Mercy Triumphs over Judgement

 Mercy triumphs over judgement

In the book of James we read,

"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.

As Christians we need to speak and act as someone who is going to be judged. Just because we have accepted Christ by faith doesn’t mean we can go on sinning or we have the right to judge someone.

The apostle Paul writes,

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” Romans 6:1,2.

Jesus said,

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." Luke 6:37.

As Christians, as believers in Christ Jesus, we will never win a soul to Christ if we go on sinning or judging people.

Ultimately we need to remember to treat people the way we want to be treated, Jesus saying,

"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 think about it. 

Sing, Praise, Proclaim, Declare,

 Sing, Praise, Proclaim, Declare

The Psalmist states,

"Sing to the LORD a new song; 

sing to the LORD, all the earth. 

Sing to the LORD, 

praise his name;

 proclaim his salvation day after day. 

Declare his glory among the nations, 

his marvellous deeds among all peoples." 

                                                           Psalm 96:1-3

If you claim to be a true follower of Christ do you do as the psalmist says?

Do you...

Sing to the Lord?

Praise Gods name?

Proclaim Gods salvation?

Declare Gods glory?

Proclaim Gods marvellous deeds?

Please think about it.

His love never ends

  His love never ends

In the book of Lamentations we read,

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22,23.

As a believer in Christ Jesus it is nice to know that the God I praise and worship has a love that never ceases.

Thus I can say with the Psalmist,

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, 

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

                                                                     Psalm 20:7.

How about you do you trust in the Lord God Almighty?

Please think about it.

When they see you

 When they see you

The apostle John writes,

"It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.  

And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another.  

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love." 2 John 1:4-6

Jesus said,

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34,35.

So here is my question to anyone reading this who claims to be a Christian. When people see your words and deeds do they see God in you?

Please think about it.

My Peace I give to you

 My Peace I give to you

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27.

Are you at peace or is your life in turmoil?

We live in a world that is seemingly out of control. A world that pulls us in every direction. So much so peace seems illusive.

The Psalmist writes,

"Be still, and know that I am God;

 I will be exalted among the nations, 

I will be exalted in the earth." 

                                          Psalm 46:10.

It can take effort to be still and listen to what God has to say to you, but we must do this. 

   For it’s only taking time from our busy lives and being still that we can hear God amid the storm life.

If you truly believe in God, why not take sometime right now to be still before God and listen to what he has to say to you,

Please think about it.

Love the God

  Love the God

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 here is reflecting the what was said in the book of Deuteronomy. Which reads,

"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.

These two scriptures says it all. We are to love God and our neighbour with all our heart and soul. We are to tell of Gods love wherever we go. Further more we are to impress our love of God on our children. 

If you claim to be a Christian. A true follower of Christ Jesus are you doing this?

Please think about it.

The Psalmist writes

 The great question

The Psalmist writes,

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105.

Question, does Gods word really light your path?

What guides you through life?

The late American evangelist Billy Graham said,

“The great question of our time is, 'Will we be motivated by materialistic philosophy or by spiritual power?” Billy Graham.

We are surrounded on all sides by materialism. As such we must make the same choice Joshua gave the Israelites when he said,

"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.  

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:14,15.

Jesus made things clear when he said,

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Matthew 6:24.

So who are you going to serve?

Think about it.

He was in the Beginning

 He was in the beginning

In the gospel of John we read,

“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 above scriptures say is all. Christians believe that Jesus is God.

 “That through him all things were made; and without him nothing was made that has been made...”

I know to non-Christians this seems foolish. Even the apostle Paul noted,

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18.

The way I look at it if Jesus wasn’t God Incarnate why would the writers of the New Testament say he was?

Which raises the question do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Saviour of all who would believe in him?

Before you answer take time to read the New Testament praying and asking God to show you the truths that are held within it.

Please think about it.

In whom do you trust?

 In whom do you trust?

In the book of Lamentations we read,

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

"The LORD is my portion" says my soul, "therefore I will hope in Him" Lamentations 3:22-24.

As a believer in Christ Jesus. As a Christian. I am so thankful that I worship a God whose love never ceases. A God who is with me through the good times and the bad times. A God in whom I trust.

The Psalmist writes,

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." Psalm 20:7.

Do you worship the Lord God Almighty? Who do you trust?

Think about it.

With Thanksgiving and Praise

  With Thanksgiving and praise 

The Psalmist writes,

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving 

and his courts with praise; 

give thanks to [God] and praise his name." 

                                                            Psalm 100:4

Our lives can be hectic. So hectic that we forget about God. Likewise quite often we fill our prayers asking God to help us and provide for us. All of which are good things to do.

That being said we need to take time to just praise God. To thank God for all He has done for us.

Why not take time now to enter Gods gates with thanksgiving and praise.

Please think about it.

For those who cannot speak

 For those who cannot speak

In the book of proverbs we read,

"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 a clear statement to all who love God. To all who call themselves Christians. We must speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.

To my understanding there is about 2000 verses in the bible related to helping the poor.

In Deuteronomy we read,

Deuteronomy 15:11: "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.

In Isaiah we read,

"If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday."Isaiah 58:10

In Proverbs we read,

"A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge." Proverbs 29:7.

Jesus said,

"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." Matthew 10:8.

Proverbs states,

"Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done." Proverbs 19:17.

The lists goes on and on. Which shows that God wants us to care for the poor. So my question to you is,

If you consider yourself a Christian. A true follower of Christ Jesus are you helping the poor? Are you speaking out to those in authority to politicians and standing up for those who cannot speak for themselves?

Please think about it.

Why were we created

 Why were we created?

In the book of Genesis we read,

“So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.”

                                                  Genesis 1:27

So why were we created? The simplest explanation I’ve heard is that God created us so that we could have fellowship with Him.

That being said we were also created to interact with others.

The Talmud makes an interesting statement it states,

“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.

In the book of Ephesians we read,

“For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10.

If you claim to be a Christian. A true follower of Christ Jesus are you doing good works?

Please think about it. 

Some questions for Christians

  Some questions for Christians

The Psalmist writes, 

"On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. 

Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 

My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me." Psalm 63:6-8.

Question: If you claim to be a Christian can you say what the Psalmist says in the above scripture.

Do you remember God throughout the night?

Is God truly your helper?

Do you sing to God?

Do you truly cling to God?

Please think about it.

The call of the Christian

  The call of the Christian

Jesus said,

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  

Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16.

Notice here that Jesus says We are the light of the world. It is the individual Christian that is the light of the world. It is we who follow Christ Jesus that use the Bible to enlighten the world. To show Gods love to the world.

It is therefore imperative that we don’t hide our faith but rather share it with others.

If you consider yourself a Christian, a true follower of Christ Jesus are you sharing your faith?

Please think about it. 

If we walk in the Light

  If we walk in light

"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.  

If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.  

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1John 1:5-7.

Here is a sign of a true Christian. They walk in the light of God. As the apostle Paul states they show the fruit of the spirit. Paul writing,

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22,23.

As apposed to the acts of the sinful nature that Paul says is,

“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.”

By watching what a person does you can clearly distinguish who is truly a Christian, a follower of Christ Jesus and who is not.

True Christians always do their best to their best to walk in the light of God.

Please think about it. 

Belonging to The Lord

  Belonging to The Lord

The apostle Paul writes,

"For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.  

If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” Romans 14:7,8.

This is a very clear statement. If you truly love Christ and accepted Him as your Saviour. Then whether you live or die you belong to the Lord.

Question: Are you sure you belong to the Lord?

Please think about it.

Blessed are those who have not seen

 Blessed are those who have not seen

The Apostle Paul wrote,

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.  

After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.  

Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles," 1Corinthians 15:3-7.

This is an important scripture. It tells us that...

Christ died for our sins.

That Christ was buried,

That Christ was raised from the dead on the third day.

That Christ appeared to the apostle Peter and the other apostles.

That Christ appeared to five hundred others.

What is also important here is that Paul noted that at the time of his writing most were still living. So there was first hand reports of Jesus rising from the dead and walking the earth.

Now these people believed because they seen it. But we today are asked to believe their accounts by faith.

Jesus speaking to Thomas said,

"Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:29.

So dear reader do you believe Jesus is the Son of God, the Saviour of all who will believe in Him.

Please think about it.

Egg, devil, or God

 Egg, devil, or God

Jesus said,

"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:37-40

This is an incredible statement. Jesus essentially states that he and God are equal. 

In another incident John records this incident between him and a crowd. John records,

“I and the Father are one.” 

Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” 

“We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” John 10:30-33.

Jesus knew the penalty of blasphemy yet he still kept to his claim that he was God. 

C. S. Lewis wrote,

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

So make your choice.

Please think about it.

Enter Gods Gates

  Enter Gods gates

The Psalmist writes,

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to [God] and praise his name." Psalm 100:4.

When was the last time you simply stopped asking God for things or to do things and simply gave him thanks and praise for all he’d done for you?

Why not take sometime right now to thank and praise God for all he has done for you?

Please think about it.

You rich people

 You rich people,

Jesus told this parable,

“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 let me say, that there is nothing wrong with being rich. Many wealthy men and women over the centuries have used there wealth to help the church and the poor. The apostle Paul writes,

"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.

That being said in the book of James we see a warning to rich people who have not done right by the poor. James writes,

"Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.  

Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.  

Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.  

Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.  

You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.  

You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you." James 5:1-6

Please think about it.