Praise God

  Praise God

The Psalmist writes

“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

To day is New Years eve 2020 here in Canada and I for one am going to take a few minutes to praise God. If you consider yourself a Christian why not take time to praise God for all he has done for you.

Please think about it.

The absents of Love

 The absents of Love

The apostle Paul writes,

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  

If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."1 Corinthians 13:1-3.

Some say "if God created everything, then He created evil, which means God is evil.”

Not so. God set down some basic rules to live by as noted in the ten commandments. At the same time God gave each individual the freedom to do as they wish. Which means they have the freedom to follow what God commanded or not to follow what God commanded. 

Here is something Albert Einstein said about evil,

“Does cold exist?

In fact, cold does not exist. According to the laws of Physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat.

Does darkness exist?

Darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light.  Light we can study, but not darkness.

Evil does not exist. It is just like darkness and cold. God did not create evil.

Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart.”Albert Einstein.

Please think about it.

Christian Love

 Christian Love

The apostle Paul gives what has to be the most perfect definition of love when he writes,

"Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil 

but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails....

And now these three remain:

 faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love."  

                                             1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.

If you claim to be a Christian. A follower of Christ Jesus you must be showing the kind of love the apostle Paul is talking about here. 

So I would ask; Are you showing true love to those around you?

Please think about it.

Live at Peace

 Live at peace

The apostle Paul wrote,

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, 

live at peace with everyone.”

                                                         Romans 12:18.

Do you live at peace with those around you? If you claim to be a Christian you should. As Christians we should not be causing trouble for anyone whether you agree with them or not. 

In Matthews gospel we hear Jesus responding to this question,

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 

Jesus replied: " ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  

This is the first and greatest commandment. 

  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.'  

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

Earlier in Matthews Gospel we read,

"You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.'  

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  

If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  

  And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  Matthew 5:43-47.

If we are truly loving those around us be they family, friend or foe then we will find ourselves living at peace with those around us.

So my question is; are you truly living at peace with those around you?

Please think about it.

In the Shelter of the Most High

  In the Shelter of the Most High

The Psalmist writes,

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

 will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 

I will say of the LORD, 

"He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." 

                                                                                    Psalm 91:1,2.

Here is a simple question to all who call themselves Christians; 

Is God your refuge, your fortress, the one in whom you trust?

As Christians we should be trusting in God at all times. I know it’s easier said than done still it can be done. That being said it requires discipline. 

It requires us to go to God in prayer each day even if we don’t feel like it.

It requires us to thank God and praise Him daily.

We need to do this because it develops our trust in God so that in the bad times we go to Him instinctively knowing He will be with us in those bad times in the same way He is with us in the good.

Please think about it.

Incomprehensible but true

  Incomprehensible but true

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.

We have just celebrated Christmas the moment in time when we believers in Christ Jesus. When we Christians believe God entered the world He created in the form of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

The soul purpose in coming to this earth was to show in human terms just how far God would go to show each individual on this earth the way to heaven.

As incomprehensible as it may seem God became man, walked this earth and experienced everything it is to be human. Everything from the love of his parents, family and friends, to the daily mundane things like rain on his face, the smell of dust, to attending social event and more.

He also experienced what it was like to feel the worst of what one man can do to another. To suffer an inhuman beating and the death on a cross for a crime he didn’t commit. 

He did this all for you, for me and for every human being that has ever existed. 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.

I know it is not what many would expect of an almighty God but it is true. Still to accept that truth takes an act of faith on our part and the writer of Hebrews states,

"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.

Question; do you have the faith to believe that Jesus died for your sins?

Please think about it. 

A Christmas Question

  A Christmas Question

Jesus speaking to Martha said,

"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.

To day is Christmas day the day when billions of believers in Christ Jesus celebrate the birth of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

It is also a day when believers and non-believers must ask themselves just who they believe Jesus is.

Jesus claimed to be God. He claimed to be the Jewish Messiah. It is a claim we are asked to accept by faith.

The writer of Hebrews 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 today we Christians around the world celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour I would ask the question of anyone reading this who is not a Christian: 

Who do you think Jesus is?

Please think about it.

I will Praise God

  I will praise God

“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 9:1,2.

Today is Christmas eve. The day we Christians believe is the eve of our Saviours birth. For that reason today and tomorrow especially I will sing praises to the Lord God Most High.

I will thank God for loving me and all on this earth enough to enter the world He created in the form of his One and Only Son Jesus Christ.

If you consider yourself a Christian a follower of Christ Jesus will you join me in this tonight and throughout the coming year?

Please think about it.

The faith of a Girl

 The faith of a Girl

“In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.  

“The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you." 

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God.  

You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." 

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God....  

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. Luke 1:26-35,38.

When I read this I marvel at Mary’s faith. At the same time being human she must have been nervous. In fact Luke notes “Mary was greatly troubled...” 

Still there is no doubt her faith in God, that must have been cultivated throughout her life kicks in allowing her to accept what was about to happen to her.

Mary’s faith did not simply happen overnight. Mary’s faith did not come about because she seen an angel. Mary’s faith was already present in her life long before she met that angel. 

I’m certain of this because God would not have placed the life of His one and only Son to the care of just anyone. 

Mary was ready and willing to do what God wanted her to do.

That being said, I wonder how many of us who say we believe in God. Who say we believe in Christ Jesus, are ready and willing to do God’s will?

Please think about it.

Do you believe?

 Do you believe

The gospel of John states,

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  

He was with God in the beginning. 

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  

In him was life, and that life was the light of men....

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ” John 1:1-4,14.

Here we have a statement that causes people to think. God the creator of the world entered into the world he created. God became a man.

This scripture is one of the cornerstones of the Christian faith. You either believe it or you don’t. If you do not believe it, I don’t believe you can be a Christian. So the question I would as you dear reader is, 

Do you believe Jesus is God? Do you believe Jesus is God incarnate? God in the flesh?

Please think about it.

His Handiwork

  His handiwork 

The Psalmist writes,

"The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

Day after day they pour forth speech; 

night after night they display knowledge. 

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

                                                                                            Psalm 19:1-3

“George Washington Carver wrote,

“I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.” George Washington Carver.

When I was born the internet was the stuff of science fiction. In the early 1950's when I was born there were no artificial satellites in space. No human being had even orbited the earth.

Looking back now over the sixty plus years I’ve lived on this earth the revolution in technology is incredible. With just the klick of a mouse this message you’re reading can be read all over the earth. 

From my cell phone I can do my banking, order food, watch a football game, or movie, take pictures and even talk to people on the other side of the world. 

The technology mankind has created is truly incredible. 

That being said all the technology man has made pales in comparison with what God has created. That being the universe and everything in it. All of it perfectly in tune. Thus allowing life as we know it to exist. 

Even Stephen Hawking one of the greatest minds that has ever lived stated,

"It would be very difficult to explain why the universe should have begun in just this way, except as the act of a God who intended to create beings like us,"

The fact is God exists. His fingerprints, His handiwork, can be seen throughout creation but only if you want to see Him.

Please think about it.

Your Roots

 Your roots

The prophet Jeremiah writes,

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 

They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. 

It dose not fear when heat comes; its leave are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7,8.

Where are your roots located? Are they in this world or in God? If you are a true believer in Christ Jesus your faith must be rooted in God. For God, and only God, can take you through the good times and the bad times.

For me my relationship with God can be summed up in the twenty-third psalm that reads,

“The LORD is my shepherd, 

I shall not be in want. 

He makes me lie down in green pastures, 

he leads me beside quiet waters, 

he restores my soul. 

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

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

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

your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 

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

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

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

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

                                                                                   Psalm 23

So dear reader is the Lord God almighty the Shepherd of your life?

Please think about it.

He made the Universe

He made the universe 

The writer of Hebrews writes,

"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.”  Hebrews 1:1,2.

Here is one of a number of statements in the New Testament that claims Jesus made the universe. The New Testament writers do not argue about this. They firmly believed that Jesus made the universe. The apostle John stating,

“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.” John 1:1-4.

How long it took God to create the universe be it six twenty-four hour days or billions of years is irrelevant. God being almighty could have made the universe either way.

What believers and non-believers are asked to accept is that Jesus is God and that he made the universe. It’s a black and white issue. You either believe that Jesus created the universe and thus is God or you don’t. The Choice is yours.

So what do you believe?

Please think about it.

Is everything meaningless?

 Is everything is meaningless?

In the book of Ecclesiastes we read,

“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labour. 

Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 2:10,11.

If there is no God then the above statement is true. “everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind;...”

Some atheist say when we die we will live on in the memories of others. A statement that is not completely true. Perhaps if we have made a great discovery we may be remembered in some history book. But most of us will be forgotten within a generation or so.

Ask yourself, where was your great, great, great grandmother or father born? What was the colour of their eyes? What was their favourite piece of music? Where is their grave? What was their greatest achievement? Few people can answer these questions.

So my question to anyone who does not believe in God is where is the purpose in life if we are forgotten within a few generations? If all our achievements are only remembered in some dusty history book?

The way I see it without God life is meaningless. God’s existence makes life worthwhile. God gives us something to look forward to when this life is over.

The writer of Ecclesiastes comes to this conclusion,

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole  duty  of man. 

For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes12:13,14.

Jesus said,

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  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 statement of Jesus if right, and I believe it is. It is God’s offer to each individual of eternal life with Him. While at the same time giving a warning to all who would not believe.

It is a statement that all who hear about Jesus must consider carefully.

Please think about it.

What do they say about you?

 What do they say about you?

The apostle Paul writes,

“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.

If you consider yourself a Christian do you exhibit these traits?

Mahatma Gandhi looking at those around him who claimed to be Christian said,

“Jesus is ideal and wonderful, 

but you Christians - 

you are not like him.”

                           Mahatma Gandhi 

I’ve heard people in the LGBTQ2 community and other communities say similar things about those who claim to be Christian.

Francis of Assisi wrote

"The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon some persons will hear today"  

                                                                         Francis of Assisi.

As Christians. As believers in Christ Jesus we need to ask ourselves what are my words and deeds telling others about Christ? About you?

Please think about it.

Stands forever

  Stands forever

Isaiah the prophet writes,

“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.

When I read this portion of scripture I thought of a poem I memorized in my youth it reads,

“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 bater 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 

The bible the word of God and its truths have been around for millennium. In that time it has had many sceptics and unbelievers. Many in a position of power have tried to stop its spread. All to no avail.

The word of God will be heard and nothing man can do will ever stop Gods word from being heard in every corner of the world.

Do you believe this?

Please think about it.

What have you done

 What have you done

The apostle Paul writes,

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.  

If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,  his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work.  

If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  

If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.

Many years ago my first pastors wife was fond of saying, 

“we have only one life. 

It will soon be past, 

only what is done for Christ will last”

Here in the above scripture the apostle Paul is giving us a warning. He’s telling us that Jesus Christ is the foundation of our lives and that we should not build on it using earthly materials however precious they are.

Gold, silver costly stones in heaven will like wood, hay and straw be consumed by the fire leaving only what we have done for Christ.

So my question to you dear reader is; what have you done for Christ?

Please think about it.

How Committed

How committed 

Jesus said,

"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.  

But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. 

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.  

For I have come to turn " ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' 

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:32-39.

Living here in North America we often forget we have incredible freedoms to worship and follow whoever we wish.

North American Christians for the most part are not generally thrown out of their home or disowned by their family for following Jesus. Sadly this is not true for many Christians around the world.

For many Christians around the world turning to Christ means being rejected by family and friends. It means having their house destroyed. It means having to move away from their home town or village. It means being subject to violence while the authorities look the other way. It can also mean going to jail or even being put to death.

All of this must be taken into consideration by many would be converts in many parts of the world.

So my question to those in North America is how much do you love God? How much would you be willing to give up to follow Christ? 

It’s easy in the good times to follow Christ. It’s a whole other story when times are bad. Thus I would ask this question to believers in not only North America but in all the western democracies where they have freedom to worship as they wish; how committed are you to Christ Jesus?

Please think about it.

Post Script.

Interestingly as I was writing this a prayer alert came to my phone asking for pray for members of a house church in an Asian country. They had been attacked while worshipping. Some having to be taken to hospital because of their injuries. Authorities are looking into the matter. 

Please take some time to pray for the persecuted church around the world.

Pray also that their persecutors will come to know Christ.

Do you believe?

  Do you believe?

In the book of Ecclesiastes we read,

“Better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for all are destined to be mourned; the living should lay this to heart." Ecclesiastes 7:2

A few verses later the writer states,

“The thoughts of the wise are in the house of mourning, but the thoughts of fools are in the house of pleasure.” Ecclesiastes 7:4.

From a human stand point these two verses of scripture seem to the opposite of what we should be doing. Yet the author is correct in what he is saying.

We spend a handful of years on this earth. Our lives are but a mist in eternity. Where as we will live eternally beyond the grave.

Being in the house of mourning should at the very least make us consider where we will spend eternity.

So where will you spend eternity?

The apostle Paul said,

"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.

Entrance into heaven is free. It is a gift of God given to all people who believe in Jesus Christ. 

Jesus said,

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."  John 3:16,17.

Jesus also 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.

Ultimately however getting to heaven is an act of faith the writer of Hebrews defining faith as,

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see." 

                                                                    Hebrews 11:1.

The author of Hebrews going on to say,

"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 my question to you dear reader; Do you believe what I’ve said? 

Please think about it.

Do people know that you know God?

 Do people know that you know God?

The apostle John writes,

We love because he first loved us.  

If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.  

And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. 1John 4:19-21.

Do you love as God loves, unconditionally? 

The apostle Paul gave us the definition of Godly love when he wrote,

"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.

This is how Christians, followers of Christ Jesus are called to love, family, friend, and foe alike. It is the way people around us know that we know God.

So is this the way you love?

Please think about it.

Put your armour on

 Put your Armour on

The apostle Paul wrote,

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  

Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  

Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6:10-18.

Seven questions

Is your spiritual armour on? 

Do you know Gods truth? 

Do you know what the righteousness of God is? 

Do you know what true faith in God is? 

Do you know what the Salvation of God is? 

Do you know the word of God? 

Do you pray not just for yourself but for other brother and sisters in Christ?

Sadly many calling themselves Christians do not know the answers to these questions then they wonder why their efforts for Christ fails.

Paul here in Ephesians 6:10-18 compares Christians to a Roman soldier. The Roman soldier was the best soldier of his day. They, I’m told, had the best weapons and tactics. 

The Roman soldier didn’t however just put on his kit and go into battle. Quite the contrary he probably practised and drilled far more hour than he ever spent in battle. He learned about his weapons and how to use them effectively.

Which is what we as Christians should be doing. We need to study the scriptures both by ourselves and with others. We need to sit under a teacher that truly knows the world of God. We need to learn all about what it is to be a believer in Christ Jesus. Above all this we need to pray.

Then armed with that knowledge we need to put on the armour of God and go forth in the name of The Lord and win souls for Christ.

Please think about it.

Blessed

 Blessed

The Psalmist writes,

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; 

love and faithfulness go before you. 

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, 

who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.” 

                                                                                       Psalm 89:14,15.

Do you walk in the light of Gods presence? 

Have you learned to acclaim God? 

When people see your words and deeds do they see God reflected in those words and deeds?

Please think about it.

Facing Battles

 Facing Battles

         In the book of 1Chronicles we read,

“Look to the Lord and his strength; 

seek his face always.”

                                                  1 Chronicles 16:11

Throughout our lives we all face battles both physical and spiritual but through it all we need to look to the Lord.

It’s easy in times of trouble to say “why me” and to complain about the trouble we are in. Leaving God out of the situation. This should not be so.

We need to make God such an integral part of our lives that when we suddenly find ourselves in trouble it is to Him that we turn.

We need to be able to say as the Psalmist writes,

"I lift up my eyes to the hills

where does my help come from? 

My help comes from the LORD, 

the Maker of heaven and earth." 

                                                       Psalm 121:1,2.

So where does your help come from?

Please think about it.

Verses to live by

  Verses to live by

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

  The Apostle Paul wrote,

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."Romans 12:18

Jesus when asked,

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 

Jesus replied: " ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  

This is the first and greatest commandment. 

And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'  

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

"You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.'  

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,..." Matthew 5:43,44

The apostle Peter writes,

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.   Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 

Dear friends,

 I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." 1 Peter 2:9-12.

This is what Christians are suppose to do. To do less is to bring Christ into disrepute. 

As believers in Christ these few Scripture at the very least should be active in our lives at all times.

Please think about it.

Your Faith

 Your faith

In the book of Exodus we read,

“And God spoke all these words: 

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

“You shall have no other gods before me. 

“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.  

You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,” Exodus 20:1-5.

Do you have other gods? Looking at the United States over the past year I question if many claiming to be Christians leaders and others claiming to be Christians have truly put their trust in God. 

Sadly it seems to me that other things are being mixed with their faith in God. First among them their rights as written in the constitution. Others mix their faith, with their belief in a particular political party or individual politicians.

As Christians we need to be careful who or what we put first in our lives. We as Christians cannot hitch ourselves to anyone or anything however good and noble they might be.

God must always be supreme in our lives. We cannot mix our faith with anything period. Either we are 100% for God or we are not. There is no gray areas. As Jesus said,

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Matthew 6:24.

So where is your faith? 

Please think about it.

Christian remember this

  Christians remember this

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

Here is the reason why God and only God can judge anyone. Only God knows why we are the way we are. No one in this world has the right to judge where an individual will spend eternity. 

Jesus made it clear,

Shout for Joy

  Shout for Joy

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 something for you to do right now. Take a few minutes to simply thank God for who He is and all He has done for you.

Please take time to Praise God.

Christ first

  Christ First

The apostle Peter writes,

"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.

The great evangelist Charles Spurgeon wrote,

"O Christian people, be holy, for Christ is holy. Do not pollute that holy Name wherewith you are named. Let your family life, your personal life, your business life, be as holy as Christ your Lord would have it to be."  Charles H. Spurgeon.

Sadly I see many calling themselves Christians here in North America not listening to either the apostle Peter or Charles Spurgeon.

When people from outside the church look at many who call themselves Christians they see everything from judgemental bigots, to charlatans, to hypocrites, to thieves, to oppressors, and all other kinds of evil.

Someone has said “if you want a good scandal just look in the church” sadly many times they are right. The church is not good at policing itself.  

The apostle Paul wrote,

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

Unfortunately this is another scripture those within the church do not follow. Even when false teachers are cast out of the church here in North America many simply start their own church.

That being said I believe irrespective of whether false teachers are tossed out of the church or not. I think it is incumbent on the individual believer to see that they are truly following God in spirit and in truth. As the American evangelist Billy Graham put it,

"Make sure of your commitment to Jesus Christ, and seek to follow Him every day. Don't be swayed by the false values and goals of this world, but put Christ and His will first in everything you do." Billy Graham.

Please think about it.  

Are You?

  Are you?

In the book of Revelations we read Jesus as saying,

"Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed." Revelations 16:15.

The apostle Paul writes,

“Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1,2.

It is said Martin Luther while hoeing weeds was asked the question, “What would you be doing if you knew Christ was returning today?”

He replied “I’d be hoeing weeds.”

When I first read that I thought how natural a reply. The garden needed tending to so he was doing it.

Luther didn’t know when Jesus would return. He understood it would be a surprise. As a result I’m sure Luther was ready to meet Christ. 

All who profess to be Christians, believers in Christ Jesus, should be ready at all times to meet Christ. 

Are you?

Please think about it.

To Save

  To save.

Jesus said,

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:17.

Here is something lost on many Christians be they in the pulpit or the pew. Jesus came to save the lost. Not to condemn them.

As such we should be presenting the love of God to all who will listen to us, be they family, friend, or foe.

Please think about it.

Coming Soon

  Coming soon

In the book of revelations we read,

"He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." 

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 

                                               Revelations 22:20.

In the midst of this pandemic I have heard many Christians with the best of intentions saying this is the prelude to Christs second coming. I don’t know if it’s true or not. Either way it shouldn’t matter to a Christian. We should be living as if Christ is coming within the next heartbeat. As a result we should be doing all we can to server God in spirit and in truth.

We should be following the advice of the apostle Paul who said,

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

Thus my question to you the reader; Are you doing this?

Please think about it.