Not to believe in Him is Absurd

Not to believe in Him is Absurd
The Psalmist writes,

“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 

Worship the LORD with gladness; 

come before him with joyful songs. 

Know that the LORD is God.

 It is he who made us,

 and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving 

and his courts with praise; 

give thanks to him and praise his name. 

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; 

his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

                                                                                              Psalm 100:1-5

As I said in my previous blog God is real. I believe in Him. Whether you the reader believe in him or not is entirely up to you. I know that one day I will be able to sing the above Psalm in person in front of God.
Voltaire once said,

“To believe in God is impossible 

not to believe in Him is absurd.”

                                                        Voltaire.

Today in the twenty-first century the debate whether or not God exists still rages on.
Atheist I believe arrogantly say there is no God. I say arrogantly, because for anyone to say there is no God is to say in effect they are God, and that they know everything and have been everywhere. Something we know is not true for no one living has gone beyond the grave and come back to tell of it.
Throughout history man has believed in an afterlife and God in one form or another. The ancient Egyptians built magnificent pyramids to place their kings in the hopes it would help them enter the afterlife.
Throughout Europe the ancient peoples buried their people with care putting into the deceased graves items they thought would be needed in the next life.
Even today people of faith around the world perform elaborate rituals in the hopes of going to heaven.
To say that these people are mistaken or worse stupid, is wrong. The people that build the pyramids were not dumb or stupid. Nor are people today.
I believe people know instinctively there is an afterlife. That there is a God. Belief in God gives life meaning and people today just as people throughout time are looking for meaning to life.
The call of Jesus is,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
Jesus offers peace for one’s soul.
Christians believe there is a God who loves us and offers us eternal life with Him in heaven. 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 Christian God reached down through Jesus Christ to mankind to show him the way to heaven. That it is by the grace of God we get to heaven. The apostle Paul stating,

“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

Ultimately salvation is an act of faith, Hebrews stating,

“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

Faith defined as,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.” 

 Hebrews 11:1.

That being said the choice is always up to you.
Do you believe in God?
Please think about it.

God and You

God and you
The Book of Genesis tells us,
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1.
Now whether God created the heavens and the earth in six days of sixty billion years has no bearing on my faith. I believe there is a God and that He created the universe and everything in it.
That being said there was a picture taken back in 1990 by the NASA space probe Voyager. Voyager has the distinction of flying further in space than any other space craft. It is still going and is now beyond the solar system. I’ve put the picture at the top of this article. Carl Sagan at the time called it a Pale blue dot.
Officially this “Pale Blue Dot” is a photograph of planet Earth taken on February 14, 1990, by the Voyager 1 space probe from a record distance of about 6 billion kilometres (3.7 billion miles,)
Carl Sagan said of it,
“From this distant vantage point, the Earth might not seem of any particular interest. But for us, it's different. Consider again that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.” Carl Sagan.
When I as a Christian look at it I am amazed. This “mote of dust” as Sagan calls it is in the exact spot not only in the solar system but in the universe for life to exist as we know it.
Yet looked at in terms of the universe as a whole it seems insignificant. It is so small that it could easily be overlooked.
God however did not overlook it. John’s gospel tells us,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  
He was with God in the beginning. 
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  
In him was life, and that life was the light of men....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-4,14. 
God considered His creation and in particular mankind so important that He in the form of Jesus Christ entered this world to point mankind to heaven.
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.
That being said I admit it takes a great deal of faith to believe as I and other Christians do.
The writer of Hebrews states,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope

 for and certain of what we do not see.”  

                                                                                   Hebrews 11:1.
I believe God wanted things this way because people of faith are the strongest of believers. Scientist are a good example of people of faith. They postulate a theory and continue to believe in it until it is proven wrong. Albert Eienstein is a good example. Some of his theories were not proven until well after his death.
Thus it is with anyone who believes in God.
Billy Graham the great American evangelist said,

“I can't prove it scientifically, that there's a God,

but I believe.”

                                                                        Billy Graham.
Blaise Pascal said belief in God I believe is a wise wager. He wrote,
“Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists.” Blaise Pascal.
The writer of Hebrews tells us,
“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
 Thus the question becomes are you willing to wager on what you believe in regards to God?
Please think about it.

Living Water

Living Water
“Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” John 4:10.
Living water in Jewish culture is water in motion. Rain water, rivers, wells, spring-fed lakes even oceans are considered living water. It is water that washes things away dirt and impurities it is water that cleanses. At the same time it is the source of life.
This is something that is seen dramatically in the middle east. For months the land is parched. You can smell the dust. Then when the rains come the dust is washed away. New life emerges, the land becomes lush and green.
Jesus mentions living water twice. The first time is with the Samaritan woman at the well there he states,
“Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” John 4:10.
Notice here he does not call himself the living water only that he would give her living water.
Later in John we read,
“On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”  
By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” John 7:37-39.
Note here Jesus means it is the Holy Spirit which indwells believers, that flows from above through the heart of the redeemed that brings life and light to the world.
As Christians we are the channel through which Living Water flows.
Living water in the natural world has it’s source from above it is rain water that falls from above. It is then channelled by rivers and springs throughout the land. Land that uses the water to produce new life.
Likewise when it comes to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is channelled through believers to the world around them where it convicts individuals of sin. Producing believers in Christ and life everlasting.
That is why it is important for Christians to follow the words of the writer of Hebrews who said,
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14.
Please think about it.

By This

By This
Jesus said,
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  John 13:34,35.
Here is one of the key’s to being a Christian, Love. It started with God. The apostle Paul writing to the Romans said,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.
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 neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40
Prior to this Matthews gospel records Jesus as saying,
“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.” Matthew 5:43-45.
The early church obviously put their love into action because the book of acts records,
"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  
Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.  
All the believers were together and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.  
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,  praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47.
Love is the key to the Christian life. Love for God. Love for one’s neighbour. Love for one’s enemy.
The apostle Paul defines true 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

James the half brother of Jesus said,
“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.  
But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.  
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.  
For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. 
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 2:8-13.
Thus the question becomes especially if you claim to be Christian do you love unconditionally?
Jesus did and so must we.
Please think about it.

Words for Christians

Words for the Christian

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Romans 12:21

Question, do you? Do you overcome evil with good?
The apostle Peter states,
“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.
Do you do this?
Many years ago I was told by my first pastor to memorize the words of Jesus who said,

“So in everything,

 do to others what you would have them do to you,

 for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” 

                                                                                         Matthew 7:12.
He told me if you sincerely believe what Jesus is saying you will respect all people no matter who they are, even your enemy.
In following these words of Christ you will also find that you are respected by those of different faiths, lifestyles, and positions in life. Thus making it easier for you to present the gospel of Christ.
One other verse he told me to memorize was from the book of Hebrews.
The writer of Hebrews states,

“Make every effort to live in peace with all men

 and to be holy; 

without holiness no one will see the Lord.” 

                                                                                       Hebrews 12:14.
As a Christian now of in excess of forty plus years I have found these words to be true.
If you consider yourself a Christian...
Please think about it.

The Eleven O Clock Prayer

The Eleven O Clock Prayer

“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

It’s eleven o clock. Inside the court house a judge is about to make his ruling. A community, a nation, waits.
Will the new law be legal?
Outside the court house men and women with placards chant.
On one side of the street stand a group of gay men and women. All in favour of the new law.
On the other side of the street separated by a line of police stand radical evangelicals, denouncing the new law.
One man among them screams angrily . “HOMOSEXUALS ARE GOING TO HELL!!!”
Approached by the media he says it again, “homosexuals are going to Hell.”
From my office window I watch, asking myself the question, ‘is this man an Christian?”
Wasn’t it Christ who told us not only to love our neighbour but our enemy also?
Wasn’t it Christ who told us not to judge, lest we be judged likewise?
Wasn’t it Christ who said go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation?
Is this man showing love?
Is this man judging another?
Can this man be effective in reaching the whole world for Christ, of which a percentage are homosexual?
Is this man obeying the words of Jesus who said,
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” Matthew 7:12
Were the shoe on the other foot would he want people demonstrating against what he believed in, against his lifestyle?
Is this man even a Christian?
A question keeps rolling through my mind for which I know the answer, “Can we truly know what is in someone else’s head? What makes them who they are?”
For a moment I stare down at the crowd. All the time asking myself who is on the way to Hell this day?
Turning away from my window I kneel down and pray, “Lord guide me this day. Let me make the right decision on this law.”
Especially if you consider yourself a Christian,
Please think about it.

It seems right but is it?

It seems right but is it?
The writer of Proverbs states,

“There is a way that seems right ot a man 

but in the end it leads to death.” 

                                                                               Proverbs 14:12.
I am writing this directly to Christians with the intent to get them to look at their relationship to Christ.
Jesus said,

“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.
If you claim to be Christian will you hear the above words of Jesus? I think many claiming to be Christians be they in the pulpit or in the pew will hear those words.
It is I believe very possible for someone to consider themselves a Christian and are not. I say this because I heard an interesting sermon this week. It pointed out that Christianity is in danger of becoming part of the culture of the country particularly in the United States and Canada.
Mahatma Gandhi once said,

Jesus is ideal and wonderful,

 but you Christians

 - you are not like him.

                                                                          Mahatma Gandhi.
Even though Gandhi said those words decades ago he is right. Many calling themselves Christians are not anything like Jesus.
When I hear of people calling themselves Christians who go to court for the right not to serve homosexuals in their business, I ask myself are they truly Christians. When I hear people calling themselves Christians and wanting to restrict the rights of any lawful group that is doing no harm, I ask myself are they Christian.
Do Christians in a secular democracy such as the United States and Canada have the right to impose their beliefs on those who are not Christians?
The apostle Paul wrote,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  
God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12,13
Should Christians be demanding that same sex marriage be banned? Should Christians try to restrict the rights of other religious groups just because we disagree with them. Should Christians seek to restrict immigration allowing only groups they agree with into the country?
Billy Graham the great American evangelist once said,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge 

and my job to love,” 

                                                                              Billy Graham 
If we claim to be Christians we need to heed what the apostle Paul and indeed Billy Graham said.
Did not Jesus associate with everyone, the Samaritan woman, Roman soldiers even tax collectors.
Matthew’s gospel records,
“While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples.  
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” 
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:10-13.
The Pharisees would not sit down with people they thought were sinners. As a result I would imagine as today they would turn people away from God.
I’ve been a Christian in excess of forty years now and the one thing various non-Christians have said to me over the years is, “why should I become a Christian. I live a better life than them. The ‘chistians’ I know are intolerant”
I’ve heard many times Christians being called bigots. Sadly many times they are right. Many calling themselves Christians are intolerant and bigoted.
Jesus and the apostles lived in a society that was far from Christian morally. It was a multicultural mix of people some practising what to them would have been morally reprehensible behaviour. Yet they never spoke against it.
The never spoke against it because they KNEW they had the answer to changing the world around and pointing people to heaven.
Billy Graham said,
“The men who followed Him (Christ), were unique in their generation. They turned the world upside down because their hearts had been turned right side up. The world has never been the same.” Billy Graham.
We as Christian need to be very carful in what we say and do because people are looking at us. The apostle Peter said,
“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.
Jesus told us to love God, love our neighbour, and even love our enemy. That to my way of thinking means love everyone.
As true Christians we must be willing to interact with anyone no matter their faith, their lifestyle or there position in life. This is what Jesus and the apostles did. In doing so they won souls for Christ.
Are you doing this?
Please think about it

Put this way

Put this way
Jesus taking to His disciples and through them to us, 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 in the year 2017 this 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 however good they may be on others.

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.

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 neighbor as yourself.’ 
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 
Matthew 22:36-40.
Earlier in the gospel of Matthew Jesus is recorded as saying,
“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.”
                                                                                        Matthew 5:43-45.

The apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians defines love as,

“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

The apostle Paul telling us,

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

live at peace with everyone.”

Romans 12:18

If we as Christians remember this it’s hard for us to go wrong. And may as a result win many souls for Christ.
Please think about it.

The Choice is Yours

The choice is yours
The book of Joshua records,
“Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped 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.
I am a Christian. I believe in God. I believe God created the heavens and the earth. Whether he took billions of years to create the universe or six day is irrelevant to me. The fact is I believe he exists and created universe.
The apostle Paul speaking to the Athenians said,
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  
And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.  
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.  
‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’” Acts 17:24-28.
I believe we only have to look around to see God’s handiwork. The Psalmist states,

“The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” 

                                                                                        Psalm 19:1.
From the largest galaxy to the smallest subatomic particle everything works in unity to give us life as we know it. I cannot believe this is all by chance.
Einstein said,
“Human beings vegetables  or cosmic dust. We all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible player.” Albert Einstein.
I believe that invisible player is God and that by creating such a perfectly integrated universe we can if we are willing see the handiwork of God.
That being said, I have said in previous blog posts that God did not make robots. He created human beings, individuals with freedom of thought and action. That includes not believing in God and going one’s own way.
However I also believe the writer of, Ecclesiastes who said,
“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 also believe the words of Jesus speaking of himself as recorded in the book of John when he 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.
Ultimately you must decide who and what you believe in. If I as a Christian am wrong then I have nothing to fear as I have in following what the Bible states will have lived a good life.
On the other hand if what I believe is true then it will have eternal consequences for all who do not believe in God.
Please think about it. 

Rules that prove the fact

Rules that prove the fact
In brief the ten commandments read,

1/“You shall have no other gods before me.” 

2/“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them;...” 

3/ “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” 

4/ “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”  

5/ “Honour your father and your mother,” 

6/“You shall not murder.” 

7/“You shall not commit adultery.” 

8/“You shall not steal.” 

9/“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” 

10/“You shall not covet “

                                                                                       From Exodus 20:2-17.
Here to me is something that proves God exists. Quoted above are the Ten Commandments. They were given to Moses by God thousands of years ago and are universally applicable to every man and woman on the planet. These are rules for living that I firmly believe are in the hearts of everyman.
Following these ten basic rules for living makes society a safe and loving place.
Such rules I do not believe simply evolved over the centuries. I cannot believe ancient man simply convened a conference of all the tribes of the earth and agreed on such rules. I believe God himself instilled them in our hearts and minds from the day we were conceived. I believe they are part of our DNA.
The ten commandments tell mankind first of all how God expect the individual to act with respect to God. The first three state,

1/“You shall have no other gods before me.” 

2/“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them;...” 

3/ “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” 

There is only one God to be worshipped and that is the Lord God almighty. We are to have no other Gods. We are not to make and worship idols. We are not to misuse God’s name.
Number four states

4/ “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” 

We can work six days a week but on the seventh we are to rest and worship God. Having a day of rest is even accepted by health advocates as a good thing.
The fifth tells us,

5/ “Honour your father and your mother,” 

We are to honour our father and mother. Years ago there use to be a saying around the church that said, “Don’t let your parents down, they brought you up.”
The next commands are what is needed for an orderly society, they state,

6/“You shall not murder.” 

7/“You shall not commit adultery.” 

8/“You shall not steal.” 

9/“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” 

10/“You shall not covet “

As I said I do not believe ancient man could come up with such universally accepted law as the ten commandments. Laws that encompass both mans relationship to God and his relationship with his fellow man.
That being said I leave the decision with you the reader. Do you believe there is a God the creator of heaven and earth or not?
The choice is yours.
Please think about it. 

God is Good

God is Good
The Psalmist writes,

“For the LORD is good 

and his love endures forever; 

his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

                                                                                                Psalm 100:5.
Over the years I’ve sadly seen God portrayed as someone with a big stick ready to bash us over the head if we do something wrong. Making it worse, over those same years I’ve seen so called “fire and brimstone” preachers depicting God as someone who is quick to punish and send anyone to hell anyone who did not obey Him.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Perhaps the most well known Bible verse John 3:16 tells us this. It reads,

“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.”

                                                                                  John 3:16.
The following verse John 3:17 goes on to say,

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

 but to save the world through him.”

                                                                                          John 3:17.    
The apostle John records Jesus as saying,
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—  just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.  John 10:14,15.
The apostle Paul writing to the Romans tells us,
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8.
I believe the above scriptures show how much God loves mankind.
When God created mankind he gave man a freewill to do as he wished. That included not believing in God and not following God’s precepts. Thus mankind in general wandered away from God.
Over the centuries God sent his messengers such as the Jewish prophets to point man to God but sadly men did not listen. Thus God in the form of His one and Only Son Jesus Christ entered the world to point man to heaven. The writer of Hebrews stating,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3  
What I believe this means is God loves us and all that we have to do in order to get to heaven is in faith believe in the saving grace of Jesus. The apostle Paul stating,

“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
The writer of Hebrews telling us,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.”  

                                                                             Hebrews 11:1

“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.
Please think about it.

Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord!
The Psalmist writes,

“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 

Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 

Know that the LORD is God. 

It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people,

 the sheep of his pasture. 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving 

and his courts with praise; 

give thanks to him and praise his name. 

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; 

his faithfulness continues through all generations.” 

                                                                                               Psalm 100:1-5.
The Psalmist although writing this about God the Father hundreds of years ago could have written it yesterday. For it is with great joy we as Christians celebrate the one who is central in our lives Jesus Christ.
We can, not only at Easter and Christmas celebrate all He has done for us but everyday. We can with the Psalmist say,

“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.
Can you?
Please think about it.