A thought from Exodus

A thought from Exodus

“You shall not covet your neighbour’s house;

 you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife,

 nor his male servant,

 nor his female servant, 

nor his ox, nor his donkey, 

nor anything that is your neighbour’s.

Exodus 20:17

Covet the Oxford dictionary defines it as: “yearning to possess something that belongs to someone else.”
Rabbi J. H. Hertz late chief Rabbi of the British Empire  states, “...to long for possessions of anything that we cannot get in an honest and legal manner.”
Matthew Henry in his commentary put it this way, 
“the forgoing commands implicitly forbid all desire for doing that which will be an injury to our neighbour; this forbids all inordinate desire of having that which will be a gratification to ourselves.”
In Joshua chapter seven we read about Achan’s sin.  Jericho had been defeated but God had said not to take anything from Jericho.  Achan by his own admission coveted what he saw.
“Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I have done:  
When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.” 
                                                       Joshua 7:20,21
Achan’s sin was a sin against God.  God had specifically said not to take anything. Achan because he coveted stole.
In our “must have” society where day after day, we are told by advertisers that we “must have this” “we can’t do without this” it’s easy to see how someone can covet things of their neighbours.
Temptation is always there.  The world makes it easy to covet things of our neighbours.  Especially for our kids and youth.
Our youth see the latest brand name thing, and it becomes a status thing for them.  One teacher told me one of the biggest problems they were having in her school was with clothing.
Kids were looked down on, if they didn’t have “the right clothes.”  Translation the right designer label.
Teens have been beaten by other teens, so they could take their two hundred dollar running shoes.
When it comes to anything in this day and age, society doesn’t make life easy, be it for teen or adult.  It’s still no excuse for coveting anything of your neighbours.
We must all come to the mind set, that we will not necessarily become rich, but rather that as Paul told the Philippians:

“And my God shall supply all your needs

according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:19

If we remember this, we will have no need to covet anything of our neighbour’s
and we will have a better life.
Think about it.

The Need

The Need

I would recommend that we straighten out a few things before we contemplate any interplanetary transportation system.  Suppose a man from Mars should suddenly appear on Earth?  I think it would be terribly embarrassing if he learned that a second-rate singer in a night club makes four thousand dollars a week, and a high-school teacher makes three thousand eight hundred and ninety dollars a year.  This and many other things should be straightened out first if we intend to maintain our dignity when planet folks start visiting us.
                                                                                                    Harry Golden

I came across the above quote and realized just how profound those words are. Our priorities as a society are royally messed up.
Take for example the Ebola epidemic in Africa. One of the reasons it can’t be contained is because very little priority was given to finding a vaccine for it. Someone noted to me the big pharmaceutical companies couldn’t make a lot of money on developing it so it took a back seat to other research.
The same is true when it comes to looking for cures particularly for rare illnesses. People are dying due to rare illnesses daily, illnesses that a cure could be found for if only there was the financial resources available.
Look at world hunger. There is enough food in the world to feed the world but politics, war and money, symbols of man’s selfishness, stop the food from getting to where it’s needed.
The group calling itself the Islamic State (ISIS) has become a major threat to the world, why? Because of political inaction. It was the problem of someone else.
Young men and women are becoming radicalized by ISIS and other groups because society particularly in the west doesn’t seem to have anything to offer them.
Over the centuries the western world in particular has fallen away from the Christian faith and for that matter faith of any kind to be replaced with Atheism and materialism
Materialism and Atheism offers little in way of true fulfilment except a few theories and platitudes.
In the middle east with the exception of Israel, Christianity has been restricted banned out right and even persecuted.  At the same time society in those countries in which Christianity has fallen out of favour seems to have become a harsher place to live.
What is needed is a firm foundation based on the love of one’s fellow man whoever he may be.
The book of Matthew records Jesus answering the following 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 neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 
                                                                       Matthew 22:37-40.
It is as love declines within our society be it for God, or for our neighbour that evil is taking its place.
The problem here in the west could in part, also be laid at the feet of many churches also.
    I look around North America especially in the United States and the church quite often is becoming irrelevant. Yet it has the most important message one can give to the world.
It’s becoming irrelevant because the church is not in many ways keeping up with the times. It is to quote a phrase becoming “musty and dusty, and irrelevant”.
There are some wonderful churches around where we live. They sing the old hymns, Amazing Grace, To God be the Glory, What a friend we have in Jesus. Yet I look at their congregation and find almost no teenagers.
Teenagers are our future. These are the kids that are being radicalized by terrorist groups like ISIS and others.
I look at the church my Son attends it’s a large church to be sure, and they have over a hundred teens attending, I actually think it’s closer to two hundred attending.
Not only that but history within that church shows that many of the youth that have attended they youth group over the decades have gone on to work in the church.
     Many have even gone on to be missionaries and pastors.
The reason is simple the youth attend because the message of Christ is relevant to them. Not only that it is presented in a twenty-first century package that they can relate to.
They do not sing Amazing grace. They sing music from Hillsong and other contemporary sources. They communicate through smart phones, the internet, twitter and what ever other technology they have.
These teens talk about relevant topics to the their age group. They talk about the problems they have.
Christ is presented to them in a way they can understand.
The message these young people age getting is the same Message John Newton the author of Amazing grace was giving to his congregation. It’s the same message the apostle Paul delivered in Athens. The only difference is that they can also get it on their smart phone.
As Christians we have a duty to society as a whole. We need to reach out to everyone.
We have the answer to the radicalization of our youth by terrorist and murders. That answer is Jesus Christ.
Jesus said,
“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 a message not only for our youth but for every man, woman and child. A message that can change the world for the better.
Think about it.

Christians and Terrorism

Christians and Terrorism

As I write this it is October 28th 2014. Sadly I watched the funeral of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo the soldier murdered while guarding the National War Memorial in Ottawa.
This man was proud to be a Canadian and serve his country.
The man that killed him was nothing more than a hate filled misguided evil man.
What causes a man to do such a thing?
Chedly Belkhodja, principal of Concordia University’s School of Community and Public Affairs states,
“Radical Islamic groups can appeal both to lonely lost souls and Muslims in Western countries who feel excluded and marginalised,... A lot of young people can be an easy prey,” 
Studies by John Horgan seems to agree.
John Horgan, is a psychologist and professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell’s Centre for Terrorism and Security Studies, who study the minds of terrorists.
He notes foreign fighters are drawn to join ISIS by the need to “belong to something special.”
They want to find something meaningful for their life,” he said. “Some are thrill seeking, some are seeking redemption.”
Max Abrahms, an expert on terrorism from Northeastern University notes that
from most of the terrorism research available,  those who join terrorist groups like ISIS are the most "ignorant people with respect to religion and they are generally the newest members to the religion.... They would probably fail the most basic test on Islam,"  
Christians do have an answer for these terrorist groups but sadly the church here in North America, Europe and the west in general have fallen down on the job so to speak.
Much of the church has fallen into an institution dripping with ritual and out of date methods of reaching the word.
Those who’s heads are turned toward terrorist groups undoubtedly find the church outdated, uninteresting and uninspiring.
You only have to look around at the declining enrolment in churches today. These churches generally have ornate buildings and rituals that are fine for a previous generation and in and of themselves are good at reminding people, if they understand, what Christ stands for.
Unfortunately they mean little to those of the twitter verse or the world wide web.
One only has to take a look around the world at the churches that are truly growing. These churches are “adding value” to the life of those that are coming to them.   The are preaching the same core message that the apostles preached but in a modern way. A way youth and young adults can relate too.
My son is an adult youth leader who attends a large and growing church. This church has been on the forefront of evangelism in out small city for some time.
It encourages its youth to live differently. To make a positive difference in the lives of those around them.
The message they give to these young people is relevant to their generation and it is preached through various social media.
One only has to look back at the first century church to see what needs to be done. The church fathers, the disciples, the apostle Paul and others in the early church used the most modern methods of their day.
Peter and the other disciples preached in the temple, in synagogues and other places. Paul spoke in the Areopagus and at many more venues.  They all sent letters to the various churches.
So prominent was the teaching of the Apostles in Jerusalem that the apostles were brought before the religious authorities of their day.
The book of Acts recoding the authorities reaction,
“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” 
Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!” 
                                                                                                          Acts 5:28,29.
The apostles were radicals in their day. They were radical for the Prince of Peace, Jesus. They never preached rebellion or hate.
Jesus who said,
 “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 22:37-40

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor 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...”
                                                                Matthew 5:43-45.
We in the church need to be looking beyond church buildings, the rituals, and traditions. We need to be speaking without compromise about salvation that can only come from Christ.
We need to be out there in social media showing those who are disenfranchised with society that there is a better way. That violence and hate are not the solution to their problems.
We need to be like the good Samaritan. being there to bandage, not only the physical wounds of individuals, but their psychological wounds also.
It is only when those who feel marginalised or outcasts from our society realize that Christ is the answer to their problems that they will turn from violence.
Think about it.

The story of a man

The story of a man

“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.
Many years ago, perhaps thirty-five or so now I was doing what we call street witnessing with a friend on the streets of big city.
We’d do a three or four kilometre lap along a major street, from about nine at night until one in the morning depending on how many people were around. People and the police were use to us doing it.
We got our regulars some who simply wanted someone to talk or argue with us along with the drunks coming out of the bars and some new people.
On this particular occasion around midnight on a very cold February night, a very agitated man in his mid twenties came up to us. At first we though he might have a mental illness but that wasn’t the case.
He was very rational he just didn’t agree with anything we said. He had a lot of preconceived ideas that just didn’t add up.
He eventually told us he was a devil worshipper.
Over the space of an hour we tried to tell him about Christ although it was difficult because he didn’t want to listen. He seemed to be in attack mode, All he wanted to do was tell us what he believed.
Finally we were able to tell him what we believed, the very basics, the words of Jesus.
“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.
He told us quite bluntly he didn’t believe. That we were wrong and he was right then left us.
He gave us pause to think. Were we the last chance he had to receive Jesus into his life. Would he enter a Christless eternity?
It caused us to want to reach more people something we did. I forget how many actually came to know Christ but I do remember we talked to a lot of people.
During the few years we were witnessing we talked to everything from members of bike gangs, to people living on the street, to the average person and everyone in between.
We planted a lot of seeds. Quite often that was all we could do. Still the message went out and I probably will not know what happened to those seeds this side of eternity.
It is important that we as Christians all plant seeds. That we speak about our faith to others even if they don’t agree with us.
We as best we can need to enter into dialogue with the people around us telling them in an unthreatening way what we believe.
We may not see the results of that seed in this life time but we will in eternity.
Are you planting seeds around you?
Think about it.

Blessed is the man

Blessed is the man

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 
But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 
Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 
For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”
                                                                                                                      Psalm 1
Do you delight in the ways of the Lord? Do you meditate on His word day and night.
The only way we will get to know the Lord is by studying the scriptures ourselves.
We should not rely strictly on what pastors and evangelist say about God. The best way to know anyone is to spend time with them. Which is what we need to do with God.
The more we study the word of God the more we meditate on His word and pray the deeper our roots will go down. The stronger our faith becomes. Then when things do happen to us we are able to stand our ground.
I remember after hurricane Katrina hit the southern United states. My son went down to help rebuild some of the houses. He came back with pictures that showed how devastating the power of the hurricane was.
I remember seeing one picture of this big old tree it was battered but it was still standing. By contrast the houses around it were nothing more than rubble.
That trees roots must have been very deep because it looked like it hadn’t moved.
This is how we should be. Our roots should go deep into the scriptures. Our faith in God should be as deep as we can possibly get it.
All those who oppose God however will come to nothing. The Psalmist making it clear
“...the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 
For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”
How deep is your faith?
Are your roots still growing deep in the Lord?
Are you meditating on God’s word often enough?
Think about it.

Who is He?

Who is he?

“So he(Paul) reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.  
A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.  
Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?”  
                                                                              Acts 17:17-19.
I am a professional clown as a result I get invited to a lot of corporate and private Christmas parties over the year.
These parties are all about the Children which is a good thing.
The parties range from very elaborate affairs that have the big jump and bounce blow up castles along with various entertainers and of course Father Christmas, to very small gatherings in which I generally am the entertainment along with Santa.
The children always seem to have a lot of fun and I admit for me as an entertainer I leave them feeling extra good.
Whenever I go to these events I wear a small badge that says, “Jesus is the reason for the season”.
Sadly, and it’s getting more frequent, many children are asking me who Jesus is even teenagers are asking. What’s worse I think is that adults are asking me who Jesus is. They know the name but know nothing about him.
Now one must keep in mind that in the area where I live and work not counting cable stations, there are five over the air Christian television channels and several radio stations.
When I get a chance, I do tell the people who ask, just who Jesus is. I even refer them to my Blogs.
Still we as Christians need to do more.
I live in a town were one church alone has a Sunday attendance equal to that of one percent of the cities population. And I would guess that by the number of churches in our town there is between five and perhaps as high as ten percent of the city’s population go to church. That being said people are not being reached. I can only imagine what it is like in bigger cities.
It needs to begin with each individual. We need to be inviting people over for coffee or to bible studies, to church.
We need to just be friends with non-believers and show the love of God toward them. To live a Christlike life in front of them.
Matthew records,
“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.
This is what we need to be doing any way we can, especially now that Christmas is on the horizon.
Think about it.

The greatest commandment

The Greatest Commandment

 “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.” 
                                         Matthew 22:36-38.
How much do you love God? Do you really love God?
Many people say they love God here in North America but all too often their lifestyle say’s they only ‘like God’. They put him in second place, third place or even last place in their priorities of life.
I found this quote from the Zohar that sums up how we should be if we truly love not only God but anyone.
“A man fell in love with a woman who resided in the street of the tanners.  If she had not lived there, he would never have entered this evil-smelling section; but, since she dwells there, the street seems too him like the street of the perfumers.”
                                                                        From the Zohar
A tannery can be a foul smelling place. In ancient days when the Zohar was written a street full of tanners must have been truly horrible.
The point the Zohar is making here is that if you truly love someone it doesn’t matter what the circumstances you will want to be with them no matter what.
That’s how we should be with God and Jesus. We should want to be with him as often as we can.
All to many Christians in this day and age get their priorities mixed up. Serving the Lord or even going to Church is secondary in their lives.
I knew a man he said he loved the Lord. He went to Bible School part time to get his masters degree in theology while he worked full time.
What he was doing was laudable.
He said he wanted to serve the Lord by setting up a church. But the way he spoke to me it seemed that he was doing it in his time, not the Lords.
The company he worked for came first. In addition he worked at a second job to bring in extra income that he really didn’t need. His wife worked and they liked their ‘toys’. He had a nice house, two cars, a boat among other things.
When it came to attending church it seemed that every time it came between overtime at his primary job or extra time at his secondary job he chose them over coming to church.
He seemed to always be putting God second in his life.
Now don’t get me wrong. There are times when people need that second pay cheque. Many people here in North America are living sadly, below the poverty line.
There are also times when we may need to work overtime at our job. That’s just the way life is sometimes.
And having cars, boats, and a nice house is perfectly fine provided they don’t pull us away from God.
We need to look at our priorities. We need to ask ourselves the question do we have any god’s, materialistic things, that we are putting ahead of the Living God?
We may not have graven images or carved idols. But we do have dollar bills, fancy cars, boats, luxury houses and other items we bow down to.
We need to ask our self do we need a boat, the latest smart phone or computer? Is it really necessary for us to have a three hundred thousand dollar house when a hundred fifty thousand one would do just as well?
As I’ve said in the past there is nothing wrong with being wealthy or having all the ‘toys’ our society has to offer but it should not take us away from God.
We need to be asking ourselves is God truly first in our lives?
The writer of Deuteronomy states,
“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  
These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  
Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  
Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  
Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” 
                                                                        Deuteronomy 6:5-9.
We need to ask ourselves if we are doing what is said here in Deuteronomy.
Jews have an interesting way of following the command set out here in Deuteronomy. They not only keep God in their hearts. But they literally wear God’s words on their foreheads or arms.
They pray morning and evening.
They wear a Tefillin. Tefillin are the two small leather boxes containing verses from the Torah that Jewish men above bar mitzvah age wear during morning prayer services. (They are not worn on Shabbat or most Jewish holidays.)
The boxes are attached to lengthy leather straps that hold the boxes onto the head and the arm. attached to their head and to their arm containing scripture. It is a requirement of all Jewish men above bar mitzvah age. They are not worn on the Sabbath or most Jewish holidays.
On all of the door posts throughout their home they place a Mezuzah a small glass, wood or metal case, containing the most famous Jewish prayer the Shema. A prayer declaring God’s unity and their devotion to Him.
All of what they do has deep spiritual meaning to each individual Jew. As they move through the house they see the Mezuzah and it reminds them of God, and their relationship to Him.
As Christians, we need to I believe remind ourselves daily of our relationship with God.
We need to put God first even if it cost us some overtime at work or a few dollars.
We need to make God the first priority in our life.
Is he in yours?
Think about it.

Evacuate

Evacuate?

The other day I watched a documentary called Evacuate Earth. It was a fascinating film that presented what could possibly be done if the earth was threatened by an object from outer space.
The premise was simply that we’d be searching the stars for an earthlike planet that we could go to should we find earth was in danger of being destroyed.
In fact the search for earth like planets is happening today.
Should such a cataclysmic even appear to be imminent. The powers to be would carefully select people from all over the world using genetic selection and other means, to go onto a large space craft for a journey that would at the minimum take a generation or more to that new earth.
I realized that the people making the movie were not Christians.
For me the premise that the human race would die out due to some cataclysm perhaps in theory is more than possible. After all our existence on this planet is defined by razor thin margins.
Still I do not believe for one second the human race would die out. Human beings while here on earth are have bodies of flesh and bone but that is not what makes up a man. Men and women were crated by God as eternal beings.  Let me quote loosely from Martin Luther King Jr who said,
“We thank thee, O God, for the spiritual nature of man.We are in nature but we live above nature....
Then, finally, help us to realize that man was created to shine like stars and live on through all eternity...”
King recognized the one thing all Christians and other faith groups know. First of all man is not just a corporeal being, but a spiritual being who is destined to live on through eternity.
A comet, asteroid, neutron star, nuclear holocaust, or for that matter a mass murderer, cannot sent people into oblivion.
To me the thought that all there is, is this life is very sad.
Every man, woman and child has so much potential. For it to be limited to a few years or decades or even just over a century seems such a waste.
I do believe the words of Martin Luther King when he said, mankind was created to live on like the stars through eternity.
I know to the unbeliever that may seem silly even stupid, it is never the less what I believe.
I have read the Bible with an open mind and truly believe what it says. The apostle Paul writing to Timothy 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 
Eternal life to a Christian is a gift from God. C. S. Lewis said,
“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.
The Apostle Paul wrote,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 
        Romans 5:8.
Writing to the Ephesians 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
When all is said and done however what will happen to mankind and each individual on this earth comes down to a matter of where you put your faith, in Science or in God.
The writer of Hebrews noting,
“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
Think about it

October 22nd 2014 Ottawa

October 22nd 2014 Ottawa

As I write this Canada’s capital has just been shocked by a radicalized individual who shot and killed a soldier on duty at the national war memorial in Ottawa then tried to get to others inside the parliament buildings.
Fortunately the man doing the shooting was shot and killed by the sergeant at arms before he could kill others.
This is the second attack on Canadian military personal in less than a week. A few days earlier a man deliberately attacked two soldiers in Quebec killing one of them.    The attacker in this incident was also killed.
My condolences and prayers go out to the families of those soldiers who have died.
Such attacks are done by men who are far from God. Men who harbour hate within their heart. Men who know nothing of honour. Men devoid of love.
Rabbi Abba Hill Silver during the dark days of world war two said,
“There is one other fundamental difference between love and hate.  Love is always a refuge.  Hate is never a refuge.  Only a mentally sick person can find refuge in his hates.  But love is the enduring sanctuary of life.  Life may rob you of many things.  It often does.  But it can never bereave us of love itself.  That remains.”
-Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver, rabbinic leader, from a December 22, 1940, sermon,  
The men that killed those soldiers were no better than Adolf Hitlers, Gestapo.  The leaders of IS who inspired them, nothing more than modern day Nazis who murder innocent men women and children. Such men are far from God.
These murders deserve to be brought to trial and convicted of the crimes they are so guilty of committing and inspiring.
We however as civilized people should not stoop to their level. We should never hate.
Martin Luther King Jr. knew what it was to experience hate, yet he was able to say.
“We thank thee, O God, for the spiritual nature of man. We are in nature but we live above nature. Help us never to let anybody or any condition pull us so low as to cause us to hate.
Give us strength to love our enemies and to do good to those who despitefully use us and persecute us...
Keep us, we pray, in perfect peace; help us to walk together, pray together, sing together, and live together until that day when all God’s children, Black, White, Red, and Yellow will rejoice in one common bond of humanity in the kingdom  of our LORD and of our God, we pray.
                         Amen.
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Let us never hate. Let us hold the banners of Freedom, Justice, and Democracy high never for one minute letting them be tarnished by hate.
We need to pray for our brave men and women in the military as well as the first responders who risk their lives to keep us safe and free.
Pray for the protection of those who are fighting against the evil that IS and other terrorist groups around the world.
Pray for our political leaders that God will give them protection. That He will grant them wisdom in all their decisions.
Pray for peace.

Let Love

Let Love
“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 
Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” 
                                                                                      Proverbs 3:3,4.
What amazing words no matter what you believe I think you can say these words are very true.
Someone showing true love cannot help winning favour in the sight of all people. Only someone with a twisted mind would turn against someone showing true love toward them.
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
The kind of love described by Paul when writing to the Corinthians is precisely the kind of Love God wants true believers to show to all they come in contact with.
Back in the late sixties there was a musical that came out called Goodby Mr. Chips. The words to it’s theme tune while not from the Bible express what we as individuals should be doing.  

In the Morning of My Life

In the morning of my life

I will look to the Sunrise

At a moment in my life 

When the world is new.

And the Question

I shall ask only God can answer.

Will I be brave and strong and true,

Will I fill the world with love my whole life through?

Will I fill the world with love my whole life through?

In the evening of my life

I will look to the sunset

At a moment in my life 

When my life is through.

And the question I shall ask only I can answer 

Was I brave and strong and true.

Did I fill the world with love my whole life through?

Did I fill the world with love my whole life through?

                                                                                                        By Leslie Bricusse
                                                                                              From the Musical Good by Mr Chips

When you day come to stand before God will you be able to say you “I filled the world with Love my whole life through”?
Think about it

The Jesus Question

The Jesus Question

Here’s a question for those who do not believe Jesus is the Son of God, God incarnate.
Why would a man knowing claim to be the Son of God when he knew the penalty by law for saying such a thing meant death?
Jesus knew the law and still claimed to be the Son of God.
The Gospel of Matthew records,
“Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?”  
But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 
“Yes, it is as you say,”Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.  
What do you think?” “He is worthy of death,” they answered.” 
                                                                     Matthew 26:62-66
The Gospel of John records,
“As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!” But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.” 
The Jews insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.” 
                               John 19:6,7.
Let’s face it, someone trying to start a new religious or a social movement of any kind would be a lunatic to say something that would get him put to death.
C. S. Lewis an Oxford University intellectual, initially an atheist studied the Bible and Jesus. He came to this conclusion about Jesus,
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him(Jesus): 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
Needless to say Lewis became a follower of Jesus.
To my mind Jesus is everything he said he was, the Son of God.
His call to each and every individual is to get rid of any preconceived ideas you might have or someone has place in your mind and read what the New Testament has to say about Jesus with an open mind. Make your own decision as to who he is.
It is my belief that if you do study the Bible with an open mind you will see Jesus for what He is the Son of God, the Saviour of mankind.
Think about it.

True Christians

True Christians
Over the centuries many have called themselves Christians that are not.
Simply because someone calls themselves a Christian does not make themselves a Christian any more than someone dressed as a fireman makes them a real fireman.
There are many people out there, some even preaching from the pulpit or in the media that call themselves Christians but are by no means Christian Christians.
Here’s something to think about concerning true Christians,
A true Christian will obey the words of Jesus,
they will  not judge,

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged,

 and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Matthew 7:1,2

They will not judge others for any reason. I like what Tony Campolo said about this. He 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
A True Christian will do to others as you would have others do to you.
Jesus saying,

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,

 for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” 

Matthew 7:12

A true Christian will love,
Love both God and His neighbour,

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 22:37-40

Will, Love their enemy and pray for their persecutors,

“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?  

Matthew 5:43-46

A true Christian will recognize that true love is as the  Apostle Paul 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

A true Christian will even take into account the prayer of St Francis of Assisi making it the prayer of their heart.

"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, 

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; 

to be understood as to understand; 

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive; 

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; 

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life."

                                                                                     The Prayer of St Francis of Assisi
Think about it.

Love

Love
“There is one other fundamental difference between love and hate.  Love is always a refuge.  Hate is never a refuge.  Only a mentally sick person can find refuge in his hates.  But love is the enduring sanctuary of life.  Life may rob you of many things.  It often does.  But it can never bereave us of love itself.  That remains.”
-Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver, rabbinic leader, from a December 22, 1940, sermon,    quoted in Therefore Choose Life: Selected Sermons, Addresses and Writings of    Abba Hillel Silver, Volume One, edited by Herbert Wiesner (1997)
Do you love? I don’t care who you are Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Atheist. If unconditional love is absent hate will abound.
The Nazis during world war two promoted hate, limited their love to a selected few, and it resulted in the greatest genocide in world history. Twelve million plus murdered in death camps in excess of 60,000,000, civilian and military dead in the world war that ensued.
To day as I write this IS militants, men without honour or love in their hearts are killing innocent men, women and children.
While IS is extreme I look around at society today and see at times love lacking.
I am a Christian and I look at some who call themselves Christian ministers and evangelist in the media slamming various groups for their lifestyle and I ask myself where is the love.
I see non-Christian groups Atheist in particular demanding certain religious symbols be taken out of public spaces because they are offended and have rights, and I ask where is the love.
I watched the news and hear of young people killing young people over nothing of importance.
Gang violence is becoming prevalent in all our major cities. Gangs hate. They limit their love to their own. They hate others to the point of being willing to kill.
Love is slowly it seems drifting away from segments of our society and there seems to be no solution.
I do believe however there is.
It seems to be as society here in the west has drifted away from the basic Judao-Christian teachings of loving others as you would love yourself, society has started to decline.
I look at Christians particularly in the Bible belt of the United States and some Churches here in Canada and see them becoming confrontational. While at the same time failing to meet the needs of people youth and others of the twenty-first century.
The churches that I see as succeeding, are those who realize that the message of the Bible is for today and are framing it in a relevant and meaningful way.
They are showing love to all. They are not imposing their faith on anyone but rather inviting people of all ways of life to come and see what Christ has for them.
They are presenting the gospel of Christ and saying this is what Jesus said, this is what we believe and giving them the opportunity to accept or reject that message.  
I believe that the principles of love for one’s fellow man stated within the Bible is the solution to many of man’s problems in the twenty-first century.
The Apostle Paul wrote many profound things. Writing to the Corinthians he said,
“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
Writing to the Romans he said,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  
Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.  
On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” 
                                                                      Romans 12:18-21.
If even just these two principles were followed by all people in the world to day, our society would be a much better place.
Think about it.

Quiescence

Quiescence

“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.
Love is the essence of Christianity. You cannot be a Christian and hate you must love.
Jesus said,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor 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?  
Matthew 5:43-46.
We must be different from the world. Our love should never be contingent on anything someone does or doesn’t do for us or to us.
God set the example by sending Jesus into the world while we were still sinners. The apostle Paul telling the Romans,
“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 
Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 defines clearly what true love is,

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...”

Is this the kind of Love you have?
Think about it.

Blameless

Blameless among

“The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.  
The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.  
So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.”  
But Noah found favour in the eyes of the LORD. 
This is the account of Noah. 
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.” 
                                                                                                                                     Genesis 6:5-9
“Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.” Could God say this about you?
Noah judging by the account lived in a world of incredible sin. So much so God decided to wipe it out. Such a world may have been far worse than today. Yet Noah scripture tells us, walked with God.
Someone once told me our world is no different from the time of Abraham, Moses, David or any other society that has ever existed. There was sin all around. The only difference is sin is delivered to us in a high tech way.
Today in the twenty-first century we live in a world surrounded by sin. Not only that, but thanks to technology it comes directly into our homes.
As a result we need to turn to the Lord each and every day. To read the scriptures meditate on them. To spend as much time as we can in prayer.
We need to encourage our fellow believers in Christ to lift them up in prayer also.
We need to be aware of any sins we commit and turn to God and confess them as soon as we realize we’ve done them.
Christians do sin, we are not perfect. Just progressing.
John states,
“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.
A pastor once told me that at the very least each night we should spend twenty minutes or half an hour alone with God. Asking him to search our hearts and show us where we have fallen short and where we could have done better.
At the same time we should be praising and thanking God for all he has done for us.
Scripture tells us Noah walked with God. This is what we should be doing.
We should be talking to God throughout the day also. Praising him and asking for his wisdom in all that we do.
Think about it.

An Interesting thought

An interesting thought
Here’s something for you to think about from the Talmud it says,
“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.
Logically to me it makes sense. When you’re before the thrown of God you can’t deny that he exists.
God already knows whether you’ve prayed and observed the ritual. He even knows if you’ve dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow man by his standards
But he want’s your opinion. He wants to know if you feel you have dealt correctly with your fellow man. He wants if you will, you to have your say.
We have a very personal God. He wishes to get to know the individual on a personal level. He requires that all people, but believers in particular to deal honourably with those around us.
James writes,
“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.  
Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.  
Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.  
Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.  
You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.  
You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.”
                                                                                                     James 5:1-6.
James make it very clear that God knows the wrongs that people commit and will punish them.
I firmly believe that Christians at all times must deal in an upright and fair manner with all whom we deal.
We must never take unfair advantage of anyone at anytime because God.
Sadly I have heard over the years people who will not deal with those who call themselves Christian businessmen because they do not deal honourably. Which tells me at the very least they are not truly committed to Christ or are not Christians at all.
My wife is fond of saying, if you have to say you’re a Christian even in advertisements for your business they you just may not be a good Christian at the very least.
Francis of Assisi said it best,
“Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.” 
                                                                                  Francis of Assisi 
If you are people will notice the difference without you telling them.
Think about it.

A way of Life

A way of life.

“For this reason I kneel before the Father,  from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” 
Ephesians 3:14-19
This  prayer of Paul for the Ephesians is a prayer for all believers.
Christianity is not just a faith it is a way of life rooted in love. A love from God that we as Christians must show to the world at all times.
Pauls prayer is that we grasp how all encompassing  God’s love for us in Christ Jesus is. It is a love that surpasses all knowledge.
Understanding such love is what makes us better Christians. It’s what enables us to reach out in love and pray for even our worst enemies and persecutors.
In order to truly understand the depth of Gods love for us we must read the scriptures and study them in earnest.
We must pray believing that God will show us how to love the way He does. How to reach out to others and lead them to Salvation in Christ.
Francis of Assisi wrote,

The prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, 

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; 

to be understood as to understand; 

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive; 

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; 

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Think about it.

On Jesus

On Jesus

Kenneth Scott Latourette, former President of American Historic Society
In A History of Christianity, wrote,
“It is evidence of His importance, of the effect that He has had upon history and presumably, of the baffling mystery of His being that no other life ever lived on this planet has evoked so huge a volume of literature among so many people and languages, and that, far from ebbing, the flood continues to mount.”
“As the centuries pass by, the evidence is accumulating that measured by its effect on history, Jesus is the most influential life ever lived on this planet. The influence appears to be mounting.”
“No other life lived on this planet has so widely and deeply affected mankind.”
I am not a great scholar by any means. I am a simple follower of Christ.
I know there are many people out there who deny there is a God and claim Jesus is a myth.
Still no credible historian today denies that Jesus walked the earth. Quite the contrary more and more archeology is slowly starting to prove more and more how accurate the gospels are.
Sir William Ramsay one of the greatest Archaeologist of the first half of the twentieth century was a liberal who tried to refute to validity of the gospel of Luke. Ramsay however became persuaded that Luke was a scholar of the first order.
He was so convinced that he became an evangelist making arguments for the teachings of Christ based on his readings of the Gospel and his archaeological findings.
Another reputable archaeologist Stephen Neil notes the point that Luke get's all of the titles correct in Acts, all the minor officials in every little localities, even titles which were thought previously to have been wrong archaeology has proven Luke right.
Those who deny that Christ existed are not objective. They are not looking at the evidence that is slowly accumulating from outside the bible by reputable historians and archaeologist both Christian and non-Christian.
Those same people who deny that Jesus existed would not deny Alexander the great existed yet the first records we have for Alexander was 300 years after he died.
It wasn’t until 1961 that archaeologist discovered Pontius Pilate’s name inscribed on block referring to him as prefect of Judea.
In 1990 that an ossuary (bone box) was discovered and has been authenticated with the name of Caiphas the name of the high priest was discovered.
World historian Will Durant notes that no Jew or Gentile from the first-century ever denied the existence of Jesus.
Here’s another statistic,
Within 150 years of Christ’s death there were the same number of secular writers who mention both Tiberius and Jesus.
 Thirty-six thousand complete and partial writings about Jesus have been discovered from the first century.
These are works from outside the bible, but from them you can reconstruct almost the entire new testament.
Such works are within living memory of Jesus which shows he existed.
Throughout history however there have be doubters the difference today is that those doubters have a high tech soap box to stand on.
There is one thing I am certain of in all of this. If I am right, which I am convinced I am, and Jesus and God truly exist, then I have no fears. For I will one day stand before Christ and meet him as my Lord and Saviour. If I am wrong I have lived a good moral and happy life.
To those who would doubt the existence of God and Jesus I would say if you are right you have nothing to fear.
But if you are wrong you have a big surprise coming and will one day prove right the words of Jesus who 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
Think about it.