Showing posts with label Christians lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christians lifestyle. Show all posts

Tuesday 5 January 2016

To Christians

To Christians

“An aged man, whom Abraham hospitality invited to his tent, refused to join him in prayer to the one spiritual God.  Learning that he was a fire-worshipper.   Abraham drove him from his door.  That night God appeared to Abraham in a vision and said: ‘I have borne with that ignorant man for seventy years: could you not have patiently suffered him one night?”
                                                                                                                The Talmud.
I know the Talmud is not a Christian book of faith. It is not considered by Christians as an inspired word of God. But the message the above quote gives is applicable to Christians.
All to often Christians give up on people. They as Abraham did drive them from their door. From their sphere of influence.
They do it a lot of time my judging people. Two classic examples are abortionist and the gay community.
I’ve seen people calling themselves Christians protesting at abortion clinics with signs saying “abortionist will burn in hell”. I’ve see the same kind of thing when it comes to people in the gay community.
Jesus and the disciples never protested against Rome or any other group.
People calling themselves Christians are especially hard on the LGBT (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered) community.
They call on governments to, in extreme cases jail homosexuals. As has sadly happened in some African countries.
Here in North America those calling themselves Christians, seek to prevent a secular government who tries to help all people irrespective of who they are, from granting Gay’s the right to marry. All simply because they disagree with them.
This in my opinion is wrong. You may not agree with someone’s lifestyle but as a Christian you have no right to Judge.
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.
The Apostle Paul wrote,
“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.
Sadly there are many out there claiming to be Christians who are not obeying the words of Jesus and Paul.
When was the last time you heard of Christians expelling the wicked from among them? Standing up to false teachers?
Only God knows the hart of men. That’s why we are under God not allowed to judge people especially those outside the church.
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.
The way I see it. What the Psalmist is saying is, God knows our very make up. He knows why we are the way we are. He knows our genetic make up, saying
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”
That is why he and not we can judge people.
James the brother of Christ issues Christians a warning, saying,
“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.  
But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.  
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.  
For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. 
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,  because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!”
                  James 2:8-13.
As Christians we are not to judge another human being. For in doing so we are driving those who need the Love of God, the Love of Christ away from that love.
God has placed a great weight on the Christian. It is our job to reach the world for Christ. To keep our own house in order, and not judge a soul outside the church.
Please think about it. 

Wednesday 28 October 2015

Are you content

Are you content?

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
                                                                             Philippians 4:12,13.
Are you content with what you have?
There is what I and many Christians consider a dangerous teaching circulating in evangelical Christian circles. That of “name it, claim it.” it sometimes goes by “seed faith.”
Simply put the teachers of this as my pastor puts it, “blab it grab it” doctrine, teach that if you give to God’s ministry (quite often a code for their particular ministry) God will give you back ten, a hundred, or even a thousand fold over what you gave.
They treat God like a sugar daddy or super banker giving unbelievable interest on what you give.
Many espousing this doctrine go further saying if you don’t receive the increase your faith is weak. If that’s the case then there are many Christians including pastors who’s faith is weak. Because by far the majority of Christians are not wealthy and when they give to God they don’t get the ten, hundred, or thousand fold increase.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” 
                                                                                                                     Philippians 4:19.
Notice Paul states “And my God will meed all your needs”
The people he was talking to had helped him out and he was giving them a blessing stating God will give them their needs. Not necessarily make them rich.
Now there is nothing wrong with being rich. There are many wealthy Christians that help with the spread of the gospel. However Paul writing to Timothy warned,
“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.
It is precisely the love of money that have caused people to wander from the faith.
The writer of Hebrews states,
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  
                                                                                   Hebrews 13:5.
Our faith must be in God not in money. Wealth comes with its own set of problems and as the apostle Paul said,
“Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
As Christians we need to be always striving to do better even in the area of wealth but the acquiring of wealth should not be the primary thing in our life. It should not pull us away from God.
I have known a lot of people over the years that have worked long hours to try and get the nice house and all the toys that go with it.
When it’s come to a choice to get more overtime to earn more money they have chosen it over going to Church and serving God.
Many Christians today are like non-Christians, they are heavily in debt and striving to make ends meet.
We as Christians need to heed the words of the writer of the book of Hebrews who said,
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  
                                                                               Hebrews 13:5.
Think about it.