Just as there will be

Just as there will be
The apostle Peter wrote,
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.  
Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.” 2Peter2:1,2.
Someone once said to me if you want to find “juicy scandal” just look in the church. Sadly I think they are right. I think also when someone does things wrong that claim to be Christians be they in the pulpit or in the pew it comes across something far worse than if a non-christian did it. After all do not Christians claim the moral high road?
Peter warns there will be individuals who are false teachers. Teachers who introduce heresies. Who deny the sovereignty of Jesus. Who bring “bring the way of truth into disrepute”.
Sadly this happens a lot and Christians of every strip do not do a good job of policing themselves.
The apostle Paul tells Christians,
“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.
Now there is a wide range of interpretation when it comes to the scriptures and there is nothing wrong with that. That being said however we as believers in Christ Jesus must at times stand up against anyone who is bringing the teachings of Christ into disrepute.
Francis of Assis said,

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 

                                                                      Francis of Assisi

The world is watching Christians. Thus we must do all we can to live a life that reflects the love and teachings of Christ.
Please think about it. 

Do your Best

Do your Best
The Apostle Paul writes,
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2Timothy 2:15.
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 Jesus we are called to present our beliefs, the teachings of Jesus correctly.
At the same time the apostle Peter reminds us we are,
1/ “a royal priesthood a holy nation belonging to God”
2/ That we are to declare the praises of God and Christ Jesus.
3/ That we are to abstain from sinful desires,
4/ That we are to live good lives among nonbelievers.
The reason for all of this according to Peter is,
“That though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1Peter 2:12b.
Question, if you consider yourself a believer in Christ Jesus are you doing this?
Please think about it.

Who is Jesus?

Who is Jesus?
John’s Gospel records this conversation between Martha and Jesus,
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes Lord” she told Him, “I believe you are the Christ the Son of God, who was to come into the world,” John 11:25,26,27.
Thus the question becomes do you believe Martha?
Martha new Jesus personally as did the apostle John. If Jesus was not the Messiah, the Christ why would Martha lie? If John did not agree Jesus was the Christ, why would he record in his gospel Martha’s conversation with Jesus.
The bottom line is all the gospel writers believed Jesus to be the Messiah, the Christ. Saviour of mankind.
If this is not true then the New Testament is frankly one of the biggest lies perpetuated on mankind, because today three billion plus people believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Saviour of mankind.
That being said the answer to the question who is Jesus, is up to you. For each individual must decide who they think Jesus is.
So dear reader Who is Jesus?
Please think about it.

The Narrow Gate

The Narrow 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.

If there is one thing that believers in Christ Jesus believe in, that is controversial, it is a statement the apostle John records as Jesus saying to his disciples,
"Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.
This is a no compromise statement saying Jesus is the way to heaven.
Earlier in John’s Gospel he records Jesus speaking of himself 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.
This is what believers in Christ Jesus believe. He is the way to heaven period.
Many in this world say there are many ways to heaven. If they are right then a believer in Christ has nothing to fear, because Jesus is most definitely one of those ways.
On the other hand if what Christians believe is correct and Jesus is indeed the only way to heaven then those who have been presented with the gospel message and disagree with it, have a lot worry about.
Please think about it.

Unless

Unless
The Psalmist writes,

“Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain....”

                                                                                       Psalm 127:1a.

If you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus, do you let God build your house?
Jesus said,
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  
But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27.
Sadly not everyone who claims to be a believer in Christ builds their house on teachings of Christ. Instead they base what they believe on the teachings and interpretations of various preachers and evangelist.
Now for the most part I think preachers and evangelist around the world are in general good men and women who do their best to present the gospel message truthfully. They base what they teach on the teachings of Jesus.
Still however there are many both in the pulpit and in the pew claiming to be followers of Jesus who do not follow the teaching of Christ.
The apostle Paul warns
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2Timothy 4:3,4.
I firmly believe we as individual believers in Christ need to be careful who we listen to. We have an obligation at the very least to ourselves to make sure the ministers and evangelist we are listening to are truly teaching the word of God.
We have an obligation to ourselves to make sure that we are building our spiritual house on the teachings of Jesus.
We have this obligation, because what we believe, will ultimately determine where we will spent eternity.
Please think about it. 

Instrument of Peace

Instrument of Peace
The apostle Paul wrote,
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:15-17.
Question is what the apostle Paul saying true about you?
Does the peace of Christ rule in your heart?
When you do things both in word and deed, do you do it in the name of Christ?
As Christians we do need to live our lives differently. People should know we are believers in Christ Jesus by our life and life style without us saying a word.
Francis of Assisi wrote,

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love,

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” 

                                                                    Francis of Assisi

Can you truly say and mean what Francis of Assisi wrote?
Please think about it.

Wise Words

Wise Words
Jesus said,
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16
Charles H. Spurgeon wrote,
“The Bible is not the light of the world, it is the light of the Church. But the world does not read the Bible, the world reads Christians! “You are the light of the world.”Charles H. Spurgeon
Francis of Assisi wrote,

“The deeds you do

 may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 

                                                                   Francis of Assisi.

What are your words and deeds telling the world around you about your faith in Christ Jesus?
Please think about it.

How we preach it

How we preach it
The apostle Paul writes,
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2Timothy 4:3,4.
The late evangelist Charles H. Spurgeon wrote,
“We are not responsible to God for the soul that are saved, but we are responsible for the Gospel that is preached, and for the way in which we preach it” Charles H. Spurgeon.
Put simply Spurgeon is saying we must preach the gospel message truthfully.
We should never take what it says out of context.
We should never twist what it says to make it say what we believe or want to believe.
So the question becomes,
If you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus are you presenting the gospel message correctly?
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.
The same is true for many politicians and others here in the west. While they espouse “Christian values” their words and deeds show they do not.
At the same time there are many men and women calling themselves Christian pastors, evangelist, who are not. This is true also for many who sit in the pews.
Jesus warned of us about such people saying,
“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.
As believers in Christ Jesus it is incumbent on us to show the world there is rest for their weary soul. That there is something beyond this world and the materialism there in. As Gallico puts it, “Something beyond our material enrichment and lust for power and position...”
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 the message we as believers in Christ Jesus must reach out to the world with. For if we don’t we just may condemn someone to a Christless eternity.
Please think about it.

Coming Soon

Coming soon

“He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” 

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”

                                Revelations 20:21 

The second last verse in the New Testament makes it clear Jesus is coming soon.
Thus if he was coming soon when Revelations was written the time of Christ’s appearing is much nearer now.
With all that is happening around the world today Christians seem to be talking more and more about the coming of Christ. The internet is drowning in Christian material from a myriad of sources pointing to the fact that Jesus will be hear soon.
Evangelist and pastors in the media are sorting through every speck of information that is coming in on the news wires and trying to read prophetic significance into it.
I’m sure some of those pastors and evangelist are right about what they say. I am equally sure that just as many, if not more, are wrong.
Some may even be out and out charlatans preying on believers in Christ for their own personal gain, using the interpretation of prophecy to lead people down the wrong path.
When it comes to prophecy we must be careful who we listen to.  Just because it sounds good doesn’t mean it is right.
Now I’ve said all that to say this. While the study of prophesy is nice and the speculation as to what is going to happen is interesting. It is not the responsibility of Christians to worry about prophesy.
When it comes to Christ’s return Jesus said,
“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  
As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.  
For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;  and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 
Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.  
Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. 
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” Matthew 24:36-42.
As believers in Christ Jesus we are to keep watch and do our appointed task. That task is winning souls for Christ. I firmly believe that instead of spending our time speculating on prophesy and buying books and recordings on prophesy we need to spend that time and money on reaching people for Christ.
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.
As Christians this is what we should be doing because not doing so could condemn someone to a Christless eternity.
Think about it.

The Choice

The Choice
The Psalmist writes,
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
      I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16.
Every now and then I like poking Christians figuratively with a pointy stick. With the intention of making them think. This is one of those times.
The Following is from a book called Images. It’s called Image of a woman,
“That morning, Margaret Elizabeth got up extra early, readying herself for the day.  She would get only one chance to make a good impression.  To that end, she applied her makeup with extra care.  Chose the black ankle length wraparound skirt, white turtle neck top and black jacket, her children had given her as a gift, while in hospital.  She limited her jewelry to a simple pair of diamond studied earrings, that had been her grandmother’s and small bracelet given to her by her daughter-in-law.
Leaving that office, to walk to the pulpit was the hardest step, she ever had to make.  Her heart pounded and by the time, she stood behind the pulpit she was visibly shaking.
“Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Margaret Elizabeth and just before Christmas, I underwent Sexual Reassignment Surgery.” she said relief surging through her body, as silence engulfed the assembly.  
Believe me, I did not choose this course of action lightly. I did so after much personal anguish and a great deal of prayer.
“Still I know that many of you, maybe uncomfortable with that. That is why I have asked to speak to you. To give you my testimony and then allow you to ask questions.
All of my life I have felt like a woman trapped in a man’s body. 
That being said I was married for over thirty years to a wonderful and accepting woman, who died several years prior to my coming to this assembly. I also have a wonderful family, all of whom support me and are here today.
For a little over three years prior to my complete transition, I have lived my life as a woman: I was doing so when I came to this church and I think I did it well enough that no one knew.  If they did no one commented.
I have no apology  to give for what I did, or who I am, because I do not believe I did anything wrong.
I accepted Jesus as my Saviour over thirty-five years ago, and asked Him to remove from me what at times, has been this difficult burden.  He has chosen not to. Thus, I have accepted that I am what I am.  A child of God, who knew me, according to the Psalmist, in my mother’s womb.
I have no intentions of preaching a sermon here today, only to ask you to accept me as I am.  In fact, the only reason I stand before you today, is because I was asked to come onto the staff of this church and wish to be completely honest with you.
Now, I will open the door to all questions and endeavor to answer them to the best of my ability.  After which, I will ask for a vote and abide by your decision.”
After answering many questions the pastor came to the front.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, it is now time to take a vote.”  He said.  “If you wish Margaret Elizabeth to become a part of our pastoral staff, please rise to your feet.”
Question.
         If you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus, would you accept Margaret Elizabeth as she is?
How would you vote?
Do you think your church congregation would accept her as a person?
Would your church congregation vote to take her on to its pastoral staff?
Please think about it.

The Gospel of John records

The Gospel of John records

The gospel of John records this incident between Jesus and some people gathered in the temple,
“Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.  
“The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 
Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.  
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  
I and the Father are one.
Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?
“We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”  John 10:24-33
Here we see a clear example that has existed from the day Jesus walked the earth until today. You either believe Jesus is the Son of God, The Saviour of mankind, God incarnate or you do not. The choice is yours. God will not force anything on you.
God in creating mankind gave each individual free will to do as they wish. That includes believing in Him or not.
Thus the choice is yours.
Before you make that choice however I would ask you to at least read for yourself the New Testament so you can see for yourself what the early believers, believed about Jesus.
Please think about it.