For a myriad of reasons

  For a myriad of reasons

Jesus said,

"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

"Yes Lord" she told Him, "I believe you are the Christ the Son of God, who was to come into the world," John 11:25,26,27.

The above portion of scripture is one of my favourites as it expresses my feelings toward Jesus.

I believe in God for a myriad of reasons. I have faith there is a God and that Jesus is God incarnate, The Saviour of the world, of all who will put their trust in Him, not just because the Bible tells me there is a God, but because science seems to point to the fact there is a God who created all things.

That being said there are those who would disagree with me.

Thomas Aquinas said,

“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” Thomas Aquinas.

Thus my question to you is; Do you believe in God and that Jesus is Gods one and Only Son, God incarnate, the saviour of all who will put their trust in Him?

Please think about it.

Who is your God?

  Who is your God?

In the book of Joshua we read,

"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.  

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24: 14,15.

In the above passage of scripture Joshua is telling the Israelites to make up their mind. To either follow the one true God or the gods of the Amorites. 

While we in the western democracies may not want to admit it we have many Gods. Even those who call themselves Christians quite often worship other gods. The obvious being materialism. But there are other god that we may not think are gods. The following of a political leader or party. Even an obsession with your personal rights under the law of the land.

Other gods is anything that puts The Lord God Almighty second or mixes anything in with our worship of Him.

As Christians, followers of Christ Jesus in the west we need to decide who we will follow. Our political leaders, political parties, materialism,...or The Lord God Almighty.

Who are you following?

Please think about it.

We can ignore but not evade

  We can ignore but not evade

The Psalmist wrote,

"The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands." 

                                                                     Psalm 19:1

C. S. Lewis wrote,

"We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God." C.S.Lewis.

It is said that if the Universe was expanding just a little faster life as we know it on earth would not exist. Slower and the universe would collapse thus we would not exist.

What is striking about the universe and everything in it from the largest galaxy to the smallest subatomic particle is that it is perfect order for us to exist.

This to me points to a Creator God who made the heavens and the earth and everything in it. Science done correctly will I believe one day prove there is a mathematical formula for creating the universe.

Until that time we must simply look at the world around us to see the finger prints of God.

We must have faith that God exists. Which I think for many especially intellectuals is a very hard thing.

Werner Heisenberg father of Quantum Mechanics and Nobel prize winner in physics states,

“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.

Even Stephen Hawking stated,

“The universe and the laws of physics seem to have been specifically designed for us" Stephen Hawking.

Hawking also 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.

Still ultimately each person must decide for themselves if God exists. What do you think?

Please think about it.

Lunatic or God?

Lunatic or 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

Jesus claimed to be God. He claimed that He and The Father were one. Was He?

C. S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity put things this way,

"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 question becomes who is Jesus to you? Is he a good man, a great moral teacher, God incarnate, or a poached egg?

Please think about it.

The Christ

 The Christ

Jesus’ question to Martha

"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

"Yes Lord" she told Him, "I believe you are the Christ the Son of God, who was to come into the world," John 11:25,26,27.

Jesus here doesn’t just say to Martha. I will bring about the resurrection or that He will be the cause of the resurrection. (Both of which are true) but He goes on one step further and states that “He is the resurrection”. Which implies deity. Jesus is God.

Martha acknowledges this. Saying. “I believe you are the Christ the Son of God...”

Just exactly who Jesus is, is something that each individual must decide for themselves. Is He the Son of God, The Saviour of the world, God incarnate, Or Is He not.

The choice dear reader is your.

Before you decide however take time to at least read about Jesus and what his followers believed Him to be in the New Testament. While at the same time praying and asking God to show you the truth.

Please think about it.

Shall not Perish

  Shall not perish

Jesus speaking about 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.

Christians must remember these verses. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through Him.

It is the Christians job to present this message to the world around them. To say to the world.

“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.

If you consider yourself a believer in Christ Jesus are you presenting this message to those around you?

Please think about it.  

God Cares

 God Cares 

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.

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.

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 of us who live on that pail blue dot as insignificant. Quite the contrary He created us to have fellowship for all eternity with Him.

That being said God 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?

Please think about it.

Ambassador for Christ

 Ambassador for Christ

The apostle Paul states,

"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God."  2 Corinthians 5:20.

The apostle Paul make it clear here. If you are a believer in Christ Jesus you are an ambassador for Christ.

An ambassador is a representative of a country or a king. The ambassador according to the Oxford dictionary is also “a representative or promoter of an activity”. 

In the case of a Christian we represent the King of kings and Lord of lords. The activity we promote is that of salvation through Christ Jesus.

We are no ones judge. Jesus specifically saying we are not to judge.

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.

Jesus speaking of Himself made it clear,

“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 what every Christian is called to do. To present the unconditional Love of God through Christ Jesus to anyone who will listen to us.

Are you?

Please think about it.

As Humanly Possible

  As humanly possible

“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.

I read an interesting statement from Lenny Bruce that read,

"Every day people are straying away from the church

 and going back to God. Really." 

                                                                       Lenny Bruce, "Religions Inc."

Another one by an unknown author read,

I believe in God; 

I just don't trust anyone who works for him.”

                                                                               Author Unknown.

Sadly these statements are true. They are showing that the words of the apostle Peter are coming true when he said,

"But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.  

Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.  

In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping."2 Peter 2:1-3.

Many of those false teachers here in North America hide under the freedom of speech laws. They say they have the right to say what they believe. Which according to law they do.

That being said I don’t feel the church is doing enough to denounce false teaching. The apostle Paul clearly stated,

"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.

Thus my question to you. When you hear things you don’t feel are right, being said by a leader in your church or an evangelist do you (politely) question them about the false teaching?

Do you bring your questions to those in authority within your church congregation or denomination?

I firmly believe that we as believers in Christ Jesus have an obligation to preach and see that the gospel of Christ is preached in as pure a form as is humanly possible. For if it is not, it could have eternal consequences. 

What do you think?

Please think about it.

In Everything

  In Everything

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.

The Apostle Peter who wrote,

"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.

Jesus 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.

I know we are all human, make mistakes and fall short of what God wants for our lives. That being said however, if we are truly followers of Christ Jesus we should be at least trying to make the above scriptures active in our daily lives.

Thus my questions to you. 

Are you trying to live at peace with all those around you? 

Are you trying to live a holy life? 

Are you doing your best to abstain from sinful desires? 

Are you living a good life? Above all are you obeying 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.

Please think about it.

Present the Gospel

 Present the Gospel

Jesus said,

“Judge not, that you be not Judged.   

For with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1,2.

Jesus makes things clear here. We are not to judge others especially when it comes to where a person will spend eternity.

I firmly believe that Jesus said this because we do not know why a person is the way they are. Only God knows why a person is the way they are.

Also if we are heaping judgement on someone we will turn them away. And, they will judge us.

It is not our job as Christians, as believers in Christ Jesus to judge anyone. Jesus in giving the great commission 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.

We cannot fill this commission if we are judging people.

We must never judge another person unless it is for our personal safety or the safety of others. 

We must however present the Gospel of Christ in as pure a form as we know how to those around us. For that is the only way we will win souls for Christ.

Please think about it. 

An old Sermon

 An old sermon

The book of Acts tells of this incident in which the apostle Paul was invited to speak in the Areopagus by Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. It is if you will the first century example of what we to day would call a Ted Talk.

At the end of the talk we are told some sneered, some wanted to hear more while others believed what he said, 

I leave what Paul said here for you the reader to decide if you believe him or not. The book of acts reads,

"So he (Paul) reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.  

A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.  

Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?  

You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean."  

(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) 

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.  

For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. 

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  

And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.  

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  

God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.  

‘For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.' 

"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill.  

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." 

When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject."  

At that, Paul left the Council.  

A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others”Acts 17:17-34

Please think about it.