Not rights obligations

 Not rights obligations

Jesus said,

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,  

bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  

If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.  

Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.  

Do to others as you would have them do to you. 

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners' love those who love them.  

And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners' do that.  

And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners' lend to ‘sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full.  

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.  

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:27-36.

Here in North America we have rights and freedoms many in the world can only dream of.

Sadly however many calling themselves Christians put their rights ahead of their beliefs. They emphasize “their rights” to the point of almost holding their rights up as a something to be worshipped. They fail to recognize the rights of those they disagree with. This should not be so.

Christians, believers in Christ Jesus, have an obligation to treat those around them in the  same way they would want to be treated.

Matthews gospel records Jesus as saying it this way,

"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.

If you claim to be a Christian, a believer in Christ Jesus, are you doing this?

Please think about it.

Your Fruit

 Your fruit

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.

Take a moment to look at your life. Are you exhibiting the fruits of the spirit the apostle Paul mentions here?

The apostle Peter wrote,

“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 2:12.

If you are exhibiting the fruits of the spirit, then you will find yourself living a good life and those around you will see that.

Thus I ask you the question again; Are you exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit the apostle Paul is speaking about in Galatians 5:22,23?

Please think about it.

Righteousness, faith, love, peace.

  Righteousness, faith, love, peace.

To Timothy and therefore to us the apostle Paul wrote,

"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.

Here’s a simple question to anyone who claims to be a Christian. A follower of Christ Jesus. 

Are you pursuing righteousness, faith, love, and peace?

Are you calling on The Lord out of a pure heart?

Think about it.

Really think about it.

As far as it depends on you

  As far as it depends on you.

The apostle Paul writing to the Romans wrote,

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

live at peace with everyone."

                                                                Romans 12:18

Here the apostle Paul simply asks us to do our best to live at peace with those around us. I think it can safely be said Paul knew that we wouldn’t always be able to live at peace with those around us. And not necessarily because of what we have done, but what others do to us.

No matter how hard you try sometimes those around you just don’t like you or what you have to say. This is especially true for Christians who are told to go and tell people about Jesus Christ and the saving grace that God offers through Him.

In many parts of the world Christians are persecuted, put in prison or even put to death for what they believe. But that is not because they have not made the effort to live in peace with those around them.

When it comes to North America where I live. Many who call themselves Christians are seen as trouble makers who want things all their own way. Frankly they abuse the freedoms they are given by the democratically elected government.

Many here in North America try to force their beliefs on others. They refuse to even listen to anything they don’t agree with. This is not how you live at peace with people.

It is possible to live at peace with those you disagree with without compromising your beliefs. I think Jesus proved this when he sat down with people the religious leaders labelled “tax collectors and sinners”.

In order for Jesus to sit down with people who didn’t share his views he had to at the very least to have shown respect for what they believed. 

Which is what we must do.

As I said living at peace with someone doesn’t mean you have to compromise your views it means respecting the views of others, then sitting down and having an open discussion.

We must remember that living in peace wins souls for Christ. Failure to live in peace with those around us has the potential to send someone into a Christless eternity.

Please think about it.

Christs Representatives

 Christs Representatives 

The apostle Paul wrote,

"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.” 2Timothy 2:15.

Paul also wrote,

"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God."  2 Corinthians 5:20.

We are Christs ambassadors. An ambassador is a country, or kings representative in another country. It is through the lens of the ambassador that people see the king he or she represents.

Thus as Christs ambassador people see Jesus through the words and deeds for all who would call themselves Christians.

So what are your words and deeds telling the those around you about Jesus Christ? Are you correctly handling the word of God? Are you representing Jesus in the best way you know how?

If you call yourself a true follower of Christ Jesus, what will He say about your handling of the scriptures? What will Jesus say about the way you conducted yourself on behalf of Christ?

Please think about it.

Will your call be answered?

  Will your call be answered?

In the book of James we read,

"What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." James 2:14-17

There are 2000 verses of scripture that deal with responding to the needs of the poor. A call to believers in Christ Jesus to help the poor. In the book of Proverbs we are given a warning,

"Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor 

will himself call out and not be answered." 

                                                                         Proverbs 21:13.

Two questions; 1/ in light of Proverbs 21:13, will the pastors, evangelist and politicians you support have their calls answered by God?

2/ Will you have your calls answered by God?

Please think about it.

A Benchmark

 A benchmark?

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.

If you consider yourself a Christian here is a bench mark set by Jesus for your to live up to. “Do to others what you would have them do to you...”

Thus the question becomes; If you consider yourself a true follower of Christ Jesus are you living up to this?

Here is another thing for you to consider; Are the pastors, priests, evangelist and politicians you support doing this?

Please think about it.

Known For

 Known For

Jesus said,

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34,35

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.

Jesus also said,

"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," Matthew 5:43,44

Love is the key to the Christian life. Love for God and love for your neighbour and even your enemy. The definition of love written by the apostle Paul when he wrote,

“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 consider yourself a Christian is this the kind of love you are showing to those around you?

Are you known for your love?

Please think about it.

Value Others

  Value others

The apostle Paul wrote,

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:3,4.

We are living in unprecedented times. Nothing within my lifetime at least equals the Covid crisis we are going through. Yet many Christians in North America are forgetting these words of the Apostle Paul. “Value others above your self” “look to the interests of others”.

I think in terms of the Covid crisis this means wearing a mask, taking the vaccine if you can. Follow the science. It can’t hurt you. But it may save the life of someone else.

Please think about it.

A Statement of Belief

 A statement of belief

The apostle Paul wrote,

“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  

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 10:9-13.

This in a nutshell is what those who believe in Christ Jesus believe. This is what I believe.

It is a belief I cannot force on anyone. It is a statement made by the apostle Paul that each individual must decide for themselves whether it is true or false.

Thus I place it here for you to decide for yourself if it is true or false.

Please think about it.

I Will Praise

  I will Praise

The Psalmist writes,

“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.

As a believer in Christ Jesus I believe this is what I must do. If you consider yourself to be a true believer in Christ Jesus are you doing this also?

Please think about it.

Faith Saves Us

  Faith saves us

Isaiah the prophet wrote,

“And will say in that day:

Give thanks to the Lord call upon his name,

make known his deeds among the peoples,

proclaim that his name is exalted.

Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously

let this be made known in all the earth.”

                                                                       Isaiah 12:4,5.

As a believer in Christ Jesus I believe I have an obligation to God to present His message to the world. That message being,

“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.

It is our faith in God that saves us not our works. 

In Hebrews chapter eleven we read how Abraham and the patriarchs were commended and saved by their faith in God. Thus in the same way they were saved so are we.

Jesus speaking of himself 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.

Do you believe this?

Please think about it.