Expel them

  Expel them

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." 1 Corinthians 5:12,13.

These words from the apostle Paul are clear. We are not to judge those outside the church that is Gods job. 

We are however to judge those inside the church. I believe this means we are to judge what they say and do to see that what they are teaching, and saying is correct when it comes to the Bible.

If it is not then we are to expel them from the church.

Please think about it.

The fruit of a Christian life

  The fruit of a Christian life

In the book of Galatians we read,

“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.

If we are exhibiting these traits to the world around us then no one can honestly speak negative things about us.

When people look at your life do they see such fruits?

Please think about it.

Christian you to will stand before God

 Christian you to will stand before God

In the book of James we read,

“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 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.

Christians or those calling themselves Christians ignore the fact that we will be judged. First of all the world around us will judge us by our words and deeds. And I believe they will judge us in the same way we judge them.

More importantly however is the fact that we will be judged by God and James tells us, 

“judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

Jesus said,

"Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  

For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' 

"They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 

"He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' 

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Matthew 25:41-46.

I think we can say that the people Jesus is telling to depart believed in God. That seems to be the extent of their belief however. They were obviously not doing what God asks them to do.

Thus my question; What will God say to you when you stand before Him? 

Please think about it

Representing Christ

 Representing Christ

The apostle Paul wrote,

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  

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 Corinthians5:18-20

Paul makes it clear here, we are Christ’s ambassadors to the world around us. 

An ambassador is a diplomat sent by a state or king as his representative in a foreign country.

Thus if we consider ourselves Christians we must accept the fact that we are diplomats to a country that is not our own. Thus we have to act diplomatically with the people around us. We should never be confrontational.

The apostle Peter 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.

One thing Ambassadors do is present their culture and beliefs to the country where they are posted.

Those belief may not always be the same as the country they are posted in. Added to that the country they are posted in may have radically different views to the ambassadors.

Still a good ambassador will represent his or her country in the best possible light.

As Christians we are called to do this. Being confrontational will only bring conflict and conflict can cost lives.

In the case of Christ causing someone to see Jesus in a negative light could possibly sent someone to a Christless eternity.

So the question becomes; How are you representing Christ?

Please think about it.

How are you treating others?

  How are you treating others?

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.

Extolling God

  Extolling God

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.

God or Money?

 God or money?

In Proverbs

Those who trust in their riches will fall, 

but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.

                                                               Proverbs 11:28

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.

Jesus said,

"The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate theone and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money" Matthew 6:22-24 

So here is a simple question to anyone who calls themselves a Christian. A true believer in Christ Jesus.

In what or in whom do you put your trust?

Please think about it.

By this they will know

  By this they will know

Jesus said,

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34,35.

Do you show love to other Christians? Do you show love to those around you, family, friend and foe alike?

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.

Francis of Assisi wrote a prayer I think all of us who call ourselves true believers in Christ Jesus need to take to heart. He 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.

Are you an instrument of Gods Love?

Please think about it.

Crazy Lunatic Poached egg?

  Crazy, Lunatic, Poached egg?

The apostle Paul makes this point,

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8.

If Jesus was not the Son of God, The Christ. Why would he let himself die on the cross? As the apostle notes someone might die for a righteous man. But why die for a sinner?

C. S. Lewis puts it 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

So who do you think Jesus is?

Please think about it.

If you look

  If you look

In the book of Deuteronomy we read,

"But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul."  Deuteronomy 4:29.

An unknown writer stated,

“Maybe the atheist cannot find God 

for the same reason a thief cannot find a policeman.”

                                                                              Author Unknown.

In order to truly find God you have to be looking for Him. Sadly too many people are not looking for God. Equally sad is the fact that many people have made up their minds that there is no God without at least reading the New Testament or the Bible as a whole.

As the writer of Deuteronomy states you have to look for God with your whole heart and soul.

Are you?

Please think about it. 

From God

 From God

In the book of Acts we read of a incident where Peter and some other apostles of Jesus who had been told by the religious leader of their day not to preach in the name of Jesus did so anyway. 

The book of acts records,

"We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood." 

Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!  

The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.  God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.  

We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him." 

When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.  

But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honoured by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while.  

Then he addressed them: "Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men.  

Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.  

After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered.  

Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.  

But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." Acts 5:28-39.

The take away from this is a warning to all who would wish to do violence to those who believe in Christ Jesus. In doing so they will find themselves fighting against God.

Christianity has stood the test of time. Today in 2023 there are three billion, (3,000,000,000) people world wide who believe in Jesus and that number continues to grow daily.

Many governments, religious leaders, and individuals have tried to eradicate Christianity but have failed.

They have failed because Christians are following Jesus Christ, God incarnate.

What do you think?

Please think about it. 

The Stone the builders rejected.

  The stone the builders rejected.

In the book of Acts we read,

“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people!  

If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.  

He is " ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.' Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:8-12.

Here Peter is standing before the religious leaders of his day having to give an account to them for healing a man in the name of Jesus. 

Those leaders did not believe in Jesus. Not only that they had the authority to have Peter and those with him jailed or flogged for speaking about Jesus. 

Yet knowing this Peter still spoke boldly about who Jesus was saying,

“He is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.' Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:11,12.

This is what Christians believe today and speak boldly about to the world around them.

If you consider yourself a Christian do you tell those around you, in word and in deed about Jesus?

Please think about it.