Praise God before the gods

  Praise God before the gods

The Psalmist writes,

“I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; before the "gods" I will sing your praise. Psalm 138:1.

At first glance this verse seems to be an unnecessary statement in the twenty-first century. After all there are no “gods” in this century.

Quite the contrary there are as probably as many gods in 2024AD as there were in 2024BC. 

The thing is while the gods that were in 2024BC have faded into history. There has arisen new gods in 2024AD. Things that we may not realize we hold to be gods. A god by my way of thinking is anything we put our trust in blindly or otherwise. One of the most obvious ones being money and our material possessions. Other things might be religious or political leaders. Again people we follow blindly or otherwise.

Such gods can easily trick us into following them. By the promise of wealth or health or even prestige and social standing.

As believers in the One True God it is important for us to keep our eyes on Him. Not only that but openly praise the LORD with our whole heart publicly, in word and in deed.

We need to in a loving manner tell the world around us that we serve the LORD God Almighty.

If you consider yourself a Christian. Do you praise God publicly in word and deed?

Please think about it.

Are you willing to pay the price?

  Are you willing to pay the price?

Jesus said,

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  

When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:44-46.

This is how important Jesus and the salvation God offers through Him should be to us. We should be willing to sell everything we have to follow Christ.

The gospel of Mark records Jesus as saying,

“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Mark 8:34.

Sadly all to many people here in North America don’t count the cost of following Jesus. With all the freedoms we have we can do as we wish with not real consequences providing we don’t hurt someone.

In other parts of the world however following Jesus has a price. It can be anything from being shunned by family, to being force to leave their home, to prison, to being sentenced to hard labour in prison camps to death.

Yet despite the possible consequences people around the world truly believe they have found that “pearl of great value” and are willing to die for it.

Question... If you consider yourself a true Christian are you willing to pay whatever price is required to follow Christ. Are you willing to die for the cause of Christ?

Please think about it.

Extol, Boast, Rejoice, Glorify!

 Extol, boast, rejoice, glorify!

The Psalmist writes,

"I will extol the LORD at all times; 

his praise will always be on my lips. 

My soul will boast in the LORD; 

let the afflicted hear and rejoice. 

Glorify the LORD with me; 

let us exalt his name together." 

                                           Psalm 34:1-3.

A challenge for today. Take time to “extol” The Lord. Make it a habit to praise The Lord at all times. Take time to even boast in what The Lord has done for you. Take time to Glorify and exalt The Lord today.

Please don’t just think about it do it.

Do it in world and in deed

  Do it in word and in deed

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.

Question. Do you treat others the way you want to be treated? Even if you disagree with them?

Sadly many people in the world today do not treat people the way they want others to treat them.

Anne Frank a young Jewish girl in hiding from the Nazis in world war two wrote,

"Give of yourself, give as much as you can?  And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness!  If everyone were to do this and not be as mean with a kindly word, then there would be much more justice and love in the world.  Give and you shall receive, much more than you would have ever thought possible.  Give, give again and again, don't lose courage, keep it up and go on giving!  No one has ever become poor from giving!" Anne Frank.

Sadly Anne Frank died in a Nazi concentration camp at the hands of evil men and women who knew nothing of the Love of God.

Today without exception, in every country in the world, there are people, (some even saying they are doing things in the name of God), that are treating people in horrible ways. Ways they would never want to be treated.

Let we who consider ourselves Christians, followers of Christ Jesus follow what 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 don’t just think about it. 

Do it, in word and in deed.

Only by Love

  Only by 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 neighbour as yourself.'  

All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. Matthew 22:36-40.

Jesus also said,

"You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,..." Matthew 5:43,44

Napoleon the late emperor of France said,

  "...can you conceive of a dead man making conquests, with an army faithful and entirely devoted to his memory?... Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour, millions would die for him." Napoleon Bonaparte.

Jesus made it clear we are to love God our neighbour and even our enemy

Sometimes when I look at what tries to pass for Christianity here in North America where I live, I wonder if it truly is Christianity.

There are groups that look upon Christians as bigots intent on taking away their rights. There are others who see Christians intent on gaining political power so they can force their agenda on others. Neither of these groups see love.

Martin Luther Kin jr. the late American civil rights leader rightly said,

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.”

                                                                                   Martin Luther King, Jr.

Love opens doors to present the gospel of Christ Jesus. This is why we as believers in Christ Jesus must Love, God, family, friend and foe alike.

Are you doing this?

Please think about it.

Reaching others

 Reaching others.

  In Marks gospel we read of this incident in the life of Jesus,

"While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.  

When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners'?" 

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:15-17

Today there are many calling themselves Christians who are acting exactly the way the Pharisees were acting. 

The Pharisees it seems from the text would not sit with “sinners”. Which is a problem. It was a problem then, and it is equally a problem today.

Jesus told his disciples and through them us,

“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 28:19, 20.

As followers of Christ we cannot pick and choose who we reach for Christ. Not only that if we criticize, or try to restrict a persons lawful rights given them by a secular government we will push people away.

As believers in Christ Jesus we must always 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.

Only then will we be able to reach souls for Christ.

Please think about it.