So do you believe?

  So do you believe?

The apostle Paul writes,

“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” Titus 3:4,5.

The apostle Paul makes it clear here that it is through the mercy of God that we are saved. Through the Gods grace. In Ephesians 2:8,9 Paul notes,

"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.

Christians believe that God in his mercy reached down to mankind through Jesus Christ and offered salvation to all who would believe in Jesus.

It is the Christian view that we cannot live a life good enough to get into heaven. Nor can we work our way to heaven.

The way Christians believe we get to heaven is simple. The apostle Paul telling us,

"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Romans 10:9-10

So do you believe Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead?

Please think about it.

To Proclaim Good News

  To proclaim good news

Jesus said,

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour."  Luke 4: 18-19.

This is the reason for Jesus coming to this earth. In the gospel of John 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.

This is the message we as believers in Christ Jesus must do also.

Are you doing this?

Please think about it.

Expel

  Expel 

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.” 1Corinthians 5:12,13.

While we as believers in Christ Jesus have no right to judge those outside of the church, especially when it come to where a person will spend eternity. We do have an obligation to judge those who claim to be believers in Christ Jesus. 

We need to be able to do this in order to see that they are teaching sound doctrine. Where they will spend eternity it still up to Gods judgement.

That being said it is imperative that we question the beliefs of those pastors, and evangelist we follow. We do this in order to see that what they are saying is truly what the Bible is saying.

Sadly however here in North America with all our freedoms we do a poor job of correcting errant pastors, evangelist and teachers. Even if we do expel them, because of our freedoms, our freedom of speech laws they simply set themself up and carry on as an independent ministry.

Thus my question to you; If you consider yourself a Christian a believer in Christ Jesus, do you ever question the evangelist, pastors or teachers you follow?

Please think about it.

Gods job not ours

  Gods job not ours

The Psalmist writes,

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16.

God knows us intimately. This quote from psalms in modern terminology is essentially saying God knows the very DNA make up of our being. He knows why we are the way we are. This is why God and God alone is the only one who can judge another person.

Jesus made it clear to all who believes,

“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.

While we must be careful as to who we trust at time for our own safety. We have no right to judge where someone will spend eternity. That is Gods job. NOT ours.

Please think about it.

Are you a Tabitha?

 Are you a Tabitha?

"Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity." Acts 9:36

Are you a Tabitha? Are you full of good works? As Christians we should be. In the book of James we read,

“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  

If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 

You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?” James 2:14-20.

Our faith should spur us on to doing whatever good works we can do. Even if its just donating to a reputable charity or food bank.

Jesus said,

“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." Matthew 10:42.

So are you doing what you can to help those in need?

Please think about it.

A sermon for 2022

  A sermon for 2022

The apostle Paul while in Athens was asked to speak at the Areopagus by Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. This is his sermon. As important today as it was then. 

Paul states,

"So he 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

For Christians this is an example of how to reach non-Christians. Paul did not condemn them. He didn’t say anything against their beliefs or lifestyle. He simply presented what he believed to those gathered. 

The result was some “sneered” at him. Others believed. While others wanted to hear more. 

When we as Christians present the gospel message this is how we should do it.

So is this the way you present the gospel message to those around you?

Please think about it.

In gentleness

 In gentleness

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, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” 1 Peter 3:15,16.

Is Christ first in your life? Are you prepared to give an answer to everyone who wants to know why you follow Christ?

When you present the gospel message to someone do you do it respecting the person you are speaking to? Do you present the message of Christ with gentleness?

All of these things are necessary to reach people for Christ. If you don’t respect others, they wont respect you. If you don’t present the word of the Lord in a gentle fashion people will turn away from you.

It all comes down to what 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.

So are you obedient to what Peter and Jesus are saying?

Please think about it.

Let your light shine

  Let your light shine

Jesus said,

“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” Matthew 5:16.

If you claim to be a Christian. A true follower of Christ Jesus is your light shining before those around you?

The apostle Peter wrote,

"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 2:12.

Is this what you are doing?

I remember reading of an incident in a south east Asian country where a man in a small village for some reason got mad and a group of Christians and wanted his neighbours to help him persecute them. The neighbours said no. That Christians were good people.

Could this be said of you?

Or are you noted for your protesting against everything and everyone you disagree with?

Please think about it.

He will. Not you

  He will. Not you.

the Psalmist says of God,

"He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth."

                                                                                                      Psalm 96:13b. 

Here is a very important point lost on many Christians. Or at least those who call themselves Christians. The Psalmist makes it clear “HE, (God), will judge the world...”   

Jesus quoted in the Gospel of Luke,

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:7.

In Matthews Gospel Jesus is quoted as saying,

"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.

Billy Graham the late American evangelist stated.

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God's job to judge

 and my job to love,” 

                         Billy Graham

We will never win souls for Christ if we are even perceived as judging them. As Billy Graham stated it is our job to love.

Jesus made it clear what His purpose in coming to earth was for when he 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.

These words should always be on our minds when we speak about Jesus, “ God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him”.

Is this the message you are presenting to the world?

Or are you in the habit of judging those in the world around you?

Please think about it.

Ascribe

  Ascribe

The Psalmist calls to the nations of the world to,    

"Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, 

ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 

"Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;

 bring an offering and come into his courts. 

Worship the LORD in the splendour of his holiness;

tremble before him, all the earth." 

                                                      Psalm 96:8,9.

If you consider yourself a Christian. A believer in Christ Jesus are you doing this. Even more importantly are the people around you seeing this. For if you are not doing as the Psalmist states, how can you expect people around you to do it?

Francis of Assisi made two very important points when he said,

“Preach the Gospel at all times 

and when necessary use words.”

AND

"The deeds you do may be the only

 sermon some persons will hear today" 

                                                        Francis of Assisi

When people look at the sermon that is your words and deeds, what will they say?

Please think about it

The Lord reigns

  The Lord reigns

The Psalmist states,

"Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns.

" The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; 

He will judge the peoples with equity. 

"Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;

 let the sea resound, and all that is in it; 

"let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. 

Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; 

they will sing before the LORD, for He comes, 

He comes to judge the earth. 

He will judge the world in righteousness 

and the peoples in His truth."

                                                               Psalm 96:10-13. 

As believers in God. Believers in Christ Jesus we are told to “Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns”. We are to warn them that God will one day Judge the people of this world in righteousness. 

In 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.

Believing in God is a choice. When God created the world and everything in it. God gave man a freewill to believe what he wants to. That includes not believing in God. 

However God offers us hope in the form of Christ Jesus. Jesus referring to 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.

Thus the question becomes do you believe this?

Please think about it.

Sing, Proclaim, Declare

  Sing, Proclaim, Declare

The Psalmist proclaims,

“Sing to the LORD a new song; 

sing to the LORD, all the earth. 

Sing to the LORD, 

praise His name; 

proclaim His salvation day after day. 

Declare His glory among the nations, 

His marvellous deeds among all peoples.”

                                                           Psalm 96:1-3.

If you are a Christian. A true believer in Christ Jesus. 

Do you take time to praise God? 

Do you proclaim His salvation to those around you? 

Do you declare Gods glory to those around you? 

Do you declare Gods marvellous deeds among the people?

If not. Why not?

Please think about it.