Blessed is the One

Blessed is the one
The Psalmist states,
“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—the LORD, who remains faithful forever. Psalm 146:5-6.
Where is your trust? Is your trust in yourself, in your own strength,  in the government, or in God?
I have been blessed with several incredible pastors and biblical teachers over my now sixty-five plus years on this earth. Pastors and teachers that have helped me lay a spiritual foundation for my life.
What they taught me at the time seemed at times somewhat academic. Still slowly quite often without me realizing it I put the teachings to work in my life.
Years later when I received a cancer diagnosis and later blood clots on my lungs that almost took my life. Those teachings gave me the peace I needed to weather the storm.
The psalmist states,
“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—the LORD, who remains faithful forever. Psalm 146:5,6.
I can honestly say I have found these words of the Psalmist to be true. God has remained faithful to me.
That being said I know during these unprecedented times amid this pandemic I know God will be faithful to all who trust in Him.
Thus my question to you is. Is your trust truly in God?
Please think about it. 

Trust

Trust
In Proverbs we read

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart 

and lean not on your own understanding; 

in all your ways acknowledge him, 

and he will make your paths straight."

                                                         Proverbs 3:5,6

Let us face it we are in extraordinary times. What we are going through is far from normal. If ever there was a time to put our trust in God it is now.
We as believers need to take to hart the words of the apostle Peter who wrote,

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, 

that He may lift you up in due time. 

Cast all your anxiety on Him 

because he cares for you.” 

                               1 Peter 5:6,7.

One thing I am certain of is bad times either draws someone closer to God or pushes them away. Thus the choice is yours.
Are you in these uncertain times drawing closer to God or moving away from Him?
Please think about it.

My Fortress

My Fortress
The Psalmist writes,
“I love you, O LORD, my strength. 
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:1,2.
Over my sixty plus years on this earth I have had a lot of things happen to me. Everything from my house burning down leaving my family and I with literally just the clothing on our backs, to a cancer diagnosis, to blood clots on my lungs that almost took my life, among other things.
During that time I had two choices. I could have called out to God and said, “Why me. Why am I going through this.” or “Lord in you I put my trust.”
I chose to say the latter, Lord in you I put my trust.
Now I’m far from a spiritual superman. I am simply an ordinary man who makes mistakes and falls short of what God would ask of me many times. That being said, I have been blessed with excellent men and women of God who have helped me with their teaching to build my house on The Rock in the good times.
It, I firmly believe is precisely because of this that I have got through the bad times. Times when I could have easily died.
Looking back there is one other thing I was willing to say to God. “God not my will but your will be done”
Jesus while in the garden of Gethsemane knowing what he was about to suffer prayed,
"...My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." Matthew 26:42b.
I firmly believe that as Christians. As believers in Christ Jesus we must put our lives entirely in the hands of God. Without any kind of reservation.
We must remember that while this mortal life we live is finite, with a beginning and an end. We are destined to live throughout eternity. Thus the only thing that ultimately matter is where we will spend that eternity.
So dear reader are you certain of where you will spend eternity?
Please think about it.

It Seems Crazy

It seems crazy
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.

I know it may seem crazy to some to say praise The Lord in the midst of the worst pandemic in modern history. But as Christians we should be praising the Lord.
The apostle Paul and Silas praised God in bad times. The book of Acts records,
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.  
Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.  
The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.  
But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” 
The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.  
He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Acts 16:25-31.
While Paul and Silas were not in the midst of a pandemic. They were in a Roman jail in what was most probably very miserable circumstances not counting the earthquake they went through. Yet these men of God were praising The Lord.
Another man of God Job. A man who endured a lot of hardship, who had unwavering faith in God said,

“Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;...”

                                                                Job 13:15a.

So it should be with all who call themselves Christians. Amidst our troubles we should be not only putting all our trust in God but taking time to praise God also. Not for the bad things that are happening. But for all that God is and the Salvation He has sent into our lives through His One and Only Son Christ Jesus.
Please think about it. 

Make sure

Make sure
The Psalmist writes,

“I wait for the LORD,

 my soul waits, 

and in his word I put my hope.” 

                                    Psalm 130:5  

If you claim to be a Christian, where is your trust. Billy Graham the American evangelist wrote,
"Make sure of your commitment to Jesus Christ, and seek to follow Him every day. Don't be swayed by the false values and goals of this world, but put Christ and His will first in everything you do." Billy Graham.
In Proverbs we read,

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart 

and lean not on your own understanding; 

in all your ways acknowledge him, 

and he will make your paths straight.” 

                                                        Proverbs 3:5,6.

Here is a question for all who claim to be followers in Christ Jesus. Do you truly “trust in the LORD with all your heart?”
Please think about it.

2.5%

2.5%
The book of acts speaking of the early church states,
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42.
The apostle Paul wrote,

“Be joyful in hope, 

patient in affliction, 

faithful in prayer.”  

                      Romans 12:12.

If you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus do you Pray?
Here’s something to consider,

God gives you 1440 minutes every day.

A good nights sleep takes up 480 minutes.

An average round trip commute to and from work here in North America 

can take 120 minutes.

Work takes up 480 minutes.

That leaves you with 360 minutes.

      Thus the question becomes are you willing to tithe ten percent of that time to prayer?

Just 36 minutes each day.

2.5% of all the minutes God gives you each day communing with Him.

Please think about it.

Give thanks to The Lord

Give thanks to The Lord

The writer of 1 Chronicles states,
“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.
As I write this we are living in unprecedented times. A pandemic the likes of which we have never seen in our generation. Thousands around the world are dying. Sadly many without hope.
There are some people who ask the question why does God let such things happen? Frankly I don’t know.
What I do know that hard times either pull individuals toward God or turn them away. Hard times test the individuals faith.
In Psalm 23 we read,
“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.” Psalm 23:4,5.
This is what a true believer can honestly say and I wont deny that saying such things in hard times is very difficult for some people.
Still in good times and in bad times God asks us to have faith in Him. 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 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.

As believers in Christ Jesus we must be willing to put our full trust in God. We must remember that no matter what happens God has a plan for us. The apostle Paul writing,

“And we know all things work together for good 

to those who love God to those who are called according to His purpose.” 

                                                                                                     Romans 8:28 

Please think about it.

I will Praise you O LORD

I will Praise you O LORD
The Psalmist writes,

“I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;

 I will tell of all your wonders. 

I will be glad and rejoice in you; 

I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.”

                                                                             Psalm 9:1,2.

As I have said in a previous blog. I write these blogs a week or two in advance. So as I write this it is March 17th 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic is well underway both here in Canada and around the world.
    Because of our age and other things, I and my wife are in a high risk group. Thus we have chosen to follow the directions given by Canada’s health agency.
That being said the pandemic as extremely serious as it is will not cause our faith in God to waver. We and I am sure all believers in Christ Jesus. All Christians can say,

“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

It is my sincere hope and prayer that anyone reading this will not be effected by this virus. At the same time it is my sincere hope and prayer that you will put your trust in God to be your shepherd no matter what happens.
Please think about it.

Going to Hell in a handbarrow

Going to Hell in a Handbarrow
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.
In his book "Essentials in Christian Faith" John B. Harrington, published in 1958, there is a quote that could have been written yesterday.
It's from Paul Gallico in Esquire Magazine in 1948. Harrington quotes Gallico as saying,
"A writer in a popular magazine has written the following words; 'We are all, if you will pardon the expression, Headed for Hell in a handbarrow. If, ever the people of the world stood in need of a spiritual revival, it is now. We are beginning to poison the face of the earth with our miserable presence. The brakes are off. The cart of the world is sliding down the way greased with hatred, ambition, lies, self-seeking and avarice toward the pit.'"
Harrington notes that Gallico makes no pretense of being "a religious man" noting that "...for him it is precisely religion in its organized forms which has in part caused the situation he deplores. He is careful to state that it is not "religion" for which he is looking. For in his opinion, religion throughout the history of our culture has advanced its control over human beings by the investment of bigotry and persecution. 
Yet, out of despair over the current human situation he says; ‘The voice for which my heavy spirit is yearning must reach us all... For if it is not heard, we are lost. Something beyond our material enrichment and lust for power and position, some rewards founded on good will, selflessness, and the innate dignity of the human spirit...honour, humility, decency courage."
What Gallico is speaking about is what the apostle Paul predicted.
Looking at the face of what passes for Christianity in the media here in North America we see men and women claiming to be Christians, who are preaching things that are clearly false.
While there are many honest men and women of God who make mistakes when preaching the word of God.
There are men and women who sadly have very high profiles in the media that are twisting the word of God for personal gain. These I believe are the men and women Paul Gallico is referring to. They are religious men and women who offer most of the time nothing more than secular ideas wrapped up in a Christian package.
They have for lack of a better term made Christianity look religious without any substance
The apostle Paul writes,
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—  having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."Timothy 3:1-5.
“...having a form of godliness but denying its power...” states Paul.
The world is looking for more than a “secular ideas in a Christian box” It is looking for the very thing that Christ Jesus has to offer.
The call of Jesus is,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
This is the message we as Christians should be offering the world. For it is the only way individuals can get out of that handbarrow heading for Hell and go to heaven.
Please think about it.

God is

God is

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." 

                                                                                    Genesis 1:1

I believe this and the Bible does not leave this statement up for debate. In order to be a Christian a true believer in Christ Jesus you have to believe this. I believe God is real and that he created the heavens and the earth.
I believe that science done correctly will prove it. I believe as the psalmist states,

“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

I don’t know if Stephen Hawking was a believer in Christ or even if he believed in the existence of God but he wrote,
“It would be very difficult to explain why the universe should have begun in just this way, except as the act of a God who intended to create beings like us,”Stephen Hawking.
I do know the father or quantum mechanics winner of the Noble prize for physics, Werner Heisenberg is a believer in God and that he said,
“The first gulp from the glass of natural science will make you an atheist,
but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you” Werner Heisenberg.
The question however always comes back to you the individual. Do you believe in God?
Do you believe as Christians do?
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  
He was with God in the beginning. 
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  
         In him was life, and that life was the light of men....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. " John 1:1-4,14.
Christians take belief in God the creator one step further. We believe that God in the form of his one and only Son Jesus Christ entered the world He created to show not just mankind as a whole but individuals, how far he would go to show them the way to heaven.
As C. S. Lewis puts it.
“He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.” C.S. Lewis
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.
Do you believe this?
Please think about it.

Maybe the Atheist cannot find God because....

Maybe the Atheist cannot find God because...

“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

C. S. Lewis wrote,
“A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.” C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain
I think there are two primary reasons people cannot find God. One they are simply not looking for Him. The other is they have made up their mind and are not willing to listen anything that might give insight into God’s existence.
As someone I think wisely said,

Maybe the atheist cannot find God 

for the same reason a thief cannot find a policeman. 

                                                               Author Unknown

We especially here in the western democracies live in a society that is filled with a cacophony of noise and distractions. Distractions that quite often distract us from seeing God.
In order to find God we must be looking for Him. We must 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.
In order to seek God we must be still. We must take time from our busy life sit down and simply ask, Dear Lord please show yourself to me.
The question I would ask you the reader is are you willing to be still and to ask God to show Himself to you?
Please think about it.

Narrow is the Road

Narrow is the road
John’s gospel records Jesus as saying,
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6.
I’ve heard many non-Christians say there are many ways to heaven. The question I would ask is, are there?
What if as Christians believe there is only one way to heaven, that being through Jesus?
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.
It to my way of thinking is logical that God would make a single road to heaven. A road that I believe is through Jesus Christ.
The way I see it is if I and other Christians like me are wrong then we have nothing to fear by following the teachings of Jesus, because in doing so we will have lived a good life.
C. S. Lewis said,
“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.
I believe it is of infinite importance.
What do you think?
Please think about it.