You and Love

You and Love
The apostle John writes,
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16.
You cannot be a believer in Christ Jesus and not love. It’s that simple. As for what constitutes God’s love the apostle Paul defines it this way, saying,

"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 states,
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves.  
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord.  
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  
Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:9-18.
These words are not mine they are directly from the New Testament scriptures. Words everyone who claims to be a Christian, a follower of Christ Jesus should be putting into action in their lives.
So my question to you is, do you truly love?
Please think about it. 

Simple advice

Simple advice
The Psalmist writes,

"Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 

Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, 

keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. 

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." 

                                                                            Psalm 34:11-14.

For the believer in God. For the believer in Christ Jesus the psalmist makes five simple points that will lead to placing the individual in good standing with God and those around them.
1. Keep you tongue from evil.
2. Your lips form speaking lies.
3. Turn from evil.
4. Do good.
5. Seek peace and pursue it.
Please think about it.

Reckless words

Reckless words
In Proverbs we read,

"Reckless words pierce like a sword, 

but the tongue of the wise brings healing." 

                                                   Proverbs 12:18.

As Christians we must be careful what we say.
I believe Christians have been given a sacred trust by God to reach the world and point individuals to heaven. It is something we should not take lightly.
All too many people here in Canada and the United States tend to live in a bubble. With few if any non-Christian friends. To make matters worse they mix “their rights and freedoms” given to them by the secular government with their faith.
As Christians we must remember what we say has the potential for eternal consequences. Our words have the ability to point people to Christ or push them away.
The apostle Paul wrote,

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

 live at peace with everyone.”

                                                     Romans 12:18.

In order to live at peace with anyone we need to mind what we say and do. We need to reach out to others with the love of God in word and deed.
The apostle John wrote,

“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue 

but with actions and in truth.”

                                                1 John 3:18.

The apostle Paul tells us,
"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” Colossians 4:5,6.
Question; If you claim to be a Christian are you using your words wisely? What are your words and deeds telling those around you about Christ?
Please think about it.

How would you vote?

How would you vote?
“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 to poke Christians and others with a pointy stick this is one of those days. Thus I present to you the story of Margaret Elizabeth.
“That morning, Margaret Elizabeth got up extra early, readying herself for the day.  She would get only one chance to make an 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 Williamson and just before Christmas, I underwent Sexual Reassignment Surgery.” she said relief surging through her body, as silence engulfed the assembly. 
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.
I have felt like a woman trapped in a man’s body for my entire life.  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 have a wonderful family, all of whom support me and are here today.
Believe me, I did not choose this course of action lightly.  I did so after much personal anguish and a great deal of prayer.
For a little over two 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 so they did not commented.
I have no apologies 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 a difficult burden.  He has chosen not to and thus, I have accepted that I am what I am.  A child of God, who knew me according to the Psalms 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.  Nothing is off limits. After the questions, pastor will ask for a vote and abide by your decision.”
There were many questions. Finally however, the question answered, 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.”
Thus my question to you the reader. How would you vote?
Please think carefully and prayerfully about it.

Heard in a Church

Heard in a Church
The apostle Paul wrote,

"What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?

 Are you not to judge those inside?  

God will judge those outside. 

"Expel the wicked man from among you." 

                                        1 Corinthians 5:12,13

The other day in Church I heard a person say “homosexuals are going to hell”. All I could do was shake my head. Here she was judging people she didn’t even know. I thought with people like her in the church is it any wonder members of the LGBTQ community are reluctant to enter a church.
As Christians as true believers in Christ Jesus we have no right to judge anyone who is outside the church. Even within the church we should only be judging people with respect to what they are teaching, in order to see if it is correct.
We have no right to judge where anyone will spend eternity.
The American evangelist Tony Campolo said,
“We ought to get out of the judging business. We should leave it up to God to determine who belongs in one arena or another when it comes to eternity. What we are obligated to do is to tell people about Jesus, and that's what I do.” Tony Campolo.
Another American evangelist Billy Graham said,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God's job to judge

 and my job to love,” 

                                    Billy Graham.

As followers of Christ Jesus we must show unconditional love to all people, our family, our friends, our neighbours and even our enemies.
We must be guided by the love of God. We must remember the words of Jesus who said,

"So in everything, do to others 

what you would have them do to you, 

for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" 

                                                     Matthew 7:12

Please think about it.

Could you give up everything?

Could you give up everything?
Matthew’s gospel records this incident between Jesus and a man of wealth.
"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,  honour your father and mother,' and ‘love your neighbour 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 true test of anyone’s faith is if they are willing to give up everything for it. The man in who approached Jesus was not willing to give up his wealth. His trust was in his wealth.
Sadly many calling themselves Christians here in North America are not willing to give up everything they have to follow Christ. Some go as far as saying if you have enough faith in Christ you will become wealthy and your life will be easy. What garbage.
In many countries around the world, individuals who choose to follow Christ put their very life on the line. One statistic I read was that it was estimated one Christian dies every fifteen minutes for their faith. Millions more are in prison world wide for their faith. Others as someone put it “live in very dangerous neighbourhoods”.
I praise God that I live in Canada. A place where I can express what I believe without persecution. Where I can sit down with others of different faiths and lifestyles and share my faith in a none threatening way. The way I see Jesus and the apostles did in the Bible.
That being said I would ask anyone who claims to be a Christian living here in Canada or the United States are you willing to give up all you have and rely fully on God to provide for you?
Please think about it.
Post Script
If you are a Christian please pray for those Christians around the world who are in prison for their faith. Pray also for those who live under persecution for simply believing in Christ Jesus.

Are you there yet?

Are you there yet?
In Luke’s gospel we read,
“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:  
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  
The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.  
I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14.
So I ask,

Are you there yet?

            Or

Are you still too proud and self-righteous?

The apostle Paul writes,

“for all have sinned

 and fall short of the glory of God,” 

                                               Romans 3:23.

That all means everyone, you, me, the pope, every priest, pastor, evangelist, political leader, every person that has ever lived. All of us have sinned. Not only that we sin and fall short of what God wants for our lives every day.
It is only when we admit this can we ever draw closer to and be effective for God.
The apostle Paul one of the greatest men in Christian history said,
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.  
But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”1Timothy 1:15,16.
It is only when we truly humble ourselves before God and admit that we are sinners that we can become effective for God.
In order to be effective for Christ we must realize how far we have come. We must look back as the apostle Paul did, and humbly admit to anyone who will listen we were the worst of sinners. And that, if Christ can save us, He can save anyone.
So my questions to anyone who claims to be a Christian is,

Are you confident of your own righteousness, 

someone who looks down on everybody else? 

Or

Are you humble enough to admit you are the worst of sinners?

Are you there yet?

Please think about it.

Are you a good steward?

Are you a good steward?
The apostle Paul writes,

“Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ 

and stewards of the mysteries of God. 

Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”

                                                                         1Corinthians 4:1,2.

In biblical times a steward was someone who looked after his masters belongings as though they were his own.
So it is with anyone who truly believes in Christ Jesus. We are entrusted with the teachings of Jesus. Jesus speaking to his disciples 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.
Making disciple and teaching them all that Jesus taught is a sacred trust. We must not pervert the truths Jesus and the disciples taught in any way. The apostle Paul said,
“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.”  2 Timothy 2:15.
Thus my question to anyone who considers themselves a Christian. A true follower of Christ Jesus,

Are you correctly handling the word of God?

Or

Are you twisting the word of God to match what you believe?

Please think about it.

A/B/C/

A/B/C/
In proverbs we read,

“For a man’s ways are in full view of the LORD, 

and he examines all his paths.” 

                                                      Proverbs 5:21.

The Apostle Paul speaking in Athens said,
“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.” Acts 17:30,31.
These are statements you can either agree or disagree with. It boils down to
A/ Do you believe in God?
B/ Do you believe God will one day judge the world?
C/ Are you willing to repent of your sins. Of the things that God disapproves of?
The apostle John speaking of Jesus writes,
“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.” 1John 1:9-10.
If God does not exist then you have nothing to fear. If on the other hand, as I believe God does exist and will judge the world. How you answer those three questions has eternal consequences.
Please think about it.

God will

God will
The psalmist records,
"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10.
Throughout the world today there are many who say God does not exist. Many ask if he does exist why hasn’t he shown himself. To which I answer he has, in the form of his one and only Son Jesus Christ.
In the gospel of John we read,
“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
The writer of Hebrews speaking of Jesus states,
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”  Hebrews 1:3
Beyond all of this however God asks individuals to have faith that He exists. The writer of Hebrews telling us,
“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.
God knows that anyone that has true faith in anything will believe no matter what happens. They will go to their grave holding to their belief.
The reward for those who believe in God is eternal life in heaven.
Jesus speaking of himself told everyone who would listen they have a choice, when 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.  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.
Thus my question to you is; do you believe this?
Please think about it.

Your Sermon

Your sermon
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.
If you claim to be a Christian. A follower of Christ Jesus are you doing this?
If you claim to be a Christian you are whether you like it or not representing Christ Jesus in your words and deeds.
Francis of Assisi rightly said,

"The deeds you do 

may be 

the only sermon some persons will hear today" 

                                                            Francis of Assisi.

So what is your sermon saying to the people around you?
Are you showing the love of Christ to those around you no matter who they are?
Do you correctly represent Christ to those around you?
Are you evangelizing and telling people about what should be the most important thing in  your life?
Are you dealing honourably and faithfully with those around you?
The Talmud while not a Christian book tells this story that I can see happening. It states,
“When a man appears before the Throne of Judgment, the first question he is asked is not, “Have you believed in God?”  Or “Have you prayed and observed the ritual?  “He is asked: “have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow men?”The Talmud.
On the day you stand before God, if he were to ask you that question, “have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow men?” What will you say?
Will God say your sermon truly reflected His unconditional love to all you came in contact with?
Please think about it.  

Your Hope

Your Hope
The Psalmist writes,

“I wait for the LORD,

 my soul waits, 

and in his word I put my hope.” 

                                    Psalm 130:5  

If you claim to be a Christian, where is your trust. Billy Graham the American evangelist wrote,
"Make sure of your commitment to Jesus Christ, and seek to follow Him every day. Don't be swayed by the false values and goals of this world, but put Christ and His will first in everything you do." Billy Graham.
In Proverbs we read,

"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.

Here is a question for all who claim to be followers in Christ Jesus. Do you truly “trust in the LORD with all your heart”?
Please think about it.