Your wealth or God

 Your wealth or God?

Jesus told this story

"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.  

At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores  and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 

"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried.  

In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.  

So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' 

"But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.  

And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' 

"He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house,  

for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' 

"Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' 

" ‘No, father Abraham,' he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' 

"He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' " Luke 16:19-31

I am told there are around 2000 verses in the Bible telling us to care for the poor. That being said there is nothing wrong with being rich. It’s the emphasis a person puts on the wealth that they have.

The apostle Paul wrote,

"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." 1 Timothy 6:10.

Thus we need to be certain what we worship, our wealth, or God.

Who or what do you worship, God or money?

Please think about it.

Do you truly believe?

 Do you truly believe

The Psalmist writes,

“One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.” Psalm 27:4.

Is this your desire? Do you yearn to be in the house of God? Are you certain that you are going to heaven? You can be.

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 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.

So do you truly believe Jesus is Lord and that God raised him from the dead?

Please think about it.

Things to follow

 Things to follow

In the book of Thessalonians we read,

“Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. 

Be joyful always;  

pray continually;  

give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 

Do not put out the Spirit's fire;  

do not treat prophecies with contempt.  

Test everything. Hold on to the good.  

Avoid every kind of evil. 

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1Thessalonians5:15-23.

Here we are given words to live by. Admittedly at times it can be hard to do so. But with God’s help we can do it. The key I believe is in all things be willing to go to God directly.

The psalmist telling us,

"I lift up my eyes to the hills— 

where does my help come from? 

My help comes from the LORD, 

the Maker of heaven and earth." 

                                            Psalm 121:1,2.

Are you doing your best to put into action what is written here in 1Thessalonians?

Is God the Maker of heaven and earth your helper?

Please think about it. 

Who can get to heaven?

 Who can get to heaven?

The apostle Paul writing to the Romans wrote,

"For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.  

(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)" Romans 2:13-15.

Anyone can get to heaven even if you have not heard of Christ.

God when he created man he placed on our hearts what is right and wrong. Paul alludes to this when he writes,

“Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.” Romans 2:14,15.

Simply put you will be accountable for what you know. If you on the other hand heard  what Jesus said when he spoke about himself,

“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.

You will be held to that standard.

It is my prayer that anyone reading this blog will make the decision to follow Christ Jesus and receive the saving grace he offers.

Will you make that decision today?

Please think about it.

Showing Mercy

  Showing Mercy

In the book of James we read,

"Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,  because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!" James 2:12,13.

Here is something we all must take to heart. We will all be judged by God one day. Thus we need to take this portion of scripture to heart.

We need to “speak and act as those who are going to be judged”. We need to realize that “judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful”.

We must remember that “Mercy triumphs over Judgment.”

When God judges you will He see that you have judged others without mercy? OR will God see you have shown mercy to those around you?

Please think about it.

Created for good works

 Created for good works

In the book of Ephesians we read,

“For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10.

This is a simple enough text. We are Gods workmanship. Created in Christ Jesus for good works.

While I know the Talmud is Jewish and not a Christian book. There is an excellent quote that goes like this.

“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.

Are you making the world around you a household of love?

Please think about it.

What God requires of us

  What God requires of us

In the book of Micah we read,

"He has showed you, O man, what is good.

 And what does the LORD require of you? 

To act justly and to love mercy 

and to walk humbly with your God." 

                                                  Micah 6:8.

This portion of scripture is self explanatory. God requires each of us to...

Act justly

Love mercy

Walk humbly with God.

Are you doing this?

Please think about it.

Aliens and a royal priesthood

 Aliens and a royal priesthood

The apostle Peter writes,

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 

Dear friends,

 I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." 1 Peter 2:9-12.

Here is a clear statement as to what a Christian is. We are a royal priesthood, a holy people belonging to God, that we may declare the praises of God.

Peter also notes that we are aliens and strangers in this world. Going on to tell us to abstain from sinful desires.

Christians are in this world, for lack of a better word, stateless. We are in every corner of the world but there is no nation that is Christian.

Our job in this world is not to build nations but the spread the Gospel of Christ Jesus. Jesus himself saying,

"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20.

Are you part of the royal priesthood?

Are you an alien to in this world?

Are you at least helping to make disciples?

Please think about it.

God's love defined

 God's love defined

The apostle Paul writing on love states,

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  

If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”1 Corinthians 13:1-3.

Love is the key to a Christian life. Love is what motivated God to send Jesus into this world. Perhaps the best known verse in the Bible is in the Gospel of John where Jesus is quoted, talking about himself and saying,

"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. 

True love can be costly. After all it cost Jesus His life. The apostle Paul telling us,

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: 

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." 

                                                                  Romans 5:8.

The Apostle Paul defines Christian love this way.

“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.

Loving according the Paul’s definition is difficult and we all fall short from time to time. Still it is to this definition we as true believers in Christ Jesus must live up to.

Is the kind of love you show to others in line with this definition of love?

Please think about it.

If there is one thing you remember

 If there is one thing you remember

If there is one thing you remember from all that I have written in this book it is this. Jesus 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

Put this way it means;

If you are

demonstrating against anyone. 

You are telling them 

they can demonstrate against you.

If you are 

speaking out and trying to restrict the rights of others 

given to them by the lawfully elected government.

You are telling others 

they can try to restrict your rights.

If you are 

imposing your morals on others

however good they may be.

You are telling them 

they can impose their morals on you, 

even if they are not as good as yours.

If you are 

trying to impose your faith on others 

rather than presenting your faith.

You are telling others 

they can impose their faith on you.

If you are

judging others.

You are telling others 

they can judge you in the same way.

If you 

are telling the world you are a Christian

You should be telling the world 

I love you as Jesus loves you,...

unconditionally.

Please think about it

Attributes of a true believer

 Attributes of a true believer

The apostle John writes,

"Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.  

He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.  

No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.  

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." 1 John 3:7-10.

In 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.

This is how we can tell if someone truly is a follower of God. This is how we can tell a true Christian from a false one. It’s the test we can use to tell the truth.

A true follower of Christ is some one who shows,

love,

 joy, 

peace, 

patience, 

kindness, 

goodness, 

faithfulness,  

gentleness 

self-control. 

Are the people around you. The religious and political leaders around you exhibiting these attributes? Are you exhibiting these attributes?

Please think about it.

Choose for yourself

 Choose for yourself

In the book of Obadiah we read,

“For the day of the LORD is near upon all nations.

As you have done, it shall be done to you;

your deeds shall return on your own head” 

                                                                        Obadiah 1:15.

In Ecclesiastes we read,

"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.

I firmly believe we must receive Jesus as our saviour while we live. The Bible does not say we can receive salvation after we die. 

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.

In the book of Joshua we read,

"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.  

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:14,15.

Please think about it.