Our Treasure

Our Treasure
Matthew’s gospel records,
“Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” 
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” 
“Which ones?” the man inquired. 
Jesus replied, “ ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony,  honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’’” 
“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” 
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Matthew 19:16-22.
Illustrated in this scripture is a concept some Christians may be asked to do. It concerns a wealthy man that approached Jesus.
 Now there is nothing wrong with being rich. There are many wealthy people in the church today who are doing good as there were in the early church. It’s the priority you give to your wealth. Wealth can make your life easier and even allow you to help others. However it is a two edged sword. It can pull you away from God.
The apostle Paul tells us,
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10.
It’s the love of money that can cause us to wander away from our faith.
The man who came to Jesus and asked , “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” intellectually believed in God. He had obeyed the rules God set down for following God from his childhood.
This man however lacked faith in God. He relied on his wealth for security. When asked to give up that wealth and rely on his faith in God to provide all he needed he turned away. He was unable to give up the security of his material wealth.
Jesus said this,
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21.
Like I said there is nothing wrong with having wealth in its place, but our true treasure must be in heaven. We must be willing to give up our wealth in this world if God asks us to do so.
We if we are true followers of Christ must be willing to go where God calls us to go. Be that to talk to the neighbour next door or on the mission field thousands of miles away.
Jesus said,
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  
When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” Matthew 13:44-46.
If we claim to be Christians this is what we must be willing to do.
Please think about it.

The Standard for Christian living

The Standards for Christian living
As Christians I believe there are certain standards we must live be. By live by I mean everything we do must line up with these standards. Standards set by Jesus himself and the apostles.
1/ Love,
Jesus 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 neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40.
Jesus 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.
From the above scriptures we can see that we must love God, our neighbour and even our enemy. These are absolute truths directly from Jesus.
2/Live in Peace.
The apostle Paul states,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”Romans 12:18.
The writer of Hebrews agrees with this saying,
3/ Live Holy lives
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14 
Thus we must endeavour to live at peace and live holy lives, for “...without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
4/Respect authority.
The apostle Paul tells us to,
“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,... “Titus3:1
5/Do not slander
“.....slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.” Titus 3:2.
6/ Respect others
Jesus said,
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” Matthew 7:12.
This says it all. We must treat others in the same way we want to be treated, with love, with respect, with dignity.
7/ The fruits of a true Christian.
A true Christian exhibits the fruits of the spirit before all.
The apostle Paul tells us,
“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 5:22,23.
These scriptures are for me guide post when determining if someone is a Christian.
If you claim to be a Christian I would ask are you living in accordance with the scriptures I have presented above?
Please think about it.

The First Question

The First Question
“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
I like what the Talmud says here. What will you say when you stand before God. Jesus tells this parable,
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.  
At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores  and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.  
In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.  
So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.  
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house,  
for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 
“ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ” Luke 16:19-31.
Be you rich or poor we will all stand before God at a moment in our life. A rich person may have more to answer for when it come to dealing with their employees, investors or other people in their life. But everyone else will also have to answer to God also for how we treat our fellow man.
We deal with people everyday be a a cashier in a store, the postman, our coworkers, our neighbours our family. How we treat them is of concern to God.
I do believe God is as much concerned with the small things as he is with the big things. He is very concerned how you teat your fellow man.
As a Christian I believe you get into heaven by faith. The apostle Paul states,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9.
At the same time I do not believe you can be a true Christian and not teat your fellow man fairly an compassionately. The apostle James tells us,
“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 2:14-20.
Christian or not it is only right that we treat people with respect and compassion. It is my belief that if we don’t, is to one day experience the judgement of God.
Please think about it.

Praise the Lord!

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

Praise the LORD. 

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

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

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

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

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

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. 

Praise the LORD. 

Psalm 150.

Please take time to just praise God!

God Knows you

God knows you
The Psalmist writes,
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16.
The way I read the above quote is God knows all about us right down to our genetic code. He knows why we are the way we are and why we do what we do. That is why I believe God did not want men judging men when it comes to getting into heaven.
Jesus made it clear saying,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1,2.
The apostle Paul tells Christians,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?”1 Corinthians 5:12.
The only reason Christians can judge those inside the church is because they share a common value system. It is also essential for Christians to judge one another to ensure that what someone claiming to be a Christian, is actually teaching the beliefs of Christians correctly.
However Christians as Paul states cannot judge those outside the Christian community.
To judge someone is to say you know what motivates them. Know human can truly do that.
I have met many Christians over the years that have made a blanket statement that various groups or individuals will not go to heaven. The question I always ask is how do you know?
I believe in a God so loving that He entered this world in the form of His One and Only Son Jesus to show man how far He would go to reconcile man to himself.
It also served another purpose. In coming to earth Jesus experienced all there was to be a man. He experienced the mundane things like the sun and rain on his face. The smell of the earth after a rain storm. The love of friends and family. He also experienced the pain of being accused of crimes he didn’t commit. As well as a merciless beating and the death on the cross.
As a result we can never say when we stand before him “you don’t understand what it is to be human” because He does.
Thus when you stand before God, He can judge you honestly and justly.
Please think about it.

The fear of The Lord

The fear of The Lord
The Psalmist writes,
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.” Psalm 11:10.
When man forgets there is a God, or denies His existence or perverts God’s truth to justify his own actions society goes wrong.
On a large scale we can see this happened during the reign of Hitler and his henchmen in Germany during and just before World War two. We see it happening today on a large scale with terrorist groups lacking the fear of God and perverting God’s laws to justify what they are doing and thus causing strife around the world.
We see the lack of fear of the Lord on a smaller scale with street gangs in various cities killing people. We see people stealing on a small scale such as a pick pocket or on a grand scale such as a white collar criminal who steals millions from innocent victims.
The writer of Ecclesiastes states,
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole  duty  of man. 
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes12:13,14.
When people do not believe this then the road is open for them to do as they wish.
Abba Hillel Silver wrote,
“Faith in God is the strongest bulwark of a free society.  Human freedom began when men became conscious that over and above society and nature there is a God who created them...who fashioned them in His likeness, and that they are, therefore, possessed of intrinsic and independent significance and are endowed, as individuals, with original and irrevocable rights and authority.” Abba Hillel Silver.
God set for all humanity a set of basic laws that I believe is on the hearts of all men. Universal laws that are enshrined in the ten commandments.
The book of Exodus records,
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 
“You shall have no other gods before me. 
“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.  
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,  but showing love to a thousand  generations  of those who love me and keep my commandments. 
“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. 
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  
Six days you shall labor and do all your work,  but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.  
For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 
“Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 
“You shall not murder. 
“You shall not commit adultery. 
“You shall not steal. 
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” 
Exodus 20:2-17.
These laws be you Jewish, Christian, Muslim or of other faiths are universal laws we all can understand.
These are universal laws, if you will “God basic principles for living”, that if practised correctly allow our society to function in the way God intended.
Sadly today there are many around the world that have lost their fear of God and His righteous judgment. The result is suffering and death.
It is time for our society as a whole both here in North America where I live and around the world to turn back to God’s basic principles for living.
Please think about it.

God is

The Psalmist wrote,

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.” 

Psalm 19:1-3.

I believe there is a God who created the universe and everything in it. I believe the psalmist who said the heavens declare the glory of the Lord.
I cannot believe the universe simply assembled itself randomly.
George Washington Carver said,
“I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.” George Washington Carver.
Above I have posted three photographs one was taken by the Hubble Telescope of the Eagle Nebula. There is a microscopic look at the red blood cell the most common cell in the human body. Then there a microscopic view of a potato stoma. All are connected.
Mathematics is showing that there is a formula for everything in creation. We may not have all of them yet but they are working on it. I believe if science is done right they will find those formulas and even one linking all of them.
I know some say our world simply evolved from the big bang. It’s possible, but I believe we will one day find that it was God that created the big bang, setting in motion processes that has resulted in the perfect environment for life as we know it. Be it in six days or billions of years, it makes no difference God created the heavens and the earth.
I believe the Psalmist cry  “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
I believe the writer of Genesis who said,
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1.
My question to you is, Do you?
Please think about it. 

In Truth

In truth
Henri Nouwen said,
"One of the most arduous spiritual tasks is that of giving up control and allowing the Spirit of God to lead our lives."- Henri Nouwen.
Jesus said,
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23,24.
How do you worship God?
Do you simply go to church to feel good? Do you go to church for the music and to fellowship with friends?
Sadly many go to church to feel good. They go because they like the music and can meet their friends there.
It’s only a small percentage of people who attend church that do most of the work. Every church big or small has a need for more workers.
And perhaps, just perhaps, if the truth be known only a small percentage of those attending a church are truly Christians.
I was once told by a pastor that the people that were brought up in the church are the hardest to reach.
They have made going to church a lifestyle. They know what to say and when to say it. They know all the rules of the church and all the ritual. They even know a good bit of scripture. They may even say, and sincerely think they have Christ in their lives but they do not.
They believe there is a God but they do not put their faith in Him.
The writer of Hebrews tells us we need to have faith in God, writing
“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.
He defines faith as,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  Hebrews 11:1.
Faith for a Christian is believing in God and serving Him. It means worshipping God as Jesus said “in spirit and in truth”.
One of the definitions the Oxford dictionary gives for spirit is, “...the real meaning or intention of something as opposed to its strict verbal interpretation.”
We as Christians have to really mean what we are doing as opposed to simply praying because it’s the thing to do. When we sing praises to God we have to truly mean what we are singing as opposed to singing because we feel good.
Faith in God and a sincerity of worship is essential in the Christian life. We have to be willing to give our whole life to God. As Henri Nouwen said,
"One of the most arduous spiritual tasks is that of giving up control and allowing the Spirit of God to lead our lives."
That’s what true faith in God is all about. Giving up control of our lives to God. Allowing God to work through us to complete His work on this earth.
Please think about it.

A Talk

A talk

“For the word of God is living and active. 

Sharper than any double-edged sword, 

it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; 

it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. 

Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him 

to whom we must give account.” 

Hebrews 4:12,13

C. S. Lewis said,
“A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.” C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain.
Lewis is right, you can say there is no God, but that dose not change the fact there is a God and that he one day will judge everyone. Someone once wrote,

A Conversation

A man:

”you can’t be!”

God: 

“but I am”

A Man: 

“You don’t exist!”

God, 

“I do.”

A Man: 

“But I couldn’t see you.”

God: 

“I know I asked you to have faith. Through Hebrews I told you,

 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope

 for and certain of what we do not see.”  

Hebrews 11:1

A Man: 

“if only I could have seen you.”

God: 

“You could have seen all I did. The Psalmist told you 

“The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the  skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

Psalm 19:1. 

Didn’t you look?

A Man:

 “Of course I looked. 

I seen evolution!”

God,

 “So you seen an orderly universe and thought 

it just dropped perfectly into place

 randomly? 

You didn’t think I could do it be it that way or any other way 

I felt like doing it?”

A man: 

“But I didn’t believe you existed.”

God: 

“so you never had faith in me?”

A Man: 

“I didn’t.... 

I don’t...

 I must be delusional.”

God: 

“No I am really here and through the words of Hebrews I warned you saying, 

“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.

Man:

“So what will happen to me?”

God:

“The Apostle Paul wrote,

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith

and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 

 not by works, so that no one can boast.”

 Ephesians 2:8,9 

Did you accept my free gift of Grace?

Dear reader
Please think about it.

The heart of existence

The heart of existence
“Love is the heart of existence.”  Author unknown.
A natural disaster strikes a world away and people unaffected do everything they can to send aid. Someone is murdered or killed and not only family but strangers come to console the relatives of the victim.
Fire destroys a neighbours home or a child or loved one is hurt and those around go out of their way to help the family even if they don’t know them.
Why because deep inside everyone there is love. Love planted there by God.
Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver wrote,
“...love is the enduring sanctuary of life. Life may rob you of many things.  It often does.  But it can never bereave us of love itself.  That remains.” -Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver, rabbinic leader, from a December 22, 1940 sermon.
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....

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.

 But the greatest of these is love.”  

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.

The Gospel of John tells us,
“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.
Love is something atheist cannot explain. Why would someone feel love for someone thousands of kilometers away who have undergone hardship and wish to help? After all they are not affected?
The answer is love. Love is fundamental to human existence. Without love the human race would have become extinct long ago.
Jesus 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 neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40.
Jesus took love one step further saying,
“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.”Matthew 5:43-45.
Love is selfless.
Francis of Assisi wrote,

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, 

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; 

to be understood as to understand; 

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive; 

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; 

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

                                                                                      Francis of Assisi.
Are you showing Love?
Please think about it.

Without Love Without God

Without Love Without God,
“The world is trying to get by without God and is doing a miserable job without Him.” Author unknown.
Abba Hillel Silver said,
“Faith in God is the strongest bulwark of a free society.  Human freedom began when men became conscious that over and above society and nature there is a God who created them...who fashioned them in His likeness, and that they are, therefore, possessed of intrinsic and independent significance and are endowed, as individuals, with original and irrevocable rights and authority.” Abba Hillel Silver.
As I look around society today. I see especially in the United States a society in crisis. In the America the spectre of racism has raised its head it seems higher than ever. Police harassing and killing innocent black men. Misguided individuals killing police. It all resembles the early years of the 1960's and the civil rights movement.
I don’t remember much about the civil rights movement in the United States. I wasn’t even a teenager and I didn’t live in America at the time. All I remember was my father praising Dr. Martin Luther King jr. for his non-violent stance in the face of such injustice.
Dr. King was a Christian who believed in Love.
Dr. King said two things that are as important today as they were then. He said,

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; 

only light can do that. 

Hate cannot drive out hate; 

only love can do that.” 

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr King made it clear,

“Love is the only force capable 

of transforming an enemy into friend.” 

Martin Luther King, Jr. 

The early civil rights movement attained what it did because they refused to let hate rule. To quote King again he prayed,

“We thank thee, O God, for the spiritual nature of man.

We are in nature but we live above nature.

Help us never to let anybody or any condition pull us so low as to cause us to hate.

Give us strength to love our enemies 

and to do good to those who despitefully use us and persecute us.” 

Martin Luther King jr.

Leaders like Dr. King realized that hate begets hate. He realized the words of Jesus who 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 neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40.
Who 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.” Matthew 5:43-45.
I admit I am a white man living in Canada and cannot fully understand what most people of colour in the United States have to put up with. Still I can understand what injustice is.
I also realize that unless people turn back to God society is in trouble.
I believe it is time for all churches. All who claim to be Christian to stand against injustice everywhere.
If ever there was a need for God in society it is now and not just in the United States but around the world.
Hate is everywhere in the world today and it is only through the love of God that we can truly overcome it.
Please think about it.

You, God, and Faith

You, God, and Faith
Raphael Simon said,
“To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances; to seek him, the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement.” Raphael Simon.
Jesus said,
“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.
The book of Deuteronomy states,

Love the LORD your God

 with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  

Impress them on your children.

 Talk about them when you sit at home

 and when you walk along the road, 

when you lie down and when you get up.  

Tie them as symbols on your hands

 and bind them on your foreheads.  

Write them on the doorframes of your houses 

and on your gates. 

                                                                              Deuteronomy 6:5-9
To know Jesus as one’s personal Saviour. To allow Christ into one’s life and fall in love with God is indeed the most incredible thing an individual can do.
The writer of Proverbs tells us,
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”Proverbs 3:5,6.
God indeed loves us. The Apostle Paul writing to the Romans states,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.
God loved us so much that He in the form of His one and Only Son Jesus entered the world to point us to Himself.
The writer of Hebrews states,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3.
God exists and God loves all people.
Most people in the world today believe there is a God. However they do not have faith in Him. Something God asks of all people.
In my previous Blog post I quoted the writer of Hebrews as telling us,

“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.

Faith is something that has been exercised by all of God’s prophets in the Bible. The writer of Hebrews tells us,

“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.  

By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.”Hebrews 11:8,9

Abraham believed God existed, but he didn’t stop there he exercised his faith in God by doing what God told him to do even though he couldn’t see what his actions would bring about. 
The writer of Hebrews defines faith, saying,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.” 

 Hebrews 11:1.

This what Abraham did. He was sure of what he hoped for and certain that God would bring about what he could not see. Abrahams faith was not simply intellectual.  He truly believed.
Do you simply believe intellectually that God exists or do you have actually have faith in him as the writer of Hebrews defines faith? I ask this question because it is by faith that we get to heaven.
The apostle Paul tells us,

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith

—and this not from yourselves, 

it is the gift of God—  

not by works, so that no one can boast.” 

Ephesians 2:8,9.

Getting to heaven is a free gift of God. It is by His grace we get there. Still it is only through faith that we can receive that grace.
Jesus speaking of himself 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.
Speaking to Martha Jesus gave us all a question we must answer saying,
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes Lord” she told Him, “I believe you are the Christ the Son of God, who was to come into the world,” John 11:25,26,27.
So my question is do you simply believe intellectually there is a God and leave things at that. OR do you truly have faith in God and that Jesus is His one and only Son who died for your sins.
Please think about it.