Strength in Weakness

Strength in weakness
The apostle Paul writes,
“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.  
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 
When I read this passage I am reminded of the rich man that came to Jesus as recorded in Matthew’s gospel. Matthew records,
“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.
The young man in this situation put more faith in his wealth than in God. That is not what God wants.
The point here is that we should be putting our faith entirely in God not in our wealth or our own strength.
Now there is nothing wrong with being strong and wealthy. However we should not put our trust in them. Our wealth can vanish in an instant. Our strength can do the same.
The prophet Isaiah states,

“A voice says, “Cry out.” 

And I said, “What shall I cry?” 

“All men are like grass, 

and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. 

The grass withers and the flowers fall, 

because the breath of the LORD blows on them. 

Surely the people are grass. 

The grass withers and the flowers fall, 

but the word of our God stands forever.” 

                                                  Isaiah 40:6-8

It should be immaterial to our faith whether we have wealth and strength. We should never boast about these things. We need to believe the words Christ spoken to the apostle Paul when he said,
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 
If we must boast we should be boasting about Jesus and all He has done for us.
Please think about it.

Christians and Purity

Christians and Purity
The apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians states,
“Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 
“I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 
Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”2 Corinthians 6:17- 7:1.
In my previous blog post I noted that to be Christlike not only meant loving people but sitting down with sinners and others to present the message of Christ to them.
Here the apostle Paul is making it clear to believers in Christ that we need to keep ourselves clean from the contamination of the evil of the world.
However that does not mean refusing to associate with the people of this world. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians states,
“I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.
But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.” 1 Corinthians 5:9,10,11.  
Paul make it clear we are not to associate with someone calling himself a brother in Christ who is doing immoral things.”
In 2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1, Paul is saying that we personally need to keep our lives clean. Paul makes it clear stating,
“...let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
The apostle Peter writes
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 
Dear friends,
 I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:9-12.
As believers in Christ we should be living as good a moral life as we can. So much so that without us even saying a word those around us will realize it and even be attracted to Christ because of it.
Please think about it.

Being Christlike

Being Christlike
The Apostle Paul writes,

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; 

the old has gone, the new has come!” 

                                                                        2 Corinthians 5:17.

If we are truly sincere when we ask Christ into our life we do become a new creation. Slowly perhaps at first our lives begin to change. We start to turn away from things that are not pleasing to God. God becomes first in our lives and we have a truly hart felt desire to serve God in whatever way we can.
That being said here is something for you to think about if we want to be Christ like.
First of all if we desire to be Christ like we will desire to 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.
Not only that He 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, 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.
If you are becoming Christ like you will also “sit with sinners”
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.
Jesus sat down with sinners in order to show them the way to heaven. This is something we must do.
If you are becoming Christ like you will not judge others especially when it comes to where they will spend eternity. 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
We can’t be judging others because we do not know what is in their heart. Billy Graham the American Evangelist said,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge 

and my job to love, 

                          Billy Graham.

This to me at least in part is what it is to be a new creation in Christ. It is what it is to become Christ like. For in becoming Christ like we are showing the love of God and Jesus 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.
Please think about it.

We live by faith

We live by Faith

The apostle Paul writes,

“We live by faith, not by sight.” 

                                2 Corinthians 5:7.

The Christian life is very much a life of faith. As Billy Graham the great American evangelist put it,

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

 but I believe.

                                Billy Graham.

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.

Acting in faith is not exclusively a Christian thing or for that matter a religious thing. Scientist act on faith all the time. Scientist look at the world around them and make hypophysis. They state because of what they see certain things must be true.
Einstein was one such scientist he made predictions that were not proven until long after he died. Predictions he believed by faith all his life. He believed them because he had evaluated what he seen and established for himself that what he believed is true.
Thus it is with Christians we look at the world around us, the heavens above. We see how perfectly constructed it is and see the hand of God. The Psalmist saying,

“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.

Thus the question becomes do you believe in God.
  The Apostle Paul writes,

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

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

                                                                    Ephesians 2:8.

Do you believe this?
Please think about it.

Trust in the Lord

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

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 

                                                                     Francis of Assisi.

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

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

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 

He restores my soul. 

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

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

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

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 

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

 You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

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

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

                                                                      Psalm 23

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

About Jesus

About Jesus
The Apostle John who witnessed first hand the ministry of Jesus tells his readers here why he is writing. He sates,
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.  
The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.  
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.  
We write this to make our joy complete.” 1 John 1:1-4
This echos back the opening words of John’s Gospel that 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.
John referrers to Jesus as the Word. He notes that “the Word” became flesh. God entered the world he created in the form of Jesus Christ.
Jesus is God incarnate. God in the flesh. He was their at the dawn of creation. He created all things.
John goes on to say,
“The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.”
Jesus is life. He offers to all who would believe in Him Eternal life.
John making things perfectly clear saying,
“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”
John in his gospel stating,
“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 John states here are cornerstones of Christian belief.
1. Jesus is God incarnate, Creator of the Universe.
2. Jesus is the Saviour of mankind offering Eternal Life to all who would believe in Him.
3. By accepting Jesus Christ into our lives we become children of God. We have a personal relationship with God.
Like all things with Jesus however it is something you either believe or you do not. There is not middle ground.
So what do you believe.
Please think about it.   

Jesus will come

Jesus will Come
The apostle Peter states,
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. 
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.  
But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.  
Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 2 Peter 3:10-15
The apostle Peter wrote,
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” 2Peter 3:9.
That being said God will one day return to judge the world.
In this portion of scripture 2 Peter 3:10-15, Peter notes that the Lord will come like a thief. A thief enters your home quietly. In moments he can take all your material possessions.
So it will be with Christ. He will come quietly, suddenly taking all that is material in this world He created and destroying it.
Peter tells us,
“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” 
The destruction of the world is not the end of things however Peter notes God will not simply destroy the world he states,
“But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”
God will create a new heaven and a new earth for all those who believe in him. A “home of righteousness”
Peter telling all people to,
“...make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.”  
Then Peter points back to 2Peter 3:9 saying
“Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.”
Look at it this way we as Christians have waited centuries for Christ’s return. That however does not mean He will not return.
What Peter is saying here is, the longer Christ waits to return the more people can receive salvation. Remember the words of Jesus who told why He came to earth. Speaking of Himself Jesus 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.
That being said, Billy Graham the American Evangelist said,

“The Bible says today is the accepted time,

 today is the day of salvation... 

But there will come a time when it will be too late for you.” 

                                                                             Billy Graham.

As Christians we should be out in our neighbourhoods telling people about the Love of God and the Salvation offered through His one and Only Son Jesus Christ.
As St. Augustine said,

“Pray as though everything depended on God. 

Work as though everything depended on you.” 

                                                    Saint Augustine.

Please think about it.

Flee Idolatry

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

“Therefore, my dear friends, 

flee from idolatry.” 

                            1 Corinthians 10:14.

At the very beginning of the Ten Commandments God states,

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

 out of the land of slavery. 

“You shall have no other gods before me. 

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

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

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

                                                                   Exodus 20: 2-4a.

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

One Body

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

Truth Stranger than Fiction

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

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” 

                                                                     Hebrews 11:6

Faith defined as

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.” 

                                                      Hebrews 11:1.

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

On Love

On Love
The Apostle Paul writes,

“Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, 

it is not proud.  

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

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil 

but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, 

always perseveres. 

Love never fails....

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

But the greatest of these is love.”  

                                                        1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.

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

Gave his life

Gave his life
Jesus said,
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 1:10,11.
Jesus made it perfectly clear why he came to earth speaking of himself he 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 sole purpose in Jesus coming to earth was to point not just mankind in general toward heaven, but to make away for each individual to get to heaven. C. S. Lewis put it this way,
“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.
That means he died for you.
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.
Do you believe this?
Please think about it.