Do Good Seek Peace

Do Good Seek Peace
The Psalmist writes,

"Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 

Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, 

keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. 

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." 

                                                                             Psalm 34:11-14.

Turn from evil, do good, seek peace and pursue it. This is a not only the call from the psalmist it is a call from God.
The apostle Peter writes,
"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.
So my question to you if you claim to be a true believer in Christ Jesus is; are you living such a good life among the non-believers around you that even though they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your good deeds and glorify God when he returns?
Please think about it.

All Day Long

All Day Long

The Psalmist writes,

"My tongue will speak of your righteousness 

and of your praises all day long."

                                               Psalm 35:28

If you claim to be a true follower of Christ Jesus do you speak of the righteousness of the Lord whenever you get a chance? Do you praise God often?
You should.
To quote the Psalmist again,

“Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;

 it is fitting for the upright to praise him. 

Praise the LORD with the harp; 

make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. 

Sing to him a new song; 

play skillfully, and shout for joy.” 

                                           Psalm 33:1-3.

Why not take a few minutes now to praise God. To glorify His holy name?
Please think about it.

Give thanks

Give Thanks
In the book of Chronicles we read,

“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; 

make known among the nations what he has done. 

Sing to him, sing praise to him; 

tell of all his wonderful acts. 

Glory in his holy name;

 let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. 

Look to the LORD and his strength; 

seek his face always. 

Remember the wonders he has done, 

his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,...” 

                                                               1 Chronicles 16:8-12.

If you consider yourself a believer in God, a believer in Christ Jesus, can you give glory to God? Can you praise God.
For me praising God is quite therapeutic. In praising God I am made aware of His love. Of the fact that I do indeed have a lot to be thankful for.
If you claim to be a Christian. A believer in Christ Jesus, do you take time somewhere in your day to give thanks to God?
Please think about it.

All things work together

All things work together
The apostle Paul writes,
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28.
This portion of scripture can be the hardest thing to believe, especially when we are going through tough times.
Yet the apostle Paul believed this and the apostle Paul was someone who was no stranger to hard times.  Through all the hardship Paul went through, things did work for good. For it helped spread the gospel of Christ throughout the know world.
Paul during his life time was able to speak to the common man. He spoke to intellectuals in Athens. Was able to witness to people after a shipwreck. Paul also witnessed to Jewish leaders, to a Jailor, Roman soldiers, governors, even the Roman emperor himself.
Paul no matter what he went through lived his faith in word and in deed. Which is what we are called to do in our lives today.
So my question to anyone reading this who claims to be a follower of Christ Jesus. Do you believe what Paul wrote? Are you despite what you are going through, good or bad, telling people of your faith in Christ Jesus in world and in deed?
Please think about it. 

Our Journey

Our Journey
The Psalmist writes,

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 

He makes me lie down in green pastures, 

he leads me beside quiet waters, 

he restores my soul. 

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 

I will fear no evil, for you are with me; 

your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, 

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. 

                                                                                      Psalm 23.

Life is never smooth sailing over calm waters. Life is more like a journey to a distant land. To get there we must walk not only through green pastures on pleasant sunny days, but  through storms and dark valleys.
The end however for anyone who believes in Christ Jesus, is entering into the house of the LORD. Where we will dwell forever.
Please think about it.

Shout for Joy!

Shout for Joy!
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.

Today is New Years day here in Canada. It is a time of celebration when we gather with family and friends.
If you are a believer in Christ Jesus I would urge you on this day and every day throughout the coming year to follow the words of the Psalmist who said,

“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

Please Think about it.

Make disciples

Make disciples
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.
This is a call to all Christians. We must tell the world about Jesus in word and in deed. Francis of Assisi noted two things. He said,

Preach the Gospel at all times

 and when necessary use words.

                                                 Francis of Assisi

"The deeds you do

 may be the only sermon some persons will hear today" 

                                                                        Francis of Assisi.

As Christians, believers in Christ Jesus we are called to love 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 neighbour as yourself.'  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:36-40.
Jesus also said,
"You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.'  
       But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,..." Matthew 5:43,44.
It is only through showing unconditional love to those around us that we can effectively present the gospel message and win souls for Christ.
So my question to all who call themselves Christians, followers of Christ Jesus is,
Do you truly love the people around you, family, friend, or foe?
Please think about it.

Peaceful life

Peaceful life
In the book of Hebrews we read,
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14.
The apostle Paul writes,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18
The apostle Paul writing to the Galatians notes peace as being one of the fruits of the Spirit. 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.
The apostle Paul writing to Titus wrote,
“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,  to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.”Titus 3:1,2.
Paul writing to Timothy states,
"Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart" 2 Timothy 2:22.
The Psalmist writes,

“Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 

Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, 

keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. 

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”

                                                                          Psalm 34:11-14.

The apostle Peter reminds us,
"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.
It is my firm belief that as Christians we must strive to live in peace with all those around us. To as Peter states,
“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." 1Peter 2:12.
As believers in Christ Jesus it is only by living in peace with those around us that we can effectively present the gospel of Christ.
Please think about it.

The Bible and Science

The Bible and Science
In the Gospel of John we read,
“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.
This is the sole purpose in Jesus coming to this earth. The whole Bible narrative centres around the salvation message. Centres around the way individuals get to heaven.
Sadly many Christians get sidetracked debating evolution and other scientific theories.  Something that is entirely unnecessary. Something that takes them away from the principle purpose of the Bible, how to get to heaven.
Galileo Galilei wisely said,

"The Bible shows the way to go to heaven, 

not the way the heavens go."

                                 Galileo Galilei.

For me it is enough to know that God created the heavens and the earth. Whether he did it in six twenty-four hour days or over billions of years is irrelevant. God is God and could have done things either way.
I feel as a Christian. A believer in Christ Jesus, it is imperative that I and all Christians stay if you will, on script. That we proclaim the message I noted above,
“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.
Please if you consider yourself a Christian. Think about it.

At Just the right time

At Just the right time
The apostle Paul writes,
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8. 
The apostle Paul makes a statement here that at “just the right time Christ died for the ungodly”. Those ungodly people, are people like you and me.
Paul notes,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23. That all is you and me and everyone that has ever lived.
We all fall short of what God would want for our lives. Sin is falling short of God’s expectations for you. It is doing things that God does not want you to do. And we all sin.
The apostle John states,
"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.
As Christians we believe that as the apostle Paul states we “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
We also believe that if “we confess our sin he is faithful just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”.
So my question to you the reader is, do you believe this?
If so would you be willing right now to go to God in prayer, confess your sins to God, and accept the forgiveness that comes through Christ Jesus?
Please think about it.

Who is Jesus

Who is Jesus?
Christmas has just passed. A time when Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
There are however many in the world who do not believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Saviour of the world. Yet Jesus even when confronted with possible stoning to death never denied he was God. John’s gospel records,
“The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 
Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.  
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  
I and the Father are one.”
Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?
“We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”  John 10:24-33.
C. S. Lewis said of Jesus,
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.    He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.
Thus I leave it to you the reader to decide for yourself who Jesus is?
Please think about it.

Let the Peace of Christ Rule

Let the Peace of Christ Rule
The apostle Paul writes,
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15.
Today is the day after Christmas. It is a time I believe we should stop and rest in Christ.
Christmas here in North America has become highly commercial and sadly many Christians have become wrapped up in all of the buying of presents and putting on the perfect meal for family and friends.
It can all be quite stressful. Thus we should, I firmly believe, forget about the boxing day sales and take “some me time with Jesus”.
Take time to let the peace of Christ rule in your heart. To even gather with other Christians and be thankful for all you have, and all Christ has done for you.
To give praise to God.
We should as the Psalmist tells us,

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

Please if you are a follower of Christ Jesus take time to praise God this day.