Only you can answer

  Only you can answer

Jesus said,

"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 7:22,23.

Question; will you hear these words of Jesus quoted above?

The people Jesus is talking about here are church people. People claiming to be Christians. They follow the ritual. They know what to say and when to say it. They claim to be doing things in the name of The Lord. Yet they do not have a personal relationship with God.

So what is your relationship with God. Do you without reservation truly believe in God and His One and Only Son Jesus Christ?

It is a question only you can answer.

Please think about it.

Which are you?

  Which are you?

In the gospel of John we read Jesus as saying,  

“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.

Over the years I’ve seen two kinds of people who go to church. Two kinds of people who call themselves Christians. 

One is the person quite often someone who has been coming to church all their lives. They know what to say and when to say it. Intellectually they acknowledge Gods existence but they really haven’t committed their lives to Christ.

The other is a person who worships God with their whole being. A person who wants to live their life for God in the best way they can. Such a person can echo the words of the Psalmist who wrote,

"I wait for the LORD, 

my soul waits, 

and in his word I put my hope. 

My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, 

more than watchmen wait for the morning.”

                                                          Psalm 130:5,6.

Question; Which person are you?

Please think about it.

Whom do you trust?

  Whom do you trust?

The Psalmist writes,

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:8.

Is this your prayer to God? Do you thank God each morning for His unfailing Love? Have you put your trust in God completely? 

These I believe are questions all Christians need to consider. Where does our trust lie?

In the gospel of Matthew we read of this encounter between a young man and Jesus. Matthew records,

"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,  honour your father and mother,' and ‘love your neighbour 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.

So where is your trust? Does the morning truly bring you word of Gods unfailing love? Have you truly put your trust in God? Or are you like the man who came to Jesus and trust in your wealth more than in God? Whom do you trust?

Please think about it.

Lips to tell

 Lips to tell

The Psalmist writes,

"How many are your works, O LORD! 

In wisdom you made them all; 

the earth is full of your creatures." 

                                                         Psalm 104:24.

When I was a child growing up in England we use to sing a song called All things Bright and Beautiful, it states,

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful:

The Lord God made them all.

Each little flow'r that opens,

Each little bird that sings,

He made their glowing colors,

He made their tiny wings.

The purple-headed mountains,

The river running by,

The sunset and the morning

That brightens up the sky.

The cold wind in the winter,

The pleasant summer sun,

The ripe fruits in the garden,

He made them every one.

The tall trees in the greenwood,

The meadows where we play,

The rushes by the water,

To gather every day.

He gave us eyes to see them,

And lips that we might tell

How great is God Almighty,

Who has made all things well.

                          By Cecil F. Alexander, 

In the book of Genesis we read,

"In the beginning 

"God created the heavens and the earth." 

                                                         Genesis 1:1.

I truly believe God made the heavens and the earth. I believe the perfection of nature and the universe as a whole prove that there is a creator behind it all. I believe also that I am to tell anyone who will listen about God and the eternal life God offers through His One and Only Son Jesus Christ.

The question is do you believe in God and the saving grace offered by God to you through His one and Only Son Jesus Christ?

Please think about it.

Your Choice

 Your Choice.

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.  

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

Here is a choice we all must make. What is your choice?

Please think about it.

Is He?

 Is He?

The Psalmist wrote,

“God is our refuge and strength, 

an ever-present help in trouble” 

                                                     Psalm 46:1.

Is God the first person you go to in times of trouble? Think carefully about it. When you come up against adversity what is your first instinct? 

In first Chronicles we read,

“Look to the Lord and his strength; 

seek his face always.”

                                      1 Chronicles 16:11.

As believers in God. As believers in Christ Jesus we should be looking to God not only when we are in trouble, but at all times.

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.

So I ask you; is God your refuge and strength?

Please think about it.

Enter

  Enter

      The Psalmist wrote,

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 100:4,5.

Why not take sometime right now to enter into the gates of God with thanksgiving. Why not say or sing praises to The Lord God Almighty. Why not as the Psalmist states,

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.

Another Point to Ponder

  Another Point to Ponder

In the gospel of John we read,

"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.

In my previous blog I said anyone who is presented with Jesus must decide whether what Jesus said about himself was true when He said,

“... "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6.

In this post I would ask who do you think Jesus is. In the Gospel of John, John refers to Jesus as “The Word”. John states that “The Word was with God” 

That He was in the beginning with God and that through Him all things were made.

We read that,

“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 1:14.

 Thus the question becomes do you believe Jesus is God incarnate, God in the flesh?

What I would ask of anyone answers that question is, please at least read the New Testament all the time praying with a sincere heart, asking God to show you the truth.

Please think about it.

A Point to Ponder

  A point to ponder

Jesus said,

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

No one comes to the Father except through me.”

                                                                               John 14:6

John the Baptist speaking of Jesus said,

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,...”

                                                                                       John 3:36a

Here in a nutshell for all who read this to ponder are two points. Both saying that whoever believes that Jesus is the Son of God, whoever believes Jesus is the only way to heaven will receive eternal life.

The words of Jesus make it clear that He is the way to heaven. That no one comes to the Father except through Him.

In the book of Matthew we read something all who are presented with Jesus must decide for them selves. Matthew records,

"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" 

They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 

"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Matthew 16:13-16.

Thus my question to you; who do you believe Jesus to be?

Please think about it.

We shouldn't

 We shouldn't

In the book of James we read,

“You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”  James 4:4.

The past year 2020 here in North America has been to say the least politically intense. Many calling themselves Christian leaders have gone on record as supporting various political parties and politicians. This should not be so.

While there is nothing wrong in exercising ones democratic right to vote for who we wish. We should not be siding with any political party or politician.  

We should be following the example of Jesus and the apostles who never got involved in secular politics. 

The men and women who followed Jesus lived in a multicultural empire at least as diverse as North America. 

They lived in an empire that by our standards today were barbaric. A society that allowed the worship of many gods. That allowed prostitution. That allowed men and women to fight to the death in arenas for the entertainment of the general public and political leaders alike. 

An empire that for several hundred years outlawed Christianity. 

Yet they stayed true to the call of Jesus who 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.

In doing so they reached their world within a century. 

Someone speaking particularly about the American church said 

“the American church suffers from the blessings of freedom”

They were right the freedoms we have here in North America allows to do as we wish that includes combining our faith with politics. 

As someone else has said,

“Combining religion and politics is like combining water and gasoline. The water is undrinkable. The gasoline unusable. And the whole thing is explosive.”

That I believe is why Jesus told us,

"You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."  James 4:4.

Jesus also said,

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Matthew 6:24.

When we mix our faith with politics it dilutes our message. It can and frequently does push people away from God, potentially into a Christless eternity.

As believers in Christ Jesus we should never mix our faith with politics. We should present the saving grace of Christ Jesus in the purest way we know how to.

Please think about it.

Your ways

 Your ways

“For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, 

and he examines all his paths.”

                                                       Proverbs 5:21.

Here’s something to be aware of. God knows what you are doing be it for good or evil. Whether you believe in God or not you will be judged. The writer of Ecclesiastes saying,

"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 judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil."Ecclesiastes 12:13,14.

God will one day judge every man and woman that has ever lived and He will judge them justly.

Which means simply we should be doing what is good and right in the eyes of God. 

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

So my question to you the reader would be; Do you truly love those around you, family, friend and foe alike?

For if we are truly loving those around us we can’t go wrong.

Please think about it.

Show me

  Show me

The Psalmist writes,

“Show me your ways, O LORD,

 teach me your paths; 

guide me in your truth 

and teach me, 

for you are God my Saviour, 

and my hope is in you all day long.” 

                                               Psalm 25:4,5.

If you claim to be a Christian, a true follower of Jesus Christ, is this your prayer? 

Do you long for God to show you His ways? 

Do you long for God to teach you His truths?

This should be your prayer if you truly love God. Every Christian needs to not just read the Bible but study it carefully and prayerfully. All the time asking God to reveal His truths to you. For it is only by doing so that we will truly know the will of God for our lives.

Please think about it.