The Christian message
Every so often I like to make clear to people the way I believe you get to heaven. This is one of those times.
The Bible also makes it clear how we get to heaven. Still it come down to who you think Jesus is and what his purpose on this earth was for.
Jesus said,
...“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6
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
Ephesians stating,
“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
Christians believe that it is God who reached down to mankind to show him the way to heaven because it is impossible for mankind to reach God any other way. We cannot live lives good enough or holy enough to get to heaven on our own.
Paul writing to the Romans said,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
Romans 3:23,
Sinning is falling short of what God wants for you life. Sin separates us from God.
Isaiah telling us,
“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”
Isaiah 64:6
John noting,
“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.”
1 John 1:9,10.
We need to admit our short falls and sin to God. We need to ask Him to help us live lives that are acceptable to God.
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.
The decision ultimately however is yours. Salvation is an act of faith. The writer of Hebrews stating,
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”
Hebrews 11:6
Faith defined as,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
Hebrews 11:1.
Please think about it.
Monday 31 August 2015
Sunday 30 August 2015
a declaration
A declaration
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Words from the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America July 4 1776.
Noble words. Words much of the world aspire to.
Words while not from the Bible echo it’s sentiments.
Under God all men are equal. They have a freewill. That freewill allows them to believe in God or not. To do with their life as they wish. To follow a path they feel is right for them even if it is contrary to what God wishes.
Abba Hillel Silver wrote,
“Faith in God is the strongest bulwark of a free society. Human freedom began when men became conscious that over and above society and nature there is a God who created them...who fashioned them in His likeness, and that they are, therefore, possessed of intrinsic and independent significance and are endowed, as individuals, with original and irrevocable rights and authority.”
Abba Hillel Silver.
One of those rights is to reject God.
As a Christian I have no right to force my beliefs on anyone. All I can do is present what I believe to people. It is their right to accept or reject it.
God it is true wants all people everywhere to turn to Him. To have a personal relationship with Him. But He wants them to come into that relationship of their own freewill. A person forced to make a decision will not necessarily make a sincere decision.
I as a Christian believe that we must make our decision in this life where we will spend eternity. As a result I feel I am obligated to tell the world about Jesus.
Perhaps the best message ever presented to non-Christians was presented by the Apostle Paul while in Athens. A place in the ancient world where people were free to think as they wished and exchanged views on just about everything.
The Book of acts records,
“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?
You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”
(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.
For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.
And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill.
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”
At that, Paul left the Council.
A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.”
Acts 17:17-34.
That message is as important today as it was when Paul spoke it. It is a message for all people of all ages.
Please think about it.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Words from the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America July 4 1776.
Noble words. Words much of the world aspire to.
Words while not from the Bible echo it’s sentiments.
Under God all men are equal. They have a freewill. That freewill allows them to believe in God or not. To do with their life as they wish. To follow a path they feel is right for them even if it is contrary to what God wishes.
Abba Hillel Silver wrote,
“Faith in God is the strongest bulwark of a free society. Human freedom began when men became conscious that over and above society and nature there is a God who created them...who fashioned them in His likeness, and that they are, therefore, possessed of intrinsic and independent significance and are endowed, as individuals, with original and irrevocable rights and authority.”
Abba Hillel Silver.
One of those rights is to reject God.
As a Christian I have no right to force my beliefs on anyone. All I can do is present what I believe to people. It is their right to accept or reject it.
God it is true wants all people everywhere to turn to Him. To have a personal relationship with Him. But He wants them to come into that relationship of their own freewill. A person forced to make a decision will not necessarily make a sincere decision.
I as a Christian believe that we must make our decision in this life where we will spend eternity. As a result I feel I am obligated to tell the world about Jesus.
Perhaps the best message ever presented to non-Christians was presented by the Apostle Paul while in Athens. A place in the ancient world where people were free to think as they wished and exchanged views on just about everything.
The Book of acts records,
“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?
You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”
(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.
For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.
And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill.
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”
At that, Paul left the Council.
A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.”
Acts 17:17-34.
That message is as important today as it was when Paul spoke it. It is a message for all people of all ages.
Please think about it.
Saturday 29 August 2015
Mercy and the Christian
Mercy and the Christian
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!”
James 2:12,13.
The other day I listened briefly to a program broadcast on an American network that we pick up over the air. They claim to be Christian yet all they seem to do is speak out against Muslims, Gays and many other groups.
Sadly all to many people calling themselves Christians are out there protesting against Gay rights, Muslims and others they disagree with. This is not showing love and mercy.
We need to be extending an olive branch to even those we disagree with and open a dialogue.
James the brother of Christ wrote,
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!”
James 2:12,13.
We do not know what is in the heart of men. We do not know why they do what they do or why they are what they are. Only God knows that.
As Christians we need to consider our actions.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone”
Romans 12:18
The writer of Hebrews saying
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
Hebrews 12:14
Paul making it clear,
“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.
The apostle Peter wrote,
“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.
Jesus said,
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:13-16.
If we are constantly criticizing those we disagree with. If we are constantly protesting against any group that the secular democratically elected government permits. We are not in my opinion doing God’s work.
Jesus and the apostles never spoke against the secular government of Rome no matter how much they must have disagreed with some practices. They lived with them and extended an olive branch. They did what they could to open dialogue with others.
As Christians we need to be considering our words and deeds very carefully. The eternal resting place of those around us may depend on it.
We really need to consider the words of Jesus who said,
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 7:12.
Please think about it.
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!”
James 2:12,13.
The other day I listened briefly to a program broadcast on an American network that we pick up over the air. They claim to be Christian yet all they seem to do is speak out against Muslims, Gays and many other groups.
Sadly all to many people calling themselves Christians are out there protesting against Gay rights, Muslims and others they disagree with. This is not showing love and mercy.
We need to be extending an olive branch to even those we disagree with and open a dialogue.
James the brother of Christ wrote,
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!”
James 2:12,13.
We do not know what is in the heart of men. We do not know why they do what they do or why they are what they are. Only God knows that.
As Christians we need to consider our actions.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone”
Romans 12:18
The writer of Hebrews saying
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
Hebrews 12:14
Paul making it clear,
“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.
The apostle Peter wrote,
“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.
Jesus said,
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:13-16.
If we are constantly criticizing those we disagree with. If we are constantly protesting against any group that the secular democratically elected government permits. We are not in my opinion doing God’s work.
Jesus and the apostles never spoke against the secular government of Rome no matter how much they must have disagreed with some practices. They lived with them and extended an olive branch. They did what they could to open dialogue with others.
As Christians we need to be considering our words and deeds very carefully. The eternal resting place of those around us may depend on it.
We really need to consider the words of Jesus who said,
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 7:12.
Please think about it.
Friday 28 August 2015
Christian this sums up the Law
Christian this sums up the Law
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.
Christianity is very much a faith of action. We believe first and foremost that we must go into all the world and tell the world about the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Jesus in the above quote makes it clear that we should do to others what we would want to happen to us.
We need to take that thought to heart. We need to look at the choices we make in life. We need to look at how we treat the people around us and ask ourselves would I like to be treated like that?
Jesus said,
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34,35.
Love is a key factor in being a Christian we are called to Love God, our neighbour and our enemy.
The apostle Paul wrote,
Love is the one thing we all appreciate. Love is the one thing we should be showing to others at all times in word and most especially in deed. In doing so we can and will reach the world for Christ.
Please think about it.
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.
Christianity is very much a faith of action. We believe first and foremost that we must go into all the world and tell the world about the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Jesus in the above quote makes it clear that we should do to others what we would want to happen to us.
We need to take that thought to heart. We need to look at the choices we make in life. We need to look at how we treat the people around us and ask ourselves would I like to be treated like that?
Jesus said,
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34,35.
Love is a key factor in being a Christian we are called to Love God, our neighbour and our enemy.
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.Love is the one thing we all appreciate. Love is the one thing we should be showing to others at all times in word and most especially in deed. In doing so we can and will reach the world for Christ.
Please think about it.
Thursday 27 August 2015
An explanation
An explanation
Someone pointed out that I from time to time mention when I speak to Christians or write my blogs to Christians that I speak of what as been called a “fundamental truth” an obvious truth. Thus I am asked why write such obvious truths to Christians.
The fact is a good percentage of those who attend church or who call themselves Christians don’t believe the fundamentals of Christianity. I know of several ministers that deny the deity of Christ among other things. They to me are not Christians, because you cannot deny the deity of Christ and be a Christian.
I know of others who are out there protesting against everything they disagree with, wishing to restrict the rights of others. This was something Christ and the apostles never did. Christians that protest in a democracy to restrict the rights of others need to read the Bible more carefully. It tells us,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
Romans 12:18.
We cannot live at peace with everyone if we are protesting against someone’s rights.
Thus I write to express what I believe makes one a Christian. The apostles creed while not written by the apostles dose express the basics of Christianity when it says,
APOSTLES' CREED
"I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic* church, the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting."
Amen.
*that is, the true Christian church of all times and all places
I believe as the Apostle Paul did when he wrote,
“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
I also believe the writer of the book of Hebrews who said,
“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.
I believe the words of Jesus who said,
...“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6b.
I believe the words of the Apostle Paul who wrote,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Romans 3:23,24
I believe the words of the Apostle John who wrote,
“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.
John also said,
“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 1:12,13
John also wrote,
“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....
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.
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, 12-14
God actually entered this world because I believe because if he didn’t we could perhaps quite justly say to Him, “you don’t understand what it is to be human.” you have only experienced absolute power.
With God in the form of Jesus Christ, entering his creation to experience all it is to be human we cannot on the day he will judge us stand be for Him and say that He doesn’t understand.
Christians also believe one very crucial statement made by 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.
Please think about it.
Someone pointed out that I from time to time mention when I speak to Christians or write my blogs to Christians that I speak of what as been called a “fundamental truth” an obvious truth. Thus I am asked why write such obvious truths to Christians.
The fact is a good percentage of those who attend church or who call themselves Christians don’t believe the fundamentals of Christianity. I know of several ministers that deny the deity of Christ among other things. They to me are not Christians, because you cannot deny the deity of Christ and be a Christian.
I know of others who are out there protesting against everything they disagree with, wishing to restrict the rights of others. This was something Christ and the apostles never did. Christians that protest in a democracy to restrict the rights of others need to read the Bible more carefully. It tells us,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
Romans 12:18.
We cannot live at peace with everyone if we are protesting against someone’s rights.
Thus I write to express what I believe makes one a Christian. The apostles creed while not written by the apostles dose express the basics of Christianity when it says,
APOSTLES' CREED
"I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic* church, the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting."
Amen.
*that is, the true Christian church of all times and all places
I believe as the Apostle Paul did when he wrote,
“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
I also believe the writer of the book of Hebrews who said,
“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.
I believe the words of Jesus who said,
...“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6b.
I believe the words of the Apostle Paul who wrote,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Romans 3:23,24
I believe the words of the Apostle John who wrote,
“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.
John also said,
“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 1:12,13
John also wrote,
“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....
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.
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, 12-14
God actually entered this world because I believe because if he didn’t we could perhaps quite justly say to Him, “you don’t understand what it is to be human.” you have only experienced absolute power.
With God in the form of Jesus Christ, entering his creation to experience all it is to be human we cannot on the day he will judge us stand be for Him and say that He doesn’t understand.
Christians also believe one very crucial statement made by 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.
Please think about it.
Wednesday 26 August 2015
An unknown known God
An unknown known God
“The Jesus of the Scripture transcends all nations and calls all nations into judgment.”
American evangelist Tony Campolo
I as a Christian believe that not only every nation but every individual will be called to judgement. I believe that we will stand before God and asked to give account for our lives.
There are many within out there today who call themselves Christians but don’t recognize the need for each and every person to repent of their sins. That each and every person will one day stand before God to be judged. This is not what the early church believed.
The Apostle Paul while in Athens was asked to speak about his beliefs by a group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. The book of acts records,
“So he 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?
You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”
(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.
For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.
And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill.
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”
At that, Paul left the Council.
A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others."
Acts 17:17-34
The choice for you the reader is the same today as it was that day in Athens. It is a call to repent of ones sins and turn to God.
The apostle John wrote,
“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
You can either believe that Jesus is the Son of God the Saviour of mankind who paid the price for your sins or you can reject Him.
Please think about it.
“The Jesus of the Scripture transcends all nations and calls all nations into judgment.”
American evangelist Tony Campolo
I as a Christian believe that not only every nation but every individual will be called to judgement. I believe that we will stand before God and asked to give account for our lives.
There are many within out there today who call themselves Christians but don’t recognize the need for each and every person to repent of their sins. That each and every person will one day stand before God to be judged. This is not what the early church believed.
The Apostle Paul while in Athens was asked to speak about his beliefs by a group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. The book of acts records,
“So he 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?
You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”
(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.
For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.
And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill.
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”
At that, Paul left the Council.
A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others."
Acts 17:17-34
The choice for you the reader is the same today as it was that day in Athens. It is a call to repent of ones sins and turn to God.
The apostle John wrote,
“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
You can either believe that Jesus is the Son of God the Saviour of mankind who paid the price for your sins or you can reject Him.
Please think about it.
Tuesday 25 August 2015
An Idea for Christians
An Idea for Christians,
The Talmud states a truth that Christians I believe need to think about. It states,
“An aged man, whom Abraham hospitality invited to his tent, refused to join him in prayer to the one spiritual God. Learning that he was a fire-worshipper. Abraham drove him from his door. That night God appeared to Abraham in a vision and said: ‘I have borne with that ignorant man for seventy years: could you not have patiently suffered him one night?”
The Talmud.
As I look at those claiming to be Christians here in North America I see a lot of protests against things, everything from abortion to gay rights, to speaking out against Muslims and other things these so called Christians disagree with.
I say “so called Christians” because I wonder how committed to the cause of Christ they really are.
Even if they are Christians they definitely it seems, have no time to reach out and show love to those they disagree with.
The Apostle Paul wrote,
“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.”
Romans 12:18,19.
Writing to the Corinthians Paul said,
“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.
It is not our job to judge people. We are to love God, our neighbour and even our enemy. We have no right to restrict the rights of anyone who is doing no harm in a secular democracy such as our own.
Jesus said,
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
Matthew 10:16.
If we are acting as doves we are not attacking people or trying to restrict their rights.
Jesus also said,
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:13-16.
All too many people calling themselves Christians these days in North America are protesting against things. They are cementing in the minds of non-believers that Christianity is a religion of “do not’s”.
In protesting against the rights of someone in a secular democracy such as we have in the west these people are at the very least being perceived as bigots. Who are intolerant.
This is not the Christianity I know.
Christianity to me is God reaching down to mankind and saying “I love you. Let me show you the way to heaven.”
I believe a great responsibility rests on the shoulders of Christians. We need to be able to sit down and have an open dialogue with non-Christians. Something we cannot do if we are protesting against them.
Jesus met with people of every strata in every circumstance of the society in which he lived. And even though He was the Christ and had the right to judge, he did not judge anyone while on this earth. Nor should we if we are truly his followers.
Dear Christian
Please think about what I have said carefully.
The Talmud states a truth that Christians I believe need to think about. It states,
“An aged man, whom Abraham hospitality invited to his tent, refused to join him in prayer to the one spiritual God. Learning that he was a fire-worshipper. Abraham drove him from his door. That night God appeared to Abraham in a vision and said: ‘I have borne with that ignorant man for seventy years: could you not have patiently suffered him one night?”
The Talmud.
As I look at those claiming to be Christians here in North America I see a lot of protests against things, everything from abortion to gay rights, to speaking out against Muslims and other things these so called Christians disagree with.
I say “so called Christians” because I wonder how committed to the cause of Christ they really are.
Even if they are Christians they definitely it seems, have no time to reach out and show love to those they disagree with.
The Apostle Paul wrote,
“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.”
Romans 12:18,19.
Writing to the Corinthians Paul said,
“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.
It is not our job to judge people. We are to love God, our neighbour and even our enemy. We have no right to restrict the rights of anyone who is doing no harm in a secular democracy such as our own.
Jesus said,
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
Matthew 10:16.
If we are acting as doves we are not attacking people or trying to restrict their rights.
Jesus also said,
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:13-16.
All too many people calling themselves Christians these days in North America are protesting against things. They are cementing in the minds of non-believers that Christianity is a religion of “do not’s”.
In protesting against the rights of someone in a secular democracy such as we have in the west these people are at the very least being perceived as bigots. Who are intolerant.
This is not the Christianity I know.
Christianity to me is God reaching down to mankind and saying “I love you. Let me show you the way to heaven.”
I believe a great responsibility rests on the shoulders of Christians. We need to be able to sit down and have an open dialogue with non-Christians. Something we cannot do if we are protesting against them.
Jesus met with people of every strata in every circumstance of the society in which he lived. And even though He was the Christ and had the right to judge, he did not judge anyone while on this earth. Nor should we if we are truly his followers.
Dear Christian
Please think about what I have said carefully.
Monday 24 August 2015
Your Choice
Your Choice
To my mind as a Christian there is no more important matter in life to consider than who you the individual thinks Jesus is.
The book of John records 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,-27
The question is do you believe.
Below are a few quotes from the New Testament regarding Jesus. I put them here for you to consider.
The Apostle John records in his gospel,
“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
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
The apostle John records while Jesus was at Solomon’s Colonnade,
“The Jews gathered around him,(Jesus) saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
I and the Father are one.”
John10: 34-30.
Jesus speaking to one of his disciples is recorded as saying,
....“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6
The above quotes show three important claims Jesus and His disciples made.
One Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is God incarnate, God in the flesh.
Two, Jesus is God. He was in the beginning when the universe was made and the universe was made by Him.
Thirdly, Jesus is the way to heaven. He makes it clear that He is the resurrection and the life. That no one can come to the Father except through Him.
These claims for their day were radical. Claiming to be God or even the Son of God was under Jewish law at the time a crime punishable by death.
C. S. Lewis states,
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.
Lewis also made the following statement I leave with you.
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.”
C. S. Lewis.
The decision is yours to make.
Please think about i
To my mind as a Christian there is no more important matter in life to consider than who you the individual thinks Jesus is.
The book of John records 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,-27
The question is do you believe.
Below are a few quotes from the New Testament regarding Jesus. I put them here for you to consider.
The Apostle John records in his gospel,
“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
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
The apostle John records while Jesus was at Solomon’s Colonnade,
“The Jews gathered around him,(Jesus) saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
I and the Father are one.”
John10: 34-30.
Jesus speaking to one of his disciples is recorded as saying,
....“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6
The above quotes show three important claims Jesus and His disciples made.
One Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is God incarnate, God in the flesh.
Two, Jesus is God. He was in the beginning when the universe was made and the universe was made by Him.
Thirdly, Jesus is the way to heaven. He makes it clear that He is the resurrection and the life. That no one can come to the Father except through Him.
These claims for their day were radical. Claiming to be God or even the Son of God was under Jewish law at the time a crime punishable by death.
C. S. Lewis states,
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.
Lewis also made the following statement I leave with you.
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.”
C. S. Lewis.
The decision is yours to make.
Please think about i
Sunday 23 August 2015
Peters Call
Peters Call
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.
Here the apostle Peter tells those in the church both Jew and Gentile they are “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God,...”
He goes no to say,
“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.”
Peter tells the early members and through them us that at one time we were not a people of God. Upon receiving Christ as our Saviour however we became a nation.
Look carefully at what he says,
“I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.”
We as believers in Christ are aliens and strangers in this world. There is no Christian nation on earth yet.
As what in Canada is called a Landed Immigrant I understand what it is to be an alien and stranger in a foreign land. I while living in Canada, I am not a citizen even though I enjoy all the freedoms and blessings of Canada. While living here I must obey the laws of the land. I must as Peter puts it “abstain from sinful desires.”
As Christians we need to do the same. We are need to live in harmony in the land. The apostle Paul said,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
Romans 12:18.
Peter saying,
“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 2:12
Jesus gave us several teachings that if we follow them, if we bind them on our heart we will not go wrong.
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 22:37-40.
Jesus also 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
Also our love cannot be superficial it must be the love the apostle Paul describes,
Dear Christian
Do your actions reflect the teachings of Peter, Paul and Jesus spoken of here?
Please think about it carefully.
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.
Here the apostle Peter tells those in the church both Jew and Gentile they are “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God,...”
He goes no to say,
“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.”
Peter tells the early members and through them us that at one time we were not a people of God. Upon receiving Christ as our Saviour however we became a nation.
Look carefully at what he says,
“I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.”
We as believers in Christ are aliens and strangers in this world. There is no Christian nation on earth yet.
As what in Canada is called a Landed Immigrant I understand what it is to be an alien and stranger in a foreign land. I while living in Canada, I am not a citizen even though I enjoy all the freedoms and blessings of Canada. While living here I must obey the laws of the land. I must as Peter puts it “abstain from sinful desires.”
As Christians we need to do the same. We are need to live in harmony in the land. The apostle Paul said,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
Romans 12:18.
Peter saying,
“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 2:12
Jesus gave us several teachings that if we follow them, if we bind them on our heart we will not go wrong.
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 22:37-40.
Jesus also 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
Also our love cannot be superficial it must be the love the apostle Paul describes,
“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.Dear Christian
Do your actions reflect the teachings of Peter, Paul and Jesus spoken of here?
Please think about it carefully.
Saturday 22 August 2015
Freedom and Christians
Freedom and Christians
Nelson Mandela said,
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
Nelson Mandela.
From the outset let me make things clear I am a Christian. I accepted Christ as my Saviour over forty years ago. I currently teach the adult midweek bible study at my church. Throughout the years I have done everything from ushering in the church to talking to people on the street about Christ and everything in the middle.
I however look with dismay at those calling themselves Christians who are protesting against gay marriage and gay rights in general, as well as anything else it seems they object to. Which lately seems to be a lot of things.
This in a free and democratic society should not be.
Over the years, indeed over the centuries, men and women calling themselves Christians have used the Bible, WRONGLY, to support everything from the crusades, to slavery, to segregation to anti-Semitism.
Now people are using it again wrongly, against homosexuals and those in the transgendered community.
While some of those protesting against Gay rights and other things may be Christians by the slimmest of margins I believe they are wrong in protesting against anything.
The only thing I believe Christians should be protesting in a democracy is when an elected government tries to restrict the rights of Christians or any other group without good reason.
Tony Campolo the American evangelist made a good point when he said,
“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
As Christians we are called to love God, our neighbour, and even our enemy. If we attempt to restrict the freedom of even one person simply because we disagree with them it is wrong and not acting in love.
We live in a secular democracy quite similar in some ways to that of the Roman empire Jesus and the apostles lived in. I’m sure Paul and the other apostles saw a great many things they disagreed with in the society in which they lived. Yet they never spoke against the Roman government, laws or Roman society in general. In fact Paul wrote,
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.”
Romans 13:1-3.
Here in North America and in western democracies elected secular governments set the laws. They, because they are secular, do their best to cater to everyone from every faith, race and lifestyle. This is the way it should be.
I as a Christian believe God gave man a free will to go his own way and do his own thing. That free will even gives him the right to believe in God or not.
It does not give anyone the right to restrict the rights of others who are living in peace and doing no harm to others.
It is my wish as a Christian that everyone irrespective of who they are or their lifestyle would come to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Still I cannot and will not force my beliefs on them. Like I said, God has given each person the freedom to choose the direction of their life.
As for me I believe the words of 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 neighbour as yourself.’
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:37-40.
I believe all men are my neighbours and I have the responsibility to give them the option Jesus gives all men when he 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
Please think about it.
Nelson Mandela said,
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
Nelson Mandela.
From the outset let me make things clear I am a Christian. I accepted Christ as my Saviour over forty years ago. I currently teach the adult midweek bible study at my church. Throughout the years I have done everything from ushering in the church to talking to people on the street about Christ and everything in the middle.
I however look with dismay at those calling themselves Christians who are protesting against gay marriage and gay rights in general, as well as anything else it seems they object to. Which lately seems to be a lot of things.
This in a free and democratic society should not be.
Over the years, indeed over the centuries, men and women calling themselves Christians have used the Bible, WRONGLY, to support everything from the crusades, to slavery, to segregation to anti-Semitism.
Now people are using it again wrongly, against homosexuals and those in the transgendered community.
While some of those protesting against Gay rights and other things may be Christians by the slimmest of margins I believe they are wrong in protesting against anything.
The only thing I believe Christians should be protesting in a democracy is when an elected government tries to restrict the rights of Christians or any other group without good reason.
Tony Campolo the American evangelist made a good point when he said,
“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
As Christians we are called to love God, our neighbour, and even our enemy. If we attempt to restrict the freedom of even one person simply because we disagree with them it is wrong and not acting in love.
We live in a secular democracy quite similar in some ways to that of the Roman empire Jesus and the apostles lived in. I’m sure Paul and the other apostles saw a great many things they disagreed with in the society in which they lived. Yet they never spoke against the Roman government, laws or Roman society in general. In fact Paul wrote,
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.”
Romans 13:1-3.
Here in North America and in western democracies elected secular governments set the laws. They, because they are secular, do their best to cater to everyone from every faith, race and lifestyle. This is the way it should be.
I as a Christian believe God gave man a free will to go his own way and do his own thing. That free will even gives him the right to believe in God or not.
It does not give anyone the right to restrict the rights of others who are living in peace and doing no harm to others.
It is my wish as a Christian that everyone irrespective of who they are or their lifestyle would come to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Still I cannot and will not force my beliefs on them. Like I said, God has given each person the freedom to choose the direction of their life.
As for me I believe the words of 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 neighbour as yourself.’
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:37-40.
I believe all men are my neighbours and I have the responsibility to give them the option Jesus gives all men when he 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
Please think about it.
Friday 21 August 2015
The Way to Heaven
The way to heaven
The apostle Paul wrote,
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
‘But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”
1 Timothy 1:15,16.
Paul referred to himself as the worst of sinners, but according to the New Testament writers we are all sinners,
The apostle Paul says,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
Romans 3:23.
The apostle John Wrote,
“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.”
1 John 1:9-10.
We as people fall short everyday of our lives of what God wants for our lives. Falling short of what God wants for us is sinning. Sinning is missing the mark.
We are human we make mistakes. God understands that. That’s why God provided away for us to have our sins forgiven.
God realizing we couldn’t live lives perfect enough for us to be with him so he reached down to us in the form of Jesus. Through Jesus he showed how far in human terms He would go to reconcile each and every person to himself.
The apostle Paul writes,
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.”
Romans 5:6.
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.
Ultimately salvation is based on two things.
The first is who you think Jesus is. Jesus asks us to believe the following statements,
“...“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6
“....“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?”
John 11:25,26
The second is we are asked to act in faith,
The apostle Paul make it clear salvation is not something we can work for. Paul writing to the Ephesians stating,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8,9.
The writer of Hebrews stating,
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”
Hebrews 11:6
Faith defined as,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
Hebrews 11:1.
So the choice is yours.
Please think about it.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
‘But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”
1 Timothy 1:15,16.
Paul referred to himself as the worst of sinners, but according to the New Testament writers we are all sinners,
The apostle Paul says,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
Romans 3:23.
The apostle John Wrote,
“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.”
1 John 1:9-10.
We as people fall short everyday of our lives of what God wants for our lives. Falling short of what God wants for us is sinning. Sinning is missing the mark.
We are human we make mistakes. God understands that. That’s why God provided away for us to have our sins forgiven.
God realizing we couldn’t live lives perfect enough for us to be with him so he reached down to us in the form of Jesus. Through Jesus he showed how far in human terms He would go to reconcile each and every person to himself.
The apostle Paul writes,
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.”
Romans 5:6.
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.
Ultimately salvation is based on two things.
The first is who you think Jesus is. Jesus asks us to believe the following statements,
“...“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6
“....“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?”
John 11:25,26
The second is we are asked to act in faith,
The apostle Paul make it clear salvation is not something we can work for. Paul writing to the Ephesians stating,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8,9.
The writer of Hebrews stating,
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”
Hebrews 11:6
Faith defined as,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
Hebrews 11:1.
So the choice is yours.
Please think about it.
Thursday 20 August 2015
Depart “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Matthew 25:34-46. If we know someone in need I believe it is our Christian duty as far as it is possible for us to do so we are to help that person. With one proviso that it should never leave us so short as to be dependent on others. James in his letter to the church said, “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless ? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” James 2:14-26. Dear Christian is your faith dead? Are you simply having faith in Jesus without backing that faith with actions. As James said, “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.” James 2:24. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16. Is your light shining for the world to see? Please think about it.art
Depart
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,
I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Matthew 25:34-46.
If we know someone in need I believe it is our Christian duty as far as it is possible for us to do so we are to help that person. With one proviso that it should never leave us so short as to be dependent on others.
James in his letter to the church said,
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless ?
Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.
You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”
James 2:14-26.
Dear Christian is your faith dead? Are you simply having faith in Jesus without backing that faith with actions. As James said,
“You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.”
James 2:24.
Jesus said,
Is your light shining for the world to see?
Please think about it.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,
I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Matthew 25:34-46.
If we know someone in need I believe it is our Christian duty as far as it is possible for us to do so we are to help that person. With one proviso that it should never leave us so short as to be dependent on others.
James in his letter to the church said,
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless ?
Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.
You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”
James 2:14-26.
Dear Christian is your faith dead? Are you simply having faith in Jesus without backing that faith with actions. As James said,
“You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.”
James 2:24.
Jesus said,
“You are the light of the world.
A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.
Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men,
that they may see your good deeds
and praise your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14-16.Is your light shining for the world to see?
Please think about it.
Wednesday 19 August 2015
Christian Belief
Christian Belief
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father’” ?
Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son” ?
And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire.”
But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
Hebrews 1:1-9.
Here is sound Christian belief. The writer of Hebrews telling us several important things about Jesus,
1/“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.”
2/“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”
3/ The writer notes that the Son (Jesus), provided purification for our sins.
“After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
4/ Jesus is superior to the angels.
“So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.”
5/The writer noting that God said,
“I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”
6/The writer saying,
“And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
7/Then finally the writer says,
“...about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
In conclusion
Jesus is the Son of God, the creator of the universe, the Saviour of the world. The one who died for our sins. And His throne will last for ever and ever.
You cannot be a Christian if you do not believe this.
You cannot enter heaven if you do not believe in Jesus.
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
Please think about it
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father’” ?
Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son” ?
And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire.”
But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
Hebrews 1:1-9.
Here is sound Christian belief. The writer of Hebrews telling us several important things about Jesus,
1/“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.”
2/“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”
3/ The writer notes that the Son (Jesus), provided purification for our sins.
“After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
4/ Jesus is superior to the angels.
“So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.”
5/The writer noting that God said,
“I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”
6/The writer saying,
“And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
7/Then finally the writer says,
“...about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
In conclusion
Jesus is the Son of God, the creator of the universe, the Saviour of the world. The one who died for our sins. And His throne will last for ever and ever.
You cannot be a Christian if you do not believe this.
You cannot enter heaven if you do not believe in Jesus.
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
Please think about it
Tuesday 18 August 2015
Christian Belief
Christian belief
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father’” ?
Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son” ?
And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire.”
But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
Hebrews 1:1-9.
Here is sound Christian belief. The writer of Hebrews telling us several important things about Jesus,
1/“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.”
2/“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”
3/ The writer notes that the Son (Jesus), provided purification for our sins.
“After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
4/ Jesus is superior to the angels.
“So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.”
5/The writer noting that God said,
“I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”
6/The writer saying,
“And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
7/Then finally the writer says,
“...about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
In conclusion
Jesus is the Son of God, the creator of the universe, the Saviour of the world. The one who died for our sins. And His throne will last for ever and ever.
You cannot be a Christian if you do not believe this.
You cannot enter heaven if you do not believe in Jesus.
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
Please think about it.
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father’” ?
Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son” ?
And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire.”
But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
Hebrews 1:1-9.
Here is sound Christian belief. The writer of Hebrews telling us several important things about Jesus,
1/“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.”
2/“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”
3/ The writer notes that the Son (Jesus), provided purification for our sins.
“After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
4/ Jesus is superior to the angels.
“So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.”
5/The writer noting that God said,
“I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”
6/The writer saying,
“And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
7/Then finally the writer says,
“...about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
In conclusion
Jesus is the Son of God, the creator of the universe, the Saviour of the world. The one who died for our sins. And His throne will last for ever and ever.
You cannot be a Christian if you do not believe this.
You cannot enter heaven if you do not believe in Jesus.
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
Please think about it.
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