Enjoy safe pasture

Enjoy safe pasture
The Psalmist writes,

“Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; 

for like the grass they will soon wither, 

like green plants they will soon die away. 

Trust in the LORD and do good;

 dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.”

                                                                  Psalm 37:1-3.

There is a lot of evil in the world today. Men and women who succeed by lying, cheating, stealing. And those who are succeeding by evil methods are not just organized crime, or the common criminal who robs a bank, or corner store, or even someone who murders and doesn’t get caught.
There are men and women who are in the business sector, sports and even politics who have become successful by doing things that are against the law or morally wrong.
The psalmist here tells us not to be envious of those people. He states,

“for like the grass they will soon wither, 

like green plants they will soon die away.”

                                                                 Psalm 37:2

James the half brother of Jesus states,
“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.  Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.  
Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.  
Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.  
You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.  
You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.” James 5:1-6.
Ultimately all who do evil of any kind will answer to God. The writer of Ecclesiastes states,
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole  duty  of man. 
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes12:13,14. 
Thus all who believe in Christ Jesus. All who believe in God, should not envy those who are succeeding by doing wrong. Instead they should follow the advice the Psalmist gives,

“Trust in the LORD and do good;

 dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture”

                                                                   Psalm 37:3.

The should follow the advice of the writer of proverbs who said,
"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.
                         Please think about it.

Everyone

Everyone
Jesus said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  John 3:16,17.
If you claim to be a Christian do you believe this? If you attend church do you believe this? For it is this message that can change the world one person at a time. It is a message that can change your life.
On the day of Pentecost the apostle Peter said,
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  
The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:36-39.
The apostle Paul backs up Peters words when he writes to the Romans,
“For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:12,13.
Are you willing to call on the name of the Lord right now and accept God’s forgiveness that comes through the Saving Grace of Christ Jesus?
Please think about it.

Remember them

Remember them
The writer of Hebrews states,
“Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”Hebrews 13:3.
If you claim to be a Christian. A follower of Christ Jesus. Do you pray for those fellow Christians who are in prison?
Today there are thousands of Christians in prison for their faith around the world. It is said that a Christian dies for their faith every seven minutes somewhere in the world.
Lately we are hearing a lot about the persecution of various groups. Yet it seems to me we hear very little about the persecution of Christians.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared that Christianity is "the most persecuted religion in the world." 
Today as you read this Christians in North Korea must meet in secret. To be caught worshipping God is at the very least a prison sentence doing hard labour. And while North Korea is considered the worst place to be a Christian, there are many other countries around the world where being a Christian can get you thrown in prison, attacked, even murdered.
Thus we Christians in the western democracies with all the freedoms we have, must remember to pray for and support those around the world who are suffering for the sake of Christ.
 Thus I would ask anyone reading this who claims to be a Christian, please pray for those brothers and sisters who are suffering for their faith in Christ Jesus.
Please Pray.

Give Thanks

Give Thanks
The Psalmist wrote,

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 

Let Israel say: "His love endures forever." 

Let the house of Aaron say: "His love endures forever." 

Let those who fear the LORD say: "His love endures forever." 

                                                                                           Psalm 118:1-4.

I you consider yourself a Christian. A follower of Christ Jesus. Why not take time right now to thank God for his love toward you.
Please think about it.

All God Asks

All God Asks
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.

The apostle Paul defines love this way,

"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.

While you can define love as the apostle Paul so eloquently does in 1Corinthians 13. It is very difficult to quantify love. The only way we can quantify love in human terms I believe is by seeing how far one would go for the person we love.
In the case of Jesus the apostle Paul tells us,
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8.
This is true love.
C. S. Lewis states,
“He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.” C.S. Lewis.
God through Jesus showed in a very human way how He cares not just for mankind as a whole but for the individual.
All he asks in return is that individuals have faith in Him.
Please think about it.

The Cost

The cost
Matthews gospel records this incident between a young man and Jesus,
"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
Here we seen a young man who wanted to know how to get eternal life. To which Jesus said obey the commandments. The young man telling Jesus he did. To which Jesus said,
“...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." Matthew 19:21.
Upon hearing this Matthew records,
“When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth." Matthew 19:22.
When it comes to truly following Christ, Jesus must come first in our lives. We must trust completely in God to supply our needs not in the wealth of this world.
The young man here put his trust in his wealth. He believed in God. He followed the commandments, but his faith was in material things not in God.
As believers in Christ Jesus we must remember that our complete trust must be in God. While God may not ask us to give up all our material possessions, our faith must be strong enough that if He does we will be willing to give everything, and rely on Him.
Please think about it.

Jesus Saviour of Mankind

Jesus Saviour of Mankind
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
I believe passionately that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of mankind. I believe as C. S. Lewis put it,
"He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less." C.S. Lewis.
I believe the soul purpose of the Church is to show the world around them the way to heaven. To evangelize and teach those new converts what it is to be followers of Christ Jesus.
Jesus made this clear when he 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.
I do not believe it is the job of a Christian to judge anyone. Jesus said,
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."Matthew 7:1,2.
The apostle Paul stating,
“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.
I believe that even when we judge those within the church it should only be to discern whether or not they are teaching sound doctrine. We have no right to say where a person will spend eternity. That is God’s job because only God knows why a person is the way they are.
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.

We as Christians should remember this.
  Please think about it.

It's about Individuals

It’s about individuals
Jesus said,
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  
The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.  
The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. John 10:11-15.
For Jesus it is all about people and not just people in general it’s about the individual. In Matthew’s gospel we read
"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. 
"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?  
And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.  
In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” Matthew 18:10-14.
C. S. Lewis speaking of Jesus wisely said,
"He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less." C.S. Lewis.
This is the important thing about Christianity. Jesus died for the individual. That’s how much love he had.
As Christians that’s what we need to remember.
Jesus did not see an individuals sin as such. He saw an individual in need of His saving grace. Thus he looked passed the persons beliefs, social status, and lifestyle offering them salvation.
This is the way we should be when we interact with others. We should be presenting family, friend and foe the message of eternal life through the saving grace of Christ Jesus.
Please think about it.

The Prime Directive

The prime directive
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.
Sadly here in North America many of those who espouse to be Christians, followers of Christ Jesus seem to have forgotten this.
Billy Graham the late 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
As I look around at those claiming to be Christians here in North America I see people selling lotions, potions, get rich quick schemes, even survival rations that are essentially secular things with Christian names added.
I see Christians getting involved with politics. Something Jesus and his disciples never did. 
As Christians we have an obligation to do what Jesus said,
1/ to make disciples of all nations,
2/ to baptize new converts in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy spirit
3/ to teach new converts to obey everything Jesus commanded us to do.
James the half brother of Jesus tells us what our faith should spur us on to doing when he writes,
“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.
The American evangelist Tony Campolo states,
"These issues are biblical issues: to care for the sick, to feed the hungry, to stand up for the oppressed. I contend that if the evangelical community became more biblical, everything would change." Tony Campolo.
He is right. I think each individual who claims to a Christian. A follower of Christ Jesus needs to take a long look at what they believe. They then must look at their words and deeds and see if what they are saying and doing is truly reflecting the teachings of Jesus.
Please think about it. 

Speak and Act

Speak and Act
James the half brother of Jesus wrote,
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,  because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” James 2:12,13.
If you claim to be a Christian a true believer in Christ Jesus do you follow these words from James?
When you interact with people of other faiths or lifestyles do you show mercy?
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.
Do you follow this advice?
While the Talmud is a Jewish book it has many illustrations that illustrate Christian truths. One such illustration 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
I can see this happening because the Bible is a book about relationships. The relationship between man and God, and the relationship between man and his fellow man.
Jesus tells this story,
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.  
At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores  and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.  
In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.  
So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.  
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house,  
for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 
“ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”Luke 16:19-31.
As individuals we may not be as uncaring as the rich man was toward Lazarus but that does not let us off the hook.
We must remember to treat everyone equally. Without judgement. We must love everyone we come in contact with, with unconditional Love because God loves us unconditionally.
Please think about it.

This is how

This is how
The apostle John writes,
“Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.  
He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.  
No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.  
This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.” 1 John 3:7-10.
As Christians. As believers in Christ Jesus we need to listen to these words of John carefully.
As Christians. As believers in Christ Jesus we need from time to time to evaluate who is a child of God and who is not.
While Jesus told us,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” Matthew 7:1.
We still have an obligation to judge those who claim to be Christians. The apostle Paul writing,
“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.
Sadly throughout the centuries that the church has been around many people have arisen claiming to be Christians that are not. Such people are around today. Not only that they are in our churches. Many are even considered by some to be church leaders.
The apostle John gives Christians a bench mark with which to tell if someone is a true believer in Christ Jesus and who is not he states,
“This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.” 1 John 3:10.
What John states is black and white. If a person is not doing what is right. If a person is not loving his brother. They are not a child of God.
It is an easy standard to use to determine if a person is a child of God or not. All we have to do is look at a persons words and deeds.
Please think about it.

What Jesus didn't do?

What Jesus didn’t do?
Luke’s gospel record this incident in the life of Jesus,
“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.  
He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd.  
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."  
So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 
All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.' " 
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." 
Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.  
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." Luke 19:1-10.
“For the Son of man has come to seek and save what was lost.” those are the words of Jesus not mine.
As Christians we must remember this statement. This is the reason Jesus came to this earth. In the gospel of John we read Jesus speaking of himself saying,
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17.
Zacchaeus was a tax collector. Tax collectors were considered among the worst of sinners at the time. They got their job by bidding on it. The one who bid the highest promising to get Rome the most money got the job. The tax collector then got his money by charging more than he promised Rome.
Jesus knew who Zacchaeus was. Yet look what he didn’t say to him,
Jesus did not tell Jesus to him to change his profession.
He did not tell him to change his lifestyle.
He did not tell him to give back any money he had stolen.
Yet Luke records,
“But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." Luke 19:18.
That is the way it should be with Christians. We are not to judge anyone. Jesus did not Judge Zacchaeus yet he changed his ways.
Billy Graham the American evangelist wisely said,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge

 and my job to love,” 

                        Billy Graham.

This is the way it should be with us. We should be looking past the sin in someone’s life and loving them as God loves them, unconditionally. For love, true love, is the only thing that will bring a person to Christ.
Please think about it.