Do you pray?

Do you pray?

The apostle Paul writes,

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  

This is good, and pleases God our Saviour” 1Timothy 2:1-3.

If you consider yourself a true believer in Christ Jesus do you do what the apostle Paul is saying here? 

Do you pray and intercede for those around you?

Do you thank God for all He has done for you?

Do you pray for all those in authority?

Do you pray that we as believers can live in peace?

If not you should. 

Please think about it.       

You are a Branch

  You are a branch

Jesus said,

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  

If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. " John 15:4-6.

As Christians, believers in Christ Jesus it is imperative that we draw and stay close to God. Unless we seek out God in prayer and by studying His word we run the risk of falling

away. That’s why it is important for us to meet with other believers either in Church, house fellowships or wherever believers meet.

In the book of Hebrews we read,

"...let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.     Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:22,23.

Please think about it.

Are they worthy of your trust?

  Are they worthy of your trust?

In the book of Galatians we read,

“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;  idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions  and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

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.  

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  

Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Galatians 5:19-26.

Here in Galatians we read what is evident if you are not following the Spirit of God, and what is evident if you are obeying the spirit of God.

So my question to you is are you following the Spirit of God?

Another question also needs to be asked. Are the religious and political leaders you follow showing the positive traits that show they are following God?

Especially in this day and age wherever we live in the world, it is important to look at not just our lives but the lives of the political and religious leaders we follow.

For it is only in doing so that we can determine whether or not they are God fearing men and women. Women and men deserving of our trust.

Please think about it.

God, you, and the pail blue dot

 God, you, and the Pail blue dot

In the book of Job we read,

"He spreads out the northern skies 

over empty space;

 He suspends the earth over nothing."

                                                        Job 26:7

For someone who had never seen a picture taken from space. Job got the description right.

Take a look at the image. Earth is incredibly small in comparison to the universe. If we didn’t know we lived there we could dismiss it as nothing.

Yet God didn’t consider us nothing. God chose to enter this pail blue dot on which we live. This pail blue dot He created. He did so in the form of Christ Jesus. He did so to point mankind to heaven.

The apostle John writes,

"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.

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.

The apostle Paul writes,

"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 God?

Do you believe that Jesus is Lord?

Please think about it. 

Watch out for the interest of others

  Watch out for others

In the book of Philippians  we read,

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 

And being found in human form he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross." Philippians 2:3-18 (ESV).

Are you humble?

Do you count others more significant than yourself?

Do you lookout for not only the interest of yourself but of others too?

Here in the book of Philippians we read that if we are following the teachings and example of Jesus, we should be watching out for the interest of others as well as are own.

So do you watch out for the interest of others?

       Please think about it.

Ransomed from Sheol

 Ransomed from Sheol

The Psalmist writes,

“But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, 

for he will receive me.  (Selah)

Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, 

when the glory of his house increases

For when he dies he will carry nothing away;

his glory will not go down after him.

For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed

and though you get praise when you do well for yourself

his soul will go to the generations of his fathers,

who will never again see light

Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beast that perish.” 

                                                                                                     Psalm 49:15-20.

Simply put. God will ransom believers in Him from Hell.

The Psalmist tells us not to be afraid when a man becomes rich. When he gains prestige in this world. When he considers himself blessed. 

What matters is that all the wealth we have in this world will stay here. Ultimately those who have only the wealth of this world and no faith in God, in Christ Jesus. They “will never see light again.

It is therefor imperative we have understanding of God and what awaits us beyond the grave. 

Because if we do not understand that we are destined for an eternity in Hell.

Jesus said,

"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" Mark 8:36.

Now there is nothing wrong with being rich. It is what emphasis we place on our material wealth. If we value it above God and Christ Jesus we are on a path that leads to destruction.

Please think about it. 

Are you rich before God?

 Are you rich before God?

Jesus said,

"Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." 

And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.  He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' 

"Then he said, ‘This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  

And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' 

"But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' 

"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." Luke 12:15-21.

Let me start here by saying there is nothing wrong with being rich. Its what emphasis you put on your riches that counts. Do your material possessions come before God? Do you use your wealth to further the kingdom of God and help others less fortunate?

Jesus said,

"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money" Matthew 6:24.

So the question becomes; If you claim to be a Christian which master are you serving?

Please think about it.

What the apostle John believed

  What the apostle John believed

The apostle John writes,

“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 is another believe it or not statement by the apostle John. John knew Jesus personally. He sat under his teaching. He was a friend of Jesus. He seen the miracles Jesus did. He lived with Jesus day to day.

John believed that Jesus was the Son of God, God incarnate. The way to eternal life.

Do you believe this?

Please think about it.

Something we all must answer

  Something we all must answer

In John’s Gospel we read,

Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." 

Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father'?  

Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.  John 14:8-10.

Here is another believe it or not statements from Jesus. Jesus states,

“Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work”.

So do you believe this? It is a question we all must answer.

So do you believe Jesus is God incarnate, God in the flesh?

Please think about it

Jesus said

  Jesus said

In John’s Gospel we read,

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

This is a believe it or not statement. True Christians believe this. If we are wrong then those who do not believe as we do have nothing to fear. 

If on the other hand we are right. Those who do not believe as we do have at the very least something to think about.

Please think about it.

By Gods Grace

  By Gods Grace

The apostle Paul writes,

“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.

Put simply the apostle Paul is saying you can’t work your way to heaven. The only way you get to heaven is by having faith in God. Salvation is a gift we receive for believing in God and His son Christ Jesus.

In the book of Hebrews we read,

"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.

To my way of thinking having faith in anything especially if you can’t see it is very hard to do. That is why I believe God asks us to have faith in Him. Because God knows people who have true faith will go to their graves for their beliefs.

Please think about it. 

Who do you think Jesus is?

 Who do you think Jesus is?

In Marks gospel we see Jesus asking this question,

Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" 

They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." 

"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ.'" Mark 8:27-29.

Is Jesus The Christ, The Messiah, The Son of God?

Just who do you think Jesus is?

C. S. Lewis answered that question this way,

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him (Jesus): 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.

If Jesus is not The Son of God, God Incarnate. Then Christianity has created one of the greatest lies in all of human history. With billions of people believing that lie. 

That being said I believe Jesus is the Son of God, God incarnate. As such everyone who hears about Jesus has a choice to make. A choice Jesus gave when He, speaking about 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.  

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.

Thus the choice is yours. Do you believe Jesus is all He said He is. Do you believe the Gospel message laid down in the New Testament?

Before you answer the question please take time to read the New Testament for yourself and learn what men and women who knew Jesus believed about Him.

Please think about it.