Trust in the Lord

Trust in the Lord
The writer of Proverbs states,
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5,6.
Charles Spurgeon the great evangelist said,
“The Word of God will be to you a bulwark and a high tower, a castle of defence against the foe. Oh, see to it that the Word of God is in you, in your very soul, permeating your thoughts, and so operating upon your outward life, that all may know you to be a true Bible-Christian, for they perceive it in your words and deeds.” Charles H. Spurgeon
As believers in Christ we need to spend as much time as we can studying the scriptures. We need also to put what we learned from the scriptures into action.
It’s one thing to study the word of God its quite another to put what we learn from it into action in our daily lives.
When we do however people will notice. Francis of Assisi states,

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 

                                                                     Francis of Assisi.

It can be hard at times to trust God and not lean on our own understanding. This is especially true if we are going through hard times. However it is when we are going through those hard times that we need God the most.
As believers in Christ we need to heed the words of the Psalmist who said,

“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

Question: Do you put all your trust in the Lord?
Please think about it.

Flee Idolatry

Flee Idolatry
The apostle Paul writing to the Corinthian church, a church that was surrounded with idol worship and a myriad of temptations said,

“Therefore, my dear friends, 

flee from idolatry.” 

                            1 Corinthians 10:14.

At the very beginning of the Ten Commandments God states,

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt,

 out of the land of slavery. 

“You shall have no other gods before me. 

“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven 

above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.  

You shall not bow down to them or worship them;...” 

                                                                   Exodus 20: 2-4a.

We who live at the beginning of the twenty-first century have idols all around us. We may not consider them idols but they are. Anything that we hold in higher esteem than God is an idol.
We see our idols in the media every day. Be they fancy consumer goods. The acquisition of wealth ahead of worship of God. Even our cars, and homes.
These things may not seem like God’s after all they are inanimate objects and in and of themselves are harmless.
That was the same with the idols in Corinth. The carved statues to the Greek god’s were just stone. Harmless.
The harm comes however when we as individuals start to believe that such things have the power to change our lives. That they will give us a better life, or meaning in our life.
When we start turning to them rather than putting God first in our lives and worshipping him alone.
Matthew’s Gospel records the temptations of Christ. The third temptation was to worship Satan. Matthew’s Gospel records,
“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.  
“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’’” Matthew 4:8-10.
Notice Jesus makes it clear,
“For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’’
As believers in Christ Jesus we as individuals need to take stock of our lives and ask ourselves if we have any idols in our lives.
Please if you consider yourself a believer in Christ think about it.

Servants of Christ

Servants of Christ
The Apostle Paul states,
“So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.”  1 Corinthians 4:1.
The Apostle Peter writes,
“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.
According to New Testament Scripture we as believers in Christ are servants of God. Not only that the apostle Peter calls us a,
“...a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God,...”
People around us should see this without us even saying a word. Francis of Assisi said,

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 

                                                                     Francis of Assisi

To that end the apostle Paul tells us,

“Do your best to present yourself to God

 as one approved, 

a workman who does not need to be ashamed 

and who correctly handles the word of truth. 

                                                          2Timothy 2:15.

We as believers in Christ I believe from time to time need to take a look at our lives. We need to go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him how we can better represent Him. How we can serve Him better.
There is a famous prayer called the Prayer of St. Francis that I think every believer in Christ needs to pray. It reads,

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy 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;

And 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.

Sexual Immorality in the Church

Sexual immorality in the Church
The apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians states,
“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife.  
And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?  
Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present.   When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord. 
Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?  
Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.  
Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth. 
I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.  
But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler.   With such a man do not even eat. 
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 5:1-13.
Here Paul is writing to the Corinthian church about someone who claims to be a follower of Christ and is committing sexual immorality as Paul states,
“of a kind that does not occur even among pagans”
Whatever it was it must have been very serious for the city of Corinth was already considered by the Greeks a city of immorality. Aristophanes an ancient Greek writer coined the term “Korinthiazomai” meaning to act like a Corinthian. In Greek plays of the day Corinthians were portrayed as drunkards and reprobates.
Paul tells believers in Christ not to associate with this person who claims to be a follower of Christ.
Paul does not say to stop associating with such people outside the church. Paul states,
“I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.”  
He then emphasizes
“But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler.”
He tells the brethren not to even eat with such a person.
Paul then makes an important statement that all who call themselves believers in Christ need to heed. He states,
“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.” 
As Christians we have no right to judge those outside the body of believers.
However we have every right to judge those who call themselves believers and stray from the truth of the Gospel of Christ in any way.
For they in calling themselves a follower of Jesus Christ are claiming to live by the moral values of Jesus. If they are not then according to Paul we have the right to judge them and correct them.
Please think about it.

Truth Stranger that Fiction

Truth Stranger than Fiction
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.  
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.  
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1Corinthians 18-24.
It’s been said sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. This I believe is the case when it comes to Jesus.
The wisdom of man would say why would Almighty God enter into the world He created in the form of a man? Why wouldn’t God simply reveal Himself in all His glory and thus show mankind He is real and wants man to worship Him?
The answer to that I believe comes from the Writer of Hebrews who wrote,

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” 

                                                                     Hebrews 11:6

Faith defined as

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.” 

                                                      Hebrews 11:1.

Someone who has faith in something are the strongest of believers. A true believer in any cause or leader will go to the grave for them. That is the kind of believer God wants.
God wants people who have unwavering faith in Him no matter what the circumstances.
Yes God could have come into the world in all His glory with legions of angels and made it clear that He exists. That however would not have necessarily produced true believers. Many would have believed in Him simply because they feared His might and what he could do to them.
God does not want that. God wants people to believe in Him because they truly love Him.
That I believe is why He entered the world in the way He did.
Please think about it.

One Body Many Parts

One Body Many Parts
The Apostle Paul writes,
“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.  
For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Now the body is not made up of one part but of many....
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 26, 27.
Here Paul tells us the church is made up of many parts. The true church is not a building or a denomination or a congregation. It is all believers in Christ Jesus everywhere in the world.
It doesn’t matter whether we attend a Catholic church, a Protestant church, an Orthodox church or any other church. All true believers in Jesus are one.
As Paul states,
“For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”
We may have different skills and abilities. We may do different things and worship in different ways but we are still one body united in Christ Jesus.
As a body of believers we need to remember what Paul states,
      “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” 
We need to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus both in our neighbourhood and around the world.
Please think about it.

Love

Love
The Apostle Paul writes,

“Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, 

it is not proud.  

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil 

but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, 

always perseveres. 

Love never fails....

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

But the greatest of these is love.”  

                                                        1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.

The apostle Paul here is writing to Christians but what he is saying about true love is universal in nature. On does not need to be a Christian to understand and accept the truth Paul defines here.
Martin Luther King jr. the great civil rights leader in the United States said,
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.”
                                                                                           Martin Luther King, Jr.
Anne Frank a young Jewish girl in hiding from the Nazis in the Netherlands during world war two wrote,
“Give of yourself, give as much as you can?  And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness!  If everyone were to do this and not be as mean with a kindly word, then there would be much more justice and love in the world.  Give and you shall receive, much more than you would have ever thought possible.  Give, give again and again, don’t lose courage, keep it up and go on giving!  No one has ever become poor from giving!” Anne Frank.
What Anne Frank said is true. We need to give of ourselves. For in doing so we are showing love and true love can indeed change the world.
Please think about it.

A Truth or a Lie

A truth or a lie?
The apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians said,
“Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.  
By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.  
After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.  
Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,” 1 Corinthians 15:1-7
Here is a statement if false makes believing in Christ Jesus to no avail. Paul makes the statement
“that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”
This belief that Jesus died for the sins of all mankind is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. If Christ did not die for the sins of mankind then there is nothing gained by believing in Him.
If on the other hand as Christians believe Christ died for the sins of mankind and rose on the third day there is everything to be gained. Namely eternal life with God in heaven.
There is also another statement here that Paul makes about Jesus. He states,
“that he (Jesus) was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.  
After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.  
Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,” 
If this statement is not true it is one of the greatest lies ever told to humanity. It means the estimated three billion Christians alive to day and those that came before them are believing a lie.
I as a Christian believe what Paul is saying. The question is do you?
Please think about it.

The Word became Flesh

The word became flesh
The apostle John states,
“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
Of all the things Christians believe perhaps this is one of the most contentious. Christians believe that God in the form of His one and Only Son Jesus Christ entered the world to point mankind to heaven.
The writer of Hebrews tells us,
“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 understand that believing such things can be hard for some people. After all why would God enter his creation?
The apostle Paul writing to Titus states,
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” Titus 3:4,5
The apostle John quotes 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.
For believers in Christ it is a believe it or not situation. You either believe what the New Testament says about Jesus or you do not.
You either believe that Jesus is God incarnate that came into this world to provide purification of our sins or you do not.
What do you believe?
Please think about it.  

A Definite Statement

A definite statement
The Bible tells us,
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1.
The writers of the Bible did not argue about the existence of God. It was written to believers and therefor God’s existence was not in debate.
Sadly many who do not believe in God do not believe because they say He cannot be seen felt or heard. Evidence of God however is all around. 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.

What the psalmist is saying is proof of God is all around. The entire universe is proof of God.
The universe is in perfect order. Everything from the largest galaxy to the smallest subatomic particle works together to produce life as we know it on earth. To my way of thinking that tells me there is a creator behind it all.
Ultimately however it is up to the individual to decide whether God exists or not.
I like to think believing in God is “informed faith”. Informed faith meaning looking at the world around you. Seeing it’s perfection and realizing that behind it all is a God who created it all.
Please think about it.

Caution

Caution
The Epistle of Jude warns,
“Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.  
For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” Jude 1:3,4.
Jude is warning believers about false teachers. Men who are teaching false doctrine. This is something anticipated by Jesus who said,
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Matthew 7:15.
The apostle Paul also warns about such people.
“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.
It is so easy for a person to sound like a believer and not be one. It’s easy to memorize some scripture. Then take them out of context to make them sound as though it is right teaching when it is not. Many people have been deceived this way.
As Christians we need to know at the very least the basics of our faith. We need to understand that anyone who does not believe the core beliefs of our faith is not a true believer in Jesus Christ.
One universally accepted statement of Christian faith is the Apostles Creed. While not written by the apostles it states the basic beliefs of all true believers. The Apostle Creed reads,
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 other important things Christians need to be doing is studying the scriptures for yourself. To pray and ask God to show you personally the truth that is in the scriptures.
Thus the question, Are you truly taking time each day to study even just a small portion of scripture?
Please think about it.

Our First Love

Our First Love
The book of Revelations records,
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:  
I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.  
You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.  
Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.  
But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Revelations 2:1-7
Revelations talks directly to seven churches. I have always heard it said that these churches can be related to both individual congregations and to individuals.
Here the Church at Ephesus is commended for there perseverance and there dislike of wicked men. For there enduring of hardships for Christ sake.
Then Jesus goes on to say “you have forsaken your first love”.
The first love of every Christian should be God and His one and only Son Jesus Christ. To put anything before or faith in Christ is wrong.
The apostle Paul writing to Timothy said,
“Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 
“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
Please think about it.