Study

 Study

The apostle Paul writes,

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2Timothy 2:15.

If you are a Christian, a believer in Christ Jesus do you do what the apostle Paul is saying here? Do you do your best to correctly at all times present the word of God in as pure a form as is humanly possible?

Do the ministers, evangelist and other teachers you listen to do the same thing? When was the last time you checked the scriptures quoted by someone you listen to, to see that they were not taken out of context?

As believers in Christ Jesus we need to be on guard against those who would misuse the scriptures.

There are a lot of high profile men and women out there in the media and in the pulpit who are not handling the word of God correctly. Thus the need to check what they are saying against the Bible.

Here in North America we have amazing freedoms which is a good thing. That being said it gives those who would misuse the word of God more latitude to misinterpret scripture and mislead people.

The key however for the individual believer is to study the scriptures for yourself and pray asking God to show you what is right.

One way I have found that is good for individuals is to study the word of God is to use a study bible that has foot notes and explanations. These types of bibles tend to have study notes by various individuals.

Using a Bible with study notes by one particular evangelist or pastor as good as they may be is usually bias toward what he or she believes be that intentionally or unintentionally.

Thus I would reiterate pray and study the bible for yourself and with others. All the time asking God to show you the truth within the scriptures.

Please think about it. 

In Whom

  In whom

The Psalmist writes,

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, 

but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." 

                                                                       Psalm 20:7.

Where is your trust? If you claim to be a Christian, a believer in Christ Jesus, where is your trust?

As Christians we should be trusting in the Lord God Almighty. Sadly however many in North America where I live trust entirely in the things of this world. This should never be.

C. S. Lewis wrote,

"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future 

to a known God."

                         C. S. Lewis.

Thus my question to you; If you consider yourself a believer in Christ Jesus to what or whom do you trust your future to?

Please think about it.

Rights, Freedoms, God.

 Rights, Freedoms, 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 Exodus we read of God saying,

"You shall have no other gods before me."

                                                                   Exodus 20:3.

What Joshua was saying and what is recorded in the book of Exodus is directed at those people who claim to believe in God.

In Exodus God makes it clear believers are to have no other gods in heaven or on earth. Monotheism and worship of the one true God is the only acceptable thing.

Sadly many in North America where I live have many gods although they many times may not realize it.

One person said to me referring to the United States said to me,

“Too many people calling themselves Christians worship their rights and freedoms more than they do God.”

Sadly that is true. Many calling themselves Christians, again particularly in the United States but to a lesser degree in Canada, are believing the lie of “Christian nationalism” where they believe The U. S. and Canada are nations founded on God and Christian principles. 

Nothing could be further from the fact.

In following this doctrine of Christian nationalism they are putting their nation ahead of or equal to God. Something that should never be.

The apostle Peter calls believers in Christ Jesus we are aliens and strangers in the world. He states,

"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.

As true believers in Christ Jesus we need to constantly put God first in our lives and represent God by doing good deeds and glorifying God in our every day life.

Thus I would ask anyone who claims to be a Christian, a follower of Christ Jesus, reading this; Who are you serving. Who comes first in your life your right, your freedoms, or God?

Please think about it.

What do you believe?

  What do you believe

In Ecclesiastes we read,

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”  Ecclesiastes 3:11.

Whether we like to admit it or not God has placed a sense of eternity in our hearts. A sense that life goes on after this life is over. We may not be able to comprehend this, or we may want to deny it, but it doesn’t make it go away. 

The fact is we are destined to live on throughout eternity. The question is where will you spend eternity. As a Christian a believer in Christ Jesus I believe the words of Jesus who 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.

If I and others like me are wrong in this belief no one has anything to worry about. If we are right then at the very least people have a lot to consider.

Thus the it comes down to what you as an individual believe. 

Do you believe Jesus is the one and Only Son of God, The Saviour of mankind or not?

Please think about it.

Pursue Peace

Pursue 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.

Francis of Assisi wrote,

"Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love,

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life." 

                                                                     Francis of Assisi

As Christians, as believers in Christ Jesus I think we should all do our best to live by the words of the Psalmist and Francis of Assisi. For by doing so we can make the world a better place to live.

Please think about it.

Without saying a word

  Without saying a word

The apostle Paul wrote,

“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.

Francis Assisi made these two statements,

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 we should at all times as far as is humanly possible be showing the love of God to all those around us. People should know we are Christians by our words and deeds without us saying one thing.

When people look at your life do they see the Love of Jesus reflected in you with out you saying a word?

Please think about it.

Are you loving?

 Are you loving?

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.  

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  

If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."

"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 13:1-8a,13.

Do you truly love? Here in his letter to the Corinthians the apostle Paul tells us what true Christian love is. The kind of love we as Christians must show to the world. To God, our family, friends and foe alike. 

Thus my question to you today, Are you loving the world the way God wants you to love?

Please think about it.

If followed

If followed

The apostle Paul writes,

"Let each of you look not only to your own interests, 

but also to the interests of others."

                                                Philippians 2:4.

Here’s a concept I think is lost on many who call themselves Christians. Sadly this pandemic has shown us short falls among Christians. 

With tens of millions vaccinated without problems. Some who call themselves Christians are not getting vaccinated, some even refusing to wear a mask, calling it a breach of their rights and freedoms.

To my mind this tantamount to worshipping their rights over God and the interests of others.

The apostle Paul wrote,

“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.  

Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”  Romans 13:1,2.

Paul makes it clear we are to submit to the governing authorities. The only exception to that I would say and I believe Christian scholars agree is when those authorities forbid us from worshipping God. And here in North America we have not been stopped from worshipping God.

Yes we have had to be creative in how we worship, meeting on zoom, meeting outside, meeting with substantially less people in our churches, but we have never been stopped from worshipping God.

The only things the authorities have asked of us, is to, wear a mask, socially distance and get a vaccine. All that have been proven to help stop the spread of Covid.

Precautions that if followed will help us as Christians look out for the interest of others.

Please think about it.

Only Turn

  Only Turn

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

The Bible is written to believers. It therefor does not debate the existence of God. Believers know that God exists. Believers also recognize that there is a need for God within our society.

Abba Hillel Silver at the height of world war two wrote,

"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.

History has shown us that when people turn from the basic principles God has laid down for mankind, society suffers. We only have to look at world war two to see this. Hitler and his henchmen had no fear of God. They turned away from God and lived by their own rules. The result was world war two, the worst conflict in human history with upwards of 60,000,000 men, women, and children killed senselessly.

The same thing is happening today. There are many terrorist groups around the world that are murdering people. Some even having the audacity to say they are doing it in the name of God.

That being said it is not only terrorist groups doing the killing. On the streets of our cities there are men and women murdering others daily. 

The murdering aside. There are many more things happening that are against God’s laws.

The apostle Paul wrote,

“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—”2 Timothy 3:1-4.

This is happening today and our society knows it. And society is looking for solutions to it’s problems. Thus I feel if our society would only turn to God, and worships only Him things will truly change for the better.

Please think about it.

Do you sit with sinners?

  Do you sit with sinners?

Marks gospel records,

“While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.  

When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners'?" 

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:15-17.

Sadly over the years I’ve met far too many people claiming to be Christians who don’t sit down with “sinners”. Who don’t follow the example of Jesus. 

These same people sadly are also quick to judge those they see as being sinners. They are quick to point out the sin and tell them to repent and turn to God or end up in hell.

There is however a problem with this way of doing things. Many people Christians would consider sinners don’t believe they are. Many don’t believe in God or hell. That’s why telling them they need to “repent” or go to hell means nothing.

Jesus said,

Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Matthew 7:1,2.

It’s not the job of a Christians to judge anyone, or tell anyone where they will spend eternity. That is God’s job.

It is the Christians job to follow the example of Jesus. To sit down with all people especially those they think are sinning and present the Love of Christ Jesus to them. Then let them decide for themselves what they want to do.

So if you believe you are a Christian a true follower of Christ Jesus, are you sitting down with sinners in a nonjudgmental way?

Please think about it.

Act Justly

  Act Justly

In the book of Micah we read,

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

The book of James states,

"Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,  

because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!" James 2:12,13

Jesus tells us,

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." Matthew 5:7.

Jesus warns us,

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Matthew 7:1,2.

All of this boils down to what Matthew records Jesus as saying when he says,

"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.

If you truly believe the Bible is the word of God then the question becomes are you acting on these words?

If you are not then you may be responsible for turning people away from God. And possibly to a Christless eternity.

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.

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 treating those around you in the same way your would have them treat you?

Please think about it.