Anyone can

Anyone can

The Psalmist writes,

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16.

This is one of my favourite scriptures. Put simply it says God knows why we are the way we are. He knows our DNA. That is why God and only God has the right to judge anyone especially with respect to where they will spend eternity.

The Bible makes it clear how we are to get to heaven. The apostle Paul makes it clear,

"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.

If we look at the crucifixion of Jesus we see crucified with Jesus a man who by his own admission was a thief deserving of the punishment being rendered to him. Yet Jesus tells him he will be with Him in paradise. Luke’s gospel recording,

"One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 

But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence?  

We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." 

Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.'" 

Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." Luke 23:39-43.

Anyone can get to heaven if they truly turn from their sins, believe Jesus is the Son of God, the Saviour of mankind, and confess their sins to Him.

As I said at the beginning God knows why we are the way we are. He knows if we are truly repenting of our sins. If we have truly accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Which is something we as mere humans cannot. And thus must not judge anyone with respect to where they will spend eternity. 

The job of the Christian. The true believer in Christ Jesus is simple. Jesus said,

"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20.

Are you doing this?

Please think about it.

Christian remember this

 Christians remember this

The Psalmist writes,

"For you created my inmost being; 

you knit me together in my mother's womb. 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

your works are wonderful, 

I know that full well. 

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. 

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

 your eyes saw my unformed body. 

All the days ordained for me were written in your book 

before one of them came to be." 

                                                                      Psalm 139:13-16

Here is the reason why God and only God can judge anyone. Only God knows why we are the way we are. No one in this world has the right to judge where an individual will spend eternity. 

Jesus made it clear,

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Matthew 7:1,2.

The apostle Paul telling Christians,

"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.

Even when judging those inside the church we need to be careful. The only judgement we are called to pass on those within the church deals with whether or not they are teaching true Christian doctrine. Where those who profess to be Christians will spend eternity is entirely up to God.

Please think about it.

One of Gods Sheep?

One of God's sheep?
Scripture tells us,
 “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.” Psalm 100:3 
I am told by friends that at times I like to poke people figuratively with a pointy stick, particularly those in the Christian community, this is one of those time.
I post this story with the intent of making you the reader truly search your heart and mind as to what you would do and why.
The story is called Images of a woman.

Images of a Woman

"That morning, Margaret Elizabeth got up extra early, readying herself for the day.  She would get only one chance to make an impression.  To that end, she applied her makeup with extra care.  Chose the black ankle length wraparound skirt, white turtle neck top and black jacket, her children had given her as a gift, while in hospital.  She limited her jewelry to a simple pair of diamond studded earrings, that had been her grandmother’s and small bracelet given to her by her daughter-in-law.
That done she took the ten minute drive to the modest size church she attended. Meeting with the pastor in the office.
For a few minutes they talked and passed the time of day. Then seeing the time she proceeded to the pulpit.
Leaving that office, to walk to the pulpit was the hardest step, she ever had to make.  Her heart pounded and by the time, she stood behind the pulpit she was visibly shaking.
“Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Margaret Elizabeth Williamson and just before Christmas, I underwent Sexual Reassignment Surgery.” she said relief surging through her body, as silence engulfed the assembly.  I know that many of you, maybe uncomfortable with that.  That is why I have asked to speak to you, to give you my testimony and then allow you to ask questions.
I have felt like a woman trapped in a man’s body for my entire life.  I was married for over thirty years to a wonderful and accepting woman, who died several years prior to my coming to this assembly.  I have a wonderful family, all of whom support me and are here today.
Believe me, I did not choose this course of action lightly.  I did so after much personal anguish and a great deal of prayer.
For a little over two years prior to my complete transition, I have lived my life as a woman: I was doing so when I came to this church and I think I did it well enough that no one knew.  If they did no one commented.
I have no apologies to give for what I did, or who I am, because I do not believe I did anything wrong.
I accepted Jesus as my Saviour over thirty-five years ago, and asked Him to remove from me what at times, has been a difficult burden.  He has chosen not to and thus, I have accepted that I am what I am.  A child of God, who knew me according to the Psalms in my mother’s womb.
I have no intentions of preaching a sermon here today, only to ask you to accept me as I am.  In fact, the only reason I stand before you today, is because I was asked to come onto the staff of this church and wish to be completely honest with you.
Now, I will open the door to all questions and endeavor to answer them to the best of my ability.  After which, I will ask for a vote and abide by your decision.”
There were many questions answered. Then finally the pastor came to the front.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, it is now time to take a vote.”  He said.  “If you wish Margaret Elizabeth to become a part of our pastoral staff, please rise to your feet.”
         How would you vote? Why?
         Do you think Margaret Elizabeth is one of God's sheep?
         Please think about it.

Only God Can

Only God Can
The psalmist writes,
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16.
Here is a very simple statement. God knows us intimately. He knew us in our mothers womb. He knit us together in our mothers womb. He knows our DNA.
It is for that reason and that reason alone that only God can judge us.
Jesus said,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”Matthew 7:1,2
The apostle Paul wrote,
"What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?" 1 Corinthians 5:12.
As Christians, as believers in Christ Jesus we must obey these words. We do not know what goes on inside a persons mind. We do not know what makes a person the way they are. Thus we have no right to judge them. That is especially true when it comes to where they will spend eternity.
Paul tells us we are to judge those inside the church. But even then I believe we can only judge people inside the church to see if they are teaching sound doctrine.
We have no right to tell anyone where they will spend eternity. That is between God and the individual.
The job of the Christian is simple Jesus said,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”Matthew 28:18-20.
So the question I would ask is; if you consider yourself a Christian a follower of Christ Jesus, are you obeying what God is telling us through these verses of scripture?
Please think about it.

On Abortion

On Abortion

The Psalmist writes,

“For you created my inmost being; 

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

                                                           Psalm 139:13

The other day I listened to my little granddaughter Faith’s heartbeat. It was on a microchip inside a stuffed elephant belonging to my grandson Faith’s two year old big brother. The reason Faith’s heartbeat is in the elephant is because it was recorded during an ultrasound. You see Faith is still in my daughter in laws womb.
Hearing Faith’s heartbeat reminded me of the words from Psalm 139 that states,

“For you created my inmost being; 

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

                                                                  Psalm 139:13,14a

As I have said in previous blogs this portion of psalms tells us that God knew us from the inception of our lives. In our mothers womb. God knows why we are the way we are. He knows our DNA.
From this portion of scripture I also realize that we are alive in our mothers womb. We are a person in the same way we are outside the womb. Thus my belief abortion is wrong.
That being said I do believe a woman has the right to decide what she does with her own body.
At the same time a woman is also given a special responsibility by God to protect the child that is growing in her womb in the same way she would protect a child outside the womb.
There is almost no need for an unwanted pregnancy other than one caused by rape. Even then there is nothing wrong with bringing the pregnancy to full term and if the mother wishes having the child adopted. Allowing some good coming out of a traumatic experience. That good being a life that has unlimited potential.
That being said I believe the African proverb 

“It takes a village to raise a child”. 

     Which to my way of thinking means everyone especially our elected officials have an obligation to help both the child and his or her mother.
Governments can help by making birth control freely available.
One statistic I found, a US study, in 2012  of more than 9,000 women found that when women got no-cost birth control, the number of unplanned pregnancies and abortions fell by between 62 and 78 percent.
Abstinence-only approaches, do not work.
I think especially if one claims to be a Christian a follower of Christ Jesus. We should bring our children up with our moral values of no sex before marriage. Which in a perfect world should be enough to ensure unwanted pregnancies. However we do not live in a perfect world.  There are children even in Christian homes that will engage in sexual behaviour.
That’s why I believe even in a Christian home we have a moral responsibility to speak openly with our children about sex. To tell our children that we would rather them abstain but if they do not, various forms of contraception are available.
Additionally we should not heap condemnation on our children, or for that matter anyone, for having sex or for that matter getting pregnant outside of marriage. All sins are forgivable.
We need to remember the words of James the half brother of Jesus who said,

“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.

At the same time we need to remember the words of Jesus who said,

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” 

                                                                              Matthew 5:7.

Which brings me to the picture at the top of this blog called “Memorial for Unborn Children”, by Martin Hudacek a sculpture from Slovakia. It depicts the anguish that some women can feel after having an abortion and the healing God can bring.
It to me illustrates that Christians should be there for any woman who has gone through with an abortion.
We should be there showing the Love of God remembering the words of Jesus who said,

Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, 

and with the measure you use, 

it will be measured to you.” 

                               Matthew 7:1,2 

Please think about it.

The Choice

The Choice
The Psalmist writes,
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
      I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16.
Every now and then I like poking Christians figuratively with a pointy stick. With the intention of making them think. This is one of those times.
The Following is from a book called Images. It’s called Image of a woman,
“That morning, Margaret Elizabeth got up extra early, readying herself for the day.  She would get only one chance to make a good impression.  To that end, she applied her makeup with extra care.  Chose the black ankle length wraparound skirt, white turtle neck top and black jacket, her children had given her as a gift, while in hospital.  She limited her jewelry to a simple pair of diamond studied earrings, that had been her grandmother’s and small bracelet given to her by her daughter-in-law.
Leaving that office, to walk to the pulpit was the hardest step, she ever had to make.  Her heart pounded and by the time, she stood behind the pulpit she was visibly shaking.
“Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Margaret Elizabeth and just before Christmas, I underwent Sexual Reassignment Surgery.” she said relief surging through her body, as silence engulfed the assembly.  
Believe me, I did not choose this course of action lightly. I did so after much personal anguish and a great deal of prayer.
“Still I know that many of you, maybe uncomfortable with that. That is why I have asked to speak to you. To give you my testimony and then allow you to ask questions.
All of my life I have felt like a woman trapped in a man’s body. 
That being said I was married for over thirty years to a wonderful and accepting woman, who died several years prior to my coming to this assembly. I also have a wonderful family, all of whom support me and are here today.
For a little over three years prior to my complete transition, I have lived my life as a woman: I was doing so when I came to this church and I think I did it well enough that no one knew.  If they did no one commented.
I have no apology  to give for what I did, or who I am, because I do not believe I did anything wrong.
I accepted Jesus as my Saviour over thirty-five years ago, and asked Him to remove from me what at times, has been this difficult burden.  He has chosen not to. Thus, I have accepted that I am what I am.  A child of God, who knew me, according to the Psalmist, in my mother’s womb.
I have no intentions of preaching a sermon here today, only to ask you to accept me as I am.  In fact, the only reason I stand before you today, is because I was asked to come onto the staff of this church and wish to be completely honest with you.
Now, I will open the door to all questions and endeavor to answer them to the best of my ability.  After which, I will ask for a vote and abide by your decision.”
After answering many questions the pastor came to the front.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, it is now time to take a vote.”  He said.  “If you wish Margaret Elizabeth to become a part of our pastoral staff, please rise to your feet.”
Question.
         If you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus, would you accept Margaret Elizabeth as she is?
How would you vote?
Do you think your church congregation would accept her as a person?
Would your church congregation vote to take her on to its pastoral staff?
Please think about it.

Only God

Only God
The Psalmist writes,
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16
This is by far one of my favourite portions of scripture. It tells me in modern terms God knows my DNA. He knows why I am the way I am. Therefor especially when it comes to where I will spend eternity only God has the right to judge me.
True we have the right to judge others when it comes to our personal safety or to protect ourselves from injustice. We as believers in Christ Jesus even have the right to judge others claiming to be Christians. The apostle Paul writing
“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.
Judging other who claim to be Christians however to my way of thinking is only to see if they are preaching the word of God correctly. We as mere mortals cannot judge others with respect to where they will spend eternity.
Billy Graham the great American evangelist wisely said,

It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge

 and 

my job to love, 

                               Billy Graham

Another American evangelist Tony Campolo said,
“We ought to get out of the judging business. We should leave it up to God to determine who belongs in one arena or another when it comes to eternity. What we are obligated to do is to tell people about Jesus, and that's what I do.” Tony Campolo
Even Jesus told us,
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1,2.
James the half brother of Jesus wrote,
“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.
In short we are to love all people, our family, our neighbour, even our enemy. For only God knows what truly makes us the way we are and only He can judge individuals fairly.
Please think about it.