A Sacred Trust

A Sacred Trust
The Apostle Paul writes,

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ 

and stewards of the mysteries of God. 

Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

1Corinthians 4:1,2  

As believers in Christ we are not just servants of Christ but “stewards” of the mysteries of God.
A steward was someone who administered all the affairs of his masters house. Joseph was Potiphars steward in the book of Genesis (Genesis 39:2-19).
Stewards must be loyal and faithful to their master.
As stewards of “the mysteries of God” we must stay true to the word of God. We must manage the message of Christ correctly. To do less is to betray our master Jesus. To betray God.
The consequences for not doing so could be eternal. For ourselves and those around us.
A great light shines on the believer in Christ. If we believe the words of Jesus recorded in the gospel of John,
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
If we 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.
We must be presenting the love of God in spirit and in truth to all those around us. We cannot as someone has said, “mess with The Message”.
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...”Matthew5: 43-45.
Love is the key to the Christian life. As Martin Luther King jr. the great American civil rights leader said,

Love is the only force capable of transforming 

an enemy into friend.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

God knew this that is why He sent Jesus. 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. 
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!  
For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!  
Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” Romans 5:8-11
This is the Message we as Christians are to take to the world. The Love of God through Jesus Christ that leads to Salvation.
Jesus told his disciples and through them us,
“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.
We must present this message in love to all who will listen to us.
We must be presenting it in spirit and in truth as presented in the Scriptures. To do anything less is unacceptable.
Please think about it.

Our Foundation

Our Foundation
“To believers in Christ the apostle Paul writes,
“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.  
If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.  
If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  
If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.
What Paul is saying is strait forward. Jesus Christ is the only foundation we as Christians can have. If Jesus is not the foundation then all our work is in vain.
Paul points out,
“If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.”
If we build our faith on the things of this world it will pass away.
Today there are pastors evangelist and those sitting in the pew that are building their faith on the things of this world. The most prominent of these groups are those who are often called the “name it claim it group” they say you must give money (usually to their ministry)  what they term“seed faith” you will receive rewards of ten or even a hundred fold more than you gave. Such teaching is false. God is not a cosmic banker giving super interest. In fact 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.” Matthews 19:16-22
The apostle Paul points out,
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,  without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,  treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—  having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Paul also notes,
“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.
Jesus said,
“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.
As a Christian our life should be committed to Jesus in word and in deed. We should not rely on the things of this world. Rather we should store up for ourselves treasures in Heaven. Putting all our trust in God.
Please think about it.

About Jesus

About Jesus
The apostle Paul writes,
“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”  1 Corinthians 2:14.
Over the years I’ve met many people who do not understand who Jesus is. Men and women who are of other faiths or are simply atheist. They cannot believe what the writer of Hebrews states,
“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 1:3.
They find it hard to believe that Jesus is God incarnate The Saviour of mankind.
The apostle Paul explains it this way,
“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”  1 Corinthians 2:14.
I respect the beliefs of these people who do not believe Jesus is the Son of God, Saviour of mankind, God incarnate, and I welcome open and honest discussion with non-Christians. It is good to share ones beliefs and views. That is why I write these blogs.
My prayer for anyone with whom I talk about Jesus is that God will open their eyes. That he will reveal himself to them through His Spirit.
Not only that but I pray that the person themself will sincerely pray and ask God to show them truth about Jesus.
I pray they will read at the very least the New testament. That they will read what the writers and followers of Jesus believed him to be.
In order to truly find who Jesus is, the person first and foremost needs to be truly looking for the answer. Otherwise they will not find anything.
Things of God are spiritually discerned thus the individual even if they are not Christians need to ask God for spiritual discernment.  For spiritual insight into what the scriptures are saying.
The apostle Paul speaking in the Areopagus in Athens a place where ideas were discussed openly said,
“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.”Acts 17:24-31.
The writer of Acts notes that after Paul said this,
“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 17:32-34
My question to you the reader. Which group are you with, the ones who sneered, those who wished to know more or are you willing to become a follower of Jesus?
If you are sincerely interested in finding the truth about Jesus. I would ask you to pray asking God to show you the truth. Then read the New Testament and see for yourself what those who knew Jesus personally believed him to be.
Please think about it. 

God's Ways not Man's Way's

God's Ways Not Man's Ways

The Apostle Paul writing to the Corinthian Church said,
“Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  
He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,  so that no one may boast before him.  
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  
          Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Paul states,
“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”
God does not do things the way man would do them. Luke’s Gospel records,
“In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,  to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.  
The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  
You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:26-33.  
In choosing Mary to be the mother of Jesus, God chose a woman of humble estate. He did not choose to have his Son born to a king.
Think about it. It would have been easy for God to have his Son born to a ruler. People would have easily have followed him after all he would have had power and people tend to respect people in power. And even if they don’t respect them they fear them and thus tend to obey them.
God however didn’t want this. He wanted his followers to act in true faith.
In the Gospel of Luke and Matthew the writers lay down the story of a humble young girl who is chosen by God to be the mother of the Messiah the Saviour of mankind.
The Gospels go on even further asking the reader to believe that this Son of God died for our sins. That he rose again walked briefly on this earth before ascending to heaven where he rules and reigns.
To man’s way of thinking this is pure foolishness. Yet to be a Christian to be a follower of Christ the individual is asked to believe all of this. Not only that Jesus is recorded as saying,
 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
John’s gospel also records Jesus as saying,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. John 3:16-18.
The apostle Paul writes,
“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.
Paul notes it is not our good works that get us to heaven. We get to heaven through our faith in Christ and the grace of God.
God asks the individual to have faith in him. The writer of 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

God in his wisdom knows that the strongest most reliable followers are those who have faith in someone. They are people who look at the facts and even though those facts at times may seem outrageous they still follow.
In Jesus God is asking that you as an individual believe the words of the writer of Hebrews who said,
“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 1:3.   
Do you believe this?
Please think about it.

My Shepherd

My Shepherd
The Psalmist writes,
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23.
Is the Lord truly the shepherd of your life or, do you only give intellectual consent to his existence?
Many people say they believe in God but they do not truly trust in Him.
 I had one pastor that came from the so called bible belt states that said it was hard in some areas to tell if people truly trusted God. Whether a person had truly given their life to Christ.
 It was hard because going to church was part of the culture. People simply went to church on a Sunday and said they were Christian because it was the thing to do. These people knew what he called “church speak”. They knew what to say, how to say it when to say it and how they were expected to act.
I see it with politicians in the United States in particular. They say “God bless America” they even go to church while in office. Presidents attend Prayer breakfasts and other religious things yet are they truly saved?
I have a feeling there are many people who go to church, perhaps even the majority in some areas, that say they believe in God, which they might, that are not going to heaven because  they have not truly made Jesus the Shepherd of their life.
Following God is truly an act of faith, and while many may think they have faith in God what they are really have is the intellectually belief that God exists.
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
The writer of Hebrews states,
“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.
Martin Luther King Jr. the great American civil rights leader said,
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
Is this the kind of faith you have. Are you willing to truly trust something you cannot see or feel? Do you truly have faith in God or is it simply intellectual consent?
Please think about it.

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.

When was the last time you took a few minutes to praise God. I can understand non-Christians not praising the Lord. But if you are a believer in Christ you need to take time to praise the Lord.
The psalmist here is pretty clear how we can praise the Lord. With trumpets, haprs, Lyres, tambourines, strings, flutes, cymbals. Even dance.
I know many Christians do not believe in dancing but when it comes to praising God the psalmist here makes it clear we can praise the Lord with dancing.
We are to praise the Lord with all the instruments we have including our voice and dance.
I love to watch some Jewish groups as they dance in praise to God. They give it their all. This is what we as Christians should be doing.  It’s all right to sing and use instruments but at times we need to let our bodies rejoice in exaltation of God who created all things including dance.
I for a number of years when I was younger toured with a small messianic gospel group. We performed locally both in churches and in various public venues. The best venue I found however was during rehearsals.
Our rehearsals quite often turned into praise sessions. It was during rehearsals that there was no pressure to preform perfectly. We could sing and move and praise God as we wished.
It made us feel good. Here we were praising our Lord and our God. Giving him glory and honour and receiving a blessing at the same time.
Over the years I’ve found you don’t have to be a good singer or dancer or great at playing an instrument. You just have to be willing to praise God.
If you are a believer in Christ why not take a few minutes to praise the Lord right now?
Please think about it.

Food for Thought

Food for thought
For the last little while now most of what I have written has been aimed at Christians, Christian living, belief and lifestyle. I however want to take this post to look at belief, and faith in God. Listed are several quotes from both the Bible and sources outside the Bible. I put them here for you to think about.
The Psalmist states,

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” 

Psalm 14:1

Voltaire said

“I cannot imagine how the clockwork of the universe

 can exist without a clockmaker.” 

Voltaire

C. S. Lewis said,

“We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade,

 the presence of God.” 

C.S. Lewis.

Abraham Lincoln said,

"I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, 

but I cannot conceive how he could look up into the heavens 

and say there is no God."

Abraham Lincoln

     The Psalmist declares,

“The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” 

Psalm 19:1.

Billy Graham the American Evangelist said,

I can't prove it scientifically, that there's a God, 

but I believe.

Billy Graham

The apostle Paul wrote,

“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.” 

1 Corinthians 1:18

A person has two choices in life. Either you believe in God or you do not. The choice is yours.
Blaise Pascal wrote,

Belief is a wise wager. 

Granted that faith cannot be proved, 

what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false?

 If you gain, you gain all; 

if you lose, you lose nothing. 

Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists. 

Blaise Pascal

Please think about it.

Speak and Act

Speak and Act
Here is a question to all who would call themselves Christians. Particularly if you live in North America. Is Christ a reality in your life or are you just giving intellectual consent?
Within parts of North America there is for lack of a better phrase “Christian culture”. People who believe they are Christians but may not be. These people state they believe in Jesus. They believe Jesus is the Son of God that he died for their sins. They say they have prayed the sinners prayer thus they are a Christian.  Yet one look at the life they are living seems to say otherwise.
It is easy to give intellectual consent and say Jesus is the Son of God. To say you believe Jesus died for your sins. That you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour by faith. And if you truly believe these things you will 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 
However faith in Christ is much more than believing in Jesus. Christianity is very much a faith of works. A faith of actions. Our faith in Christ should spur us to action to do good things. To love God, our neighbour, even our enemy. To reach out with the Salvation message of Christ in word and in deed.
Matthew’s gospel record Jesus as saying,
“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.
If you claim to be a Christian are you truly doing this?
The Talmud while not a Christian book tells this story Christians need to think about,
“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
If you claim to be Christians when you stand before God, God will not ask you if you believe in Him. As a believer in Christ you have said you do. Thus the next obvious question, God wants you to tell him honestly “do you believe you have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings wit your fellow man?” or as Jesus said in Matthew have you treated others as you would have others treat you?
Jesus tells this story,
“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
    The Rich man today are Christians and others in the United States, Canada and the western democracies. Lazarus the poor hurting beggar are the poor within our countries boundaries, the homeless and others in need. They are the refugees and others fleeing persecution and war.
How we as individual Christians deal with them is being watched by God whom we will one day stand in front of and be judged.
James the half brother of Jesus 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!” James 2:12,13.
As Christians we must show love and mercy to all whom we come in contact with. To do less is to bring into question our faith.
James also notes,
“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.
We as Christians have nothing to fear for doing good works.
By doing good works. By showing love to ones neighbour and ones enemy we may just win souls for Christ. The most important thing Christians can do.
Please think about it.

Fruits of a Follower

Fruits of a follower
The apostle Paul tells Christians
“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.
Here the apostle Paul tell Christians what attributes a Christian should show in their life. Positive things,

love,

 joy, 

peace, 

patience, 

kindness, 

goodness, 

faithfulness, 

gentleness, 

self-control.  

These are attributes respected by all people.
Out of our faith in Christ also come love and compassion to those around us.
James the half brother of Jesus said,
“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.
What James is telling Christians is that Christianity while believing the individual is saved by their faith in God. Through the grace of God . That same faith should result in actions to help the needy and others.
Christians are called to live a holy life committed to God and doing the work of Christ.
The Writer of Hebrew tells Christians,
“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.
This is what it is to be a true Christian. To be and do less is to question if a person is truly committed to Christ.
Please think about it.

A Christian Obligation

A Christian Obligation
Lately I have seen a lot of people calling themselves Christians especially in the United States who are not acting like Christians. Who are not following the teachings of Jesus.
Mahatma Gandhi once said of some Christians he met,

“Jesus is ideal and wonderful,

 but you Christians 

 you are not like him.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Sadly the political climate in the United States seems to have brought out the worst in many people. What however upsets me is those claiming to be Christians are letting themselves get dragged into the intolerance that seems to be permutating American society today.
I think it’s time that Christians, especially those who claim to be evangelical Christians to look at the teachings of Jesus,
Luke’s gospel records this teaching of Jesus,
“On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 
“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 
He answered: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’’” 
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.  
A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  
So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  
But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  
He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.  
The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:25-37.
It should be noted here that Samaritans and Jews in the day of Jesus held a disliked each other they seen themselves as enemies. Yet the Samaritan in this case showed compassion on this injured man.
Today that injured man represents refugees fleeing the horrors of war. They are men women and Children of all faiths, and lifestyles who are in need of the love and saving grace of Jesus.
The way I see it the priest and the Levite are all too often those who claim to be  Christians but are not. People who claim to have the love of Christ in their hearts. Yet would rather see people who are fleeing war and persecutions, who are of other faiths, and lifestyles die than show love and compassion for them.
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,...” Matthew 5:43,44.
What Jesus said covers everything. Every man, woman and child no matter their faith, their lifestyle or the station in life are our neighbours. And even if they are our enemies Jesus said we are to love them.
The apostle Paul defines love as,
“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.
If we are not living up to Paul’s definition of love then we need to make changes in our life.
The apostle Peter states,
“Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.”  1Peter 2:16.
James the half brother of Jesus said,
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,  
because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” James 2:12,13.
The writer of Hebrews tells us
“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.
If we are not showing unconditional love to those around us, no matter who they are, we are not following Christ’s example.
 Jesus who even on the cross prayed for those who had just crucified him saying. “...“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing....” Luke 23:34a. This is the kind of love we must have.
As Christians we have the answer to terrorism, hate, and bigotry, “the Love of Jesus” the “Love of God” who loved us so much he sent his son to die for us,
Martin Luther King jr. the great civil rights leader once said,

“Love is the only force capable of transforming

 an enemy into friend.” 

Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you claim to be a Christian you need to be showing unconditional love. Otherwise you are nothing more if not worse, than the priest and Levite that left the injured man to die in Christ’s story.
Please think about it.

Neither cold or hot

Neither cold or hot
The book of Revelations record this about the so called lukewarm church,
“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.  
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!  
So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.  
You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.  
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.  
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.  
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 3:14-22.
Here is a church described as neither cold or hot. Someone said cold water is refreshing to drink. Hot water is good for cleansing. Lukewarm water is neither.
As Christians we need to be hot. We need to be on fire for God.
The church at Laodicea was not. They thought they were but they were not. Jesus states,
“You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”
It appears they thought because they were materially rich they were spiritually rich. When in fact they were far from it.
There is especially here in North America today a group my former pastor use to call the “blab it grab it crowd” better know as the name it claim it group. Pastors and evangelist who say God wants you to be materially rich. That if you are not there is some sin in your life.
They claim if you give to God he will give back to you ten or even a hundred fold. They call it “seed faith”. This is wrong teaching. God is not a supernatural banker giving super interest on what you give. You should be giving to God's work because you want to not with the intention of getting a large return on your investment
Now There is nothing wrong with being rich. It is the Love of money that is sinful. When you love money more than God.
The Church at Laodicea seemed to think that since they were materially blessed they were right with God. Jesus however tell s them,
“you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”
He goes on to say,
‘I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.”
In other words study the scriptures and find what God truly wants for your life. So that you may become rich spiritually. That your spiritual nakedness may be covered and your spiritual eyes opened.
It is so easy in this day and age to become lukewarm. To  mix our faith with the things of the world around us. This however should not be so. We need to be on fire for Christ. He needs to take first place in our lives.
Jesus warns,
“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. 
Jesus tells the church at Laodicea
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”
If we truly turn to Christ. If we study the scriptures and follow the teachings of God we will gain for ourselves a home in Heaven and all that entails.
Please think about it. 

To the Faithful

To the Faithful
The book of Revelations records
“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.  
I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.  
I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.  
Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 
I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.  
Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.  
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Revelations 3:7-13.
Here we have the second of two churches mentioned in Revelations that no sin is found in. Jesus states,
“I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”
This church is said to have had little strength yet it kept true to Christ. They did not deny the name of Christ.
This is how we should be today.
Yes I know all around us are temptations that try to pull us away from God. It was the same for the church at Philadelphia.  Never the less we must stay true to our faith in Christ.
 The church of Philadelphia had little strength yet it kept faithful. It set the example for all believers everywhere that with even though we have little strength we can overcome the temptations around us.
If we do overcome these temptations we will receive a reward. Jesus states,
“Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it.”
To become a pillar in the temple implies a place of stability and strength a place of prominence in the service of God.
This is something we all as Christians should strive for.
Please think about it.