Christian Living

Christian living
Just what is it to be Christian? Here in a rather large nutshell are some basic statements from the Bible that I believe Christians should be obeying.
The apostle Paul tells us the fruits of the Spirit of God are,
“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.
These are Christian attributes.
Key to Christian belief is Love. A Christian must love. 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
Earlier in Matthews gospel Jesus is quoted 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, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  
  And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  Matthew 5:43-47.
The apostle Paul defines Christian love when he 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.

A Christian also has no right to Judge those outside their faith. 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.
The apostle Paul stating,
“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.” 1Corinthians 5:12,13.
Note here the apostle Paul also reminds Christians to keep their own house in order so to speak. He reminds us that while we are not to judge those outside the church. We are allowed to judge those inside the church. There is I believe a caveat however. We have no right to judge where anyone will spend eternity.
What Paul is saying here I believe is we are allowed to judge those who claim to be Christians with respect to what they believe and are teaching. To ensure they are teaching sound doctrine. As Billy Graham the great American Evangelist stated,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict,

 God’s job to judge 

and my job to love, 

                               Billy Graham

Christians are also to sit down with sinners and others like Jesus did. Matthew’s gospel records,
“While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples.  
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” 
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:10-13.
The apostle Paul tells Christians,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”  Romans 12:18,
The apostle Peter reminds us,
“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.
The writer of Hebrews tells us,
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:1.
Jesus 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.
Please think about it.

Many will say

Many will say
Jesus said,
“Many will say to me  on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:22,23.
The English, American evangelist Leonard Ravenhill said,
"I doubt if 5% of professing Christians in America are born again--and that's true of England!” Leonard Ravenhill.
I think he may be right especially among those who claim to be Evangelical Christians.
I think part of the problem is Christianity in America in particular has become part of the culture. American and to a lesser degree Canadian evangelicals have slipped into the false belief that their countries are, or at least once were Christian. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Christianity is a part of the culture of America and Canada but only a part. The majority of people in North America do not go to church once a month, or even once a year, let alone participate in a church congregation.
Even among those who go to Church one has to ask the question are they truly Christians. As someone has said
“Going to church and reading the Bible does not make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage and reading an auto repair manual makes you a car.”
I hear constantly from evangelicals in particular who say, “I read my Bible everyday.” But to quote Ravenhill again,

“People say, "I read my Bible everyday", 

but when was time last time they studied it?” 

                                             Leonard Ravenhill

Within Christianity today there is a dire need to turn back to the Bible and study it. To read the Bible and understand what it is to be a Christian.
We need to get away from this foolish notion that any nation on the face of the earth is Christian. The apostle Peter said Christians were a Holy nation. He did not say not an earthly nation. Peter said,
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 
Dear friends,
 I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:9-12.
I firmly believe that if Christians want to reach the world for Christ they first need to turn back to the Bible and study what it means to be Christian. Otherwise they will never reach anyone.
Please think about it.

Luke 6:31

Luke 6:31
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
The other day I, a Christian for over forty years now, was disgusted to see people claiming to be Christians protesting at a gay pride event. These people if they are indeed Christians at all, will never win a soul for Christ by such actions.
It is certain Jesus and his disciples would never have participated in such a protest.
The apostle Paul said,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23. 
That “all” however means every person on the planet including those who were protesting.
    It is my opinion anyone who calls themselves Christians and protests, against another group that is not trying to restrict the rights of others, or doing injury, mentally, or physical, to others is wrong. They are not showing love.
It has been my experience over the years that people who call themselves Christians and protest against others are the first to shout foul against anyone who would protest against them.
Yet if they are following the word of God, are they not, by protesting against others, opening the door wide for others to protest against them.
Was it not Jesus who 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
So in protesting against anyone you are saying they can protest against you.
Rather than protesting against anyone would it not be better to invite them to church?
      Would it not be better to get to know these people as individuals?
       Would it not be better to sit down talk with them, and exchange views?
      Jesus would have. Jesus had no problem sitting down with people considered sinners.
Matthews gospel records,
“While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. 
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:10-13.
The late 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.

If you claim to be a Christian you need to remember this.
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.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“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.
Please think about it.

Attributes

Attributes
The apostle Paul writing to believers in Christ Jesus states,
“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 
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.  
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."Galatians 5:19-25.
Put briefly the apostle Paul defines the attributes of a Christian life. He states,

“...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, 

patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  

gentleness and self-control....”

If you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus are these the attributes those around you see?
Please think carefully about it.

God's Grace and Love

God’s Grace and Love
C. S. Lewis wrote,
“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”  C.S. Lewis.
Jesus referring to himself said,

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, 

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

 but to save the world through him.” 

                                                  John 3:16,17.

The apostle Paul wrote,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.
Christians believe that we are all sinners and that sin separates us from God. That is why Jesus came to this earth to demonstrate God’s love for us. To show us in human terms how far God would go to reconcile each individual to himself.
C. S. Lewis stated,
“He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.” C.S. Lewis.
Christians believe it is by the grace of God, through faith in Him, that we get to heaven,
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

Christians believe the words of the Apostle John who wrote,

“If we confess our sins, 

he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins 

and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  

                                        1 John 1:9.

Please think about it.

A Radical Belief

A Radical Belief
The Apostle Paul writes,
“...that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” Philippians 2:10,11.
Bible scholars note that the early church preached what for the time was a radical and dangerous confession. That being their belief that “Jesus is Lord”.
In the Roman empire at that time Caesar was considered lord. Saying that Jesus was equal to and even greater than Caesar was an affront to Caesar’s power. Yet the early church put this belief unwaveringly at the centre of their beliefs.
The same is true today. Christians the world over believe Jesus is Lord of all. That He is indeed God incarnate. The writer of Hebrews makes this abundantly clear saying.
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”  Hebrews 1:3.
The apostle John referring to Jesus as the word “The Word” writes,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  
He was with God in the beginning. 
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  
In him was life, and that life was the light of men....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ” John 1:1-4,14.
C. S. Lewis noted,
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.
Please think about it. 

Gasoline and Water

Gasoline and Water

“Mixing religion and politics

 is like mixing water and gasoline.

 The gasoline is unusable. 

The water undrinkable. 

And the whole mixture explosive.” 

                                        Author unknown.

What I want to say here is we should never mix our faith with secular politics. Neither Jesus nor his disciples did. They didn’t even have the right to vote.
No political party on this earth is Christians or completely supports Christian values.
While I believe every Christian after praying about it, should in a democracy exercise their right to vote, and if they feel God’s leading run for political office.  I still feel Christians should still not mix secular politics with their faith.
The job of the Christian is to do God’s work. Jesus 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.
Our job as believers in Christ Jesus is to tell the world of the Saving Grace of Jesus Christ. Something that can be hindered when mixed with politics.
Our faith should also cause us to do good works. 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.
The apostle Peter tells us,
“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.
As believers in Christ Jesus we need to remember we are what Peter calls, “royal priesthood”, and get rid of the secular baggage the church has picked up through the centuries.
We need to be presenting the good news of Jesus Christ to all who will listen. To do our best to help the poor, and sick among us.
We need to put into practice the words of the writer of Hebrews who said,

“Make every effort to live in peace with all men

 and to be holy; 

without holiness no one will see the Lord.” 

                                                     Hebrews 12:14.

Please think about it.

Hell in a Handbarrow

Hell in a Handbarrow
Some time ago I came across a book by John B. Harrington called Essentials in Christian Faith published in 1958. After reading it I realized it could have been written yesterday, it’s message was,... is, that relevant.
It opens with this quote from Paul Gallico published in Esquire Magazine in 1948:
   “A writer in a popular magazine has written the following words; 'We are all, if you will pardon the expression, Headed for Hell in a handbarrow. If, ever the people of the world stood in need of a spiritual revival, it is now. We are beginning to poison the face of the earth with our miserable presence. The brakes are off. The cart of the world is sliding down the way greased with hatred, ambition, lies, self-seeking and avarice toward the pit.’"
   Harrington notes that Gallico makes no pretense of being "a religious man" noting that "...for him it is precisely religion in its organized forms which has in part caused the situation he deplores. He is careful to state that it is not "religion" for which he is looking. For in his opinion, religion throughout the history of our culture has advanced its control over human beings by the investment of bigotry and persecution. 
   Yet, out of despair over the current human situation he says; ‘The voice for which my heavy spirit is yearning must reach us all... For if it is not heard, we are lost. 
Something beyond our material enrichment and lust for power and position, some rewards founded on good will, selflessness, and the innate dignity of the human spirit...honour, humility, decency courage.”
If Paul Gallico is right and I believe he is, mankind is considerably nearer the bottom of that slope than he was in 1948. Moreover at the bottom of that slope is a very deep lake filled with brimstone.
Another Paul writing to a member of the first century church wrote the following,
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" 2 Timothy 3:1-4
This is happening today.
As I look around the world today it is easy to look a the various terrorist groups who claim to be acting in the name of their faith when they are not. They are simply evil men who attach religious names to themselves to try an justify what they are doing.
That being said I as a Christian, am more concerned about those who would call themselves Christians who are not. They may go to church, and spout large amounts of scripture. They may even be under the misconception that they are Christian but are not.
After all Jesus did say,
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  
“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”Matthew 7:21-23.
Even a quick look at what tries to pass as Evangelical Christianity in many parts of North America where I live tells the world around them that it is simply a religious moniker. These people live “religious lives”. Not Christian lives.
Paul Gallico points out what many in the world are truly looking for. He states,
"...for him it is precisely religion in its organized forms which has in part caused the situation he deplores. He is careful to state that it is not "religion" for which he is looking. For in his opinion, religion throughout the history of our culture has advanced its control over human beings by the investment of bigotry and persecution.”
I have met many in the LBGTQ community and among other groups, over the years that see those claiming to be Christians as bigots who persecute them. People who would try to take away their rights and freedoms granted to them not only by the government but by God.
And God does grant everyone the freedom to do as they wish. Which includes everything from living the way they wish to whether or not they believe in Him.
Gallico goes on to point out.
   “Yet, out of despair over the current human situation he says; ‘The voice for which my heavy spirit is yearning must reach us all... For if it is not heard, we are lost. 
Something beyond our material enrichment and lust for power and position, some rewards founded on good will, selflessness, and the innate dignity of the human spirit...honour, humility, decency courage."
Gallico like many people today are truly looking for rest for their souls. Something this materialistic world we live in does not offer. Something Jesus offers. 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.
This is something no one will ever see from some who call themselves Christians because many calling themselves Christians are not. They are religious people who have put themselves in the position of judge and jury for those around them.
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
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
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.

The writer of Hebrews states,

“Make every effort to live in peace with all men 

and to be holy; 

without holiness no one will see the Lord.” 

                                                        Hebrews 12:14.

Please think about it.

Jesus Can

Jesus Can
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.  
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.   
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”1 Corinthians 1:18-25.
The apostle Paul here notes that what Christians believe seems like foolishness. After all we believe Jesus is God incarnate, God in the flesh. That he came to earth to point mankind to heaven. Not only that he did so by allowing himself to be crucified. To be put to death in a most hideous way.
This to man’s way of thinking could be considered ludicrous. Yet Christians the world over believe this.
Such belief to my way of thinking is for many a stumbling block to their belief in Christ.     It takes a great deal of faith to believe that Jesus is God incarnate. That he allowed himself to die on the cross. That he descended into hell, rose from the dead, walked briefly on the earth again, before ascending into heaven.
I think of it this way. First of all God does not do things man’s way.
I look at it like this.
Jesus in coming to earth experienced everything a mortal man experienced. Everything from the mundane, like the smell of dust on a road, the feeling of rain on your face.
Jesus knew what it was like to have friends, to attend weddings and other events. Jesus interacted with everyone from religious leaders, to tax collectors, to lepers, to prostitutes, Roman soldiers and more.
Jesus also knew what it was to be abandoned by friends on the worst day of his life. To suffer a merciless beating and be put to death for a crime that even the Roman Governor said he was not guilty of. 
In the brief thirty-three years he was on this earth he experienced the full range of things that could happen to anyone.
Thus when we stand before Him on judgement day we can never say “you didn’t know what it was like to be a mere mortal”, because He does.
That is apart from the fact that Jesus is God, is why he can rightly judge mankind, because he does understand what it is to be mortal.
Please think about it. 

A Matter of Faith

A Matter of Faith
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

“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

No one can or should even try to force anyone to believe in anyone or anything. Trying to force someone to believe in something produces false faith.
False faith is useless. Something God certainly dose not want from anyone.
I believe in order to have faith in God or for that matter anything one needs to look at the evidence. That to my way of thinking is why God inspired the Bible to be written.
The writers present the truth about God and ask the individual to believe them, or not.
The Bible however does not stop there. It encourages the reader to look around them. The Psalmist writing,

“The heavens declare the glory of God;

 the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” 

                                                Psalm 19:1

The Psalmist encourages the reader to look at the world around them and see how perfectly made it is. From the greatest galaxy to the smallest subatomic particle, all are arranged perfectly for life to exist as we know it. Showing a divine creator.
I firmly believe science done right will ultimately show the there is a creator behind it all.
That being said it still comes down to faith. Believers in God are in many ways like a scientist. A scientist postulates a theory from what he sees and has faith in that theory until it is proved or disproved.
Albert Einstein is a classic example. Some of his theories were never proven to be correct until after his death yet he believed they were right.
So it is with a Christian we believe we are right in our belief in God and Jesus Christ, even though we will never prove it for certain until the day we stand before God after our death. That faith however costs us nothing.
I like what Blaise Pascal said of faith in God. 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.

Post 1716

Post 1716
The other day it was pointed out to me that over the four plus years I’ve been writing my various blogs I’ve written 1715 of them. Put in perspective if they were weekly sermons it would have been 32 years of them.
My soul purpose in writing them is to tell anyone who will take the time to read them about my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
I do not expect everyone who reads them to agree with what I say. All I ask is that they at least take time to consider what I have expressed.
The way I see it Jesus is the most important person that ever lived. 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.”
“I search in vain history to find similar to Jesus Christ, or anything which can approach the gospel.  Neither history nor humanity, nor ages, nor nature, offer me anything with which I am able to compare it or to explain it. Here everything is extraordinary.” Napoleon Bonaparte.
Jesus is extraordinary because he is the Son of God. He is God incarnate. The Apostles Creed while not written by an apostle of Jesus expresses the core beliefs of all who would call themselves Christians it sates,
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 apostel John writes,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  
He was with God in the beginning. 
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  
In him was life, and that life was the light of men....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ” John 1:1-4,14.
As strange and bizarre as it may seem to people, I and an estimated three billion Christian in the world today believe Jesus is God incarnate, God in the flesh. The Saviour of the world. Who will one day judge each and every individual.
The apostle John quotes Jesus speaking of him self, 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
The choice therefor is yours the reader. Is Jesus the Son of God, Saviour of mankind, or is he not. Please take time to read the New Testament and see what the early believers in Christ believed for yourself.
For I believe what C. S. Lewis once said about Jesus,
“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.
Please think about it.

A Note to the 21st Century Church

A note to the 21st Century Church
Think about this...
Jesus and his disciples,
• Never Voted.
• Never Protested.
• Never judged anyone outside their own faith.
Yet they within a century they had spread the Good News of the Love of Jesus Christ throughout the known world.
They did so by,
• Presenting the Love of God to their neighbours and enemies alike.
• Showing Love and Mercy to all those they came in contact with.
• Living as far as possible at peace with those around them.
The disciples put into action the words of the Apostle Paul who wrote,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”  Romans 12:18.
And the words writer of Hebrews,
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14.
They followed the teaching of the Apostle Peter who 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.
If you claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ in the twenty-first century, are you doing this?
Please think about it.