In the Shelter of the Most High

 In the Shelter of the Most High

The Psalmist writes,

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

 will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 

I will say of the LORD, 

"He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." 

                                                                                    Psalm 91:1,2.

Here is a simple question to all who call themselves Christians; 

Is God your refuge, your fortress, the one in whom you trust?

As Christians we should be trusting in God at all times. I know it’s easier said than done still it can be done. That being said it requires discipline. 

It requires us to go to God in prayer each day even if we don’t feel like it.

It requires us to thank God and praise Him daily.

We need to do this because it develops our trust in God so that in the bad times we go to Him instinctively knowing He will be with us in those bad times in the same way He is with us in the good.

Please think about it.

Incomprehensible but true

  Incomprehensible but true

The apostle Paul wrote,

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.

We have just celebrated Christmas the moment in time when we believers in Christ Jesus. When we Christians believe God entered the world He created in the form of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

The soul purpose in coming to this earth was to show in human terms just how far God would go to show each individual on this earth the way to heaven.

As incomprehensible as it may seem God became man, walked this earth and experienced everything it is to be human. Everything from the love of his parents, family and friends, to the daily mundane things like rain on his face, the smell of dust, to attending social event and more.

He also experienced what it was like to feel the worst of what one man can do to another. To suffer an inhuman beating and the death on a cross for a crime he didn’t commit. 

He did this all for you, for me and for every human being that has ever existed. C. S. Lewis 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.

I know it is not what many would expect of an almighty God but it is true. Still to accept that truth takes an act of faith on our part and 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.

Question; do you have the faith to believe that Jesus died for your sins?

Please think about it. 

A Christmas Question

  A Christmas Question

Jesus speaking to Martha said,

"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.

To day is Christmas day the day when billions of believers in Christ Jesus celebrate the birth of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

It is also a day when believers and non-believers must ask themselves just who they believe Jesus is.

Jesus claimed to be God. He claimed to be the Jewish Messiah. It is a claim we are asked to accept by faith.

The writer of Hebrews stating,

"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.

Thus today we Christians around the world celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour I would ask the question of anyone reading this who is not a Christian: 

Who do you think Jesus is?

Please think about it.

I will praise God

 I will praise God

“I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; 

I will tell of all your wonders. 

I will be glad and rejoice in you;

 I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.” 

                                                                  Psalm 9:1,2.

Today is Christmas eve. The day we Christians believe is the eve of our Saviours birth. For that reason today and tomorrow especially I will sing praises to the Lord God Most High.

I will thank God for loving me and all on this earth enough to enter the world He created in the form of his One and Only Son Jesus Christ.

If you consider yourself a Christian a follower of Christ Jesus will you join me in this tonight and throughout the coming year?

Please think about it.

The Faith of a Girl

  The faith of a Girl

“In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.  

“The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you." 

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God.  

You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." 

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God....  

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. Luke 1:26-35,38.

When I read this I marvel at Mary’s faith. At the same time being human she must have been nervous. In fact Luke notes “Mary was greatly troubled...” 

Still there is no doubt her faith in God, that must have been cultivated throughout her life kicks in allowing her to accept what was about to happen to her.

Mary’s faith did not simply happen overnight. Mary’s faith did not come about because she seen an angel. Mary’s faith was already present in her life long before she met that angel. 

I’m certain of this because God would not have placed the life of His one and only Son to the care of just anyone. 

Mary was ready and willing to do what God wanted her to do.

That being said, I wonder how many of us who say we believe in God. Who say we believe in Christ Jesus, are ready and willing to do God’s will?

Please think about it.

Do you believe?

 Do you believe

The gospel of John 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.

Here we have a statement that causes people to think. God the creator of the world entered into the world he created. God became a man.

This scripture is one of the cornerstones of the Christian faith. You either believe it or you don’t. If you do not believe it, I don’t believe you can be a Christian. So the question I would as you dear reader is, 

Do you believe Jesus is God? Do you believe Jesus is God incarnate? God in the flesh?

Please think about it.

His Handiwork

  His handiwork 

The Psalmist writes,

"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

“George Washington Carver wrote,

“I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.” George Washington Carver.

When I was born the internet was the stuff of science fiction. In the early 1950's when I was born there were no artificial satellites in space. No human being had even orbited the earth.

Looking back now over the sixty plus years I’ve lived on this earth the revolution in technology is incredible. With just the klick of a mouse this message you’re reading can be read all over the earth. 

From my cell phone I can do my banking, order food, watch a football game, or movie, take pictures and even talk to people on the other side of the world. 

The technology mankind has created is truly incredible. 

That being said all the technology man has made pales in comparison with what God has created. That being the universe and everything in it. All of it perfectly in tune. Thus allowing life as we know it to exist. 

Even Stephen Hawking one of the greatest minds that has ever lived stated,

"It would be very difficult to explain why the universe should have begun in just this way, except as the act of a God who intended to create beings like us,"

The fact is God exists. His fingerprints, His handiwork, can be seen throughout creation but only if you want to see Him.

Please think about it.

Your Roots

  Your roots

The prophet Jeremiah writes,

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 

They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. 

It dose not fear when heat comes; its leave are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7,8.

Where are your roots located? Are they in this world or in God? If you are a true believer in Christ Jesus your faith must be rooted in God. For God, and only God, can take you through the good times and the bad times.

For me my relationship with God can be summed up in the twenty-third psalm that reads,

“The LORD is my shepherd, 

I shall not be in want. 

He makes me lie down in green pastures, 

he leads me beside quiet waters, 

he restores my soul. 

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 

I will fear no evil, for you are with me; 

your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, 

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” 

                                                                                   Psalm 23

So dear reader is the Lord God almighty the Shepherd of your life?

Please think about it.

He made the Universe

 He made the universe 

The writer of Hebrews writes,

"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.”  Hebrews 1:1,2.

Here is one of a number of statements in the New Testament that claims Jesus made the universe. The New Testament writers do not argue about this. They firmly believed that Jesus made the universe. The apostle John stating,

“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.” John 1:1-4.

How long it took God to create the universe be it six twenty-four hour days or billions of years is irrelevant. God being almighty could have made the universe either way.

What believers and non-believers are asked to accept is that Jesus is God and that he made the universe. It’s a black and white issue. You either believe that Jesus created the universe and thus is God or you don’t. The Choice is yours.

So what do you believe?

Please think about it.

Is everything Meaningless?

 Is everything meaningless?

In the book of Ecclesiastes we read,

“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labour. 

Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 2:10,11.

If there is no God then the above statement is true. “everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind;...”

Some atheist say when we die we will live on in the memories of others. A statement that is not completely true. Perhaps if we have made a great discovery we may be remembered in some history book. But most of us will be forgotten within a generation or so.

Ask yourself, where was your great, great, great grandmother or father born? What was the colour of their eyes? What was their favourite piece of music? Where is their grave? What was their greatest achievement? Few people can answer these questions.

So my question to anyone who does not believe in God is where is the purpose in life if we are forgotten within a few generations? If all our achievements are only remembered in some dusty history book?

The way I see it without God life is meaningless. God’s existence makes life worthwhile. God gives us something to look forward to when this life is over.

The writer of Ecclesiastes comes to this conclusion,

“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.

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.

This statement of Jesus if right, and I believe it is. It is God’s offer to each individual of eternal life with Him. While at the same time giving a warning to all who would not believe.

It is a statement that all who hear about Jesus must consider carefully.

Please think about it.

What do they say about you?

 What do they say about you?

The apostle Paul writes,

“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 you consider yourself a Christian do you exhibit these traits?

Mahatma Gandhi looking at those around him who claimed to be Christian said,

“Jesus is ideal and wonderful, 

but you Christians - 

you are not like him.”

                           Mahatma Gandhi 

I’ve heard people in the LGBTQ2 community and other communities say similar things about those who claim to be Christian.

Francis of Assisi wrote

"The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon some persons will hear today"  

                                                                         Francis of Assisi.

As Christians. As believers in Christ Jesus we need to ask ourselves what are my words and deeds telling others about Christ?

Please think about it.

Stands forever

 Stands forever

Isaiah the prophet writes,

“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.

When I read this portion of scripture I thought of a poem I memorized in my youth it reads,

“Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith's door,

And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;

Then, looking in, I saw upon the floor

Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.

"How many anvils have you had," said I,

"To wear and bater all these hammers so?"

"Just one," said he, and then, with twinkling eye,

The anvil wears the hammers out, you know."

And so, thought I, the anvil of God's Word,

For ages skeptic blows have beat upon;

Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,

The anvil is unharmed - and hammers gone.”

                                                                              Anonymous 

The bible the word of God and its truths have been around for millennium. In that time it has had many sceptics and unbelievers. Many in a position of power have tried to stop its spread. All to no avail.

The word of God will be heard and nothing man can do will ever stop Gods word from being heard in every corner of the world.

Do you believe this?

Please think about it.