Why Jesus came

 Why Jesus came

In the apostle John’s gospel we read,

"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.

Notice verse 17 “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

This is the reason Jesus came into the world. God knew that man could not live a life good enough for us to live in heaven. We all sin and fall far short of Gods ideals for our life. The apostle John writing,

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  

If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." 1John 1:9-10

That is why in love God reached down to us in the form of His One and Only Son. To die for our sin.

The apostle Paul writing to the Romans 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. 

The apostle Paul also wrote,

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” Romans 10:13.

Have you called on the name of the Lord? Have you let Jesus into your life?

Please think about it.

What do you believe about Jesus?

  What do you believe about Jesus?

Jesus speaking to Martha,

"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

"Yes Lord" she told Him, "I believe you are the Christ the Son of God, who was to come into the world," John 11:25,26,27.

Who do you think Jesus is? 

Napoleon Bonaparte said of Jesus, 

"You speak of Caesar, of Alexander, of their conquests and of the enthusiasm which they enkindled in the hearts of their soldiers; but can you conceive of a dead man making conquests, with an army faithful and entirely devoted to his memory? My armies have forgotten me even while living, as the Carthaginian army forgot Hannibal. Such is our power."

"I know men and I tell you, Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour, millions would die for him."

"I search in vain history to find similar to Jesus Christ, or anything which can approach the gospel.  Neither history nor humanity, nor ages, nor nature, offer me anything with which I am able to compare it or to explain it. Here everything is extraordinary." Napoleon Bonaparte.

So who do you think Jesus is? A mad man? A good man? Or The Son of God, God incarnate? Saviour of all who would believe in Him?

Please think about it.

What do they see in you?

 What do they see in you?

The apostle Paul wrote,

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.  2 Corinthians 5:18-20.

Paul writing to the Romans 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.

Teresa of Ávila states: 

"Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours; yours are the eyes through which to look at Christ's compassion to the world, yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good, and yours are the hands with which he is to bless us now." Mother Teresa of Avila.

As believers in Christ Jesus we are ambassadors for Christ. We represent Christ in this world. It is through our words and deeds that the world sees Christ.

Question: When someone sees your life and lifestyle what does it tell them about Christ Jesus?

Please think about it. 

To us who are being saved

 To us who are being saved

"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." 

                                                                        1 Corinthians 1:18.

If you think about it Christianity if not true is perhaps the worst lie in human history. We just have to look at the apostles creed, which while not written by an apostle of Christ says what Christians believe. It states,

1.I believe in God the Father the almighty maker of heaven and earth

2. I believe in Jesus Christ God's on and only Son, our Lord and Saviour.

3. I believe Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary

4. I believe Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate; That He was Crucified, died, was buried. That he descended in hell.

5. I believe He rose again on the third day from the dead.

6. I believe that he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty.

7. I believe Jesus will one day Judge the living and the dead.

8. I believe in the Holy Ghost

9. I believe in the Church which is the communion of the saints,

10. I believe in the forgiveness of sin.

11. I believe in the resurrection of the body.

12. I believe in life everlasting

These are incredible claims. Which if not true would destroy Christianity. Yet close to thee billion people in the world today believe it.

I leave the choice to believe it or not up to you the reader.

Please think about it.

Fix your eyes on the unseen

  Fix your eyes on the Unseen

“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

Jesus said,

“God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:24.

We cannot see God. We worship him in faith. And in the book of Hebrews we read,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and 

certain of what we do not see. 

                                               Hebrews 11:1. 

The faith we follow is not blind faith. Scripture tells us,

"The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands." 

                                                       Psalm 19:1.

More and more science is showing that the earth had a creator.

Dr. Arno Penzias said,

"Astronomy leads us to a unique event, a universe which was created out of nothing, one with a very delicate balance needed to provide exactly the conditions required to permit life and one which has an underlying (one might say ‘supernatural') plan." Dr Arno Penzias 1978 Nobel Prize winner in Physics 

William Philips wrote,

“I believe in God more because of science than in spite of it" William Philips Nobel prize winning Physicist.

God asks us to believe in Him by faith because I believe a person of true faith is someone who will go to their grave for what they believe.

Do you have such faith?

Please think about it.

Approved

 Approved

In the gospel of John we read Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman and saying,

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks.  

God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:23,24.

The apostle Paul writes,

"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.

Are you doing your best to follow God in spirit and in truth? 

Do you correctly handle Gods word correctly?

Please think about it.

God and your Brothers

  God and your Brothers

“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.

This says it all. Do you love your brother? You should. The apostle John makes that crystal clear. If we love God we must also love our brothers. There is no room for hate for those who love Christ Jesus.

So the question to you dear reader is, Do you truly love God and your brothers?

Please think about it.

Not only to your own interest

  Not only to your own interest

“Each of you should look not only to your own interests,

 but also to the interests of others.” 

                                                                 Philippians 2:4

Here Paul is telling us to lookout for others as well as ourselves.

In the book of James we read,

“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.” James 2:14-18.

So are you looking out for your own interest or others as well?

Please think about it.

The lifestyle of a Christian

 The lifestyle of a Christian

In the book of Colossians we read,

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:12-17.

So what is a Christian called to do? The apostle Paul tells us we are to,

clothe yourself with,  

                                 Compassion,

Kindness,

Humility,

Gentleness,

Patience,

Forgive whatever grievances you have against other believers

“Put on love which binds them all together”

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly

Teach and admonish one another with all wisdom as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Giving gratitude to God in your hearts. 

“And whatever you do in word or deed, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through him”

If you consider yourself a Christian a true follower of Christ Jesus, are you doing this?

Please think about it.

In all circumstances

  In all circumstances 

Rejoice always, 

pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances; 

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 

                                                              1Thessalonians 5: 16-18.

If you consider yourself a Christian a true follower of Christ Jesus do you,

Rejoice always, 

Pray without ceasing, 

Give thanks in all circumstances

When I read this portion of scripture I think of Paul and Silas praising the Lord in prison.  The book of Acts telling us,

“... "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them." Acts 16:25 

They were in a bad situation. Roman prisons were not good places yet they were praising God with the other prisoners listening to them. Paul and Silas turning a bad situation into a opportunity to witness for Christ.

The other things we are called to do is rejoice always pray without ceasing and give thanks in all circumstances. Things that can be hard to do sometimes yet if we look to God and train ourselves to do these things when things are going well. We will instinctively do it when things are going bad.

So the question becomes if you consider yourself a true follower of Christ Jesus do you Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances?

Please think about it.

How are you living?

 How are you living?

In the book of Galatians we read,

"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

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 5:19-23.

Here the apostle Paul tells us how we should be living. 

He notes the sinful nature as being,  

sexual immorality, 

Impurity and debauchery; 

idolatry and witchcraft; 

hatred, discord,

 jealousy, fits of rage, 

selfish ambition, 

dissensions, factions 

envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. 

The fruit of the spirit being

        love,

        joy,

         peace, 

patience, 

kindness, 

goodness, 

faithfulness,  

gentleness 

self-control. 

Telling us “Against such things there is no law.”

If you consider yourself a Christian a true follower of Christ Jesus what are the fruit in your life? What are the fruit people see in your life?

Please think about it.

Abiding in Christ

 Abiding in Christ.

In the Gospel of John Jesus is recorded as saying,

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:4,5.

Here is the simple explanation.

In order for the Christian to bear fruit we must abide in Jesus. A relationship characterized  by trust, prayer, obedience and joy.

Without abiding in Jesus we cannot do anything of eternal value. I would go as far as to say, a person who is not in a right relationship with Christ Jesus, is not a Christian at all.

So the question remains, are you in a right relationship with Jesus?

Please think about it.