Praise the LORD!

Praise the Lord

“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’m going to make today’s post very simple and to the point. I would ask you the reader to Praise the Lord.
One thing I’ve found with most Christians is that they don’t praise the Lord enough. They listen to praise music which is good but they themselves don’t lift up their voice and praise the Lord.
You don’t have to be a great singer. You may not be able to sing a note correctly. You don’t have to, to praise the Lord.
If you’re self conscious about singing in public find a private place where you can at least say words of praise to God.
As you do you’ll see your own spirits raised.
So take time to give praise to the Lord of Lord and King of Kings. Please.

Words of Advice

Words of Advise
Here are a few words for Christians to live by everyday of their lives.
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
We are called never to judge either hypocritically or self-righteously, especially those outside the body of believers in Christ Jesus. To do so can have eternal consequences.
Paul however notes
“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.
What the apostle Paul is saying here to the church, is keep your own house in order. We have the right to judge someone who calls him or herself a Christian. We have the right to judge what they are saying and correct them. Paul warns Timothy in 1Timothy 1:3,4 to correct the false teachers.
As Christians we have not only the right but the duty to correct false teaching.
Now that doesn’t mean we can’t agree to disagree on some points. However when someone is teaching against the core beliefs of our faith we must correct them and if necessary expel them from among us.
Each person who wishes to be a teacher or a pastor needs to have his or her teaching questioned from time to time. A good teacher or preacher will welcome it.
If they are wrong in what they teach a good teacher will also make correction.
Christians however should never judge people outside our faith. As Paul states,
“God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 
We are called to keep our own house clean so to speak.
When it comes to our behaviour Jesus makes it clear,
“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.
When we witness, when we talk to people, when we interact with people in any way, we should be asking ourselves “would I like to be treated like that.”
We should be asking ourselves “what would Jesus do?”
Question to Christians reading this: Do you follow these simple words of advice?
Please think about it.

The Heart of Christianity

The Heart of Christianity
John records Jesus stating clearly why he came,
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him  should not perish but have everlasting life.
“For God did not send His Son into the world  to condemn the world,  but that the word through Him might be saved.”
John 3:16,17
If we are true followers of Christ we will not speak out condemning the world. We will not judge the world. That is not what God would have us to do.
The Apostle Paul wrote,
“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
While we may dislike the actions of those in the world and some of the laws past by our governments. Still we have no right to condemn them providing they don’t restrict our rights or the rights of others.
Romans 13:1,2 clearly states
“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. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”                                                                                                                                                 Romans 13:1,2
Remember Paul wrote those words when the emperor Nero ruled. One of the greatest persecutors of Christians. If we wish to truly do the work of Christ we must love the world. If we fail to do
so, this can have eternal consequences.
Paul when writing to the Romans said,
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the LORD, rejoicing in hope,  patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse. 
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.  Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things,  but associate with the humble. 
 Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” 
                                                                                                  Romans 12:9-21.
We cannot live at peace with all men if we are constantly criticizing their life or lifestyle. We have no right to show even a hint of judgment toward those who are not a part of the body of believers in Christ Jesus.
Remember what Paul said about love,
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 
Love never fails....
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”  
                                                                                                     1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.
Matthew records Jesus being asked,
 “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 neighbour 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?  
Matthew 5:43-46.
The more I read the Bible the more I see God’s Love throughout it. The New Testament proclaims that love on virtually every page.
The reason for that love is mentioned in John 3:17
“For God did not send His Son into the world  to condemn the world,  but that the word through Him might be saved.”
                            John 3:17.
We as Christians need to take a careful look at how we are witnessing to others. Asking ourselves are we judging them? Are we loving them? Do the people whom we are witnessing to see our actions as love because if they don’t our witness is to no avil.
The Talmud while not a Christian book gives an interesting story about Abraham it states,
“An aged man, whom Abraham hospitality invited to his tent, refused to join him in prayer to the one spiritual God.  Learning that he was a fire-worshipper.   Abraham drove him from his door.      That night God appeared to Abraham in a vision and said: ‘I have borne with that ignorant man for seventy years: could you not have patiently suffered him one night?
                                                                                                                                The Talmud .
“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....” (Paul to the Corinthians)
It is only through Love that we will win souls for Christ.
Please think about it

Take up your cross

Take up your cross

   “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.  
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?  
Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?  
If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” 
                                                                                                   Mark 8:34-38.
Here is a clear statement of what it can be to be a Christian. Jesus makes it abundantly clear that we must be willing to take up our cross and follow Him.
The cross is a symbol of suffering and pain. We must be aware that as Christians we may have to suffer and die for our faith. We must take this into account when we decide to accept Christ into our lives.
Jesus also makes it clear that, “...whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.”
As Christians I am convinced we cannot lose. While we may go through much suffering and pain be it simply from health problem or persecution from our enemies we still win.
I am reminded of a sixteen year old Christian boy who was told to renounce his faith in Christ by the terrorist group IS or die. He refused and was murdered.
This is the kind of thing we as Christians must be willing to do for the sake of the gospel.
Those of us who live in the democracies of the west enjoy incredible freedoms. Sometimes I believe we take our faith too much for granted.
We in the west can pop into a church without fear anytime in any city, town or village. We can worship without fear. That’s why I think we all to often put a golf game or football or dance classes ahead of our service to God. We forget how costly our faith is.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote,

“Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, 

the gift which must be asked for, 

the door at which a man must knock. 

Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, 

and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. 

It is costly because it costs a man his life, 

and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. 

It is costly because it condemns sin, 

and grace because it justifies the sinner.

 Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: 

'Ye were bought at a price', 

and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. 

Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon 

his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. 

Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.” 

                                                   Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian and anti-Nazi dissident. A founding member of the Confessing Church. He knew what it was to be a believer in Christ and stand up for your faith.
He was Born 4 February 1906 Breslau, Silesia Province, Prussia, German Empire Died 9 April 1945 (aged 39) Flossenbürg concentration camp, Nazi Germany just two weeks prior to the Allied forces liberating the camp.
Dear reader,
if you consider yourself a believer in Christ. If you consider yourself a Christian. How valuable is your faith to you? Is it so costly you would be willing to give everything up for it?
Is your faith in Christ the most important thing in your life?
Are you willing to take up your cross and follow Jesus wherever He will lead you?
To the Christians living in North America I would ask. Is Christ more important than the golf game, the soccer, baseball, dance classes, and other secular events?
Think about it

Love Honour and Faithfulness

Love, Honour and Faithfulness
Here is a quote from the Talmud that very much applies to Christians. It says,
“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
As believers we know God exists and that one day we will have to stand before Him and give account for our lives.
While belief in Christ and His saving grace gets us to heaven, we are called to do more, to go the extra mile.
The book of James states,
“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!
“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 2:12-18.
As Christians we are called to take the Gospel of Christ to the world. However it’s very hard to reach a person if they are in need of food, clothing, housing and healthcare. That’s why we need to do our best to meet the needs of people around us, be they in the city where we live or in distant lands.
I like what Tony Campolo the American Evangelist said,
“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.
Long before I gave my life to Christ I watched a musical called Goodby Mr Chips the theme song of the movie had these words,

In the Morning of My Life

In the morning of my life

I will look to the Sunrise

At a moment in my life 

When the world is new.

And the Question

I shall ask only God can answer.

Will I be brave and strong and true,

Will I fill the world with love my whole life through?

Will I fill the world with love my whole life through?

In the evening of my life

I will look to the sunset

At a moment in my life 

When my life is through.

And the question I shall ask only I can answer 

Was I brave and strong and true.

Did I fill the world with love my whole life through?

Did I fill the world with love my whole life through?

                                                 From the Musical Good by Mr Chips

 The apostle Paul wrote,
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.” 
                                                                                            1 Corinthians 13:4-8a.
If we as Christians live up to the standard of love the apostle Paul defines, then we will truly fill the world with love and in doing so bring many people into the kingdom of God.
Please think About it.

Of Jesus and Christianity

Of Jesus and Christianity

“At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them.  
“If you are the Christ,’” they said, “tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me,  and if I asked you, you would not answer.  
But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.” 
They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You are right in saying I am.” 
Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.” 
Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate.  
And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.” 
So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 
“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.” 
                                     Luke 22:66-23:3.
A noted archaeologist Sir William Ramsey who initially rejected the writings of Luke went on later to say,
“Luke is a historian of the first rank.… This author should be placed along with the very greatest historians.… Luke’s history is unsurpassed in respect of its trustworthiness.”
Two other noted historians William Albright and A. T. Robinson date the New Testament books to the first century. Albright to between 50 A.D. and 75 A.D. and Robinson to between 40-65 AD.
These dates place the writings of Luke within living memory of the events he describes. He certainly had access to the witnesses of the life of Jesus.
Thus for Luke or any of the other writers of the Bible to lie about what was said about Jesus would be to put in peril fledgling Christian movement.
In the scripture I quoted from Luke, Luke 22:66 to 23:3 we see that Jesus admits that he indeed is the Son of God.
To the religious leaders of Jesus day to make yourself equal to God is a crime punishable by death. The religious leaders did not believe Jesus was the Son of God and therefore demanded his death. As they had no right to put someone to death under Roman law they turned to the Roman governor to let them put him to death.
Here is another prove that Jesus was who he said he was.
If Jesus was not the Christ why would he risk death and the potential end of the movement he was starting.
C. S. Lewis puts it this way,
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” 
                                                                                                   C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Jesus was everything he said he was the Son of God, the Way to Heaven, the Saviour of all who would believe in him.
Christianity today is being attacked by extremist around the world and by it seems predominantly Atheist groups in a mild way in the west. They will not prevail.
The book of Acts records an incident in which two of Christ’s disciples were preaching about him not long after his death.
Luke the writer of Acts records, what they said and the resulting outcome.
 “We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” (Peter tells them)
“When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.  
But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while.  
Then he addressed them: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men.  
Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.  
After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered.  
Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.  
But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” 
               Acts 5:32-39
I believe that the fact many principalities and groups great and small have come against Christianity both by force of arms and in courts of law and have been unable to defeat it, shows Christianity is from God.
And the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
Think about it.

A Good Gift

A good gift

“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;  but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.  
Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers.  
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  
He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.” 
James 1:13-18
Here is some simple truths.
James makes a very clear statement when we are tempted it is not God who tempts us. God will not tempt us.
Instead he makes it clear that we are tempted by our own evil desires that drag us away from the Lord and give birth to sin.
James points out that,
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”  
Our God is a good and unchanging God. The phrase “God is the same yesterday to day and forever” is true. Our God does not change.
Every good and prefect gift is from God.
God the Father of “heavenly lights” sent His one and Only Son to this earth to light the way to heaven. Scripture tells us,
“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.” 
                                                    John 1:1-4
“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 wants all men everywhere to turn to Him. To look to Jesus and accept the Salvation He offers freely.
The greatest gift God gave to mankind is His One and Only Son Jesus Christ. The question is to everyone, everywhere will you believe he is who he says he is and accept the salvation he offers or not.
Please think about it

Christians and Persecution

Christians and Persecution

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.” 
                                           Matthew 11:12.
Jesus is saying here that from the time of John the Baptist what has become known as the Christian message has been moving forcefully ahead. While at the same time there have been men who have at times violently opposed it, from the time of it’s inception until the present day.
According to human rights watchers Christians are among the most persecuted people on the planet.
In December of 2013 the United Kingdom parliament heard that one Christian is killed every eleven minutes for their faith.
“MP Jim Shannon said the persecution of Christians is “the biggest story in the world that has never been told”
He said that although the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, there are many countries in which these rights are not given.
Shannon alleged that 200 million Christians will be persecuted for their faith this year, while he said 500 million live in dangerous neighbourhoods.”
Writing in the World Post Kelly James Clark states,
“In early November, German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared that Christianity is "the most persecuted religion in the world." Although met with predictable criticism, Rupert Short's recent research report for Civitas UK confirms Merkel's claim -- we may not want to hear it, but Christianity is in peril, like no other religion. While this is a contest no one wants to win, Short shows that "Christians are targeted more than any other body of believers." Short is the author of the recently published Christianophobia: A Faith Under Attack. He is concerned that "200 million Christians (10 percent of the global total) are socially disadvantaged, harassed or actively oppressed for their beliefs."
According to a report in Reuters news the top ten countries in which Christianity is persecuted in are, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Maldives, Mali, Iran, Yemen and Eritrea.
Still despite all of this Christians every day present their message. A message that simply calls mankind to be reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Jesus making it clear when he said
“... ‘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.’” 
                                                                     Matthew 22:37-39
Jesus also 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,  
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
And just as importantly Jesus said,
“...I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 
                                                                                                                                                John 14:1.
This is why we as Christians continue despite the persecution to take our message to the world.
We truly believe that the decision to accept Jesus as ones Lord and Saviour is the most important thing anyone can do. It is a guarantee of eternal life with God.
Sadly in many parts of the world we Christians do this at our peril.
So to the Christian in the west not facing persecution I would ask to pray for our brothers and sisters around the world. For strength and that eventually the persecution they face will end.
To everyone Christian or not, who believes in freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. Freedoms that are enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Freedoms that make up great democracies, write to your congressman, your President your member of parliament, or prime minister.
 Ask them to bring up the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with officials of countries that oppress not only Christians but other groups also.
Please for the sake of those who are dying for their faith and their beliefs every day, think about it.

True Greatness

True Greatness
 Napoleon Bonaparte, who wrote this,
"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.”
                                                                               Napoleon Bonaparte,
I like what Napoleon said about Jesus,
“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... Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour, millions would die for him.”
When asked,
 “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
“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,  
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
Today as I write this there are militant groups. Terrorist and revolutionaries who are trying to impose their way of life on others by the sword. They will fail. Trying to imposing ones will on someone by force has never worked. This is something that is lost on revolutionaries today,
T.H. White wrote,
“There was just such a man when I was young—an Austrian who invented a new way of life and convinced himself that he was the chap to make it work. He tried to impose his reformation by the sword, and plunged the civilized world into misery and chaos. But the thing which this fellow had overlooked, my friend, was that he had a predecessor in the reformation business, called Jesus Christ. Perhaps we may assume that Jesus knew as much as the Austrian did about saving people. But the odd thing is that Jesus did not turn the disciples into strom troopers, burn down the Temple at Jerusalem, and fix the blame on Pontius  Pilate. On the contrary, he made it clear that the business of the philosopher was to make ideas available, and not to impose them on people.” 
                                                           T. H. White, The Once and Future King
I believe it was Dr James Allan Francis who wrote the following,
One Solitary Life
Nearly two thousand years ago in an obscure village, a child was born of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village where He worked as a carpenter until He was thirty. Then for three years He became an itinerant preacher.
This man never went to college or seminary. He never wrote a book. He never held a public office. He never had a family nor owned a home. He never put His foot inside a big city nor traveled even 200 miles from His birthplace. And though He never did any of the things that usually accompany greatness, throngs of people followed Him. He had no credentials but Himself.
While He was still young, the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His followers ran away. He was turned over to His enemies and sentenced to death on a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – the simple coat He had worn. His body was laid in a borrowed grave provided by a compassionate friend.
But three days later this Man arose from the dead – living proof that He was, as He had claimed, the Saviour whom God had sent, the Incarnate Son of God.
Nineteen centuries have come and gone and today the risen Lord Jesus Christ is the central figure of the human race. On our calendars His birth divides history into two eras. One day of every week is set aside in remembrance of Him. And our two most important holidays celebrate His birth and resurrection. On church steeples around the world, His cross has become the symbol of victory over sin and death.
This one Man’s life has furnished the theme for more songs, books, poems and paintings than any other person or event in history. Thousands of colleges, hospitals, orphanages and other institutions have been founded in honour of this One who gave His life for us.
All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the governments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned have not changed the course of history as much as this One Solitary Life."
                Dr James Allan Francis.
The message of Jesus is a message for today. To love God, one’s fellow man and even one’s enemies.
The message of Jesus is simple He 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.”
John 3:16,17
The Apostle Paul reminds us,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 
Romans 5:8.
Christians understand that it was Christ that died to set us free. Not we who had to die for Him.
The Apostle John reminding us,
“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
Please think about it,

Speak and Act

Speak and Act

“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!” 
              James 2:12,13.
Christian, do you speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom?
It’s easy to point out the sins of the world. I hear some televangelist and preachers in the media doing it all the time. They present the good news of Christ as a lot of do’s and don’t’s. This turns people away.
We as Christians are called to present the gospel in a positive manner. In such a way as people will understand their need for salvation.
If we want to see how this is done right all we have to do is look at Paul’s speech to the Athenians. The book of Acts recording,
“So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.  
A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.  
Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?  
You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”  
(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) 
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.  
For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. 
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  
And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.  
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.  
‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 
“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill.  
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.  
For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” 
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”  
At that, Paul left the Council.  
A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.”
                                                                                Acts 17:17-34
Note at the beginning the author of Acts Luke mentions,
“So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.”
Paul reasoned with people, he didn’t argue or preach hell fire and brimstone. He didn’t point out their sins. He reasoned with them and presented the gospel in a logical respectful manner.
When he was asked to speak in the Areopagus he was also respectful. He started at a point they understood the temple to the unknown god.
The Greeks of Paul’s day were to say the least careful. They wanted to make sure they didn’t upset any god. They knew they were fallible. Thus the temple to an unknown god.
This temple to an unknown God however gave Paul a starting point to introduce them to the one true God.
This is how we should be today. We should be respectful to the beliefs of our audience we must meet them where they are. We must reason with them and present our beliefs giving them the option to accept or reject what we say.
We cannot win souls for Christ pointing out the sins of the world. We must always present the Love of God in a positive respectful manner.
Please think about it.

Be Ready

Be Ready
“then He said to his disciples, ‘the time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
 Men will tell you, ‘there his is!’ Or ‘Here he is!’ do not go running off after them.”
                                                                                  Luke17:22,23
Throughout the years there have been many groups that have arisen that have claimed Christ is returning at such and such a time. There are many that have claimed doom and gloom because various things have happened.
When world war one came some claimed Christ would return then. When it didn’t happen there the next major social up evil was the great depression. Of course we know it didn’t happen then, so world war two came with Hitler thought to be the anti-Christ. It wasn’t so.
Group over the years have looked at the world around them and seen what they thought were signs of the coming of Christ only to find they were wrong.
At the turn of the new millennium some said the computers of the world were going to melt down causing doom and gloom. It didn’t happen.
Sometimes I think Christians spend more time predicting the end of the world than they do evangelizing.
Lately the latest thing is this “Blood Moon” theory. Another wrong teaching.
Many years ago I had a pastor that I believe set me on the right foot when it comes to predictions of Christ’s return and serving as Christian in general.
There were a half dozen of us all in our early twenties that would meet at his house Sunday afternoons and just relax. The conversations not always but quite often revolved around Christian thinking.
He was the first to tell me of the three theories of the rapture, the pre tribulationist who believed that the Christians would be taken before the tribulation period. The mid tribulationist who said it would happen in the middle and the post tribulationist who thought it would happen at the end of the tribulation.
He however said it didn’t bother him who was right, that he was quote “a pan-tribulationist”.
That it would all pan out in the end and all that mattered was that he was doing his best for Christ when it happened. Good advise.
Matthew records,
“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.

What better thing for the Christian to be doing than reaching out to the world when he returns. Than serving God to the best of our ability rather than spending our time on empty speculation.
Jesus said,
“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning,  like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.  
It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.  
It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night.  
But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.  
You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” 
                                                                                                                                    Luke 12:35-40.
Please think about it

Christian Belief

I as a Christian believe

The Apostle Paul when writing to Timothy said,
"All Scripture is God-breathed  and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
                                                                                                                             2 Timothy 3:16,17
I believe we must therefore study scripture thoroughly and in its correct context. To take scripture out of context is wrong and can have eternal consequences.
I believe that the only infallible source of teaching is the Bible. And that when there seems to be an error in teaching it is the person teaching not the Bible who is in error.
I believe that it is every Christians duty to serve God in what ever capacity they can within the church  be that an usher, cook, teacher, secretary, cleaner, worship leader, pastor or in any other way possible.
I believe also that Christianity is a way of life. That we must live that life to the best of our ability to honour God, in word, and in deed.
I believe we should live that life humbly as a servant. That it is only with a servants heart that we can truly win souls for Christ.
I believe people should not have to be told we are a Christian. That the actions of our life should tell those around us that we are true servants of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, without us having to utter a word.
Like Francis of Assisi wrote
“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”
                                                                                    Francis of Assisi
I believe what Matthew recorded in his Gospel,
“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
I believe that  we must do this first of all because it is a command from our Lord himself and that our failure to do so has eternal consequences. 
I believe that we have no right to judge a person that is God’s place not ours. That we must be very careful what we say. Matthew 7:1,2 states clearly,
“Judge not that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged, and with the measure you use,  it will be measured back to you.”
I believe the words of the Apostle Paul who wrote,
“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

I believe the words of Jesus recorded by Luke,
“Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. 
Forgive and you will be forgiven.”
                                          Luke 6:36,37
We cannot afford to go into a sinful world, a world that does not recognize God or the law of God, with a judgmental attitude.
They will only turn us off and look for thing with which to judge us. Such actions also have eternal consequences.
I believe that the only way we can reach the world for Christ is to love the world. To show the pure love of Christ  to the best of our ability to all people. Just as Jesus did.
John’s gospel recording,
“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
I believe true Christian love is expressed in the words of the apostle Paul to the Corinthians who said,
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 
Love never fails....
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”  
                                                                                                                  1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13
I believe this is what it is to be a true Christian.
A great light is shining on the Christian. We cannot do things lightly. Our words, our deeds, all have the potential for eternal consequences. We are called to reflect the love of Jesus to the world around us. To illuminate the way to heaven.
Remember the words of Francis of Assisi who wrote,
“The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 
                                                                                               Francis of Assisi 
Please think about it.