Christian Principles #1 Love

Christian Principles  #1 Love
There are some very important precepts within Christianity that all true believers in Christ Jesus I believe must be following. The first is Love.
Jesus said when asked the question,
“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
Earlier in Matthews gospel we hear Jesus taking this concept of love one step further. He 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,...” Matthew 5:43,44.
When it comes to Love the Apostle Paul made clear what Christian Love should be. He wrote,

“Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast,

 it is not proud.  

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

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

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

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

Love never fails....

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.”  

                                                    1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.

What these Scriptures from the New Testament say needs no interpretation. They make clear that believers in Christ Jesus should love unconditionally, God, their neighbour, and even their enemy. And The should be praying for those who persecute them.
If you consider yourself a believer in Christ Jesus do you show this kind of Love to those around you?
Please think about it. 

With gentleness and respect

With gentleness and Respect.
The apostle Peter states,
“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” 1 Peter 3:15,16.
Christians, believers in Christ Jesus, are called to be respectful of everyone. Especially when we interact with those outside our faith. We are to treat them with gentleness and respect. Whether others treat we Christians with respect or not we are to respect them.
Our obligation as Christians is to present the gospel of Christ in a respectful manner to others. We are not to force our faith on anyone. We are to simple present what we believe giving the person the opportunity to accept what we say or reject it.
Please think about it.

For all in Authority

For all in Authority
The apostle Paul writes,
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  
This is good, and pleases God our Savior,  who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 1Timothy 2:1-4.
Look very carefully at this portion of scripture. Paul urges all Christians. All believers in Christ Jesus to pray “for kings and all those in authority” 
The reason he gives for this is, “that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”
The easiest way for Christians to win souls for Christ is in a time of peace. Those in the persecuted church have a much harder time winning souls for Christ than those living in freedom and peace.
That is why I believe Paul tells us to pray for those in authority.
Please think about it.

Do you do your best?

Do you do your best?
The apostle Paul writes,
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2Timothy 2:15.
If you claim to be a Christian a true believer in Christ Jesus you are the lense through which people see Christ. Thus the need to present the word of God in the purest way humanly possible.
We cannot afford to misinterpret scripture. To twist it to say what we want it to say. To listen only to what we agree with. 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.
Additionally we must live the gospel every day. Our deeds must reflect the unconditional love of Jesus.
If we are not doing this then we are falling far short of what God wants for us.
Please think about it.

True Worshippers

True Worshippers
Jesus said,
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24.
Are you a true worshipper? Do you truly worship God in spirit and in truth? These are questions only you can answer.
God in the book of Exodus states,
“You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3.
In the book of Joshua we read,
“Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.   Joshua 24:14.
If we consider ourselves true followers of Christ Jesus, we must examine our lives and ask ourselves in no uncertain terms if we are truly worshipping God in spirit and in truth.
We must ask ourselves the question am I putting anything or anyone ahead of God? We must ask, Am I mixing my faith with anything else, politics, philosophy, anything?
So my questions to you the reader are,
Do you put anything ahead of God?
Are you mixing your belief in God with anything?
Are you truly worshipping God in spirit and in truth?
Please think about it.

Are you condemning them

Are you condemning them
Jesus said,
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17.
As Christians we live in a world that contains many things that we disagree with. This is no different than in the time of Jesus.
Jesus and his disciples lived in a multi cultural society that was the Roman empire. There were horrifically immoral things happening at the time. Yet interestingly enough the Jesus and his disciples never passed judgement on them.
I think that perhaps this is one of the reason God sent Jesus at this time. God in his wisdom knew what kind of society we would be living in thus He gave us an example of how to live with those around us. Even those with whom we vehemently disagree with.
The apostle Paul stood in Athens speaking to those gathered in Areopagus, and never condemned their idol worship or their lifestyles. He simply presented the gospel of Salvation.
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.
We need to heed these words of Jesus carefully. The way I see it is the world will judge us according to how we judge them.
If they see us as bigots or insensitive or judgmental toward them. They will treat us the same way.
Tony Campolo the American evangelist makes a good point when he states,
“We ought to get out of the judging business. We should leave it up to God to determine who belongs in one arena or another when it comes to eternity. What we are obligated to do is to tell people about Jesus, and that's what I do.” Tony Campolo.
One of the first passages of scripture I ever memorized was the words of Jesus who 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.
The sole reason for Jesus coming into this world was to save the world not to condemn it. We as Christians, as believers in Christ Jesus will not win souls for Christ if we judge them.
Thus my question,

Are you treating others in the same way you want to be treated? 

OR 

Is your actions pushing people away from Christ?

Are you potentially condemning people to a Christless eternity?
Please think about it.

Leave them for the poor and alien

Leave them for the poor and alien
The book of Leviticus states,
“Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 19:10.
The Bible has 2000 verses dealing with the poor. Here in the book of Leviticus God tells the farmer not to go over his field a second time. Rather leave that which is unpicked for the poor and alien.
The Jews at the time of the writing of Leviticus were living in an agricultural society. Thus leaving the leftovers from the harvest was practical.
In our society today such a thing for the most part is impractical. Not everyone has a farm. There is however something we can do. It was something I picked up when my wife and I started attending our new Church.
The small church worked with the homeless. Doing what they can to help the poor within our city. One of the thing was very practical.
We have a number of homeless that stand at traffic lights and other locations around town and ask for money. What people do is when they have loose change from going through a drive through or whatever they keep it hand and give it to the person asking for money. Some give gift cards. Others even give them a meal.
It’s not much a few dollars hear and there but I’ve found it is welcome.
In Jewish culture there is a concept called
The following is as good an explanation of Tzedakah. It comes from a Jewish website,
“Tzedakah is the Hebrew word for acts that we call charity in English: giving assistance and money to the poor and needy or to other worthy causes. However the nature of tzedakah is very different from the idea of charity. The word “charity suggests benevolence and generosity, a magnanimous act by the wealthy and the powerful for the benefit of he poor and needy.
The word “tzedakah” is derived form the Hebrew root Tzadei-dalet-Qof, meaning righteousness, justice or fairness. In Judaism giving to the poor is not viewed as a generous, magnanimous act, it is simply and act of righteousness, performance of a duty giving the poor their due.
The Obligation of Tzedakah
Giving to the poor is an obligation in Judaism, a duty that cannot be forsaken even by those who are themselves in need. Some sages have said that tzedakah is the highest of all commandments, equal to all of them combined, and that a person who does not perform tzedaka is equivalent to an idol worshipper. This is probably hyperbole, but it illustrates the importance to tzedakah in Jewish thought....
According to Jewish law, we are required to give one-tenth of our income to the poor. This generally interpreted as one-tenth of our net income after payment of taxes. Those who are dependent on public assistance or living on the edge of subsistence may give less but must still give to the extent they are able; however, no person should give so much that he would become a public burden.
The obligation to perform tzedakah can be fulfilled by giving money to the poor, to health care institutions, to Synagogues or educational institutions. It can also be fulfilled by supporting your children beyond the age when you are legally required to, or supporting your parents in their old age. The obligation includes giving both to Jews and gentiles... 
Certain kinds of tzedakah are considered more meritorious than others. The Talmud describes these different levels of tzedakah, and Rambam organized them into a list. The levels of charity from the least meritorious to the most meritorious, are: 

Giving begrudgingly

Giving less than you should, bu giving cheerfully,

Giving after being asked

Giving before being asked

Giving when you do not know the recipient’s identity, but the recipient knows yours

Giving when you know and the recipient’s identity, but the recipient doesn’t know yours.

Giving when neither party knows the other’s identity.

Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant. 

As Christians the above is something we should consider. It is perfectly in line with Christian belief.
Please Think about it.

You Foolish Man

You Foolish Man?

You foolish man, 

do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?” 

                                                        James 2:14-20

I was talking to a man the other day that claimed to be a Christian. Yet he went on and on about refugees trying to enter Canada illegally. Telling me that they should be sent back to where they came from.
This man reflects what is happening in the United States also. Many calling themselves Christians are speaking against the refugees that are coming to the border.
As I look on this I am saddened. Christians should be the first at the border to minister to these people. And while there are some Christian groups extending the hand of mercy to the refugees, the shouts of those against the refugees is drowning them out.
Teresa of Ávila said
“Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours; yours are the eyes through which to look at Christ’s compassion to the world, yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good, and yours are the hands with which he is to bless us now.” Mother Teresa of Avila
The American evangelist Tony Campolo put it this way,
“These issues are biblical issues: to care for the sick, to feed the hungry, to stand up for the oppressed. I contend that if the evangelical community became more biblical, everything would change.” Tony Campolo.
Christians are obligated to help those less fortunate. To quote James the half brother of Jesus,
“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.
Thus my question to you is. If you claim to be a Christian are you exhibiting good works? Are you doing what you can to help the needy in your community be they at the border or the homeless on the street? Or for that matter the less fortunate that are in your church congregation?
When you stand before God what will he say about what you did on this earth?
Please think about it.
Post Script
Do you know there are 2000 verses in the Bible that deal with responding to the needs of the poor?

A Thought

A thought.
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.”John 3:16 
On February 14, 1990, NASA at a distance of 6 billion kilometres (3,7 billion miles) had the Voyager 1 space probe take a picture of the Solar system. It showed earth as a pail blue dot smaller than the head of a pin.
Looking at it we see just how small earth is in the universe. Within the vastness of the universe it seems insignificant. Yet it is everything to those of us who live on it.
Some have said there may be more planets out there in the vastness of the universe that has life. While that may be true it is our planet and our planet alone that is important to us. We have no other place in the universe to live.
This pail blue dot we live on is also important to God. For He entered the world in the form of His one and Only Son Jesus Christ. Jesus tells us,
“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.
When we look at the Bible we must remember that it is not a science book. But rather a book of relationships. Man’s relationship with God as well as man’s relationship with his fellow man.
Galileo Galilei wisely said,

“The Bible shows the way to go to heaven, 

not the way the heavens go.”

                                 Galileo Galilei.

The way I see it is God did not see those who live on that pail blue dot as insignificant. Quite the contrary He created them to have fellowship for all eternity with them.
That being said He chose to give each person a free will to do as they wished. To believe in Him and that He created the universe and everything in it. To believe that He entered the world in the form of His One and Only Son Jesus Christ or not to believe.
Thus the choice is yours. Do you believe there is a God? Do you believe in Christ Jesus?
The writer of Hebrews said,

“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 choice is yours.
Please think about it.

We Must Love

We must Love
Jesus 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,” Matthew 5:43,44.
Do you love your enemy? Are you willing to sit down with those whom you do not like? Are you willing to sit down with those of different faiths and lifestyles?
Here is an interesting quote from the Talmud,
“An aged man, whom Abraham hospitality invited to his tent, refused to join him in prayer to the one spiritual God.  Learning that he was a fire-worshipper.   Abraham drove him from his door.  That night God appeared to Abraham in a vision and said: ‘I have borne with that ignorant man for seventy years: could you not have patiently suffered him one night?” The Talmud.
Sadly many who claim to be Christians are not willing to sit down with those of other faiths or lifestyles. They, in some cases will not do business with them. How tragic. For in doing so they are pushing people away from God.
God in sending Jesus to this earth showed us unconditional love. This is the kind of love we are called to show to others.
As I said in my previous blog post it is not the Christians place to judge anyone. It is our job to love.
The apostle Paul defines love this way,

“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.

This is the kind of love we as Christians as believers in Christ Jesus must show to the world.
We must never ever judge anyone.
We must remember the words of Jesus who 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.
We must remember we are Christ’s representatives on this earth and that the only way we will win souls for Christ is to love everyone unconditionally.
Please think about it. 

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.