Your Peace

 Your Peace

In the book of Colossians we read,

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15.

If you claim to be a Christian. A true follower of Christ Jesus. Does the peace of Christ rule in your heart.

We live in a turbulent world. A world where the pressures of our daily life can if we are not careful rob us of our peace.

That’s why we need to set aside time each day to just be still and pray. Especially when we feel the troubles of the day causing us grief of whatever kind, we need to take time to pray and ask God to help us. To give us peace amid the storm we may be in.

Jesus tells us,

“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.

God may not take our burdens away, but He will come along side us and help us carry that burden, and give us peace, if we would only go to Him in Prayer.

Please think about it.

A word from the apostle Paul

 A word from the apostle Paul

The apostle Paul writes,

"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.

This is how the world will know that we are true believers in Christ Jesus. We will exhibit these things in our lives.

love,

joy,

 peace,

 patience,

 kindness, 

goodness, 

faithfulness, 

gentleness 

self-control. 

When people see your life, your words and deeds do they see the things listed above?

Please think about it.

Live in Peace

 Live in Peace

The apostle Paul writes,

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

live at peace with everyone." 

                                                                Romans 12:18.

What exactly does it mean to live at peace with everyone?

For me it means to live in peace with everyone means to respect the beliefs and lifestyle of others even if we disagree with them.

It means doing our best to show unconditional love to those around us. To present our faith in a non-threatening way, and not force our faith on anyone.

It all comes down to the words of Jesus who 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.

Please think about it.

Are you showing Love?

 Are you showing Love?

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.

If what Jesus is saying here is true, and I have no doubt it is, are you loving those around you? Are you showing God’s love to those around you.

The apostle Paul wrote the definition of Christian love 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.

So I ask you, is this the kind of love you show to those around you, family, friend and foe alike?

Please think about it.

Do you

 Do you

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.

If you claim to be a Christian. A true follower of Christ Jesus. Is this the kind of love you show to those around you? Do you love not just with words, but with deeds?

Do you do what you can to help others?

Please think about it.

Just 2.5 Percent

Just 2.5 Percent

The Psalmist writes,

“Praise the LORD. 

Praise God in his sanctuary; 

praise him in his mighty heavens. 

Praise him for his acts of power; 

praise him for his surpassing greatness. 

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,

praise him with the harp and lyre, 

praise him with tambourine and dancing, 

praise him with the strings and flute, 

praise him with the clash of cymbals, 

praise him with resounding cymbals. 

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. 

Praise the LORD.” 

                                  Psalm 150.

If you consider yourself a true Christian. A true follower of Christ Jesus. Do you take time out each day to praise The Lord?

I believe as Christians we have a duty to pray to God and Praise God each day. Here’s something to think about,

God gives you 1440 minutes in a day

Sleep on average takes up 448 minutes,

Work and travelling to and from work can take up approximately 600 minutes,

Leaving you with  360 minutes for yourself.

Are you willing to tithe some of those minutes?

36 of them, to be with God.

Are you willing to spend just 2.5% of all the minutes in a day God gives you

To pray and praise God?

Please think about it.

You and Eternity

 You and Eternity

In the book of James we read,

"Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money."  

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. James 4:13,14.

I remember reading an article entitled “where will you spend eternity?”. I don’t remember the details but the title says it all. 

In James we read “you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” Well we do vanish from this world. But we don’t just vanish into oblivion. We simply pass from this world into the presence of God.

Tony Campolo wrote,

“When you were born, you cried and everybody else was happy. The only question that matters is this - when you die, will you be happy when everybody else is crying?” Tony Campolo.

So will you be happy when you pass into the presence of God?

You can know here and now if you will be happy. Jesus speaking of himself said,

“For God so loved the world that He gave is only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

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.

So do you believe in The Lord Jesus Christ?

Are you certain of an eternity in Heaven?

Please think about it.

They seen with their own eyes

 They seen with their own eyes

The apostle John wrote,

"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 the apostle John who knew Jesus personally states why he is writing his letter. 

John sat for three years under the teaching of Jesus. He ate with Jesus. If there was any doubt as to who Jesus was and is, John and the other apostles would have known it. Yet they all believed Jesus was who he claimed to be.

In Marks Gospel we read,

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.

Notice the apostle Peter says Jesus is the Christ.

In John’s gospel we read this conversation between Martha and Jesus,

"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

"Yes Lord" she told Him, "I believe you are the Christ the Son of God, who was to come into the world," John 11:25,26,27.  

These people all knew Jesus and believed Him to be “the Christ the Son of God who was come into the world”.

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.  

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.

The apostle all believed what Jesus said. So the question becomes do you believe this? OR has the writers of the New Testament created the greatest lie in all of human history?

Please think about it.

For evermore

For evermore

The Psalmist writes,

"Seek the Lord, and His strength: 

seek His face evermore." 

                                                Psalm 105:4.

Being a Christian not simply saying “I believe in God and that Jesus paid the price for my sins”.

Being a Christian is going before God continually to seek His wisdom and guidance. 

The late American evangelist Billy Graham,

“The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, 'O God, forgive me,' or 'Help me.'” Billy Graham

In our lives we will have many ups and downs. 

The key however whether we are in one of the valleys of life or having a mountain top experience is to seek God continually.

We do this by studying the scriptures, praying, and praising God.

Do you seek The Lord continually in good times and in bad?

Please think about it.

Justice, Kindness, Humility,

 Justice, Kindness, Humility

In the book of Micah we read,

“He has told you, O man, what is good;

and what does the LORD require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and walk humbly with your God?” 

                                                 Micah 6:8.

This is what God requires of those who believe in Him. 

To be just in all our dealings with our fellow man.

To love Kindness. To show kindness to everyone we come in contact with.

To walk in humility before God and man.

If you consider yourself a Christian, a true follower of Christ Jesus, are these the qualities people see in you?

Please think about it.

Are they right?

 Are they right?

The apostle Paul writes,

“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.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.

Christians, true believers in Christ Jesus believe odd things. At least they seem odd to non-Christians.

The belief that Jesus is the Son of God. That He died on a Roman cross for sinful men and women.

The apostle Paul writing,

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8.

I know this is hard to believe. But through the death of Jesus on the cross, God demonstrated His love for mankind in the greatest way possible. 

In the death of Jesus God was saying I love you so much I sent my son to die for your sins.

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.

This love extends to all who hear the message of Christ Jesus and believe it.

Do you believe Jesus died for your sins?

Take some time to read the New Testament and see for yourself what those who knew Jesus thought about Him. Then decide for yourself if they are right or wrong.

Please think about it.

On Nothing

 On nothing

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.

        Thousands of years before the above photo was taken by Apollo 8 on 24 December 1968 as it orbited the moon. Job described what they saw. The earth suspended on nothing.

The Psalmist writes,

"The heavens declare the glory of God; t

he skies proclaim the work of his hands." 

                                                               Psalm 19:1.

I believe that God created the heavens and the earth. Whether he did it in six twenty-four hour days or used the big bang and let it develop over millennia is unimportant. After all God is almighty and could have done it whatever way He wished.

What is important to me is that if we look into not just the heavens, but everything from the largest Galaxy to the smallest subatomic particle. We see that they all work together to make the not just the world we live in but the universe we live in, perfect for life as we know it.

I cannot believe this is by chance. There has to be a Creator behind the creation we live in.

I firmly believe that science done correctly will one day prove beyond a doubt that there is irrefutable evidence of God.

Dr. Arno Penzias 1978 Nobel Prize winner in Physics, writes,

"Astronomy leads us to a unique event, a universe which was created out of nothing, one with a very delicate balance needed to provide exactly the conditions required to permit life and one which has an underlying (one might say ‘supernatural') plan." Dr Arno Penzias.

William Philips writes,

“I believe in God more because of science than in spite of it"William Philips Nobel prize winning Physicist.

That being said. The question becomes do you believe in God?

Please think about it.