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 

                                                                     Francis of Assisi

To that end the apostle Paul tells us,

“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. 

                                                          2Timothy 2:15.

We as believers in Christ I believe from time to time need to take a look at our lives. We need to go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him how we can better represent Him. How we can serve Him better.
There is a famous prayer called the Prayer of St. Francis that I think every believer in Christ needs to pray. It reads,

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love,

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” 

                                                             Francis of Assisi

Please think about it.

Sexual Immorality in the Church

Sexual immorality in the Church
The apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians states,
“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife.  
And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?  
Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present.   When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord. 
Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?  
Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.  
Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth. 
I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.  
But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler.    With such a man do not even eat. 
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.” 1 Corinthians 5:1-13.
Here Paul is writing to the Corinthian church about someone who claims to be a follower of Christ and is committing sexual immorality as Paul states,
“of a kind that does not occur even among pagans”
Whatever it was it must have been very serious for the city of Corinth was already considered by the Greeks a city of immorality. Aristophanes an ancient Greek writer coined the term “Korinthiazomai” meaning to act like a Corinthian. In Greek plays of the day Corinthians were portrayed as drunkards and reprobates.
Paul tells believers in Christ not to associate with this person who claims to be a follower of Christ.
Paul does not say to stop associating with such people outside the church. Paul states,
“I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.”  
He then emphasizes
“But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler.” 
He tells the brethren not to even eat with such a person.
Paul then makes an important statement that all who call themselves believers in Christ need to heed. He states,
“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.” 
As Christians we have no right to judge those outside the body of believers.
However we have every right to judge those who call themselves believers and stray from the truth of the Gospel of Christ in any way.
For they in calling themselves a follower of Jesus Christ are claiming to live by the moral values of Jesus. If they are not then according to Paul we have the right to judge them and correct them.
Please think about it.

Truth Stranger than Fiction

Truth Stranger than Fiction
The Apostle Paul wrote,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.  
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1Corinthians 18-24.
It’s been said sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. This I believe is the case when it comes to Jesus.
The wisdom of man would say why would Almighty God enter into the world He created in the form of a man? Why wouldn’t God simply reveal Himself in all His glory and thus show mankind He is real and wants man to worship Him?
The answer to that I believe comes from the Writer of Hebrews who wrote,

“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

Faith defined as

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.” 

                                                      Hebrews 11:1.

Someone who has faith in something are the strongest of believers. A true believer in any cause or leader will go to the grave for them. That is the kind of believer God wants.
God wants people who have unwavering faith in Him no matter what the circumstances.
Yes God could have come into the world in all His glory with legions of angels and made it clear that He exists. That however would not have necessarily produced true believers. Many would have believed in Him simply because they feared His might and what he could do to them.
God does not want that. God wants people to believe in Him because they truly love Him.
That I believe is why He entered the world in the way He did.
Please think about it.

One Body Many Parts

One Body Many Parts
The Apostle Paul writes,
“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.  
For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 
Now the body is not made up of one part but of many....
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 26, 27.
Here Paul tells us the church is made up of many parts. The true church is not a building or a denomination or a congregation. It is all believers in Christ Jesus everywhere in the world.
It doesn’t matter whether we attend a Catholic church, a Protestant church, an Orthodox church or any other church. All true believers in Jesus are one.
As Paul states,
“For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”
We may have different skills and abilities. We may do different things and worship in different ways but we are still one body united in Christ Jesus.
As a body of believers we need to remember what Paul states,
      “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” 
We need to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus both in our neighbourhood and around the world.
Please think about it.

Love

Love
The Apostle Paul writes,

“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 apostle Paul here is writing to Christians but what he is saying about true love is universal in nature. On does not need to be a Christian to understand and accept the truth Paul defines here.
Martin Luther King jr. the great civil rights leader in the United States said,
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.”
                                                                                           Martin Luther King, Jr.
Anne Frank a young Jewish girl in hiding from the Nazis in the Netherlands during world war two wrote,
“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 Frank.
What Anne Frank said is true. We need to give of ourselves. For in doing so we are showing love and true love can indeed change the world.
Please think about it.

A Truth or a Lie

A truth or a lie?
The apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians said,
“Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.  
By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.  
After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.  
Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,” 1 Corinthians 15:1-7 
Here is a statement if false makes believing in Christ Jesus to no avail. Paul makes the statement
“that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”
This belief that Jesus died for the sins of all mankind is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. If Christ did not die for the sins of mankind then there is nothing gained by believing in Him.
If on the other hand as Christians believe Christ died for the sins of mankind and rose on the third day there is everything to be gained. Namely eternal life with God in heaven.
There is also another statement here that Paul makes about Jesus. He states,
“that he (Jesus) was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.  
After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.  
Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,” 
If this statement is not true it is one of the greatest lies ever told to humanity. It means the estimated three billion Christians alive to day and those that came before them are believing a lie.
I as a Christian believe what Paul is saying. The question is do you?
Please think about it.

The Word became Flesh

The word became flesh
The apostle John states,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  
He was with God in the beginning. 
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  
In him was life, and that life was the light of men....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ” John 1:1-4,14
Of all the things Christians believe perhaps this is one of the most contentious. Christians believe that God in the form of His one and Only Son Jesus Christ entered the world to point mankind to heaven.
The writer of Hebrews tells us,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3.
I understand that believing such things can be hard for some people. After all why would God enter his creation?
The apostle Paul writing to Titus states,
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” Titus 3:4,5
The apostle John quotes Jesus as saying,
“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.  
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. John 3:16-18.
For believers in Christ it is a believe it or not situation. You either believe what the New Testament says about Jesus or you do not.
You either believe that Jesus is God incarnate that came into this world to provide purification of our sins or you do not.
What do you believe?
Please think about it.  

A Definite Statement

A definite statement
The Bible tells us,
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1.
The writers of the Bible did not argue about the existence of God. It was written to believers and therefor God’s existence was not in debate.
Sadly many who do not believe in God do not believe because they say He cannot be seen felt or heard. Evidence of God however is all around. The Psalmist states,

The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

Day after day they pour forth speech; 

night after night they display knowledge. 

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.” 

Psalm 19:1-3.

What the psalmist is saying is proof of God is all around. The entire universe is proof of God.
The universe is in perfect order. Everything from the largest galaxy to the smallest subatomic particle works together to produce life as we know it on earth. To my way of thinking that tells me there is a creator behind it all.
Ultimately however it is up to the individual to decide whether God exists or not.
I like to think believing in God is “informed faith”. Informed faith meaning looking at the world around you. Seeing it’s perfection and realizing that behind it all is a God who created it all.
Please think about it.

Caution

Caution
The Epistle of Jude warns,
“Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.  
For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” Jude 1:3,4.
Jude is warning believers about false teachers. Men who are teaching false doctrine. This is something anticipated by Jesus who said,
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Matthew 7:15.
The apostle Paul also warns about such people.
“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.
It is so easy for a person to sound like a believer and not be one. It’s easy to memorize some scripture. Then take them out of context to make them sound as though it is right teaching when it is not. Many people have been deceived this way.
As Christians we need to know at the very least the basics of our faith. We need to understand that anyone who does not believe the core beliefs of our faith is not a true believer in Jesus Christ.
One universally accepted statement of Christian faith is the Apostles Creed. While not written by the apostles it states the basic beliefs of all true believers. The Apostle Creed reads,
1.I believe in God the Father the almighty maker of heaven and earth
2. I believe in Jesus Christ God’s on and only Son, our Lord and Saviour.
3. I believe Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary
4. I believe Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate; That He was Crucified, died, was buried. That he descended in hell.
5. I believe He rose again on the third day from the dead.
6. I believe that he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
7. I believe Jesus will one day Judge the living and the dead.
8. I believe in the Holy Ghost
9. I believe in the Church which is the communion of the saints,
10. I believe in the forgiveness of sin.
11. I believe in the resurrection of the body.
12. I believe in life everlasting.
The other important things Christians need to be doing is studying the scriptures for yourself. To pray and ask God to show you personally the truth that is in the scriptures.
Thus the question, Are you truly taking time each day to study even just a small portion of scripture?
Please think about it.

Our First Love

Our First Love
The book of Revelations records,
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:  
I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.  
You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.  
Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.  
But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Revelations 2:1-7
Revelations talks directly to seven churches. I have always heard it said that these churches can be related to both individual congregations and to individuals.
Here the Church at Ephesus is commended for there perseverance and there dislike of wicked men. For there enduring of hardships for Christ sake.
Then Jesus goes on to say “you have forsaken your first love”.
The first love of every Christian should be God and His one and only Son Jesus Christ. To put anything before or faith in Christ is wrong.
The apostle Paul writing to Timothy said,
“Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 
“Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself. 2 Timothy 11-13
Please think about it.

Do Whatever is Good

Do whatever is good
The apostle Paul writing to Titus states,
“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,  to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men. Titus 3:1,2.
Paul writing to the Romans said,
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.  
Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”  Romans 13:1,2.
The Apostle Peter states,
“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.   For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.   Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.  
Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. 1 Peter 2:13-17.
1/Here is something that all believers in Christ in 2017 need to remember.
2/Be subject to rulers and authorities.
3/Do whatever is good.
4/Do not use freedom to cover evil.
5/Fear God honour the King.
            Both Paul and Peter make this clear.
The apostles Paul and Peter lived in an ethnically diverse society. A society that had a myriad of beliefs and gods. A society that had things that would have been morally reprehensible to what they believed. Yet these men of God tells believers to be subject to the governing authorities.
In doing this we can never be accused of speaking against the government or any other group. Our hands are if you will clean of any wrong doing against the governing authority or any other group.
The only time we should speak out against the government is when they refuse to let us or for that matter any other group practise our faith.
Peter tells us to “live as free men, but do not use your freedom to cover up evil.”
We should always remember that freedom is precious and not to be used to speak evil against anyone.
It comes back to the words of Christ who 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.
Please think about it.

God Knows who you are

God Knows who you are
the Psalmist writes,
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16
For many years I had the above quote from Psalm 139 in the front of my Bible. It reminds me that God knows my very being. It tells me if you will that God knows my DNA. He knows why I am the way that I am.
It also reminds me that because God knows me that intimately only He has the right to judge me. No one else.
For me one thing that upsets me is when someone calling themselves Christians judge others especially when it come to where they will spend eternity.
Tony Campolo the American evangelist said,
“We ought to get out of the judging business. We should leave it up to God to determine who belongs in one arena or another when it comes to eternity. What we are obligated to do is to tell people about Jesus, and that's what I do.” Tony Campolo.
Jesus makes it clear when he said,
“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.
It is something we as believers should be following.
The apostle Paul tells believers in Christ,
“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.” 1 Corinthians 5:12,13.
We as believers in Christ must remember this. We are allowed to Judge those inside the church but only with respect to making sure they are teaching sound doctrine.
We still have no right even within our churches to say where a person will spend eternity. That is entirely up to God.
Our principle purpose on this earth as believers in Christ Jesus is to present the good news of Jesus to every person who will listen to us.
We cannot do that if we are judging them.
Please think about it

Delight in the Lord

Delight in the Lord
The Psalmist writes,

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked

 or stand in the way of sinners 

or sit in the seat of mockers. 

But his delight is in the law of the LORD, 

and on his law he meditates day and night.” 

                                                      Psalm 1:1,2.

Five Questions,
1. Do you walk in the counsel of the wicked?
2. Do you stand in the way or sinners?
3. Do you sit in the seat of mockers?
4. Do you delight in the Law of the Lord?
5. Do you meditate on God’s laws day and night?
It is important for believers in Christ to delight in the law of the Lord. To meditate on it as often as we can. To understand what it means.
Christianity, true Christianity is a way of life that honours God in word and deed. We can only do that if we are studying it.
The apostle Paul writing to Timothy wrote,
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,  so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16,17.
Paul emphasized to Timothy,
“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.
Another thing that cannot happen if you are not meditating on the word of God.
So the question becomes are you meditating on God’s word?
Please think about it.

A Poached Egg?

A Poached Egg?
Who do you think Jesus is? It is a question all upon hearing about Jesus must decide for themselves.
The Bible makes several claims about Jesus. John’s gospel records,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  
He was with God in the beginning. 
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  
In him was life, and that life was the light of men....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ” John 1:1-4,14.
Simply put Jesus is God. He created the heavens and the earth. He then when the time was right came into the world he created. To show man the way to heaven.
The writer of Hebrews tells us,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3 
Jesus is the exact representation of God. It is Jesus who provides purification for our sins.
John’s gospel records this conversation between Martha and Jesus,
“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 11:25,26,27.
Matthew’s gospel records,
“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.
From these quotes it is clear to see what believers in Jesus believed him to be, God incarnate, the Messiah, The Son of God.
But what of those outside the bible
Flavius Josephus, who lived until 98 A.D., was a Romanized Jewish historian. He wrote books on Jewish history for the Roman people. In his book, Jewish Antiquities, he made references to Jesus. In one reference he wrote:
“About this time arose Jesus, a wise man, who did good deeds and whose virtues were recognized. And many Jews and people of other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. However, those who became his disciples preached his doctrine. They related that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion and that he was alive. Perhaps he was the Messiah in connection with whom the prophets foretold wonders.” [Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, XVIII 3.2]
Julian the Apostate, Roman Emperor from 361-363 A.D. an adversary of Christianity. In his work against Christianity wrote,
“Jesus…has now been celebrated about three hundred years having done nothing in his lifetime worthy of fame, unless anyone thinks it is a very great work to heal lame and blind people and exorcise demoniacs in the villages of Bethsaida and Bethany.”
But at the end of his life was forced to say:
“Thou has conquered, O Galilean!”
H. G. Wells, British writer/historian, (1866-1946) wrote.
When asked which person left the most permanent impression on history, he replied that judging a person’s greatness by historical standards:“By this test, Jesus stands first.”
“I am a historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very centre of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history.”
“Christ is the most unique person of history. No man can write a history of the human race without giving first and foremost place to the penniless teacher of Nazareth.”
Kenneth Scott Latourette, former President of American Historic Society
In A History of Christianity wrote,
“It is evidence of His importance, of the effect that He has had upon history and presumably, of the baffling mystery of His being that no other life ever lived on this planet has evoked so huge a volume of literature among so many people and languages, and that, far from ebbing, the flood continues to mount.”
“As the centuries pass by, the evidence is accumulating that measured by its effect on history, Jesus is the most influential life ever lived on this planet. The influence appears to be mounting.”
“No other life lived on this planet has so widely and deeply affected mankind.”
C.S. Lewis, writing in Mere Christianity states,
“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.” 
Thus the question to you the reader is, who do you think Jesus is, a good man, prophet, preacher, lunatic, poached egg or the Son of God Saviour of mankind?
Please think about it.

If I have not Love

If I have not Love
The apostle Paul wrote,

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, 

but have not love, 

I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,

 and if I have a faith that can move mountains, 

but have not love, 

I am nothing.  

If I give all I possess to the poor 

and surrender my body to the flames, 

but have not love, 

I gain nothing.” 

                                                                   1 Corinthians 13:1-3.
“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11,12.
John Wesley the great evangelist said,

“Do all the good you can,

By any means you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can.”

                            John Wesley.

Do you do all the good you can. Do you show unconditional love to those around you? If you claim to be a Christian you can do no less.
Please think about it.

Who is Jesus

Who is Jesus
John’s gospel records this conversation between Jesus and Martha.
“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 11:25,26,27.
Matthews gospel records this conversation between Peter and Jesus,
"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.
For me a Christian for over forty years now I believe this is the most important question anyone who hears about Jesus must answer.
C. S. Lewis writing about Jesus in his book Mere Christianity makes this point,
“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
I agree with Lewis. Do you?
Please think about it.

Sometimes no matter what

Sometimes no matter what
Jesus said,
He who has ears, let him hear.
“To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 
“ ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’  
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’  
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.” ’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”Matthew 11:15-19.
Jesus here speaking to the criticism of the religious leaders of the day compares himself with John the Baptist. John and Jesus were quite different in their styles of preaching.
John wore clothing made of camel hair with a leather belt, and ate locust and wild honey. He called people to repent and be baptized.
By contrast Jesus was the norm for the day. He dressed normally, attended parties and weddings. Jesus also called people to repentance while at the same time sitting down with anyone who would listen to him.
Both men were doing the will of God but it was a no win situation with respect to the religious authorities of the day. As Jesus put it,
“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”“.
From this example it is clear that sometimes no matter how you present the message of salvation you will be criticized.
The same is true today as it was in the day of Jesus and John.
Today we have a myriad of churches with different styles and ways of presenting the gospel yet people will not even consider the message of Christ.
The key for the believer in Christ however is this. To do what Jesus said,
“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.
We are to present the gospel of Christ in love. In whatever way we can. It is then up to the believer to do with it as he or she wishes.
Are you?
Please think about it.

An Apostles Sermon

An Apostles Sermon
The apostle Paul while in Athens spoke a sermon that is as relevant today as it was back then. The book of acts records,
“So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.  
A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.   Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?  
You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”  
(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) 
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.” 
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”  
At that, Paul left the Council.  
A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others”Acts 17:17-34.
The reactions of the Athenians is the same cross section of reactions all people have when confronted with Jesus. Some sneer and dismiss what is being said as nonsense, some want to hear more and some believe.
So the question becomes which group do you fit into?
Please think about it.

Pure faith

Pure Faith
The gospel of James states,
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27.
If there is one thing that upsets me is it’s when people calling themselves Christian do things that are morally and spiritually wrong.
Mahatma Gandhi said,

“Jesus is ideal and wonderful, 

but you Christians 

- you are not like him.”

                                  Mahatma Gandhi.

Gandhi seen the worst in man during British colonial rule in India. He seen men that claimed to be Christians do atrocious things to people.
As I write this Canada is coming to grips with it’s history of treating native children atrociously in residential schools. Many of the atrocities done by people calling themselves Christians.
Such atrocities done in the name of Christ did not start in the nineteenth or twentieth centuries. In centuries past the Crusaders supposedly doing the will of God, from all over the world slaughtered thousands.
Today people calling themselves Christians are at the very least speaking harshly against people of other faiths and ways of life.
Such people to my mind are not Christians. If they are, they are by the slimmest of margins and are very misguided.
Harper Lee in her book To Kill a Mocking bird said,
“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)...” Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird.
Jesus made things clear when it comes to who is a Christian when he 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 thorn bushes, 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 true believers in Jesus Christ need to be speaking out against people who are not presenting the word of God correctly. We need to be correcting them. Following the command of the Apostle Paul who said,
The apostle Paul wrote,
“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
We need to be doing this while at the same time showing the love of God to those around us be they Christians or not.
We need to be following the example of Jesus, remembering His words when he 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.
We need to remember the words of Jesus who said,
“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
  Please think about it.

Helping the Poor

Helping the poor
The book of Leviticus tells us.
“ ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.  
Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 19: 9,10.
God cares for everyone. Even in ancient times when there was no social welfare state God provided. He called on farmers not to go over their vineyards a second time. He tells them not to reap to the very edges of their field. They were to leave them for the poor.
Time and time again we see throughout scripture God tells us to look after our fellow man.
The apostle Paul tells us,
“Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” Romans 12:13.
James the half brother of Jesus said,
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  
If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?” James 2:14-20.
These truths are universal be you a believer in Christ or not. It is the humane thing to do.
It is something we must impress on our children.
It is something we must insist our Governments do. After all what better way to spend the taxes people give the government than on the people themselves.
Jesus made a very important statement when He 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.
Please think about it.