What Type of Ground are you?

What type of ground are you?

Jesus told this Parable
"Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed.  
As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  
Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  
But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  
Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  He who has ears, let him hear.....
"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:  
When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.  
The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  
But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.  
The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.  
But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."Matthew 13:3-9,18-23. 
What Jesus is saying here is self explanatory. When it comes to people who go to church all fall into one of those three categories.
Thus the question becomes. In What category do you fall into?
Please think about it. 

A time now here

A time now here
Jesus said,
"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:23-24.
I have served the Lord in various capacities over the years. I like to think that while I have failed from time to time. I have for the most part served Him in spirit and in truth.
It is a sad state of affairs in the church today that many be it in the pulpit or in the pew are not truly serving God in spirit and in truth.
These people may seem like they are. The quite often serve in various capacities around the church. They attend all the services and show up at midweek events. But they lack a deep relationship with Jesus. They are simply doing the thing they do in Church, simply because they feel it is the thing they are expected to do.
How committed to God someone is, is hard to say. And really it is not our job to say how committed they are. That is between them and God.
What I take away from what Jesus is saying here is we need from time to time ask ourselves how committed am I to the cause of Christ.
We need to ask the question, am I truly worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth?
Please think about it.

If I have not Love

If I have not love
The apostle Paul writes,
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 
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. 
But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.... 
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1Corinthians13:1-8,13.
Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver, in a December 22nd 1940 sermon said,
“There is one other fundamental difference between love and hate.  Love is always a refuge.  Hate is never a refuge.  Only a mentally sick person can find refuge in his hates.  But love is the enduring sanctuary of life.  Life may rob you of many things.  It often does.  But it can never bereave us of love itself.  That remains.”Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver.
Love is a fundamental universal emotion we can all understand, atheist or theist. When love is absent horrible things can happen. An extreme example of that was the Nazi party of Germany during world war two. Their hate filled agenda led to the killing of six million Jews alone in addition to millions more in the death camps.
Their hate cause the worst war in human history in which in excess of 56,000,000 people died. Men women and children, soldier and civilian.
Today in 2019 hatred still fills the earth and not just in terrorist groups. Hate is prevalent in numerous groups in the western democracies, and even among elected politicians.
We as Christians must not tolerate hate. It is our duty as believers in Christ Jesus to present the Love of God to all people. Friend, neighbour and enemy alike.
This is what God did in sending Jesus to this world.
This is what Jesus wants us to do.
Are you?
Please think about it.

The Biggest Idiot

The Biggest Idiot
The apostle Peter states,
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.  
Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.” 2Peter2:1,2  
In my previous blog I quoted evangelist Charles H. Spurgeon as saying,
"A time will come when instead of the shepherds feeding the sheep. The church will have clowns entertaining the goats." Charles H. Spurgeon.
Strange as it seems I understand what Spurgeon is talking about. You see before I retired I was a professional clown and magician. I always said it was my job to make people believe I was the biggest idiot in the room. I use a carefully scripted combination of words and movement to make people think things came out of thin air.
Every sentence I used every move I made was there to fool my audience. Like any good magician I used just enough truth to make things plausible. The rest was pure deception.
Sadly it is the same with many pastors and evangelist. Particularly those in the media.
While there are some very honest men and women in the media. There are also a lot of charlatans. Their only purpose to build themselves up and line their pockets.
These are the people that the apostle Peter was talking about in 2 Peter 2:1.2.
Unfortunately as someone pointed out to me in church many of these false teachers have become the face of Christianity here in North America. They have done exactly what Peter said, brought “the way of truth into disrepute”.
As Christians. True believers in Christ Jesus, we must be on our guard. We must make sure not to support such ministries.
I feel if we support any ministry we have the right to ask questions. Especially financial questions. We need to ask where every penny is spent. Even to the point of asking the salary and benefits the pastor or evangelist gets.
I know the church I attend every year gives account to its membership where the money goes and that includes the pastors salary.
Finances aside we also should be asking basic questions as to what the doctrinal statement of the ministry is and examine what the pastor or evangelist is saying.
If things don’t add up or there is any doubt in your mind you shouldn’t be supporting them.
There are many good ministries out there who are speaking the truth. Who are financially responsible. Taking care to spend every penny prayerfully. Ensuring what is spoken from the pulpit is doctrinally correct. These are the ministries we need to support.
Please think about it. 

Clowns

Clowns
The apostle Paul wrote,
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2Timothy 4:3,4
Evangelist Charles H. Spurgeon said,
“A time will come when instead of the shepherds feeding the sheep. The church will have clowns entertaining the goats.” Charles H. Spurgeon.
From what I see as a Christian a believer in Christ Jesus living in North America. I firmly believe that what the apostle Paul and Spurgeon said is coming true.
There are many churches who have turned away from sound doctrine.
Sadly many pastors and evangelist are gathering people around them that are yes men who tell them what they want to hear. Men and women who are not willing to correct the pastor or evangelist when they say or do something that is not doctrinally correct.
Likewise there are many pastors and Evangelist who are simply entertaining the church. Carefully constructing their church services to attract people with music and other things that make them feel good. Even catering their sermons to attract people. Choosing not to emphasize the reason Jesus came to this earth.
Some pastors even refusing to quote the apostle John who said,
“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.
Thus my question. What kind of church congregation are you in? It is a congregation that always agrees with the pastor. That even when they know he’s wrong will not tell him so?
Are you in a congregation that is simply entertaining. A congregation where the pastor is always preaching a “feel good” sermon?
Or are you in a congregation that truly does preach sound doctrine.
Please think about it.

Do you?

Do you?
The writer of Hebrews states,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.”   

                                                             Hebrews 11:1.

Having faith in someone or something is perhaps the hardest thing a person can do. Scientist do it all the time. They observe things then make an hypothesis. Quite often it is many years before that hypothesis is proven or disproved. Some of Einstein’s theories were not proven until after his death.
So it is with God. Whether you believe in God or not, no one can know for sure if God exists for certain until after their death. That being said you must make your decision about God in this life.
The writer of Hebrews states,
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6.
So the question becomes. Do you believe in God.
Blaise Pascal said,
“Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists.” Blaise Pascal.
Please think about it.

Poached Egg or Saviour?

Poached Egg, or Saviour?
John’s gospel records this incident of a friend of Jesus, Lazarus being raised from the dead. John states,
“When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.  
“Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. 
Jesus wept. 
Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 
But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.  
“Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” 
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” 
So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.  
I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”  
The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” John 11:32-44

If this story and that of the other Miracles are false then it puts doubt on just how truthful the New Testament is.
Thus my question becomes. If it and the other miracles are untrue and easily disproved, why would those who believed in Christ, people who wanted to spread the gospel message put them in the Gospels? Such a thing would turn people away from Christ.
If on the other hand they are true, as I and other believers in Christ believe, then they would certainly add a measure of credibility to the claims that Jesus is the Son of God, God incarnate.
Jesus said,
“So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.  
I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” John 11:41,42.
Here Jesus lays things on the line. He prays to God to raise Lazarus from the dead and Lazarus does.
Now for anyone to pray for a man dead for four days to be raised to life you either have to be insane or the Son of God.
C. S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity said,
“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
Thus my question to you the reader. Who do you think Jesus is?
Please think about it.

3 quotes + 1

3 quotes + 1
The writer of Hebrews states,
“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.
The late English evangelist Charles Spurgeon said,
"O Christian people, be holy, for Christ is holy. Do not pollute that holy Name wherewith you are named. Let your family life, your personal life, your business life, be as holy as Christ your Lord would have it to be."  Charles H. Spurgeon.
Francis of Assisi wrote,

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 

                                                              Francis of Assisi.

Whether you like it or not if you claim to be Christian a follower of Christ Jesus. It is through the lense of your words and deeds that people will see Christ.
Thus the need for each individual to take a look at their life from time to time. To take a look at what they are doing and what the say. For what we say and do has the potential for eternal consequences.
Each believer in Christ Jesus is Christ’s representative on this earth. Thus the need for a holy life.
Living a holy life does not mean constantly preaching, or as one of my pastors said, “becoming so heavenly minded you are no earthly good.”
The world wants to see Christians who are real and genuine. Who are truly living out their faith.
Billy Graham once said,
"Those outside the church expect followers of Christ to live differently, yet today many in church are chasing after the world - not to win them, but to be like them."Billy Graham.
Sadly he’s right. Many calling themselves Christians outside of Church cannot be distinguished from those who are not Christians.
Thus my question to anyone reading this who claims to be a Christian. Is your words and deeds outside the Church reflecting the Love of God?
Please think about it.

Food for Thought

Food for thought
The Psalmist writes,

“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 

Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 

Know that the LORD is God. 

It is he who made us, 

and we are his; 

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; 

give thanks to him and praise his name. 

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;

 his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

                                                                         Psalm 100.

Here the Psalmist tells us
1/ to “Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth.”
2/ to “Know that the LORD is God”
3/ to know “It is He who made us,”
4/ that “we are His people”

We are called by the Psalmist to,
1/ to “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise”
2/ to “give thanks to Him and Praise His name”

We are told by the Psalmist,
1/ “The LORD is good”
2/ “His love endures forever”
3/ “His faithfulness continues through all generations”

Do you believe this?
If you do, do you praise God?
Do you give thanks to God?

If you don’t believe this why?

Please think about it.

Guard against

Guard against
Jesus said,
"...Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Luke 12:15
How important are your possessions? Many people strive to be rich. They spend their whole lives working long hours. Many even bring work home with them. Their family and friends take second place. They work so much that they don’t enjoy life.
Jesus said,
“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” Matthew 8:36.
Like I have said in previous blogs there is nothing wrong with being rich. It’s what priority you put on it.
The apostle Paul writes,
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10
The love of money can change people. Some people never have enough. They toil long hours to try and get enough yet their desire is never filled.
Sadly their lust for riches can pull them from their faith.
Jesus said,
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also...." Matthew 6:19-21.
Thus my question to you the reader.
Where is your treasure?
Please think about it.

Weep and Wail

Weep and wail
James the half brother of Jesus wrote,
“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.  Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.  
Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.  
Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.  
You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.  
You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.” James 5:1-6.
Now there is nothing wrong with being rich and powerful. It is what you do with the wealth and power that you will be held accountable for.
James here makes a very clear point to the wealthy that if they misuse their wealth and power in this life “misery” is coming upon them.
There are many wealthy and powerful people in this world who are doing good. Sadly however there are many with wealth and power who are doing just the opposite. This is who James is warning.
In my previous blog I quoted Jesus telling this parable,
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.
At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores  and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.  
In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.  
So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.  
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house,  
for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 
“ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ” Luke 16:19-31.
Thus my question to anyone in authority in particular. How will God judge you? Will you be weeping and wailing or will you be rejoicing?
Where will you spend eternity?
Please think about it.

Before God

Before God
The writer of Hebrews states,
“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:13.
There is a quote from the Talmud I can see as happening. It states,
“When a man appears before the Throne of Judgment, the first question he is asked is not, “Have you believed in God?”  Or “Have you prayed and observed the ritual?  “He is asked: “have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow men?” The Talmud
Jesus told this parable,
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 
At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores  and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.  
In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.  
So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.  
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house,  
for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 
“ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ” Luke 16:19-31.
We all rich and poor will stand before God and be judged. You might get away doing wrong in this life but you will not when you stand before God.
Tony Campolo the American evangelist said,
“When you were born, you cried and everybody else was happy. The only question that matters is this - when you die, will you be happy when everybody else is crying?”Tony Campolo.
Thus my question to you.
Will you be happy when you stand before God?
Please think about it.

God, Love, & Heaven

God, Love, & Heaven

"Love is patient, love is kind.

 It does not envy, it does not boast,

 it is not proud.  

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

 it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  

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

Love never fails....

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love."  

                                                       1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13

The above scripture defines God’s love and the fact is God loves us. In sending Jesus Christ into the world to die for our sins God proved that. Jesus speaking of himself 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.
I’ve heard it said that the way we get to heaven is if your good deeds out weigh your bad deeds you get into heaven.
Christians do not believe this. We do not believe you can live a life good enough to enter heaven. C. S. Lewis said,
“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”  C.S. Lewis.
The day Jesus was crucified we see what is necessary to get to heaven. Luke’s gospel records,
“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 
But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence?  
We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." 
Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.'" 
Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." Luke 23:39-43.
The thief that got into Paradise (Heaven) confessed his belief that Jesus was who he said he was. Then he confessed to Jesus that he was a sinner.
Christians believe getting into heaven requires two things. One, an act of faith, the writer of Hebrews telling us,
“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
The other is confession of our sins to God. The apostle John writes,
“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.
This in a nutshell is what Christians believe. The question thus becomes do you believe this?
Please think about it.

Praise Him

Praise Him
The Psalmist writes,

Praise the LORD. 

Praise God in his sanctuary; 

praise him in his mighty heavens. 

Praise him for his acts of power; 

praise him for his surpassing greatness. 

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,

 praise him with the harp and lyre, 

praise him with tambourine and dancing,

 praise him with the strings and flute, 

praise him with the clash of cymbals, 

praise him with resounding cymbals. 

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. 

Praise the LORD. 

                            Psalm 150.

In my early days as a believer in Christ Jesus I was part of a praise group. We weren’t very well known but we were good. Good enough to be invited to various churches and other Christian events.
Our repertoire included all of what was in Psalm 150, including dance. At the time in the mid seventies dance in some churches was taboo. Still once people seen what we did they liked it. They seen that our dance moves complimented the music and brought glory to God.
We encouraged people to not only praise God with their voice and with their instruments but with dance. You don’t need anything choreographed just let your spirit flow with the music.
From a purely practical prospective dance can’t hurt. It gives one exercise. Adding praise to God helps your spirit rise.
Praise to God with our without dance can take an ordinary day or even a bad day and make things feel better.
Why not try it. Put on some praise music and in the comfort of your own home praise God.
Please think about it.

You can't have two masters

You can’t have two masters
Jesus said,
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also....
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Matthew 6:19-21,24.
Are you trying to serve two masters, God and material possessions?
Now let we make things clear. Having a lot of money and possessions is not sinful it is what you do with them that is sinful the apostle Paul writes,
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10.
Here in North America we are blessed with freedom to do as we wish. This freedom makes North America a good place to live. Freedom however has its pitfalls when it comes to a persons faith.
It is very easy to get, for lack of a better term “hooked of the American dream” the acquisition of wealth and material things.
Every day we are surrounded by the media and elsewhere telling us that we need the latest gadget. The media tells us that if we just get the latest “thing” our lives will be better. As a result people work long hours to get these “things” and are pulled away from their faith.
As the apostle Paul said,
“...Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
As a Christian. A believer in Christ Jesus. You must decide who you will serve and the ramifications of your decision.
Please think about it.

How will you be Judged?

How will you be judged?
Jesus said,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1,2.
Here Jesus makes it simple for those who believe in Him. We are not to judge others period.
If we judge others we give them the right to judge us. And it has been my experience that they will. They will judge us with the same measure we judge them.
The psalmist speaking of God states,
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16.
God because he is who he is knows why we are the way we are has the right to judge us. We do not. For that reason we do not have the right to judge others. That is especially true when it comes to a persons relationship with God and where an individual will spend eternity.
So my question to you if you consider yourself a Christian a follower of Christ Jesus is, how will you be judged both by God and those around you?
Please think about it.

How would you vote?

How would you vote?
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16.
Every now and then I like to poke Christians and others with a pointy stick this is one of those days. Thus I present to you the story of Margaret Elizabeth.
“That morning, Margaret Elizabeth got up extra early, readying herself for the day.  She would get only one chance to make an impression.  To that end, she applied her makeup with extra care.  Chose the black ankle length wraparound skirt, white turtle neck top and black jacket, her children had given her as a gift, while in hospital.  She limited her jewelry to a simple pair of diamond studied earrings, that had been her grandmother’s and small bracelet given to her by her daughter-in-law.
Leaving that office, to walk to the pulpit was the hardest step, she ever had to make.  Her heart pounded and by the time, she stood behind the pulpit she was visibly shaking.
“Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Margaret Elizabeth Williamson and just before Christmas, I underwent Sexual Reassignment Surgery.” she said relief surging through her body, as silence engulfed the assembly.  
I know that many of you, maybe uncomfortable with that.  That is why I have asked to speak to you, to give you my testimony and then allow you to ask questions.
I have felt like a woman trapped in a man’s body for my entire life.  I was married for over thirty years to a wonderful and accepting woman, who died several years prior to my coming to this assembly.  I have a wonderful family, all of whom support me and are here today.
Believe me, I did not choose this course of action lightly.  I did so after much personal anguish and a great deal of prayer.
For a little over two years prior to my complete transition, I have lived my life as a woman: I was doing so when I came to this church and I think I did it well enough that no one knew.  If so they did not commented.
I have no apologies to give for what I did, or who I am, because I do not believe I did anything wrong.
I accepted Jesus as my Saviour over thirty-five years ago, and asked Him to remove from me what at times, has been a difficult burden.  He has chosen not to and thus, I have accepted that I am what I am.  A child of God, who knew me according to the Psalms in my mother’s womb.
I have no intentions of preaching a sermon here today, only to ask you to accept me as I am.  In fact, the only reason I stand before you today, is because I was asked to come onto the staff of this church and wish to be completely honest with you.
Now, I will open the door to all questions and endeavor to answer them to the best of my ability.  Nothing is off limits. After the questions, pastor will ask for a vote and abide by your decision.”
There were many questions. Finally however, the question answered, the pastor came to the front.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, it is now time to take a vote.”  He said.  “If you wish Margaret Elizabeth to become a part of our pastoral staff, please rise to your feet.”
Thus my question to you the reader. How would you vote?
Please think carefully and prayerfully about it.

Can

Can
John’s gospel records this conversation between Jesus and Martha.
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes Lord” she told Him, “I believe you are the Christ the Son of God, who was to come into the world,” John 11:25,26,27.
The other day I was asked if I believe a gay man can get to heaven. I answered with the words of the American evangelist Toni Campolo who said,
“We ought to get out of the judging business. We should leave it up to God to determine who belongs in one arena or another when it comes to eternity. What we are obligated to do is to tell people about Jesus, and that's what I do.”Tony Campolo
Jesus speaking about himself 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 Paul wrote,
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  Romans 10: 9,10.
The psalmist writes,
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16
Only God knows why we are the way we are. No one can truly tell what is in the heart and mind of another person. No one knows an individual as well as God does. Thus we have no right to Judge other people when it comes to where they will spend eternity.
Jesus told his disciple and through them us,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”Matthew 28:18-20.
He did not tell those who believe in him to judge people with respect to where they will spend eternity. He told them to go out and show the world how they can spend eternity in heaven.
Please think about it.

Your Faith?

Your faith?
Jesus Said,
“Many will say to me  on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:22,23.
I firmly believe many calling themselves Christians, particularly here in North America where I live will have a shock when they stand before God because they will hear the words of Jesus as spoken in Matthew 7:22,23. I strongly believe this will also be true of many pastors and evangelist.
They will be like the rich young man that Matthew’s gospel talks about.
“Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life ?” “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” 
“Which ones?” the man inquired. Jesus replied, “ ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbour as yourself.’’” 
“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” 
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” Matthew 19:16-22.
Now there is nothing wrong with being rich. That being said you must not put your wealth ahead of God. You must be willing to let God supply all your needs. By allowing God to supply all your needs you are acting in faith. If you are not. You need to question your commitment to God.
Many claiming to be Christian have “followed the formula”.
They have said the Sinners Prayer,
They go to Church,
They Read their Bible,
They are active in their church,
Some even preach and evangelize,
But they are not Christians,
The Evangelist Leonard Ravenhill said,
“The sinners prayer has sent more people to hell than all the bars in America.” Leonard Ravenhill.
Saying the sinners prayer, reading the Bible, going to and being active in the church, even preaching and evangelizing means nothing if you don’t truly believe in Christ. The apostle Paul makes it clear,
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  Romans 10: 9,10.
Sadly many today particularly in North America where I live, have an intellectual knowledge of the Bible. They know what it says. Yet they don’t truly have faith.
Like the rich man that came to Jesus they follow bible precepts yet lack complete faith in God.
So the question becomes do you have complete faith in God?
Please think about it.

Four more Questions

Four more questions?
The apostle Paul writing to Timothy states,
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  
This is good, and pleases God our Saviour,  who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”  1Timothy 2:1-4.
Do you pray for everyone, not only those around you but kings and those in authority?
As I write this there is a highly charged political environment in the United States. Sadly many Christians are taking sides in the political arena, mixing their faith with politics. This should not be so. None of the apostles ever mixed politics and their faith. Nor should we.
Jesus, and the apostles lived in a multicultural world similar in some ways to our own here in the democracies of the west today. The difference being they did not live in a democracy. Thus they had no say in who would govern them.
So when the apostle Paul tells Timothy to pray for kings and those in authority he is asking Timothy to pray that those governing will basically leave Christians alone. That Christians may live quiet lives.
Living in peace with those around you is the best way to spread the gospel message. Christians I believe here particularly in the United States and Canada seem to have forgotten this.
Christians it seems in the United States and to a lesser degree in Canada are known for being aggressive against anything they disagree with. Sadly among some in our society Christians are seen as uncaring bigots. This certainly is not what God wants.
The apostle Peter writes,
“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11,12
If you claim to be a Christian. A follower of Christ Jesus. Ask yourself these questions,
1/ Am I praying correctly for those in authority?
2/ Am I praying that the governing authorities will let us live in peace?
3/ Am I abstaining from “sinful desires”?
4/ Am I living a good life. A life God would truly be proud of?
Please think about it.

Four Questions

Four Questions
The Apostle Paul writes,
"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2Timothy 2:15.
Billy Graham the American evangelist stated,
“Make sure of your commitment to Jesus Christ, and seek to follow Him every day. Don't be swayed by the false values and goals of this world, but put Christ and His will first in everything you do.”Billy Graham.
four questions for anyone who claims to be a Christian. A follower of Christ Jesus.
1/Are you a workman approved of God?
2/Is your commitment to Christ pure?
3/Have you let the false values and goals of this world enter your life and water down your commitment to Jesus?
4/Do you truly put Christ and His will first in everything you do?
Please if you believe you are true follower of Christ Jesus, Pray and ask God to show you if you truly are a workman approved by Him.
Please think about it.

Just like the Thief

Just like the Thief
Luke’s gospel records this conversation between the two criminals that were crucified with Jesus, and Jesus. Luke records,
“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 
“But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?  
We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’” 
Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:39-43
The American evangelist Billy Graham once said,

“I'm going to Heaven 

just like the thief on the cross

 who said in that last moment:

 'Lord, remember me.”

                            Billy Graham.

On the day Jesus was crucified we have before us the choice that every individual needs to make.
On that day one of the criminals insulted Jesus and made it clear he didn’t believe who Jesus was. He demanded proof saying, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!’” 
On the other hand the other criminal said,
“Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?  
We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’”
The second thief got to heaven.
The Bible makes it clear how we get to heaven,
The apostle John writes,
“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.
Confession of our sin to God as the second criminal did is the one step in getting to heaven. However in order to do that one must first believe Jesus is who he says he is. The apostle Paul stating,
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved Romans 10:9-13.
Thus the question comes down to who do you believe Jesus is?
Please think about it.

Be Still

Be Still
The Psalmist writes,

“Be still, and know that I am God;

 I will be exalted among the nations, 

I will be exalted in the earth.” 

                                        Psalm 46:10. 

Someone said,

“Maybe the atheist cannot find God 

for the same reason a thief cannot find a policeman.” 

                                                                 Author Unknown

That may be true. Many people I know who do not believe in God have made up their mind and are not willing to change.
Believing in God takes faith and as Blaise Pascal wrote,

“In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe 

and enough shadows to blind those who don't.”

                                                           Blaise Pascal.

I think as well the reason many people today in our 24/7 society do not believe in God is that they are not looking for Him. They are distracted by the many things that our society has to offer. You just have to walk down the street in any city, go into a shop, walk in the park. Even sitting in a doctors office and you see people constantly on their electronic device.
We are so wired, so content with looking at what this world has to offer that we don’t see God. Yet as the Psalmist warns,

That God,“...will be exalted among the nations,” 

That God “will be exalted in the earth.” 

In the book of Ecclesiastes we read,
“I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”Ecclesiastes 1:14.
The writer goes on to say,
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole  duty  of man. 
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13,14.
The Apostle Paul speaking in Athens states,
"For he (God) 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.” Acts 17:31.
Thus the decision is up to you. You can believe in God or you can choose not to. You can believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The Saviour of Mankind or you can choose not to.
The apostle Paul writes,
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  Romans 10: 9,10.
The choice is yours.
Please think about it.

This is Love

This is Love
The apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians defined Christian love when he wrote,

“Love is patient, love is kind. 

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

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

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  

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

Love never fails....

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.”  

                                                         1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.

As a Christian. A believer in Christ Jesus we have no choice but to love. Jesus when asked,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment. 
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40.
Thus my question to you. Do you truly love?
Please think about it.

We are the Aliens

We are the Aliens
The writer of Hebrews states,
“All these people (...Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.” Hebrews 11:13.
The apostle Peter writing to believers in Christ states,
“Dear friends,
I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11,12.
If you claim to be a believer in Christ you need to always remember you are an alien in the world. As such you must as far as possible live a good life.
We as believers in Christ Jesus must remember that it is through the lense of our words and deeds that people will see Jesus.
For me the best way to do this is to remember 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 if you consider yourself a believer in Christ Jesus,
Think about it.

The Hardest

The Hardest
The writer of Hebrews states,
“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.  
By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.  
For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” Hebrews 11:8-10.
I think of all the things we can ask anyone to do is to have faith in something especially if it is something they cannot see. Yet that is exactly what God asks of everyone.
The writer of Hebrews telling us,

“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.

God fully understands that anyone who has faith in any cause will quite literally go to the grave for their beliefs.
And when it comes to God you either have faith He exists or you do not. There is no middle ground.
Please think about it.

Consider this

Consider this
What if what Jesus is recorded as saying in the gospel of Matthew is true?
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13,14.
What if the words of Jesus recorded in the gospel of John are true?
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.
What if the words of Jesus are true who speaking of himself 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.
What if the words of the Apostle Paul are true when he said,
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved
Romans 10:9-13.
Please think about it.

Who is Jesus?

Who is Jesus?

The apostle Paul writes,

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form. 

                                                                           Colossians 2:9.

Jesus is God incarnate. God in the flesh. You either believe this statement or you do not. That being said if you do not believe Jesus is God you cannot be a true believer in Christ Jesus.
Matthews gospel records this conversation between Peter and Jesus,
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:,15,16.
In John’s gospel we are told of this conversation between Jesus and Martha.
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes Lord” she told Him, “I believe you are the Christ the Son of God, who was to come into the world,” John 11:25,26,27.
The book of Hebrews states,
“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.” Hebrews 1:1-3.
John’s gospel notes,
“Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 
“The Jews gathered around him, 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.” 
Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” 
“We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” John 10 22-33.
Note here even when faced with stoning Jesus does not deny who he is.
Thus the question becomes. Who do you think Jesus is?
Please think about it.

Do not Associate

Do not associate
The apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians states,
“I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.  
But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. 1 Corinthians 5:9-11.
Think about what the apostle Paul is saying here. He makes it clear that we are allowed to associate with immoral, greedy, idolaters and greedy people who are not Christians. Who are not brothers in Christ.
The purpose of doing so would be to win souls for Christ. You cannot win souls for Christ if you don’t associate with sinners. Thus we must be willing to engage anyone who is not a Christian in conversation at the very least.
On the other hand Paul is clear we should not associate with anyone claiming to be a Christian, a brother in Christ, who is sexually immoral, greedy, an idolater, slanderer, drunkard, swindler.
I believe Paul said this because people that are acting like this are not Christians at all. That by associating with such people who claim to be Christians yet do not act as Christians they are brining the word of God into disrepute.
Paul makes it clear what the attributes of someone who truly knows God are when he wrote,
“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.
So my question to anyone reading this who claims to be a Christian a believer in Christ Jesus, who do you associate with.
Think of all the Christians and Christian ministries, pastors and evangelist, you associate with and support. Are they exhibiting the fruits of the spirit?
Are these people sexually immoral, greedy, idolaters, slanderers, drunkards, swindlers?
Please think about it.

Be Wise

Be wise
The apostle Paul writes,
“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” Colossians 4:5,6.
I was in a church not so long ago. It was during the gay pride parade in Toronto. When someone said. We need to pray for “those people”. “They” are in need of God’s salvation”.
What the implication was, was that gay people by simply by being gay were sinners. What a lot of hogwash.
The fact of the matter is 100% of heterosexual men and women are sinners as is everyone that has ever been born. The apostle Paul states,
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23.
That all means all. No matter who the person is, their lifestyle or for that matter what they believe. “All have sinned”. Even people sitting in that church with me that morning were sinners according to the apostle Paul.
The person who spoke those words would never win a member of the LGBTQ community to Christ. Quite the contrary they may have pushed the person away.
They obviously had not taken to hart the words of the apostle Paul to the Colossians
“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” Colossians 4:5,6.
We must remember that Jesus told us,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Matthew 7:1,2.
If you are speaking out and judging anyone especially in a negative way they will judge you also. Not only that but if they perceive your judgment to be in error they will not listen to you.
The bottom line is we should not be judging anyone. We especially should not be centering out anyone person or any group.
Billy Graham the American evangelist rightly said,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God's job to judge

 and my job to love,” 

                             Billy Graham

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.
Please think about it.  

1 X 7= 8

1 X 7 = 8
The other day my pastor as part of his sermon wrote the following on a board,

1 X 7 = 8

 2 X 7 =14 

3 X 7 =21

 4 X 7 = 28

Immediately the congregation noted he had something wrong 1 X 7 does not equal 8. They saw and commented on the one equation that was wrong not the other three that were right.
Rightly he pointed out that is the way people see those claiming to be Christians.
The other day I found two interesting quotes,

“I believe in God; I just don't trust anyone who works for him.”

                                                                               Author Unknown

Lenny Bruce noting,

“Every day people are straying away from the church

 and going back to God.” 

                                        Lenny Bruce

Sadly for many people outside the church this is true. I have met many people who truly believe in God but are turned off by the people who supposedly serve Him.
It is a sad fact there are many particularly here in North America where I live claiming to be Christians who are not. This is particularly true of many, But NOT ALL, evangelist and pastors who are in the media here in North America. The trouble is many both outside and inside the church cannot tell the difference. To them someone claiming to be a Christian and quoting from the bible is a Christian whether they are or not.
Jesus said,
“Many will say to me  on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:22,23.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2Timothy 4:3,4.
The apostle Peter states,
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.  
Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.  
In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.”2 Peter 2:1-3.
While ultimately these false teachers will be judged by God. I believe we as Christians have an obligation to speak up against these false teachers. The apostle Paul states,
“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.
While it is true Christians should not judge anyone with respect as to where they will spend eternity. We have an obligation to expel false teachers from our midst.
I am however a realist. Here in North America there is no governing body that controls evangelist and pastors other. Added to that freedom of speech laws allow them to say what they wish.
The only control on a pastor or evangelist comes from the denomination they are part of. That being said if someone is expelled from their denomination they can set themselves up as independents as many have done, with no oversight whatsoever.
Thus it is incumbent on individual Christians to study the scriptures for themselves. By studying the scriptures I don’t mean following some lesson plan per say. As good as many may be.
I mean reading the Bible along with biblical history books and commentaries written by scholars of different stripes. Pray and ask God for wisdom and insight into the scriptures you are reading.
Always remember while there will be differences between believers in the minor things, there should never be differences on the major things.
The apostle Paul writing to Timothy and through him to us said,
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”  2 Timothy 2:15.
It is only by doing this that we will win souls for Christ.
Please think about it.