If Christ is not raised

 If Christ is not raised.

The apostle Paul writes,

"But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?  

If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.  

And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 1Corinthians 15:12-14.

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is one of the cornerstone beliefs of Christianity. In the Apostle Paul’s day as today there are those who said there was no resurrection. To which Paul points out if there is no resurrection then Christ did not rise and our faith is useless.

The fact however is Jesus did rise from the grave, conquering sin and death. To sit at the right hand of the God the Father.

What do you believe?

Please think about it.

If you believe

 If you believe

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.

As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:9-13.

Anyone be they Jew or non-Jew can get to heaven according to the apostle Paul. And the way to Heaven according to the apostle Paul is,

“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.”

These are the words of the apostle Paul not mine. This belief is the foundation of Christianity.

We Christians do not believe that your good works alone will get you into heaven. We firmly believe it is by the grace of God that we enter heaven. The apostle Paul saying,

"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.

Salvation is a free gift of God to all who truly believe in Christ Jesus.

If we Christians are wrong about this then no one has to fear. However if we are right, then there is much to think about.

Please thing about it.

Enter through the Narrow Gate

  Enter through the Narrow Gate,

Jesus said,

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13,14.

As a Christian. As a follower of Christ Jesus. I believe the path to heaven is narrow. I believe that there is only one path to heaven. Jesus 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.

I know there are many people in this world that will disagree with me. Many believe there are many ways to heaven. Which is fine. Everyone has the right to believe what they want to believe.

Likewise I believe God will judge everyone justly by what they know of Him. 

That being said. If I am wrong in my beliefs then no one needs to worry. 

On the other hand if I am right then at the very least those who hear about the saving grace that come from God through Christ Jesus, have a lot to think about.

Please think about it.

Give thanks to GOD

  Give thanks to GOD

“Give thanks to the LORD, 

for he is good; his love endures forever. 

Let Israel say: 

"His love endures forever." 

Let the house of Aaron say: 

"His love endures forever." 

Let those who fear the LORD say: 

"His love endures forever."

                                               Psalm 118:1-4.

If you are a true believer in God. If you are a true believer in Christ Jesus the above quote from Psalms 118 is something your should do every day.

Are you?

Please think about it.

Against such there is no law

  Against such there is no law

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."Galatians 5:19-23 

Here we see defined the sinful nature and the Fruit of the Spirit. It is given to us so that we as true Christians. As true followers of Christ Jesus can tell right from wrong. It is in effect a black and white template for us to judge what is right and wrong.

Here’s a checklist for those who claim to be true followers of Jesus,

The fruit of the Spirit is,

Love 

Joy

Peace, 

Patience,

Kindness,

Goodness, 

Faithfulness,

Gentleness,

Self-control.

And as the writer points out there is no law against showing these attributes.

Are you showing the attributes of the fruit of the Spirit?

Please think about it.

Love according to the apostle Paul

Love according to the apostle Paul

The apostle Paul 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 13:1-8a,13.

For me what the apostle Paul wrote here is strait forward. It defines Christian love. This how a Christian is suppose to Love. As God loved us, unconditionally.

Are you loving this way?

Please think about it.

God and your neighbour

 God and your neighbour

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.

Jesus couldn’t have been more to the point. Loving God with all your heart and soul and mind. Is the greatest commandment. We should be loving God so much that we are willing to go to the grave for Him.

The second greatest commandment as Jesus points out is love your neighbour as yourself.

Thus the question arrises.

Do you truly Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and do you truly love your neighbour as yourself?

Please think about it.

How to know children of God

  How to know Children of God

The Apostle John writes,

“This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.” 1John 3:10.

Here is a simple test to see who is a Christian. John states, “Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.”

Do you know anyone who claims to be a believer in Christ Jesus and does not do what is right? 

Do any of the pastors, evangelist, politicians that you support fail to do right?

As believers in Christ Jesus. As Christs representatives on this earth we have a moral duty to do right at all times. As well as loving our neighbour the way God does, unconditionally.

Do you and those you support do this?

Please think about it.

If You

  If you

Jesus said,

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  

When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:44-46

If you found something of great importance to mankind. Something that would change lives. Would you not want to share it?

That is what we as Christians, as true followers in Christ Jesus believe we have. We believe: 

Jesus is the Son of God

The Saviour of all who believe in Him.

We believe He gave his life for the sins we committed.

The Apostle Paul states,

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

As believers in Christ Jesus we believe you cannot be good enough to stand before a Holy God. The simple fact being we are far from perfect and sin. Sin meaning falling short of Gods ideal for our life.

Thus 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.

All it takes on our part is to believe Jesus paid the price for our sins. Then confess those sins to Jesus.

The apostle John stating,

 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  

If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." 1John 1:9-10.

It all comes down to what the Apostle Paul wrote,

"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.

As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."  

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:9-13.

Please think about it.

Who's your friend, Who's your master?

  Who’s your friend, Who’s your master?

In the book of James we read,

"You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." James 4:4.

As believers in Christ Jesus we have two choices. We can follow Jesus putting our faith completely in God. Or we can chose to turn from God and follow the world. We can’t have both at the same time.

Jesus said,

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also....

"No one can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money” Matthew 16:19-21,24.

My point here is we must put our faith in God ahead of the things in this world. That’s not to say we should retreat into our church buildings or have only Christian friends. The apostle Paul points out,

"I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters.”1 Corinthians 5:9-10.

Even Jesus sat with sinners in the gospel of Mark we read,

“When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners'?" 

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:16,17.

If we truly believe in Christ Jesus. We will put our faith completely in God letting God direct our paths. Letting God open doors for us to work for Him.

So who’s your friend?

Who’s your Master?

Please think about it.

To all who receive Him

To all who receive Him

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.

We don’t know what will happen to us tomorrow or for that matter in the next moments of our life. Whether we will live or die. But we can know were we will spend eternity.

In the book of Romans the Apostle Paul writes,

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.

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 truly believe in The Lord Jesus Christ?

Do you know where you will spend eternity?

Please think about it. 

Asking God

  Asking God

In the book of James we read,

"When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." James 4:3.

I’ve met many who claim to be Christians who ask God for everything and anything they can think about. They ask God for a big house, fancy car, money. The list goes on and on.

There are even evangelist, Pastors, and others claiming to be Christians who say give to God (quite often meaning their ministry) and He will give you much more than you ever give to Him. 

Sadly many are mislead to give more than they can afford. Resulting in financial hardship for the giver.

The apostle Paul states, 

“And my God shall supply all your need 

according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus”

                                                             Philippians:4:19

The key words here being “...your needs”.

You may want a huge multimillion dollar home with a Rolls Royce in the driveway and a huge bank account. But do you really need it?

Take a look at what James writes again,

"When you ask, you do not receive, 

because you ask with wrong motives, 

that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." James 4:3

When you ask God for something is it what you need?

Please think about it.