Our duty as Christians

 Our duty as Christians

The Apostle Peter wrote,

"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 2:11,12.

Here is something for Christians to think about. If sinning is falling short of Gods ideal for your life. If sinning is not doing what God wants you to do. Is it sinning when you put your interest above that of others?

The apostle Paul wrote,

"Let each of you look not only to your own interests, 

but also to the interests of others." 

                                                                 Philippians 2:4.

As Christians, as believers in Christ Jesus, we like any other group in a secular democracy such as we have in the west only as many rights as the government grants us. It is therefore incumbent on us to as Peter states, “abstain from sinful desires...”

It is our job to glorify God at all times even when dealing with our enemies. Which at times means helping our enemy and anyone else we deal with. So that no matter what happens, people will see our good work and glorify God.

Please think about it.

Need to Praise

Need to praise.
The Psalmist writes,

“Praise the LORD. 

Praise God in his sanctuary; 

praise him in his mighty heavens. 

Praise him for his acts of power; 

praise him for his surpassing greatness. 

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, 

praise him with the harp and lyre, 

praise him with tambourine and dancing, 

praise him with the strings and flute, 

praise him with the clash of cymbals, 

praise him with resounding cymbals. 

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. 

Praise the LORD.” 

                           Psalm 150.

I think it is important for us as believers especially in these uncertain times to lift up our voices and praise God. To remember that God does bless us.
I am blessed to live in Canada where Covid-19 is relatively under control. To make things better I attend a small church that because of its size can meet, socially distance and take all precautions necessary to prevent spread of the illness.
So it just seemed appropriate the other day when our congregation sang,

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow. 

Praise Him all creatures here below. 

Praise Him above ye heavenly host. 

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost." 

There is a lot of changes we must live with during this pandemic. At the same time there are a lot of things that don’t have to change. Principle among them is worshipping God.
You don’t need to meet in a Church building to worship God. All you need to do is lift your voice no matter where you are and give praise to God.
So why not take a few moments right now to praise God?
Please think about it. 

I will Praise The LORD

I will Praise The LORD
The Psalmist writes,

“I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;

I will tell of all your wonders. 

I will be glad and rejoice in you; 

I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.” 

                                                         Psalm 2:1,2.

I firmly believe that as Christians. As a true believers in Christ Jesus we must take time as often as possible to praise The Lord.
In Psalm 150 we read,

“Praise the LORD. 

Praise God in his sanctuary; 

praise him in his mighty heavens. 

Praise him for his acts of power; 

praise him for his surpassing greatness. 

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, 

praise him with the harp and lyre, 

praise him with tambourine and dancing,

 praise him with the strings and flute, 

praise him with the clash of cymbals, 

praise him with resounding cymbals. 

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. 

Praise the LORD.” 

                            Psalm 150.

If you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus a believer in God why don’t you take sometime right now and praise God.
Please don’t just think about it. Do it.

Do You?

Do you?
The Psalmist writes,

“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 

Worship the LORD with gladness; 

come before him with joyful songs. 

Know that the LORD is God. 

It is he who made us, and we are his; 

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 

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.

If you consider yourself a Christian. A believer in Christ Jesus do you shout for joy to the Lord?
Do you worship the Lord with gladness?
Do you come before God with joyful sons?
Do you truly believe the Lord is God and it is He who made us?
Do you truly believe you are one of His people?
Do you enter His gates with thanksgiving and praise?
Do you believe God’s love endures forever?
Do you believe His love endures forever?
Do you believe His faithfulness continues through all generations?

Please think about it.

Make sure

Make sure
The Psalmist writes,

“I wait for the LORD,

 my soul waits, 

and in his word I put my hope.” 

                                    Psalm 130:5  

If you claim to be a Christian, where is your trust. Billy Graham the American evangelist wrote,
"Make sure of your commitment to Jesus Christ, and seek to follow Him every day. Don't be swayed by the false values and goals of this world, but put Christ and His will first in everything you do." Billy Graham.
In Proverbs we read,

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart 

and lean not on your own understanding; 

in all your ways acknowledge him, 

and he will make your paths straight.” 

                                                        Proverbs 3:5,6.

Here is a question for all who claim to be followers in Christ Jesus. Do you truly “trust in the LORD with all your heart?”
Please think about it.

The Faithful Church

The Faithful Church
In the book of Revelations we see Jesus speaking to the church in Philadelphia saying.
“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.  
I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.  
I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.  
Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 
I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.  
Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.  
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelations 3:7-13
Here we have what scholars call the faithful church. Jesus says to this church,
“I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” Revelations 3:8
Jesus tells this church
“I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.” Revelations 3:9.
Jesus tells them,
“Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.” Revelations 3:10 
He tells them the reward for their faithfulness. Saying
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.  
Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.”  Revelations 3:11,12.
The message of Jesus here to faithful believers is,
1. That those who oppose them will one day fall at the feet of the faithful believer and acknowledge that Christ has loved them.
2. That the true believer will be kept from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the world.
3. That the true believer will become a pillar in the temple of God. The strongest part of the temple.
4. That they will never leave it.
5. That Jesus will write on the faithful believer, the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.
The question is are you such a believer?
Many in the Christian world would like to think that they are like the church at Philadelphia but in reality they are not.
The key however here is to know that we can be like the church of Philadelphia. In order to do so we must put Christ first in everything we do.
Jesus acknowledged that the Philadelphia church had little strength yet they remained faithful. Thus if they can do it. We can also.
Please think about it.

All Day Long

All Day Long

The Psalmist writes,

"My tongue will speak of your righteousness 

and of your praises all day long."

                                               Psalm 35:28

If you claim to be a true follower of Christ Jesus do you speak of the righteousness of the Lord whenever you get a chance? Do you praise God often?
You should.
To quote the Psalmist again,

“Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;

 it is fitting for the upright to praise him. 

Praise the LORD with the harp; 

make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. 

Sing to him a new song; 

play skillfully, and shout for joy.” 

                                           Psalm 33:1-3.

Why not take a few minutes now to praise God. To glorify His holy name?
Please think about it.

Let the Peace of Christ Rule

Let the Peace of Christ Rule
The apostle Paul writes,
"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.
Today is the day after Christmas. It is a time I believe we should stop and rest in Christ.
Christmas here in North America has become highly commercial and sadly many Christians have become wrapped up in all of the buying of presents and putting on the perfect meal for family and friends.
It can all be quite stressful. Thus we should, I firmly believe, forget about the boxing day sales and take “some me time with Jesus”.
Take time to let the peace of Christ rule in your heart. To even gather with other Christians and be thankful for all you have, and all Christ has done for you.
To give praise to God.
We should as the Psalmist tells us,

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 

Worship the LORD with gladness; 

come before him with joyful songs. 

Know that the LORD is God. 

It is he who made us, and we are his; 

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 

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

Please if you are a follower of Christ Jesus take time to praise God this day.

Praise God

Praise God
Luke’s gospel records,
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  
But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  
Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  
This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests." Luke 2:8-14.
Today is Christmas day. The day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The day we acknowledge what the Shepherds heard and saw. Angels bringing them good news of great joy that is for all people.
The day we choose to honour and praise our Lord and Saviour.
In our family first thing in the morning the family gathers together my wife reads the Christmas story and we praise God for all He has done for us.
Thus today I would ask you if you consider yourself a believer in Christ Jesus to follow the lead of the Psalmist who wrote,

“Praise the LORD. 

Praise God in his sanctuary;

 praise him in his mighty heavens. 

Praise him for his acts of power; 

praise him for his surpassing greatness. 

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,

 praise him with the harp and lyre, 

praise him with tambourine and dancing, 

praise him with the strings and flute, 

praise him with the clash of cymbals, 

praise him with resounding cymbals. 

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. 

Praise the LORD.” 

                                Psalm 150

 

Tell what God has done

Tell what God has done.

“Give thanks to the LORD, 

call on his name; 

make known among the nations what he has done. 

Sing to him,

 sing praise to him; 

tell of all his wonderful acts. 

Glory in his holy name;

 let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. 

Look to the LORD and his strength; 

seek his face always. 

Remember the wonders he has done,

 his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,...” 

                                                            1 Chronicles 16:8-12.

The way I see things if we are true followers of Jesus Christ we should be telling the world
what the Lord has done for us.
We should be careful not to exaggerate what God has done for us. We should be open an honest.
The Psalmist writes,

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; 

his love endures forever. 

Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.” 

Let the house of Aaron say: “His love endures forever.” 

Let those who fear the LORD say: “His love endures forever.” 

In my anguish I cried to the LORD, 

and he answered by setting me free.” 

                                                                   Psalm 118:1-5.

If we as believers in Christ Jesus, believers in God present a positive message to the world by telling of what God did in our lives it will at the very open doors for us to present the gospel of Christ to the world around us.
Please think about it.

It makes me feel good

It makes me feel good
The Psalmist writes,

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 

Worship the LORD with gladness; 

come before him with joyful songs. 

Know that the LORD is God. 

It is he who made us, and we are his; 

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 

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.

You know there are times when I just like sitting back in a chair and praising God. In years long gone I use to be with a gospel group. In that group I learned to dance. And there are times now that I just like to praise God with dance. Why? Because it make me feel good.
And it allows me to express my love of my God and my Saviour Jesus Christ.
If you claim to be a Christian a believer in God and the Saving Grace that comes through Christ Jesus to do you take time to praise God?
Please think about it.

You Are

You Are
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.
The great evangelist Charles Spurgeon wrote,
“The Bible is not the light of the world, it is the light of the Church. But the world does not read the Bible, the world reads Christians! “You are the light of the world.”’Charles H. Spurgeon
Spurgeon is absolutely right. If you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus the world will see Him through the lense of your life.
The apostle Peter tells believers in Christ,

“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 2:11,12

Francis of Assisi noted,

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 

                                                                   Francis of Assisi.

Thus if you consider yourself a believer in Christ Jesus, the question becomes.
What is your sermon telling the world around you?
Please think about it.

Not of this world

Not of this world
Billy Graham the America Evangelist wrote,

My home is in Heaven. 

I'm just travelling through this world.

                                              Billy Graham.

This is something I believe all who claim to be believers in Christ Jesus must remember. The apostle Peter states,
“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.
Above all things I firmly believe that those who believe in Christ Jesus must live as good a life as is humanly possible.
We must always remember we are Christ’s representatives on this earth. That people will see Jesus through the lense of our life and our actions. Thus we must live good lives.
When it comes to living the Christian life I am always reminded of what is commonly known as the Prayer of St. Francis it states,

“Lord, make me an instrument of your 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;

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.

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.

Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord
The book of Exodus records,
“When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.  
Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing.  
Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea.” 
              Exodus 15:19-21.
Dear Christian do you praise the Lord after a victory?
In Exodus we see the children of Israel being protected by God. Pharaoh’s armies being destroyed. It was a great victory.
We may never see such victories in our lifetime but we do have small personal victories. In my own life I can praise God that I survived cancer and my wife survived a major health problem also. Both conditions could have killed us. The two of us can also praise God for other victories in our life big and small.
I believe it is important from time to time to simply praise God for all He has done for us in our lives.
Take a moment to take stock of your life and ask God to show you victories in your life. We all have them.
Sing with the Psalmist who wrote,

Praise the LORD. 

Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. 

Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. 

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, 

praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, 

praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. 

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. 

Praise the LORD. 

Psalm 150.

Please take time to just praise God!