Founded on Love

Founded on 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
Napoleon Bonaparte speaking of Jesus said,
“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.
As believers in Christ Jesus we need to realize that we are helping build Christ’s empire. We need to realize that, that empire is built on “LOVE”. It therefore our job to love..
Billy Graham the great American evangelist put it this way.

"It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge

 and my job to love," 

                   Billy Graham.

The apostle Paul defined Christian love as,

“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.

If you claim to be a follower of Christ Jesus you are obligated to Love as Jesus Loved, unconditionally. You are to love in the way the apostle Paul defined.
Thus the question becomes, are you loving those around you unconditionally?
Please think about it.

What do Christians believe?

What do Christians believe?
The writer of the book of Hebrews states,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
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 1:1-3.
The apostle John referring to Jesus as “the word” 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.
To Christians Jesus is the Son of God, Creator of the universe, Saviour of mankind.
The apostles creed while not written by an apostle states what Christians today believe. It states,
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.
These are core beliefs of Christians all over the world. Thus the question I would ask is do you believe this?
Please think about it.

What think ye of Christ?

What think ye of Christ?
The first church I ever attended had a banner over the pulpit that read “What think ye of Christ?”. On the day Jesus died Luke recorded this conversation between the two criminals that were being crucified with him and Jesus.
“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 
But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?  
We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’” 
Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”Luke 23:39-43
Here in microcosm is the choice each individual who hears about Jesus has. You can either accept who He is The Son of the Living God, Saviour of Mankind. OR you can dismiss him as a fraud. Someone who along with his followers has perpetuated one of the greatest lies in the history of the world.
The choice is yours.
Please think about it.

I and my Father are one

I and my Father are one

John’s gospel records Jesus as saying,

“I and the Father are one.”

                              John 10:30.

This is a radical statement even today. For Jesus to say he was one with God in his day asking for trouble. In fact later in John, John 10:31-33, we see those around him who heard him say these words wanted to stone him.
Today in the twenty-first century to claim Jesus was one with God is still a radical claim that many people cannot bring themselves to believe.
C. S. Lewis said,
“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.
Thus the question to you the reader is,
Who do you believe Jesus to be?
Please think about it.

Who is Jesus

Who is Jesus
Ever since Jesus started preaching questions have arisen as to who he is. Questions that persist to this day.
Presented here are passages from the New Testament that tell you who the early church believed Jesus to be.
In John’s gospel records,
“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 22-33.
Here even when faced with stoning Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. God incarnate.
In Matthews gospel we read,
“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.  Matthew 16:13-17.
The disciples who knew Jesus personally. These were men who had seen all that he did and certainly believed Jesus was the “the Christ the Son of the living God”.
In John’s gospel we read 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.
In Luke’s gospel we read about an incident when Jesus was brought to the temple as a baby to be dedicated to the Lord. A man Simeon, a prophet said this about Jesus,
“Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:  “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” Luke 2:28-32
Simeon calls Jesus God’s salvation. A light for revelation to the Gentiles”
In the book of Hebrews, the writer sums up
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
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 1:1-3.
The writer calls Jesus the Son of God. The radiance of God’s glory. The exact representation of his being. The one who provided purification for sins.
This is what the early church believed about Jesus this is what they and anyone who truly believes in Christ Jesus to this day asks you to believe.
Do you?
Please think about it.

A Radical Claim

A Radical claim
The apostle Paul speaking to the Athenians said,
“For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” 
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”  
At that, Paul left the Council.  
A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others” Acts 17:17-34.
For all intents and purposes Paul was speaking to a secular audience when he spoke these words a the Areopagus in Athens. They were intellectuals who were interested and open to new ideas but when it came to resurrection from the dead, that threw many of them for a loop. They couldn’t believe such a thing could happen.
This claim of Christ’s resurrection from the dead was a radical claim then and for that matter still is. Yet it is a claim Christians ask all people to believe.
In Athens some sneered and rejected the resurrection out right. Others wanted to know more. Yet others believed. Which is the way it is today.
Believers in Christ believe he rose from the dead. While others sneer at the mere thought of it. And others want to know more.
The bottom line here is that the resurrection of Jesus is one of the cornerstones of the Christian faith. You cannot be a true believer in Christ Jesus and not believe He rose from the dead.
Thus the question becomes, what do you believe.
Please think about it.

A Sermon for an Easter Sunday

A Sermon for an Easter Sunday
Today is Easter Sunday 2019. The day we who believe in Christ Jesus believe Jesus rose from the dead.
Two thousand years ago give or take a few years, the Apostle Paul was invited by the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers of Athens to speak to them about Christ. The message he gave is as relevant for today’s audience as it was back then. I put it hear for you to think about.
“While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.  
So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.  
A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.  
Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?  
You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”  
(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) 
“Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.  
For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. 
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.  
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.  
‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 
“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill.  
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.  
For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” 
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”  
At that, Paul left the Council. A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.” Acts 17:16-34
Thus the question becomes what do you believe about Jesus?
Please think about it.

Ticket

Ticket

         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

The poet wrote,

“Ticket”

“Where am I?

What, am...

I doing here?”

“You are her.”

Says the Conductor.

“Your ticket please.”

“I bought no ticket.

I took no ride.

Where am I?”

“Your ride is over,         You are here.                  All take the ride.

Your ticket’s paid for,   Says the Conductor          You are here.

Your ticket please,      Please your ticket.          Your ticket.”

“I took no ride!

Where am I?

I demand to know!

I took no...

ride...

Am I...”

“You are here.

All take the ride.

The ticket paid for,

With My blood.

“I am here...

I have no ticket...

And you are...”

“Jesus.”

       C. S. Lewis said,

      "Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important." C. S. Lewis.

     Please think about it.

Good Friday

Good Friday
Luke’s gospel records,
“Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.  
When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.” Luke 23:32,33.
Here we have one of the most important incidents in the whole history of Christianity, the crucifixion of Jesus. The apostle Paul has noted of the crucifixion of Jesus,
“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. 1Corinthians 1:18-25.
Putting things in a nutshell one person noted to me, “God does not do things the way man would do them.”
Certainly to man’s way of thinking having the Saviour of mankind crucified seems counter intuitive. After all God could have revealed himself to mankind in all his glory and people would have believed in him.
There is to my way of thinking a flaw in thinking that if God was suddenly to appear in all his glory it would produce true believers in Him. Quite the contrary if this happened many would believe in him simply because they feared what He could do to them. That’s not what God wants.
God wants true believers. Jesus said,
“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”John 4:23.
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
The writer of Hebrews defining faith as,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.”  

                                         Hebrews 11:1.

God knows a true believer will follow Him in good times and in bad. No matter what the circumstances are. True believers believe in the death, resurrection and ascension into heaven. True believers believe Christ had to die for the sins of each individual. Even if in human terms that doesn’t make sense.
What do you believe?
Please think about it. 

What are we?

What are we?

“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

The poet writes,

What are people?

What are they?

Are they but shadows in the mall?

Are they?

Are they shadows in time,

Shadows wandering...

 collecting the latest trinkets, bobbles and beads.

What is life?

What?

Is life but a wisp of smoke carried in the air?

A wisp in the eternal aether 

Are people wisps?

What of man’s, or woman’s! accomplishments?

What of them?

Is the sum total of all ones life simply 

a pile of shinny tin, brass, and wood?

Is that life?

Is life simply a cacophony of sounds

 travelling through endless time?

Is it?

Or 

Is life.

Yours and mine...

 more?

Is it a divine opera?

An opera played out on a high mesa 

A stage suspended between heaven and hell.

Are we as Shakespear said simply actors?

Life,

 I believe, 

Is an opera played out before God.

Lived in a world suspended between heaven and hell.

And we,

We are actors in a high stakes play.

Actors who write their own script.

Actors awaiting the final curtain call 

That sends us to eternity.

Are you ready for the final curtain call?

Are you?

What is the sum total of your life?

What?

What will “they” say about you as you pass on?

What will God say?

Where will you spend eternity?”

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.  
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.
Please think about it.

Who do you serve?

Who do you serve?

            Joshua said,

“Now therefore,

 fear the LORD,

serve Him

in sincerity

and truth,

and put away the gods which your fathers served

on the other side of the river and in Egypt.  Serve the LORD!

And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD,

choose for

yourselves

this day

whom you

will serve, 

whether the

gods which your

fathers served

that were on the other side

of the river,

or the gods 

of the Ammorites,

in whose land you dwell.

But as for me and my house,

 we will serve the LORD.”

                                     Joshua 24:14 & 15

Like it or not there are many gods in the twenty-first century. Money, material possessions, selfish ambition, political ambition. Anything that pulls you away from God is an idol.
Sadly many claiming to be Christians and many calling themselves Christian evangelist and pastors worship those gods also.
Thus the question is do you?
Please think about it.

Courage in a Cell

Courage in a Cell

“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 jailer’s push slams her

against the wall.

For a long moment,

she clings to its cool,

smooth surface.

Then in slow motion, slumps to the floor.

Her head dripping  blood, her arms and body bruised and aching from the beating she took.

For a moment, her jailer pauses, watching, as she lays motionless, assessing the enfeebled

figure for signs of life.  Then seeing her stir, he closes the door, 

causing it to make a cold, empty sound.

She is now alone.

Her face and legs swollen,

every inch of her being in agony.

Too exhausted to move,

she lays where she fell

and softly weeps. 

Though her tears she prays:

“Dear God:

  Protect my children from this evil that has overcome me.

Let me show love toward them that beat me.”

In Jesus’ name

Amen.

Her

     Prayer

                        finished,

                                   Quietly she

                                               Passes into Eternity.

It is said that a believer in Christ Jesus dies for their faith every seven minutes somewhere in the world.
Millions are said to be in what some have called dangerous neighbourhoods. Areas of the world were believing in Christ Jesus could get you killed.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared that Christianity is "the most persecuted religion in the world."
Sadly the media here in the west, don’t report much about it.
Please pray for those persecuted for their faith.