Would a...?

Would a...?
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.
Here is are some simple questions.

1. Do you show mercy to those around you?
2. Do you show love to those of different faiths and lifestyles?
3. Would a Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, be welcome as a guest in your church congregation?
4. Would a gay couple be welcome?
5. Would you be willing to listen to what a Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist believes?
6. Would you be willing to listen to what a gay couple believes?

As you think about this answers to the above questions. If you truly believe you are a follower of Christ Jesus keep in mind the words of Jesus who 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.

I firmly believe that the only way we can win souls for Christ is to show mercy toward them. To treat them the same way we would want to be treated. To love them and not judge them.
Please think about it.

Living Water

Living Water
“Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” John 4:10.
Living water in Jewish culture is water in motion. Rain water, rivers, wells, spring-fed lakes even oceans are considered living water. It is water that washes things away dirt and impurities it is water that cleanses. At the same time it is the source of life.
This is something that is seen dramatically in the middle east. For months the land is parched. You can smell the dust. Then when the rains come the dust is washed away. New life emerges, the land becomes lush and green.
Jesus mentions living water twice. The first time is with the Samaritan woman at the well there he states,
“Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” John 4:10.
Notice here he does not call himself the living water only that he would give her living water.
Later in John we read,
“On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”  
By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” John 7:37-39.
Note here Jesus means it is the Holy Spirit which indwells believers, that flows from above through the heart of the redeemed that brings life and light to the world.
As Christians we are the channel through which Living Water flows.
Living water in the natural world has it’s source from above it is rain water that falls from above. It is then channelled by rivers and springs throughout the land. Land that uses the water to produce new life.
Likewise when it comes to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is channelled through believers to the world around them where it convicts individuals of sin. Producing believers in Christ and life everlasting.
That is why it is important for Christians to follow the words of the writer of Hebrews who said,
“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.
Please think about it.

All we Have

All we have
The Prophet Isaiah wrote,

“A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” 

“All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. 

The grass withers and the flowers fall, 

because the breath of the LORD blows on them. 

Surely the people are grass. 

The grass withers and the flowers fall, 

but the word of our God stands forever.” 

                                                         Isaiah 40:6-8.

Someone said to me today “All we have is today.” He was not quite right the truth is, all we have is this moment. The moment we live in. This life can end in a heartbeat.
When it ends all we have in this world is meaningless. The writer of Ecclesiastes wrote,
“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 2:10,11.
No matter how rewarding our labours are in this world it is ultimately meaningless without God. Without an eternity to look forward to.
There’s an old saying that states,

“We have only one life. 

It will soon be past. 

Only what is done for God will last.”

                                   Author unknown.

Thus my question to you the reader is. Do you even believe in God, in Christ Jesus?
Blaise Pascal wrote,
“Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists.” Blaise Pascal.
Please think about it.

Walk as Jesus Walked

Walk as Jesus Walked
The apostle John speaking to believers in Christ Jesus about Him states,

“Whoever claims to live in him 

must walk as Jesus did” 

                        1John 2:6.

It’s just a few words but it says volumes to those who call themselves followers of Jesus Christ. Look at the words carefully.
“Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”
Do you walk as Jesus walked?
Here is something to think about.

Jesus never voted in an election.

Jesus never protested against anything.

Jesus never spoke against anyone outside of His own faith.

Jesus submitted to the governing authorities even though it meant his death.

Jesus sat down with sinners.

Jesus discussed his beliefs with those outside his faith with respect.

 Jesus lived by what he said when he 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.

Question, Do you walk as Jesus walked?
                         Do you live your life in the same way Jesus did?
Please think about it.

Unique to Christianity

Unique to Christianity
One of the most unique beliefs in Christianity is the resurrection of Jesus. Luke’s Gospel records this incident when the resurrected Jesus appears to his disciples,
“While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 
They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.  
He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?  
Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” 
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.  
And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”  
They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. 
He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.  
He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  
You are witnesses of these things.  
I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:36-49.
Here is one of the key beliefs of all who call themselves believers in Christ Jesus. Jesus who was crucified and died, rose from the dead.
In this incident Jesus appears to his disciples who were actually talking with some other believers who had seen and spoken to Jesus after His resurrection on the road to Emmaus.
The reaction of the disciples is a very human one. At first they didn’t understand and thought they were seeing a ghost.
To quell their fears Jesus allowed them to touch him. He even asked them for something to eat all to prove that he had indeed risen from the dead.
Luke then records Jesus said to them,
“He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.  
He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  
You are witnesses of these things.” Luke 24:44-47.
Luke goes on to tell us, while the disciples would wait briefly in Jerusalem on the orders of Jesus, these men would be the first of many to take the message of forgiveness from sin through Christ Jesus to all the world. A message that is as relevant today as it was back then.
A message expressed by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans this way,
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8
Later in his Letter Paul states,
“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.
Please think about it.

The Biblical Choice

The Biblical Choice
The Book of Genesis states,
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
The Gospel of John states
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  
He was with God in the beginning. 
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  
In him was life, and that life was the light of men....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ” John 1:1-4,14
The book of Joshua states,
“Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped 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 is recorded as saying this about himself,
“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.  
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. John 3:16-18.
The writer of
“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.
The Apostle Paul writing t the Ephesians said,
“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 
The writer of Hebrews telling us,

“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 Bible does not debate the existence of God. After all it was written to believers.
The Bible however gives all who read it a choice. They may believe in God and go to heaven, or not believe in God and pay the consequences of their unbelief. It is not ambiguous.
It presents the truth about God and leaves it to the individual to decide for themselves.
So my question to you the reader is, Do you believe in God and that Jesus Christ is the One and Only Son of God the Saviour of mankind or not?
Before you answer however I would ask that you read at the very least the New Testament asking God to show his reality to you.
Please think about it.

A Warning

A Warning
The Poet wrote,
                                    A possible conversation with God
 A Man:                                                   
“You exist!”
God:
Of course I exist!”
Man:
“But I couldn’t see you?
I couldn’t touch you?”
God:
         “I know.
          I wanted it that way.”

Man: “Why?”

God:
“Because I wanted you
            To have faith in me.”

Man:
“But you could have showed
yourself in the flesh.”

God:
     “I did.
      I sent my Son Jesus.
      He died for the sins of all who
      would believe in Him.
     I even raised him from the dead.

Man:
     “But that’s unbelievable.
      It can’t be true?”

God:
          “But it is.
           Why would anyone make that up?
And you had the choice.
          I gave you a freewill
To believe what you wished.
You exercised yours.

Man:
       “But you could have
        showed yourself to me.”

God:
      “I did.
       Through creation,
       Through my prophets,
       Through the Bible,
       Through My One and Only Son.
       I gave you a life time of chances.”

Man:
“So what will happen to me?”

God:
           Jesus said,
“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.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”.  John 3:16-18.
                              “What do you think?”
Post Script
If Christians are wrong in what we believe no one has anything to fear. If we are right there are eternal consequences for those who do not believe.
Please think about it.