Let the morning bring

 Let the morning bring

The Psalmist writes,

“Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,

for in you I trust.

Make me know the way I should go,

for to you I lift up my soul.” 

                                          Psalm 143:8.

No matter the circumstance we find ourselves in each morning. It is good to hear of God’s steadfast love. It is Good no matter where we find ourselves to know God is there for us. 

At the same time we should call on God each morning to show us the way we should be going. To direct us throughout the day, the week and beyond.

The Psalmist stating, 

“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.

Does you help truly come from The LORD, Maker of heaven and earth?

Please think about it.

Pray for the 365 million

 Pray for the 365 million

The apostle Paul writes,

"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."  

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” Romans 10:9-13.

As Christians we serve a God who calls all people from every nation to trust in Him by faith. He simply asks that we truly believe with our heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess with our mouth to those around us that “Jesus is Lord” we will be saved and enter heaven.

That being said, God understands that it is not safe to confess Jesus as Lord in some parts of the world. 

Paul and the other apostles certainly knew what it was like to be persecuted for their faith. They were thrown in prison, tortured, beaten, stoned, crucified, among other things. Yet they still confessed Jesus as Lord.

I firmly believe in places where Christians are persecuted they need to pray and ask for Gods protection. They need to ask God for wisdom in how to spread the gospel and who to talk to.

As for we who live in areas that are free from persecution. We need to remember our brothers and sisters who are suffering for their faith. Additionally we need to hold our persecuted brothers and sisters up in prayer before God. And do all we can to help them.

According to one British parliament report in 2023 “Around 365 million Christians are subject to "high levels of persecution and discrimination"

If you claim to be a true Christian are you at the very least praying for your persecuted brothers and sisters in the Lord?

Praying and doing what we can to help persecuted Christians in the world should not be something we simply think about. 

We need to at the very least pray!

Please pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world.

Your Peace

 Your Peace

In the book of Colossians we read,

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15.

If you claim to be a Christian. A true follower of Christ Jesus. Does the peace of Christ rule in your heart.

We live in a turbulent world. A world where the pressures of our daily life can if we are not careful rob us of our peace.

That’s why we need to set aside time each day to just be still and pray. Especially when we feel the troubles of the day causing us grief of whatever kind, we need to take time to pray and ask God to help us. To give us peace amid the storm we may be in.

Jesus tells us,

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.

God may not take our burdens away, but He will come along side us and help us carry that burden, and give us peace, if we would only go to Him in Prayer.

Please think about it.

Do you

 Do you

The apostle John writes,

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  

If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:16-18.

If you claim to be a Christian. A true follower of Christ Jesus. Is this the kind of love you show to those around you? Do you love not just with words, but with deeds?

Do you do what you can to help others?

Please think about it.

Their Stronghold

  Their Stronghold

The Psalmist writes,

"The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; 

he is their stronghold in time of trouble." 

                                                                      Psalm 37:39

We many go through a lot in life but if we put our trust in God, He will be there for us in our time of trouble.

That being said it takes a man or woman of faith to truly trust God in the hard times of life.

Do you trust God in both the good times and hard times of life?

Please think about it.

I lift up my eyes

  I lift up my eyes

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.

I am so glad that I can say my help comes from the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth.

I am so humbled that God in the form of His Son Jesus Christ came to this world to save me. To help me in times of trouble. To be my guide in life.

Can you say this?

Please think about it.

My Creator helps me

 My Creator helps me

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

For me being a Christian the greatest blessing I have is knowing that “My help comes from the LORD the maker of heavens and earth.”

The apostle John referring to Jesus as The Word 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.

That same Jesus who created the heavens and the earth is there for me at all times to help me through all that comes up in life both the good and the bad.

Can you dear reader say the same?

Please think about it.

A waring to the rich

  A warning to the rich 

Jesus told this story,

"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.  

At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores  and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 

"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried.  

In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.  

So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' 

"But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.  

And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' 

"He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house,  

for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' 

"Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' 

" ‘No, father Abraham,' he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' 

"He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' " Luke 16:19-31

Now as I have said in previous blogs there is nothing wrong with being rich or for that matter powerful. The problem arises when one misuses their wealth or power. When they put the wrong emphasis on their money or power.

I’m sure the rich man in the story could have helped Lazarus but chose not to. As a result he suffered the consequences.

If this man truly loved God he would have helped Lazarus and those like him. For it our faith in God that spurs us on to good works.

So the question becomes. Be you materially wealthy or not do you do what you can to help the poor around you?

Please think about it.

Helping

  Helping

Jesus told this story,

"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.  

At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores  and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 

"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried.  

In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.  

So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' 

"But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.  

And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' 

"He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house,  

for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' 

"Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' 

" ‘No, father Abraham,' he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' 

"He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' " Luke 16:19-31.

As I’ve mentioned in a previous blog there is nothing wrong with being rich. It’s what we do with that wealth that wealth that can cause a problem.

In the above story Lazarus a beggar was not helped by the rich man. Ultimately however God held the rich man as He will us to account.

The Bible has thousands of verses calling us to help the poor any way we can. That can be as simple as giving a beggar on the street some pocket change, food, a warm coat, gloves, or whatever we have on hand. Even giving to a reputable charity is helping the poor.

So what are you doing to help the poor where you live?

Please think about it. 

Rest in Jesus

  Rest in Jesus.

In the gospel of Matthew we read Jesus saying,

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30.

Today is the last day of the year of our Lord 2023. It has been a year of trials for my family and I. A year that proves what Jesus said in the scripture verses quoted above is true.

I cannot imagine going through what I have gone through without Jesus. Without the ability to turn to God in prayer and see those prayers answered. 

Question: Do you know God? Have you received the Saving Grace offered to all who believe in Christ Jesus?

The early apostles certainly did. And even though they were beaten, stoned, put in prison and even put to death they still believed.

Here’s a challenge for you if you have never accepted Christ into your life.

Take some time this coming year to read the New Testament and see what the early church and the apostles believed. Then decide for yourself if it is true or false.

Please think about it.

My help comes from The Lord

  My help comes from The Lord. 

The Psalmist states,

"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.

If you consider yourself a Christian, do you rely on your own strength to get you through from day to day? Do you only go to God when things start getting hard? When there is a crisis in your life?

As believers in Christ Jesus we should be looking each day to God to direct our paths. To show us what is right in His sight.

Are you doing this?

Please think about it.

Evidenced in good works

  Evidenced in good works

In the book of James we read,

"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

Lets make one thing clear according to the apostle Paul,

"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.

James is not speaking against this belief. Rather James is pointing out that true faith in Christ is evidenced in good works. 

He points out,

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

James notes that simply acknowledging there is a God (having an intellectual acknowledgement that God exists) is not enough as he states, "Even the demons believe that..."  

Simply saying to a person who is in need of food, shelter and clothing "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," is not enough. We need to put legs on our prayers and help them as much as we can.

Are you doing what you can to help those in need?

Please think about it.

Giving to the poor

  Giving to the Poor

In the book of Leviticus we read,

" ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.  

Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 19: 9,10.

God care for the poor. Within the scriptures there are over 2000 verses that deal with helping the poor.

Question are you doing what you can to help the poor where you live? Do you give a few at least a few coins to those begging on the street? Do you donate to a food bank?

Please think about it.

Where does you 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.

So where does your help come from. Your wealth, or God?

The Psalmist wrote,

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, 

but we trust in the name of the LORD our God" 

                                                                          Psalm 20:7.

Can you honestly say this?

Please think about it.

A Clear Directive

  A clear directive

Here is a clear directive from God to all who believe in Him. 

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,

 for the rights of all who are destitute. 

Speak up and judge fairly;

 defend the rights of the poor and needy.” 

                                                  Proverbs 31:8,9.

Here is something we Christians in North America need to get into our brains. We are to help the needy in any way we can. Speaking up for those in need means at times confronting our political leaders. Telling them they need to implement programs that will offer a living wage, free access to good health care, and affordable housing. In short giving the poor basic human rights.

Jesus stood up for the rights of the poor. In Luke 16:19-31 Jesus tells the story of the rich man who had everything this world had to offer but would not help a poor man. The result was the rich man ended up in hell while the poor man ended up in heaven. This should be a warning to all who are rich and to all who are not standing up for the rights of the needy.

Thus my questions to you; Are you speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves? For those in need?

Are the politicians and religious leaders you support standing up obeying what is said in Proverbs 31:8,9?

Please think about it.

Are you a Servant?

  Are you a Servant?

Jesus speaking to his disciples said,

“Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35.

The world thinks he who comes first is the greatest. But Jesus turned that on its head. He told his disciples that if you want to be first you must be servant of all.

It takes a lot to be a servant. It means at times being looked down on.

I knew a caretaker once who worked at a major university. Students and some staff looked down on him and others like him as uneducated only capable of doing menial work. But this man was proud of what he did. 

Not only that what the students and others who looked down on him didn’t realize was because of his work they could come to school. With out him and others like him the toilets wouldn’t be cleaned. The desks would left dirty and sticky and the garbage not removed. The result of which would mean the department of health shutting the school down.

This is what Jesus meant. Without knowing it this caretaker was one of the most important people in the school.

As believers in Christ Jesus we must be willing to serve all those around us. No matter who they are.

Are you a servant?

Please think about it.

Be Open Handed

 Be open handed.

"There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land." Deuteronomy 15:11

Some time ago I heard a politician we should make all those on welfare go out and get a job. I heard of one recently in the United States who wanted to eliminate social assistance.

All of this is easy to say if you’re wealthy. However there are many people in this world who either are working a jobs that pay below poverty line wages. People who have illnesses and cannot work. People who are mentally ill. And there are refugees who are not allowed to work.

Over the years I’ve met many people who live below the poverty line. I’ve met people who are on some kind of social assistance. From listening to them by far the majority of them would rather have meaningful employment with a living wage.

God loves the poor. God has made it clear that those who can should help the poor in the book of Leviticus we read,

" ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.  

Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 19: 9,10.

Later on in Leviticus we read

" ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.' " Leviticus 23:22.

This is a command from God. It was God’s way in ancient Israel of providing for the poor.

In the Talmud we read,

"Rabbi Akiba was asked by a Roman general, "Why does your God who loves the needy not provide for their support Himself?"  He answered, "God the Father of both the rich and poor, wants the one to help the other so as to make the world a household of love." The Talmud.

Thus my question to you is; If you consider yourself a Christian a true follower of Christ Jesus, do you do what you can to help the poor around you?

Please think about it.

God has your back

 God has your back

The Psalmist writes,

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 

If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 

If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Psalm 139:7-10.

Someone once said no matter where we go “God has our back”. The above quote from Psalm 139 certainly backs that statement up.

For me personally through the years God has shown this to be true. In my darkest hours and in times of my greatest happiness I have always known God is with me.

If you haven’t already done so. Why not take some time right now to ask God to come into your life and guide you?

Please think about it.

Guide me

 Guide me

The Psalmist writes,

"Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Saviour, and my hope is in you all day long." Psalm 25:4,5.

This to me is my prayer. As a believer in Christ Jesus, a believer in God, I want to know His ways. I want to know Gods truths. I want to follow God to the best of my ability.

This I believe should be what all believers in Christ Jesus wants.

As believers our hope should be in God our Saviour not only all day long but every day we live on this earth.

Question; Is your trust truly in God? Do you ask God to show you His ways and guide your paths?

Please think about it.

Look to The Lord

  Look to The Lord

In the book of 1Chronicels we read,

“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.”

                                                                            1 Chronicles 16:11

Billy Graham the late American evangelist wrote,

“The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, 'O God, forgive me,' or 'Help me.'” Billy Graham

As Christians. As believers in Christ Jesus, we need to look to The Lord not just daily but sometimes hourly or even minute by minute.

The Psalmist writes,

"I love you, O LORD, my strength. 

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; 

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. 

He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, 

my stronghold." 

                               Psalm 18:1,2.

We may not understand what is happening to us or why it is happening, but we have a God to whom we can cling to. A God whom we can look to, to get us through any trial that may come our way.

But only if we truly trust Him completely.

Please think about it.