Quintessence

Quintessence

Quintessence: “the essence of a thing in its purest and most concentrated form.”
"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.” John 3:16
God Loved. To quote a rather flippant saying from my early days as a Christian, “the bible says it. I believe it. That settles it.”
It has been said that love is the predominant theme of the Bible. That God is love, therefore Love is the purest of emotions.
Perhaps the best definition of love comes from the apostle Paul when writing to the Church at Corinth. In 1 Corinthians 13 he writes,
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
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 13:1-8a,13 
If we are truly Christians. If we believe the Bible is the inspired word of God then we must believe John 3:16, that
“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
  God loved the world, and that Love is everything Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians thirteen.
Jesus when asked what the most of important law was said,
“Jesus said to him, ‘you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment and the second is like it you shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’” 
                                                                                    Matthew 22:37-40.
Jesus spoke a lot about love. He told us to love our enemies to pray for our persecutors and those who spitefully use us.
His ministry was a ministry of Love.
All to many Christians remember John 3: 16 but they fail to see its ramifications.
Take a close look at that verse,
• For God so loved the world
• he gave His only Son
• that whoever believes in Him shall not perish
• but have eternal life.
God Loved us,
Paul writing to the Romans tells us in Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God took the first step. He demonstrated his love for us while we were still sinners.
And he says to us all we have to do to inherit eternal life is believe in him.
The writer of Hebrews saying,
“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
God wants a relationship with us. He wants us to give our life to him to become part of his family,
John 3:17 states clearly, “
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
That is a key element in a Christians life. God reached down to mankind and said here am I. Come to me and I will give you rest.
The exact verse reads,
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
If we are truly followers of Jesus, and take up the cause of Christ’s.
Francis of Assisi wrote,

“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

                 Think about it

You are a Light

You are the light

“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
Christmas is just days away. This is one of two days in the year when our churches here in North America are full, quite often to overflowing.
We are also told by psychologist and sociologist that it is a time of high stress for people. That many people go into deep depression. Suicides even go up. This shouldn’t be so.
We as Christians at least not only on this one day of the year but on everyday need to reach out to people in need.
The apostle James wrote,
"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.”  
                                James 2:14-18.
At the same time we need to be witnessing not only to the needy but to those in our society who are not needy in physical or financial way. Quite often these people are overlooked.
I know of several people who do not like Christmas who are well off in a material sense. They don’t like it because it depresses them.
They see it as a very stressful time. They see others happy but can’t seem to get in the mood themselves. Some people I know have even tried to take their own life.
These people quite often focus on the secular Christmas. The one pushed by the shops. They see the message ‘you must buy this. The latest and the greatest. Without it you’re not cool’
They feel if you don’t do things that way you’re not a good person. If you don’t give someone a fifty of hundred dollar gift your looked down on.
This shouldn’t be so.
We as Christians need to be reaching out to these people to show them the true meaning of Christmas. The Love of God.
Each year my wife and I have continued a tradition that her mother started decades ago. If we know of someone who’s going to be spending Christmas alone. We invite them to our house.
Our house is very small and we don’t have a lot of money usually, but we can squeeze in four or five in addition to our family. It’s not many but we feel we are doing something to make people’s lives better, while at the same time showing God’s love.
Everyone who comes gets a small present. Usually a scarf of gloves, occasionally a trinket of some kind.
They also partake in a Christmas meal and watch video’s anything from the classic musicals to the latest releases as well as play games.
We don’t spend a lot of money. We can’t we’re not well off by any means, but God provides.
Interestingly enough we don’t talk a lot about God. We say grace before the meal and whatever topic comes up during the course of the day we talk about.
The result has been over the years we have seen people’s eyes sparkle and weights lift from their shoulders. Some have as a result decided to go to church either ours or others.
We do our best to bring a little joy and laughter into the hearts of those who celebrate with us.
We also tend to not only live up to what God would want for our lives but according to the teaching of Francis of Assisi who wrote,
“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”
                                                                                Francis of Assisi.
As Christians I believe this is what we should be doing.
Think about it.

The Reason for Jesus

The Reason for Jesus
“When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee.  
Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali—  to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” 
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” 
                                                                                                  Matthew 4:12-17.
This is the scenario. Approximately thirty years have passed since the birth of Jesus. John the Baptist has been put in prison and Jesus went to live in Capernaum in what Matthew tells us is the area of Zebulun and Naphtali.
This Matthew notes this fulfills the Prophesy from Isaiah.
Jesus would spend much of his ministry in this area an area with a large gentile population.
Some commentators note that the reason this area is said to be living in darkness is because it was quite removed from the influence of Jerusalem and they had a large gentile population.
Matthew who’s gospel points to the universal message of Christ, notes that Jesus starts with the same message that John the Baptist was preaching, “Repent for the kingdom of God is near.”
The message of Jesus is indeed a universal message. A message as relevant today as it was then.
Mankind whether we want to believe it or not is in a fallen state. Crime abounds in our society. There is massive inequality even starvation and suffering. Why? Because man has wandered far from God.
There is by far enough resources in the world to eliminate suffering and starvation. The problem is there is not the political will.
Not only that, men filled with evil intent terrorist, tyrannical dictators, government officials who are less than honest, prevent the spread of what is good and what is just. No one can stop them.
I believe the only solution to the worlds problems is the Love of Christ.
I believe the further away from God society wanders the worse off our society will become.     Governments today give billions of dollars to private corporations to create jobs. Yet our society stays the same. The poor remain poor, the rich remain rich and if some analyst are to be believed the middle class is getting smaller.
 As Christians we have the solution to all of man’s problems, the Love fo Jesus, the Love of God.
The Talmud has a message that I believe is for not only Jews but Christians and non-believers alike it states,
“When a man appears before the Throne of Judgment, the first question he is asked is not, “Have you believed in God?”  Or “Have you prayed and observed the ritual?  “He is asked: “have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow men?”
                                                                                    The Talmud
All people everywhere will one day stand before God and eventually be judged. And while it will be our faith that saves us. It will be how we treated our fellow man that will determine our reward.
Think about it.

Of Christ and Christians outside the Bible

Of Christ and Christians from outside the Bible.

As Christmas approaches we hear a lot about what the Christian texts say about Jesus. We hear the accounts from the New Testament about his birth, life, death and resurrection. But what did others outside the Bible say about Christ and Christians.
We must when asking this question realize that from that time in history archeologist and historians admit there is little evidence about the various Roman rulers who ruled one of the foremost super powers of history.
Yet of this man from a backwater town in a backwater part of the Roman empire there are a lot of references. So much so that it is possible to use sources external to the Bible to construct some basic Christian beliefs.
Writer number one, Flavius Josephus, born 34AD, a Jewish historian, who became a Pharisee at 19, later commander, of the Jewish forces in Galilee. Captured by Romans and attached to their headquarters.
He wrote,
“Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ, and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first, did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians so named from him are not extinct at this day.”  
Notice he spoke about Christ being crucified dying and rising from the dead. That he fulfilled what the prophets had said would happen. Not only that but he did “ten thousand other wonderful things”.
                Flavius Josephus
From Pliny the Younger (61-112 AD) a powerful Roman lawyer, senator and intellectual he was also the Roman governor of Bithynia in Asia minor. His job was to put on trial Christians, yet writing to Emperor Trajan wrote,
“They had met regularly before dawn on a determined day, and sung antiphonally a hymn to Christ as if to a god.
 They also took an oath not for any crime, but to keep from theft, robbery and adultery, not to break any promise, and not to withhold a deposit when reclaimed.”
Note Pliny says they sung hymns to Christ as a god and took an oath not to do any crime.
From Pliny’s reference we can see that the evidence showed Christians to be upstanding citizens.
The Roman historian Tacitus is generally accepted as greatest Roman historian he was tasked with transferring the blame for the fire of Rome to Christians he wrote,
“But neither human effort nor the emperor’s generosity nor the placating of the gods ended the scandalous belief that the fire had been ordered. Therefore, to put down the rumour, Nero substituted as culprits and punished in the most unusual ways those hated for their shameful acts, whom the crowd called “Chrestians.” The founder of this name, Christ, had been executed in the reign of Tiberius by the procurator Pontius Pilate.”
Note Tacitus mentions Christ was executed by Pontius Pilate.

Julian the Apostate, Roman Emperor from 361-363 A.D. said to be one of the most gifted ancient adversaries to Christianity. In his work against Christianity wrote,
“Jesus…has now been celebrated about three hundred years having done nothing in his lifetime worthy of fame, unless anyone thinks it is a very great work to heal lame and blind people and exorcise demoniacs in the villages of Bethsaida and Bethany.”
At the end of his life was forced to say: “Thou has conquered, O Galilean!”

Perhaps one of the greatest tributes to Jesus come from Napoleon Bonaparte the French Emperor who wrote,
"You speak of Caesar, of Alexander, of their conquests and of the enthusiasm which they enkindled in the hearts of their soldiers; but can you conceive of a dead man making conquests, with an army faithful and entirely devoted to his memory? My armies have forgotten me even while living, as the Carthaginian army forgot Hannibal. Such is our power.”
“I know men and I tell you, Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour, millions would die for him.”
“I search in vain history to find similar to Jesus Christ, or anything which can approach the gospel.  Neither history nor humanity, nor ages, nor nature, offer me anything with which I am able to compare it or to explain it. Here everything is extraordinary.”
Kenneth Scott Latourette, former President of American Historic Society
In A History of Christianity wrote,
“It is evidence of His importance, of the effect that He has had upon history and presumably, of the baffling mystery of His being that no other life ever lived on this planet has evoked so huge a volume of literature among so many people and languages, and that, far from ebbing, the flood continues to mount.”
“As the centuries pass by, the evidence is accumulating that measured by its effect on history, Jesus is the most influential life ever lived on this planet. The influence appears to be mounting.
No other life lived on this planet has so widely and deeply affected mankind.”
The question then become as Christmas dawns what do you think about Jesus.
Think about it.

Christian values

Christian Values

“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.... 
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 5:18,22.
These are Christian values. This is what a person with the spirit of God in them should be expressing.
As Christians we all know that the principle duty of all Christians is to present the Gospel of Christ to anyone who will listen to us.
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.
However in order to take the message of Christ to the world we must follow closely the principle teachings of Christ.
The principle teachings of Jesus are,
“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.
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 neighbour as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 
                                                                                            Matthew 22:37-40
He also 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, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  
And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  
     Matthew 5:43-47.
The apostle James wrote,
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,  
because judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgement!
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 2:12-20.
Today all to many Christian in the media and out of the media fail to remember the basics of Christ’s teachings, do not judge, love your neighbour, love your enemy.
Even Mahatma Gandhi said,
“Jesus is ideal and wonderful, but you Christians - you are not like him.”
                                                                                        Mahatma Gandhi
He I know seen many who said they were Christians but were not. Sadly many people are still not seeing Christ in the life and actions of some who call themselves Christians.
Jesus realized we were going into a world that at times can be very hostile toward us. That will judge us in the same way we judge them. That’s why he told us not to judge but rather love the world and tell the world of God’s love.
Jesus said,
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” 
Matthew 10:16.
If we are indeed acting as doves most people will not attack us. A dove is a symbol of peace and love. That is precisely what God wishes us to show to every man woman and child we meet.
Francis of Assisi wrote,

“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

Think about it.

That they might have life

That they might have life

Jesus said,
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” 
             John10:10.
Many none Christians I’ve met tell me Jesus is a crutch for the weak. Quite the contrary he empowers the believer. While at the same time comforts them in their time of trouble.
Paul writing to the Philippians states,
“ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
                                                                                   Philippians 4:13.(NKJV)
While Jesus says,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 
                                                                                Matthew 11:28-30.
I can only testify to my life as a Christian. Over the years I have gone through a lot. I have even made decisions that I regret. Never the less I have never regretted my decision to put my faith in Christ and I am not alone. I know many people who are totally committed to Christ and his teachings.
Christ has given me strength when I was at deaths door as well as when my life was in turmoil.
I know it is hard for someone outside the Christian community to understand the faith I have.
Most people have trouble understanding what they can’t see, feel, or hear. Christianity challenges that. It asks us to trust someone we can’t see. The writer of Hebrews saying,
“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.
Over forty years ago now I made that leap of faith after reading the Bible and talking to the Christians I knew.
I must admit I didn’t need a lot of convincing.
What I seen in the history of the world, everything from the elaborate funeral rituals of the Egyptian Pharaoh’s, to the beliefs of an afterlife that occur in every civilization that ever existed. Told me there had to be at least a Kernel of truth somewhere in those beliefs.
I believed also because I seen the world in such order. For me that order came together because there is an almighty God creator of the universe.
It’s unimportant to me whether God created the universe starting with the big bang that set in motion a series of events that led to our being millenniums later or that it took six days.
I believe behind everything there is God and a life beyond this life we are in.
As a Christian I would ask you to consider your life and the world around you. I would ask that you at least read the New Testament if not the whole Bible and make a decision on where you stand with respect to God, Jesus, and life beyond this world.
The apostle John in his Gospel writes,
“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...
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” 
                 John 1:1-4,12,13.
Please think about it.

Where is the threat?

Where is the threat?

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
                                                                                            Romans 12:18
Here is a question no secular person has ever been able to answer to my satisfaction. Why if God does not exist. If Jesus was simply a man and not the Son of God as he claimed. Why are Christians persecuted, by some other religious groups and particularly by Communist governments and dictatorships?
While Christian teaching has been twisted, misinterpreted and misrepresented over the centuries the core values of Christianity are non threatening.
The verse I quoted above is typical. “As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”  Is typical.
Paul writing to the Romans said,
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”  
                                                                                                     Romans 13:1 
Jesus said,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’  
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”  
                                                                                                   Matthew 5:43,44
The gospel of Matthew records the Pharisees asking Jesus,
 “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 22:37-40.
Such teachings are not threatening by any means.
Yes Jesus told his disciples to go and make more disciples but to bring people into a faith that teaches to live in harmony with God, his fellow man and governments is certainly not a bad thing.
Jesus made it clear who he was when he stood before the Roman governor Pontius Pilot. The gospel of John recording this conversation between Pilot and Jesus,
“It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest.... But now my kingdom is from another place.”
“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” 
                            John 18:35b.
Christians are called by Jesus to reach others for a kingdom that is not even of this world. If as communist and Atheist say it doesn’t exist why the attack on Christians?
After all the Christian faith if the Communist and Atheist are right, are preparing people for something that does not exist. Additionally, it is telling them to love their enemies, their neighbours, God and submit to the governing authorities.
What more could a government of any country want than that in a citizen?
Yet still it seems Christians are a threat so much a threat that it is estimated by some sources secular and Christian, that one Christian dies for their faith every four to seven minutes somewhere in the world.  While millions of others live under persecution and fear of death.
Neither Jesus or his disciples ever spoke out against any of the secular civil authorities. When he spoke out against things it was against the religious leaders of his own community that were misinterpreting the scriptures.
Neither Jesus or his disciples ever called for rebellion either against Rome the super power of the day or their own Jewish leadership.
Yet today as you read this Christians cannot practise openly in many countries.
C. S. Lewis wrote,
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.”
                                                        C. S. Lewis.
The only thing I can conclude is that Christianity is of infinite importance so much so, it causes governments to fear the message of the Prince of Peace.
Think about it.

Don't sweat the small things, even if it concerns the Universe

Don’t sweat the small things, even if it concerns the Universe

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” 
                                                                              Genesis 1:1

“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....
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” 
      John 1:1-4,12,13.
I listened the other day to an evolutionist who made a compelling argument for evolution. He was a well educated man who spoke out against the six day creation theory.
My problem with what he said wasn’t about evolution but rather that he made it sound like believing in evolution and God are mutually exclusive. In other words you can only believe in one or the other. That’s not true.
Because man is not perfect you can be in error in some of the things you believe and still be a believer in God.
Belief in God and your salvation through Christ is not dependent on how long it took the earth to be created.
I know of numerous Christians that do not believe the world was made in six days. Yet they believe that there is a God and that he created the heavens and the earth.
That Jesus is the son of God and they have accepted Him as their Lord and saviour.
They believe John1:12,13 that states,
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
         John1:12,13.
It’s a problem I believe both non-Christians and Christians have. They say you can’t be a Christian and believe in evolution. But it is possible.
In order to be a Christian one must believe by faith there is a God. 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.
A Christian must believe the words of Jesus who 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.
How long it took the earth to form and by what process is unimportant to salvation. What we Christians need to do is not worry about creation arguments. Rather we should be presenting the Gospel of Christ. The salvation message to all we meet both in word and deed and let God and the Holy Spirit show people what is right and what is wrong.
Think about it.

A good Answer

A good answer
“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.
I firmly believe our society is going down hill. That those in our governments are listening more to lobbyist than the people many times. I feel that our political leaders firmly believe that giving big tax cuts to the rich and a few dollars to poor will help make a difference.
We only have to look around to see that it isn’t working. I just heard a statistic the other day that said reliance on food banks here in Canada is on the rise. This in one of the richest countries in the world.
The average person is quite willing to reach into his or her pocket and give to a needy cause. Giving by individuals seems to be up.
I firmly believe our leaders are blind however to the needs of the poorest in our society.
Case in point the fight in the United States over universal health care. The U.S. is the only country in the western world without a government run universal health care. Something that while admittedly expensive has worked well in all the countries that have it.
From a moral point of view universal health care is just right. It is a basic human right. It shouldn’t be treated like a commodity.
Why shouldn’t the poorest of society have the same health care benefits as the leaders of the country most of whom are millionaires.
Where I live in Canada, while our health care is better than the US. There are still some very expensive gaps. Drugs that are not covered. Essential treatments and procedures that the government insurance will not cover. Yet our politicians have gold plated insurance plans paid for by tax payers that cover it.
Why should this be. If all people are equal why aren’t government benefits equal.
What better way to spend tax dollars than directly on the health and welfare of the people of the country.
Likewise men women and children are going hungry and living in shelters some even living on the street. This in countries that are among the richest in the world.
It’s not that the poor are asking for a hand out. They are asking for a help up. I know many people living below $20,000.00 even $15,000.00 a year.
Yes these people are covered by government health insurance in Canada and most are even covered by provincial drug plans. Dental care however is a luxury. As are certain often essential medical procedures.
While some have medical problems and cannot work. Others are working quite often at two jobs and still at the end of the week have to decide on food, or paying rent or utilities.
This should not be so.
Over the years our governments have given billions of dollars to private industry to create jobs. They’ve given tax breaks to companies to stay in their jurisdiction and keep jobs in place yet they eventually move on.
They complain the minimum wage is too high at $10.00 and hour. But a person cannot live adequately on ten dollars and hour I’m willing to say anywhere in North America.
The Jews have something called Tzasakah. One Jewish site describes it like this,
Tzedakah is the Hebrew word for acts that we call charity in English: giving assistance and money to the poor and needy or to other worthy causes. However the nature of tzedakah is very different from the idea of charity. The word “charity suggests benevolence and generosity, a magnanimous act by the wealthy and the powerful for the benefit of he poor and needy.
The word “tzedakah” is derived form the Hebrew root Tzadei-dalet-Qof, meaning righteousness, justice or fairness. In Judaism giving to the poor is not viewed as a generous, magnanimous act, it is simply and act of righteousness, performance of a duty giving the poor their due.”
I believe we all have a duty to the poor of our society. I believe those in a position of power will be held to a higher account of themselves before God, be they politicians or business leaders, crowned heads of government or religious leaders.
Jesus 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.
This Christmas season especially we need to be helping the poor more than ever and not with just giving a few dollars as noble that may be. We should be contacting our politicians and those in power to provide more for the poorest in our society.
I like the Jewish idea of tzedakah.
One of their religious leaders put in order the various levels of tzedakah it goes like this,
Giving begrudgingly
Giving less than you should, bu giving cheerfully,
Giving after being asked
Giving before being asked
Giving when you do not know the recipient’s identity, but the recipient knows yours
Giving when you know and the recipient’s identity, but the recipient doesn’t know yours.
Giving when neither party knows the other’s identity.
Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant.
Tony Campolo wrote,
“These issues are biblical issues: to care for the sick, to feed the hungry, to stand up for the oppressed. I contend that if the evangelical community became more biblical, everything would change.”
Tony Campolo
Think about it.

A foolish claim

A foolish Claim???

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” 
                                                                Psalm 14:1

“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.  
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.  
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom,  but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,  but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” 
1 Corinthians1:18-25
As I write this Christmas is within sight here in North America. A time Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
We know it’s not his actual birth but it’s a time the early church decided to celebrate it, and it has stuck through the centuries.
Most historians be they secular, or Christian agree that Jesus did in fact exist. That the evidence both inside and outside the Bible points to the fact that Jesus did live. What secular historians and Atheist disagree with Christians on is who he is.
Christians believe Jesus is indeed the Son of God. God incarnate. That he died, rose from the grave and ascended to heaven. To the none believer foolishness. As the apostle Paul notes,
“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.”
A lot of what the New Testament speaks of regarding Jesus if not true, would if you think about it be foolishness and counter productive to the cause of the Church.
It is universally accepted that most if not all of the New Testament, and most definitely the Gospels were written within living memory of the death of Jesus.
Thus too make claims such as are made in the gospels if not true would most certainly be counter productive.
But the Bible aside, records of Jesus and some of the claims of the early church abound in other writings not controlled by Christians.
Some of those who speak about Jesus and the early Christians, their beliefs and practices were even enemies and thus can’t be accused of lying for the Christian cause.
These were men like Pliny the Younger, the Roman governor of Bithynia-Pontus. Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian, born 34AD  became a Pharisee at 19, later commander, of the Jewish forces in Galilee. Captured by Romans and attached to their headquarters.
Julian the Apostate, Roman Emperor from 361-363 A.D. and one of the most gifted ancient adversaries to Christianity. Said In his work against Christianity:
“Jesus…has now been celebrated about three hundred years having done nothing in his lifetime worthy of fame, unless anyone thinks it is a very great work to heal lame and blind people and exorcise demoniacs in the villages of Bethsaida and Bethany.”
But at the end of his life was forced to say: “Thou has conquered, O Galilean!”
                                                                                                              Julian the Apostate
The truth is Jesus existed and he did all that the Bible says he did.
If the historians and the men I’ve quoted above are wrong then I as a Christian have nothing to fear. I have simply lived a good life.
If I and they and every Christian in the world is right as we believe we are, then those who think the Gospel foolish, or God does not exist and Jesus is not who he claimed to be then those people have a lot to fear.
Jesus made it clear when he said,
.. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
                                                                                                                      John 14:6
This in a time when making such a statement could have got him the death penalty. Which makes Jesus either at least a little crazy. After all what sane man would say a thing that could possibly get him killed if it were not completely true?
Think about it.

Our Choice and an All Powerful God

Our Choice and an all powerful God
“The evidence is that God is all-powerful. The point to remember is that creating a world where there’s free will and no possibility of sin is self contradiction and opens the door to people choosing evil over God, with suffering being the result. The overwhelming majority of pain in the world is cause by our choices to kill, to slander, to be selfish, to stray sexually, to break our promises, to be reckless.”
                          Peter John Kreeft ph.d
In my years, within the evangelical movement, I’ve heard lots of wild things.  Everything from “you’re sick, so you must have sin in your life” “to your faith isn’t strong enough or God would have healed you.”
Is it any wonder people are turned away from some churches with people saying things like this?
To my mind there is a purpose in us getting sick.  It could be something as simple as us needing to build antibodies, so that we can better fight the next cold. It could be the results of something we’ve been exposed to or that we are genetically predisposed to.  Then again it could simply be a sign that we are pushing ourselves too much and just need a rest.
If the illness takes us into hospital, it maybe to help us get fully healed, or simply, an opportunity to show and share our faith, or as one of my comedian  friends once said, “maybe the surgeon just needs the practice.”
 Either way it should be a call to our spirit to draw closer to God.
All great men and women of God, have gone through test and trials.  Abraham, Noah, David, Joseph, Paul, all of the Disciples, Job, even Jesus.
Some of my Charismatic friends would say God wants us to be healthy all the time. I am sure that is true. What father wouldn’t want his child to be healthy all the time.
The thing is we live in a fallen world.
Genesis records,
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” 
                   Genesis 1:27-28
The problem is man over the centuries has not been a good steward of the world God has given him.
Man has partly out of ignorance, partly out of avarice, and at times deliberately damaged the world we live in.
In so doing he has set in motion things that make us sick, or that even kill us outright.
Case in point.
One place I lived in Northern Ontario, a once gold mining village sits by a lake you can not drink from. The reason it is filled with arsenic, a deadly poison that was used to refine the gold. A lot of the land around that lake is also polluted with arsenic also making it unusable. All because someone was so focussed on getting a few gold nuggets from the land and the government didn’t regulate what was happening. With neither party bothering to look after land.
This is happening all over the world. Man has fallen far from the ideals God set out for him. He has gone his own way and fallen into sin.
Sin is simply falling short of what God wants for you. The thing is we have to acknowledge God and our sin. We have to go before him and admit we are human and fall short of his perfect will every day.
God in sending Jesus to this earth understands what it is to be a human being. What it is to live on this earth with all its temptations. He knows we cannot be good enough to stand in front of him. That’s why he sent Jesus.
Jesus himself left us with this statement,
“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.
Think about it.

I Believe

I Believe

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: 
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 
a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, 
a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 
a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” 
                                                                               Ecclesiastes 3:2-8
The writer of Ecclesiastes is right. There is a time for everything. You don’t have to be a wise man to necessarily realize this. The writer is just stating the obvious. There is a time and a season for everything.
In my sixty years on this earth I have seen and experienced a lot. Everything from war, to the death of loved ones, to serious illnesses of both my wife and myself.
I have felt the joy of the birth of my children and been amazed as they grew to manhood going on to serve their Lord and Saviour.
I have rejoiced and danced at the wedding of my son. Praising God for the love he and his wife have for each other.
And through it all I am amazed at the Love God has shown to both me and my family.
In our life we have had more than our share of tragedy, the near death of one of my sons,  A serious injuries to another that could have crippled him for life. 
Both my wife and I almost dying in separate incidents just months apart. A diagnosis of Bipolar disorder that did change my life forever. Even a house fire that took all our earthly possessions.
Yet through it all I can truly praise God. Even when we lost our house, on which we had no insurance, we never went homeless. There was one waiting for us, in a better location no less.
God is truly good.
After the loss of our house we were also able to attend a wonderful bible based evangelical church. A family place in which we could bring up our children.
It was a place my wife and now our sons can serve the Lord. And that for my family and I that is important.
The events of my life have for me proven there is a loving God who cares for the individual. Who cares for those love him.
I know there are many out there that would deny God exists but I cannot believe this. I believe the word of the apostle John who wrote,
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God". 
                         John 1:12,13.
I believe the writer of the Apostles creed who wrote,

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

      who was conceived by the Holy Spirit

      and born of the virgin Mary.

      He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

      was crucified, died, and was buried;

      he descended to hell.

      The third day he rose again from the dead.

      He ascended to heaven

      and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.

      From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

      the holy catholic* church,

      the communion of saints,

      the forgiveness of sins,

      the resurrection of the body,

      and the life everlasting. Amen.

(*that is, the true Christian church of all times and all places)
I believe the writer of Ecclesiastes was right when he said,
“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 judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”
   Ecclesiastes 12:13,14
For me there is no debate. What you the reader believes is entirely up to you. It is my prayer that you at least examine the Bible and make up your own mind. Still ultimately belief in God is an act of faith.
Think about it