If you Love Jesus

If you Love Jesus
Matthew’s Gospel records,
“Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”  John 14:23
Do you love Christ?
If so, are you following the teachings of Jesus?
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.
The apostle Paul defines what true Christian love is when he wrote,

“Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil 

but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails....

And now these three remain:

 faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.”  

                                               1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.

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
If you claim to be a Christian are you following these teachings of Jesus?
Please think about it.

Where are you?

Where Are You?
Matthews gospel records this parable spoken by Jesus,
“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.  
Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.  
Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.  
As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 
  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  
But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  
Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  
Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  
He who has ears, let him hear.” Matthew 13:1-9
         Jesus interpreted his parables this way,
“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:  
When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.  
The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  
But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.  
The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.  
But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:18-23.
What Jesus is saying is very typical of what happens in our churches today. There are those who hears the message but fails to fully understand it and quickly falls away without trying to look deeper.
There are others who receive the word but the moment persecution or hard spiritual times come, they fall away.
Then there are those who receive the word but have a lot of earthly baggage. They fall pray to the worries of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth. their worries in this world taking precedent over their faith in God.
Then there are those who truly believe who go forth and take the gospel to those around them producing more believers.
Where are you in this spectrum of hearers of the word?
Think about it. 

F.A.I.T.H.

F.A.I.T.H.
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
“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
For some Christians the word FAITH means,
                                                       Forsaking 
                                                       All               

I                   

   Take               

     Him.                 

Faith is a very personal thing. You cannot force people to have faith in anyone or anything they must make that decision for themselves.
For a true follower of Christ, faith in Christ means we will follow him to our grave. No matter what the circumstances.
A true believer in Christ understands the words of the Apostle Paul who wrote,
“Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” 2 Timothy 11-13.
Please think about it.

Are you really looking?

Are you really looking
The apostle Paul speaking to the learned men of Athens 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.’ 
“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill.  
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.  
For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:24-31
In my previous blog post I wrote the Bible does not debate the existence of God. After all it was written to believers.
Here Paul is speaking to men and women who believed in a pantheon of gods. People who were looking for the truth about God. Thus Paul presented the message of Jesus Christ to them.
At the end of his presentation some believed him, some did not, while others wanted to hear more.
It is the same today.
Many in our society today say there is no God. I respect that fact. We all have the right to choose what we believe. However just because a person does not believe God exist, does not mean God does not exist.
C. S. Lewis said,
“A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.” C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain.
The way I see it you have two major choices in this life. To believe in God or not to believe in God.
It is your right to choose. Keep in mind however that your choice will determine where you will spend eternity.
Are you truly willing to risk where you will spend eternity on what you know? Is there any doubt in your mind that what you believe might be wrong?
I know many who do not believe in God have made their mind up and will not change. That is why they cannot see God.
To quote C. S. Lewis again,
“He shows much more of Himself to some people than to others-not because He has favourites, but because it is impossible for Him to show Himself to a man whose whole mind and character are in the wrong condition.”  C.S.Lewis.
In order to find God you must be looking for Him. You cannot find God if you are not looking for him.
So my question to you is, Are you truly looking for God?
If you are truly looking to see if God exists take time to read at least the New Testament. Sincerely pray and ask God to show Himself to you. After all it cannot hurt.
Please think about it. 

The Biblical Choice

The Biblical Choice
The Book of Genesis states,
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
The Gospel of John states
“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
The book of Joshua states,
“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.
Jesus is recorded as saying this 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.
The writer of
“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.
The Apostle Paul writing t the Ephesians said,
“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

The Bible does not debate the existence of God. After all it was written to believers.
The Bible however gives all who read it a choice. They may believe in God and go to heaven, or not believe in God and pay the consequences of their unbelief. It is not ambiguous.
It presents the truth about God and leaves it to the individual to decide for themselves.
So my question to you the reader is, Do you believe in God and that Jesus Christ is the One and Only Son of God the Saviour of mankind or not?
Before you answer however I would ask that you read at the very least the New Testament asking God to show his reality to you.
Please think about it.

Your Wager

Your Wager
The writer of Ecclesiastes notes,
“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. 
Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 2:10,11.
Atheist claim there is no God. If so what the writer of Ecclesiastes wrote above is true. Everything is meaningless a chasing after the wind.
That being said I am not an atheist and believe they are wrong, God does exist.
Peter John Kreeft Wrote of Atheism,
“Atheism treats people cheaply. Also, it robs death of meaning, and if death has no meaning, how can life ultimately have meaning? Atheism cheapens everything it touches,....”Peter John Kreeft ph.d 
The way I see it Atheist make themselves into god. They make a blanket statement saying God does not exist. However in order to truly know God does not exist one must have been everywhere and know everything. An attribute of God.
Lets be practical here. No person living today knows everything. And no one living today has gone beyond the grave and come back to tell about it. Thus it is impossible for an Atheist to say beyond a reasonable doubt that God does not exist.
The consequences are eternal for both those who believe in God and those who don’t. If someone believes in God and it is ultimately found He does not exist. The Believer in God has nothing to fear in the light of eternity.
If on the other hand one does not believe God exist and he does exist, the non-believer has a great deal to worry about.
I like what Blaise Pascal 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
As for me personally I have placed my wager and gone all in that God exists. I believe the writer of Ecclesiastes who finally come to the conclusion,
“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.”Ecclesiastes 12:13,14 .
Please think about it.

Church

Church
Marks Gospel records,
“One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain.  
The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” 
He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need?  
In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” 
Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”  Mark 2:23-27.
Here is a classic example of legalism. Jesus and his disciples were walking through a grain field on the Sabbath. They were hungry so they took some heads of grain rubbed them in their hands to remove the outer part and ate the rest.
The pharisees interpreted this as Jesus and his disciples harvesting the wheat and threshing it. In other words doing work. Something forbidden on the Sabbath.
The Pharisees forgot that God’s rules are made to make mans life better. Not designed to restrict Man.
In this case the Sabbath was intended to give ones workers one complete day of rest. Something doctors today say is a very good thing.
Today we have well meaning groups in Christianity that say we should worship on the Sabbath and not work. While others say we should worship on the Sunday.
The bottom line here it makes no difference as long as we take a day to assemble with others of our faith. Take time from our labours and worship God.
Unfortunately over the years, over the centuries, well meaning Christians have created a rule book of do’s and do not’s.
I can remember a time when You had to go to church in your best Sunday suit or dress. Shined shoes hair perfectly done. Women not allowed to wear makeup of any kind or jewelry.
I can remember some of my Christian friends would not play games at home. They never turned on the television or radio. Although playing praise music on the record player was allowed.
Now there was nothing wrong with any of this except I found that if at times formed a barrier, especially if the person didn’t have a nice suit or dress to wear.
The constant emphasis on the do’s and don’t on the superfluous things like watching televison on a Sunday or playing games was also a problem for some people. Thus they turned away from church and unfortunately Christ.
Somehow I don’t think Jesus worried about how a person dressed he accepted everyone. Everyone felt comfortable in his presence. He placed no barriers between people and worshipping God. Nor should we.
I know from experience that having a church that is open to everyone produces results. My wife and I recently moved to a new Church. It’s a new congregation small in number but growing.
For a number of years it was an outreach of a larger church reaching out to the people living on the street.
That larger church we were a part of is a come as you are church they didn’t care what you wore to church as long as you came out. That church went from four hundred or so to a congregation now of over three thousand.
As for our congregation like I said it is small but growing. We are very much a come as you are church. No one wears suits. Not even the pastor. Women do wear dresses but the majority wear pants. Blue jeans are the norm for some men and women. No one bats an eyelid no matter how you’re dressed.
The message our congregation wants to give to the world is that God loves you no matter who you are, and wants to have a personal relationship with you.
While service starts at ten thirty, for those who come early there is coffee tea and other drinks as well as confectionaries free of charge. As a result people come early and have a time of fellowship both before service and after.
New comers are welcomed and get a chance to know and meet people.
To me this to me is how church should be. No barriers just open arms and a listening ear showing the Love of Jesus.
Please think about it.

Shout to the Lord

Shout to the Lord

“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.

Can you shout to joy to the Lord?
 When I read psalm 100, I think of Paul and Silas who were in Prison. The book of Acts records,
“After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.  
Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.”  Acts 16:23-25.
They were praising God after being flogged and put in the inner most part of the prison with their feet fastened in stocks. To my mind that was incredible faith.
Here they were in the face of adversity after being flogged praising God and the other prisoners with listening to them. What a witness!
When I read this about Paul and Silas I have to say to myself, if they can do it under such adverse circumstances I should be able to do so in the freedom of  my living room, in my car, or even on the street.
Likewise if you claim to be a follower of Christ you should be able to do it too.
Are you?

Proclaim God's Salvation

Proclaim God’s Salvation
The Psalmist writes,

“Sing to the LORD a new song;

 sing to the LORD, all the earth. 

Sing to the LORD,

 praise his name; 

proclaim his salvation day after day. 

Declare his glory among the nations, 

his marvelous deeds among all peoples. 

                                                     Psalm 96:1-3.

The Psalmist tells us to sing a new song, to sing to the Lord, to praise is name, to proclaim his salvation day after day. To declare His glory among the nations.
Such a thing can seem an intimidating thing to do in our western world. It can be hard to bring up your faith to the people around you. Yet it is our duty as believers in Christ.
The key is to be yourself. Don’t try to be self-righteous or super spiritual. Be you, with all your attributes and flaws. I’ve found people are more receptive to hearing the gospel message if they see you as an ordinary person who sincerely loves God.
I believe if we do this God will open doors for you to tell of his love. All you have to be is  willing.
For me one unexpected way was by wearing a tee shirt.
My family not knowing what to get me for Christmas, decided that since I liked tee shirts with slogans on them to get me some with Christian saying on them.
One in particular has in large words in the front “Jesus Washed my sins away”. That simple message has opened more discussions for me than I ever thought possible.
Christians upon seeing it say they like it. Non Christians I interact with ask me what it means. Or in some instances say “O you’re one of those”.
To which I ask them “one of what? Someone who believes in the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ? If so your right. Do you?”
It takes people off guard, and quite often opens doors for me to tell them more about Jesus.
I know wearing a tee shirt with a Christian message on them is not for everyone but it works for me.
The key is never think you cannot be an effective witness for God because you can. One piece of simple Advice comes from the Apostle Peter who says,
“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 2:11,12.
Being a follower of Christ is very much a lifestyle we live in front of people every day.
Believe it or not people do see what you are doing. They see your life. They know if you are committed to God or not.
Francis of Assisi reminding us,

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon 

some persons will hear today” 

                                        Francis of Assisi.

Please think about it.

A Privilege and Responsibility

A privilege and responsibility.
The apostle John speaking of Jesus tells us,
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1:12,13.
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.” 1 Peter 2:9  
Here is something all believers in Christ must remember,
If we believe in Jesus, we are children of God. Not only that we are a royal priesthood, a holy nation belonging to God. That is an incredible privilege and a great responsibility.
The apostle Peter telling us our responsibility before God. Saying,  “...that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1Peter 2:9b
It is we who are to declare the praises of Christ Jesus to the world. Jesus speaking to His disciples said,
“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.
In order to do this well we must remember the words of the writer of Hebrews who wrote,

“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

        It is our job as believers in Christ, to, as far as possible, live at peace with all men. To tell all who will listen to us about the Love of God and the eternal life God offers through Jesus Christ.
Please think about it.

Christians take note

Christians take note
The writer of Proverbs states,

“For a man’s ways are in full view of the LORD,

 and He examines all his paths.” 

                                                   Proverbs 5:21.
I think a lot of Christians seem to forget this warning from Proverbs. Read it carefully.                          

 “For a man’s way are in full view of the Lord.  

And He examines all his Paths.”

God is watching us. Now don’t get me wrong I don’t think God is standing around ready to bash us over the head every time we do something wrong. God loves us. God understands we are human and fall short of what He wants for our lives, and thus forgives us when we make mistakes.
Never the less God is watching to make sure that we correctly handle His word. The apostle Paul telling us,
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2Timothy 2:15.
Jesus warned that there would be men and women calling themselves believers in Christ who are not. Matthews Gospel recording Jesus as saying,
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  
“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 7:21-23.
The apostle Paul warns,
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2Timothy 4:3,4.
As believers it is imperative we follow the teaching of the Bible correctly. As someone has said,
“Believers in Christ have a great responsibility. We are Christ’s representatives on this earth. It is through our words and our deeds that others will view Jesus.”
As Francis of Assisi said,

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon 

some persons will hear today” 

                           Francis of Assisi.

What are your deeds telling others about Jesus?
Please think about it. 

Take a Minute

Take a Minute
Here is something to consider doing. The Psalmist wrote,

“Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; 

let me know how fleeting is my life. 

You have made my days a mere hand breadth; 

the span of my years is as nothing before you. 

Each man’s life is but a breath. 

                                                 Psalms 39:4,5

Find a quiet place and consider what the Psalmist is saying here.
Think about your life how fragile it is. How brief your life in this world is in the light of eternity. Then ask yourself where will I spend eternity?
If you are unsure consider the words of Jesus who 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
Consider the words of the Apostle John who said,
“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....
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.  
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 
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, 11-14.
What the Apostle John is saying here is the God that created the heavens and the earth and everything in it, loved mankind so much he came into the world He created in the form of his one and only Son Jesus Christ. To show each person the way to heaven.
Not only that but to all who would accept Jesus by faith into their lives he gave the right to become children of God.
That to my way of thinking is an incredible privilege offered to each and every person who hears about Jesus.
What do you think?
Please think about it.