Apart from God

Apart from God

The Psalmist states,

“You are my Lord; 

apart from you I have no good thing.”

                                               Psalm 16:2

If you consider yourself a true believer in Christ Jesus can you truly say what the Psalmist is saying here?

Please think about it.

Justice, Love, Kindness

  Justice, Love, and Kindness

The Prophet Micah said,

“He (God) has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8.

This is for many people hard to do. It’s very easy to see the wrong someone does. Many people who call themselves Christians are quick to point out the sin someone is committing.

This is not what God wants of all those who call themselves Christian. Of those who claim to be true followers of Christ Jesus.

Yes it’s true the apostle Paul said,

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23.

But you’re not going to win a soul to Christ if you don’t first show justice, love, and kindness to those around you.

When a person sees you love them and do not judge them. It is they will listen to you and the Holy Spirit can work in their lives.

The late evangelist Billy Graham once said,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God's job to judge

 and my job to love,” 

                                 Billy Graham.

If a person is honest with themselves they will know they are not perfect. They know more than anyone else the mistakes they make. They know they sin Not only that many people hang on and quite often brood over their mistakes.

As Christians it is our job to show Gods love to them and remind them of what the apostle John said,

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."1John 1:9.

If you consider yourself a true follower of Christ Jesus are you doing this?

Please think about it.

Will be saved

 Will be saved

The apostle Paul writes,

"for all have sinned 

and fall short of the glory of God," 

                                             Romans 3:23.

The encyclopaedia Britannica states, 

“Sin, moral evil considered from a religious standpoint. Sin is regarded in Judaism and Christianity as a deliberate and purposeful violation of the will of God”.

It is something we all have done at one time or another. 

Sin separates us from God. Thus God sent Christ Jesus to pay the price for our sins and open the door to heaven. The apostle Paul writing,

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.

The apostle John writes,

“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 apostle Paul stating 

“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.

As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:9-13.

Do you believe this? If so have you confessed your sins to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ into your life?

Please think about it.

Leave Judgement to God

  Leave judgement to God

Jesus said,

"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 6:37.

If you are a Christian, a believer in Christ Jesus, do you judge other people? If you see someone with a lifestyle you disagree with do you judge them?

According to what Jesus is reported to say in the above quote from Luke’s gospel you shouldn’t be judging anyone.

When we judge someone outside our faith we give them the right to judge us. 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.

The American Evangelist Tony Campolo said,

“Let us preach Christ, let us be faithful to proclaiming the Gospel, but let's leave judgement in the hands of God.” Tony Campolo.

So if you believe in Christ Jesus if you claim to be a Christian are you doing this?

Please think about it.

A Sacred Duty

   A Sacred Duty

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.

We Christians. We who believe in Jesus Christ have a sacred duty to perform. A responsibility to God, to point people to heaven. To make disciples for Christ. It is that simple. 

We must do our best to present the gospel of Christ to those around us in a loving and caring way.

Thus the question becomes; If you consider yourself a true follower of Christ Jesus are you doing your best to present the Gospel message to those around you?

Please think about it.

A Mote of celestial dust

   A mote of celestial dust

"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

         Above it a picture taken by the Voyager space craft from a distance of 6 billion Kilometres, (4 billion miles).

Carl Sagan said,

"From this distant vantage point, the Earth might not seem of any particular interest. But for us, it's different. Consider again that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam." Carl Sagan.

What amazes me more than this is that God chose to set foot on that pail blue dot in the form of His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ. And He did so to point mankind to Heaven.  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.

Believe it or not.

Please think about it.

I Know

  I know

"The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands." 

                                                                     Psalm 19:1

When it comes to Gods existence, God wants us to have faith that He exists. But I don’t believe He expects blind faith.

Ben Zion Bokser writes,

"I have not seen the robin but I know he is there because I heard him singing through my window from the tree-top outside.

I have not seen God.  But I have looked at my child's eyes, and have been overwhelmed by the miracle of unfolding life.

I have watched the trees bedeck themselves with new garbs of green in the spring, and have been stirred by the miracle of continual rebirth.

I have looked at the stars, and have been overcome by the miracle of the grandeur and majesty of the universe.

I know that God exists, because I have heard the song of His presence from all the tree-tops of creation." Ben Zion Bokser.

The more science reveals to us about the world, indeed the universe around us. The more they are discovering that it is created in such away as to allow life to exist as we know it.

Stephen Hawking one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century said,

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

William Philips Nobel prize winning Physicist, said.

“I believe in God more because of science than in spite of it"William Philips.

Werner Heisenberg father of Quantum Mechanics Nobel prize in physics notes,

“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.

These men who are far more knowledgeable than me have come to the realization that God exists through their work in science.

That being said there are many out there who don’t believe the science. They simply have the idea that God doesn’t exist, which is their right.

The question is do you believe God exists?

Please think about it.

Love is

  Love is

The apostle Paul writes,

"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....

                                                1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

In the Talmud we read,

Rabbi Akiba was asked by a Roman general, "Why does your God who loves the needy not provide for their support Himself?"  

He answered, "God the Father of both the rich and poor, wants the one to help the other so as to make the world a household of love."  The Talmud.

Question: If you claim to be a Christian, a true believer in Christ Jesus, are you showing the Love of God to those around you.

Is the love you show to those around you, the love the apostle Paul describes? 

Please think about it.

It's about

  Its about

In Lukes gospel we read,

“In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.  

A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  

So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  

But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  

He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.  

The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,' he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' 

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" 

The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."” Luke 10:30-37.

Who is your neighbour? 

This morning the devotional I read asked the question, “who has helped you in your life?” It caused me to think. There have been so many. Over the years I’ve gone through a lot, and Praise God He’s been there for me. God has brought many people to help me get through the hard times. People who in some cases hardly knew me.

People who’ve set an example to me and my family as to how a Christian, a believer in Christ Jesus should live.

Being a Christian is not about becoming rich or powerful. Being a Christian is about following the example of Jesus. It’s about being a good Samaritan. Helping people less fortunate than yourself in any way you can. Even if that’s just giving a dollar or two to the Salvation Army at Christmas. Or giving a few dollars to someone who is homeless on the street. Or to any good cause that helps people.

It’s also about pointing the way in word, and in deed to Christ and the Salvation He offers. 

Please think about it.

Your life and lifestyle

 your life and lifestyle

In the book of Proverbs we read

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; 

bind them around your neck, 

write them on the tablet of your heart. 

Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man."

                                                                                                    ” Proverbs 3:3,4

The writer of Hebrews wrote,

“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 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.

As Christians we have an obligation to be doing what the above scriptures are telling us to do. People need to see our lives filled with love for all people even our enemies.

Unfortunately way to many people claiming to be Christians do not exhibit these attributes toward others. They have become bad religious copies of the world. 

Billy Graham said,

“Those outside the church expect followers of Christ to live differently, 

yet today many in church are chasing after the world - 

not to win them, but to be like them.”

                                                    Billy Graham. 

This should not be so.

Francis of Assisi said,

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon 

some persons will hear today” 

                                            Francis of Assisi.

If you claim to be Christian take some time to assess your life, lifestyle and actions toward those around you. Ask yourself, What is my sermon telling the those around me about me. About Christ.

Please think about it.

Perhaps faith

  Perhaps faith

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  

For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 

Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.  

Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”1 Corinthians 1:18-25

The above is what Christians believe. We present to the world a Saviour that is the Son of God. A Suffering Messiah.

We ask people to believe by faith that Jesus is the One and Only Son of God. That he came to earth died, was buried, rose from the dead, walked the earth briefly, before ascending to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father.

We ask people to believe in the trinity, The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one being existing in three parts.

These are hard things to accept. Yet they are the basics of Christianity.

They are truths that a true seeker of God will find to be true if they read the Bible.

 It however takes faith. The writer of Hebrews stating,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

 and certain of what we do not see.”  

                                        Hebrews 11:1

“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

And faith, especially in someone or something we cannot see is the hardest thing for anyone to do. Perhaps that is why God asks us to have faith in Him.

Please think about it

In good times and in bad times

 In good times and in bad

The Psalmist writes,

"I will extol the LORD at all times; 

His praise will always be on my lips. 

My soul will boast in the LORD; 

let the afflicted hear and rejoice. 

Glorify the LORD with me; 

let us exalt his name together." 

                                        Psalm 34:1-3.

If nothing else the New Testament shows Jesus and his apostles experienced all that it is to be human. They attended weddings. The followed the rules set down in the Torah. They interacted with people of all walks of life.

They were also beaten, thrown in prison all but one dying for their faith. Yet through all of this they praised God. They praised him not only in the good times, but after they’d been beaten and while they were in prison.

They praised God because they knew that even in their darkest hour God was with them. 

How about you; do you praise God in the good times and in the bad?

Please think about it.