Faith & God

Faith & God
The book of Genesis states,
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1.
The Bible does not debate the existence of God. After all it was written to believers in God. People who have faith in God.
The writer of Hebrews stating,

“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

That being said Thomas Aquinas said,

“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. 

To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” 

                                                       Thomas Aquinas.

Sadly from my point of view as a Christian there are many in the world that don’t believe in God. They can’t seem to believe in anything beyond this world. Anything they cannot see, feel, or hear. Yet having faith in God costs nothing and offers much. 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.
I as a Christian believe God wants people to believe in Him by faith because people who believe in anything by faith are the strongest of followers.
I as a Christian also believe that God did all he could to show mankind He loves them and wants them to spend eternity with Him. The apostle John writing,
“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.
We Christians believe God in the form of His One and Only Son Jesus Christ entered the world to point people to heaven. We believe the apostle John who speaking about Jesus wrote,
“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.
We believe the apostle Paul who 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.
Christians believe that it is by the grace of God through our faith, our belief in Him that we get to heaven. So to quote Blaise Pascal again,
“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
Thus the question becomes. Where are you placing your bet?
Please think about it.

The Grandeur of the Universe

The grandeur of the Universe
The German poet Henrich Heine wrote,

“The grandeur of the Universe is always commensurate with the grandeur of the soul that surveys it.”  Henrich Heine.
How do you see the Universe?
I’m a photographer and the other night I took my camera into my back yard, attached a telephoto lense to it, and took a series of pictures of the moon. I did it purely for my own amusement.
To my delight the picture came out perfectly. Included in several of the pictures however was a fuzzy reddish dot. The planet Mars. Fuzzy and tiny because it was millions of miles further away than the moon.
Space and space exploration has always fascinated I remember watching the Apollo landings on the moon live when still a teenager.
I still follow the various exploration missions, the Mars rovers, Cassini-Huygens, Juno, New Horizons.
The one that fascinates me the most however has always been the Voyager space probes. To date have gone further than any other manmade object. One at this writing is now in interstellar space around 17,000,000,000, kilometres from earth.
Back on valentines day February 14th 1990 NASA had Voyager take a picture of Earth from approximately 7 billion kilometres away. The earth appeared in the picture a half pixel in size. It’s the picture at the top of this article
Carl Sagan the person responsible for having NASA take the picture called it a pail blue dot. He noted,
“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.
Sagan was right. Earth may not seem like much in terms of the vastness of the Galaxy but it is precious to us.
Another scientist  Dr. Arno Penzias 1978 Nobel Prize winner in Physics noted.
“Astronomy leads us to a unique event, a universe which was created out of nothing, one with a very delicate balance needed to provide exactly the conditions required to permit life and one which has an underlying (one might say ‘supernatural’) plan.”Dr. Arno Penzias.
The way I see it there is a “supernatural plan”. God’s plan. I believe God created the universe and everything in it.
I never debate whether God took six twenty-four hour days or billions of years. God is God and he could have done it any way he wished. How he created the universe does not affect by faith in God.
The fact is I do not believe that the universe came together randomly. I believe there was a plan. That it was created in such away that life as we know it exists.
I believe the Psalmist who wrote,

“The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

Day after day they pour forth speech; 

night after night they display knowledge. 

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.” 

                                                                     Psalm 19:1-3.

The Universe from the largest galaxy to the smallest subatomic particle works in such a way as to make life possible on this planet. I believe good science will one day prove this.
So when I look at the night sky in all its splendour, in all its grandeur, I see God’s handiwork. Not only that I read the apostle John’s gospel where he 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....
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.
This God who created the heavens and the earth. That “mote of dust of dust suspended in a sunbeam” as Sagan put it. Chose to take a portion of his infiniteness and enter human history to point mankind to Heaven.
It seems incredible I know but close to three billion Christians, three billion believers in Christ Jesus in the world today believe this.
Someone has said Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. I as a Christian believe this is one of those times.
What do you think?
Please think about it.

A Universal truth

A Universal Truth
The Gospel of Matthew records Jesus as saying,
“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.
This is a universal truth whether you believe in Jesus Christ or not.
Think about this. If people be they believers in Christ or not would follow this one universal truth. The world would be a much better place in which to live.
To follow this one statement of Jesus requires the individual to live a life of unconditional  Love. The apostle Paul defining 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.

Do you love unconditionally?
Please think about it.

A Message for Today

A Message for today
The book of Acts records a meeting between the apostle Paul and the elders of the Ephesian church at Miletus. While the meeting is recording Paul’s last visit with the elders from Ephesus, there is within it a warning we in the twenty-first century church need to heed.
The book of Acts states,
“Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.  
Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men.  For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.  
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.  
I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.  
Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.  
So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 
“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Acts 20:25-32.
1/ Paul makes it clear that he is “innocent of the blood of all men” having not hesitated to proclaim the whole will of God.
This is something we must be certain of especially if you are a leader in the Church. Leaders in the church are, as is every believer in Christ Jesus responsible of proclaiming “the whole will of God”. The pure gospel. Not adding or changing God’s word in any way.
2/ Paul calls on those oversee the congregation pastors even board members and others in authority in the church to look after those in their congregation. I believe this means not only spiritually but physically also. Helping those in need. Helping the sick. Helping people to grow spiritually.
3/Paul notes “savage wolves will come” people determined to destroy the faith of individuals and use the word of God in ways that it was not meant to be used. Some of these people actually coming from within the church. Men and women who say they are followers of Christ but are not.
4/ Paul warns us to be on guard against those who would try to distort and destroy believers.
I firmly believe in order to do all of this believers in Christ Jesus must study for themselves, and with other believers, the scriptures both old and new Testaments. We must know what the word of God is saying. We must put the truths of the scriptures to work in our lives.
Above all I firmly believe we must pray. Asking God to guide us, protect us, lead us, and show us the truth that lies within His holy word.
Please think about it. 

Paul's Sermon

Paul's Sermon
To my mind one of the best sermons ever spoken was spoken by the Apostle Paul. It is recorded in the book of acts and does two things.
It is an example to believers in Christ Jesus how to present the message of Christ to non-Christians.
At the same time it presents a clear message of what believers in Christ believe to the non-believer.
It starts with what Paul seemed to always do when he entered a city. He presented his ideas to anyone who would listen to. The book of Acts records,
“So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.  
A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.   Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?  
You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”  
(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) 
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.  
For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. 
“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.” 
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”  
At that, Paul left the Council.  
A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others” Acts 17:17-34.
Thus the question becomes. What do you the reader believe?
Please think about it.

Two Choices

Two choices
The book of Acts records these two incidents in the life of the apostle Paul.
“When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.  
As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,  explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,’” he said.  
Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. 
But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.  
But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.”  
When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil.  Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go. 
As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.  
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.  
Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. 
When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up.  
The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea.  
The men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible. Acts 17:1-15.
Here is an illustration of how two types of people receive the message of Jesus Christ even today.
Some accept the message of Christ with open arms and hearts. They believe what believers in Christ Jesus tell them.
On the other side is a wide spectrum of people in the world that are opposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Radical religious groups, terrorist, political groups, governments even Atheist that say they know best. Groups that try to stop the spread of the gospel.
Ultimately however it is up to you the individual. What I would ask anyone who is reading this and not a Christian is to read the New Testament and see for yourself what those early believers in Christ Jesus believed. Then make up your mind as to whether you will follow Christ.
Please think about it.

Salvation for all

Salvation for all
The book of acts records Paul entering with some companions Pisidian Antioch. There
“..... On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.” Acts 13: 14,15.
Acts 13:16-37 tells of Paul accepting the invitation gave them a brief history lesson in which he showed that Jesus was the promised Messiah who would take away the sins of the world. He concludes his remarks saying,
“Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.”Acts 13:38.
The book of Acts then notes,
“As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath.  
When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. 
On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.  
When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. 
Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.  
For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’’” 
When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.”Acts 13:42-49.
While acts 13:50 notes that Paul and Barnabas were exiled from the region, it didn’t stop the gospel message.
The fact is the gospel message is impossible to stop. It is a message directly from God. A message of forgiveness of sins, of hope, and Life everlasting with God the father, to all those who believe in the name of Jesus Christ.
The question today in the twenty-first century  however becomes the same question Jesus himself asked Martha. As recorded in John’s gospel,
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes Lord” she told Him, “I believe you are the Christ the Son of God, who was to come into the world,” John 11:25,26,27.
   What do you believe?
Please think about it.

No Favourites

No favourites
The book of Acts records this statement by the apostle Peter,
“Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism  but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.” Acts 10:34-35
Long story short. Until this point most if not all those who came to believe in Jesus were Jews. This however changes when a God fearing Roman centurion get a vision from God telling him to seek out the apostle Peter and hear what he has to say.
The apostle Peter a devout Jew who’d been taught from birth to not do anything against the Jewish food laws and traditions also received a vision.
The book of acts records,
“About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.  
He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.  
He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.  
It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air.  
Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” 
“Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” 
  The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” 
This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. 
While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate.  
They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. 
While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you.  So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” Act 10:9-20.
Peter went with the men to meet Cornelius and his household, where he told them about Jesus Christ. It was at that point Peter realized that the gospel of Jesus Christ was for all people. The book of acts noting,
“Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism  but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.” Acts 10:34-35
Jesus before His ascension into heaven said to the disciples,
“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.
The word we translate in English as nation actually means “ethnic group” thus Jesus was making it clear to his disciples that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was meant to be heard by every ethnic group in the world. Something that it seems became real to the apostle Peter when he met Cornelius.
This is something true Christians today believe to be true. The salvation and eternal life Christ Jesus offers is open to everyone on the planet.
The apostle Paul writing to the Romans states,
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”Romans 10:9-13
Please think about it.

You never know

You never know
The book of Acts records the day when Saul, known later as Paul, became a follower of Christ. His conversion illustrates two things. First of all you never know who God will use, and an act of faith taken by a man named Ananias.
Luke the author of Acts records,
“Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest  and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.  
As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.  
He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 
“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.  
“Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 
The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.  Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.  
For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. 
In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision,“Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. 
The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.  
In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” 
“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.  
And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” 
But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.  
I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” 
Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said,    “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  
Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,  and after taking some food, he regained his strength.” Acts 9:1-19.
Saul as this portion of scriptures states was an enemy of what was then called The Way or believers in Christ.
He had received letters from the authorities in Jerusalem to arrest any man or woman found to be following Christ. God however had other plans for Saul.
As Luke the writer of Acts notes on the road to Damascus Saul had a supernatural encounter with Jesus.
The voice was not just in Saul's head. The people with Saul heard the voice but saw no one. However Saul obeyed the voice.
Another man Ananias a believer in The Way, also heard God’s voice telling him to go and minister to Saul.  Ananias was justifiably hesitant. He knew who Saul was and that he had intended to persecute the early church. Still he acted in faith, in obedience to God. He went to Saul and ministered to him.
Ananias that day acted purely on faith. He had no idea that Saul who would later become known as Paul would go on to be a powerhouse for the Christ.
That Paul himself would be persecuted and later die for being a follower of “The Way”
That Paul would write a large portion of the still to be written New Testament.
That Paul would be an integral part of taking the Gospel of Christ throughout the known world. That the words Paul would write would be encouraging believers in Christ Jesus two thousand years later. 
The story illustrates that believers in Christ need to know the voice of God and be willing to act in faith. For you never know who God will use to present the message of eternal life through Christ Jesus to the world.
Pleases think about it.

Of God

Of God
The book of acts records the following incident between the apostles of Jesus and the religious leaders of their day. Those religious leaders had told the apostles not to preach in the name of Jesus. Yet they continued to do so. Thus they were arrested.
The book of acts then records,
“Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest.  
“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” 
Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!  
The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.  
God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.  
We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” 
When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.  
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.” 
His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 
The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.  
Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.” Acts 5:27-42 
Luke the writer of Acts tells us the religious leaders were furious with the disciples wanting to put them to death. However cooler heads prevailed in the name of man named Gamaliel. Whom Luke describes as
“a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people.”
Gamaliel gives them a brief history lesson of incidents that the religious leaders knew about. How several men claiming to be of God led several groups of rebels against the status quo. However when these men were killed their followers scattered and the movement they started amounted to nothing. He then went on to say about the apostles,
“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.” 
Those religious leaders must have thought what Gamaliel said had merit for rather than having the apostles put the death they simply had them flogged. Which still didn’t stop the apostles for preaching in the name of Jesus.
The book of Acts recording,
“The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.  
Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.”
Considering it has been two thousand years since this incident, and the followers of Jesus are still growing despite persecution in many countries around the world. I think we can say what the apostles were teaching and what believers in Christ are teaching today is of God.
The question however comes down to what do you believe.
Is Jesus the one and only Son of God, the Saviour of mankind or is he not?
The choice is yours.
Please think about it.

Sometimes Christians Forget

Something Christians forget.
The apostle Peter wrote,
“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.
Sadly all too many Christians in North America don’t remember this statement.

1/ They don’t remember that they are aliens and strangers in this world. 

And, 

2/They don’t live good lives in front of the world around them.

Too many Christians in North America get involved in Politics. They mix their politics with their religious beliefs.
Someone once said mixing politics and religion is like mixing water and gasoline. The water is undrinkable, the gasoline unusable and the whole mixture explosive.
Christians are not called to mix their faith and politics. We are called to present the gospel of Christ to the whole world. We can’t do it if we are taking a political side.
I believe the only time Christians have the right to take a political stance is if the government is attacking publicly any peaceful law abiding group. Be it because of their faith, their race, or their lifestyle. I believe at that point we as Christians especially if we are living in a democracy even if we disagree with the group being persecuted must stand up for their rights.
A good example is Nazi Germany in the years leading up to and throughout the second world war. Far too many people Christians included, did not stand up to Adolph Hitler and his henchmen. The result was world war two and the death of between 56,000,000 and 60,000,000 men women and children. Soldiers and civilians. The worst conflict in human history.
Martin Niemoller a German Lutheran pastor and initial supporter of Hitler, who later became an Anti-Nazi wrote,

When they came for the Communists, 

I did not stand up, 

because I was not a Communist. 

When they came for the Jews, 

I did not stand up, because I was not Jewish. 

When they came for the Catholics, 

I did not stand up, because I was not a Catholic. 

                 When they came for me, there was no one left to stand up.                                                                                        Martin Niemoller

Pastor Niemoller spent eight years 1937-1945 in Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps for his beliefs and standing up to the Nazi’s.
I wonder how many Christians living in North America today would be willing to stand up for the rights of other faiths to practice their faith? For Communists to participate in the general elections?  For the rights of the LGBTQ community to exist?
That being said in a truly free and democratic society everyone has the right to practice what they believe. To live a lifestyle they want to live provided they bring no harm to anyone.
Such a society make living a Christian life much easier also.
In a free and democratic society Christians can openly share their faith, can exchange ideas, with all people without fear.
                Please think about it.

Christian life

Christian Life
The Book of Acts records,
“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.  
With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.  
There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales  and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. 4:32-35. 
This is how true Christians should live. Helping those in need however should not end by simply helping other Christians it should extend to the world around us. Be that need in our neighbourhood, our town our country or around the world.
James the half brother of Jesus wrote,
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  
If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?” James 2:14-20.
The Christian faith is very much a faith of action, not faith alone. As believers in Christ our faith should spur us on to do good works.
Jesus said,
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  
I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  
For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,  
I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 
“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Matthew 25:34-46.
If you claim to be a believer in Christ, are you helping those in need in whatever way you can?
Please think about it.