A Moral Code

A Moral Code
         The Book of Exodus records,
"And God spoke all these words: 
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 
“You shall have no other gods before me. 
“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; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,  
but showing love to a thousand  generations  of those who love me and keep my commandments. 
“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. 
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  
Six days you shall labor and do all your work,  
but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.  
For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 
“You shall not murder. 
“You shall not commit adultery. 
“You shall not steal. 
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”   Exodus 20:1-17
The Ten Commandments. 
To my knowledge no atheist group has ever come up with a moral code of conduct better than the ten commandments. It tells us what God requires of man with respect to Himself and to our fellow man.
It is a code of conduct written when the world was primitive in its thoughts and quite barbaric in ways. Yet it forms the basis of our laws today.
Jesus summed up these laws this way.
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 
                                                                                     Matthew 22:37-40.
Even if one refuses to recognize there is a God, which I believe there is, one cannot fail to realize that at the very least the commandments governing our relationship with our fellow man make sense from a moral prospective.
It is only when man cast love for one’s fellow man and God aside that society has a problem.
The apostle Paul writes of Love,

“Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, 

it is not proud.  

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

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs.

 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  

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

Love never fails.” 

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

Love is giving of one’s self. I’m reminded of a quote from Anne Frank a young Jewish girl wise beyond her years who sadly died in a Nazi death camp. She wrote,
"Give of yourself, give as much as you can?  And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness!  If everyone were to do this and not be as mean with a kindly word, then there would be much more justice and love in the world.  Give and you shall receive, much more than you would have ever thought possible.  Give, give again and again, don’t lose courage, keep it up and go on giving!  No one has ever become poor from giving!" Anne Frank The ten commandments are not just a set of do’s and don’ts they are a template for love and respect of both God and one’s fellow man.
No civilized society can live without them.
Think about it. 

Inclusive

Inclusive
The Pharisees asked Jesus 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 9:11-13.
Many years ago the pastor of a church I attended at the time put a sign out in front of the church that read,
“This church for sinners only. ALL are welcome.”
Some people in the congregation objected. I believe some even left. The majority however backed the pastor. They understood what the pastor was saying.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23.
That “all” means everyone you, me, pastors, evangelist, even the Pope. Sinning is falling short of God’s ideals for your life. Sin is what separates us from God. It is something we need to ask forgiveness for.
The apostle John writes,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 1John 1:9-10.
The apostle Paul writing to the Romans makes it clear,
“...(We) are justified freely by his (God’s) grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”  Romans 3:24.
The apostle Paul tells us,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
Christ Jesus died for our sins. C. S. Lewis wrote,
“He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.” C.S. Lewis.
This is the message Christians are told to take to world around them.
This is a message that will never reach non-Christians if we as believers in Christ Jesus are not willing to sit down with anyone willing to listen to us. If we are not inclusive in who we talk to.
Please think about it.

Keep the Royal Law

Keep the Royal Law
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.

Do you treat people in the same way you like to be treated? Think about it. When you present the gospel to friends and others do you point to their sins or do you point to the message of Love and salvation Christ offers.
I watched with interest the other day a preacher who with all the best of intentions I’m sure, started spouting off about the ills of society. He seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time bashing one particular group. Still by my count he did manage to bash almost every group in our western society that he disagreed with.
As I listened I thought to myself what a waste of time, energy and money. It was obvious he and the organization he represented spent a lot of time and money on the television program. Television and radio time doesn’t come cheap.
The reason I say he wasted all that money is the fact he bashed so many groups telling them that they wouldn’t get to heaven, that his message of salvation was lost.
The moment you criticize anyone you loose them.
While his message may have rang true with the believers in his church, it was definitely a turn off for non-Christians watching.
He portrayed God as a God of do’s and do not’s. A God with a big stick ready to bash you. That’s not what the Bible says.
James the half brother of Jesus said,
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,  because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” James 2: 12,13
The bible is a book of mercy.
Jesus said,
“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 makes it clear to all men everywhere what his principle purpose in coming to this world is 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.” John 3:16-17.
The key to getting that message out to the world around us is to as 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.

We must, especially when presenting the Gospel of Christ to others, treat them the same way we wish to be treated. With love and respect. Only then will we reach souls for Christ.
Please think about it.

Does not defend itself

Does not Defend Itself
“The Bible does not defend itself or debate the existence of God. For the simple reason it was written to people who believe in God and accepted its message.”   Author unknown 
I could write volumes is defence of the Bible’s authenticity. At the same time I could speak for hours giving proof of that God exists and Jesus is God incarnate but it would not convince some people.
Some people just want to believe what they want to believe. They believe there is no God it is that simple.
They will not accept the accuracy of the Bible and dismiss its truths as being bias.
As far as I’m concerned that is all well and good.
God when he created mankind gave him a freewill. That freewill gives each and every person the right to believe in God or not. God will not force anyone to believe in Him. It’s that simple.
God want’s our belief in Him to be an act of faith. The writer of 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 by the writer of Hebrews this way,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

 and

 certain of what we do not see.”  

                                         Hebrews 11:1.

I firmly believe God wants us to have faith in Him because people of faith are the strongest of followers no matter what or who they believe in.
The strongest atheist I know truly believe with all their heart that God doesn’t exist. Likewise the strongest believers in God are those who believe with their whole heart that God does exist.
As for what the Bible says about God. It’s simple. You either believe in God or you do not. There is no middle ground.
That being said from my point of view as a believer in God. A believer in Christ Jesus. What you believe about God has eternal consequences.
C. S. Lewis wrote,
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” C. S. Lewis.
Thus the choice is yours.
Please think about it.

Do you believe in God

Do you believe in God?
Blaise Pascal wrote

“It is incomprehensible that God should exist,

 and it is incomprehensible that he should not exist.” 

                                                                         Blaise Pascal

The Psalmist wrote,

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” 

                                                              Psalm 14:1.

C. S. Lewis wrote,

“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 Apostle Paul wrote,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.  
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom,  but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,  but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” 1 Corinthians 1:18-25.
Put simply God does things His way. Not the way man thinks he should do things. God asks all people everywhere to have faith in Him. The writer of Hebrews saying,

“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.

Not believing in God, being an Atheist is also an act of faith. To be an atheist you have to have postulated that for whatever reason there is no God. Even if you simply say I can’t see God therefore He doesn’t exist is an act of faith.
It is if you will what the writer of Hebrews said, “... being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
You are hoping there is no God and in your own mind are certain of it.
To my mind it’s like going out on a cloudy night looking up into the sky and saying, “I can’t see the stars. Therefor they don’t exist.
Just because we can’t see something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
Ben Zion Boskser wrote,
“I have not seen the robin but I know he is there because I heard him singing through my window from the tree-top outside.
I have not seen God.  But I have looked at my child’s eyes, and have been overwhelmed by the miracle of unfolding life.
I have watched the trees bedeck themselves with new garbs of green in the spring, and have been stirred by the miracle of continual rebirth.
I have looked at the stars, and have been overcome by the miracle of the grandeur and majesty of the universe.
I know that God exists, because I have heard the song of His presence from all the tree-tops of creation.”
         Ben Zion Bokser.
As for me I believe the Psalmist when he wrote,

“The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” 

                                                         Psalm 19:1

For me the fact that we exist. That all of creation exists in the orderly way it does, proves there is a God. The choice however is up to you. Do you believe in God?
Please think about it

The Christian message

The Christian message
Jesus said,
“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.
The Christian message in it’s simplest form is one of love. God’s love for mankind. Jesus said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16,17  
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 22:37-40.
Jesus also said,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous...” Matthew 5: 43-45
Jesus is God showing His love in a tangible way to mankind.
The apostle Paul tells us,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
 Paul also noting,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23,24.
Sinning is falling short of what God wants for your life. Sin separates us from God.
The apostle John noting,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”   1 John 1:9,10.
Paul make it clear salvation is not something we can work for. It is a gift of God. Paul writing to the Ephesians 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 however 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
What do you believe?
Think about it.

You and Jesus

You and Jesus
Jesus said,

“Then Jesus cried out, 

“When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only,

 but in the one who sent me.  

When he looks at me, 

he sees the one who sent me.  

I have come into the world as a light,

 so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. 

“As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, 

I do not judge him.

 For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.  

There is a judge for the one who rejects me 

and does not accept my words;

 that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.”

                                                                           John 12:44-48.

Prior to this John’s gospel records Jesus, speaking of himself as saying,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. John 3:16-18.
When one is presented with the message of Jesus, one is given a choice. The individual can either believe what is said about him, or you can reject what is said. The choice is always in the hands of the individual.
No true believer in Christ Jesus will ever try to force anyone into believing what they believe.
God has given each person a free will to do what they wish. Thus dear reader the choice is yours.
What do you believe about Jesus?
Please think about it.

Does your faith

Does your faith
The apostle Paul writes,
“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 states,
“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 writer of Hebrews defining faith this way,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.”  

                                         Hebrews 11:1

Someone said we are saved by our faith in God and the salvation that comes through Christ Jesus. It however should not end there. Our faith should spur us on to doing good works. James the half brother of Jesus said,
“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....
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” James 2:14-19,26  
Thus the question becomes. If you consider yourself a follower of Christ Jesus a believer in God. Dose your faith spur you on to do good works?
Please think about it.

Love and Marriage A personal note

Love and Marriage A personal note.

“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

       Poets throughout the ages have tried to express what love is. Yet I believe there is no better words for describing love than the words God inspired the apostle Paul to write.
It’s a check list for true love.
We live in a society where marriage is easy and divorce is easier. Divorce statistics are unbelievably high.
I think the reason we have such high rates of divorce is that we don’t know what love is.
Love in the twenty-first century is mistaken for that bubbly feel good thing that we get around someone. It’s that wonderful feeling we get from having intimate relations with someone else.
This is not love at least in it’s entirety.
Love is there for the long haul.
I’ve been on this earth as of my last birthday sixty plus years. Almost forty of those years of which have been in a loving marriage relationship.
My wife and I have gone through the feel good stage at one end and at the other end of the spectrum we’ve been totally ticked off at each other.
We’ve done things that drive each other crazy. We still do. Never the less in the end we make up, cuddle up, and still after all of these years enjoy being with each other.
I can honestly say that I can’t remember what our last disagreement was about. I just asked my wife if she could and she couldn’t. Which shows how unimportant it was.
What we do remember is when we lived in the Toronto area going to Niagara Falls walking hand in hand for a short time before returning home, only to have to rush to the hospital so my wife could give birth to our first son.
We remember the little things, like my putting my arm around her as we sat in church on a Sunday.
When we were about to get married our pastor at the time quoted the above scriptures from 1 Corinthians to us. He reminded us that true love is not just a physical thing although that is a part of it.
He reminded us that it is a spiritual union of two souls that become one.
Over the years we have gone through a lot, good times and bad time.
The key I believe to our enduring love is not only do we truly believe the word of the Apostle Paul, but that we put them into action in our lives daily.
Please think about it.

What are your deeds saying?

What are your deeds saying?
The book of acts records this incident that happened to the apostle Paul in Athens. It reads,
“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?”  Acts 17:17-19.
Here is an interesting incident in Paul’s life. He was presenting the Message of Christ Jesus in the synagogues and the market place. Apparently in a peaceful and civil manner.
While in the market place Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate him which led them to invite Paul to a meeting of the Areopagus a place where philosophy and other things were debated. The ancient equivalent if you will of a Ted talk.
Acts 17:20-34 tells us what happened. Paul met the Athenians where they were at. Noting that they were very religious and obviously seeking truth for they even had a temple to “an unknown god”.
From there without judging or saying anything negative about the beliefs of the Athenians, Paul presents his beliefs on Christ Jesus. The final result was some scoffed at what he said, some believed, and some wanted to hear more.
The way Paul conducted himself in Athens should be an example for Christians today.
We live in a world of vast diversity when it comes to religion, philosophy and lifestyles. We in our service to Christ will from time to time be called on to present the message of Jesus to a wide range of people. People of different faiths, philosophies, and lifestyles.
It is therefore of the utmost importance that we present the gospel of Christ in a civil, non-judgmental way.
We must keep for lack of a better term “on script”. Telling people about the Love of God through Christ Jesus. Without judging them or in anyway insulting there faith, philosophy or lifestyle.
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.

Francis of Assisi wrote,

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 

                                                               Francis of Assisi.

The apostle Paul’s deeds in Athens led him to being asked to speak in the Areopagus. To tell all present about the Saving Grace of Christ Jesus.
What are your deeds telling those around you?
Please think about it. 

Do not Twist

Do not Twist
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.
The other day I found a couple of interesting quotes. One from Lenny Bruce said,

“Every day people are straying away from the church

 and going back to God. Really.” 

                                      Lenny Bruce, "Religions Inc."

The other is from an unknown author it states,

I believe in God; I just don't trust anyone who works for him.”

                                                                               Author Unknown

I have met many people who truly believe in God but are turned off by the people who supposedly serve Him. Turned off by what calls itself the church but really isn’t.
The apostles foreseen this.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“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.
The apostle Peter states,
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.  
Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.  
In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.”2 Peter 2:1-3.
Sadly there are many in the world today claiming to be Christians who are not. They have twisted the scriptures to say what they want it to say.
Others in misguided zeal have tried to force their beliefs on others, and society as a whole, this too is wrong.  Both groups have wandered far from the principles of God.
Jesus 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.
Notice here Jesus told his followers to make disciples of all nations. He did not say force your beliefs on anyone or society.
He told his followers to teach new disciples what he taught, not twist his teaching to suit their own way of thinking. That is wrong and turns people away from Christ.
Please think about it.

A Christian must

A Christian must

The Apostle Paul when writing to Timothy said,
"All Scripture is God-breathed  and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16,17
I believe we must therefore study scripture thoroughly and in its correct context. To take scripture out of context is wrong and can have eternal consequences.
I believe that the only infallible source of teaching is the Bible. And that when there seems to be an error in teaching it is the person teaching not the Bible who is in error.
I believe that it is every Christians duty to serve God in what ever capacity they can both inside the church and outside.
I believe also that Christianity is a way of life. That we must live that life to the best of our ability, to honour God, in word, and in deed.
I believe we should live our life humbly as a servant of God. That it is only with a servants heart that we can truly win souls for Christ.
I believe people should not have to be told we are a Christian. That the actions of our life should tell those around us that we are true servants of God, without us having to utter a word.
Like Francis of Assisi wrote we need to,

“Preach the Gospel at all times 

and when necessary use words.” 

                                          Francis of Assisi

I believe what Matthew recorded in his Gospel,
“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
I believe that  we must do this first of all because it is a command from our Lord himself and secondly that our failure to do so has eternal consequences.
I believe that we have no right to judge a person that is God’s place not ours. That we must be very careful what we say. Matthew 7:1,2 states clearly,
“Judge not that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged, and with the measure you use,  it will be measured back to you.”Matthew 7:1,2
I believe the words of Jesus recorded by Luke,
“Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. 
Forgive and you will be forgiven.”Luke 6:36,37
      We cannot afford to go into a sinful world, a world that does not recognize God or the law of God, with a judgmental attitude.
They will only turn us off and look for thing with which to judge us. Such actions also have eternal consequences.
I believe that the only way we can reach the world for Christ is to love the world. We must remember Jesus came into the world to save the world. Not to condemn it.
John’s gospel recording,
“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:16,17
I believe we like God, must show unconditional love to the world around us, neighbours, friends and even our enemies.
True Christian love expressed in the words of the apostle Paul to the Corinthians who said,

“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

I believe this is what it is to be a true Christian.
A great light is shining on the Christian. We cannot do things lightly. Our words, our deeds, all have the potential for eternal consequences.
As Christians we are called to be the light of the world to illuminate the way to heaven.
Jesus said,
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 
Therefore we must do our best to live good lives.
The apostle Peter telling us,
“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.
Please if you consider yourself a Christian,
please think about it.