Barrier or Bridge

Barrier or Bridge
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.
I once heard a preacher yelling from the pulpit accusing people on social assistance as being “lazy bums”. I couldn’t believe I was hearing it from someone calling himself a man of God.
I admit there are people on social assistance that should not be.
By the same token I know there are many men and women calling themselves men and women of God, preaching from the pulpit that are scamming people. Men and women who are not truly believers in Christ.
Harper Lee in her book To Kill a Mockingbird noted,
“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)...” Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird.
Sadly it is true. The preacher I heard calling those on social assistance lazy will not win one person to the Lord. If anything that person will push them away from God.
Most of the people who are on social assistance are truly in need as are the mentally ill drug addicts and alcoholics are also in need. And we as believers in Christ need to be reaching out to them.
The apostle Paul said,
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” 1 Corinthians 13:1.
As Christians we need to have the kind of love Jesus showed, unconditional love.
We do not know what is in the hearts and minds of a person. We do not know what caused a person to be in the circumstances they are in. However we can help them. Sometimes it’s as simple as feeding them. Other times it might be by getting them to a place they can get help for their addiction or simply into a safe injection sight.
Doing this builds bridges between those in need and God.
The way I see it if you claim to be a believer in Jesus, you are either a bridge or a barrier.
      I live in a city with a canal running through it. Periodically the bridges go up to allow ships to pass by. What was the roadway allowing safe passage for all, becomes a huge concrete and steel barriers, preventing all surface traffic from reaching the other side.
You are such a bridge. You can choose to be in the up position and prevent people from coming into contact with Christ. Or you can be in the lowered position allowing all who wish to pass safely over.
You do this through your words and deeds. It is through your words and deeds that people will see Christ. They can either be a barrier or a bridge. It is something all who believe in Christ must be aware of.
As Francis of Assisi said,

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon 

some persons will hear today” 

                                                                 Francis of Assisi.
So are you a barrier or a bridge?
Please think about it.

Show Mercy

Show Mercy
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.
Here is a caution from James. “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom...”
As Christians we must be careful how we speak and act. Our words and deeds can introduce Christ to a persons or turn them away. The writer of Proverbs states,

“Reckless words pierce like a sword, 

but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” 

                                              Proverbs 12:18.

I think especially today in our high tech world, where our words can be transmitted around the world in an instant and never be retracted we must be careful.
We as followers of Christ have no right to judge someone else, especially when it come to where they will spend eternity.
We must show the love of Christ to all we come in contact with. For in doing so we show God’s mercy to them.
We must remember 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.” John 3:16,17.
Furthermore, James reminds us, “...judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.”
Jesus tells us,
“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. 
Please think about it

A Law Breaker

A law breaker
James the half brother of Jesus wrote,
“My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.  
Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.  
If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 
Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?  
But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?  
Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong? 
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.  
But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.  
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.  
For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.” James 2: 1-11.
James here as he does throughout his letter turns things upside down with respect to the secular world. He calls the poor rich stating,
 “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?”
Sadly in our world today as it seems to have been throughout history someone dressed in fine clothing is looked on by many, if not most, to be a good person. A person you can trust. This is not necessarily so.
We only have to look over the past decade or so to see men who are well dressed with a nice house and cars who were nothing more than scam artist stealing from anyone who trusted them.
Someone  told me that a person dressed in a dirty tee shirt and trousers, robbing a convenience store gets away with at most a couple of hundred dollars.
Someone holding a bank up at gunpoint dressed casually gets away with a thousand or so.
However a person dressed in an expensive suit, fine jewelry, driving a high end car and living in an expensive home can get away with stealing multimillions. Yet such a person is usually accepted into exclusive clubs and even our church congregations without question.
Now not everyone who is well dressed and wealthy is a thief. Quite the contrary throughout the centuries wealthy people have contributed much to the spreading of the gospel.
The point James is making here is that all are equal before God and should be treated as such within our church congregations.
James notes,
“But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.  
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.  
For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.”James 2:9-11 
Thus the question becomes in light of what James is saying here, are you a law breaker?
Please think about it.

Religion that God our Father Accepts

Religion that God our Father Accepts
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27
I believe what James is saying here is a warning to all believers.
Tony Campolo the American Evangelist wrote,
“These issues are biblical issues: to care for the sick, to feed the hungry, to stand up for the oppressed. I contend that if the evangelical community became more biblical, everything would change.” Tony Campolo.
Sadly especially here in North America in many ways what passes for Christianity is simply secular things given a Christian name.
The “pollution” of the world has entered our churches.
Within the so called evangelical churches a confrontational philosophy has taken over in some cases. A philosophy that attacks anything deemed to be “Unchristian”.
While in many of the so called mainline or traditional churches secularism has slipped quietly into their teachings.
I believe it is time for all who call themselves Christians to get back to the basic teachings of the Bible. To remember that it is the inspired word of God and needs to be followed.
I believe a great light shines on Christians. Christians have been given the task of taking the good news of Jesus Christ to all the nations of the world. It is a task we must take seriously.
In doing this task we must present the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the purest form possible.
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.

Please think about it

Keep a Tight Reign

Keep a Tight Reign
“If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” James 1:26.
Sometime ago this story came to mind it’s called the eleven o clock prayer. When I read it I was reminded of the above verse in James. It reads,
The Eleven O Clock Parable
It’s eleven o clock. Inside the court house a judge is about to make his ruling. A community, a nation, waits. 
Will the new law be legal? 
Outside the court house men and women with placards chant. 
On one side of the street stand a group of gay men and women. All in favour of the new law.
On the other side of the street separated by a line of police stand radical evangelicals, denouncing the new law.
One man among them screams angrily . “HOMOSEXUALS ARE GOING TO HELL!!!”
Approached by the media he says it again, “homosexuals are going to Hell.” 
From my office window I watch asking myself the question, ‘is this man an Christian?”
Wasn’t it Christ who told us not only to love our neighbour but our enemy also?
Wasn’t it Christ who told us not to judge, lest we be judged likewise?
Wasn’t it Christ who said go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation?
Is this man showing love?
Is this man judging another? 
Can this man be effective in reaching the whole world for Christ of which a percentage are homosexual?
Is this man even a Christian?
A question keeps rolling through my mind for which I know the answer, “Can we truly know what is in someone else’s head?
Do we really know why a person is like they are?”
For a moment I stare down at the crowd. All the time asking myself who is on the way to Hell this day, and how can I reach them for my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?
Turning away from my window I kneel down and pray, “Lord guide me this day. Let me make the right decision on this law.”
Those calling themselves Christians in the above story to my mind will never win a gay man or woman to Christ. Their confrontational style is more likely to turn people away from Christ both in they LGBT community and outside.
Such a confrontational attitude is wrong plain and simple. It has no place in Christianity. Jesus and his apostles were not confrontational despite living in a secular Roman society that had many things their faith did not agree with.
While it is true Jesus and the apostles spoke against the religious leaders of their day. They were Jews speaking against Jewish leaders who were not correctly presenting the word of God.
The apostle Paul wrote something everyone who claims to be a Christian needs to think carefully about when he said,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  
God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12,13.
The great American evangelist Billy Graham said,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge 

and my job to love, 

                            Billy Graham

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.

Please think about it.

Two Points

Two points
James the half brother of Jesus writes,
“Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror  and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  
But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:23-25
There are two points in this portion of scripture that I think are important for all who consider themselves followers of Jesus Christ.
1/ Anyone who listens to the word of God and does not do what it says is essentially a non-believer. They haven’t let the word of God change them. They’ve forgotten what Jesus called them to do.
2/ If on the other hand a man hears the word of God and continues in it he will be blessed in all he does. The ultimate blessing being seeing souls saved and going to heaven to be with God.
Where do you stand?
Please think about it.

Doers of the Word

Doers of the Word
James the Half brother of Jesus wrote,
“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,  for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.  
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”  James 1:19-22.
Someone has said that if you are a believer in Jesus Christ it is through the lense of your life non-believers will see Jesus. As Francis of Assisi put it,

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon 

some persons will hear today” 

                                    Francis of Assisi.

The apostle Paul said,
“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.
If you claim to be a believer in Jesus Christ are these the attributes people see in you.
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.
If you claim to be a Christian do you show true unconditional love to all you come in contact with?
Love as defined by the apostle Paul 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.

When people see you life are they seeing the unconditional Love of God?
Please think about it.

Your Heart

Your heart
James the half brother of Jesus writes,
“The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position.  
But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower.  
For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business. 
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”James 1:9-12 
Notice James reverses things when comparing the rich man to the poor man. In our secular society the one who is rich is quite often considered to have a high position. While the poor man has a low one. Not so with God.
A person of humble means needs to rely on God every day. They are drawn toward God to help them meet their daily needs. Not necessarily so with someone who is rich. They can rely on their riches. As a result they may not turn to God in the way a poor person does.
The apostle Paul warns,
“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.
Notice Paul here states it is “the Love of money that is a root of all kinds of evil”. Having a lot of money is not sinful. It’s what we do to get that money, and how we use that money that can be sinful.
Money if we use it wrongly can pull us away from God.
Matthew’s gospel tells this story of a wealthy man that came to Jesus,
“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
In this case the rich man did not have complete faith in God. His riches it appears were more important than God.
The key here goes back to what 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
Thus the question is. Where is your heart?
Please think about it.

You and God

You and God
James the half brother of Jesus writes,
“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;  but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.  
Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. 
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:13-17.
By nature God is good. He does not tempt us to do bad things.
God however has given us a free will. When God created man He did not create a robot. He gave each individual a freewill do to as he wished.
God set in the hearts of man and through his written law what God expected of each individual. We see this in a nutshell in the Ten commandments.
The ten commandments lay out for man, how God expects him to act with respect to God and his fellow man.
If man chooses not to do so he is sinning. Sinning is falling short of what God expects of the individual. And there is a penalty to be paid for disobedience of God’s laws. The apostle Paul noting,
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23.
Paul however notes there is hope for those who sin when he writes,
“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. 
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:5-8.
The apostle John quoting 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.
Thus you the reader and indeed every individual hearing about Jesus has a choice to make. Believe in God and believe that Jesus Christ is His one and Only Son the Saviour of mankind or not.
The choice is yours.
Please think about it.

Remembering the Prisoner

Remember the Prisoner
The writer of Hebrews tells us
“Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”Hebrews 13:3 
Around the world today men and women are facing persecution for their belief in Jesus Christ.
In fact as I write this a Canadian Korean pastor has just been released from over two years in a North Korean prison. His crime believing in Jesus. Many who believe in Christ Jesus however are still in prison for their faith.
Quite often they are forgotten men and women.
In December of 2013 the United Kingdom parliament heard that one Christian is killed every eleven minutes for their faith.
MP Jim Shannon said the persecution of Christians is “the biggest story in the world that has never been told”
He said that although the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, there are many countries in which these rights are not given.
Shannon alleged that 200 million Christians will be persecuted for their faith this year,(2013) while he said 500 million live in dangerous neighbourhoods.”
In early November, 2013 German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared that Christianity is "the most persecuted religion in the world."
As Christians we need to be conscious of our fellow believers in Christ who are suffering for their faith.
We need to at the very least be praying for them. We who live in the western democracies need to be informing our politicians about the persecuted church. We need to be asking our politicians to do what they can to help the persecuted.
Prayer and petition to governments does work.
The Canadian pastor I mentioned at the start of this article was released because of prayer and the intervention of the Canadian government, who incidentally has no diplomatic presence in North Korea.
We in the west with all of our freedoms need also to remember that it is our sacred duty to tell the world about Jesus in word, in deed and in love. We need to be remembered for what we believe in not what we are against.
As the apostle Peter 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
This pastor that has just been released is an excellent example of that. He was taking humanitarian aid to North Korea, nothing more. His only crime was being a Christian.
Please think about it. 

Your Faith

Your Faith
            The Psalmist wrote,

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

Do you have complete faith in God?
The writer of Hebrews tells us,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.” 

                                                        Hebrews 11:1

Martin Luther King jr. said,

“Faith is taking the first step 

even when you don't see the whole staircase.”

                                                 Martin Luther King, Jr.

Charles Spurgeon wrote,

“To trust God in the light is nothing, 

but to trust Him in the dark—

that is faith.” 

                                             Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

It can be very easy to confess being a Christian in the good times when life is easy and trouble free. However it is a different for many when life becomes difficult. When trouble and persecution come along.
God however requires faith in the bad times as well as the good times. The apostle Paul writing,
“Here is a trustworthy saying:

if we died with him, we will also live with him; 

if we endure, we will also reign with him.

If we disown him, he will also disown us; 

if we are faithless, 

he will remain faithful, 

for he cannot disown himself.

                                          2 Timothy 11-13

Thus the question is do you have complete faith in God?
The writer of Hebrews reminding 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

Please think about it.

Do not Judge

Do not Judge
Matthew’s gospel records Jesus as 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 writes,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  
God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12,13.
Someone said Christians are not allowed to Judge people period. That is not entirely true. We Christians have the right to judge those within our own faith, but only to tell whether or not the person is teaching the scriptures correctly.
We may also judge someone to ensure our safety and the safety of others.
We however have no right to judge a person and say where they will spend eternity.
Tony Campolo the American Evangelist said,
"We ought to get out of the judging business. We should leave it up to God to determine who belongs in one arena or another when it comes to eternity. What we are obligated to do is to tell people about Jesus, and that's what I do.” Tony Campolo.
 Billy Graham the great American evangelist said,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge 

and my job to love,” 

                           Billy Graham.

Question: Do you love as Jesus Loved?
Please think about it