Your Choice

  Your Choice

The apostle John speaking of Jesus writes,

"Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.  

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  

He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 John 5:10-12.

In John’s gospel he records Jesus speaking of himself saying,

“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 choice is yours. Do you believe Jesus is the one and Only Son of God, The Saviour of mankind or not?

I believe upon your answer lies your eternal resting place.

Thus the choice is yours.

Please think about it.

Your Choice

 Your Choice.

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.  

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

Here is a choice we all must make. What is your choice?

Please think about it.

Your Choice

Your Choice
The Gospel of Matthew records,
"After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.  
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.  
The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 
The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  
He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.  
Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." 
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.  
Suddenly Jesus met them."Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him.  
Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." Matthew 28:1-10.
Flavius Josephus, (Born: 34AD died 98 A.D.), a romanized Jewish historian. Wrote,
"About this time arose Jesus, a wise man, who did good deeds and whose virtues were recognized. And many Jews and people of other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. However, those who became his disciples preached his doctrine.    They related that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion and that he was alive. Perhaps he was the Messiah in connection with whom the prophets foretold wonders [Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, XVIII 3.2]
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is something each person when presented with the life of Jesus must choose to believe or not. There is no middle ground here. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the cornerstone of Christian belief. You cannot be a Christian, a follower of Christ Jesus and not believe in His resurrection.
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.
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 my question to you is do you believe what Matthew and Paul are saying?
Please think about it.

Your Choice

Your Choice
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
“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
The following is a story about a judge about to make a ruling. All I would ask of the reader is to think carefully about it. It is called,
The Eleven O Clock Parable

"It's eleven o clock. Inside the court house a judge is about to make his ruling. A community, a nation, waits. 
Will the new law be legal? 
Outside the court house men and women with placards chant. 
On one side of the street stand a group of gay men and women. All in favour of the new law.
On the other side of the street separated by a line of police stand radical evangelicals, denouncing the new law.
One man among them screams angrily . "HOMOSEXUALS ARE GOING TO HELL!!!"
Approached by the media he says it again, "homosexuals are going to Hell." 
From my office window I watch asking myself the question, ‘is this man an Christian?"
Wasn't it Christ who told us not only to love our neighbour but our enemy also?
Wasn’t it Christ 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.” 
Would this man want people demonstrating against his beliefs and lifestyle?
Is this man showing love?
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
Is this man want to be judged by the same rules he is judging others?
Is this man even a Christian?
A question keeps rolling through my mind for which I know the answer, "Can we truly know what is in someone else's head?
Do we really know why a person is like they are?" 
I think not.
For a moment I stare down at the crowd. All the time asking myself who is on the way to Hell this day.
Turning away from my window I put on my robes and head toward the courtroom. As I do I pray, “Lord give me wisdom to make the right decision this day.”
What decision would you make?
Would you follow the law or your beliefs?
Please think about it.

Your Choice

Your Choice
Luke’s gospel quotes Jesus as saying,
“Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to?  
It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.” Luke 13:20,21.
This is like the message of Jesus today. For over two thousand years now the message of salvation through Christ Jesus has gone throughout the world. It has reached every nation in the world.
Sadly many nations do not like the message. Christians around the world are persecuted for their faith daily.
Oddly many governments who are atheist who say there is no God persecute Christians harshly. Which begs the question if God does not exist what have atheist nations to worry about? They can’t be hurt by something that doesn’t exist.
The fact is what Christians teach is true whether you want to believe it or not. Ultimately the choice is up to you the individual.
Before you make that choice however I would say at least read the New Testament for yourself. Don’t rely on what others say about it. Read it for yourself and then decide whether you believe it or not.
Please think about it.

Your Choice

Your choice
The Psalmist writes,

“You are my God, and I will give you thanks; 

you are my God, and I will exalt you.” 

                                                  Psalm 118:28.

Joshua while leading the Israelites made this statement,
“Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.  
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. 
But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24: 14,15.
In the twenty-first century we have the same choice to make. We can serve the god’s of this world the god’s of our secular society or we can serve The Lord God almighty.
The choice is yours.
Please think about it.

Your Choice

Your Choice
The New Testament writers record Jesus as saying some remarkable things. Things that if true have eternal consequences. John’s gospel records Jesus as saying,
“....“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.
There are many in the world today that say there are a lot of ways to heaven or that you can work your way to heaven. Saying if your good deeds out weigh your bad deeds you will get to heaven. Christians do not believe that.
We Christians believe that you get to heaven by the grace of God. The apostle Paul 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.
That gift we believe is Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul telling us,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.
God through the sacrificial death of Christ Jesus offered us eternal life with Him in heaven.
Jesus speaking of himself is quoted by the apostle John as saying,
“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 also noting the reward for believing in Christ Jesus. Stating,
“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.
Is all of this difficult to believe? In a word yes. Even the apostle Paul wrote,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.
And, it is exactly this that each individual when presented with the message of Jesus Christ must decide for themselves.
Is the message of Christ Jesus foolishness or is it the truth that leads to eternal life with God?
It is a decision only you can make. It is potentially the most important decision you will make in your life.
C. S. Lewis said,
“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.
Thus the choice is yours.
Please think about it.

Your Choice

Your Choice
The book of Joshua records,
“Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.  
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24: 14,15
The choice in this life is simple. Follow the gods of this world, of which there are many, or follow the One True God by faith. This was the choice Joshua gave to the Israelites. This is the choice everyone in the twenty-first century must make.
Each individual must first decide for themselves if God exists. Then each individual who hears about Jesus must decide who he is.
The apostle John writes,
“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
Christians believe Jesus is God incarnate. God in the flesh who entered His creation to point mankind to Heaven.
John’s gospel records this conversation between Martha and Jesus,
“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.
Matthews gospel records this conversation between Jesus and the apostle Peter,
“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 
“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 16:13-16.
The Christian writer C. S. Lewis in his Book Mere Christianity wrote,
“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 dear reader the choice is yours.
Please think about it.

Your Choice

Your Choice
The Psalmist rather bluntly says,
“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” Psalm 14:1.
I personally think it’s foolishness to not believe God exists. In saying God dose not exist the person is essentially saying they are omnipresent. That they have been everywhere. Because if the person hasn’t been everywhere then God just might be where they have not been. And it is my understanding that people living today have not been beyond the grave. They have not gone to the after life. Which is where we all will one day encounter God face to face.
As a Christian I truly believe God will one day judge each and every person for what they have done in this life.
The writer of Ecclesiastes states,
“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 writer of Hebrews says,
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  
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 4:12,13.
The question I ask those who don’t believe in God is, are you willing to risk your eternal resting place on what you believe?
If I as a Christian am wrong then all I have done is lived a full, moral and rewarding life. If someone who denies God is wrong they run the risk of ultimately going to Hell.
Are you willing to risk that?
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.  
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.
Christians do not believe you can work your way to heaven. To quote the apostle Paul again,
“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.
Simply saying I believe God exists is not enough one must put their faith in God,
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
“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 gives everyone complete freedom to believe what they wish. That freedom even extends to believing He exists or not.
The Choice is always up to the individual. Thus the choice dear reader is yours. Do you believe there is a God and are you willing to put your faith in Him?
Please think about it.