Christian Conduct

Christian conduct.

“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
As I originally  wrote this there was an extremist minister of a small Florida church congregation threatening to burn the Koran on September 11th.
Both Christian leaders and politicians of every stripe around the globe are angered at what he is about to do.
It was said that his actions could lead to more attacks on N. A. T. O. soldiers in Afghanistan. And there were protests in that country.
Christian leaders around the world from the Pope on down are saying this could lead to more persecution of Christians in, particularly in Muslim countries.
This pastor may think he is doing the will of God. He is not.
Sadly he is not the only extremist claiming to be a Christian out there who are not. Other pastors and evangelist have attacked other groups, the homosexual community being a frequent target.
People who do this are not Christians in my opinion.
Jesus clearly states in Matthew,
“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” 
                                                                                            Matthew 7:22,23
Neither Jesus or any of his apostles ever spoke out against any other religion or group of people in the Roman world.
True Jesus a Jew, said things about the practices of Jewish religious leaders but he was a Jewish teacher speaking to other Jews. In the same way Christians have the right to correct and debate our teachings with other Christians.
Jesus went as far as giving Christians some basic rules to live by.

1/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
2/“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Matthew 7:1,2.
3/But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5: 44,45
Love is the key to Christianity. Jesus said,

“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 neighbor as yourself.’  

All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 

                                                                                                                  Matthew 22:37-40 
Paul defines what true love is in Corinthians 13 when he writes,
“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.” 
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
In my mind anyone who claims to be a Christian and is spouting hate toward any individual or group is not a Christian.
Christ went to the cross asking God to forgive his persecutors.
Jesus 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
As Christians we have a message of eternal significance. Upon us lies the eternal resting place of those we come in contact with. It is our duty to God to “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."
Think about it.

God's Temple

God’s temple

“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?  If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple. 
Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise.  
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”;  and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”  
So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours,  
and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God." 
                                        1 Corinthians 3:16-23
Here is a simple truth. We who have accepted Christ as our Lord and saviour are the church. The church is not an organization or building.
Paul make it clear that
“If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.”
If I were those who opposed to Christians I would be scared at reading this. God will defend His church. Ultimately everyone will stand before God but woe betide those who have persecuted the church.
The book of Acts record a wise man’s speech at the trial of two apostles. The Sanhedrin wanted to put them to death but he stood up and the book of Acts records,
“But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while.  
Then he addressed them: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men.  
Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.  
After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered.  
Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.  
But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” 
                Acts 5:34-39.
Gamaliel’s words are true and I believe history is proving that the Church of Jesus Christ is true. For no one in history has stopped it. Today it is in every corner of the world. Why because the builder of this church is God not man.
              Think about it..

God Lays the Foundation

God lays the Foundation

“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.  
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.  
If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,  his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.  
If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  
If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames." 
1 Corinthians 3:10-15
Here Paul talks about him laying the foundation of the church. That, that foundation is Jesus Christ nothing else and no one else can lay that foundation.
Paul states that
“If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,  his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.
If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.
If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.”
Simply put if we start to put superfluous things worldly things as part of the church it will be burned away.
And that doesn’t just mean material things, ornate church buildings, fine vestments for the priest, or pastors. It means I believe especially things like traditions, customs and habits that tend to slip into our worship sometimes without us realizing it.
All to often in our churches we get into habits and traditions that mean nothing to our faith. Yet we become it seems, married to them.
Our faith in Christ is still there yet we embellish it with a lot of bells and whistles. And over the centuries we have put a lot of embellishment on what we call the church.
Many church services consist of elaborate rituals that can mean a lot to the faithful, but when it comes to our salvation it doesn’t amount to anything.
I know people in the evangelical world that call themselves fundamentalist point especially to the Catholic church and their practices such as infant baptism, first communion and other things.  They point out that these things do not save. Only faith does.
At the same time these evangelicals are also guilty of some rituals. Many insist on raising of hands during worship. Some have gone as far as moving away completely from traditional hymns to ‘songs of worship’.
Some insist on singing only traditional church hymns. Other churches don’t even allow instruments as part of the worship service.
In other churches one kneels to pray while others stand.
I know of many churches that insist you dress up in fine clothes for church, one’s ‘church clothes’. They consider it an insult to God if you enter the church dressed casually.
None of the things I’ve mentioned above effects our salvation. Such things are a kin to adding gold and silver, precious jewels to the foundation.
Our foundation should be in Christ Jesus. Paul reminding us in Ephesians that,
“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.  
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:8-10
Read the words of Paul to the Corinthians again,
“If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,  his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.  
If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  
If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.”
What is important to the overall resting place of the individual is whether or not they have accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour of their life.
When we stand before God it will not matter how eloquent of speech we are. It will not matter how well dressed we were in church. How good or bad we sung the hymns.
It will however matter whether or not we know Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.
There is an old expression that says.
“Only one life it will soon be past. Only what is done for Christ will Last.
Think about it.

The Foundation

The Foundation

“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.  
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.  
If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,  his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.  
If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  
If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 
1 Corinthians 3:10-15
Here Paul talks about him laying the foundation of the church. That, that foundation is Jesus Christ nothing else and no one else can lay that foundation.
Paul states that
“If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,  his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.  
If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  
If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.”
Simply put if we start to put superfluous things worldly things as part of the church or our of our faith, it will be burned away.
And that doesn’t just mean material things, ornate church buildings, fine vestments for the priest, or pastors. It means I believe especially things like traditions, customs and habits that tend to slip into our worship sometimes without us realizing it.
All to often in our churches we get into habits and traditions that mean nothing to our faith. Yet we become it seems, married to them.
Our faith in Christ is still there yet we embellish it with a lot of bells and whistles. And over the centuries we have put a lot of embellishment on what we call the church.
Many church services consist of elaborate rituals that can mean a lot to the faithful, but when it comes to our salvation it doesn’t amount to anything.
I know people in the evangelical world that call themselves fundamentalist point especially to the Catholic church and their practices such as infant baptism, first communion and other things.  They point out that these things do not save. Only faith does.
At the same time these evangelicals are also guilty of some rituals. Many insist on raising of hands during worship. Some have gone as far as moving away completely from traditional hymns to ‘songs of worship’.
Some insist on singing only traditional church hymns. Other churches don’t even allow instruments as part of the worship service.
In other churches one kneels to pray while others stand.
I know of many churches that insist you dress up in fine clothes for church, one’s ‘church clothes’. They consider it an insult to God if you enter the church dressed casually.
None of the things I’ve mentioned above effects our salvation. Such things are a kin to adding gold and silver, precious jewels to the foundation.
Our foundation should be in Christ Jesus. Paul reminding us in his letter to the Ephesians that,
“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.  
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
                 Ephesians 2:8-10
Read the words of Paul to the Corinthians again,
“If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,  his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.  
If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  
If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.”
What is important to the overall resting place of the individual is whether or not they have accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour of their life.
When we stand before God it will not matter how eloquent of speech we are. It will not matter how well dressed we were in church, or how good or bad we sung the hymns.
It will however matter whether or not we know Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.
There is an old expression that says.
“Only one life it will soon be past. Only what is done for Christ will Last.
Think about it.

About the Chruch

About the Church

"Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ.  
I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.  
You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?  
For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men? 
What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task.  
I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.  
So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.  
The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.  
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building." 
1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Paul here is noting the Corinthians are infants in Christ and that he taught them accordingly.
There is no use placing on young Christians deep spiritual truths at first a foundation has to be laid. It’s like trying to teach a child in elementary school advanced physics. They wont understand.
Paul point out they are arguing among themselves and this is a trait of worldliness.
They are saying one follows Paul and one follows Apollos. He points out that Paul and Apollos are only servants of God each assigned a task.
He notes that the what they do is of God but it is not them that makes a person grow in faith, only God can do that.
Paul saying very clearly,
“The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labour.  
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”
The lesson here is also for today. Within the church today there are divisions with some saying they follow such and such an evangelist or pastor. That, that person is doing things right while others disagree saying others are right.
We should not be following an evangelist, pastor or pope. We should be following the word of God. We should be studying the scriptures to discover the truths there in.
That’s not to say we shouldn’t listen and learn from teachers, evangelist, pastors etc. We need their input into our learning process.
What I find when it comes to people listening to especially men and women in the media, is that they only listen to those who think like them. Pentecostals for example tend to only listen to Pentecostal ministers. Baptist to Baptist leaning preachers. Catholics to the Pope.
All earthly preachers are fallible no denomination or church congregation is perfect. We in order to grow need to listen to people we disagree with from time to time.
We need to question why they believe what they believe. We need to ask ourselves why they are questioning what we believe and is their a flaw in what we are teaching. If we find one as we will from time to time if we are honest, we need to correct things.
It’s all part of the growing process.
The important thing however is to remember the words of Paul that,
“...neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.  
The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labour.  
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building."
We are God’s field, God’s building not and evangelist, pastors or popes. We belong to God. It is he who makes us truly grow.
Think about it.

We speak of God's Wisdom

We Speak of God’s Wisdom

“We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.  
No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.  
None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.  
However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”—  but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.  
For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 
We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 
This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”  
1 Corinthians 2:6-14
Here Paul makes an important point. The wisdom of the gospel is something quite often realized through the spirit. None Christians can’t understand it.
He points out that if the rulers that put Christ to death understood the wisdom of
God they would not have crucified Christ.
After all by man’s logic why would an almighty God allow his son to be crucified. It seems counter productive.
Paul continues by noting that man cannot conceive what God has prepared for us who love him. That this is revealed by his Spirit.
He compares it to us knowing what is inside another man. No one knows what is truly happening inside the mind and heart of someone else.
He notes that when we were saved. We received the spirit of God, “that we may understand what God has freely given us.”
  Paul make it clear that he speaks of wisdom from God when talking about spiritual truths. Noting that
“man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
I think this last phrase here “man without the Spirit does not accept things that come from the Spirit of God... because they are spiritually discerned.”
Quite often people who are not of the body of Christ fully accept intellectually the fact that Jesus is the Christ. But they miss much of spiritual truths the scriptures talk about because something’s are indeed spiritually discerned.
It is not until we accept Christ into our lives as Lord and Saviour that we get that spiritual revelation.
There are many things recorded in the bible and especially in the New Testament that defy man’s logic.
Things that from man’s prospective that look counter productive to the furthering of God’s kingdom.
A good example is why would God allow Christ to be crucified when he could have come in power sending angels and making Christ the conquering Messiah.
The simple answer being that Jesus not only was their as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of man. But also that coming to know God on a personal level is an act of faith.
God does not want to force man into a relationship with him. It must be an act of faith. The writer of Hebrews noting.
 “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
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 
Hebrews 11:1
Think about it.

God's Wisdom

God’s Wisdom

“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.  
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.  
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom,  but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,  but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. 
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  
He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,  so that no one may boast before him.  
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  
Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” 
When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.  
For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  
I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.  
My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,  so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power. 
1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5
Here we have Paul pointing out that Christianity, and the preaching of the cross is foolishness to both Jew and Greeks.
The Jews were looking for a conquering Messiah not a suffering one. The Greeks by their way of thinking could not understand that a great man who claimed to be all Jesus did, would let himself go to the cross.
Even today one has to admit that for a someone who is to be saviour of the world to be put to death is illogical at least to man’s way of thinking. But then God does not do things the way man does them.
God did not have is son born to high birth. He chose a poor girl and her carpenter husband to look after his child. And while the message of Jesus is for all. His ministry reached the average person on the street first.

The message of the Gospel requires nothing from the individual but faith.
Kenneth L Barker states,
“The Corinthian Christians themselves were living proof that salvation does not depend on anything in themselves, so that those who are saved can only “boast in the Lord” (v. 31). Their salvation did not spring from the cleverness of human intellect or the centers of human power but from the free grace of God." 
( Zondervan’s NIV Study Bible copy right 2002)
Paul makes it clear,
“It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  
Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” 
                                                                        1 Corinthians 1:30,31.
That is the beauty of Christianity it is God reaching down to man. Saying you are saved by My Grace not by your works.
In sending Jesus down to this earth to be born of parents of low birth, to live among and preach to average people, means God fully understands all that man is going through.
Think about it. Jesus experienced everything it is to be a man. Everything from the mundane such as walking along a dusty road. To feeling the sun and rain. To constantly being harassed by his enemies and ultimately suffering and dying for a crime he didn’t commit.
Man’s logic would be to come in power wipe out his enemies and attempt by force to convert those who didn’t believe.
I like the words of Napoleon when it came to Jesus he got it right saying,
“I know men and I tell you, Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour, millions would die for him.”
“I search in vain history to find similar to Jesus Christ, or anything which can approach the gospel.  Neither history nor humanity, nor ages, nor nature, offer me anything with which I am able to compare it or to explain it. Here everything is extraordinary.”
  Think about it.

A Church Divided

A Church Divided

“I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.  
My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.  
What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas’”; still another, “I follow Christ.” 
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?  
I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name.  
(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.)  
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” 
                                                           1 Corinthians 1:10-17.
I like the way Paul starts here. He points out the divisions. It’s the same in the church today.
We have people who hang on every word of various preachers and evangelist. At times they take the word of the interpretation of the evangelist or pastor over the bible clear statements.
Here in our city we had one big church fall apart. The senior pastor fell into sin. The situation was complicated but the short version was. That the pastor left to set up an independent church elsewhere rather than accept correction from his church board.
Many people fell away because of the incident to the point the congregation no longer exists. It left people questioning their faith.
Many people from that church no longer attend any church. I believe they fell away because they followed the pastor not Christ.
Pastors, evangelist and church leaders all make mistakes. That’s why we should not be following a man.
We must follow Christ. We must be studying the scriptures and following the teachings there in.
There is a saying that is very true. “The teachings of Christ and the Apostles are true. It unfortunately is the interpretation of them by modern teachers, evangelist and other Christians that are frequently in error.”
As Christians we must follow Christ not a man.
I’m old enough to remember Jones town. A situation where a very enigmatic preacher named Jim Jones lead followers from the United States down to a Jungle town in South America where they committed mass suicide. Hundreds of men women and children died.
This was admittedly a very extreme occurrence but is an example of what happens when one follows a man and not Christ.
There are other less extreme things happening in the Christian world all the time. Especially when it come to evangelist in the media.
We as Christians need I believe from time to time check ourselves and ask are we following a man, a movement or Christ.
If the answer is not Christ we need to turn from our error and turn back to Christ.
Think about it.

Paul to Believers

Paul to the Believers in Corinth
Paul to Believers today
“To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours: 
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
“I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.  
For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge—  because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.  
Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.  
He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  
God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” 
1 Corinthians 1:2-9
I like the phrase, “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy,”
This was it seems a church that was a good solid believing church. Paul referring to it as being “sanctified”.
He makes it clear that “For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge—  because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.  
Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.” 
Such a church one commentator I read said also had to be morally holy. This must have been hard for the church in Corinth. It was surrounded by sin.
We are in many ways in the same situation as they were. Especially those of us who live in large cities and towns.
We do not live in a Christian world.
The cities of today while not filled with temples to the gods such as Aphrodite, Asclepius, and to Apollo still have gods.
One only has to walk down the financial district of Bay street in Toronto here in Canada or Wall Street in the United states to see temples to the god of money.
We don’t have to go far in any major city to find the seamy side of life. Prostitution, and illegal drugs, are everywhere.
As are the legal sins, stripper bars and taverns, x-rated movies and live shows. The writer of Ecclesiastes was right when he wrote,
“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun”
Ecclesiastes 1:9
It can be hard to be a Christian here even in the west as freedoms in the secular states of the west include the freedom to sin.
That is why Pauls letter to the Corinthians is so important to us today.
The Corinthian church was far from perfect and it made very real mistakes the same as we in the church do today.
It is precisely why we study such writings.
When Paul wrote this letter he aimed it at the Corinthians but he could just have easily written it to us.
“To the church of God in Corinth,” could just as easily been expressed as ‘to the church of the twenty-first century.
Paul say’s“to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:” is something that can be said to us today. We are called to be holy together with believers around the world.
The question is however when it comes down to you as the individual and your church congregation could Paul say of you and your congregation,
“I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.”
Think about it.

An Intro

An Introduction

“Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 
                                                                               1 Corinthians 1:1
Paul identifies himself here as “an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God.”
Paul had been a persecutor of Christians but had been converted on the road to Damascus in a dramatic fashion. He then went on to be a dynamic force within the early church. Writing a good portion of the New Testament.
Acts chapter nine records his conversion. Acts 9:27,28, recording Barnabas bringing him to the apostles in Jerusalem stating,
“But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.  
So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.” 
Acts 9:27,28.
Paul is a good example of how someone persecuting the church can be converted. One must remember that Paul and all of the other Apostles were only ordinary men like us.
I’m sure those who knew of Pauls persecution of the church were like any of us would be today when faced with such harsh persecution. They would be scared. They like I’m sure we would be unsure of a man like Saul, a vehement opponent of Christians, suddenly becoming a believer.
Acts 9:26 even notes that scepticism,
“When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple”
   God had indeed intervened and changed Saul for good.
When I was a young Christian I worked in a warehouse. That place attracted anyone an everyone.
Most people were there for the excellent wage and good benefits it payed. Most could have cared less about what I believed.
I was a young Christian at the time and while I didn’t beat people over the head with my faith. I never hid what I believed and for the most part people had a problem with me sharing my faith with them.
Three men however were a problem. One was the rebellious son of a Baptist pastor. He caused me no end of grief. He did not like what his father stood for and in his mind at the time I was the same.
Another was into martial arts and dappled in the occult. He made it clear he wanted nothing to do with my faith. He was also very openly hostile to me at times in a physical way.
Looking back on it with the benefit of four decades, I realize I was too dumb to realize he could have cause me some serious harm. Still thanks to God he didn’t.
The third person was a hard drinking drug taking guy who constantly made fun of me. While he was never a threat to me. His constantly trying to humiliate however drove me crazy.
One day was a particularly bad day. I was so upset with these three that I was almost in tears when I came home from work.
I literally called out to God in my grief and asked them to either convert them or take them out of my life.
Within I believe two or three weeks things changed dramatically.
The one who made fun of me was in a car accident. He wasn’t hurt but it was discovered that he had cirrhosis of the liver and had to stop working.
The rebellious pastors son decided to hitch hike to Florida and back from Canada. On his way back he was mugged and attacked. It shook him up and he changed his ways going on to become a pastor himself.
The one into martial arts met a girl who introduced him into Christ. It changed his life and he entered Bible School also becoming a minister.
I thank God to this day for what happened.
It bothered me to some degree about the man with the cirrhosis of the liver. But I had witnessed to him as I know others did. Ultimately what happened to him I don’t know. It was like all of us between him and God.
Within a year or so later I got married and the Lord led me elsewhere.
The incident with those three men reminded me of Paul. He when persecuting the early church must have been hard on them.
I’m sure people were praying for God to deal with him.
God did making him a pillar of the young church. Paul himself would go on and know what it was to be persecuted and put in prison. To be beaten and stoned and left for dead.
Paul would write to the Romans,
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” 
Romans 12:14
Paul here echoed the sentiments of Jesus who said,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  
And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." 
                                                                         Matthew 5:43-48.
We may not like what our persecutors are doing to us. I don’t think any normal person likes to be persecuted. Never the less we are called to love our persecutors. For it is our duty to try and point all men to the salvation that is in Christ alone.
Think about it.

A Study

A study.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,  so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 
2Timothy 3:16,17
One thing I’ve discovered in my now forty years serving the Lord, no one is perfect. Because we are human with all our frailties we from time to time make mistakes or get into practices that are wrong.
Even individual church congregations and denominations need to address what they are teaching and practising from time to time to see if things do indeed line up to what the scriptures say.
This is why we must continually study Scripture to help us make corrections that bring us back to the basics teachings of the bible and our faith.
Something I have found of interest that seems to be coming popular in some churches, is the establishment of a group of well educated members of the congregation.
These groups are made up of a board members, bible study teachers and others well educated in the Bible from the congregation, along with the pastor.
These groups examine the teachings of the congregation and denomination. They look directly at scripture not at interpretations of scripture by any specific person.
They look to see that what is being practised and taught is truly in line with Scripture.
One Church congregation that seemed to have more than it’s share of problems during it’s day was the Corinthian Church to which Apostle Paul addressed at least two letters.
As a result of these letters and the fact the problems the Corinthians had are no different to what we have today we can learn a lot from Corinthians.
The writer of Ecclesiastes long before Paul was even born observed,
“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”
                Ecclesiastes 1:9.
That is why over the next while I will be posting material taken from Pauls letters to the Corinthians.
The authorship of the letters was attested to by Clement of Rome in 96AD and today virtually all scholars agree with this.
They were written around the year 55AD. At a time near the end of Paul’s two year stay in Ephesus.
Corinth from what I have read was, like many major cities today, a major trading place a crossroads for travellers from around the Roman world.
It’s culture was Greek who were deeply into philosophy placing great emphasis on wisdom.
Twelve temples have been found at Corinth although it is unknown whether they were all active in the time of Paul.
Still there was one temple to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, whose worshipers practiced religious prostitution. At it’s height there were believed to be over 1,000 priestess prostitutes serving in the temple.
So immoral was Corinth that  the Greek verb “to Corinthianize” came to mean “to practice sexual immorality.”
Now while you may not be able to say that of most major cities in the world are like that today. All of the sins of Corinth are still within our cities today to one degree or another.
Someone said to me the only difference between the citizens of Corinth and the citizens of any city, town of village in the Twenty-first century. Is that we can sit in the comfort of our living room and invite sin in through television, radio and the internet.
That is why I believe we need to study Corinthians for as Paul wrote to Timothy.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,  so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 
2Timothy 3:16,17
Think about it.

The Great Commission

The Great Commission

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.  When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.  
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 28:16-20.
Here is the commission given by Jesus to his disciples and passed on to us. It is something many people of other faiths do not like. Yet it is the most important part of Christianity.
Christianity is if you think about it evangelical Judaism. The Jews were the first to worship the one true God creator of the universe by faith.
For thousands of years they kept that faith. They followed by faith the one true God. The writer of Hebrews saying,
“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.  
By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.  
For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 
By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.  
And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.  
People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  
If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  
Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." 
                                                                           Hebrews 11:8-16.
This is what we as Christians are proclaiming. We believe one must have faith in the one true God. That we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ. It is the same faith Abraham and the Jewish patriarchs had.
I believe God’s plan all along was for the world to know Him on a personal level that’s why at just the right time Christ came into this world.
We who believe in Jesus want every individual in the world to know that they can meet God on a personal level.
We believe its only through faith in Jesus Christ that one can enter heaven. Paul writing to the Ephesians wrote,
“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 and eternal life with God are a gift from God through Jesus Christ.
It is as if God placed a free meal for us to have. A banquet that is free to all who will come. All we have to do is partake.
The decision is up to us. To believe that Jesus is the Christ, the one and only Son of God who takes away our sins, or he is not.
The choice is always left to the individual.
The choice is yours.
John writes,
“Yet to all who received him,(Jesus) 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
Jesus himself make things clear 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.  
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
He also 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
These statements are bold and I know controversial but they never the less are what Jesus taught His disciples and it is what Christians today believe.
Think about it.