Well Meaning but Irrelevant

Well meaning but Irrelevant
The apostle Paul writes,
“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.
I’ve been a follower of Jesus Christ since I was nineteen. I’m now sixty-four. Over the years I’ve heard many well meaning believers say many things.
For instance when a person made a confession of faith. They were immediately told they were expected to do certain things. Things quiet often that mattered little to their salvation. The classic being men had to wear a suit to church. Women were expected to wear dresses or skirts to church. Pants were not considered acceptable for a woman to wear.
In some churches they had to follow a set of rituals. There were even written prayers they were expected to recite.
None of which made sense when it came to the individuals relationship with Jesus.
I’m fairly sure Jesus and the early church didn’t have a dress code for those who attended their meetings. I’m fairly sure they didn’t have much ritual to follow.
In fact there was a debate in the early church about whether or not gentiles (non-Jews) who came to know Christ should be circumcised or not. The book of acts records,
“The apostles and elders met to consider this question.  
After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.  
God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.  
He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.  
Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?  
No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” Acts 15:6-11.
While the church today does not, for the most part debate circumcision and other laws set out in the Old Testament. Laws that mean little to our salvation It still does debate other irrelevant things.
Peter pointed out,
“...We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” Acts 15:11
The apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians said,
“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.
When the debate ended the council of Jerusalem put few rules on how a believer in Christ should act. It sent a letter to the churches that said,
“The apostles and elders, your brothers, 
To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: 
“Greetings. 
We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said.  
So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul—  men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  
Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing.  
It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements:  
You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.” Farewell. Acts 15:23b-29.
When it comes to a persons salvation no one can tell for certain if another person is truly saved. An individual’s salvation is between them and God.
What we as a body of believers can do however is provide a good and safe place for a believer in Christ to grow in.
Question: Does your church congregation provide a good place for a believer to grow in.
OR,
Does your congregation place on individuals a lot of well meaning but irrelevant rules on how believers are to act and even dress in church? 
Please think about it.

God and Creation

God and Creation
The Bible written to believers in God makes a simple statement,

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” 

                                                                         Genesis 1:1

There are debates in Christian circles as to whether God created the universe and everything in it in six twenty-four hour days, or over the space of millions of years.
For me personally it matters little to my faith as to how God created the universe. He’s God and he could have done it either way.
That being said I would like to quote what some scientist are saying about creation. I got these quotes from a video by Dr. Huge Ross an Astronomer and Astrophysicist who is also a creationist.
In his video “Journey Toward Creation” he states for life to evolve as we know it, more than 200 characteristics must be present. He notes,
“The probability of all these known parameters randomly coming together would be one chance in 10 to the 215th power a probability so incredibly tiny that statistically speaking is impossible. This probability is becoming more remote with every scientific discovery.” 
Since the video came out The number of characteristics believed to be necessary for life is now considered to be in excess of 800. As more have since been discovered since the video’s release.
In his video Ross goes on to quote several prominent scientist,
Physicist Dr. Paul Davies Professor of Natural Philosophy in the Australian Centre of Astrobiology at Macquarie University who formally promoted Atheism said,
“The Laws of Physics seem themselves to be the product of exceedingly ingenious design.[There] is for me powerful evidence that there is something going on behind it all it seems as though somebody has fine-tuned nature’s numbers to make the Universe... The impression of design is overwhelming” Dr Paul Davies
Dr. Arno Penzias 1978 Nobel Prize winner in Physics said,
“Astronomy leads us to a unique event, a universe which was created out of nothing, one with a very delicate balance needed to provide exactly the conditions required to permit life and one which has an underlying (one might say ‘supernatural’) plan.” Dr, Arno Penzias 
Stephen Hawking is quoted as,
“It would be very difficult to explain why the universe should have begun in just this way, except as the act of a God who intended to create beings like us,” Stephen Hawking.
Those quoted above are very will educated men. Men who have studied and continue to study carefully how the universe was created.
They have looked into the heavens and concluded there is a God who created the universe. They have proven what the Psalmist said,

“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.

Please think about it.

Judgement and Mercy

Judgement and Mercy
Jesus said,
“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.
Let me make a statement here first. When it comes to judgement it is acceptable to judge another person when it come to our personal safety. We should never blindly follow anyone. We need to use wisdom in all our dealings with people.
Where we are not allowed to judge people is with respect to where they will spend eternity. We do not know what goes on in the hearts and minds of another person. We do not know what makes a person do what they do. Thus we cannot judge them.
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.
James the half brother of Jesus writing to believers in Christ 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.
If we are truly followers of Christ Jesus we must show mercy and forgiveness to those around us and not judge them.
Rather than judging a person we must reach out in with the Love of God and show those around us the way to heaven.
Please think about it.

Meaningless

Meaningless
The writer of Ecclesiastes states,
“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.
If all we have is this world as Atheist believe I think it would be such a waste. To my mind there has to be more. And the writer of Ecclesiastes also comes to that conclusion he states,
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole  duty  of man. 
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”Ecclesiastes 12:13,14 
There are many people out there looking for meaning in life. Some look for it in drugs and alcohol. Others in material things, fine houses, cars and other possessions. Some follow various philosophies. Many no matter what they do find no fulfilment in life.
To them C. S. Lewis states,
“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” C.S. Lewis.
Thomas Aquinas said

If, then, you are looking for the way by which you should go,

 take Christ, 

because He Himself is the way.

                                     Thomas Aquinas

Jesus said,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
As a believer in Christ I can say the words of Jesus are true. That’s not to say everything will be smooth sailing. Storms and troubles come up in everyone’s life.
Having Jesus in one’s life however makes even the worst storms and troubles easier.
When it comes to Jesus however, each person who is truly looking for meaning and peace within one’s life needs to pray. Then read the New Testament and decide for themselves who Jesus is.
Please think about it.

Judged by the Law

Judged by the Law
James the half brother of Jesus wrote,
“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.
If you consider yourself a believer in Christ Jesus do you act as one “who (is) going to be judged by the law that gives freedom”.
Remember James here is writing specifically to believers in Christ. His call is to make sure believers are living the life Jesus would want them to live.
Jesus made several statements that all who believe in Him must do. 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.
Prior to him saying that Matthew quotes Jesus as saying,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,...” Matthew 4:43,44.
In telling us to love God, our neighbours, and our enemies. Jesus is telling us to love all people unconditionally. Jesus summed this up in one sentence, 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.
Put this way Matthew 7:12 means,

If you are

demonstrating against anyone. 

You are telling them 

they can demonstrate against you.

If you are 

speaking out and trying to restrict the rights of others 

given to them by the lawfully elected government.

You are telling others 

they can try to restrict your rights.

If you are 

imposing your morals however good they may be on others.

You are telling them 

they can impose their morals on you, 

even if they are not as good as yours.

If you are 

trying to impose your faith on others rather than presenting your faith.

You are telling others 

they can impose their faith on you.

If you are

judging others.

You are telling others 

they can judge you in the same way.

If you 

are telling the world you are a Christian

You should be telling the world 

I love you as Jesus loves you,...

unconditionally. 

To quote the warning of James to Christians once more,

“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.

Please think about it.

Salt

Salt
Jesus speaking to believers said,
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 
It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” Matthew 5:13.
Here’s something to think about, about salt,
First of all while our body cannot produce it, we cannot survive without salt.
Salt does not break down.
It is a cleansing agent.
It is a preservative.
It can also be used to cleanse wounds.
It enhances flavour.
Jesus when he made the analogy comparing believers to salt he was probably noting that the world needs the word of God to ensure a just and safe society. It is a preservative of society.
Remove God’s laws and morals from society and society will ultimately sink into a dark abyss.
As for the message of Salvation believers in Christ are to present to the world it will never break down.
The message of salvation is a cleansing agent that cleanses individuals from their sins. Additionally it can and does heal emotional and spiritual wounds.
And it enhances society making it a better place to live.
That being said Jesus also issues a warning to those who would call themselves Christians. He states,
“But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.”
In the day’s of Jesus salt was not as refined as it is today. It was mixed with  many impurities. Quiet often the salt would become useless because the salt would be washed away leaving only the impurities.
What Jesus is reminding those who believe in him is to stick to his teachings. Don’t let impure teachings slip into your life.
The apostle Paul states,
“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.” 2 Timothy 2:15.
In order to do this we need to be studying the scriptures. Reading them carefully so that we know what is right and wrong.
We need to live a life like Jesus lived.
We need to present the Love of God to all those around us in a positive non-judgmental way. We need to heed the words of the apostle Peter who said,
“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 2:12. 
Please if you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus think about it. 

What do you think?

What do you think?
The apostle Paul writes,
“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.
For many in the world, what believers in Christ Jesus believe is foolishness. Christians believe that Jesus is God incarnate and for many this seems like an improbable scenario. Yet the apostle John stated,
“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 came to earth to save each individual who would believe in Him from their sins and grant to them eternal life in heaven.
The apostle Paul writing,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
The apostle John quoting Jesus speaking of himself 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.” John 3:16,17.
The apostle Paul speaking in Athens expressed what all believers in Christ Jesus believe when he 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.
Thus the question is, What do you believe about Jesus.
Please think about it.

A Faith Thing

A Faith Thing
The writer of Hebrews states,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  
This is what the ancients were commended for. 
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible....
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 11:1-3,6.
Faith that God exists is very much a faith thing. As the late evangelist Billy Graham said,

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

 but I believe.” 

                  Billy Graham.

Here are a few quotes on God by famous men of the past.
Blaise Pascal said,

“In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe

 and enough shadows to blind those who don't.” 

                                                             Blaise Pascal.

Voltaire made these two statements,

To believe in God is impossible 

not to believe in Him is absurd. 

                                             Voltaire

Faith consists in believing 

when it is beyond the power of reason to believe. 

                                                                   Voltaire

Thomas Aquinas said,

To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. 

To one without faith, no explanation is possible. 

                                                        Thomas Aquinas.

Ultimately belief in God is taking a step in the dark. The American civil rights leader Martin Luther Kind jr. said,

Faith is taking the first step 

even when you don't see the whole staircase.

                                                 Martin Luther King, Jr.

For thousands of years now men and women of God have told of His existence. They have presented God to the world around them in every way possible. Yet there are still those who do not believe. Yet it costs them nothing.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9.
Salvation, eternal life with God is a free gift for all those who believe in God, in Christ Jesus.
Blaise Pascal made a good point when he 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.

You and God

You and God
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.
I know the Talmud is a Jewish book, and not a Christian one but a truth is a truth no matter where it’s found. I think in this case I could see such a scenario happens. The Talmud states,
“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
God does not have to ask any questions of anyone who stands before Him he already knows the answer.
Still I can see him asking an individual such a question to see if they feel they have dealt honourably with their fellow man. Or if they give some excuse for not dealing honourably with the people they come in contact with.
Jesus told this parable.
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.  
At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.  
In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.  
So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.  
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house,  
for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 
“ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” Luke 16:19-31.
Sadly there are many people from every strata of society that do not treat those around them with respect. There are even some in churches calling themselves Christians who do not treat other people with respect. To them and indeed to all people, the writer of Ecclesiastes writes,
“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.”Ecclesiastes 12:13,14.
Please think about it.

A Need for God

A Need for God
The Psalmist writes,

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; 

all who follow his precepts have good understanding.

 To him belongs eternal praise.” 

                                             Psalm 111: 10

Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver wrote,
“Faith in God is the strongest bulwark of a free society.  Human freedom began when men became conscious that over and above society and nature there is a God who created them...who fashioned them in His likeness, and that they are, therefore, possessed of intrinsic and independent significance and are endowed, as individuals, with original and irrevocable rights and authority.” Abba Hillel Silver
The Psalmist states,
“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” Psalm 14:1.
Someone once told me after quoting Psalm 14:1. “When enough fools get together society suffers.”
As I look throughout history I see when a society turns away from God bad things can happen. Nazi Germany is the prime example. In Nazi Germany men turned away from God’s truths and imposed their own misguided beliefs. The result Millions suffered and died.
As Rabbi Silver put it
“Human freedom began when men became conscious that over and above society and nature there is a God who created them...” Abba Hillel Silver.
The writer of Ecclesiastes states.
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole  duty  of man. 
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”Ecclesiastes 12:13,14.
Society and individuals need to know there is a God who will one day hold them accountable for all of their deeds good and evil.
For as Nazi Germany shows us dramatically, when individuals and society do not fear God and his judgment many suffer.
Please think about it.

Some What ifs?

Some What ifs?
Here are a few what ifs I place for you the reader to consider.
1. What if the apostle John is right when he 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.
What if Jesus truly is God incarnate?
2. What if the apostle John is right when he states,
“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.
What if believing in Jesus gives you the right to be called the children of God?
3. What if the words of Jesus are true when he said,
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.
What if Jesus truly is the way to Heaven?
And here’s one other thing to consider. It’s not from the New Testament but from a Christian commentator called C. S. Lewis. Lewis said,
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” C. S. Lewis.
What if Christianity is true?
Please think about it. 

Study

Study
The apostle Paul writes,
“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
I firmly believe we need to study the Bible for ourselves. We need to study it not just for a few minutes or even a few hours each day, but as often as we can.
We need to be praying and asking God to show us the truths that are in the scriptures.
At the same time we need to be cautious. Believers in Christ Jesus of all strips, be they evangelicals, Catholics, Baptist, Pentecostals, Anglicans or whatever denomination they may be. Tend to have a bad habit of listening only to those who think and act like they do. They live if you will, in an echo chamber.
St. Augustine warned,
“If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.” St Augustine
We as believers in Christ need to study the word of God and listen to those with different views than our own. We need to be questioning why others don’t believe as we do to see if what they believe is true or untrue.
We need to from time to time question what we believe and why we believe it.
I know of several denominations for example that would not ordain women ministers. It still happens in some Christian groups. They even quote scripture to back themselves up.
Over the centuries the Bible has been used to support slavery and segregation for example. That same Bible has been used to condemn slavery and segregation.
Many Christians simply follow what a specific preacher, church or denomination teaches without looking at the scriptures for themselves and deciding what is right or wrong.
This should not be.
It in my opinion is the duty of every person who believes in Christ Jesus to pray, ask God to guide them then study the Bible for themselves.
When we have questions we need to be going to our pastors and Christian educators and ask them to answer them. At the same time when we have questions we can go to several commentaries and see what they have to say. By reading different commentaries we get an over all view of what the correct interpretation should be. After reading several interpretations we can make an informed decision for our self about what the scripture portion means.
Remember, God wants us to live by faith but not necessarily blind faith. God wants believers in Christ Jesus to be informed. That is why the Bible was written.
As believers in Christ we must remember the warning from the Apostle Paul who said,
“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.
We can only know if someone is not following the word of God if we are well enough informed about what the word of God states.
Thus the question becomes. If you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus do you study the Bible enough to know what is right and what is wrong when it comes to teachings from it?
Please think about it.