Shown by deeds

Shown by deeds
The apostle Paul said,

“...I preached that they should repent and turn to God

 and prove their repentance by their deeds.”

                                                              Acts 26:20b.

If you claim to be a Christian, a follower of Christ Jesus do your deeds prove your repentance? Do your deeds tell others the Love of God dwells in you? OR do people only see someone who calls themselves a Christian?
The apostle Paul wrote,
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” 1Corinthians 13:1. 
Are you a “resounding gong or a clanging cymbal”?
The apostle 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.
If you claim to be a Christian, a follower of Christ Jesus do you “flee evil desires?”
Do you “pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace?”
Are you following the admonition of the apostle Paul when he said,
"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."Romans 12:18.
Francis of Assisi said,

"The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon some persons will hear today" 

                                                                                Francis of Assisi.

So the question becomes; Do your deeds show that you are a true follower of Christ Jesus?
Please think about it.

For preaching the Love of God

For preaching the Love of God
In the book of Acts we see the apostle Paul after being brought before King Agrippa in chains telling him how he was faithful to the vision he received on the road to Damascus when he became a believer in Christ Jesus. The book of Acts records.
"So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.  
That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.  
But I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen—  that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles." 
At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defence. "You are out of your mind, Paul!" he shouted. "Your great learning is driving you insane." 
"I am not insane, most excellent Festus," Paul replied. "What I am saying is true and reasonable.  
The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.  
King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do." 
Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" 
Paul replied, "Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains." Acts 26:19-29.
The apostle Paul here was being persecuted for his beliefs. He was being persecuted for saying,
“...I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.”Acts 26:20b.
If we are truly believers in Christ Jesus and are being persecuted this is what we should be being persecuted for. For calling those around us to “repent and turn to God”. For presenting the gospel of Christ Jesus.
Sadly many times here in North America with all our freedoms, those who claim to be Christians say they are being persecuted for their faith when they are not.
Many Christians here use their freedom of speech to condemn, judge and even attack, those they disagree with. Then when they receive criticism they call it persecution.
Many Christians particularly in the United States mix their politics with their faith and try to restrict the rights or take away rights of those they disagree with.
If we are truly servants of God then we will willingly sit down with those we disagree with, and in a loving way listen to them. While at the same time in a loving and respectful manner present the gospel of Christ Jesus.
The late American civil rights leader Martin Luther King jr. wrote,
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.”Martin Luther King, Jr.
The whole gospel message is that of Love. The love of God not just for mankind as a whole, but for each individual. So, if we are to be persecuted for what we believe and what we are preaching let it be because we are preaching the Love of God.
Please think about it.

The Way

The Way
The apostle Paul speaking about Jesus at the Areopagus in Athens said,
“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.  
For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." Acts 17:30,31.
Here the apostle Paul had just told those assembled at the Areopagus about Jesus. That the day is at hand when God calls each individual to repent. That He will one day judge the whole world.
That message may have been new to the Greeks but it was not a new message. In the book of Ecclesiastes we read,
"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.
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.
The simplest definition of sin is falling short of what God wants for your life. Doing things God dose not want you to do.
All of us from the Pope, to pastors, evangelist, teachers, politicians and the average person on the street do things God does not want us to do. Thus we are called to confess our sins to directly to God.
Believers in Christ Jesus believe the apostle Paul when he states,
“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.
We cannot get to heaven by good works alone. Getting to heaven is a gift of God. We get to heaven through accepting the grace of God that comes through belief in Christ Jesus.
As Christians we quote and believe, Jesus who said,

"...I am the way and the truth and the life. 

No one comes to the Father except through me.”

                                                                        John 14:6.

As Christians we believe we have no right to impose our beliefs on anyone. We simple present what we believe and leave it to the individual to decide.
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.
Thus the choice is yours. Do you believe Jesus is the way to Heaven or not?
Please think about it.

Are you one?

Are you one?
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.  
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.
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.
I like what the apostle Paul says about Jesus,
“"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly...”
Christ could have come with legions of angels showing in a miraculous way that He was indeed God. Yet he didn’t.
He in human terms showed how much He loved each individual by suffering and dying on the cross. 
C. S. Lewis said,
"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.
He died for you and for me. But death could not hold Him. He rose from the dead, walked the earth for a while then ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. The writer of Hebrews tells us,
"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.
  Ultimately to believe what I have written above takes an act of faith. 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 defining faith as,

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see."  

                                                                  Hebrews 11:1.

I believe anyone who has faith in anything especially God, are the strongest of followers. Men and women who will give their lives for what they believe in.
Are you one of those followers?
Please think about it.

What do they see?

What do they see?
Jesus said,
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16.
To all those who call themselves Christians who are reading this; when a light is shone on your life what do they see?
Do they see the Love of Christ?
Francis of Assisi wrote,

"The deeds you do

 may be the only sermon some persons will hear today"  

                                                                         Francis of Assisi.

Like it or not a spotlight is shining on anyone who calls themselves a Christian. People are looking at their words and deeds.
Sadly many who are watching men and women who call themselves Christians are not seeing the love of Christ. Christians may think they are but they are not.
Over the years I’ve heard people call Christians, hypocrites, bigots, people who attack those who don’t agree with them.
This should not be so as believers in Christ Jesus we should be showing unconditional love to all with whom we come in contact with.
If we are a true Christian a true believer in Christ Jesus we should at a bear minimum showing the kind of love the Apostle Paul defined when he wrote to the Corinthian church. Paul writing,

"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.

Is this the kind of love you are showing to the world?
If you claim to be a follower of Christ Jesus you should.
Please think about it. 

With Gentleness and respect

With gentleness and respect
The apostle Peter writes,
“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,”1 Peter 3:15.
As believers in Christ Jesus we should always be ready to give an answer as to why we place our hope in Christ Jesus. Not only that we should be doing it with as Peter tells us, “with gentleness and respect.”
Followers of Christ should never be attacking others with their faith. We should be presenting our faith. Then leaving it up to the individual we have presented it to, to decide whether or not to believe what we presented.
If we are a true Christian, a true believer in Christ Jesus we will exhibit what the apostle Paul calls the fruit of the spirit. Paul writing,
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.

Thus my question to anyone who is reading this and calling themselves a Christian, a follower of Christ Jesus; is this the fruit of your life?
Please think about it.

Are you?

Are you?
The writer of Hebrews states,

“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.

Sadly from my perch here in Canada I see many Christians who are not following what the writer of Hebrews is saying here.
Many are mixing their faith with politics something Jesus and the apostles never did. Many are speaking out against any group they disagree with. In some cases they are even trying to remove or restrict the rights of others given to them by a lawfully elected government.
Doing this is not an act of holiness. Nor is it living at peace with all men.
When we try to restrict the rights of others. We are turning them against us. 
If we as Christians as followers of Christ Jesus truly believe the words of Jesus when he said,
“Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.” Luke 6:31.(NASB).
Then by trying to restrict the rights of others we are saying to them they have the right to do that to us.
Sadly here in North America where I live and particularly in the United States people like to say “I have my rights” “I have the right to do as I wish”.
That may be so. But doing as ‘you’ wish may not win souls for Christ. In fact it might do just the opposite.
The apostle Peter reminds us,
"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.
Living good lives among none believers means living with people who’s belief system or way of life may be different from our own. It may be living with a government who gives rights to those with whom we disagree.
Certainly the apostle Paul, all the disciples and even Jesus lived in a world in which the government gave rights to those with whom they disagreed.
Paul for example went to Corinth a city know for it’s temple prostitutes and other abhorrent lifestyles. He stood in the Areopagus in Athens and preached the word of God. A city that had temples to dozen of Gods that Paul would have thought appalling. Yet neither he or any of the apostles spoke out against the religious practices or lifestyles of those around them.
Quite the contrary Jesus and the apostles sat down with those they disagreed with and presented the word of God in peaceful, loving manner.
Billy Graham the American evangelist said of the disciples,
“The men who followed Him (Christ), were unique in their generation. They turned the world upside down because their hearts had been turned right side up. The world has never been the same.” Billy Graham
Thus my question to anyone who claims to be a Christian a follower of Christ Jesus; is your heart right side up?
Are you living at peace with those around you living as holy life as you possibly can?
Please think about it. 

If you seek

If you seek
In the book of Deuteronomy we read,
"But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul."  Deuteronomy 4:29.
Someone once said,
“Maybe the atheist cannot find God for the same reason a thief cannot find a policeman.” Author Unknown.
The truth is you must be looking for someone in order to find them. Which is why I think many Atheist cannot find God. They may say they are looking but they already have their minds made up.
I have met many who say they are looking for God, when all they are doing is looking for evidence that what they believe is right.
Finding God is an act of faith. The book of Hebrews tells 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.
Faith defined as,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  Hebrews 11:1.
That being said God does not want us to have blind faith in Him. But rather informed faith. The psalmist states,

"The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

Day after day naive 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 

If we look into Science correctly we will see the handiwork of God.
One of the most brilliant minds of our time Stephen Hawking said,
“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 like what William Philips a Nobel prize winner in Physics said,
“I believe in God more because of science than in spite of it”William Philips.
Werner Heisenberg the father of Quantum Mechanics and Nobel Prize winner in Physics 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.
I think in order to find God we have to keep looking. Both Philips and Heisenberg are well educated scientist who believe in God because of their work in science.
I think to say simply because I cannot see, hear or touch God in a tangible way is naive. Something that has eternal consequences.
Please think about it. 

A Moral Code

A Moral Code
In the book of Deuteronomy we read,

“Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, 

with all your soul, and with all your strength.

                                                          Deuteronomy 6:4,5

Abba Hillel Silver writes,
"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.
I think it can safely be said that no atheist group has ever come up with a moral code anywhere equivalent to that of the Bible. 
Within the Bible we have a moral code that instructs mankind how to live with ones fellow man and with God.
It lays down everything from a six day work week. Exodus recording,
"Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. Exodus20:9,10
To providing food for the poor. Leviticus 19: 9,10 stating,
"‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.  
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: 9,10.
To Jesus telling us,
"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.
 Without the moral code laid down in the Bible, mankind would fall into the abyss of anarchy or worse extinction, with survival of the fittest or most violent, ruling.
History shows us that when the truths of the Bible are ignored society declines. We just have to look at what happened to those people the Nazis conquered and ruled during world war two. Close to sixty million men, women and Children dying needlessly at the hands of a despotic ruler. Who ruled using his own moral code.
The bottom line is man needs an absolute moral code without it society will fail. Frankly it is beyond my comprehension that somewhere along the line in ancient history a group of men and women sat down and agreed on a universal moral code.
I firmly believe that God has placed in the hearts and minds of everyone who is living or has ever lived His moral code. Each person knows instinctively what is right or wrong and has the choice of which way to go.
I also believe ultimately that God will hold us all to account for our actions. The writer of Ecclesiastes telling us,
“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.

The Duty of the Church

The duty of the Church
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 the duty of the Church.
Lately with this pandemic in full flight there has been a lot of speculation about the coming of Christ in Christian circles. The same thing happened among Christians at the outbreak of world war two with the rise of Hitler. Many thought Hitler the anti-christ.
That being said, it is not the duty of the church to speculate on when Christ will return. The duty of the church is to make disciples of all nations and to teach them all to obey all that Jesus taught.
Thus believers in Christ Jesus should be working to win souls for Christ as if He is coming before the end of the day. AND! We should be doing this each and every day until Christ does return.
Please think about it.

Lunatic, Devil, or Son of God?

Lunatic, Devil, or Son of God?
John’s gospel records this incident between the Jews gathered in Solomon's Colonnade on the Feast of Dedication and Jesus. Jesus states,
“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 10:30-33.
What would you say if someone told you they were God? I think that most people today would think the person to be at the very least mentally ill. Yet the apostle John who knew Jesus personally and was there in Solomon’s Colonnade makes it clear Jesus said he and God the Father were one.
Not only that Jesus said this knowing that he probably would be stoned for making such a statement.
C. S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity gives an explanation as to why Jesus did what he did stating,
"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 the choice is yours. Is Jesus a lunatic, the Devil of Hell, or the Son of God?
Please read the New Testament for yourself before you make your decision.
Please think about it.

Hallmarks

Hallmarks
The apostle John writes,
"Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.  
He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.  
No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.  
This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother." 1 John 3:7-10.
Here is a question we as Christians, believers in Christ Jesus need to be asking ourselves. Who is of God?
While the scriptures tells us not to judge. We do have a right to judge who is of God and who is not in order that we are following correct teaching. This is a especially true if they claim to be Christian. The apostle 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.
Paul tells us what a true believer in Christ should be exhibiting in their life 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.
Coupled with what the apostle John wrote,
“This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother." 1 John 3:10.
This gives us a good idea of who is of God. The above scriptures that I quoted are criteria that we should be applying to anyone who claims to be a Christian be they pastor, evangelist, teacher, someone sitting in the pew or anyone else.
These attributes,
Doing what is right, showing Love, Joy, Peace Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, self-control. Are the hallmarks of a true believer in Christ Jesus.
Are these the hallmarks you see in people you follow?
Are the hallmarks of your life?
Please think about it.