Where does your help come from?

   Where does your help come from?

The Psalmist writes,

"I lift up my eyes to the hills— 

where does my help come from? 

My help comes from the LORD, 

the Maker of heaven and earth." 

                                               Psalm 121:1,2.

Where does your help come from? Do you rely on your wealth? Your family and friends? Your government? Your Lawyer? Your doctor?

While all of these things can help us. Ultimately all of them will fail us eventually. Ultimately we will find we need God.

It is to God we need to be turning every day of our lives. Thanking Him for life and what we have. 

Please think about it.

Love the Lord your God

Love the Lord your God
In the book of Deuteronomy we read,
“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  
These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  
Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”  Deuteronomy 6:5-7.
Jesus when asked,
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.
So my first question to you if you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus is; Do you truly “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind?”
My second question is; Do you “love your neighbour as yourself?”
My third question do you impress the importance of your faith on your children?
Please think about it.

A Reason

A Reason
John’s gospel records these words,

“Jesus wept.” 

           John 11:35.

Christians believe Jesus is God incarnate. God in the flesh. The apostle John states,
"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.
The writer of Hebrews states,
“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 1:3.
Many non-Christians ask the question if God is all powerful and all knowing why would he even bother entering the world He created?
I think the simple answer is to show mortal man that He fully understands the human condition.
Jesus while on this earth functioned as a normal man. He knew what it was like to feel the mundane things of this life. The sun on your face. The smell of dust after a rain. The radiant smell of flowers. The smell of cattle.
Jesus knew what it was like to have a loving mother and father.
Jesus knew what it was like to play as a child. To have friends and enemies.
Jesus also knew what it was like to be wrongfully convicted of a crime, to be beaten and put to death.
In his short thirty-three years on this earth Jesus experienced all that there was to experience about being human. The good and the bad.
Charles H. Spurgeon said,
“A Jesus who never wept could never wipe away my tears.” Charles H. Spurgeon.
When we stand before God we can never say “you are almighty and do not know what it is to be human.” because he does.
Not only that in dying for us he showed in human terms how far he would go to point us to heaven.
Billy Graham the American Evangelist said,
“God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, 'I love you.'” Billy Graham.
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.
If this statement is false there is nothing to fear. If it is true. At the very least there is a lot to consider.
Please think about it.

Love & Mercy

Love & Mercy
The apostle Paul wrote,
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.  
But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 1Timothy 1:15,16.
As believers in Christ Jesus I think we must be able to say like Paul we are the worst of sinners. 
The fact is, if you are indeed a follower of Christ Jesus, you have to admit you are a sinner. That you fall short of God’s ideal.
We must remember the words of the apostle Paul who said,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.
The apostle Paul writing to Titus said,
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” Titus 3:4,5.
We must remember the reason Jesus came to this earth. Jesus who 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.
The sole reason Jesus came into this world was to provide a way to heaven for anyone who would believe in Him.
As a result we believers in Christ Jesus, must do everything we can to present the Love of God, the Love of Jesus to all we come in contact with. That they may receive the saving grace of God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
We must be careful not to put up barriers between God and the individuals we come in contact with.
I like what James the half brother of Jesus wrote,
“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 2:12,13.
We are to show mercy even to our enemy. The apostle Paul writing,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  
Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.  
On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink....” Romans 12:18-20a.
We as believers in Christ Jesus are not allowed to Judge anyone. 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.
Judging others especially when we may not have all the facts puts up barriers between the individual and the one he or she is judging. In doing so it can create a barrier between the individual and God. This should never be so.
The late evangelist Billy Graham said,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict,

 God’s job to judge 

and

 my job to love,” 

                         Billy Graham.

If you claim to be a follower of Christ Jesus, do you admit you are a sinner saved through the cleansing blood of Christ Jesus, through the Grace of God?
Are you showing mercy to those around you, even your enemy?
Are you judging others or are you showing Mercy to those around you?
Are you truly showing the Love of God to all whom you come in contact with, friend and foe alike?
Please think about it. 

Friends of Jesus

Friends of Jesus

“You are my friends if you do what I command.  
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.  
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.  
This is my command: Love each other”
                                     John 15:14-17
Billy Graham said of the disciples,
“The men who followed Him 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.
This is how we should be willing to turn the world upside down by having our hearts right with God.
I have watched a television station we get over the air from the United States. They have a Christian version of everything secular. They are selling creams and beauty products. They are it seems pushing formulas or programs on how to feel better and live longer, all interspersed with Christian material.
Some of the programming is frankly terrible. They claim to be Christian but in my opinion are Christian by the slimmest of margins.
To quote Billy Graham again,
“Those outside the church expect followers of Christ to live differently, yet today many in church are chasing after the world - not to win them, but to be like them.”
                                                                                               Billy Graham
We must live a life that is different from the world. We must live a life that will change the world. Live for Christ. Why do we need a Christian diet plan or beauty products. What have such things to do with winning souls for Christ. If you want a diet plan any good nutritionist can give you one.
Our desire should be to win souls to Christ to live a life that is different from the world around us.
Francis of Assisi was right when he wrote,
“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”
                                                                                  Francis of Assisi.
People should be presenting the Gospel in word and in deed.
C. S. Lewis said,
“The safest road to hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”
                                                                                     C. S. Lewis.
Christians can find themselves on a slippery slope, if they are not careful. We can get caught up in things that sound very nice but are actually worthless.
We can get caught up in wanting to do Christian versions of worldly things and by doing so miss opportunities to tell those around us about Christ.
As Christians we have but one job given to us by Christ. It’s not to sell products or potions, real-estate or time shares.
It’s not to give to Christ so we can get more in return.
It’s to tell the world that Jesus in real. That he died for the sins of mankind. That he loves us so much that he gave his life for our sins.
Its to tell the world that eternal life is a free gift from God.
Are you doing your part?
Think about it.