Love is

  Love is

The apostle Paul writes,

"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

In the Talmud we read,

Rabbi Akiba was asked by a Roman general, "Why does your God who loves the needy not provide for their support Himself?"  

He answered, "God the Father of both the rich and poor, wants the one to help the other so as to make the world a household of love."  The Talmud.

Question: If you claim to be a Christian, a true believer in Christ Jesus, are you showing the Love of God to those around you.

Is the love you show to those around you, the love the apostle Paul describes? 

Please think about it.

It's about

  Its about

In Lukes gospel we read,

“In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.  

A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  

So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  

But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  

He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.  

The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,' he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' 

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" 

The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."” Luke 10:30-37.

Who is your neighbour? 

This morning the devotional I read asked the question, “who has helped you in your life?” It caused me to think. There have been so many. Over the years I’ve gone through a lot, and Praise God He’s been there for me. God has brought many people to help me get through the hard times. People who in some cases hardly knew me.

People who’ve set an example to me and my family as to how a Christian, a believer in Christ Jesus should live.

Being a Christian is not about becoming rich or powerful. Being a Christian is about following the example of Jesus. It’s about being a good Samaritan. Helping people less fortunate than yourself in any way you can. Even if that’s just giving a dollar or two to the Salvation Army at Christmas. Or giving a few dollars to someone who is homeless on the street. Or to any good cause that helps people.

It’s also about pointing the way in word, and in deed to Christ and the Salvation He offers. 

Please think about it.

Your life and lifestyle

 your life and lifestyle

In the book of Proverbs we read

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; 

bind them around your neck, 

write them on the tablet of your heart. 

Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man."

                                                                                                    ” Proverbs 3:3,4

The writer of Hebrews wrote,

“Make every effort to live in peace with all men 

and to be holy; 

without holiness no one will see the Lord."

                                                                   ” Hebrews 12:14.

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.

As Christians we have an obligation to be doing what the above scriptures are telling us to do. People need to see our lives filled with love for all people even our enemies.

Unfortunately way to many people claiming to be Christians do not exhibit these attributes toward others. They have become bad religious copies of the world. 

Billy Graham 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. 

This should not be so.

Francis of Assisi said,

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon 

some persons will hear today” 

                                            Francis of Assisi.

If you claim to be Christian take some time to assess your life, lifestyle and actions toward those around you. Ask yourself, What is my sermon telling the those around me about me. About Christ.

Please think about it.

Perhaps faith

  Perhaps faith

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  

For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 

Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.  

Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”1 Corinthians 1:18-25

The above is what Christians believe. We present to the world a Saviour that is the Son of God. A Suffering Messiah.

We ask people to believe by faith that Jesus is the One and Only Son of God. That he came to earth died, was buried, rose from the dead, walked the earth briefly, before ascending to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father.

We ask people to believe in the trinity, The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one being existing in three parts.

These are hard things to accept. Yet they are the basics of Christianity.

They are truths that a true seeker of God will find to be true if they read the Bible.

 It however takes 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

And faith, especially in someone or something we cannot see is the hardest thing for anyone to do. Perhaps that is why God asks us to have faith in Him.

Please think about it

In good times and in bad times

 In good times and in bad

The Psalmist writes,

"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 nothing else the New Testament shows Jesus and his apostles experienced all that it is to be human. They attended weddings. The followed the rules set down in the Torah. They interacted with people of all walks of life.

They were also beaten, thrown in prison all but one dying for their faith. Yet through all of this they praised God. They praised him not only in the good times, but after they’d been beaten and while they were in prison.

They praised God because they knew that even in their darkest hour God was with them. 

How about you; do you praise God in the good times and in the bad?

Please think about it.

What will they say?

  What will they say?

The apostle John speaking of Jesus said,                                                                    

"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 

The poet wrote,                                                      

Where are the people?

Where?

Are they but shadows in the mall?

Are they?

Are they shadows in time?

Shadows wandering looking for the latest trinkets, bobbles and beads?

What is life?

What?

Is life but a wisp of smoke carried in the air?

A wisp in the eternal aether? 

Are people wisps of smoke?

What of man's or woman's!

 accomplishments?

What of them?

Is the sum total of all ones life simply a pile of shinny tin, brass, and wood?

Is that life?

Is life simply a cacophony of sounds travelling through endless time destined to end?

Is it?

Is life a finite opera?

An opera played out on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam?

Are we as Shakespear said simply actors?

Does life end?

No!

No!

Life is real!

Played out before God.

In a world suspended between Heaven and Hell

We,

 While mere mortals here.

Are really eternal beings.

Waiting to stand before God.

Are you ready to stand before God?

Are you?

What is the sum total of your life?

What?

Individuals lives in deeds,

What will your deeds say about you?

What will "they" say about you when you pass on?

What will God say?

Please think about it.

A forgotten verse

  A forgotten verse

In the book of Exodus we read,

"You shall have no other gods before me."

                                                                              Exodus 20:3.

This verse in Exodus is perhaps the most forgotten verse in the Bible here in North America.

North America is full of God’s. God’s even those calling themselves Christians pastors and evangelist, worship false gods. God’s like Materialism, money, political parties and political leaders. 

 In the United States many even put the constitution and the bill of rights ahead of or equal to God. This should not be so.

While Christians in the United states have wonderful freedoms, and the United States constitution and bill of rights are noble documents. They are not equal to the Bible in any way.    AND the Bible never promised Christians any form of rights, within any nation or society on earth.

  If you consider yourself a Christian a true follower of Christ Jesus, you need to look at what you worship. At what you put ahead of God or equal to Him.

They need to do this because Jesus said,

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks.  

God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:23-24.

So my questions to you if you claim to be a Christian is;

1/ Do you put anything ahead of God?

2/ Do you truly worship God in Spirit and in truth?

Please think about it.

There is a question

  There is a question

The apostle John writes,

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  

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.” 1 John 3:16-18.

There is a question I’ve always wanted to ask rich people and politicians and even rich evangelist and pastors; 

Are you doing your best to help those in need?

Are you at least using a part of your wealth along with what political power you have to help the poor?

The same question should be considered by those of us who may not be rich but have a good standard of living, because we can all give something.

Tony Campolo the American evangelist make 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. 

Think about it.

A Statement

  A statement 

The writer of Hebrews states,

“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

For some Christians the word FAITH means,

Forsaking 

All

I 

Take 

Him.

Faith is a very personal thing. You cannot force people to have faith in anyone or anything they must make that decision for themselves.

For a true follower of Christ, faith in Christ means we will follow him to our grave. No matter what the circumstances.

A true believer in Christ understands the words of the Apostle Paul who wrote,

“Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” 2 Timothy 11-13.

Please think about it.

Not a clever story

 Not a clever story

The apostle Peter writes,

“We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  

For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”  

We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.” 2 Peter 1:16-18.

I have been a believer in Jesus Christ for over forty years now. In that time I have heard people say God does not exist. People have told me Jesus is a myth. Some while admitting Jesus lived said he was no more than a good man.

Nothing could be further from the fact. Jesus is real. He is everything Christians believe him to be, the Son of God, Saviour of mankind, God incarnate. 

If Jesus is simply a man then the apostles and Jesus himself have created the greatest lie in history. 

C. S. Lewis in he book Mere Christianity said of Jesus,

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.

That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. 

You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. 

You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.

Thus the question becomes. Who do you think Jesus is.

Please think about it.

Your faith Your works

   Your faith Your works

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 becomes, is your faith leading you to do good works?

Please think about it.

Will He be able to say

  Will He be able to say

The Apostle John writes,

"The elder, 

To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth. 

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.  

It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth.  

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 

Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you.  

They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.  3 John 1-6.

Here the apostle John commends Gaius for continuing to walk in the truth. He states, 

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

Question;

If you consider yourself a true follower of Christ Jesus. If Christ were to appear to you today would He be able to say He is joyful that you are walking in the truth?

Please think about it.