You and God

You and God
The Prophet Isaiah wrote,
“A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” 
“All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. 
The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. 
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”Isaiah 40:6-8.
Over the years I’ve met people who have said Christianity will die out. That belief has been around for centuries. And yet here we are in the twenty-first century and people still believe in Christ Jesus. Not only that people are willing to lay down their life for what they believe.
There is a poem that goes,

“Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith's door,

And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;

Then looking in I saw upon the floor

Old hammers, worn with beating of time

"How many anvils have you had said I, 

"To wear and batter all these hammers so?"

"Just one" said he, and then, with twinkling eye,

"the anvil wears the hammers out, you know."

And so, thought I, the anvil of God's word,

For ages skeptic blows have beat upon;

Yet though the noise of falling blows was heard,

The anvil is unharmed- the hammers gone."

                                                              Anonymous.

Thus the question I have for you is. Do you believe in God? Do you believe in the salvation that comes through belief in Christ Jesus?
I ask it because as far as I am concerned believing in God, believing in Christ Jesus is the most important thing a person can do.
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.
Belief in God is however is a very personal thing. Only you know what your relationship to God is.
So what is your relationship with God?
Please think about it.

You and God

You and God
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.
What the psalmist is saying here is simple. God knows all about you. He knows why you are the way you are.
Thus the call of God to all people everywhere is,
“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 apostle Peter states,
“And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”Acts 2:21.
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.
All of that being said where do you stand? There are two ways of looking at the above. You can acknowledge what I have quoted intellectually or you can acknowledge the truth of what is said and accept Jesus into your heart today. The choice is yours.
Please think about it. 

You and God

You and God
The Psalmist writes,

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” 

                                                              Psalm 14:1

The apostle Paul writes,
“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.
Blaise Pascal wrote,
“It is incomprehensible that God should exist, and it is incomprehensible that he should not exist.” Blaise Pascal.
Pascal also noted,
“In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't.” Blaise Pascal.
So where do you stand? Do you believe in God or not?
I for one believe in God. I believe the Psalmist got it right when he said,

“The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

Day after day they pour forth speech; 

night after night they display knowledge. 

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.” 

                                                                             Psalm 19:1-3.

I look at the ordered universe we live in. Everything from the smallest subatomic particle to the largest galaxy is in perfect harmony allowing life as we know it to exist. This to me, tells me there is a divine creator at work. I cannot believe our universe just assembled itself purely by chance.
Still I respect the view of those who would disagree with me.
That being said, I would ask the question to anyone who doesn’t believe there is a God, are you beyond a shadow of a doubt certain God does not exist?
I ask because I believe that what you believe about God will determine where you will spend eternity. 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.
The choice however whether to believe in Jesus, whether to believe in God or not is entirely up to you the individual.
What I would ask if you do not believe in God, is with an open mind, you at least take some time to read at least the New Testament and see what it says.
Please think about it.

You and God

You and God
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.
I know the Talmud is a Jewish book, and not a Christian one but a truth is a truth no matter where it’s found. I think in this case I could see such a scenario happens. The Talmud 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
God does not have to ask any questions of anyone who stands before Him he already knows the answer.
Still I can see him asking an individual such a question to see if they feel they have dealt honourably with their fellow man. Or if they give some excuse for not dealing honourably with the people they come in contact with.
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.
Sadly there are many people from every strata of society that do not treat those around them with respect. There are even some in churches calling themselves Christians who do not treat other people with respect. To them and indeed to all people, the writer of Ecclesiastes writes,
“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.
Please think about it.

You and God

You and God
The Psalmist wrote,

“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.

Here is a scripture that says it all for me when it comes to the individual and God. The Psalmist makes it clear God knows all about us. That He knit us together in our mothers womb.
Put in modern terms God knows our genetic make up. He knows why we are the way we are. We can never stand before God and say you didn’t know what it was like to be me, because He does.
The Scriptures also tells us,
“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. 
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 1:1-3,14.
Here the apostle John makes it clear that Jesus is God that he made the world and everything in it. That God in the form of Jesus Christ came into the world that he made.
That being said, no one can stand before God and say you did not know what it was like to be human. We cannot say it because Jesus walked this earth. He knew what it was like to be human. He felt the everyday things humans feel, the sun on his face, the rain, the smell of dust. He knew what it was like to have loving friends and family. He knew what it was to have enemies that wanted to put him to death.
He knew what it was like to be accused of a crime he didn’t do and of being wrongfully convicted of that crime. He felt the pain of a Roman whip. The agony of a cross.
Jesus knew what it was to be human. Thus when we stand before him we will be without excuse.
We will be without excuse because he knows why we are like we are and what it is like to be human. Thus He can judge us fairly.
As a believer in Christ Jesus I believe that we can know here in this world whether we will enter Heaven or not. The apostle John states,

“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.

The apostle Paul makes it clear we cannot work our way to heaven it is a gift of God. Paul writing
“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.
Thus the question becomes are you willing to accept the saving grace of God that comes through Jesus. Are you willing to believe Jesus is the Son of God the Saviour of mankind by faith or are you not.
The choice in yours.
Please think about it.

You and God

You and God
James the half brother of Jesus writes,
“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;  but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.  
Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. 
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:13-17.
By nature God is good. He does not tempt us to do bad things.
God however has given us a free will. When God created man He did not create a robot. He gave each individual a freewill do to as he wished.
God set in the hearts of man and through his written law what God expected of each individual. We see this in a nutshell in the Ten commandments.
The ten commandments lay out for man, how God expects him to act with respect to God and his fellow man.
If man chooses not to do so he is sinning. Sinning is falling short of what God expects of the individual. And there is a penalty to be paid for disobedience of God’s laws. The apostle Paul noting,
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23.
Paul however notes there is hope for those who sin when he writes,
“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. 
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:5-8.
The apostle John quoting 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.
Thus you the reader and indeed every individual hearing about Jesus has a choice to make. Believe in God and believe that Jesus Christ is His one and Only Son the Saviour of mankind or not.
The choice is yours.
Please think about it.

You and God

You and God
The writer of Hebrews states.
“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 Bible is the Word of God. It sets down for all of mankind God’s ideals. It tells each individual what God requires of them. How God expects them to live morally and ethically. Within the Bible are God’s moral absolutes without which mankind cannot survive.
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.
As one reads the Bible it is possible to see just how far we fall short of God’s ideal. We cannot live a life that is good enough to stand before a Holy God. That is why in the Old Testament God called for the sacrifice of animals to cover the sins of man.
With the coming of Jesus however the sacrifice of animals became unnecessary as Jesus paid the price for all our sins.
The Apostle Paul tells us,
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.”1 Corinthians 15:3.
That’s why God  entered the world he created in the form of His one and only Son Jesus. To point mankind to Himself offering each individual eternal life.
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.
C. S. Lewis points out,
“He (Jesus), died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.” C.S. Lewis.
The Bible call us to turn to God. To confess our sins directly to Him.
In the New Testament the apostle John tell us,
“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.
God understands what it is to be a mortal man. He in the form of His one and only Son Jesus Christ walked the earth. He knew what it was to grown up as a child. He felt sun and rain against his face. He attended weddings and other events. Knew what it was like to be tempted. To be accused of a crime he didn’t commit. To be beaten unmercifully and executed in a most hideous way. And he did it all for us. That by His sacrificial death we can obtain eternal life.
The writer 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. 
All we have to do is accept by faith all Jesus did for us.
The apostle Paul tells us,
“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.
I know to the non-Christian this can sound strange. Even the apostle Paul notes,
“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.
God does not however do things the way we necessarily would do them. God does things his way and asks us to have faith in Him.
The writer of Hebrews saying
“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.
Are you willing to put your faith in Jesus? You faith in God?
Please think about it.

You and God

You and God
"I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help Him.  I ended up asking God to do His work through me." Hudson Taylor.
I think what Hudson Taylor said is true. Christians seem to go through various stages. The first is God help me. Many seem to stay here and see God as a servant or worse a “sugar daddy”. Someone to supply their needs.
If a Christian is truly progressing they then move on to the next step. They ask God if they can help Him as if God really needs help. Again many stay at this point. They wait for God’s reply and some do indeed help God in one way or another. Sadly however many wait their whole life waiting for God to ask them to help Him.
Again if Christians are truly progressing we go to the next step asking God to do His work through them.
It is only when we let God work through us that we can truly do His work.
Jesus just prior to his arrest and crucifixion while in the garden with his disciples said,
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”  
Luke 22:42. 
The key words being “not my will but yours be done.”
Someone once said,
“Most people wish to serve God — but only in an advisory capacity.” Author Unknown.
We must, if we truly want to do God’s work, be willing to let God work through us no matter what He asks.
Sadly too many Christians are not willing to do this.
The writer of Proverbs tells us,

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart 

and lean not on your own understanding; 

in all your ways acknowledge him,

 and he will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5,6.

The disciples did this and look what they did. Billy Graham said of the disciples.
“The men who followed Him (Christ), were unique in their generation. They turned the world upside down because their hearts had been turned right side up. The world has never been the same.” Billy Graham.
We if we are willing to let God do His work through us can do the same.
Are you willing?
Please think about it.

You and God

You and God

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 
But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1,2.
Where do you stand. Do you stand with God or not. You can’t have it both ways.
The book of Joshua records 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.
How committed are you to your God?
Over the years I’ve met many people who say they are committed Christians but a quick look at their actions brings that into question. I’ve known many people who have decided to skip a morning church service to go golfing or to a sports event or other secular event.
Many who go to church think nothing of skipping church to do other things when there is no need and many times you can do both.
I’ve met many who in the work place hide their faith for fear of being ostracized. Some even hide their faith from their neighbours.
Many fail to take a stand even on the most basic of Christian principle.
When given a choice between a midweek bible study many choose other things.
The bottom line here comes down to how strong is your commitment to Christ?
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. 
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 
“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 6:19-24.
Who do you serve?
The writer of proverbs tells us,
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”Proverbs 3:5,6.
Is God and Christ center of your life?
Please think about it.