Purified?

 Purified?

The apostle John writes,

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.  

If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.  

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” 1John 1:5-7.

This is how we can tell a true Christian. A true follower of Christ Jesus. A true follower of Christ. A True believer in God will as John states will not walk in darkness. They will not do evil things. They will show true love to God and to those around them. 

By walking in the light by believing in Christ Jesus our sins are purified by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.

Are you walking in God’s light?

Have you been purified from sin through the blood of Jesus?

Please think about it.

Humans are fragile

  Humans are fragile

"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. Isaiah 40:6,7.

We humans are fragile creatures. We live a handful of years before passing on to eternity. The writer of Ecclesiastes writes,

"I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind." Ecclesiastes 1:14.

Later on the writer writes,

“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.

The American evangelist Tony Campolo wrote,

“When you were born, you cried and everybody else was happy. The only question that matters is this - when you die, will you be happy when everybody else is crying?” Tony Campolo.

So will you be happy?

Please think about it.

The God I serve

  The God I serve

In the book of Isaiah we read,

"Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God?

The Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;

his understanding is unsearchable." 

                                                   Isaiah 40:28.

This is the God I serve. An almighty God who is everlasting, who never grows faint or weary. Not only that.

In the book of Psalms we read,

"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.

Which tells me God knows me intimately. 

Is this the God you serve?

Please think about it

Luke's Report

  Luke’s report

In the gospel of Luke we read,

"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.

For me this is one of the portions of scripture that prove that Jesus is the Son of God. Depending on who you read. Scholars place Luke’s gospel as being written around the early 60's A D. Which was within living memory of a lot of people who knew Jesus. So for him to make up stories about Jesus it would cast his writings in dispute.

Additionally for Luke to write what he did. To claim Mary was a virgin and that had a visitation from an angel could be considered far fetched and thus bringing what he said into disrepute.

Thus what he wrote had to be true. A truth that every Christian believes to this day.

So the question I would ask you the reader do you believe what Luke has written?

Please think about it.

A Child of God

  A Child of God

In John’s Gospel 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.

Today is Christmas day. The day when we Christians. We who believe in Christ Jesus celebrate his birth.

The time we believe, that God in the form of His One and Only Son Jesus, became flesh.    The one who made the universe and everything in it came into the world to save all who would believe in Him.

The apostle John writes,

"He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.  

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.  

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.” John 1:10-13.

Do you believe this?

Please think about it.

The Lord God

  The Lord God

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 favored! 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" Luke 1:26-32.

Here is something I feel is so unbelievable that it has to be true. Mary the mother of Christ encounters an angel that tells her that the baby she is carrying will be called “the Son of the Most High. The Lord God.”

If this were not true why would Luke include it in his gospel, after all it seems outlandish. 

The fact is however, Mary was visited by an angel who told her told her the child she was carrying was the Son of the Most High. Then leaves it up to the reader to believe it or not.

Question: Do you believe Jesus is The Lord God?

Please think about it.

Have you confessed?

 Have you confessed?

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 

But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence?  

We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." 

Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.'" 

Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." Luke 23:39-43.

Christmas is just a few days away. It is the day we as Christians, as followers of Christ Jesus celebrate the coming of our Saviour Christ Jesus. The suffering Messiah who would give his life for our sins.

That being said we Christians tend to have a formula in order to get to heaven. “Say the sinner prayer.” “Confess your sins to God etc.”.

But in the above scripture one of the criminals didn’t follow a formula. He simply admitted he was deserving of his punishment, believed Jesus was who he said he was. To which Jesus said “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise”.

The apostle Paul writing to the Romans 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."  Romans 10:9-11.

So do you believe Jesus is the Saviour of all who believe in him. If so have you confessed your sins to Him. 

Please think about it.

Let your gentleness

  Let your gentleness 

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”  

                                                                              Philippians:4:4,5.

This is what Christians, true believers in Christ Jesus should be. We should be rejoicing at all times. At the same time we should be known for our gentleness. 

Jesus didn’t want a physical fight. He didn’t tell us to verbally attack those with whom we disagree. He 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.

Are you doing this

Please think about it.

Our deeds shown in our faith

  Our deeds shown in our faith

In the book or Ecclesiastes we read,

"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.

This should serve as a warning, particularly to those who claim to be Christians. To those who claim to be true followers of Christ Jesus. We all one day will stand before God and answer for what we have done.

True as Christians we believe we are saved by the grace of God. Through our faith in Christ Jesus. In the book of James however we read,

"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."  James 2:17,18. 

So is your faith in God seen in the deeds you do?

Please think about it.

The Christian and the needy

  The Christian and the needy

Jesus said,

"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.'" Matthew 25:34-40.

The American Evangelist Tony Campolo wrote,

"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.

This is what it is to be true Christians. 

So are you doing what Jesus tells us to do?

Please think about it.

Somethings God requires

  Something’s God requires

             In the book or Romans we read,

"Love must be sincere. 

Hate what is evil; 

cling to what is good.  

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. 

Honour one another above yourselves." 

                                                       Romans 12:9,10.

Here is something God requires of us as Christians. As believers in Christ Jesus. The list is very simple to follow. We must,

  Show sincere love. 

Hate evil. 

Cling to what is good. 

Be devoted to fellow believers. 

Honour others above ourselves.

Is this what you are doing?

Please think about it.

Let love never leave you

 Let love never leave you

In the book of Proverbs we read,

"Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 

Then you will win favour and a good name in the sight of God and man." Proverbs 3:3,4.

So just what is true Christian love? The apostle Paul writes,

"Love is patient, love is kind. 

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

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

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil 

but rejoices with the truth.  

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

Love never fails....

And now these three remain: 

faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."  

                                                                             1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.

When people see your life is this the kind of love they see?

Please think about it.