Speak of Gods righteousness

  Speak of Gods righteousness

Speaking about God. The Psalmist states,

"My tongue will speak of your righteousness 

and of your praises all day long." 

                                                               Psalm 35:28.

If you consider yourself a Christian do you speak of the righteousness of God to those around you when you get the opportunity?

By this I don’t mean force your beliefs on someone. I mean tell them softly and in love about what you believe. Engage in an open and respectful conversation in which you listen to them and what they believe also.

For its only in engaging people in respectful conversation that they will listen to us. And the message of salvation we offer them through Christ Jesus.

Please think about it.

Seek and Pursue

  Seek and Pursue

The Psalmist states,

"Come, my children, listen to me; 

I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 

Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, 

keep your tongue from evil 

and your lips from speaking lies. 

Turn from evil and do good; 

seek peace and pursue it." 

                                                     Psalm 34:11-14.

Do you love life and desire many good days?

Next question. Do you keep your lips from lying?

                Do you turn from evil?

                                Do you seek Peace and Pursue it?

Please think about it.

A note to Christians

  A note to Christians

In the book or Colossians we read,

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:16,17.

This portion of scripture needs little explanation. As believers in Christ Jesus we are to let His teachings dwell in us both in word and deed. 

We are to admonish one another when there are problems in love.

And above all in all we do, in word and deed do it in the name of Jesus.

If you consider yourself a Christian,

Don’t just think about it. 

Do it!

The choice is up to you

  The choice is up to you

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.

I read a sobering statistic the other day. It stated that approximately 160,000 people world wide die each day. 

We all know that one day we will be a part of that statistic. The cold hard fact is every person born will one day die..

Thus the question becomes; where will you spend eternity?

It’s a question we need to settle here and now. 

Do you believe in Christ Jesus and that He is the way to heaven or not?

The choice is yours.

Start with Love

  Start with Love

Matthews gospel record, 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.

Jesus here is echoing what the God is telling us to do in the book of Deuteronomy,

“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.  

Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  

Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:5-9.

As this new year starts let us all do our best to follow what God is telling us to do. Remembering the definition of true love being,

"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.

Please take time to show true love to all you come in contact with throughout the coming year.

Rest in Jesus

  Rest in Jesus.

In the gospel of Matthew we read Jesus saying,

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30.

Today is the last day of the year of our Lord 2023. It has been a year of trials for my family and I. A year that proves what Jesus said in the scripture verses quoted above is true.

I cannot imagine going through what I have gone through without Jesus. Without the ability to turn to God in prayer and see those prayers answered. 

Question: Do you know God? Have you received the Saving Grace offered to all who believe in Christ Jesus?

The early apostles certainly did. And even though they were beaten, stoned, put in prison and even put to death they still believed.

Here’s a challenge for you if you have never accepted Christ into your life.

Take some time this coming year to read the New Testament and see what the early church and the apostles believed. Then decide for yourself if it is true or false.

Please think about it.

In the House of Mourning

 In the House of Mourning

The writer of Ecclesiastes states,

"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.

The writer of Ecclesiastes is telling us that ultimately all of the things we do on this earth is meaningless. All that we have “toiled to achieve” is meaningless. It’s meaningless because we will leave them in this world when we depart to stand before God.

Later on he writes,

"The thoughts of the wise are in the house of mourning,

 but the thoughts of fools are in the house of pleasure."

                                                                             Ecclesiastes 7:4.

At first glance this statement seems unusual, but think about it. We will one day die. All of our possessions will be passed on to others while we will stand before God. Our only possessions being the words and deeds we did in this world.

Thus we should always keep in the back of our mind what we will take with us when we stand to be judged by God.

As a Christian. A believer in Christ Jesus. I firmly believe the most important thing we can do in this world is believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul writing,

"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. Romans 10:9,10.

Do you believe in The Lord Jesus Christ?

Please think about it.

What fruit are you eating?

  What fruit are you eating?

In proverbs we read,

“The tongue has the power of life and death, 

and those who love it will eat its fruit.” 

                                                              Proverbs 18:21

“Reckless words pierce like a sword, 

but the tongue of the wise brings healing. 

                                                               Proverbs 12:18

In the book of James we read,

“Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, 

but it makes great boasts. 

Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.”  

                                                                                      James 3:5.

Simply put what we say and do can cause great harm or great good. And we will be judged not only by God but by those around us.

So the message is be careful when you speak. For you will eat the words that come out of your mouth.

Remember what the writer of Proverbs said,

"Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent,

 and discerning if he holds his tongue." 

                                                             Proverbs 17:28.

Please think about it.

Turn from evil and do good

  Turn from evil and do good

The Psalmist states,

"Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 

Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, 

keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. 

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." 

                                                                          Psalm 34:11-14.

Do the words written by the Psalmist above reflect your life? 

Please take time to pray and ask God to show you the truth about your life. 

And if you find anything wrong do as the Psalmist states,

“Turn form evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”

Please think about it.

Words from Colossians

  Words from Colossians.

In the book or Colossians we read this, 

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:16,17.

As Christians we are called to study the Scriptures, the word of God and put them in practice in our lives. We should not see the Bible as a text book telling us what we should and should not do. 

We need to daily put what God is saying to us in the scriptures in to actions. We need to help one another as brothers and sisters in Christ to live good lives based on scripture.

We need to sing praises, hymns and spiritual songs to God. And we need to do it all with gratitude for all God has done for us.

Furthermore when we do good deeds we need to do them in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Giving thanks to God the Father.

Question?

Do you do this in your daily life?

Please think about it.

God of my Salvation

  God is my Salvation

Isaiah the Prophet states,

"Behold, God is my salvation; 

I will trust, and will not be afraid;

for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song,

and he has become my salvation."

with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.  

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.

Shout and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, 

for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel."

                                                                      Isaiah 12:2-6.

Can you say God is your salvation?

Do you believe the words of the apostle Peter who speaking about Jesus said,

"He is " ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.'  

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:11,12.

If so will you take some time right now to praise God for all He as done for you and brought you through?

Please don’t just think about it. Do it!

Simeon said it.

  Simeon said it.

In Luke’s gospel we read,

"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ.  

Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,  

Simeon took him 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 2:25-32.

This is who Jesus is. As Simeon put it,

“...a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

Jesus himself said,

“Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  John 14:6

The apostle Peter when standing before the religious leaders, who could have punished them for what they believed and said. Boldly spoke of Jesus this way,

"He is " ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.'  

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:11,12.

Jesus is the Son of God. Saviour of each individual who would put their trust in Him.

Would you take time to at least read the New Testament and see what the early church believed about Him?

Would you accept Jesus into your life this day?

         Please think about it.