What do they read?

 What do they read?

Jesus said,

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  

Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven Matthew 5:14-16.

Charles H Spurgeon said,

"The Bible is not the light of the world, it is the light of the Church. But the world does not read the Bible, the world reads Christians! "You are the light of the world." Charles H. Spurgeon.

“You are the light of the world” said Jesus to His followers. So if you are a follower of Jesus; When the world reads your words and deeds what do they see?

Please think about it.

You are a Branch

  You are a branch

Jesus said,

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  

If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. " John 15:4-6.

As Christians, believers in Christ Jesus it is imperative that we draw and stay close to God. Unless we seek out God in prayer and by studying His word we run the risk of falling

away. That’s why it is important for us to meet with other believers either in Church, house fellowships or wherever believers meet.

In the book of Hebrews we read,

"...let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.     Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:22,23.

Please think about it.

If you look

  If you look

In the book of Deuteronomy we read,

"But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul."  Deuteronomy 4:29.

An unknown writer stated,

“Maybe the atheist cannot find God 

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

                                                                              Author Unknown.

In order to truly find God you have to be looking for Him. Sadly too many people are not looking for God. Equally sad is the fact that many people have made up their minds that there is no God without at least reading the New Testament or the Bible as a whole.

As the writer of Deuteronomy states you have to look for God with your whole heart and soul.

Are you?

Please think about it. 

If your brother

  If your brother

In the book of Leviticus we read,

“If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you.”Leviticus 25:35.

Here is a powerful statement for all believers. We are to help those who cannot help themselves. A similar sentiment is written in the book of James it states,

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  

If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 

You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?" James 2:14-20.

Around the world there is a refugee crisis. The numbers of refugees fleeing their home countries is overwhelming. Aid agencies and indeed countries are finding it hard to cope with the numbers. A hundred million people by one estimate are displaced. Forty percent are children under eighteen.

As believers in Christ Jesus we are told by Jesus himself to,

"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.

The bottom line for those who believe in Christ Jesus is we are to help those who are in need to the extent we are able.

Please think about it.

One of them

 One of them

"Jesus wept." 

                  John 11:35

The great evangelist Charles H. Spurgeon said,

"A Jesus who never wept

 could never wipe away my tears."

                                            Charles H. Spurgeon.

As Christians, believers in Christ Jesus we believe that Jesus is God incarnate, God in the flesh. We believe that God in the form of Jesus came down from heaven to show us how far He would go in human terms to point us to heaven.

The apostle Paul wrote,

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”  Romans 3:23,24.

No one can ever stand before God on judgement day and say “you don’t understand what it is like to be human” because He does.

Jesus came to this earth as the child of an ordinary couple. Thus Jesus experienced the full range of what it is to be human. Jesus was a political refugee. His family having to flee to Egypt to avoid being killed by Herod. Jesus sat in the temple and discussed the scripture with learned men of his day. 

He undoubtedly had friends as he was growing up that he played with. He felt the everyday things like the sun on his face, rain. 

We know He attended a wedding probably one of a number of social events in his life.

At the other end of the spectrum Jesus felt the worst of what mankind could do. He felt what it was like to fall into the hands of evil men. To be mocked and beaten before being hung on a cross to die.

So when we stand before God we can never say you don’t understand because he does. 

Not only that to all who would believe in Him scripture tells us,

"For the Lamb (Jesus) at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Revelations 7:17.

Thus the question becomes; Will you be one of them?

Please think about it.

Will you be one of these?

  Will you be one of these?

The writer of Hebrews notes,

“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.

Here the writer is in echoing the words of Ecclesiastes that 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.

I believe this is not just a warning to the world around but to those who claim to be Christians especially. Lets face it, it is most likely that the people who read these two passages of Scripture the most are Christians.

As a result I believe if you believe in Christ Jesus you must examine yourself to see that you are truly in right standing with God.

Is your faith purely intellectual? Do you acknowledge God exists but don’t truly have a spiritual commitment to God? Are you truly doing what God wants you to do; The way God wants you to do it?

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!’” Matthew7:22,23.

Will you be one of these?

Please think about it.

Is everything Meaningless?

 Is everything meaningless?

In the book of Ecclesiastes we read,

“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labour. 

Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 2:10,11.

If there is no God then the above statement is true. “everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind;...”

Some atheist say when we die we will live on in the memories of others. A statement that is not completely true. Perhaps if we have made a great discovery we may be remembered in some history book. But most of us will be forgotten within a generation or so.

Ask yourself, where was your great, great, great grandmother or father born? What was the colour of their eyes? What was their favourite piece of music? Where is their grave? What was their greatest achievement? Few people can answer these questions.

So my question to anyone who does not believe in God is where is the purpose in life if we are forgotten within a few generations? If all our achievements are only remembered in some dusty history book?

The way I see it without God life is meaningless. God’s existence makes life worthwhile. God gives us something to look forward to when this life is over.

The writer of Ecclesiastes comes to this conclusion,

“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.” Ecclesiastes12:13,14.

Jesus said,

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son". John 3:16-18.

This statement of Jesus if right, and I believe it is. It is God’s offer to each individual of eternal life with Him. While at the same time giving a warning to all who would not believe.

It is a statement that all who hear about Jesus must consider carefully.

Please think about it.

Eternity and you

Eternity and you
In the book of Ecclesiastes we read,
“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. 
Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 2:10,11.
If there is no God then the above statement is true.”everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind;...”
Some atheist say when we die we will live on in the memories of others. A statement that is not completely true. Perhaps if we have made a great discovery we may be remembered in some history book. But most of us will be forgotten within a generation or so.
Ask yourself, where was your great, great, great grandmother or father born? What was the colour of their eyes? What was their favourite piece of music? Where is their grave? What was their greatest achievement? Few people can answer these questions.
So my question to anyone who does not believe in God is where is the purpose in life if we are forgotten within a few generations? If all we are on this earth to do is procreate.  If all our achievements are only remembered in some dusty history book.
The way I see it without God life is meaningless. God’s existence makes life worthwhile. God gives us something to look forward to when this life is over. Eternal life with Him.
The writer of Ecclesiastes after a close examination of life 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. 
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.
Ultimately the choice is yours. You can choose to believe there is no God, or you can choose to believe in God.
Think carefully about it for the choice you make, I believe, has eternal consequences.
Please think about it.

Faith, the Atheist, the Believer and God

Faith, the Atheist the Believer and God.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” 
                                                                                                               Hebrews 11:1
The above statement is as true for the atheist as for the believer. An atheist looks around and because he can’t see feel or touch God, his faith tells him there is no God.
The believer on the other hand looks around him sees the universe from the largest galaxies to the smallest sub atomic particles in perfect order and says there has to be a God who created all of this.
Whether you are a Christian or an Atheist you must act on faith. When an atheist says there is no God he assumes that simply because he can’t see God he doesn’t exist. Such assumptions can lead down the wrong path.
It is possible for something to exist without being able to feel see or touch it. Scientist for centuries have postulated something exists before they actually find it. That’s true of many things from the smallest sub atomic particle to black holes. Just because we can’t see them doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
So it is with God. We many not be able to see Him but if we look carefully at the world around us we can see his handiwork.
The Psalmist wrote,
“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
Ben Zion Bosker wrote,
“I have not seen the robin but I know he is there because I heard him singing through my window from the tree-top outside.
I have not seen God.  But I have looked at my child’s eyes, and have been overwhelmed by the miracle of unfolding life.
I have watched the trees bedeck themselves with new garbs of green in the spring, and have been stirred by the miracle of continual rebirth.
I have looked at the stars, and have been overcome by the miracle of the grandeur and majesty of the universe.
I know that God exists, because I have heard the song of His presence from all the tree-tops of creation.”
             Ben Zion Bokser
Ultimately neither I or any believer will ever be able to sway the most ardent atheist. No matter what we say or what we present will change them. They have their beliefs and I have mine.
I would however leave this suggestion for any Atheist or for that matter anyone be they Christian or of another faith. I would ask them to pick up a copy of the book Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. It’s in paper back and inexpensive.  All major book stores, even if it’s not on their selves can get it for you.
I would ask that you read it and consider what Lewis says.
Please think about it.