There will come a time

  There will come a time

In the book of Obadiah we read,

"For the day of the LORD is near upon all nations.

As you have done, it shall be done to you;

your deeds shall return on your own head" 

                                                                Obadiah 1:15.

I like this quote from Billy Graham it states,

“The Bible says today is the accepted time, today is the day of salvation... 

But there will come a time when it will be too late for you.” 

                                                                                             Billy Graham.

Are you prepared to meet God? Have you acknowledged by faith that there is a God who sent His One and Only Son to save our souls? Have you confessed your sins to God and accepted the salvation that comes through Christ Jesus?

The apostle Paul telling us,

"...Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord

 will be saved." 

                                                Romans 10:13.

So have you called upon the name of the LORD and confessed your sins to Him?

Please think about it.

God's Anvil

 God's Anvil

In the book of Acts we have this account of the apostles being brought before the Sanhedrin,

"Then someone came and said, "Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people."  

At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them. 

Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest.  

"We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood." 

Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!  

The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.  

God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Saviour that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.  

We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him." 

When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death." Acts 5:25-33.

Then a Pharisee named Gamaliel spoke,

 “A Pharisee named Gamaliel a teacher of the Law an honoured man, standing before the Sanhedrin as they were presiding over the trial of Christ’s apostles said,

“Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.  

But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” Acts 5:38,39.

There’s a poem by an unknown author that I’ve always liked it reads,

Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith’s door,

And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;

Then, looking in, I saw upon the floor

Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.

“How many anvils have you had,” said I,

“To wear and batter all these hammers so?”

“Just one,” said he, and then, with twinkling eye,

The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.”

And so, thought I, the anvil of God’s Word,

For ages skeptic blows have beat upon;

Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,

The anvil is unharmed - and hammers gone.

                                                                Anonymous      

 Gamaliel and the poet were right. The Gospel message is of God. As a result today Christianity is the largest religion in the word and all who have tried to destroy it have failed.

Please think about it.

Calls on the name

 Calls on the name

The apostle Paul writes, 

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  Romans 3:23,24.

Sin is falling short of the mark. Falling short of Gods expectations for us.

Isaiah the prophet writes,

“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” Isaiah 64:6

God knew we would always fall short of his expectations. That's why he sent Jesus to us.

Writing to Titus Paul states,

"But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour 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.

Writing to the Ephesians Paul writes,

"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.

We cannot work our way into heaven. It is only by accepting Gods grace that comes through Christ Jesus that we can enter heaven. The apostle Paul writing,

“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.

Do you believe Jesus in Lord the Saviour of all who trust in him?

Please think about it.

God's showed you

  God’s showed you

In the book of Micah we read,

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

Here the prophet Micah tells us what has to be the most basic actions believers in God, believers in Christ Jesus has to do.

Act justly

Love mercy

Walk humbly with God.

If you claim to be a believer in God. A believer in Christ Jesus. Are you doing these things?

Please think about it.

Principle for living #8 Love

 Principle for Living #8, Love. 

The writer of Proverbs states,

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; 

bind them around your neck, 

write them on the tablet of your heart. 

Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” 

                                                                                             Proverbs 3:3,4.

The American civil right leader Martin Luther King Jr. said,

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

During the height of world war two Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver wrote,

“There is one other fundamental difference between love and hate.  Love is always a refuge.  Hate is never a refuge.  Only a mentally sick person can find refuge in his hates.  But love is the enduring sanctuary of life.  Life may rob you of many things.  It often does.  But it can never bereave us of love itself.  That remains.” Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver, rabbinic leader, from a December 22, 1940, sermon

I truly believe our faith in God should result in us showing unconditional love for those around us. Our neighbours, our families, Our friends, even our enemies.

Love is a universal truth that Atheist as well as men and women with Faith in God can agree is good for both individuals and society as a whole.

The apostle Paul defines love this way,

“Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails....

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.”  

                                  1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13

There is a famous prayer by Francis of Assisi that I believes says it all. Especially if one calls themselves a believer in Christ. It states,

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love,

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” 

                                                            Francis of Assisi

Please think about it.

Principles for living #4

 Principles for living #4 

Live at Peace with those around you.

The apostle Paul wrote,

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”  Romans 12:18.

The writer of Hebrews states,

“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14.

The Apostle Peter tells believers in Christ Jesus,

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 

Dear friends,

 I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:9-12.

Believers in Christ Jesus are called to live a good and peaceful life. A life of holiness. 

As believers in Christ we need to take a look at the actions of Jesus and the apostles. They never spoke out against anyone outside their faith. They never protested for any reason. They did as far as was possible live at peace with those around them. They lived a life of love. 

In doing so they opened up doors to talk with other groups throughout the known world. As a result in just over a century, Christianity had spread throughout the known world.

These men and women respected all those they came in contact with. They lived peaceful loving lives.

As a result they stood in the Areopagus in Athens and spoke to the learned men and women there. They spoke with politicians, soldiers, tax collectors, and people of every strata of society from slaves to rulers.

This is what we in the twenty-first century church need to do. Are you?

Please think about it.

Principles for living #3 Christian attributes

  Principles for living #3 Christian attributes 

The Apostle Paul writing to believers in Christ Jesus tells us,

“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.

Here is a simple test for anyone calling themselves a believer in Christ Jesus. Now keep in mind believers in Christ are far from perfect. We are all human with human frailties and failings. 

That being said however as believers in Christ we should be striving to be Christ like. We should be trying to make the fruits of the spirit part of our daily life. 

Francis of Assisi wrote,

“The deeds you do

 may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 

                                                                     Francis of Assisi.

If our lives are exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control, the sermon people will see in us is the Love of Jesus.

Question: When people see your life do they truly see the fruit of the Spirit of God?

Please think about it.

Principles for living #2 Deeds

 Principles for Living #2 Deeds

James the half brother of Jesus states,

“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.

There are many Christians who will tell you, you are saved by faith. That is true. However James here make it clear our faith needs to be accompanied by works. Good deeds.    If we indeed have true faith in Jesus it will spur us on to good deeds. Simply believing in God should never be enough for the believer in Christ Jesus. We need to put our faith into action.

Jesus made this clear when he said,

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  

I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  

When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  

When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  

For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,  

I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 

“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Matthew 25:34-46.

If you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus are you putting your faith into action?

Please think about it.

Principle to live by #1

 Principle to live by #1

There are some very important precepts within Christianity that all true believers in Christ Jesus I believe must be following. The first is Love.

Jesus said when asked the question,

“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 neighbor as yourself.’  

All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40

Earlier in Matthews gospel we hear Jesus taking this concept of love one step further. He said,

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,...” Matthew 5:43,44.

When it comes to Love the Apostle Paul made clear what Christian Love should be. He wrote,

“Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast,

 it is not proud.  

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails....

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.”  

                                                    1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.

What these Scriptures from the New Testament say needs no interpretation. They make clear that believers in Christ Jesus should love unconditionally, God, their neighbour, and even their enemy. And The should be praying for those who persecute them.

If you consider yourself a believer in Christ Jesus do you show this kind of Love to those around you?

Please think about it. 

From Ecclesiastes

 From Ecclesiastes 

In the book of Ecclesiastes we read these four statements,

"What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun" Ecclesiastes 1:9

"I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind."Ecclesiastes 1:14

"Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole  duty of man. 

For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." Ecclesiastes12:13,14.

Is this not true? Think about it? The richest and poorest people on the planet will one day stand before God, equal. All of their earthly possessions divided among others.

The only thing they will have when they stand before God is their faith and the deeds they have done. And as the writer states,

“...God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”

When you stand before God what will He say about you?

Please think about it.

Defend

 Defend

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.

This is a simple truth God wants all believers to follow. To the extent we are able we are to speak up, 

“for the rights of those who cannot speak for themselves, 

for the rights of all who are destitute”

Have you ever done this? Are you as a believer in Christ Jesus willing to do this?

Please think about it.

Nine do nots

  Nine do nots 

In the book of Exodus we read,

1 "Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.

2 "Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd.

3And do not show favouritism to a poor person in a lawsuit.

4 "If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it.

5 if you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load do no leave it there; be sure you help them with it.

6 "Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits.

7 have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty.

8 "Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent.

9"Do not oppress the foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be a foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt. Exodus 23:1-9.

Here in the book of Exodus we have made clear to us what we are not to do in nine verses. Look carefully through it and ask yourself “am I doing any of them?”

Please think about it.

Teaching your child

  Teaching your child

In the book of Proverbs we read,

“Train a child in the way he should go, 

and when he is old he will not turn from it.” 

                                                                         Proverbs 22:6

Our Children are our future. Thus it is important that we give them a moral and ethical compass from the earliest possible age.

Now while the Talmud is not a Christian book. What it says does aline with Christian belief. In the Talmud we read,

“Whoever teaches his son teaches not alone his son but also his son's son, and so on to the end of generations.” The Talmud.

So if you claim to be Christian. A true follower of Christ Jesus what are you teaching your children?

Please think about it.

Statutes

 Statutes 

The Psalmist writes,

"Righteous are you, O LORD, and your laws are right. 

The statutes you have laid down are righteous; 

they are fully trustworthy." 

                                              Psalm 119:37,38 

I found this definition of statutes on the internet that clearly defines what the word statutes means in the Bible. It reads

“In the Bible, "statutes" refer to divine decrees, laws, or ordinances established by God to guide the moral, civil, and ceremonial conduct of His people...”

God has, I believe layed in our hart and mind his moral code. The ten commandments being the most obvious. It is a code every believer in God, in Christ Jesus is asked to follow. For by doing so society is a better place. 

When these Gods statutes are violated, society falls into abyss. An extreme example being the second world war were evil men rose to destroy society. Murdering an estimated fifty to sixty million men women and children, soldiers and civilians.

Jesus said,

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men." Matthew 5:13.

As Christians, as believers in Christ Jesus it is our job to uphold Gods statutes. To be salt that preserves society. We do this by livinga life that shows love and understanding even to our enemies.

Please think about it.

Will you be happy or sorry?

  Will you be happy or sorry?

In the book of Ecclesiastes we read,

“Better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for all are destined to be mourned; the living should lay this to heart." Ecclesiastes 7:2.

Millions, if not billions of people in this world get up in the morning. Do what they have to do during the day without giving death a second thought.

Even when we go to the funeral of a friend or family member, we don’t think much about dying. Yet it is something we will go though.

The American evangelist Tony Campolo wrote,

“When you were born, you cried and everybody else was happy. The only question that matters is this - when you die, will you be happy when everybody else is crying?”Tony Campolo.

So are you certain that you will go to heaven?

In the Gospel of John we read,

"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.

So do you believe in Jesus?

Please think about it. 

What Jesus called us to do

 What Jesus called us to do.

Jesus said,

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn and you will not be condemned forgive, and you will be forgiven;” Luke 6: 37.

The Apostle Paul writes,

"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.

As Christians. As followers of Christ Jesus it is not our job to judge anyone other than those who are calling themselves Christians.

The American evangelist Billy Graham once said,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God's job to judge

 and my job to love,” 

                             Billy Graham.

So my question to you is, do you judge people? Sadly to many people calling themselves Christians openly judge those they disagree with. 

Judging and criticizing those you disagree with will only push people away from Christ. As ordinary human beings we don’t know why a person is the way they are or why they said what they said.

Our duty as Christians is to do what Jesus called us to do when he 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.

Are you doing this? 

Please think about it.

planning for the future

  Planning for the future

“Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”  

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” James 4:13,14.

We humans are indeed are fragile creatures. We live a handful of years before passing into eternity. James here is reminding us of that. 

Now there is nothing wrong with making plans for the future. Especially if that future includes where we will spend eternity.

The writer of Ecclesiastes states,

"Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole  duty of man. 

For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." Ecclesiastes12:13,14.

So my question would be. In planning for your future, have you planned where you will spend eternity?

Please think about it.

Your faith spurring you on

  Your faith spurring you on

The apostle John writes,

"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." 1John 3:17,18.

Loving and helping someone in need shows the world we are Christians.

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.

In the book of James we read,

"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."  James 2:17,18. 

James makes it clear that faith without deeds is dead.

So the question I would ask is, If you consider yourself a true Christian. A true follower of Christ Jesus. Is you faith spurring you on to good works?

Please think about it.

Believing in your heart

   Believing in your heart

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.

I have always said believing in someone or something without physically seeing them is very hard. Yet that is what God expects. The writer of Hebrews stating,

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."  Hebrews 11:1

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6.

The reward for those who believe in God and the salvation that comes from God through Christ Jesus is salvation.

Do you believe in your heart that “Jesus is Lord” and that God raised him from the dead?

Please think about it.

Because of his righteousness

 Because his righteousness

The Psalmist writes,

"I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High." Psalm 7:17.

Here is a very simple statement. Why do we give praise to God? Answer, because of his righteousness. 

In psalm 100 we read,

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:4,5.

So do you give thank and praise to God? Do you believe the Lords love endures forever?

Please think about it.