My job is to love

My job is to Love
James the half brother of Jesus wrote,
“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.  
Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. James 3:5-10.
As believers in Christ Jesus we need to be careful what we say. What we say has the power to bring people closer to God or push them away.
When the gay pride parade was on in Toronto I was at a meeting of Christian believers unrelated to the pride parade. At the meeting someone got up and started to put down the LGBTQ community. The way it was said made it sound that if they didn’t aline their way of life with Christians it was wrong. It made it sound that they had a ‘special sin’.
With people saying this kind of thing is it any wonder members of the LGBTQ community are reluctant to enter a church?
The whole incident left me shaking my head.
We here in Canada live in a multicultural secular democracy that allows all faiths and lifestyles to exist in harmony along side one another.
In many ways we are like the Roman empire that embraced many cultures and faiths. That allowed people of different beliefs to interact. A good example of this was the apostle Paul speaking in the Areopagus in Athens.
The people who invited Paul to speak did not believe as Paul did. Yet they heard him speaking about his faith in the market square and asked him to speak.
They, I’m sure did this because Paul was not speaking out against their faith or their lifestyle. Paul was simply presenting the gospel message in as pure a way as he knew how to.
So it should be today in 2020.
The way I see it a great light is shining on those who believe in Christ Jesus. The world is watching and we need to tame our tongue.
The writer of Proverbs tells us,
“The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” Proverbs 15:4.
Jesus said,
"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  
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 28:18-20.
He did not tell us to judge and condemn anyone who’s faith or lifestyle was different from ours. He said make disciples. Teach them to obey everything he as commanded us to do.
Billy Graham the late American Evangelist said,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God's job to judge

 and my job to love,” 

                         Billy Graham.

If we remember this and present to gospel of Christ in a loving way we will win far more people to Christ than we will condemning someone because of their faith, their way of life, or their lifestyle.
  Please think about it. 

Words

Words
In the book of Proverbs we read,

“Reckless words pierce like a sword, 

but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” 

                                                      Proverbs 12:18.

Over the years I’ve been a Christian I’ve seen many things done in the name of Christ that should never have been done.
I’ve seen men and women both in the pulpit and in the pew that have said things that turn people away from God.
I’ve heard well meaning Christians say Atheist are going to burn in hell and expect to win Atheist to Christ. Hell being something an Atheist could care less about since they don’t believe in Hell.
I’ve seen Christians standing in front of Abortion clinics with signs condemning the practice.
While this may at first glance seem a good thing. It isn’t. If anything it will push people away from Christ.
Billy Graham the American evangelist wisely said,

"It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge

 and my job to love," 

                                 Billy Graham.

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.
The reason for Christ’s coming to this earth was to save individuals. To offer them eternal life with God. This is what Christians should be doing.
We have no right to judge anyone outside the church. The Apostle Paul said,
"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.
         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.
While I am not in favour of abortion it unfortunately is allowed in our secular governed society.
It perhaps is also a failure of the Church. That for many years heaped condemnation on women for getting pregnant out of wedlock, instead of showing them the unconditional love and compassion of Christ and providing them with help when they most needed it.
Likewise I cannot condemn an Atheist who’s turned further from God by hearing some Hell fire and brimstone Christian. A Christian who should have been sitting down and reasoning with him or her in good faith.
Sadly for a multitude of reasons Christians forget the words

“Reckless words pierce like a sword, 

but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” 

                                                      Proverbs 12:18.

Do you?
Please think about it.

Are you?

Are you?
The apostle Paul writes
“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  
“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:5,6.
Anyone who claims to be a follower of Christ Jesus needs to be wise, especially when dealing with those outside our faith. What we say and do has potentially eternal consequences. What we say and do can bring people to Christ or push them away.
In proverbs we read,

"Reckless words pierce like a sword, 

but the tongue of the wise brings healing."

                                                             Proverbs 12:18.

As Christians we need to be cautious about what we say. Words quite often hurt more than any physical pain. Our words must bring healing to those around us.

When dealing with others be they from outside our faith or fellow believers in Christ Jesus, we should always remember 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.

Are you?
Please think about it.

The Centurions faith

The Centurion’s Faith
“When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.  
“Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.” 
Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.” 
The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.  
For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 
When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.  
I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.  
But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 
Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.” Matthew 8:5-13.
Let me make things clear here Jesus was a Jew. The Church and its split from Judaism was in the future. All believers at this time were Jews.
In the centurion however we have a gentile, a none Jew who believed Jesus at the very least could heal people. A centurion who cared about his servant. Who was humble enough to say to Jesus “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof...” 
A man who had the faith to say “...But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” To which Jesus said,
 “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.”
Within the church today we have many people who believe in God. Who believe Jesus is all he claims to be but lack the faith of this centurion.
That lack of faith many times prevents things from happening.
The writer of Hebrews states,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.”  

Hebrews 11:1.

Faith is the key to a Christian life. The apostle Paul states,

“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.

It is by faith and the grace of God we get into heaven. Our faith however can result in much more when done in conjunction with God’s will.
Earlier in Matthew eight we heard of the man with Leprosy being healed. The man at that time saying “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Matthew 8:2.
Jesus was willing and the man was healed. His faith in conjunction with the will of God healed him.
There are many who ask why does not God heal people today. The answer is He does. Perhaps not as many as some faith healers and evangelist in the media would have us believe. But God does heal.
I know for certain my former pastor was healed of inoperable colon cancer the doctors confirmed this.
There are also well documented cases of people being miraculously healed by God. After all God is the same yesterday, today and forever. We have testimony that God healed people in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament. Likewise he is doing it today.
Sadly there are a lot of fakes out there. Men and women who claim God uses them to heal people but do not. People that brings dishonour to God.
That being said, faith is the key to a Christian life. Whether one is healed or not is ultimately up to the will of God.
God knows what is best for the individual and his will should always prevail.
Please think about it.