Minds Made Up

Minds Made Up
The apostle John’s gospel records this incident between a man whom Jesus healed of blindness and the Pharisees.
John records,
“They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.  
Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath.   Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” 
Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?” So they were divided. 
Finally they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.” 
The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents.  
“Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?” 
“We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.”  
His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.  
That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” 
A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God,’” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” 
He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” 
Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 
He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” 
Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!  
We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” 
The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.  
We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.  
Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.  
If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 
To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.” John 9:13-34.
I believe it was clear here that no matter what Jesus did to prove He was from God the Pharisees would not acknowledge that He was from God. John notes,
“...Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.”
Here Jesus had done not just a good work, but performed a great miracle, he had given a man born blind his sight. Yet the Pharisees refuse to acknowledge that it was from God.
They say to the man,
“We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”
To which the man replies, 
“The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.  
We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.  
Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.  
If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 
Unhappy with the man’s reply the Pharisees accused him of being a sinner and threw him out of their presence.
The Jewish leaders like many today who are confronted with Jesus were playing politics. They were set in their ways. They were convinced that they were right in all their beliefs and practices. Anyone contradicting them was seen as a threat to them.
Thus when a person presents to them the facts about Jesus, as in the case of the blind man, they accuse the person of lying, ridicule them, and dismiss the person from their presence. Having nothing more to do with them.
The fact however remains Jesus speaking to His disciples said,
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.
On another occasion Jesus speaking of His relationship to God the Father states,
“I and the Father are one.” John 10:30.
If what Jesus said about himself is untrue then those who do not believe in Him have nothing to fear. If on the other hand it is true then anyone presented with Jesus has at the very least, a lot to think about.
As C. S. Lewis wrote,
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” C. S. Lewis.
Please think about it.

Jesus is God

Jesus is God

John’s gospel records this incident between Jesus and the Jewish leaders of his day,
“The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” 
“I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me.  
I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge.  
I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” 
At this the Jews exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death.  
Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?” 
Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.  
Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word.  
Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” 
“You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” 
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”  
At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.”John 8:48-59. 
Here we have a what one pastor I know said was “a rather heated discussion between Jesus and the Jewish leadership.
The Jewish leadership here claims Jesus to be a Samaritan, a group of people whom the Jews believed to be heretics and would have nothing to do with. They also said Jesus was demon possessed. To which Jesus replies,
“I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me.  
I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge.  
I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” John 8:49-51.
The Jews however took exception to what Jesus said. They didn’t understand what Jesus was saying. He didn’t say he would stop physical death. But rather that He is offering eternal life to all who would believe in Him.
They asked Jesus if he was greater than Abraham and the prophets who died a physical death. To which Jesus replied,
Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.  
Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word.  
Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad. John 8:54-56.
This it seems made the Jewish leadership more upset. Jesus had accused them of not knowing God and saying that He himself was the Son of God. Not only that Jesus went on to make one other important statement, The apostle John recording,
“You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” 
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” John 8:57-58.
Jesus uses the phrase “I am”
 This statement goes back to the Septuagint, ( the Greek Old Testament) where it translates Exodus 3:6,14 in which God identifies Himself as “I AM WHO I AM” 
In using this phrase Jesus is saying He is God.
Upon hearing this John records,
“At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.”John 8:59.
Here yet again is a place in the New Testament that shows both sides of the argument for Jesus. It also shows how dangerous it was for Jesus to claim he was the Son of God the Saviour of mankind.
As C. S. Lewis puts it in his book Mere Christianity,
“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.
Thus the choice is yours. Is Jesus demon possessed, a lunatic, or is He God incarnate, the Saviour of Mankind?
The Choice is yours.
Please think about it.

Both Sides

Both sides
I’ve always found it interesting that while the New Testament was written by believers in Christ Jesus. It shows both sides of the argument as to who Jesus is. John’s gospel records,
“But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, 
Jesus’ brothers said to him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do.  
No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.”  
For even his own brothers did not believe in him. 
Therefore Jesus told them, “The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right.  
The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil.  
You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come.”  
Having said this, he stayed in Galilee. 
However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret.  Now at the Feast the Jews were watching for him and asking, “Where is that man?” 
Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.”  
But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the Jews. John 7:2-13.
The brothers referred to in this portion of scripture are the half brothers of Jesus other children of Mary and Joseph who at the time doubted his divinity.
John also notes that at the feast of Tabernacles, which was a major feast, people were looking for him and that there was a debate as to who he was. John noting,
“Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.” John 7:12.
The way I see it the purpose of the New Testament is two fold.
1. It instructs believers in Christ Jesus how to live their lives in a way that is acceptable to God.
2. It presents to all who would read it, the argument that Jesus is indeed the Son of God the Saviour of mankind.
At the same time it hides nothing. It admits that even in when Jesus walked on this earth there was a debate as to who He was.
Ultimately the New Testament writers however leave it up to the reader to decide for themselves who Jesus is.
Thus I would ask you the reader, if you do not believe Jesus is the Son of God, the Saviour of mankind, to read what the New Testament has to say about Jesus and decide for yourself who he is.
Please think about it.

The Suffering Messiah

The Suffering Messiah
John’s gospel (John 6:1-13) tells of the Miraculous feeding of the five thousand noting,
“After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” John 6:14.
John then notes,
“Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.” John 6:15.
According to various commentators I’ve read, at the time Jesus fed the five thousand He was at the height of His popularity.
One commentator noting that the crowd might have thought that just as Moses brought the Israelites out of Egypt so to would Jesus bring Israel out from under the oppression of the Romans.
The crowd however did not understand that Jesus was the suffering Messiah referred to in Isaiah 53 that states,
“By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. 
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 
Yet it was the LORD'S will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. 
After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life  and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” Isaiah 53:8-12.
Jesus never intended to lead an army. He never espoused violence in any way. He realized He was in this world to pay the penalty for the sins of all who would believe in Him.
The apostle Paul telling us,
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!  
For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!  
Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” Romans 5:6-11.
I know especially if someone is not a believer in Christ, this is something that is hard to understand. But our ways are not God’s ways.
It would have been easy for God to send Jesus in a miraculous fashion. To send Him as a conqueror.
To show His power by sending Jesus with legions of angels or in other miraculous ways would not have produced true followers. Many would have said they believe in Jesus because they feared what he could do to them. God did not want that.
In speaking to the Samaritan woman Jesus said,
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23,24.
God want’s people to believe in Him through faith.
Those who believe in something by faith are the truest of believers and will endure anything for that faith.
The writer of Hebrews tells us,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

 and certain of what we do not see.”  

                                            Hebrews 11:1

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” 

                                                                 Hebrews 11:6.

The 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 that Jesus is the Son of God, the Saviour of mankind?
Please think about it. 

Equal to God

Equal to God
John’s gospel records that Jesus was preforming miracles on the Sabbath. Which was considered work by the religious leaders of his day and thus by their way of thinking wrong. John then notes this incident in which Jesus clearly states He is God’s Son. John states,
“So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him.  
Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.”  
For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. 
Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. John 5:16-19
Jesus never shied away from the fact that He was the Son of God. The fact that Jesus is the Son of God is the corner stone of Christian belief.
For Jesus to say He was the Son of God was to take his life in his hands. C.S. Lewis points out in his book Mere Christianity
“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.
All who are presented with Jesus must make up their own mind as to who Jesus is. There is no middle ground with Jesus.
Henry Ward Beecher said of Jesus,
“If Christ is not divine, every impulse of the Christian world falls to a lower octave, and light and love and hope decline.”  Henry Ward Beecher.
Thus the question becomes, Who do you think Jesus is?
Please think about it.

Many Believe

Many believed
I post this blog with the intentions of making those who claim to be followers of Christ think.
In my previous blog post I wrote about Jesus encountering the Samaritan woman. In the time of Jesus Samaritans and Jews did not associate with one another. Jesus however had no such problem.
In speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well he broke the social norm of his day. In doing so Jesus showed his followers that they should do the same.
Jesus in forgetting about the social norm of the day and speaking to the Samaritan woman resulted in many in the village coming to believe that He indeed was the Messiah. John’s gospel recording,
“Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”  
So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days.  
And because of his words many more became believers. 
They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” John 4:39-42.
As believers in Christ Jesus today in the twenty-first century we need to follow what Jesus did. We need to put aside our “social norms” and associate with all people.
It should not matter whether we agree with their beliefs, or their lifestyle we should be opening a dialogue with them.
Jesus did not look on the lifestyle or the beliefs of this Samaritan woman he simply presented the good news of Salvation to her. As a result many others believed in Him.
Question,
Are you willing to meet people where they are at, or are you prevented from reaching people for Christ because of their lifestyle or beliefs?
Please think about it.

Encounter with a Samaritan

Encounter with a Samaritan.
John’s Gospel records this incident between a Samaritan woman and Jesus.
“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 
Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 
Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.  
You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.  
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” 
The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 
Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.”4:19-26.
Here we have a conversation between a Samaritan woman and Jesus. Samaritans and Jews never spoke. Many Jews in the day of Jesus, even avoided going through Samaria to go from the north to the south of Israel even though it was the most direct rout.
Jesus however had not such problems and in speaking to the Samaritan woman we can I think say in a symbolic way, that Jesus shows that the message of Salvation he brings to the world is for everyone.
Jesus notes that he is indeed the Messiah that comes from the Jews. But in the middle of this passage he notes,
Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.  
You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.  
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” 
Ultimately the temple as we know was destroyed and the Jewish people scattered. It however did not stop devout people from worshipping God.
The Apostle Paul points out,
“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.” Acts 17:24.
I’m sure there were many in the time of Jesus who went up to the temple to worship out of duty or as part of their culture. They simply believed this was what one did if one was a Jew.
Matthew’s gospel records this incident between Jesus and a young man. He 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.
This young man had great wealth. His faith was in his wealth not truly in God. He was obeying God’s word but lacked faith in God.
As Jesus pointed out to the Samaritan woman,
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
Today in our churches there are many who go to church out of a sense of duty. Some go for the social aspect of church, or because their parents, grandparents, and great grandparents, went to church. To them it is the thing to do.
While it is good to go to church and the social aspect can have positive effects on our life. That is not what being a believer in Christ is all about. It is about faith in God. The writer of Hebrews telling us.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.”  

                                            Hebrews 11:1

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” 

                                                                      Hebrews 11:6.

The 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—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9.
Please think about it.

In a Nutshell

In a Nutshell
The Gospel of John records an interaction between Jesus and a Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council and Jesus. Jesus tells Nicodemus, 
“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.
This is the message of Jesus Christ in a nutshell. In very clear terms it makes three statements.
1. God loved the world so much He sent his one and only son into it, so that whoever believed in Him would have eternal life.
2. He makes it clear that Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world in any way. He came to save all who would believe in Him.
3. He gives a warning. Making it clear that whoever believes in Jesus in not condemned. But whoever does not believe is condemned.
This is a core belief of all who believe in Jesus Christ.
All who hear about the Saving Grace of Jesus Christ must decide for themselves if what the apostle John wrote here in his gospel is true or not.
If it is untrue then no one has anything to fear.
If on the other hand it is true then there are eternal ramifications. 
Please think about it.

Water to Wine

Water to wine
John’s gospel records Jesus as being at a wedding feast with his disciples, possible of a relative, when the wine runs out. Something that would have been to potentially humiliating to the bride and groom.
His mother obviously knowing what he was capable of doing asked him to make things right if you will. Jesus does so in the form of a miracle. John’s gospel stating,
“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,  
and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.  
When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 
“Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” 
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 
Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 
Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 
Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. 
Then he called the bridegroom aside  and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” 
This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.” John 2:1-11.
For me personally there is a few of things that fascinate me about this incident.
First Mary the mother of Jesus knew he could preform such an act. She obviously had foreknowledge of what Jesus was capable of doing.
Second while Jesus said, “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” he a adult man of around thirty, still obeyed his mother.
Third, In doing so he did a secret act of kindness toward the bride and groom. For while the servants knew what had happened, the master of the banquet did not know, nor presumably did the bride and groom.
Forth, and more importantly this miracle set a precedent. It did what the miracles of Jesus were suppose to do, showed who he was. John noting,
“This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.”
It has always been my contention that all the miracles in the Bible are true. Especially those associated with Jesus.
The New Testament was written within living memory of Jesus. There were people around that knew Jesus and what he did. To lie would be to destroy the credibility of the fledgling church.
Not only that but the writers of the New Testament were writing to tell people beyond Israel about Jesus. People not only in the Roman Empire but beyond it.
To fabricate something that was unbelievable would again not be in the best interest of the fledgling movement.
Thus in my opinion these events must be true. The choice however is up to you the reader. You must decide for yourself if what the writers of the New Testament wrote is true.
Please think about it.

Jesus is the Christ

Jesus is the Christ
John’s Gospel records this incident with John the Baptist. He states,
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!  
This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’  
I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” 
Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.  
I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’  
I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.” John 1:29-34.
Here is a plane and simple statement that the apostle John records as coming from John the Baptist. He asks his readers to believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
I as a believer in Christ Jesus firmly believe that this is perhaps the most important choice any individual presented with Christ must make in their life time.
C. S. Lewis said,
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” C. S. Lewis.
Thus the choice is yours. Before you make your decision however take time to read the New Testament and see for yourself what believers in Jesus believed Him to be.
If you need a Bible you can get one free on line by simply googling You Bible.
Please take a few minutes to pray and ask God to show you His truths within the Bible.
Please think about it.

God Incarnate

God Incarnate
The Apostle John writes,
“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.
Quoted above is perhaps one of Christianities most controversial statements. Believers in Christ Jesus, believe that He is God in the flesh.
That the God who created the heavens and the earth actually entered the world He crated that He entered the world to point mankind to heaven.
That he entered the world to pay the price for the sins of each man. The writer of Hebrew states,
“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.
Sin is falling short of God’s ideal for our lives. It is doing what God does not want us to do.
God in his wisdom, when he created mankind, gave man a freewill. God did not create robots that would follow a preprogramed line of code and do what he said. He gave each and every individual in this world a choice. Thus we can choose to follow God’s way or turn away from Him and do our own thing.
At the same time God realized that individuals are weak. They choose to do things that are not liked by Him, be it, lying, stealing, murdering, adultery, and more. All are sin and all sin separates us from God. And all of our good works will not take away that sin. We are essentially powerless to rid ourselves of sin. Thus the need for Jesus to enter the world.
The apostle Paul however points out,
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8 
I know this is a difficult concept to understand it even sound foolish. The apostle Paul points out,
“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.  
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”1 Corinthians 1:18-25.
Simply put God does not do things the way man would have him do things.
God could have sent Jesus to earth in all his power and splendour. He could have come with legions of angels and demand we worship Him.
God I am convinced knew that, that would not produce true believers in Him. It would produce people who were scared of what He could do to them. Such people are not true believers.
God asks us to have faith in Him the writer of Hebrew stating.
“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.
Thus the choice is yours the reader. Do you believe that Jesus is God Incarnate,  the Messiah, the Son of God, The Saviour of mankind, or do you not?
Please think about it.

Belief in God

Belief in God
Isaiah the Prophet wrote,

“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.

The Psalmist writes,

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; 

all who follow his precepts have good understanding. 

To him belongs eternal praise.” 

                                         Psalm 111:10

The writer of Proverbs states,

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; 

fear the LORD and shun evil.” 

                                         Proverbs 3:7.

Not surprising the Bible that was written to believers in God, believes there is an almighty eternal God that we should trust and worship.
By contrast there are those in the world who say there is no God.
To my way of thinking someone who thinks there is no God, is someone who thinks they are all knowing or fails to look around them and see the facts.
A believer in God can say as the Psalmist does,

“The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” 

                                              Psalm 19:1.

A believer in God can point to science and say that the universe from the largest galaxy to the smallest subatomic particle and everything in between is so perfectly in tune with each other that it allows life as we know it to exist.
To say the universe simply assembled itself out of chaos caused by the big bang is if you think about it a great leap of faith.
Those of us who believe in God can actually point to the big bang and say God used it to create the universe. After all the Bible states,

“In the beginning God created 

the heavens and the earth.” 

                                 Genesis 1:1.

To me as a Christian, God starting the universe with the “big bang” as scientist call it seems logical. How long it took to get from the moment of creation to where we are today is immaterial to my faith.
It matters little to my faith if the universe as we know it was created by God over billions of years or in six twenty-four hour days.
The fact is I believe God exists and that He created the heavens and the earth. To say otherwise does not make sense to me.
And I believe good science is on my side.
The choice however is up to you the reader for ultimately there is a faith factor in believing in God. Just as there is a faith factor is saying God does not exist.
No one living to day was there on the day of creation thus we have,
1/ The Bible telling us there is a God.
2/ The Bible stating, “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
3/ Science telling us that the universe had a beginning.
4/ Science indicating that the universe is precisely tuned to allow life as we know it to exist.
The choice however is up to you the reader. That being said consider this. Blaise Pascal wrote this about believing in God. He said,
“Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists.” Blaise Pascal.
Please think about it.

A Universal Truth

A Universal Truth
The Gospel of Matthew records Jesus as saying,
“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.
This is a universal truth whether you believe in Jesus Christ or not.
Think about this. If people be they believers in Christ or not would follow this one universal truth. The world would be a much better place in which to live.
To follow this one statement of Jesus requires the individual to live a life of unconditional  Love. The apostle Paul defining love as,

“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.

Do you love unconditionally?
Please think about it.

Message from Miletus

Message from Miletus
The book of Acts records a meeting between the apostle Paul and the elders of the Ephesian church at Miletus. While the meeting is recording Paul’s last visit with the elders from Ephesus, there is within it a warning we in the twenty-first century church need to heed.
The book of Acts states,
“Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.  
Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men.  For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.  
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.  
I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.  
Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.  
So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 
“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Acts 20:25-32.
Here Paul notes that he will never see the elders at Ephesus again. At the same time he points out that,
“Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men.  For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.”
In other words Paul states he has done his duty to God by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ whenever he has had to opportunity.
As believers in Christ this something we should be able to say. That we have not hesitated to present the Gospel of Christ, the salvation message whenever we have had the opportunity to do so.
Paul however goes on to give a warning to the elders of Ephesus and through them to us, who are believers in the twenty-first century. He states, 
“I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.  
Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.  
So be on your guard!”
Matthew’s gospel quotes Jesus as saying,
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. Matthew 7:15
It has been over two thousand years since Paul and Jesus gave us those warnings it however is a warning we today need to heed.
We live in a media filled world. A world where the truth can easily be twisted. It is very easy to string several scripture verses together and make them say something that is not true.
There are many men and women who use scripture for their own ill-gotten gains. To swindle people or lead them astray spiritually. Men and women who say they are of God but are not. That is why we must be on guard.
The Berean’s set the example for what we today need to do. The Book of Acts states that when Paul preached there,
“They received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Acts 17:11.
Question:
If you claim to be a follower of Christ, when you hear an evangelist, preacher or other teacher of scripture are you examining the Scriptures to see if what they are saying is true?
Please think about it.

The Athenian Sermon

The Athenian Sermon
To my mind one of the best sermons ever spoken was spoken by the Apostle Paul. It is recorded in the book of acts and does two things.
It is an example to believers in Christ Jesus how to present the message of Christ to non-Christians.
At the same time it presents a clear message of what believers in Christ believe to the non-believer.
It starts with what Paul seemed to always do when he entered a city. He presented his ideas to anyone who would listen to. 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.
Thus the question becomes. What do you the reader believe?
Please think about it.

Two Groups

Two Groups
The book of Acts records these two incidents in the life of the apostle Paul.
“When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.  
As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,  explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,’” he said.  
Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. 
But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.  
But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.”  
When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil.  Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go. 
As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.  
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.  
Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. 
When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up.  
The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea.  
The men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible. Acts 17:1-15.
Here is an illustration of how two types of people receive the message of Jesus Christ even today.
In Thessolonica as was his custom when in any city the apostle Paul went on the Sabbath to the synagogue and presented the message of Christ. As a result both Jew and God fearing Greeks believed what he had to say including some prominent people.
However there were those who it seems, vehemently opposed what Paul said. Thus they resorted to violence. Which in turn caused Paul and his companion Silas to leave the city.
Paul and his companion Silas then went to Berea where the book of Acts notes,
    “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.  
Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.”Acts 17:11,12.
The Bereans not only welcomed Paul and Silas, but they received the message of the Gospel of Christ Jesus with eagerness and they “examined the Scriptures every day to see what Paul said was true”
The Bereans set an example for all who would hear the message of Jesus Christ.
While Christianity is a religion of faith. It does not require blind faith. True believers in Christ be they evangelist, pastors, teachers, or simply people sitting in the pew do not expect those they present Christ to, to have blind faith.
They challenge the one who hears the message of Jesus to read the scriptures for themselves to see for themselves if it is true or not. Then make an informed decision whether or not to follow Jesus.
 By contrast there were those in Thessalonians that  believed that the message of Jesus Christ was wrong and resorted to violence to prevent Christ message from being spread. And not content to stop them in their own city they went to Berea. The book of Acts recording,
“When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up.” Acts 17:13.
Such things are still happening today. There is a wide spectrum of people in the world that are opposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
 At one extreme are radical religious, terrorist, and even political groups that persecute and even murder believers in Christ for their beliefs.
At the other end of that same spectrum are those who for the most part, speak peacefully but strongly against believers in Jesus Christ  Atheist groups and others who mock and decry believers in Christ in the media. They say they know what is right, and try in a peaceful but forceful way to prevent the salvation message of Jesus Christ from spreading. Even at times resorting to the court system to get their way.
Ultimately however it is up to the individual to decide for themselves the truth about Jesus Christ and the Salvation He offers. In order to do that the individual needs to read particularly the New Testament for themselves. To look at what the early believers in Christ believed and what true believers in Christ today believe. Then make an informed decision for themselves.
Please think about it.

Salvation for all

Salvation for all
The book of acts records Paul entering with some companions Pisidian Antioch. There
“..... On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.” Acts 13: 14,15.
Acts 13:16-37 tells of Paul accepting the invitation gave them a brief history lesson in which he showed that Jesus was the promised Messiah who would take away the sins of the world. He concludes his remarks saying,
“Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.”Acts 13:38.
The book of Acts then notes,
“As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath.  
When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. 
On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.  
When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. 
Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.  
For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’’” 
When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.”Acts 13:42-49.
While acts 13:50 notes that Paul and Barnabas were exiled from the region, it didn’t stop the gospel message.
The fact is the gospel message is impossible to stop. It is a message directly from God. A message of forgiveness of sins, of hope, and Life everlasting with God the father, to all those who believe in the name of Jesus Christ.
The gospel of John records Jesus as saying,
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  
I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30.
The question today in the twenty-first century  however becomes the same question Jesus himself asked Martha. As recorded in John’s gospel,
“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.
   What do you believe?
Please think about it.

No Favourites

No favourites
The book of Acts records this statement by the apostle Peter,
“Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism  but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.” Acts 10:34-35
Long story short. Until this point most if not all those who came to believe in Jesus were Jews. This however changes when a God fearing Roman centurion get a vision from God telling him to seek out the apostle Peter and hear what he has to say.
The apostle Peter a devout Jew who’d been taught from birth to not do anything against the Jewish food laws and traditions also received a vision.
The book of acts records,
“About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.  
He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.  
He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.  
It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air.  
Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” 
“Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” 
  The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” 
This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. 
While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate.  
They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. 
While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you.  So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” Act 10:9-20.
Peter went with the men to meet Cornelius and his household, where he told them about Jesus Christ. It was at that point Peter realized that the gospel of Jesus Christ was for all people. The book of acts noting,
“Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism  but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.” Acts 10:34-35
Jesus before His ascension into heaven said to the disciples,
“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.
The word we translate in English as nation actually means “ethnic group” thus Jesus was making it clear to his disciples that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was meant to be heard by every ethnic group in the world. Something that it seems became real to the apostle Peter when he met Cornelius.
This is something true Christians today believe to be true. The salvation and eternal life Christ Jesus offers is open to everyone on the planet.
The apostle Paul writing to the Romans states,
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”Romans 10:9-13
Please think about it.

You never Know

You never know
The book of Acts records the day when Saul, known later as Paul, became a follower of Christ. It very much however illustrates two things. First of all you never know who God will use, and an act of faith taken by a man named Ananias.
Luke the author of Acts records,
“Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest  and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.  
As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.  
He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 
“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.  
“Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 
The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.  Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.  
For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. 
In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision,“Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. 
The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.  
In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” 
“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.  
And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” 
But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.  
I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” 
Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said,    “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  
Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,  and after taking some food, he regained his strength.” Acts 9:1-19.
Saul as this portion of scriptures states was an enemy of what was then called The Way or believers in Christ.
He had received letters from the authorities in Jerusalem to arrest any man or woman found to be following Christ. God however had other plans for Saul.
As Luke the writer of Acts notes on the road to Damascus Saul had a supernatural encounter with Jesus. He notes,
“As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.  
He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 
“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.  
“Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”  Acts 9:3-6.
The people with Saul heard the voice but saw no one. However Saul obeyed the voice.
Another man Ananias a believer in The Way, also heard God’s voice telling him to go and minister to Saul.  Ananias was justifiably hesitant. He knew who Saul was and that he had intended to persecute the early church. Still he acted in faith, in obedience to God. He went to Saul and ministered to him.
Ananias that day acted purely on faith. He had no idea that Saul who would later become known as Paul would go on to be a powerhouse for the Christ.
That Paul himself would be persecuted and later die for being a follower of “The Way”
That Paul would write a large portion of the still to be written New Testament. That he would be an integral part of taking the Gospel of Christ throughout the know world. That the words Paul would write would be encouraging believers in Christ Jesus two thousand years later. 
The story illustrates that believers in Christ need to know the voice of God and be willing to act in faith. For you never know who God will use to present the message of eternal life through Christ Jesus to the world.
Pleases think about it.

Of God

Of God
The book of acts records the following incident between the apostles of Jesus and the religious leaders of their day. Those religious leaders had told the apostles not to preach in the name of Jesus. Yet they continued to do so. Thus they were arrested.
The book of acts then records,
“Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest.  
“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” 
Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!  
The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.  
God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.  
We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” 
When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.  
But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while.  
Then he addressed them: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men.  
Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.  
After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered.  
Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.  
But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” 
His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 
The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.  
Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.” Acts 5:27-42 
Luke the writer of Acts tells us the religious leaders were furious with the disciples wanting to put them to death. However cooler heads prevailed in the name of man named Gamaliel. Whom Luke describes as
“a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people.”
Gamaliel gives them a brief history lesson of incidents that the religious leaders knew about. How several men claiming to be of God led several groups of rebels against the status quo. However when these men were killed their followers scattered and the movement they started amounted to nothing. He then went on to say about the apostles,
“Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.  
But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” 
Those religious leaders must have thought what Gamaliel said had merit for rather than having the apostles put the death they simply had them flogged. Which still didn’t stop the apostles for preaching in the name of Jesus.
The book of Acts recording,
“The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.  
Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.”
Considering it has been two thousand years since this incident, and the followers of Jesus are still growing despite persecution in many countries around the world. I think we can say what the apostles were teaching and what believers in Christ are teaching today are of God.
The question however comes down to what do you believe.
Is Jesus the one and only Son of God, the Saviour of mankind or is he not?
The choice is yours.
Please think about it.