Thursday, 29 June 2017

The Question

The Question
John’s gospel records this conversation between Jesus and Martha,
“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.
This is a question all who have read about Jesus must answer. Is Jesus the Son of God, the Christ, the suffering Messiah spoken of by Isaiah. Isaiah who wrote,
“Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 
He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 
By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants?    For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. 
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 
Yet it was the LORD'S will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. 
After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life  and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53:1-12.
Christians believe that Jesus is the suffering Messiah Isaiah mentions in Isaiah Chapter fifty-three.
The writer of Hebrews telling us,
“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 
Christians believe that Jesus died for the sins of each and every persons. C. S. Lewis states,
“He died not for men, but for each man. 
If each man had been the only man made, 
He would have done no less.” 
                                   C.S. Lewis.
Thus the question is, do you believe this.
Please think about it.

Wednesday, 28 June 2017

In Which group are you?

In which group are you?
Perhaps one of the best sermons in Christian history is recorded in the book of acts. It is spoken by the apostle Paul. It is short and to the point. It was spoken to non-believers in Athens.     It places before the reader the choice we Christians believe every man and woman on this earth must make.
The book of Acts records,
“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
When Paul finished his speech, some believed him, some did not, and some wanted to know more.
In which group are you?
Please think about it.

Tuesday, 27 June 2017

Why are There

Why are there
The apostle Paul writes,
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:2-6.
Some time ago I was shown an email that asked the question, Why are there so many denominations within Christianity?
According to one source I’ve read said there are over 270 Protestant Christian denominations is Canada not counting the different Catholic groups.
That being said I believe there are two reasons.
First some who call themselves Christian are not really Christian. Jesus said,
“Many will say to me  on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  
  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”  Matthew 7:22,23
The apostle Paul states,
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”                                                                                                            2Timothy 4:3,4.
Thus some are Christian in name only.
The second reason there are many Christian denominations I believe is simple. People are different.
Some people like classical music, some folk music, some rock music. Some people are conservative liking things traditional. Others like things more contemporary and modern.
When it comes to individuals there is a wide spectrum of likes and dislikes. That’s why I believe there is such a diversity of true Christian denominations and congregations.
Because of the diversity within Christianity no one can ever say when they stand before God “I couldn’t find a church congregation or denomination that I liked”
The key thing is when it comes to being Christian is not what denomination or congregation you attend but rather what you believe.
While not written by the apostles. The apostles creed is a good brief outline of what all Christians believe irrespective of their denomination or congregation. It states,
1.I believe in God the Father the almighty maker of heaven and earth
2. I believe in Jesus Christ God’s on and only Son, our Lord and Saviour.
3. I believe Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary
4. I believe Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate; That He was Crucified,     died, was buried. That he descended in hell.
5. I believe He rose again on the third day from the dead.
6. I believe that he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
7. I believe Jesus will one day Judge the living and the dead.
8. I believe in the Holy Ghost
9. I believe in the Church which is the communion of the saints,
10. I believe in the forgiveness of sin.
11. I believe in the resurrection of the body.
12. I believe in life everlasting.
The apostle Paul makes a clear statement as to how Christians believe you get to heaven. When he states,
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:9-13.
Thus getting into heaven has nothing to do with what Christian denomination or congregation you belong to but your personal relationship with Jesus.
C. S. Lewis the Christian writer speaking about Jesus said,
“He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.” C.S. Lewis.
Please think about it.

Monday, 26 June 2017

Your Choice

Your Choice
The book of Joshua records,
“Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.  
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24: 14,15
The choice in this life is simple. Follow the gods of this world, of which there are many, or follow the One True God by faith. This was the choice Joshua gave to the Israelites. This is the choice everyone in the twenty-first century must make.
Each individual must first decide for themselves if God exists. Then each individual who hears about Jesus must decide who he is.
The apostle John writes,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  
He was with God in the beginning. 
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  
In him was life, and that life was the light of men....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ” John 1:1-4,14
Christians believe Jesus is God incarnate. God in the flesh who entered His creation to point mankind to Heaven.
John’s gospel records this conversation between Martha and Jesus,
“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.
Matthews gospel records this conversation between Jesus and the apostle Peter,
“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:13-16.
The Christian writer C. S. Lewis in his Book Mere Christianity wrote,
“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
Thus dear reader the choice is yours.
Please think about it.

Sunday, 25 June 2017

Where is your Heart

Where is your heart
Matthew’s gospel tells of this incident,
“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.
Wear is your heart. If you claim to be Christian is your heart with God or with your possessions?
They young man who came to Jesus had at the very least an intellectual knowledge of God. He believed God existed yet he wasn’t truly committed to God. He followed the laws of God but he lacked faith. His faith was in his wealth. He wasn’t willing to sell everything he had and allow God to meet his needs.
Now there is nothing wrong with wealth the apostle Paul states,
“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 causes the problem.
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 believers in Christ we must be willing to give up everything for God if he asks us to do so.
Would you be willing to give all you have to serve God?
Please think about it.

Saturday, 24 June 2017

As Christians

As Christians
The Apostle Paul wrote,
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; 
the old has gone, the new has come!”
                                                    2 Corinthians 5:17
The apostle Paul could certainly testify to that. He went from a persecutor of believers in Christ, to one of the most prominent proponents of the Church. Eventually dying for the faith he once persecuted.
Paul once wrote,
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.  
But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” 1Timothy 1:15,16
In becoming a follower of Jesus we agree to give up our old life and follow a life that reflects that of Jesus.
The apostle Paul writing to the Romans said,
“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?  
By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 
Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:1-4.
As true followers of Jesus we must live a life that reflects Him. A life of Love for God, one’s neighbour and even one’s enemy.
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.
As followers of Jesus we should be known by our mercy and unconditional love for all people no matter who they are.
There is a very famous prayer by Francis of Assisi that all who call themselves followers of Christ should think at taking to heart it states,
The prayer of St. Francis

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.
                                                               St Francis of Assisi
Please think about it.

Friday, 23 June 2017

God used beautiful mathematics

God used beautiful mathematics
The Book of Genesis tells us,
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” 
Genesis 1:1
Paul Dirac said,
“God used beautiful mathematics in creating the world.” 
                                                                                      Paul Dirac
I am a Christian. I have read the Bible. At the same time I am a firm believer in that science done correctly will give proof God created the heavens and the Earth.
The Psalmist states,
“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 am told by scientist that the earth is at the exact place not only in the solar system to sustain life as we know it, but in the exact place in the universe.
The scientists are showing that the universe is mathematically perfect. We may not have all the correct formulas for predicting things that happen in the universe yet, but given enough time I believe that will happen.
The perfection of the universe to sustain life as we know it, to my way of thinking points to the universe being created by God.
Whether God used the big bang or any other means makes no difference. The fact remains God could have created the universe any way He wished.
Now I’m not a scientist however I do believe science done right can point the way to God. One scientist I have found that makes sense is an astrophysicist by the name of Hugh Ross.
Two of his videos show how God could have created the universe. Both are available on You Tube  The Videos are “God and the Big Bang” and Genesis One and Natural History.
Whether you believe in God or not, I would ask that you at least take the time to look at these videos with an open mind, in addition to reading the Bible. After all it cannot hurt.
Please at least think about it.

Thursday, 22 June 2017

Even Atheist have Faith

Even Atheist have Faith
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope 
for and certain of what we do not see.”  
                                      Hebrews 11:1

As a Christian I believe the words of the writer of Hebrews is true, when he said,
“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 
I 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
  Obviously Atheist do not believe this. Never-the-less Atheist do not believe in “nothing” their faith is in their own, knowledge.
They have made themselves if you will “all knowing.” For in order to be absolutely certain there is no God you must have been everywhere and know everything.
For if you don’t know everything, then your not knowing God exists may be the thing you don’t know.
Likewise if you have not been everywhere, then God may well be, where you have not been and we all know there is no one living today who has been beyond the grave.
Thus the choice is yours.
Believe what the Bible says about God and Jesus or do not believe.
The question I would ask to those who do not believe in God is, Are you so confident in your beliefs that you are willing to risk your eternal destiny on those beliefs?
The way I see it as a Christian if I am wrong I have lived a good moral life. If I am wrong I have lost nothing.
On the other hand if you do not believe in God and He exists, then you have lost everything.
Please think about it.

Wednesday, 21 June 2017

Christ's Prayer and your life

Christ’s prayer and your life
Jesus prayed,
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” John 17:20-21.
Here Jesus prays not just for his disciples and those who believed in him while he was on earth. In essence Jesus is praying for all those who believe in him, and are presenting the salvation message to the present day.
As believers in Christ we need to be telling the world about Jesus. We need to be living a life that reflects Jesus in a positive light. 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.
The life of a believer in Christ should be a positive one. Followers of Jesus need to be known for their beliefs, not for what they are against.
Mahatma Gandhi upon observing some who called themselves Christians said,
“Jesus is ideal and wonderful, but you Christians
 - you are not like him.
                                  Mahatma Gandhi
All too often especially here in North America people see those claiming to be Christians and observe what Gandhi seen.
They see Christians in a negative way. Believers in Christ need to take the advise of the apostle Peter to heart when he wrote,
“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11,12
Question. If you claim to be Christian are you as the writer of Hebrews said, making,
“....every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14.
Please think about it.

Tuesday, 20 June 2017

Peace and Rest

Peace and Rest
“I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; 
all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”
Ecclesiastes 1:14
Over the years I have met many men and women who are looking for meaning in life.
People it seems look for meaning in life, in wealth, in science, in the arts, even in drugs and alcohol. Some have even gone off to join extremists and terrorist groups all in the hopes of finding meaning for their lives.
Sadly many unable to find meaning in the things of this life and what our secular society has to offer have even committed suicide.
They concluded that what the writer of Ecclesiastes stated was right when he said,
“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; 
I refused my heart no pleasure. 
My heart took delight in all my work,
 and this was the reward for all my labor. 
Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done 
and what I had toiled to achieve, 
everything was meaningless, 
a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” 
Ecclesiastes 2:10,11.
And looking at it from man’s prospective. From a secular prospective where all there is, is this life, I can see how someone would think that way.
However Rick Warren said,
"You were made by God and for God, 
and until you understand that, 
life will never make sense.” 
                                                                                     Rick Warren.
Rick Warren is right until you understand that you were made by God and for God, life will never make sense.
It is only when we realize that life does not end in death. That man is an eternal being who was created by God to live on through eternity that we can truly find meaning in life.
The writer of Ecclesiastes comes to this conclusion,
“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
I firmly believe we will stand before God to be judged. However I firmly believe God loves us and wants to have fellowship with us.  That is why He sent Jesus.
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.” John 3:16,17. 
The apostle John telling 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. 
By accepting Jesus into our lives we can find the peace and rest I believe all people are looking for.
In Matthews Gospel Jesus is recorded as saying,
“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.
Jesus offers to all who will believe in him peace. A peace that reaches to a persons soul. A peace the world cannot take away.
It is a peace that anyone can have if they would simply turn to Jesus in prayer and truly ask them into their life.
Are you willing to ask Jesus into your life today?
Please think about it.

Monday, 19 June 2017

Render to Caesar

Render to Caesar
           Matthews Gospel records,
“Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words.  
They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are.  
Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 
But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?  Show me the coin used for paying the tax.”  They brought him a denarius,  and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?” 
“Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” 
When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.” Matthew 22:15-22.
Here the Pharisees and the Herodians were trying to trap Jesus into saying something against Rome that would cause Jesus to be jailed or put to death. Instead Jesus turned it to his favour and gave Christians an example to live by.
They asked Jesus is it right to pay taxes to Caesar. For Jesus to say no would be against Roman law. To say no could have brought a charge of insurrection against Jesus. To say yes would be to loose favour with the people who followed him.
Instead Jesus turned things around on them. He noted the head on the coin. The head being Caesar’s and said, “Give (or render, give back to) Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s”
This is how we as Christians must be. We are not citizens of this world our home is in heaven. However we live in this world and must follow the laws of the land in which we live.
It is only when the law of the land requires us to break God’s laws or prevents us from worshipping God, that we must follow what God says and not man. Otherwise we must be good citizens at all times.
If you claim to be a Christian think about these words written by the apostle Peter. Who died at the hands of the Romans. He said,
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 
Dear friends,
 I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:9-12.
Please think about it.

Sunday, 18 June 2017

Who is Jesus?

Who is Jesus?
Matthew’s gospel records,
“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.  Matthew 16: 13-17.
Here is a question for the ages. Just who is Jesus? It is a question Jesus asked of his disciples it is a question each individual in the world that hears about Jesus must answer.
The apostle Peter answered.
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”
Today in 2017 people have varying opinions as to who Jesus is. Some atheist go as far as saying he is myth. Some say he is a good man. A great moral teacher. While his followers say he is the Christ. The Messiah. The Son of the living God. Saviour of mankind.
I believe if we truly want to know who Jesus is we must be sincerely looking for him.  The reason many people fail to find who Jesus truly is, is because they are not truly looking for Him. OR they have a preconceived idea of who he is and are unwilling to change that idea.
Still Jesus is there waiting for us to reach out to him.
The Apostle Paul speaking to people who were searching for meaning in life stood in the Areopagus in Athens and said,
“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.” Acts 17:22-31.'

Of those who listened to Paul that day. Some did not believe what he said, some wanted to hear more, while others believed.
The same thing happens today among people who hear about Jesus.
Some do not believe who Jesus is.
Some want to know more about Jesus.
While some believe Jesus, is,“the Son of the living God, The Saviour of Mankind.”
In which group are you?
Please think about it.