Reckless Words

Reckless words.
The writer of proverbs states,

“Reckless words pierce like a sword, 

but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” 

                                                 Proverbs 12:18.

As Christians. As believers in Christ Jesus we are accountable for our actions. We must always remember that it is through our words and deeds that people will see Christ. We must remember that our words and deeds potentially have eternal consequences.
We must always think before we speak. As the writer of Proverbs states “Reckless words pierce like a sword.”
The wrong words at the wrong time can scar a person for life. The wounds from words can hurt a person far more than a physical injury.
Likewise right words at the right time can bring healing. That is why we must think before we speak asking God for wisdom.
Our prayer should be the words of the Psalmist who writes,
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14.
Thus the question becomes. If you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus are your words and the meditations of your heart pleasing to God.
Please think about it.

Outcome of a Disagreement

Outcome of a Disagreement
The apostle Peter 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
A short while ago I had a disagreement with a man claiming to be Christian over something he said, This man went to church every week and during the week. He was a kind and gentle man. By all standards a good man. Who did good works. Yet judging by what he said some around him questioned if he really was a Christian.
He had an offbeat sense of humour which is not a bad thing. That being said he would say things that quite frankly shocked people. It was obvious he hadn’t thought of the consequences of his words. Sadly he is not alone. There are many within the church that are like him. Many who despite claiming to be Christian have a very secular attitude. Looking more like the world around them than Christ.
Billy Graham the American evangelist said,
“Those outside the church expect followers of Christ to live differently, yet today many in church are chasing after the world - not to win them, but to be like them.”Billy Graham
Francis of Assisi said,

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 

                                                                           Francis of Assisi.

We need to remember that the world is watching anyone who claims to be Christian. We need to remember that the only way we will win souls for Christ is if we live as far as humanly possible Christlike lives.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“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.
If we are exhibiting these traits in our daily lives then we will win souls for Christ.
The apostle Peter wrote,
“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.
We need to remember what Peter said, we are aliens and strangers in this world. We need to abstain from sinful desires. Living as good a life as we can. For that is what sets us apart from the world around us and that is what will attract people to Christ.

Francis of Assisi wrote a prayer that I think all who consider themselves Christians need to read and take to heart. He 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

Please think about it.

Do you believe this?

Do you believe this?

“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

There is one statistic that every person living today will one day be a part of. The ultimate statistic. The ultimate statistic states that everyone that is born will one day die.
The American evangelist Tony Campolo made an interesting statement about death, he said,
“When you were born, you cried and everybody else was happy. The only question that matters is this - when you die, will you be happy when everybody else is crying?”Tony Campolo
Which begs the question dear reader do you know God?
Do you know where you will spend eternity?
For me as a Christian this is how I believe you get to heaven enter heaven.
Jesus said,
1/ “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.
2/ “....I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Jesus is the way to heaven.
 3/ The apostle Paul writing to the Romans said,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23,24.
Sinning is falling short of what God wants for you life. Sin separates us from God.
4/ The apostle John noting,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 1 John 1:9,10.
5/ The apostle Paul make it clear salvation is not something we can work for. Paul writing to the Ephesians stating,
“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
6/ Ultimately salvation is an act of faith, Hebrews stating,
“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 by the writer of Hebrews as,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.” 

                                                Hebrews 11:1.

Do you believe this?
Please think about it.

Does God Exist?

Does God exist?
The Psalmist writes,

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

                                                               Psalm 14:1

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.”

                                1 Corinthians 1:18.

An atheist will tell you there is no God. But an atheist does not know everything. After all if you know everything you are God or at least a demigod. Thus God would exist.
The Bible does not debate the existence of God. It was written to believers in God and believers need no proof of God’s existence.
There is however I believe proof of the existence of God all around us. The Psalmist stating,

“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

Albert Einstein said,

“Look deep into nature, 

and then you will understand everything better.” 

                                                            Albert Einstein.

I have no idea if Einstein believed in God or not. What I do know is he was right. If we look deep into nature we will understand everything better. Just because we cannot physically see God does not mean he does not exist.
Ben Zion Boker said,
“I have not seen the robin but I know he is there because I heard him singing through my window from the tree-top outside.
I have not seen God.  But I have looked at my child’s eyes, and have been overwhelmed by the miracle of unfolding life.
I have watched the trees bedeck themselves with new garbs of green in the spring, and have been stirred by the miracle of continual rebirth.
I have looked at the stars, and have been overcome by the miracle of the grandeur and majesty of the universe.
I know that God exists, because I have heard the song of His presence from all the tree-tops of creation. Ben Zion Bokser
Think of this From the smallest subatomic particle to greatest galaxies and everything in-between is in perfect order so that life as we know it exist on this planet. I personally cannot believe this all came about by chance.
That being said the decision as to whether you believe in God or not is a personal thing. You must decide whether or not to believe in Him or not.
Thus the question becomes, Do you believe in God?
Please think about it.

The Most Important Decision

The most important decision
The book of Genesis states,

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” 

                                                                               Genesis 1:1.

It does not debate God’s existence. The book of Genesis and the Bible were written to believers in God and therefor debate about His existence was unnecessary.
The American evangelist Billy Graham stated,
“I can't prove it scientifically, that there's a God, but I believe.” Billy Graham.
Ben-Zion Bokser (July 4, 1907 – 1984) one of the major Conservative rabbis of the United States said this,
“I have not seen the robin but I know he is there because I heard him singing through my window from the tree-top outside.
I have not seen God.  But I have looked at my child’s eyes, and have been overwhelmed by the miracle of unfolding life.
I have watched the trees bedeck themselves with new garbs of green in the spring, and have been stirred by the miracle of continual rebirth.
I have looked at the stars, and have been overcome by the miracle of the grandeur and majesty of the universe.
I know that God exists, because I have heard the song of His presence from all the tree-tops of creation.” Ben Zion Bokser.
As for me personally I believe God exists because I see the perfection of the universe. From the smallest subatomic particle to the largest galaxy everything is in perfect balance to provide life on this earth as we know it.
I cannot believe this happened purely by chance.
Ultimately however it is up to you the reader to decide for yourself whether God exists or not. That decision I believe is the most important decision you will make in your life. For that decision will ultimately determine your eternal resting place.
Please think about it.

Christian Principle #8 Do to others

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.
Think of it this way

If you are

demonstrating against anyone. 

You are telling them 

they can demonstrate against you.

If you are 

speaking out and trying to restrict the rights of others 

given to them by the lawfully elected government.

You are telling others 

they can try to restrict your rights.

If you are 

imposing your morals however good they may be on others.

You are telling them 

they can impose their morals on you, even if they are not as good as yours.

If you are 

trying to impose your faith on others rather than presenting your faith.

You are telling others 

they can impose their faith on you.

If you are

judging others.

You are telling others 

they can judge you in the same way.

If you 

are telling the world you are a Christian

You should be telling the world 

I love you as Jesus loves you,...

unconditionally.

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 neighbour as yourself.’ 
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40.
Earlier in the gospel of Matthew Jesus is recorded as saying,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour 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.”Matthew 5:43-45.

The apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians defines 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

The apostle Paul telling us,

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, 

live at peace with everyone.”

                              Romans 12:18

If we as Christians remember this it’s hard for us to go wrong. And may as a result win many souls for Christ.
Please think about it.

Christian Principles #7 Trust in The Lord

Christian Principles #7 Trust in the Lord

The writer of Proverbs tells us,

“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.

If you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus do you trust God completely? Is your faith squarely in Him. The writer of Hebrew 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.

I have learned first hand that trusting in God really does work.
Yes there have been times when I thought things would not work out. Still I committed the situation to God and left it there. Ultimately the situation did work out, although sometimes not in the way I thought it would work out.
The apostle Paul said,
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  Romans 8:28.
And Paul should know he went through a lot for his faith yet it all worked out in the end. Even though he was ultimately martyred for his faith he had the opportunity to share that faith throughout the Roman empire. He stood before everyone from rulers to slave and told them of his faith before leaving this earth for heaven.
So the question becomes, if you consider yourself a believer in Christ Jesus do you put your trust fully in God?
Please think about it.

Christian Principles #6 Flee Evil

Christian Principles #6 Flee evil
The apostle Paul writing to Timothy states,
“Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”  2 Timothy 2:22.
The Psalmist tells us,
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 
But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 
Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 
For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish” Psalm 1.
Do you flee evil?
As believers in Christ Jesus we should. That’s not to say we cannot talk to someone who just might be a sinner. That would be wrong. After all Jesus sat with people the religious men of his day deemed sinners.
Marks gospel records,
“When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the “sinners” and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” 
On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:16,17.
It is the job of a believer in Christ Jesus to point sinners to God. After all the apostle Paul said,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”  Romans 3:23,24.
As Paul noted we are all sinners. The only difference between a believer in Christ Jesus and a sinner is we have had our sins forgiven by the grace of God “through the redemption that  came by Christ Jesus.”
Non-Christians however should be able to look at our life and see that we do our best not to take part in anything sinful. We shouldn’t have to tell them. Our actions should be enough.
So the question becomes, If you are a believer in Christ Jesus, are you doing your best to flee evil, to live a life free of sin?
Please think about it.

Christian Principles #5 At Peace with God

Christian Principles #5 At Peace with God
The apostle Peter writing to Christians reminds believers that Jesus will one day return and this earth will pass away. That He will come quickly when we are least expecting it. Therefor we need to be at peace with God. Peter writes,
“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.  2 Peter 3:10-14.
As believers we many times fall short of what God wants for our lives. It is however incumbent upon us as soon as we realize we have made a mistake to ask God’s forgiveness.
As believers we truly need to look at our lives from time to time and ask ourselves am I truly living a life that is glorifying God?
Am I truly at peace with God?
Please think about it.

Christian Principles #4 Living at Peace

Christian Principles #4 living at Peace
Live at Peace with those around you.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”  Romans 12:18.
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.
The Apostle Peter tells believers in Christ Jesus,
“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.
Believers in Christ Jesus are called to live a good and peaceful life. A life of holiness.
As believers in Christ we need to take a look at the actions of Jesus and the apostles. They never spoke out against anyone outside their faith. They never protested for any reason. They did as far as was possible live at peace with those around them. They lived a life of love.
In doing so they opened up doors to talk with other groups throughout the known world. As a result in just over a century, Christianity had spread throughout the known world.
These men and women by living a peaceful loving life stood in the Areopagus in Athens and spoke to the learned men and women there. They spoke with politicians, soldiers, tax collectors, and people of every strata of society from slaves to rulers.
This is what we in the twenty-first century church need to do. Are you?
Please think about it.

Christian Principles #3 Christian attributes

Christian Principles #3 Christian attributes
The Apostle Paul writing to believers in Christ Jesus tells us,
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  
gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”  Galatians 5:22,23.
Here is a simple test for anyone calling themselves a believer in Christ Jesus. Now keep in mind believers in Christ are far from perfect. We are all human with human frailties and failings.
That being said however as believers in Christ we should be striving to be Christ like. We should be trying to make the fruits of the spirit part of our daily life.
Francis of Assisi wrote,

“The deeds you do

 may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 

                                                                     Francis of Assisi.

If our lives are exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control, the sermon people will see in us is the Love of Jesus.
Question: When people see your life do they truly see the fruit of the Spirit of God?
Please think about it.

Christian Principle #2 Deeds

Christian Principles #2 Deeds
James the half brother of Jesus states,
“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.
There are many Christians who will tell you, you are saved by faith. That is true. However James here make it clear our faith needs to be accompanied by works. Good deeds.
    If we indeed have true faith in Jesus it well spur us on to good deeds. Simply believing in God should never be enough for the believer in Christ Jesus. We need to put our faith into action.
Jesus made this clear when he said,
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  
I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  
For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,  
I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 
“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Matthew 25:34-46.
If you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus are you putting your faith into action?
Please think about it.