The Psalmist call

 The Psalmist call

The Psalmist writes,

"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.

I don’t think this portion of scripture needs much interpretation. It tells you how to live a God fearing life.

Keep your tongue from evil.

Don’t tell lies.

Turn from evil and do good.

Seek peace and pursue it.

Advice that if followed by more people the world would be a better place to live.

Do you live the way the Psalmist is telling us here in Psalm 34:11-14?

Please think about it.

Using your gifts

 Using your gifts

The apostle Peter wrote,

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10.

Do you use the gifts you have received for God? Do you believe you have any gifts God can use?

Sadly there are many within the church who don’t think they have any gifts God can use. Which is sad because if you are willing God will use you for the furtherance of His Kingdom.

I knew a young woman named Sharon who thought she had no gifts. She came from a poor background. People in the small town where she lived looked down on her and her family.

She wasn’t well educated. She certainly couldn’t preach from the pulpit. She didn’t communicate things well and she was “socially awkward”. Unsure how to act in certain circumstances. 

When I met her she was sweeping floors and cleaning tables at a Christian coffee shop outreach where I was performing.

Long story short. Within two years of my meeting her we were married and we were living along way away from here home town, where people didn’t know her.

Our marriage changed her life in many ways. We got involved with a good church, where she became a volunteer librarian. Additionally we hosted a bible study in our apartment.

During those early years we also moved around quite a bit before a series of events brought us to a small Canadian city where we settled down and joined a church.

Again Sharon volunteered as a librarian. At the same time she got involved with various Christian women’s groups both with our church and outside.

At the same time we opened our house particularly on holidays. We’d invite people who were going to spent the holidays alone to come. An event Sharon liked hosting.

Now Sharon never became a great preacher, teacher, or evangelist and her name will one day be lost to history. Still that doesn’t matter. She is known to God and she gave what she had for God to use and he did.

When she passed away after a long illness over a hundred people came to her funeral. All of whom had been touched by her life in one way or another.

Sharon had always called herself “ordinary”. With very little for God us use. Yet she gave what she had and blessed many by doing so.

So my point here is if God can use Sharon a poor girl from a small Canadian village. He can use you. You may not become a world renowned evangelist. But then very few who work for the Lord are.

The important thing is, as the apostle Peter wrote,

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, 

faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 

                                                                                                   1 Peter 4:10.

Are you doing this?

Please think about it.

A note from John and Paul

  A note from John and Paul

The apostle John writes,

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.  

If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.” 1John 1:5,6.

If you are a true Christian. A true follower of Christ Jesus will walk in the light. 

The apostle Paul writes,

“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.

It is by the fruit of Spirit that people will know someone is Christian.

love, 

joy, 

peace, 

patience, 

kindness, 

goodness, 

faithfulness, 

gentleness 

self-control. 

There are no laws against these attributes.

So if you claim to be a Christian do people see these attributes in your life?

Think about it.

I will hope in Him

  I will hope in Him

In the book of Job we read,

“Though He slay me, yet will I hope in him;

 I will surely defend my ways to his face.” 

                                                                      Job 13:15.

The story of Job is fascinating. Job lost everything. Yet he could say “though He slay me, Yet will I hope in him”

I wonder how many calling themselves Christians today, if put in the same circumstances of Job could say the same.

I particularly think of those calling themselves Christians in North America with all it’s freedoms. A place that enjoys freedoms that are the envy of the world. Where fear of persecution is minimal.

Could Christians in Canada and the United States if they lost everything say as Job did,

“Though He slay me, yet will I hope in him.”

Could you say this?

Please think about it.

Evaluate

  Evaluate

The psalmist writes,

"On my bed I remember you; 

I think of you through the watches of the night. 

Because you are my help, 

I sing in the shadow of your wings. 

My soul clings to you; 

your right hand upholds me." 

                                        Psalm 63:6-8.

Do you remember God as you lay on your bed? 

Is God your help in all situations?

Do you sing praises to God?

Do you cling to God?

Can you see how God has looked after you throughout your life?

Why not take some time now to look at your life and your relationship with God. Take time to evaluate Gods place in your life.

Please think about it.

Do people see these in you?

Do people see these in you/

In the book of Colossians we read,

“Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12.

These are attributes of a Christian,

Compassion

Kindness

Humility

Gentleness

Patience

If you consider yourself a true follower of Christ Jesus do people see these attributes in your life?

Please think about it.

Enter into His gates

  Enter into His gates,

The Psalmist writes,

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving 

and his courts with praise; 

give thanks to [God] and praise his name." 

                                                               Psalm 100:4.

I think it is important for all who believe in Christ Jesus to give thanks and praise to the Lord at all times. We need to in good times cultivate an attitude of thanksgiving and praise. We need for lack of a better term, make a habit to thank and praise The Lord in all sincerity daily.

I believe we need to end all our prayer sessions with at the very least a few words of thanksgiving to God.

This way when we go through hard times we are in the habit of thanking God for being with us as we go through those bad times.

I remember when my late wife, who had suffered for sometime was quite literally in her final hours of life. The family gathered around her and along with our pastor she, and we, prayed and then sang amazing grace. Then for then next few hours until she passed we listened to praise music. I firmly believe she entered into the presence of God praising His name.

My wife could praise God for two reasons. First she truly loved her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

And secondly throughout her life she had got into the habit of praising God no matter what she was going through.

When the day comes that you enter the gates of heaven and stand in the courts of God what will you be doing?

Please think about it.

The Great Equalizer

 The Great Equalizer 

In the book of Hebrews we read,

“People are destined to die once, 

and after that to face judgment.”

                                                    Hebrews 9:27

Someone has said death is the great equalizer. Which is true. One day the richest man alive and the poorest man alive will die and stand before God.

The writer of Ecclesiastes tells us about that day. Saying,

"Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole  duty of man. 

For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." Ecclesiastes12:13,14.

How will God judge you? Will you enter Heaven?

The apostle Paul writing to the Romans said,

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23.

Sin separates us from God. Which means if there is sin in our life we will not get to heaven. That being said. The apostle John states,

"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.

The apostle Paul states,

“...(We) are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  Romans 3:24.

And in John’s gospel we read,

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." John 3:36.

As Christians we believe you cannot work your way to Heaven. It is by believing in the saving grace of God that comes through Christ Jesus. Believing that He died for your sins.

In the book of Ephesians we read,

"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.

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.

  Thus the choice is yours. 

Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God, The Saviour of all who believe in Him or not?

Please think about it.

A cup of cold water

 A cup of cold water

In the book of Philippians we read,

“Each of you should look not only to your own interests,

 but also to the interests of others.” 

                                                       Philippians 2:4

Christianity is very much a faith of serving, serving both God and those around you. 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." James 14-17.

In Leviticus we read,

"If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you." Leviticus 25:35.

In the book of Deuteronomy we read,

"There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land." Deuteronomy 15:11.

In the book of Proverbs we read,

"Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done." Proverbs 19:17.

The book of Proverbs even says,

"A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge." Proverbs 29:7.

So what are the rights of the poor. It’s my opinion as a believer in Christ Jesus that the rights of the poor are basic human rights we all deserve, food, clothing, housing, and good medical care. 

There are a myriad of reasons a person is poor that should not be our concern. What should concern us the most as believers is that we do what we can to help them. Even if that’s just giving them a few coins out of our pocket or for that matter a cup of cold water.

After all Jesus said,

“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." Matthew 10:42.

Please think about it.

What do you do?

  What do you do?

Jesus said,

"Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  

I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' 

"Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  

When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  

When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 

"The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Matthew 25:34-40

While it is true that a person is saved by faith. That faith should inspire us to do good works. In the book of James we read,

“As the body without the spirit is dead, 

so faith without deeds is dead” 

                                              James 2:26.

Christianity is very much a faith of deeds. Works done in the name of Jesus. We as Christians are called to do what we can when we can to help others.

There’s a interesting quote from the Talmud that I think is applicable to Christians it states,

“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.

As Christians we are called to show Gods love to the world. To make the world a household of love.

What do you do for the poor and needy around you?

Please think about it.

But is it foolishness?

 But is it foolishness?

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.

The idea of the God who made the universe and everything in it entering His creation to die on a cross for the sins of mankind can seem foolish. But is it?

If we who believe in Christ Jesus are correct in our belief that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, God in the flesh. That he not only died for the sins of all who believe in Him, but rose again, walked briefly on the earth and ascended to heaven where He sits at the right hand of God. From where He will one day judge the all the peoples of the earth. 

If we are mistaken in our beliefs. Then those who do not believe as we do have nothing to worry about. 

On the other hand if we are right then there is a lot for everyone to think about.

The bottom line here is God gave everyone who is living and has ever lived the freedom to choose what they do and believe.

Thus it is up to each individual to decide if Christ Jesus is the Son of God the Saviour of all who believe in Him or not.

What do you believe?

Please think about it.

Quite a day

  Quite the Day

In the book of Revelations we read,

“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. 

They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.  

And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."  Revelations 7:9,10. 

This is part of what the apostle John seen as recorded in the book of Revelations. It is a day that will one day come to pass. And when it happens it will be quite a day.

Believers from every nation, tribe, people and language will stand before the throne of God and give him praise.

But if we are true believers in Christ Jesus we don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to praise God. We can do it right now. We simply have to lift our voices and praise God. 

The Psalmist states,

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

Why not take a bit of time right now and Praise The LORD?

Please think about it.