Now Abides

 Now Abides

The apostle Paul writes,

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.

 But the greatest of these is love." 

                                                         1 Corinthians 13:13.

The apostle Paul defines Christian 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....1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

Sadly hate and prejudges seems to be flooding into our society from all directions. Even men and women calling themselves Christians are being drawn into it. Yelling insults and trying to restrict the rights of others they disagree with.

With that in mind I felt prompted to write this, what I call the Christians Pledge.

As a believer in Christ Jesus,

I pledge...

To Love.

I Pledge...

As far as it depends on me...

To live at peace with all people.

I Pledge...

Never, Never, Never! To attack anyone...

Physically, or verbally.

Even if I vehemently disagree with them in any way.

I Pledge...

Never to demean anyone.

No matter their race, their ethnicity, their religion, or their lifestyle.

I Pledge...

As far as humanly possible,

To uphold the dignity of all whom I come in contact with.

I Pledge...

To obey the words of Christ Jesus who said,

“So in everything, do to others what you would have others do to you

for this sums up the law and the prophets.” Matthew 7:12.

  Please don’t just think about doing this.

Do it.

Love God and your fellow man

 Love God and your fellow man

"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  

Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."  Deuteronomy 6:5-7.

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 neighbor as yourself.'  

All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:36-40.

The apostle John writes,

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1John 3:17,18.

Love is what the Christian life is all about. Gods Love for mankind. The individuals love for God. The individuals love for his fellow man.

Question; Are you showing The Love of God to those around you?

Please think about it.

By Grace

By Grace

The apostle John wrote,

"We love because he first loved us."

                                                       1John 4:19 

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.

In Christianity we believe that God loved His creation so much that he reached down from heaven, in the form of His One and Only Son Jesus, to show in human terms how far he would go reconcile mankind to Himself.

The apostle Paul tells us,

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8.

This is the reason for Christmas. Christians believe we could not live lives good enough to enter heaven. Thus God created away for us.

The apostle Paul states,

"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.

Thus my question to you is have you accepted this free gift of salvation that comes through Jesus Christ?

Please think about it.

Glorify and Praise

Glorify and Praise

Lukes gospel records Mary as glorifying God for the blessing He has given her to bear His one and Only Son,

"And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. Luke 1:46-50.

Christmas is one of the holiest days of the year for Christians. A time for praising God for the gift of His one and Only Son Christ Jesus.

It is a time when we can rejoice with the Psalmist who wrote,

"I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. 

My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. 

Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together."

                                                                                           Psalm 34:1-3.

If you truly believe in Christ Jesus, will you take some time this Christmas day to glorify and praise God for sending His Son into the world?

Please think about it.

Christmas Eve

 Christmas eve.

On this day Christmas eve, Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The one we believe is the saviour of mankind. The apostle John referring to Jesus as the word states,

“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 1:14.

What Christians believe about Jesus is summed up in what is known as the Apostles Creed. Although not written by an apostle of Christ it states in a nutshell what we as believers in Christ Jesus believe it states,

    The Apostles Creed

1.I believe in God the Father the almighty maker of heaven and earth

2. I believe in Jesus Christ God's on and only Son, our Lord and Saviour.

3. I believe Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary

4. I believe Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate; That He was Crucified, died, was buried. That he descended in hell.

5. I believe He rose again on the third day from the dead.

6. I believe that he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty.

7. I believe Jesus will one day Judge the living and the dead.

8. I believe in the Holy Ghost

9. I believe in the Church which is the communion of the saints,

10. I believe in the forgiveness of sin.

11. I believe in the resurrection of the body.

12. I believe in life everlasting.

This is what all who truly believe in Christ believe. No Christian can force these beliefs on you. Each individual must decide for themselves if what is said her is true of false.

Thus I leave it here for you to decide for yourself.

Please think about it.

An Apostles Testimony

An Apostles Testimony

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.  

The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.  

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.  

We write this to make our joy complete." 1John 1:1-4  

Here in a nutshell is what John himself a disciple of Christ actually seen and believes.

He testifies to have actually been with Christ. Here is a man that more than likely received a physical hug of friendship from Christ himself. Who shared meals with Jesus, who even seen him crucified and spoke with him after he rose from the dead.

John truly knew Christ intimately. 

He testifies that Jesus is the life. John States,

"...we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us."  John makes it clear why he is writing this,

"We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ."

John after spending three years with Jesus. Was convinced beyond a doubt that Jesus was the Son of God. That he was indeed God in the flesh.

The way I see it is either the apostle John was fooled and is believing a monumental lie that to day is believed by almost a third of the worlds population, Or John is perpetuating a lie made up by the apostles. 

As for me I believe that Jesus is Gods one and only Son. The Saviour of mankind. But that is me. You dear reader must decide for yourself who Jesus is.

Please take time to read the New Testament and find out what those early writers believed about Jesus. Then decide for yourself who Jesus is.

Please at least think about it.

Do you even believe?

 Do you even believe?

In Lukes Gospel we read,

Simeon took him (Jesus) in his arms and praised God, saying: 

"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. 

For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." Luke 2:28-32.

Mary and Joseph had taken Jesus to the temple as was required by law to dedicate him to God. While there Simeon the prophet came over took the child in his arms and proclaimed that, Jesus was the long awaited Messiah. Proclaiming, 

  "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. 

For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." Luke 29-32.

Christmas is but a few days away as I write this. For me Christmas and Easter are the most important days on the Christian calendar. One, Christmas, is the day God through His one and Only Son Jesus Christ came into the world. Beginning the process that would end at Easter thirty-three years later with Christs death and resurrection. For the salvation of all who would believe in Him.

In Jesus we see God in his grace reaching down to His creation. The apostle Paul pointing out,

"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

As Jesus put it,

"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.

Thus the questions I have for you dear reader is,

Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? 

Do you believe that Jesus came into this world to Give you eternal life?

Do you even believe in Jesus?

Please think about it.

Why we celebrate Christmas

 Why we celebrate Christmas

We celebrate because 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.

We celebrate because by the grace of God we may enter heaven. The apostle Paul writing,

"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.

We celebrate because the Apostle Paul tells us,

"You see, at just the right time,

when we were still powerless, 

Christ died for the ungodly"

                                       Romans 5:6.

We believe what the apostle John writes,

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." John 1:12,13. 

Do you believe this

Please think about it.

A Biblical Issue

 A Biblical issue

In the book of Leviticus we read,

" ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.  

Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 19: 9,10.

God cares for the poor. There are I am told over 2000 verses in the bible that deal with the poor.

Here long before there was such a thing as government welfare God decreed that those who owned farms were not to pick up fruit that had fallen on the ground or even go over their vineyard a second time. They were to leave the fruit for the poor and aliens in their midst.

The American evangelist Tony Campolo makes a good point when he 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.

Thus my question to you. If you are a Christian are you doing what you can to help the poor? 

Please think about it.

Giving and Account

 Giving an account.

In the gospel of Luke we read Jesus as saying,

"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

This I believe makes things simple. While there is nothing wrong with being rich. It is the emphasis we put on money and what we do with it that can cause problems. The apostle Paul telling us,

"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." 1 Timothy 6:10.

In the above parable from Jesus it seems clear that the rich man cared more for his money and himself than for Lazarus who was in need. 

It seems clear that the rich man either didn’t believe in God or turned his back on God. Either way he ended up in hell.

Such a story should be a warning to all who are materially rich and indeed all of us. Be careful how you use your money. For one day you will stand before God and have to give an account as to how you spent it.

Please think about it.

Our Actions

 Our Actions

The apostle John writes,

"This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.... 

If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1John 3:11,17,18.

The Christian faith is very much a faith of works. While Christians believe having faith in Jesus Christ saves them and gives them eternal life. The scriptures also tell us that we must love one another and that love for one another and our faith in God should spur us do doing good works.

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.

The book of Acts records,

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  

Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.  

All the believers were together and had everything in common.  

Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.  

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,  praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47.

Notice here Luke the writer of Acts states, that the apostles love and positive actions brought them favour with those around them. As a result many were added to their number.

This is how we in the Church should be today. If we are Christians, true believers in Christ Jesus we should be doing the same things the apostles were doing.

Francis of Assisi said,

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 

                                                                      Francis of Assisi.

So if you consider yourself a Christian, what are your words and deeds telling others about you and about Christ?

Please think about it.

God judgement of the Christian

 Gods Judgement of the Christian

The Apostle Paul writes,

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.  

If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,  his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work.  

If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  

If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.

This portion of Scripture is pointed at Christians directly. While it is true Christians are saved by faith in Christ Jesus. That being said their works will be judged by God. This hearkens to what is said in the book of James.

In the book of James we read,

"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.

Thus the question to any Christian reading this. When you stand before God, will what you have built survive? OR will you suffer loss; saved only as one escaping through the flames?

Please think about it.