Do not Judge

Do not Judge
Jesus said,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1,2.
If you claim to be a Christian, a believer in Christ Jesus you must obey what he said here. We as Christians have no right to judge. Especially those outside the church.
The American evangelist Billy Graham said,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge

 and my job to love,” 

                       Billy Graham

Baruch Sinoza wrote,
“It is imperative that freedom of judgment should be granted, so that men may live together in harmony, however diverse, or even openly contradictory their opinions maybe.  In proportion as the power of free judgment is withheld, we depart from the natural condition of mankind." Baruch Spinoza.
God has given everyone complete freedom to do as they wish. As Christians we may not agree with what others my do but we have no right to judge them. I’m sure Paul and the other Apostles did not agree with what they seen around the Roman world of their day. Yet they never spoke against it. They never judged anyone outside their faith.
The apostle Paul said,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  
God will judge those outside. 
Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12,13
The apostle Paul also told believers,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”Romans 12:18.
Jesus, and the Apostles knew that the only way to reach a person for Christ is to live at peace with them.
If we as Christians judge anyone then we run the risk of pushing them away, potentially into a Christless eternity.
Please think about it.

The Strongest Bulwark

The strongest Bulwark
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.”Ecclesiastes 12:13,14.
Abba Hillel Silver wrote,
“Faith in God is the strongest bulwark of a free society.  Human freedom began when men became conscious that over and above society and nature there is a God who created them...who fashioned them in His likeness, and that they are, therefore, possessed of intrinsic and independent significance and are endowed, as individuals, with original and irrevocable rights and authority.” Abba Hillel Silver.
When God is forgotten by society, society runs the risk of falling apart. While God in creating man gave him complete freedom to do as he wished. He, I believe placed in mans heart rules to live by. Devine rules that allow a free society to function well. Those divine rules in a nutshell being the ten commandments.
When man disobeys those rules and refuses to believe in God, or fear God, society can fall apart. We only have to look at Nazi Germany in the 1930's and during world war two to see this in its extreme.
Hitler and his supporters did not fear God. Instead they lived by their own rules that led to the death of millions of men women and children in the death camps. In a world war that claimed in excess of fifty-six million people, soldiers and civilians.
The same is true on a smaller scale around the world today with respect to terrorist groups. Most do not fear God. Some even have the twisted belief they are doing God’s work.
Throughout our society we see murderers, rapist, thieves and others who commit crimes who do not give God a second thought.
Whether mankind wants to admit it or not. Mankind needs God and the basic set of rules for living life to it’s fullest. Mankind needs to acknowledge that the writer of Ecclesiastes is right when he 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.”Ecclesiastes 12:13,14.
Please think about it.

You don't know what will happen tomorrow

You don’t know what will happen tomorrow
James the half brother of Jesus wrote,
“Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”  
Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. James 4:13,14.
An atheist once told me there is no God. To which I replied sarcastically, “there must be for to know beyond doubt there is no God, one has to have been everywhere and know everything. These are traits of God. So if you know know for sure there is no God you must have been everywhere and know all things. Therefor logic says you are God.”
The truth of the matter is no one on this earth has been everywhere and knows everything. Thus one of the things we don’t know might be God. And for certain no one living today has gone beyond the grave the very place God is.
James tells us how little we know stating,
“...you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.”
If this is true how can anyone say for certain there is no God.
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 believe God asks what for many people is a very hard thing to do have faith that He exists. 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

The writer defining faith as,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.” 

                                          Hebrews 11:1.

As I said believing in someone you can’t see is very hard for many people. Yet it is what God requires. He asks this I believe because anyone who has faith in anything are usually the strongest of followers. Followers who will endure anything including death for their beliefs.
Thus the question is,
Do you believe in God?
Please think about it.

Your Dealings

Your Dealings
James the half brother of Jesus states,
“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.  Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.  
Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.  
Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.  
You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.  
You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.” James 5:1-6.
As I said in my previous blog post being rich is not a sin. Many rich people have and continue to serve God to the fullest of their ability. Using their wealth to spread the gospel message.
The above portion of scripture is a warning from James to the wealthy to deal fairly and truthfully with their employees and those whom they interact with.
Jesus gave a similar warning when he told this parable.
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.  
At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores  and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.  
In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.  
So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.  
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house,  
for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 
“ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ” Luke 16:19-31.
This parable and the words of James are a warning not only to the rich but to all people to deal honourably and faithfully with our fellow man. We must do this because one day we will stand before God and be judged by Him.
Question, when you stand before God what will he say to you about all your dealings with your fellow man?
Please think about it.

How important is your faith?

How important is your faith?
Matthew’s gospel records this interaction between Jesus and a rich young man.
“Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” 
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” 
“Which ones?” the man inquired. Jesus replied, “ ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony,  honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’’” 
“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” 
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” Matthew 19:16-22.
Let me state from the outset, being rich is not a sin. The apostle Paul tells us
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10.
Many wealthy people have helped and continue to help spread the gospel of Christ. Money is simply and inanimate object that is not evil. It’s what we do with money and the emphasis we put on it in our lives that can cause us to sin.  As the apostle Paul states, “Some people eager for money have wondered from the faith...”
This is apparently what was happening with this young man. He said he believed in God. He kept the commandments. Yet he was unwilling to give up his wealth and rely on God to provide for him. This showed a lack of faith.
Jesus said,
“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34.
While God may never ask us to give up everything in our lives. To be a true believer in Christ we must be willing to give everything up and rely in God to provide our day to day needs.
Thus my question to those who claim to be Christians is.
Are you willing to give up everything for Christ?
Please think about it.

Are these qualities?

Are these qualities?
The writer of Proverbs states,
“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 
Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” Proverbs 3:3,4.
The apostle Peter writes,
“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
The above quotes are not suggestions for a Christians to follow. They are things we as believers in Christ Jesus must do.
The apostle Paul tells us the kind of things believers in Christ should be exhibiting in their personal lives when he writes,
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”  Galatians 5:22,23.
These qualities should be seen in a believers life by those who are around them without them saying a word.
Thus my question, If you claim to be a Christian, a believer in Christ Jesus, are these qualities that are exhibited in your life?
Please think about it. 

Not wanting anyone to perish

Not wanting anyone to Perish
The apostle Peter writes,
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9.
The way I look at things is when a person is presented with the message of Christ they have the rest of their lives to decide for themselves if that message is true or false.
Believing in Christ Jesus is a very personal thing that takes faith. And having faith in anything let alone an unseen God is a very hard thing for many people. Yet it is faith that God wants. 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.

Faith defined as,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

 and certain of what we do not see.”  

                                                   Hebrews 11:1.

Thus I leave you the choice as to whether you believe the message of Salvation offered through Christ Jesus is true of false up to you.
Please think about it.

God in our Image???

God in our Image???
The Book of Genesis states,

“So God created man in His own image; 

in the image of God He created him; 

male and female He created them.” 

                                              Genesis 1:27.

That being said I think many people today claiming to be Christians consciously or subconsciously make God in their own image.
Some make God out to be a “sugar daddy”, or a “supernatural banker” offering huge returns on money they give to Him or some ministry.
Others say God want’s you healthy and wealthy. Going as far as saying if you are not, you are not in right standing with God. You are sinning.
In the United States in particularly many think God has a special relationship with their country. Something not substantiated by the Bible.
Some more traditional false views of God are people who see God as a grumpy old man with a big stick ready to hit you with it if you do anything wrong. A God of do’s and do not’s.
A God ready to judge your every move. Ready to sentence you to hell.
The list as to how man makes God in his image goes on and on.
Some even go as far as praying to long dead saints leaving God out of the picture altogether.
While some mix their faith and politics. Claiming that God prefers one political party over another, or one politician over another.
Sadly many pastors, evangelist, and church leaders do not speak up against such errors in belief. While quick to point out the sins of the secular world, the sins non-Christians, they refuse to speak up, particularly publicly against errors in church doctrine. At the same time they are not willing to speak against the sins of men and women in leadership within the church.
The apostle Paul makes it clear what followers of Christ should be doing with respect to the world outside, and inside the church. Paul writes,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  God will judge those outside.
“Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12,13.
I believe failure to speak out against false teaching within the church leads to it’s message being ineffectual. Effectively “the salt losing is savour”.
If you claim to be a follower of Christ Jesus you must always remember that it is through the lense of your words and deed that people will see Christ.
Evangelist Charles H. Spurgeon said,
“The Bible is not the light of the world, it is the light of the Church. But the world does not read the Bible, the world reads Christians! “You are the light of the world.””  Charles H. Spurgeon.
 As Francis of Assisi rightly said,

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 

                                                                    Francis of Assisi.

Please think about it.

What if?

What if?
Jesus said,
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13,14.
What if, what Jesus is saying here is true.
What, if God has provided mankind with a narrow gate that leads to heaven?
What if, what Jesus said is true when he said,
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6?
What if, Simeon’s words about Jesus, recorded in Luke are true when he said,
“Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. 
For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” Luke 2:28-32?
What if, Martha’s statement about Jesus is true when she said,
“Yes Lord” she told Him, “I believe you are the Christ the Son of God, who was to come into the world,...”John 11:27?
What if Simon Peters words about Jesus is true when he said,
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:,15,16?
What if the words written by the writer of Hebrews is correct when it says,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3.
What if the words of Jesus are true when he said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. John 3:16-18?
I leave it for you to think about.
Please think about it.

Because of His Mercy

Because of His mercy
The apostle Paul wrote,
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” Titus 3:4,5.
Writing to the Romans Paul states,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.
C. S. Lewis put what Christians believe this way,
“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.
Christians believe individuals cannot work your way to heaven. The prophet Isaiah saying,
“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” Isaiah 64:6
The apostle Paul noting,
“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.
It is our faith in the saving grace of God that comes through Jesus Christ that saves us. Not our works.
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.
The writer of Hebrews defining faith as,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

 and certain of what we do not see.”  

                                                 Hebrews 11:1.

Do you believe this?
Please think about it.

Christians are you saved?

Christian are you truly saved?
Jesus said,
“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
Sadly what Jesus is saying is true. There are many people today who claim to be Christians who are not. That includes not only people who sit in the pews, but pastors, evangelist and others.
Leonard Ravenhill an English American evangelist said,
“I doubt if 5% of professing Christians in America are born again--and that's true of England!” Leonard Ravenhill.
There are many, many people who go to church that will find out one day that they are not going to heaven. That is especially true I think of many who have grown up in the church. These people know the ritual. They know what to say and when to say it. But they have no personal relationship with Christ.
Many go to church here in North America because it’s a social thing. Their grandparents went. Their parents went and their friends go to church. Thus they go.
But as the saying goes. “Going to church and reading your bible doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a fire station makes you a fire truck.
I firmly believe there is a need within the Church especially here in North America where I live for a revival. A revival that must start from within.
We as true believers in Christ Jesus need to be reaching out to the people within the walls of our church congregations to ensure that all who attending are truly in a right relationship with God. For if we don’t it will have eternal consequences.
Please think about it.

I Love the Guy

I Love this guy
I don’t know where this came from exactly but it’s true. It describes a man I love and admire,

• He had long hair and a beard

• He didn’t work for corporations

• He hung out with prostitutes, criminals
and other unsavoury characters

• He advocated paying your taxes

• He advocated giving away your personal possessions

• He advocated social justice

• He gave people hope instead of fear
• He advocated change instead of the status quo

• He preached Peace not war

• He upset local conservatives

• His philosophy was based on compassion, equality, Inclusion,
• forgiveness, tolerance, peace and most importantly Love.

These are values that are considered liberal values today. Yet he preached these values two thousand years ago. One of his most famous quotes is,
“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.
His name was Jesus.
If you claim to be a Christian are you espousing these values?
Please think about it.