Let us sing to The Lord

Let us sing to The Lord
The Psalmist writes,

“Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; 

let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. 

Let us come before him with thanksgiving 

and extol him with music and song. 

For the LORD is the great God, 

the great King above all gods. 

In his hand are the depths of the earth,

 and the mountain peaks belong to him. 

The sea is his, for he made it, 

and his hands formed the dry land. 

Come, let us bow down in worship, 

let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; 

for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, 

the flock under his care. 

                                           Psalm 95:1-7

Here is a Psalm of praise to God. The Psalm of a believer to the Lord God Almighty. The Creator of heaven and earth.
As a believer in God I think it is the duty of every believer to praise God, not just in church but at other times also.
We as believers in God are called to live a life and lifestyle that is acceptable to God. A life of Love for God, ones neighbours and even ones enemies.
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.
In the book of Deuteronomy we read,
“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  
These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  
Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”  Deuteronomy 6:5-7.
Jesus took this concept of Love one step further saying,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,...” Matthew 5:43,44.
The apostle Peter states,
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 
Dear friends,
 I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:9-12.
I believe in living a life of love before all men we will draw individuals to God and the salvation that comes through Christ Jesus.
Please think about it.

On Getting to Heaven

On Getting to Heaven
The Psalmist writes,
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16.
I have this portion of the psalms written in the front of my Bible. It reminds me that God created me in the my mothers womb. That he if you will, knows my DNA.
God knows why am the way I am. No human being can say that of any person. That’s why I firmly believe no one has the right to judge me or anyone else. Especially when it comes to where I will spend eternity.
Billy Graham the great American evangelist said,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge

 and my job to love,” 

                          Billy Graham

I believe anyone can get to heaven no matter who they are their ethnicity, their lifestyle or their sexual orientation.
The God I serve is a God of love. That’s why he sent his one and only Son Jesus Christ into the world. Jesus speaking of himself said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16,17.
Belief, faith, in God and the acceptance of the saving grace God offers through Jesus Christ is the only criteria for getting into heaven. And only the individual an God knows if they are truly saved.
No one, believers in Christ or otherwise, have the right to judge where a person will spend eternity.
Tony Campolo the American evangelist states,
“Let us preach Christ, let us be faithful to proclaiming the Gospel, but let's leave judgment in the hands of God.” Tony Campolo.
Please think about it.

It makes me feel good

It makes me feel good
The Psalmist writes,

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 

Worship the LORD with gladness; 

come before him with joyful songs. 

Know that the LORD is God. 

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

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; 

give thanks to him and praise his name. 

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; 

his faithfulness continues through all generations. 

                                                                 Psalm 100.

You know there are times when I just like sitting back in a chair and praising God. In years long gone I use to be with a gospel group. In that group I learned to dance. And there are times now that I just like to praise God with dance. Why? Because it make me feel good.
And it allows me to express my love of my God and my Saviour Jesus Christ.
If you claim to be a Christian a believer in God and the Saving Grace that comes through Christ Jesus to do you take time to praise God?
Please think about it.

Psalms, Voltaire, and Billy Graham

Psalms Voltaire, and Billy Graham
The Psalmist writes,

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

                                                                Psalm 14:1

“The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

                                                       Psalm 19:1

Voltaire wrote,

“I cannot imagine how the clockwork of the universe can exist

 without a clockmaker.”

                                    Voltaire

Billy Graham stated,

I can't prove it scientifically, 

that there's a God, 

but I believe. 

                         Billy Graham.

We may not be able to prove scientifically today in the twenty-first century that there is a God, but that does not preclude His existence.
I was born in the 1950's. at that time black holes, planets in other star systems, many sub atomic particles, that we know of today were unknown. It didn’t mean they didn’t exist. It just meant scientist hadn’t discovered them.
Scientist speculated on their existence because of what they seen in the world around them postulated a theory and quite often had to wait for science to advance to prove they existed.
      Some of Eienstein’s theories were not proven until long after his death. Yet Eienstein and others like him believed in their theories. They believed that they would one day be proven. In short they had faith in their theory.
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

So it is with believers in God. We look at the orderly universe around us. We see that everything from the largest galaxy to the smallest sub-atomic particle is perfectly in sync with one another to produce life as we know it on this planet.
The conclusion we come to is that there is a Creator God behind it all.
If we are wrong we have nothing to fear.
If we are right we enter into eternity knowing the very maker of the Universe.
Please think about it.

The Beginning of Wisdom

The beginning of Wisdom
The Psalmist writes,

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; 

all who follow his precepts have good understanding.

 To him belongs eternal praise.” 

                                           Psalm 111: 10.

I believe if more people believed in God and His precepts the world would be a far better place.
In my previous blog I quoted Ecclesiastes 12:13,14 that said,
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole  duty  of man. 
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes12:13,14.
When man loses his fear of God. Fear of ultimate judgement things can go terribly wrong. We only have to look at Adolf Hitler and the Nazis during the second world war. They did not fear judgement. They turned to their own evil ways fearing no one in this world or the next. The result was in excess of fifty-six million plus men women and children murdered in the war and genocide they were responsible for.
They had no fear of God’s judgement. They did not fear God and follow His wisdom.
Think of it if those men and women responsible for starting the second world war and creating the holocaust had just followed one word of advice of Jesus that being,

“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 they and for that matter society in general had followed the teachings of Jesus who 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 world would have been a much better place and fifty six million plus people would have lived.
Today in the twenty-first century it is incumbent I believe on all people to seek God’s wisdom to Love God, our neighbour and even our enemy.
I believe if we as individuals and a society would do this the world would be a better place.
Please think about it.

God Exists

God Exists
The Psalmist writes,

“Be still, and know that I am God; 

I will be exalted among the nations, 

I will be exalted in the earth.” 

                                     Psalm 46:10

The writer of Ecclesiastes states,
“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.
Billy Graham the great American evangelist warned,
“The Bible says today is the accepted time, today is the day of salvation... But there will come a time when it will be too late for you.” Billy Graham.
I am a Christian and the way I see it. You either believe in God, and the Saving Grace that comes through Jesus Christ or you do not. There is no gray area.
The Choice is yours. If God does not exist. If Jesus is not the Christ the Saviour of mankind then you have nothing to fear.
On the other hand if what I and all Christian believe is true you have at the very least something to seriously consider.
Please take some time to read at least the New Testament. Read it with an open mind. Ask God to show His reality to you. Read it to at least see what those early men and women who knew Jesus believed about him and God.
Please think about it.

Praise Him in Word and Deed

Praise Him in Word and Deed
The Psalmist tells believers in God to,

Praise the LORD. 

Praise God in his sanctuary;

 praise him in his mighty heavens. 

Praise him for his acts of power; 

praise him for his surpassing greatness. 

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, 

praise him with the harp and lyre, 

praise him with tambourine and dancing,

 praise him with the strings and flute, 

praise him with the clash of cymbals, 

praise him with resounding cymbals. 

Let everything that has breath 

praise the LORD. 

Praise the LORD. 

                              Psalm 150

Here’s a question. Do you praise The Lord in word and in deed?
 Many people praise God in word. But their actions in their daily life do not give praise to God.
The book of Acts notes this about the early church,
“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,  praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:46,47.
The early church kept their eyes fixed on God. As a result “the Lord added to their numbers daily those who were being saved.”
It’s my belief if those who claim to be followers of Christ Jesus today kept their eyes firmly on God. Praising Him and showing unconditional love to those around, many more people would be saved.
Please think about it.

The Clock Maker

The Clock maker
Voltaire wrote,

“I cannot imagine how the clockwork of the universe can exist

 without a clock maker.” 

                           Voltaire.

The Psalmist 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 book of Genesis tells us,

“In the beginning God

 created the heavens and the earth.”

                                              Genesis 1:1.

This is what I believe. I believe there is a God who created the heavens and the earth. I don’t care whether he created it in six twenty-four hour days or through the big bang and billions of years. How he made it is not important to my faith.
I believe God exist period. Full stop.
Admittedly it is an act of faith on my part. That I believe is what God wanted the writer of Hebrews telling us.

“And without faith it is impossible to please God,

 because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” 

                                                                    Hebrews 11:6.

Of faith Blaise Pascal wrote,

“In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe

 and enough shadows to blind those who don't.”

                                                                   Blaise Pascal.

I believe having faith in God is the most important thing anyone can do. It, in my opinion has eternal consequences. The nice thing about having faith in God, it cost us absolutely nothing. To quote 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 choice is yours.
But before you place your bet. Please, at least read the New Testament, pray and ask God to show you the truth.
Please think about it.

A Bible and a Whisky Bottle

A Bible and a Whisky Bottle

Harper Lee in her book To Kill a Mockingbird said,
“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)...”Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird.
A man with a whisky bottle in his hand, may be drunk, he may get into a bar brawl he may even cause bodily injury or death. As tragic as they are they in themselves have no eternal consequences.
On the other hand a man with a Bible in his hand who is incorrectly quoting scriptures can lead people away from God and the Salvation Christ Jesus brings. He can cause people to give up on God period. Things that have eternal consequences.
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 Christians we need to be careful how we use the scriptures. We need to make sure we are using scripture in context. Not cherry picking verses to make them say what we feel they should say.
St. Augustine said,
“If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.” St Augustine.
As believers in Christ Jesus people will see God through the lense of our life, of our words and deeds. As Francis of Assisi said,

“The deeds you do

 may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 

                                                                   Francis of Assisi.

A grave responsibility sits on the shoulders of those who claim to be followers of Christ Jesus. Our words and deeds have eternal consequences.
People will make up their minds as to what they believe about Christ from what we say and do.”
Are you correctly handling the scriptures?
Are you correctly presenting the Love of Christ in word and in deed?
Please think about it.

2 Quotes

2 Quotes
Leonard Ravenhill the English/American evangelist said,

“The sinner's prayer has sent more people to hell 

than all the taverns in America.” 

                                                     Leonard Ravenhill

He also noted,

I doubt if 5% of professing Christians in America are born again

and that's true of England! 

                                       Leonard Ravenhill

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.
Sadly I believe Ravenhill’s statements. There are many who may think they are going to heaven that are not. They believe because they have said the “sinners prayer” it is if you will their ticket to heaven.
The sinners prayer is not found in Scripture and some Christian scholars and Pastors have questioned it’s effectiveness. Some see it as giving a false sense of security.
The bottom line is that Christian’s believe you are saved by your faith in God and the salvation that comes through Christ Jesus. The apostle Paul stating,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9.
Saying a prayer of any kind does not guarantee you getting to heaven. The only guarantee of getting to heaven is as I said above truly having faith in God and the Salvation that comes through Christ Jesus.
No one can tell if you are truly saved. Salvation is a deeply personal thing between the individual and God.
Part of the problem in North America and particularly in the United States is going to church is part of the culture. You go to church because your family has always gone. Your friends go so you go.
A pastor I knew who’d come to Canada from the mid west states, the so called Bible Belt, in the United States to set up a church was quite shocked.
He’d lived all of his life in the United States and always thought Canada was like the States. To make matters more confusing for him at first, was the fact that he had decided to start the church in one of the most ethnically diverse areas of Canada.
As he told me where he came from even if individuals only go to church only at Easter and Christmas they considered themselves good church goers. And most have Bibles in their homes. Christianity in the area he came from in the States was very much cultural. Not so in Canada.
It is when Christianity and belief in God becomes part of the culture that people may think they are going to heaven when they are not.
I believe it is therefor the duty of those who truly believe in God. To look around them in there church congregations in particular and see if there are any lost souls. People who know all the right things to say and do in church but are not truly saved.
Thus my questions become
If you attend church are you personally absolutely certain that should you pass into eternity to day that you will get to heaven?
Please think about it. 

An Observation

An observation
Michael Flynn wrote,
“Jesus said the weeds would grow with the wheat until the Judgement," Dietrich answered, "so one finds both good men and bad in the Church. By our fruits we will be known, not by what name we have called ourselves.”
Matthew’s gospel records,
Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.  
But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.  
When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 
“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 
“ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 
“ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them.  
Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ Matthew 13:24-30.
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 church is an old institution. Like any institution it has gathered more than a few barnacles. Within the church today are many calling themselves Christians that are not. They may claim to be but they are not.
Sadly there are many evangelist, pastors and those sitting in the pews of churches today that are not Christians. They may know what to say in church or from the pulpit. The may know the words to all the hymns. They may even be able to quote large amounts of the Bible from memory. But they are not Christians.
Sadly people look on “church goers” and lump everyone together. They see people that claim to be Christians doing wrong or not living up the standards of God and turn away from Christ.
When it comes to God, Jesus and the Church, people should not be looking at who’s going to Church or what people who claim to be Christians are doing. They should be looking to God praying, and asking guidance from Him. Asking God to show them His truths to them.
They should be reading the Bible for themselves. Studying it and seeing what it truly says.
The way I see it is anyone attending church on a regular basis be they true believers or not always have the opportunity to turn their hearts and mind to God.
Those who do not go to church for any reason quite possibly will miss the most important opportunity they have in this life.
C. S. Lewis said of Christianity,
“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.
Please think about it

John Newton, The Apostle Paul and You

John Newton, The apostle Paul, Jesus and You
“Thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondsman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee.” Deuteronomy 15:15.

I believe it’s at St. Mary Woolnoth  an Anglican church in London England, that there is a plaque with the words,
 “John Newton, clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy.”
To quote R. J. Morgan from the book 365 scriptures that changed the world (copy right Thomas Nelson Publishers 1998.)
  “As a young man, Newton had been a seaman and slave trader whose mouth was a cesspool of profanity, and who liberally helped himself to the female slaves he transported. 
   But he also became a deserter, flogged by the British Navy, who was reduced to being the slave of a sadistic woman, herself a slave, in Africa.
Out of all this he was saved. And he became one of England’s greatest preachers, the author of the beloved hymn Amazing Grace.”
Over his study desk he had this verse from Deuteronomy
“Thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondsman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee.” Deuteronomy 15:15.
He reportedly told a friend later in life “My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things, that I am a great sinner and that Christ is a Great Saviour.”
John Newton’s conversion was dramatic. He went from being a man without principles. A man without a conscience to a man of great principles.
He spoke out against the slave trade and would go on to write hundreds of hymns 280 of which he combined with 68 hymns of William Cowper to form the Olney Hymnal.
We today can look on Newton and see how bad he was and say thank God I am nowhere near as bad as him. He needed a conversion experience. I am far better than him.
Many non-Christians I believe today also look at people who go to church. People who claim to be Christians and say, “I know them. I know what they do outside of Church and it isn’t very Christian. Why should I become a Christian because I am better all around than they are.”
That may be so but not everyone who goes to church is a Christian. Not everyone who say’s they are Christian are.
Many people as well as Preachers and evangelist will one day stand before God and find they are not accepted into heaven. Jesus 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.
When it comes to knowing Jesus as one’s Lord and Saviour it is up to the individual to decide.
We should not look on those who are going to church or who claim to be Christians. Simply because many who claim to be Christians are not.
Each individual needs to look within themselves and ask themselves am “I truly good enough to go to heaven?”
I believe if we are honest with ourselves the answer will be no.
No one is good enough to stand before a holy God.
C.S. Lewis said,
“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.” C.S. Lewis
That is why Jesus came.
Another self admitted sinner the apostle Paul wrote these words,
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.  
But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” 1 Timothy 1:15,16
I firmly believe that we as individuals must search our heart of hearts and in all humility admit that there is sin in our life.
Then we must turn to Jesus, recognize that he is the One and only Son of God, who died for our sins and ask him to forgive our sins and come into our hearts and lives.
For it is only through Christ that we can truly have our sins forgiven and have our lives changed.
It happened to John Newton. It happened to the Apostle Paul and it can happen to you.