Two Point Five Percent (2.5%)?

Two point five percent (2.5%)?
The book of acts speaking of the early church states,
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42.
The apostle Paul wrote,

“Be joyful in hope, 

patient in affliction, 

faithful in prayer.”  

                      Romans 12:12.

If you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus do you Pray?
Here’s something to consider,

God gives you 1440 minutes every day.

A good nights sleep takes up 480 minutes.

An average round trip commute to and from work can take 120 minutes.

Work takes up 480 minutes.

That leaves you with 360 minutes.

       Thus the question becomes are you willing to tithe ten percent of that time to prayer?

        Just 36 minutes each day.

2.5% of all the minutes God gives you each day communing with Him.

Please think about it.

Association

Association
Who do you associate with?
John’s gospel tells us about this incident in the life of Jesus,
“Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 
The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. ) John 4:6-9.
Here we see Jesus ask a Samaritan woman for a drink of water. Something not done. Jews did not associate with Samaritans. Jesus however chose to do so.
Jesus never let convention of the day deter him from speaking to anyone. Mark’s gospel tells of the time Jesus sat with tax collectors. People considered sinners. Someone “good people” would not associate with. Mark records,
“When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the “sinners” and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” 
On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:16,17.
Jesus speaking to His disciple and through them to all who believe in Him, said,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20.
Jesus never put restrictions on who could hear the Gospel. He told all who would believe in Him to go and make disciples of all nations.
Question, If you claim to be a follower of Christ Jesus. Do you put restrictions on whom you tell about Jesus?
Do you put limitations on who you will associate with? Jesus never did nor should we.
Please think about it.

Choose

Choose
The book of Joshua tells of Joshua giving the Israelites a choice. It states,
“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
This is the same choice we have today.
In our twenty-first century world we have many gods whether we admit it our not. Everything from money, to our job, to what we own, or want to own can become our gods. It just depends on the emphasis we place on these things. After all having wealth, having your dream job, owning or wanting to own a home and nice things is not sinful. They only become sinful if they pull you away from God or cause you to do negative things to those around you.
Jesus warned
“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.  
Where our true treasure, is where our heart lies.
Matthew’s gospel records this,
“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.
This young man believed there was a God BUT he put his trust in his wealth not in God. He lacked the faith to give up all he had in this world and trust exclusively in God to provide for him.
Thus my question to you the reader is, if you claim to be a follower of Christ Jesus are you willing if asked by God, to give up all you own and rely entirely on God to provide for you?
Is you treasure in Heaven or on Earth?
Please think about it.

Faith in God

Faith in God
The writer of Hebrews states,

“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.

Do you believe in God? Is God central in your life?
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.
When I look at the world around me. I see a natural world that is perfect. A world designed by God so that we can exist. A world that by simply looking at it we can see the hand of God.
As I look at mankind I see the same thing. Individuals know instinctively what is right and wrong. It seems to be ingrained into our DNA. Something that can to my mind only be there by design.
One only has to look at the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-17) to see God’s hand.
It is a moral code unmatched by anything man has come up with.
The first five commandments tells us how to relate to God. The last five how to relate to our fellow man.
These commandments are the basis for a free and orderly society. Take away any of them and society suffers.
Take God out of society and society suffers. We only have to look at Nazi Germany and any other atheistic government that has ever ruled to see this.
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.
It is my belief we as both individuals and as a society need to draw near to God. For if we do not, and turn away from God instead, society as we know it will ultimately suffer.
Please think about it.

You and God

You & God

In the book of Proverbs we read,

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.

Faith in God, for some, perhaps even for most people, is something that is difficult to have. Especially in something unseen. Yet God requires his followers to have faith.
The writer of Hebrews states,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

 and 

certain of what we do not see.”  

                                                 Hebrews 11:1

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 

and 

that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” 

                                                                        Hebrews 11:6

Martin Luther King Jr. the American civil rights leader said,

Faith is taking the first step 

even when you don't see the whole staircase.

                                                        Martin Luther King, Jr.

God essentially asks each individual to take that first step even though they can’t see the whole stair case.
Have you taken that first step of faith with regards to believing in God?
The apostle Paul tells us,

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—

and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  

not by works, so that no one can boast.” 

                                                       Ephesians 2:8,9.

Put simply we get to heaven by putting our faith in the Grace of God.
Writing to the Romans the apostle Paul states,
“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 5:6-8.
What Christianity asks the individual to believe by faith is expressed in what is called the Apostles Creed. While it was not written by an apostle of Jesus. It does express the core beliefs of Christianity. It reads,

I believe in God the Father the almighty maker of heaven and earth

I believe in Jesus Christ God’s on and only Son, our Lord and Saviour.

I believe Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary

I believe Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate; 

That He was Crucified, died, was buried. That he descended in hell.

I believe He rose again on the third day from the dead.

I believe that he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty.

I believe Jesus will one day Judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost

I believe in the Church which is the communion of the saints,

 I believe in the forgiveness of sin.

I believe in the resurrection of the body.

I believe in life everlasting.

Do you believe this?
Please think about it. 

Shepherd

 Shepherd

The Psalmist writes,

“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 

He makes me lie down in green pastures, 

he leads me beside quiet waters, 

he restores my soul. 

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 

I will fear no evil, for you are with me; 

your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, 

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” 

                                                                      Psalm 23.

Is the Lord your shepherd?
Do you trust God in the dark times of your life?
Do you honour God when your life is good?
Is it only when you are in trouble that you turn to God?
Do you praise God for the good times you have?
Psalm twenty-three is a psalm of trust in God.
In the ancient world the word Shepherd was quite often used to denote kingship. So what the Psalmist is saying here is the God is the sovereign of his life.  That he trusts God to be with him in the good times and the bad times.
That by trusting God he will dwell in Gods house forever.
So I ask the question, is God truly sovereign in your life?
Can you honestly say that you trust God no matter the circumstances?
Can you say that you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever?
Please think about it.

A Parental Imperative

A Parents Imperative
The writer of Proverbs tells us,

“Train a child in the way he should go, 

and when he is old he will not turn from it.” 

                                                 Proverbs 22:6

As believers in Christ Jesus it is imperative that we teach our children not only about the arts, about literature, the sciences and such. We must also teach them about our faith and our values.
    As good as knowing all the world has to offer with respect to education, if there is no positive value system behind that, knowledge can and quite often will be use for evil.
C. S. Lewis wrote,
“Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.” C. S. Lewis.
In Deuteronomy we read a portion of scripture that I believe Jews refer to as, Shema Israel. It reads,
“Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk to them when you sit in hour house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up
     You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”Deuteronomy 6:4-9.
Jesus in the gospel of Mark is quotes this when asked,
“One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’”  Mark 12: 28-30
Jesus goes on to say,
"The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:31
As believers in Christ Jesus we need to teach our Children this, in word, and in deed. For in doing so we will put them on not only a good moral road in this world, but on the path that leads to eternal life with God in heaven.
Please think about it.

A Checklist for Love

A Checklist for Love,
Matthew’s gospel records this,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment. 
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40.
Jesus also said,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  
      But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,...” Matthew 5:43,44
For me the best definition of Love ever written about love was written by the apostle Paul. It is a checklist for true 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.

Is this your definition of Love? If so do you put this definition of Love into practice in word and in deed?
Please think about it.

The Narrow or The Wide Gate

The Narrow or the Wide Gate
Jesus said,
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13,14.
There are many in the world today that say there are many ways to heaven. Believers in Christ Jesus do not believe this. We believe Jesus 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.
Even the apostle Paul admitted that what believers in Christ believed seemed to be foolishness. Paul wroting,
“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.
That being said all of the disciples of Christ including Paul and every other believer in Christ to modern day believe Jesus is the way to heaven.
Individuals must understand that God does not do things the way man does things.
I’m certain most individuals would say the best way to show God exists and show mankind the way to heaven is by God coming out of heaven in a miraculous way. For God to show Himself in all his might and power.
The apostle Paul however notes,
“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.  
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. 1 Corinthians 1:20-25
God wants individuals to have faith in Him because God knows that people of faith are the truest followers. Followers who will literally go to the grave for what they believe in.
The writer of Hebrews states,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.”  

                                                       Hebrews 11:1

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

                                                                                 Hebrews 11:6.

Ultimately it all comes down to you the individual and what you believe. You have the choice to believe there are many ways to heaven, or you can believe Jesus is “The Way” to heaven The choice is yours. However remember this the writer of Proverbs states,

“There is a way that seems right to a man 

but in the end it leads to death” 

                                         Proverbs 14:12.

Thus I would ask the question, How firm are you in your beliefs?
If you were to die today do you believe you would go to heaven?
Please think about it.

On a Donkey

On a Donkey
John’s Gospel records what happened to Jesus on what we call Palm Sunday. The Sunday prior to his resurrection.
“The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.  
They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!’” 
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” 
“Blessed is the King of Israel!”  
Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, 
“Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” 
At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.” John 12:12-16.
The entrance into Jerusalem by Jesus fulfilled the Prophecy of Zachariah9:9. However it would not be until after the resurrection of Jesus that his disciples would realize the significance of this entrance.
Very often today Christians fail to see the significance of Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem.
Look at what he is riding. Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, a beast of burden. Not the horse of a conquering king.
Jesus will one day return to earth as a conquering king but that has not happened yet. Thus we as believers in Christ Jesus must see the significance of Him riding a donkey.
Jesus did not enter Jerusalem to over throw the established political order or to conquer the nations of the earth by force.
Jesus entered Jerusalem with the express purposes of showing the Love of God the Father.  By taking the sins of mankind upon himself.  By suffering and dying on the cross.
Jesus when he entered Jerusalem that day he knew he would be fulfilling the prophesy of Isaiah who wrote,

“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.” 

                                                Isaiah 53:5.

Napoleon the late emperor of France said of Jesus,
“I know men and I tell you, Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour, millions would die for him.”Napoleon Bonaparte.
I as a firm believer in Christ Jesus believe Christians should never attack people we disagree with either physically or verbally. Jesus never did.
As believers in Christ Jesus we should be showing the Love of God to our neighbour, our family and even our enemy. Only by doing this will we win the world for Christ.
Please think about it.

What you say

What you say
James the half brother of Jesus and leader of the early church in Jerusalem writes,
“Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.  
We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. 
When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.  
Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.  
Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  
The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man,  but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  
Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." James 3:1-10.
Here is a warning to anyone who would want to be or considers themselves to be teacher. That they will be judged more strictly.
James goes on to tell all believers in Christ to watch what they say. That out of their mouth can come praise to God and the cursing of men.
Over the years I’ve see way to many men and women claiming to be Christians condemning other faiths and lifestyles. Something Jesus never did.
I believe, believers in Christ Jesus have been given a sacred duty to proclaim the Love of God to all who will listen. To proclaim God’s saving grace to all mankind.
People however will not listen to you if you are speaking out against their faith or their lifestyle.
Jesus set for us an example. Jesus is recorded as sitting down with what the pharisees called “sinners and tax collectors” (Mark 2:16,17). People the pharisees rejected.
Sadly today there are many claiming to be Christians who by not “taming their tongue” are turning people away from Jesus. Potentially sentencing them to a Christless eternity.
While you might disagree with another persons faith or lifestyle we as Christians have no right to judge them. 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

As believers in Christ Jesus we need to watch what we say and reach out with the Love of God to all who will listen to us.
Please think about it.

Of Faith, Deeds and The Christian

Of Faith, Deeds & the Christian
James the half brother of Jesus and leader of the early church in Jerusalem wrote,
“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’ve seen people look at this portion of scripture and say it’s salvation through works. Contradicting what the apostle Paul says when he states,
“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.
This is not so. We are saved by faith. However our faith in Christ Jesus, our faith in God should spur us on to doing good works.
As believers in Christ Jesus the Spirit of God’s Love should show in our lives. The apostle Paul telling us,
“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.
Note kindness and love is very much a part of the Holy Spirits work in the life of a believer in Christ Jesus.
Jesus said,
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  
I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:34-40.
As believers in Christ Jesus perhaps one of the best ways to show God’s love to people is through good works. I like what the American Evangelist Tony Campolo said,
“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
  Question: Do you do what you can to help those in need?
Do you present the Love of God in word and in deed?
Please think about it.