In Joy sold everything

In Joy sold everything.
Jesus said,
"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” Matthew 13:44. 
Here we have in a nutshell what is like for those who finds the love an grace of Jesus Christ. When an individual comes the realization that Jesus is the way the truth and life.
That he is the way to heaven.
Such a person is willing to give up everything. His way of life. His friends and even his family if necessary.
Becoming a believer in Christ Jesus is a big step. Many believers in Jesus around the world today are forced by non-believing family to never contact them again. Some are forced to leave their home village or town. Some even have to leave their country of birth. 
Still others are persecuted, beaten, put in jail, even murdered.
It is said that one Christian dies for their faith somewhere in the world every seven minutes.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared that Christianity is "the most persecuted religion in the world."
Yet it is still growing. Believers in Christ truly believing and rejoicing that they have found the way to heaven. Rejoicing in the fact that they have found the one thing on this earth that has eternal value.
Thus my question to you the reader; do you believe Jesus is truly the way to heaven?
Before you answer the question, I would ask that at least take time to read the New Testament and see what it says about Jesus. Then make your decision.
Please think about it.

Stand Forever

Stands forever
                  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.

An anonymous poet writes,

“Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith's door,

And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;

Then, looking in, I saw upon the floor

Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.

"How many anvils have you had," said I,

"To wear and batter all these hammers so?"

"Just one," said he, and then, with twinkling eye,

The anvil wears the hammers out, you know."

And so, thought I, the anvil of God's Word,

For ages skeptic blows have beat upon;

Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,

The anvil is unharmed - and hammers gone.”

                                                                           Anonymous.

Over the centuries there have been many men, some, the most powerful on earth, who have said there is no God.
Some countries today even try to wipe out belief in God. They persecute, imprison, and even murder Christians for simply believing in something they say does not exist. Yet despite this believers in Christ, believers in God still continue to believe.
Every one of Christ’ apostles except John suffered a martyrs death. Yet the gospel message continued.
 During the early days of Christianity two apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin a Jewish religious court of the day.  Some members of the court wanted to put them to death for what they had said.
A wise man. A Pharisee named Gamaliel standing before the Sanhedrin however said,
“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.” Acts 5:38,39.
I think the fact that believers in Christ Jesus, Christians are still around today, and are increasing in numbers despite persecution, shows they are from God. And those who would try to wipe Christians out are fighting against God.
As C. S. Lewis said,
"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell." C.S. Lewis.
Please think about it.

Love Mercy

Love Mercy
In the book of Micah we read,
"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8.
From the actions of some Christians I would conclude that they do not act justly, do not love mercy and fail to walk humbly with God. Certainly many non-Christians would agree with me.
Many calling themselves Christians seem to be constantly yelling about the sins of the world when it is not their place to do that.
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

It is the job of all believers in Christ Jesus to reach out to the world around them with the saving grace of Christ Jesus. We cannot do this if we are not acting justly. If we don’t show mercy. If we are not showing love.
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.
Many calling themselves Christians today are acting exactly like those pharisees. As a result they will never reach people for Christ.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.  
But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”1Timothy 1:15,16.
I think the true believer in Christ Jesus needs to see themselves a “the worst of sinners” saved by the mercy and grace of God.
If they did at the very least it would humble them before God and man and help them better minister the gospel of Christ to those around them?
Please think about it.

Not because of our Righteousness

Not because of our righteousness.
The apostle Paul writes,
“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.
C. S. Lewis writes,
"The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us."  C.S. Lewis.
As Christians, as believers in Christ Jesus, we believe that you cannot be good enough to get into heaven. That you cannot work your way to heaven.
We believe that God knowing this, entered the world he created in the form of his One and Only Son Jesus Christ to provide us away to heaven. That it is by the grace of God through Jesus Christ that we get to heaven.
The apostle Paul writing,
"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.
The New Testament makes it clear how we get to heaven. Quoting Jesus as saying,
“...I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.
The writer of Hebrews telling 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.
All of this however requires faith. The writer of Hebrews telling us,
“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.

Thus the question become do you believe this?
Please think about it.  

Be willing to

Be willing to
Matthew’s gospel records this incident between a rich man and Jesus,
"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, honour your father and mother,' and ‘love your neighbour 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 
Want to be a true believer in Christ Jesus? Then you must be willing to give up everything.
Following Christ can be easy if you have your wealth to fall back on as a safety net. It however is not so easy if you have no financial safety net.
This man that came to Jesus believed there was a God. He even followed the ritual set down for him in the law.
His problem was he didn’t have the faith to give all his riches up and follow Jesus by faith. Leaning on God to supply all of his needs.
It’s the same today. There are people within the church who are not willing to give up their wealth and materially good lifestyle in order to follow Jesus.
The apostle Paul states what every true believer should agree with when he writes,
"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus" Philippians 4:19.
If you are wealthy, you may not be called on to give up all you have to follow Jesus but you should be willing to do so.
Thus my question to you; are you willing to give up everything you have to follow Christ?
Please think about it.

About the poor

About the poor
In the book of Leviticus we read,
" ‘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.
Leaving the fruit that had fallen and not going to the very edge of the field or not going over the field a second time left food for the poor to eat.
As one of my friends said it was perhaps the earliest recorded social safety net.
God wants us to look out for each other. It goes back to what Jesus 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 should to the best of our ability be looking out for those who are less fortunate around us. There are many reasons people are poor. Many reasons people are on the street. Everything from simply not being able to earn enough money to rent a home, to drug addiction, to mental illness and more.
Why they are on the street, or poor, or taking drugs, should be of no concern to true believers in Christ Jesus. To true Christians.
As Billy Graham the American evangelist put it,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God's job to judge

 and my job to love,” 

                            Billy Graham

It is our job as far as possible to love and help those in need in the name of Christ Jesus.
Jesus said,
"The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Matthew 25:40
Thus my question to you; are you doing what you can when you can for those less fortunate?
Can you do more?
Please think about it.

A Warning to the Rich and Powerful

A warning to the Rich and Powerful
Jesus told this story,
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.  
At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores  and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.  
In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.  
So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.  
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house,  
for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 
“ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ” Luke 16:19-31
The Jesus and indeed all the gospel writers talked about relationships. About ones relationship with God and with ones relationship with ones fellow man.
In the above scripture Jesus tells of a rich man who could have made a difference in a poor man’s life. He could have shown compassion on the poor man. Given him something to eat, but chose not to.
This rich man seems to have ignored or not believed in God. He certainly didn’t believe he would face consequences for his actions. 
Jesus who said,
"Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Luke 6:31.
By not helping the poor man and letting him suffer he was in a sense saying that’s how he wanted to be treated. Which is what happened according to the story Jesus told.
In the next life he was suffering while the poor man was at peace.
This story should serve as a warning to anyone in a position of power. Anyone who has the ability to help those in need.
It is saying while you may enjoy the good life here in this world. While you may disregard the needs of the poor and not help them. You will be held accountable when you stand before God.
Please think about it.

Words from James and Jesus

Words from James and Jesus.
James the half brother of Jesus states,
"Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,  because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!" James 2:12,13.
This is something all who believe in Christ Jesus must do.
The Talmud while a Jewish book, and not a Christian one, makes a good point when it states,
"When a man appears before the Throne of Judgment, the first question he is asked is not, "Have you believed in God?"  Or "Have you prayed and observed the ritual?  "He is asked: "have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow men?" The Talmud.
This is compatible with Christian teaching. Jesus speaking this parable.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  
I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  
For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,  
I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 
“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Matthew 25:41-46
As believers in Christ Jesus we must remember that mercy takes many forms, loving unconditionally family, friend and foe alike. Helping the poor with a few dollars or even a meal. Visiting the sick and those in prison. Even praying for God to help those you cannot help personally.
Thus my question are you doing this?

Walk humbly with God

Walk humbly with God
In the book of Micah we read,
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8.
While this was a call to the Israelites it is also a call to all who would call themselves believers in Christ Jesus. To all Christians.
We are to act justly in all our affairs.
To love mercy.
And above all walk humbly with God.
Thus my question to anyone who calls themselves a Christian. A believer in Christ Jesus;

Are you acting justly in all your affairs? 

Do you love Mercy? 

Do you walk humbly with God?

Please think about it?

Reflected in your deeds

Reflected in your deeds
The apostle Paul defending himself before King Agrippa made this statement with respect to the task Jesus had given him on the road to Damascus. He said,
"So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.  
First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.  Acts 26:19,20.
What is interesting here to me is the last statement,
“...I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds” Acts 26:20b
What Paul is saying true conversion is shown in a persons deeds.
If a person is truly following Christ then their life and lifestyle will show it. A believer in Christ Jesus should never have to tell someone they are a Christian. It should be evident in the life they live. Francis of Assisi wrote,

“Preach the Gospel at all times 

and when necessary use words.”

                                       Francis of Assisi.

A Christian life should exhibit the fruit of the Spirit the apostle Paul stating,
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”  Galatians 5:22,23.
Thus to anyone who considers themselves a Christian I would ask; are the fruits of the spirit exhibited in your life?
Do people know you are a Christian without you telling them?
Is your repentance from sin, and your commitment to Christ Jesus, reflected in your deeds?
Please think about it.

A Note to the 21st Century Church

A note to the 21st Century Church
"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
Think about this...
Jesus and his disciples,
• Never Voted.
• Never Protested.
• Never judged anyone outside their own faith.
Yet they within a century they had spread the Good News of the Love of Jesus Christ throughout the known world.
They did so by,
• Presenting the Love of God to their family friends and foe alike.
• Showing Love and Mercy to all those they came in contact with.
• Living as far as possible at peace with those around them.
The disciples put into action the words of the Apostle Paul who wrote,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”  Romans 12:18.
And the words writer of the writer of Hebrews,
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14.
They followed the teaching of the Apostle Peter who wrote,
“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.
If you claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ are you doing this?
Above all they put into action the words of Jesus 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.

Choice

Choice
The Psalmist writes,

"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 

Worship the LORD with gladness; 

come before him with joyful songs. 

Know that the LORD is God.

 It is he who made us, 

and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; 

give thanks to him and praise his name. 

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; 

his faithfulness continues through all generations."

                                                                                    Psalm 100.

Here is a simple statement. “I believe God exists and I will worship Him as long as I live.” What others believe about God is between them and God.
God in creating mankind did not make robots programmed to follow him without question.
God gave mankind a freewill to choose to do what he wished. That freedom extends to what they believe about God.
 In the book of Joshua we read that Joshua gave the Israelites a choice he said,
"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.  
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24: 14,15.
Our choice in 2020 is no different. We must chose whom we follow. Either God the creator of heaven and earth or other things.
Thus the question becomes; who will you follow?
Please think about it.

If we are right

If we are right
The Psalmist writes,

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” 

                                                                Psalm 14:1

“The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

                                                       Psalm 19:1

Voltaire wrote,

“I cannot imagine how the clockwork of the universe can exist

 without a clockmaker.”

                                    Voltaire

Billy Graham stated,

I can't prove it scientifically, 

that there's a God, 

but I believe. 

                         Billy Graham.

We may not be able to prove scientifically today in the twenty-first century that there is a God but that does not preclude His existence.
I was born in the 1950's. at that time black holes, planets in other star systems, many sub atomic particles, that we know of today were unknown. It didn’t mean they didn’t exist. It just meant scientist hadn’t discovered them.
Scientist speculated on their existence because of what they seen in the world around them postulated a theory and quite often had to wait for science to advance to prove they existed.
      Some of Eienstein’s theories were not proven until long after his death. Yet Einstein and others like him believed in their theories. They believed that they would one day be proven. In short they had faith in their theory.
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

So it is with believers in God. We look at the orderly universe around us. We see that everything from the largest galaxy to the smallest sub-atomic particle is perfectly in sync with one another to produce life as we know it on this planet.
The conclusion we come to is that there is a Creator God behind it all.
If we are wrong we have nothing to fear.
If we are right we enter into eternity knowing the very maker of the Universe.
Please think about it.

Your faith should

Your faith should

“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.
Christianity is very much a faith of both, faith and works. Our faith should compel us to do righteous works.
It’s easy to say by faith we are saved, but our faith must go further than that.
Sometime ago the youth group at my son’s church were challenged to make a difference. So they decided to find some people with no affiliation to their church that were in need of help.
They in one case helped fix up a house both inside and out. They did it without cost or obligation to the people they were doing it for. They did it without fan fair. All they got for their work was the appreciation of the people they did the work for, and the good feeling that they received for a job well done.
This is how we as Christians should work. Tony Campolo the American evangelist states,
“These issues are biblical issues: to care for the sick, to feed the hungry, to stand up for the oppressed. I contend that if the evangelical community became more biblical, everything would change.” Tony Campolo
He’s right we should be showing our faith through our deeds every day. Remember the words of Francis of Assisi,

“The deeds you do

 may be the only sermon 

some persons will hear today”

                                     Francis of Assisi

Think about it.

Fixed exclusively

Fixed exclusively.
The apostle Paul wrote,
"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
C. S. Lewis said,
"He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less." C.S. Lewis.
That means He died for you.
Things however did not end with the death of Jesus. For he arose from the grave walked the earth for awhile before ascending into heaven.
Thus to believers in Christ Jesus the writer of Hebrews tells us,
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” Hebrews 12:2.
If you consider yourself a believer in Christ Jesus are your eyes fixed exclusively on Jesus?
Please think about it.

In Spirit and in Truth

In Spirit and in Truth
The apostle Paul writes,
"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.
One of the biggest missteps made by Christians here in North America is their failure to question what they are taught.
Many Christians listen to anyone who calls themselves a Christian and believes them. They never check the scriptures spoken by the pastors, evangelist or others calling themselves Christian teachers. They believe them at face value.
Many who have gone to church all their lives cannot tell you what the doctrinal statement of their church is or if it lines up with the word of God.
The result is that many people are being led astray.
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 need to do this.
There is nothing wrong with questioning a pastor or evangelist or any other Christian teacher about what they say or teach. An honest teacher or preacher will be willing to sit down with you and tell you how he came to believe what he or she believes.
Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman 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 worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24.
We who call ourselves Christians should be doing this as should anyone calling themselves a servant of God.
Thus my question to you the reader are you and the Christian leaders you follow truly worshipping God in spirit and in truth?
Please think about it.

Gods way

God's way
The apostle Peter writes,
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade kept in heaven for you" 1Peter 1:3-4.
The apostle Paul wrote,
"But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour 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.
Christians do not believe we can live good enough lives to get to heaven on our merit. We believe that God in His mercy reached down to mankind from heaven in the form of His one and only son Jesus to die for our sins and to show us the way to heaven.
While it may sound foolish it is what we Christians believe. The apostle Paul explaining,
"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.
God does not do things the way man thinks things should be done. He does things his way as is his right.
If we as humans do not want to believe what God has set before us that is our right. For God in making mankind did not make robots. He made individuals with the freedom to do whatever they wish.
Thus the choice is yours do you believe Jesus is the Saviour of mankind or not.
Please think about it. 

With respect

With respect
The apostle Peter writes,
“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,”1 Peter 3:15.
As Christians, as believers in Christ Jesus, Jesus must always be an integral part of our life. People should know by the way we live our lives that Christ is very much a part of our lives. AND we don’t need to do this by constantly spouting scripture to do this.
Francis of Assisi tells us,

Preach the Gospel at all times

 and 

when necessary use words.

                                               Francis of Assisi

Francis also reminds us that,

"The deeds you do

 may be the only sermon some persons will hear today" 

                                                                                 Francis of Assisi.

The apostle Peter tells us,
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,"1 Peter 3:15b.
So my question to anyone who considers themselves a Christian, a follower of Christ Jesus is;
Is your life and lifestyle, your words and deeds, glorifying God at all times, and are you presenting the gospel message with gentleness and respect?
Please think about it.

In word and in deed

In word and in deed
The Psalmist writes,

"I will extol the LORD at all times;

 his praise will always be on my lips. 

My soul will boast in the LORD; 

let the afflicted hear and rejoice. 

Glorify the LORD with me; 

let us exalt his name together." 

                                              Psalm 34:1-3.

In my previous blog post I asked the reader to take time to praise The LORD. Here in Psalm 34 we read that we should be “Extolling The LORD at all times”. I take that to mean in all parts of our daily life.
Someone has said Christianity is not so much a religion but a way of life. I think it’s true. Sadly however many calling themselves Christians do not have a lifestyle that is acceptable to God. A lifestyle that quite often gives The Lord a bad name.
Within secular society Christians are quite often seen as being uncaring, prejudice, and even bigoted. And from my perch here in Canada I can see how it would seem so especially here in North America.
There needs to be an awakening among those who call themselves Christians here in the United States and Canada. There needs to be a turning back to the pure word of God.
We need to read and heed the words of the apostle Peter who said,
"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. 
We need to read and heed the words of James the half brother of Jesus who said,
"Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,  
because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!" James 2:12,13.
We need to do as Jesus commanded us to do,
“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 glorify The LORD in word and in deed everyday of our lives.
For if we as Christians. As believers in Christ Jesus, don’t do this we will never win a soul for Christ.
Please think about it.

I will praise The LORD

I will Praise The LORD
The Psalmist writes,

“I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;

I will tell of all your wonders. 

I will be glad and rejoice in you; 

I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.” 

                                                         Psalm 2:1,2.

I firmly believe that as Christians. As a true believers in Christ Jesus we must take time as often as possible to praise The Lord.
In Psalm 150 we read,

“Praise the LORD. 

Praise God in his sanctuary; 

praise him in his mighty heavens. 

Praise him for his acts of power; 

praise him for his surpassing greatness. 

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, 

praise him with the harp and lyre, 

praise him with tambourine and dancing,

 praise him with the strings and flute, 

praise him with the clash of cymbals, 

praise him with resounding cymbals. 

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. 

Praise the LORD.” 

                            Psalm 150.

If you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus a believer in God why don’t you take sometime right now and praise God.
Please don’t just think about it. Do it.

Are you faithful?

Are you Faithful?
The apostle Paul writes,

“Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ 

and stewards of the mysteries of God. 

Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”

                                                                                                1Corinthians 4:1,2.

If you consider yourself a Christian. A believer in Christ Jesus. Are you a faithful servant of Christ and steward of the mysteries of God?
As believers in Christ Jesus we must be a faithful servant and a good steward of God.
A steward is “a person employed to manage a large house or estate.” Joseph was a steward to Potiphar. He was in charge of Potiphar’s household.
The most important quality of a steward is to be completely honest in all his dealings. Not only that he should be completely faithful to his master.
This is how it should be with believers in Christ Jesus. We should be completely faithful to God, and good stewards of the word of God.
We should never pollute our faith by mixing it with other things. We should never twist it to say what we want it to say.
The apostle Paul warns,
"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.
This is happening today. People both in the media and out of it. Men and women calling themselves pastors, evangelist and Christian teachers are twisting the word of God for evil intent.
    Many times they are using the Bible to enrich themselves monetarily. Quite often to the detriment of others. 
There are many people especially here in North America that mix their politics with their faith.
Jesus and his apostles never mixed politics and faith. They never tried to line their own pockets with money.
The apostles of Christ stayed true to the word of God which is what we must do.
Thus my question to you.
Are you a faithful servant and a good steward of the word of God?
Please think about it.

Of infinite importance?

Of infinite importance?

Luke's gospel records what happened just days after the birth of Jesus when he was brought to the temple to be dedicated. Luke states,
"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ.  
Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, 
a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." 
The child's father and mother marvelled at what was said about him.  
Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, Luke 2:25-34.
In the book of Hebrews we read,
"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.
In the gospel of John we read,
"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.
This is what all true believers in Christ Jesus believe. We believe Jesus is God incarnate, God in the flesh who entered the world He created to pay the price of our sins and show each individual the way to heaven.
C. S. Lewis said of Christianity,
“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 question comes down to you the reader; Is Christianity true of false?
Please think about it.

Madman or God?

Madman or God?
In Matthews gospel we read of this conversation between Peter and Jesus. Matthew records,
"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:,15,16,
In John’s gospel we read of this conversation between Martha and Jesus. John records,
“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.
In John’s gospel we also read,
"Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6.
All of what I have mentioned above are part of the foundation of Christianity. You cannot be a Christian without believing these scriptures. Jesus was no ordinary man.
C. S. Lewis said of Jesus,
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.
If what Christians, believers in Christ Jesus, say is false then anyone who disagrees with have nothing to fear.
If on the other hand we are right then it has eternal consequences.
Please think about it. 

Do you believe this?

Do you believe this?
The apostle Paul wrote,
“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.
Here is what Christians believe in a nutshell. We believe

1. If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord. 

2. If you believe in your heart God raised him from the dead.

You will be saved.

It is really that simple. There is no middle ground. Each person must decide for themselves if they truly believe Jesus is Lord, and that God raised Him from the dead.
Thus my question to you the reader.
Do you believe this?
Please think about it.

What is unseen

What is unseen
The apostle Paul wrote,

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,

 but on what is unseen. 

For what is seen is temporary, 

but what is unseen is eternal.” 

                                              2 Corinthians 4:18.

Sadly for many in the world today they only believe in what they can see, feel and touch. They have the attitude that the world we live in is all there is. There is nothing after death.
My question is, are you sure there is nothing after this life ends?
Since the dawn of mankind all societies have believed there was life beyond the grave. It seems as though we humans are hardwired to believe in an afterlife. It’s how we get there and what it’s like that seems to be the debate.
As believers in God, believers in Christ Jesus, we Christians have assurances that there is life beyond the grave. The whole Bible speaks of life after death. A life that cannot be seen in this life.
As Christians we are called to “fix our eyes on what is unseen”. To have faith there is a God who loves us. The writer of Hebrews telling us,
“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 writer defining faith as,
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."  Hebrews 11:1
It is this leap of faith that many if not most people in the world today cannot bring themselves to make. Yet it is one each and every person must make if they are to have peace with God. If they are to have eternal life.
Thus my question to you the reader; are you willing to make this leap of faith fixing your eyes by faith on what is unseen, fixing your eyes on God?
Please think about it

Who are you sitting with

Who are you sitting with?
The Gospel of Matthew 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.
If you consider yourself a Christian, a believer in Christ Jesus who are you sitting down to dinner with?
Are you reaching out to the world around you or do you confine yourself to living among Christians, those who agree with you?
Jesus speaking of himself 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.
This is the reason Jesus came into this world. To save the world. To save individuals. This is the reason we as believers in Christ Jesus should be reaching out to the world around us, especially non-believers.
Thus my question to any believer in Christ. Anyone who claims to be Christian; who are you sitting down with? Who are you sharing the gospel of Christ with?
Please think about it.

Sell Everything?

Sell Everything?
Matthew’s gospel 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,  honour your father and mother,' and ‘love your neighbour 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.
Now let’s get one thing strait. There is nothing wrong with being rich. It is what emphasis you put on your wealth that can cause problems.
The apostle Paul writing to Timothy states,
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10.
Money should never be first in our lives. In fact we should be willing to give up our wealth if necessary.
In the incident above recorded by Matthew the man believed there was a God. He had even obeyed the commandments. Yet his faith was not in God to provide for him. His faith was in his wealth. He put his wealth ahead of God. His faith in his money being his god.
God makes it clear nothing should come before Him.
In the book of Exodus we read,

"You shall have no other gods before me.” 

                                                              Exodus 20:3.

Anything that is more important to us than God is a god, and we shouldn’t be putting our faith in it. Our faith should be entirely in God. 
In the book of Hebrews we are told,
“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 being defined as,

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

 and certain of what we do not see." 

                                                                      Hebrews 11:1.

 Thus my question to you; if you consider yourself a believer in Christ Jesus. If you consider yourself a Christian is your faith entirely in God?
Are you willing to sell everything, give up all our earthly wealth if necessary, and follow Christ?
Please think about it.

Are you Merciful?

Are you Merciful?
Jesus said,
"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,  
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  
If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.  
Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.  
Do to others as you would have them do to you. 
"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners' love those who love them.  
And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners' do that.  
And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners' lend to ‘sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full.  
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.  
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:27-36.
The above statement by Jesus I think is self explanatory and is something every true believer in Christ Jesus needs to do.
Thus my question to anyone who calls themselves a Christian, a believer in Christ Jesus is. Do you do what Jesus is saying?
Are you merciful in the same way God is?
Please think about it.  

A simple Message

A simple message
Jesus 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.

This to me is self explanatory. Teat other in the same way you want to be treated. That is especially true for Christians.
The reason is simple. If Christians don’t obey the word of Jesus here in Matthew 7:12, they will never win a soul for Christ.
Please think about it.

A Christians job

A Christians job
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 me when I read this portion of scripture it says to be God knows my DNA. God knows why I am the way I am. As a result only God has the right to judge me or any individual.
Over the years I’ve heard many people calling themselves Christians judging people saying such and such a person is not going to heaven for whatever reason.
Saying where a person will spend eternity is not the job of a Christian.
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.
Telling people about Jesus is what all who call themselves a Christian, a follower of Christ Jesus should be doing.
Jesus talking to his disciples, and through them to us 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 as believers in Christ Jesus are called to love the world around us. To show the unconditional love of God to all, family, friend, and foe.
As the American evangelist Billy Graham put it,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God's job to judge

 and my job to love.” 

                            Billy Graham.

If you consider yourself a Christian, a believer in Christ Jesus are you doing this?
Please think about it.

Peace Maker

Peace Maker
Jesus said,

“Blessed are the peacemakers, 

for they will be called sons of God.” 

                                                      Matthew 5:9.

If you claim to be a Christian. A follower of Christ Jesus you should also be a peacemaker.
As I write this the world is in turmoil. Every day terrorist groups are attacking and killing innocent men women and children. War is an every day reality for millions of people.
Even in the western democracies people are protesting against discrimination and hatred.
No government it seems in the history of man has been able to truly bring peace to the people it governs.
Bernard Baruch noted,
"No government has ever succeeded in making everyone equally happy.  Too many governments have succeeded in making everyone equally miserable." Bernard Baruch.
  Thus the call of Jesus to the world is,
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30.
This is the message we as believers in Christ Jesus need to be bringing to the world.
So if you consider yourself a Christian, a believer in Christ Jesus is this the message you are bringing to the world?
Please think about it.