The Devil can
“The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.”
William Shakespeare
When I talk to none Christians I quite often shock them with the fact I feel most church congregations especially here in Canada and the United States are filled with none Christians.
In the case of some church congregations the majority of the congregation may not even be Christian.
I would even go as far as saying the pastors of some churches are not Christian. That also goes for some evangelist and televangelist also.
Just because someone spouts scripture in what seems like a logical way doesn’t mean that they are Christian.
Even if the words they say are the truth with respect to Christ doesn’t mean to say they are Christians.
In Matthew 8:28-32 demons tell the truth about Jesus calling him the Son of God.
There are many ministers and evangelist out there that make scripture say what they want it to say.
The apostle Paul writing to Timothy states,
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
2Timothy 4:3,4.
This is happening today and it is becoming more prevalent in the media. Sadly especially in the evangelical world, those who claim to be fundamentalist are not standing up to false teachers.
There is a wide range of interpretations of the bible. That’s understandable and those interpretations can lead to some strong discussions.
The nice thing about being a true Christian is that we take the bible serious enough to want to discuss even argue over what we believe it says.
Such discussions are healthy for any faith.
The basics however are not up for debate.
Basics such as,
Jesus is the Son of God he is God incarnate and the only way to heaven
The apostle John writing,
“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....
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God....
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, 12-14
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6
That Salvation and Eternal life is a gift from God no one you can work for but one you must accept freely.
“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
John also tells us we must confess our sins directly to God,
“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
Also key to being a Christian is Love of our fellow man. Jesus saying,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Matthew 5:43-47
And the love Christians must show is unconditional Paul defining Love as,
“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
These things for me is what it is to be a true Christian.
Think about it.
C
Thursday, 31 July 2014
Wednesday, 30 July 2014
A thought from Gandhi
A thought from Gandhi
“Jesus is ideal and wonderful, but you Christians - you are not like him.”
Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi I believe from his perspective was right. He undoubtedly had seen the worst of the British empire. He had like many in the world today seen people who passed for Christians but were not.
When I think of Gandhi’s statement I think of the Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Gay, and Trangendered community of today.
Can you imagine how someone from the LGBT community feels when they see high profile Christians in the media trying to restrict their rights. Condemning them calling them sinners and not only that inferring that they have a “special” sin.
Those calling themselves Christians in some African nations are supporting laws that imprison homosexuals.
Such actions don’t reflect the ideals of Jesus. Jesus was all inclusive. He was accused of sitting with sinners and tax collectors by the religious leaders of his day.
Jesus was all inclusive. To Jesus the individual was important not whether they’d sinned or not. We all sin, tax collectors, religious leaders and Christians. Jesus knew this that’s why Jesus reached out to all people.
Matthew records,
“While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples.
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:10-13
The apostle Paul writing to Timothy states,
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”
1Timothy 1:15,16
Jesus came to save the sinners. Paul writes,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
Romans 3:23.
By all Paul meant all. Every man and woman on the face of the earth, Christians included. We are all guilty of falling short of God’s ideals for our life.
Sadly there are far too many in the world today claiming to be Christians that are not. They have fallen away from the faith and developed a self-righteousness of their own.
To these people I believe Jesus will say,
“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.
Christians have no right to judge others Jesus states,
“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.
True Christians will not judge,
James writing to believers 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.
Christians are obligated to show mercy and love to all people.
The Apostle Paul states,
“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.
Sadly Christians do not always speak out, at least publicly especially against those high profile evangelist and ministers who are judging others. Thus such people still drag the name of Jesus through the mud.
The soul job of a Christian is to tell the world about the saving grace of Jesus.
I for one am willing to speak anywhere at any time to anyone about the Love of Jesus.
Something I believe all Christians should be willing to do.
Think about it.
“Jesus is ideal and wonderful, but you Christians - you are not like him.”
Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi I believe from his perspective was right. He undoubtedly had seen the worst of the British empire. He had like many in the world today seen people who passed for Christians but were not.
When I think of Gandhi’s statement I think of the Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Gay, and Trangendered community of today.
Can you imagine how someone from the LGBT community feels when they see high profile Christians in the media trying to restrict their rights. Condemning them calling them sinners and not only that inferring that they have a “special” sin.
Those calling themselves Christians in some African nations are supporting laws that imprison homosexuals.
Such actions don’t reflect the ideals of Jesus. Jesus was all inclusive. He was accused of sitting with sinners and tax collectors by the religious leaders of his day.
Jesus was all inclusive. To Jesus the individual was important not whether they’d sinned or not. We all sin, tax collectors, religious leaders and Christians. Jesus knew this that’s why Jesus reached out to all people.
Matthew records,
“While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples.
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:10-13
The apostle Paul writing to Timothy states,
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”
1Timothy 1:15,16
Jesus came to save the sinners. Paul writes,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
Romans 3:23.
By all Paul meant all. Every man and woman on the face of the earth, Christians included. We are all guilty of falling short of God’s ideals for our life.
Sadly there are far too many in the world today claiming to be Christians that are not. They have fallen away from the faith and developed a self-righteousness of their own.
To these people I believe Jesus will say,
“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.
Christians have no right to judge others Jesus states,
“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.
True Christians will not judge,
James writing to believers 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.
Christians are obligated to show mercy and love to all people.
The Apostle Paul states,
“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.
Sadly Christians do not always speak out, at least publicly especially against those high profile evangelist and ministers who are judging others. Thus such people still drag the name of Jesus through the mud.
The soul job of a Christian is to tell the world about the saving grace of Jesus.
I for one am willing to speak anywhere at any time to anyone about the Love of Jesus.
Something I believe all Christians should be willing to do.
Think about it.
Tuesday, 29 July 2014
God Exists
God Exists
“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 heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
Psalm 19:1
I enjoy going on the Hubble heritage sight and seeing the images taken by the hubble space telescope. They are incredible there is a magnificent beauty about them.
The things photographed and studied prove just how fantastic the universe is. Astronomers I’ve spoken to tell me they can use precise mathematical models to study the movements of the galaxies, planets, and stars.
This to me does not just happen by chance. There must be a creator God behind it.
People say well you can’t see or feel or touch God therefore he cannot exist.
I knew there was a robin nesting in the trees in my back yard long before I seen it.
I heard it’s call, I seen evidence of it in the fact it had built a nest in the tree. It was most certainly there but it was weeks before I seen it.
I know God exists because I look into the heavens and see all that he has made. I look at the trees and flowers in my yard and marvel at their complexity.
I see all of life hear on earth balanced so perfectly that we might exist. That’s how I know God exists.
If I’m wrong I have nothing to fear if I’m right those who think I’m wrong have a lot to worry about.
Think about it.
“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 heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
Psalm 19:1
I enjoy going on the Hubble heritage sight and seeing the images taken by the hubble space telescope. They are incredible there is a magnificent beauty about them.
The things photographed and studied prove just how fantastic the universe is. Astronomers I’ve spoken to tell me they can use precise mathematical models to study the movements of the galaxies, planets, and stars.
This to me does not just happen by chance. There must be a creator God behind it.
People say well you can’t see or feel or touch God therefore he cannot exist.
I knew there was a robin nesting in the trees in my back yard long before I seen it.
I heard it’s call, I seen evidence of it in the fact it had built a nest in the tree. It was most certainly there but it was weeks before I seen it.
I know God exists because I look into the heavens and see all that he has made. I look at the trees and flowers in my yard and marvel at their complexity.
I see all of life hear on earth balanced so perfectly that we might exist. That’s how I know God exists.
If I’m wrong I have nothing to fear if I’m right those who think I’m wrong have a lot to worry about.
Think about it.
Monday, 28 July 2014
I Could
I could
I could quote the Bible from now to the day I die and I know I will not convince some people that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
There are those out there that claim he never existed. Those who would debunk the experts and historians who verify that Jesus did in fact live.
To those who say Jesus never existed. That he was a fictitious figure. I would ask am I and all other Christians both living dead guilty of following a delusion?
If so we are among the most gullible people in the world and there are around two billion of us in the world.
Are we guilty of following a myth even to the point of death. If so how sad, because if Jesus is a myth or a lie it would be the greatest lie ever perpetuated on mankind. And millions would have gone to their deaths for nothing.
No credible historian today doubts that Jesus was a real person.
Kenneth Scott Latourette, former President of American Historic Society in A History of Christianity wrote,
“It is evidence of His importance, of the effect that He has had upon history and presumably, of the baffling mystery of His being that no other life ever lived on this planet has evoked so huge a volume of literature among so many people and languages, and that, far from ebbing, the flood continues to mount.”
As the centuries pass by, the evidence is accumulating that measured by its effect on history, Jesus is the most influential life ever lived on this planet. The influence appears to be mounting.”
“No other life lived on this planet has so widely and deeply affected mankind.”
I believe Jesus is the Son of God. I believe him when he said,
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6.
If I am wrong and Jesus is not who he claims to be or if there is no God at all I have nothing to fear.
But if I and the two billion people who believe as I do are correct others have a lot to fear.
Think about it.
I could quote the Bible from now to the day I die and I know I will not convince some people that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
There are those out there that claim he never existed. Those who would debunk the experts and historians who verify that Jesus did in fact live.
To those who say Jesus never existed. That he was a fictitious figure. I would ask am I and all other Christians both living dead guilty of following a delusion?
If so we are among the most gullible people in the world and there are around two billion of us in the world.
Are we guilty of following a myth even to the point of death. If so how sad, because if Jesus is a myth or a lie it would be the greatest lie ever perpetuated on mankind. And millions would have gone to their deaths for nothing.
No credible historian today doubts that Jesus was a real person.
Kenneth Scott Latourette, former President of American Historic Society in A History of Christianity wrote,
“It is evidence of His importance, of the effect that He has had upon history and presumably, of the baffling mystery of His being that no other life ever lived on this planet has evoked so huge a volume of literature among so many people and languages, and that, far from ebbing, the flood continues to mount.”
As the centuries pass by, the evidence is accumulating that measured by its effect on history, Jesus is the most influential life ever lived on this planet. The influence appears to be mounting.”
“No other life lived on this planet has so widely and deeply affected mankind.”
I believe Jesus is the Son of God. I believe him when he said,
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6.
If I am wrong and Jesus is not who he claims to be or if there is no God at all I have nothing to fear.
But if I and the two billion people who believe as I do are correct others have a lot to fear.
Think about it.
Sunday, 27 July 2014
True greatness
What is true greatness?
"For over a thousand years Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of triumph, a tumultuous parade. In the procession came trumpeteers, musicians and strange animals from conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments. The conquerors rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. Sometimes his children robed in white stood with him in the chariot or rode the trace horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror holding a golden crown and whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting."
Gen. George C. Patton
I remember watching a documentary film clip from the early 1960's less than twenty years after world war two. They were asking United States collage and university students who Winston Churchill, Britains war time leader was.
A full eighty percent couldn’t say. It was sad but understandable. Man’s glory is fleeting.
At the same time those who didn’t know who Churchill was, knew who Jesus was even if they only called him a good man.
Napoleon said,
"You speak of Caesar, of Alexander, of their conquests and of the enthusiasm which they enkindled in the hearts of their soldiers; but can you conceive of a dead man making conquests, with an army faithful and entirely devoted to his memory? My armies have forgotten me even while living, as the Carthaginian army forgot Hannibal. Such is our power.”
“I know men and I tell you, Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour, millions would die for him.”
“I search in vain history to find similar to Jesus Christ, or anything which can approach the gospel. Neither history nor humanity, nor ages, nor nature, offer me anything with which I am able to compare it or to explain it. Here everything is extraordinary.”
Napoleon French Emperor
Ernest Renan, French historian, religious scholar and linguist said,
“All history is incomprehensible without Christ.”
H. G. Wells, British writer, 1866-1946 When asked which person left the most permanent impression on history, he replied,
"that judging a person’s greatness by historical standards:“By this test, Jesus stands first.”
“I am a historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very centre of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history.”
“Christ is the most unique person of history. No man can write a history of the human race without giving first and foremost place to the penniless teacher of Nazareth.”
Finally C. S. Lewis writes,
“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
What do you think of Jesus?
"For over a thousand years Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of triumph, a tumultuous parade. In the procession came trumpeteers, musicians and strange animals from conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments. The conquerors rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. Sometimes his children robed in white stood with him in the chariot or rode the trace horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror holding a golden crown and whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting."
Gen. George C. Patton
I remember watching a documentary film clip from the early 1960's less than twenty years after world war two. They were asking United States collage and university students who Winston Churchill, Britains war time leader was.
A full eighty percent couldn’t say. It was sad but understandable. Man’s glory is fleeting.
At the same time those who didn’t know who Churchill was, knew who Jesus was even if they only called him a good man.
Napoleon said,
"You speak of Caesar, of Alexander, of their conquests and of the enthusiasm which they enkindled in the hearts of their soldiers; but can you conceive of a dead man making conquests, with an army faithful and entirely devoted to his memory? My armies have forgotten me even while living, as the Carthaginian army forgot Hannibal. Such is our power.”
“I know men and I tell you, Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour, millions would die for him.”
“I search in vain history to find similar to Jesus Christ, or anything which can approach the gospel. Neither history nor humanity, nor ages, nor nature, offer me anything with which I am able to compare it or to explain it. Here everything is extraordinary.”
Napoleon French Emperor
Ernest Renan, French historian, religious scholar and linguist said,
“All history is incomprehensible without Christ.”
H. G. Wells, British writer, 1866-1946 When asked which person left the most permanent impression on history, he replied,
"that judging a person’s greatness by historical standards:“By this test, Jesus stands first.”
“I am a historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very centre of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history.”
“Christ is the most unique person of history. No man can write a history of the human race without giving first and foremost place to the penniless teacher of Nazareth.”
Finally C. S. Lewis writes,
“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
What do you think of Jesus?
Saturday, 26 July 2014
In a nutshell
In a nutshell
“The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Acts 16:30,31
The Jailor here asks the age old question, “what must I do to be saved.” to which Paul and Silas say, “believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved...”
We must believe Jesus is who he said he is.
C.S. Lewis said,
“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.
In Jesus God reached down to mankind. He states,
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6.
Jesus leaves no middle ground either we be believe he is the way to God or we do not.
Christians believe getting to heaven is a simple thing.
We believe,
1/ “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8
2/“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:23,24
And by all Paul means all. Every man woman and child. Every person sitting in the pew of a church, every pastor, priest, pope, evangelist, televangelist, everyone.
3/“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.”
1 John 1:9-10
We all sin. Sin is falling short of God’s ideal plan for our lives.
3/ “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
John 1:12,13.
We do believe that in accepting Jesus into our lives we become the children of God.
We believe getting to heaven is as simple as a prayer like this one.
Dear Heavenly Father.
I believe that Jesus Christ is your One and Only Son. That He died for may sins on the cross and that he rose again victorious to walk this earth and ascend into heaven to sit at your right hand.
I confess I am a sinner and fall short of you.
Please forgive my sins and come into my heart and life today. I pray.
Amen.
If you prayed this prayer in all sincerity then Jesus will come into your life.
The next step I would ask you to do is start reading the Bible. Start reading the New Testament first. I suggest starting at the Gospel of John.
Ask God to show you the truths of the Bible.
Then look for a Bible believing church one that believes what I have just written above.
Take time to talk to the pastor and see if you like him and if he is willing to answer questions.
If you don’t understand what the pastor is saying in his sermon then ask him. If he will not answer your questions himself then look for another church.
All honest and good pastors will take time to talk to you even if you need to make an appointment as is the case in some large churches.
But above all if you haven’t accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour please at least, think about it.
“The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Acts 16:30,31
The Jailor here asks the age old question, “what must I do to be saved.” to which Paul and Silas say, “believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved...”
We must believe Jesus is who he said he is.
C.S. Lewis said,
“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.
In Jesus God reached down to mankind. He states,
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6.
Jesus leaves no middle ground either we be believe he is the way to God or we do not.
Christians believe getting to heaven is a simple thing.
We believe,
1/ “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8
2/“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:23,24
And by all Paul means all. Every man woman and child. Every person sitting in the pew of a church, every pastor, priest, pope, evangelist, televangelist, everyone.
3/“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.”
1 John 1:9-10
We all sin. Sin is falling short of God’s ideal plan for our lives.
3/ “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
John 1:12,13.
We do believe that in accepting Jesus into our lives we become the children of God.
We believe getting to heaven is as simple as a prayer like this one.
Dear Heavenly Father.
I believe that Jesus Christ is your One and Only Son. That He died for may sins on the cross and that he rose again victorious to walk this earth and ascend into heaven to sit at your right hand.
I confess I am a sinner and fall short of you.
Please forgive my sins and come into my heart and life today. I pray.
Amen.
If you prayed this prayer in all sincerity then Jesus will come into your life.
The next step I would ask you to do is start reading the Bible. Start reading the New Testament first. I suggest starting at the Gospel of John.
Ask God to show you the truths of the Bible.
Then look for a Bible believing church one that believes what I have just written above.
Take time to talk to the pastor and see if you like him and if he is willing to answer questions.
If you don’t understand what the pastor is saying in his sermon then ask him. If he will not answer your questions himself then look for another church.
All honest and good pastors will take time to talk to you even if you need to make an appointment as is the case in some large churches.
But above all if you haven’t accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour please at least, think about it.
Friday, 25 July 2014
Not a bad ovservation
Not a bad observation
“He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.
He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.
He covers the face of the full moon, spreading his clouds over it.
He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness.”
Job 26:7-10
To my way of thinking Job who lived somewhere between 2000 and 1000 BC. Gave a good description of the above photograph taken by Apollo sixteen.
Job never as far as we know looked through a telescope. He never had the vantage point of the Apollo astronauts or the other space probe photos shown above. Yet he was able to say
“He (God) spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.”
Little quotes from the bible like these tell me that God is real. That God gave insight to ancient men who believed in him.
Job looked into the sky and unlike the Greeks who thought the universe was held up by Atlas. Job said the earth it was suspended on nothing.
He realized that water was suspended in clouds. And that there was a boundary between light and darkness.
All this in the middle bronze age. Quite something.
Think about it.
“He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.
He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.
He covers the face of the full moon, spreading his clouds over it.
He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness.”
Job 26:7-10
To my way of thinking Job who lived somewhere between 2000 and 1000 BC. Gave a good description of the above photograph taken by Apollo sixteen.
Job never as far as we know looked through a telescope. He never had the vantage point of the Apollo astronauts or the other space probe photos shown above. Yet he was able to say
“He (God) spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.”
Little quotes from the bible like these tell me that God is real. That God gave insight to ancient men who believed in him.
Job looked into the sky and unlike the Greeks who thought the universe was held up by Atlas. Job said the earth it was suspended on nothing.
He realized that water was suspended in clouds. And that there was a boundary between light and darkness.
All this in the middle bronze age. Quite something.
Think about it.
Thursday, 24 July 2014
All
All
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30.
Here is one of my favourite quotes from the Bible. They are the words of Jesus. It’s first line says it all.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
By all it means all. The God I serve is a God of inclusion.
Jesus does not exclude anyone. He doesn’t care what race you are, where you live or your lifestyle. He only cares for you.
Over the years and still in the media we hear evangelist yammering on against various groups.
Over the years such evangelist and pastors have condemned everything from rock and roll to Elvis Presley’s gyrating hips. They have judged the Gay community and the anything else they disagree with including other Christian groups.
They are wrong. Jesus in Matthew 7:1,2
“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.
A Christian has no right to judge anyone only God can do that because only God knows the heart.
Jesus wants everyone everywhere to know that joy of salvation. To have eternal life.
That’s why he made the above statement,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30.
He knows we all go through trials and troubles. He knows the pressures on our lives but he promises that if we accept Him into our life we will be their for us to lighten the load.
Please think about letting Jesus into your life today.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30.
Here is one of my favourite quotes from the Bible. They are the words of Jesus. It’s first line says it all.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
By all it means all. The God I serve is a God of inclusion.
Jesus does not exclude anyone. He doesn’t care what race you are, where you live or your lifestyle. He only cares for you.
Over the years and still in the media we hear evangelist yammering on against various groups.
Over the years such evangelist and pastors have condemned everything from rock and roll to Elvis Presley’s gyrating hips. They have judged the Gay community and the anything else they disagree with including other Christian groups.
They are wrong. Jesus in Matthew 7:1,2
“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.
A Christian has no right to judge anyone only God can do that because only God knows the heart.
Jesus wants everyone everywhere to know that joy of salvation. To have eternal life.
That’s why he made the above statement,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30.
He knows we all go through trials and troubles. He knows the pressures on our lives but he promises that if we accept Him into our life we will be their for us to lighten the load.
Please think about letting Jesus into your life today.
Wednesday, 23 July 2014
Trying to put out the sun
Trying to put out the sun
“A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.”
C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain
In my forty years now of being a Christian I’ve met many atheist. Men and women who deny there is a God. It’s their right, but they are in my opinion wrong.
Some have said to me my faith is a crutch. If it is at times it’s a very rickety one.
Keep in mind that according to a report given to the British house of commons one Christian dies for their faith every eleven minutes.
If God is not real why does countries like North Korea oppress Christianity so brutally.
Why are millions of people both today and in ages past willing to die for the cause of Christ.
From ancient days man has believed in a God or god’s. the ancient Greeks and Romans had a pantheon of god’s
In Athens apparently not wanting to offend any god, had a temple to an unknown god.
The ancient Egyptians worshipped their Pharaoh’s as God’s. The also believed in an after life. Building the pyramids and filling them with grave goods that they thought their Pharaoh’s would need in the afterlife.
Throughout Europe ancient burials have turned up grave after ancient grave in which the dead were buried with elaborate rituals and laid with things thought essential in the after life.
It seems ingrained in the very psyche of man that there is life beyond this one.
If there isn’t life after death in my humble opinion life is worthless.
The writer of Ecclesiastes states,
“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.
Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes 2:10,11.
This to me is what life on this earth would be without God. Ecclesiastes however after much contemplating comes up with the right answer writing,
“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.
You can say there is no God but that does not make it so as C.S. Lewis puts it,
“A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.”
Think About it.
“A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.”
C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain
In my forty years now of being a Christian I’ve met many atheist. Men and women who deny there is a God. It’s their right, but they are in my opinion wrong.
Some have said to me my faith is a crutch. If it is at times it’s a very rickety one.
Keep in mind that according to a report given to the British house of commons one Christian dies for their faith every eleven minutes.
If God is not real why does countries like North Korea oppress Christianity so brutally.
Why are millions of people both today and in ages past willing to die for the cause of Christ.
From ancient days man has believed in a God or god’s. the ancient Greeks and Romans had a pantheon of god’s
In Athens apparently not wanting to offend any god, had a temple to an unknown god.
The ancient Egyptians worshipped their Pharaoh’s as God’s. The also believed in an after life. Building the pyramids and filling them with grave goods that they thought their Pharaoh’s would need in the afterlife.
Throughout Europe ancient burials have turned up grave after ancient grave in which the dead were buried with elaborate rituals and laid with things thought essential in the after life.
It seems ingrained in the very psyche of man that there is life beyond this one.
If there isn’t life after death in my humble opinion life is worthless.
The writer of Ecclesiastes states,
“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.
Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes 2:10,11.
This to me is what life on this earth would be without God. Ecclesiastes however after much contemplating comes up with the right answer writing,
“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.
You can say there is no God but that does not make it so as C.S. Lewis puts it,
“A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.”
Think About it.
Tuesday, 22 July 2014
Images of Home
Images of Home
Above are pictures of earth taken from various space probes the furthest is from Voyager 1 taken as it was leaving the solar system at 4 billion miles. The others are taken from Saturn, Mercury, Mars, the Moon and the Galileo prob heading out from earth.
In them earth looks pretty small when compared to the vastness of the universe.
Cark Sagan upon seeing the picture from Voyager1 taken at a distance of 4 billion miles said,
“Consider that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, every human being who ever was lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religious, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there- on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.”
Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot A Vision of the Human Future in Space.
If that’s all we are a bit of evolved protoplasm sitting on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam if so I think human existence is pretty lonely. If not meaningless.
I look at those pictures of earth and am overwhelmed at how small we are in the universe. Yet I know in my heart there is a God who created it. That he even entered his creation in the form of Jesus Christ in order to point man to God.
Albert Einstein wrote,
"Human beings vegetables or cosmic dust. We all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible player".
Albert Einstein
I believe the mysterious tune is time. The invisible player is God.
The bible states,
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Genesis 1:1
It doesn’t argue the point. God exists period. It’s that simple.
As I look at the universe in all its complexity from the distance galaxies to the smallest subatomic particle. I see form. I see mathematical formulas that allow us to predict what is happening in the world around us.
We may not have all the formulas yet but given time and good science we will.
People say to me the bible is off when it comes to creation. It couldn’t have been made in six days.
I say he could have done it but does it matter whether it was made is six billion years or six days. The important thing is God created it.
The psalmist wrote,
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
Psalm 19:1.
When I look at creation I cannot believe that it all occurred by chance. It is too perfect.
I believe the Apostle John when he wrote,
“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
Think about it.
Above are pictures of earth taken from various space probes the furthest is from Voyager 1 taken as it was leaving the solar system at 4 billion miles. The others are taken from Saturn, Mercury, Mars, the Moon and the Galileo prob heading out from earth.
In them earth looks pretty small when compared to the vastness of the universe.
Cark Sagan upon seeing the picture from Voyager1 taken at a distance of 4 billion miles said,
“Consider that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, every human being who ever was lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religious, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there- on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.”
Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot A Vision of the Human Future in Space.
If that’s all we are a bit of evolved protoplasm sitting on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam if so I think human existence is pretty lonely. If not meaningless.
I look at those pictures of earth and am overwhelmed at how small we are in the universe. Yet I know in my heart there is a God who created it. That he even entered his creation in the form of Jesus Christ in order to point man to God.
Albert Einstein wrote,
"Human beings vegetables or cosmic dust. We all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible player".
Albert Einstein
I believe the mysterious tune is time. The invisible player is God.
The bible states,
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Genesis 1:1
It doesn’t argue the point. God exists period. It’s that simple.
As I look at the universe in all its complexity from the distance galaxies to the smallest subatomic particle. I see form. I see mathematical formulas that allow us to predict what is happening in the world around us.
We may not have all the formulas yet but given time and good science we will.
People say to me the bible is off when it comes to creation. It couldn’t have been made in six days.
I say he could have done it but does it matter whether it was made is six billion years or six days. The important thing is God created it.
The psalmist wrote,
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
Psalm 19:1.
When I look at creation I cannot believe that it all occurred by chance. It is too perfect.
I believe the Apostle John when he wrote,
“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
Think about it.
Monday, 21 July 2014
John's Testimony
John’s Testimony
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
We write this to make our joy complete.”
1John 1:1-4
Here in a nutshell is what John himself a disciple of Christ actually seen and believes.
He testifies to have actually been with Christ. Here is a man that more than likely received a physical hug of friendship from Christ himself. Who shared meals with Jesus, who even seen him crucified and spoke with him after he rose from the dead.
John truly knew Christ intimately.
He testifies that Jesus is the life. John States,
“...we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.”
John makes it clear why he is writing this,
“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”
John after spending three years with Jesus. Was convinced beyond a doubt that Jesus was the Son of God. That he was indeed God in the flesh.
This man had first hand knowledge of Jesus. He would have known if Jesus was truly who he said he was. He would have seen the flaws.
It’s been my experience that the longer you’re with someone the better you get to know them. The harder it is for someone to hide flaws and other things from you.
When I worked in industry we would keep a person on probation as long as we could. Not because we saved money we didn’t they received the same pay as a permanent worker.
We kept them on probation to see if they not only caught onto the job but if they were a reliable employee. That they turned up on time. If they got along with the other workers. Or if they had any negative traits that would compromise the company.
The company had found out that most people revealed their true colours usually within their first ninety days.
It would have been the same for the disciples of Jesus. They had three years to judge his teachings, his life and lifestyle.
They would know if there was anything wrong with him.
They obviously found no fault in him. Thus they followed him even after his death and resurrection.
At the trial of two of the Apostles a Pharisee named Gamaliel one of the finest teachers of his day noted to the Sanhedrin.
“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 5:35-39.
What he is saying is basically false messiahs had arisen in the past but when their leader died they dispersed and the movement came to nothing.
He makes the very valid point saying,
“But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
I believe history has proven and continues to prove that Jesus is the Son of God.
That the movement he started is from God and that those who are fighting against it are indeed fighting against God.
Think about it.
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
We write this to make our joy complete.”
1John 1:1-4
Here in a nutshell is what John himself a disciple of Christ actually seen and believes.
He testifies to have actually been with Christ. Here is a man that more than likely received a physical hug of friendship from Christ himself. Who shared meals with Jesus, who even seen him crucified and spoke with him after he rose from the dead.
John truly knew Christ intimately.
He testifies that Jesus is the life. John States,
“...we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.”
John makes it clear why he is writing this,
“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”
John after spending three years with Jesus. Was convinced beyond a doubt that Jesus was the Son of God. That he was indeed God in the flesh.
This man had first hand knowledge of Jesus. He would have known if Jesus was truly who he said he was. He would have seen the flaws.
It’s been my experience that the longer you’re with someone the better you get to know them. The harder it is for someone to hide flaws and other things from you.
When I worked in industry we would keep a person on probation as long as we could. Not because we saved money we didn’t they received the same pay as a permanent worker.
We kept them on probation to see if they not only caught onto the job but if they were a reliable employee. That they turned up on time. If they got along with the other workers. Or if they had any negative traits that would compromise the company.
The company had found out that most people revealed their true colours usually within their first ninety days.
It would have been the same for the disciples of Jesus. They had three years to judge his teachings, his life and lifestyle.
They would know if there was anything wrong with him.
They obviously found no fault in him. Thus they followed him even after his death and resurrection.
At the trial of two of the Apostles a Pharisee named Gamaliel one of the finest teachers of his day noted to the Sanhedrin.
“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 5:35-39.
What he is saying is basically false messiahs had arisen in the past but when their leader died they dispersed and the movement came to nothing.
He makes the very valid point saying,
“But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
I believe history has proven and continues to prove that Jesus is the Son of God.
That the movement he started is from God and that those who are fighting against it are indeed fighting against God.
Think about it.
Sunday, 20 July 2014
A hole in the Soul
A hole in the Soul?
“I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”
Ecclesiastes 1:14.
I watched an article on television the other day. It told of a group or people who had no faith of any kind that were meeting together in London England.
They felt they needed personal contact with other people that they missed in the impersonal big city that is London.
This gathering looked like a church meeting there were songs not religious one’s. As far as I could tell they were secular feel good songs. There were also people who spoke on various topics of interest. Very positive uplifting things.
Like I say it looked very much like a church meeting with out God and all the religious trimmings.
The commentator noted that in England three out of four people don’t believe in God. That the church of England is in crisis. That it is losing members.
That didn’t shock me in the least. My son was watching with me and we both noted that it proved that the main line churches. Church of England, Roman Catholic and many more institutionalized churches are losing people because they are becoming irrelevant.
It’s not that God and the teachings of Jesus are irrelevant. It’s that the Church of England, the Roman Catholic church and other denominations that over the years have turned into institutions are becoming irrelevant.
These churches may be relevant to the adherents but their ritual and their pomp and ceremony are lost on today’s public.
Sadly the big churches are losing members.
I, a Christian of forty years find the services that they have quaint and nice to watch, but unless you understand the ritual the message can of Christ can get lost.
What these churches have succeeded in doing over the centuries is putting Christ into a very gilded box that is nice and shiny. The messages from many of their pulpits are not relevant. They reflect the ritual rather than the teachings of Christ.
By contrast figures show that the evangelical church around the world is growing. Although admittedly here in North America it seems to be slipping into it’s own rituals. And starting to spout a lot of do’s and don’ts.
Still there are many evangelical groups out there that are reaching those who recognize they have a spiritual hole in the soul as it were.
The fact that there are groups like the one in London and as I understand around the world that are meeting to simply be together tells me, that whether those who attend know it or not they have a spiritual need. A hole in them they are trying to fill by meeting like they do. And I say more power to them.
They and everyone on this planet needs to keep searching.
Deuteronomy in speaking to the Israelites who were to be scattered among the nations said to them something that is relevant to today. He said,
“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.
What the world needs is not a more institutionalized church what the world needs is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
We don’t need ornate churches. We don’t need a prayer book or rituals for different parts of the week, month or year.
We need to preach directly from the Bible and the truths there in.
What the world need to hear is the Love of God. That they can come into fellowship with a living God. The Creator of the universe.
Jesus Christ is alive today. His teachings are relevant.
For me as a Christian I feel I am getting from my company of believers at my home congregation (incidentally we meet in a converted store front) what those people in London are tying to get.
This Sunday morning I got hugs and a word of encouragement from almost all in our small congregation. That’s at least twenty-five hugs.
My pastor spoke words that were to be lived by. Words written by Paul to Timothy under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Words, practical words to live by not unreachable ideals.
I like I do every week feel the love of God and see the love of God in the people of our small congregation.
I know that I can call anyone when I am in need of help and they will help me to the best of their ability.
I also know that I can in prayer call upon my Lord and my God and he will be there for me.
This is what it is to be Christian. This is what it is to have the Love of God within you.
What people need is the love of Jesus Christ in their lives because it is relevant to people in the twenty-first century.
Think about it
“I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”
Ecclesiastes 1:14.
I watched an article on television the other day. It told of a group or people who had no faith of any kind that were meeting together in London England.
They felt they needed personal contact with other people that they missed in the impersonal big city that is London.
This gathering looked like a church meeting there were songs not religious one’s. As far as I could tell they were secular feel good songs. There were also people who spoke on various topics of interest. Very positive uplifting things.
Like I say it looked very much like a church meeting with out God and all the religious trimmings.
The commentator noted that in England three out of four people don’t believe in God. That the church of England is in crisis. That it is losing members.
That didn’t shock me in the least. My son was watching with me and we both noted that it proved that the main line churches. Church of England, Roman Catholic and many more institutionalized churches are losing people because they are becoming irrelevant.
It’s not that God and the teachings of Jesus are irrelevant. It’s that the Church of England, the Roman Catholic church and other denominations that over the years have turned into institutions are becoming irrelevant.
These churches may be relevant to the adherents but their ritual and their pomp and ceremony are lost on today’s public.
Sadly the big churches are losing members.
I, a Christian of forty years find the services that they have quaint and nice to watch, but unless you understand the ritual the message can of Christ can get lost.
What these churches have succeeded in doing over the centuries is putting Christ into a very gilded box that is nice and shiny. The messages from many of their pulpits are not relevant. They reflect the ritual rather than the teachings of Christ.
By contrast figures show that the evangelical church around the world is growing. Although admittedly here in North America it seems to be slipping into it’s own rituals. And starting to spout a lot of do’s and don’ts.
Still there are many evangelical groups out there that are reaching those who recognize they have a spiritual hole in the soul as it were.
The fact that there are groups like the one in London and as I understand around the world that are meeting to simply be together tells me, that whether those who attend know it or not they have a spiritual need. A hole in them they are trying to fill by meeting like they do. And I say more power to them.
They and everyone on this planet needs to keep searching.
Deuteronomy in speaking to the Israelites who were to be scattered among the nations said to them something that is relevant to today. He said,
“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.
What the world needs is not a more institutionalized church what the world needs is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
We don’t need ornate churches. We don’t need a prayer book or rituals for different parts of the week, month or year.
We need to preach directly from the Bible and the truths there in.
What the world need to hear is the Love of God. That they can come into fellowship with a living God. The Creator of the universe.
Jesus Christ is alive today. His teachings are relevant.
For me as a Christian I feel I am getting from my company of believers at my home congregation (incidentally we meet in a converted store front) what those people in London are tying to get.
This Sunday morning I got hugs and a word of encouragement from almost all in our small congregation. That’s at least twenty-five hugs.
My pastor spoke words that were to be lived by. Words written by Paul to Timothy under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Words, practical words to live by not unreachable ideals.
I like I do every week feel the love of God and see the love of God in the people of our small congregation.
I know that I can call anyone when I am in need of help and they will help me to the best of their ability.
I also know that I can in prayer call upon my Lord and my God and he will be there for me.
This is what it is to be Christian. This is what it is to have the Love of God within you.
What people need is the love of Jesus Christ in their lives because it is relevant to people in the twenty-first century.
Think about it
Saturday, 19 July 2014
Sign over an Alter
Sign over an Alter
“WHAT THINK YE OF CHRIST”
The first church I ever attended back in the 1970's had been built in the 1940's it could only hold a hundred or so people. But when you entered the church the first thing you seen was the sign over the Alter asking the question, What think ye of Christ.
I’m sure many people over the years have read that sign both saints and sinners. It was there to make you think.
So dear reader What think Ye of Christ?
C.S. Lewis an oxford intellectual and friend of R.R. Tolkin of Lord of the Rings fame, wrote these three statements about Christianity.
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.”
C. S. Lewis.
“A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.”
C.S. Lewis,
“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”
C.S. Lewis
Throughout the centuries men have declared God is dead or Christianity is of no effect.
Yet over the centuries some governments and extremists groups have feared it so much that they’ve felt a need to repress it. To throw it’s followers into prison or put them to death.
As you read this every eleven minutes a Christian dies for their faith. That tells you how much some groups fear the truth about Christianity.
Yet true Christians believe the words of the apostle Paul who wrote,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Romans 12:18-21.
Neither Jesus or his followers ever called for any kind of revolution. They never spoke against anyone outside their faith. Quite the contrary, Jesus said,
“Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
Matthew 22:21a
The apostle Paul writing,
“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.”
Romans 13:1.
Christians believe that as long as we have the right to worship and follow the precepts of our faith we should submit to the governing authorities.
Many people over the centuries have predicted the end of Christianity yet it hasn’t happened nor will it.
The book of acts recalls a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, speaking at the trial of two of the apostles saying,
“But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
Acts 5:39.
The Christian faith is founded on the solid Rock of Christ the one and only Son of God. And no person of government is ever going to destroy it,
Think about it.
“WHAT THINK YE OF CHRIST”
The first church I ever attended back in the 1970's had been built in the 1940's it could only hold a hundred or so people. But when you entered the church the first thing you seen was the sign over the Alter asking the question, What think ye of Christ.
I’m sure many people over the years have read that sign both saints and sinners. It was there to make you think.
So dear reader What think Ye of Christ?
C.S. Lewis an oxford intellectual and friend of R.R. Tolkin of Lord of the Rings fame, wrote these three statements about Christianity.
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.”
C. S. Lewis.
“A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.”
C.S. Lewis,
“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”
C.S. Lewis
Throughout the centuries men have declared God is dead or Christianity is of no effect.
Yet over the centuries some governments and extremists groups have feared it so much that they’ve felt a need to repress it. To throw it’s followers into prison or put them to death.
As you read this every eleven minutes a Christian dies for their faith. That tells you how much some groups fear the truth about Christianity.
Yet true Christians believe the words of the apostle Paul who wrote,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Romans 12:18-21.
Neither Jesus or his followers ever called for any kind of revolution. They never spoke against anyone outside their faith. Quite the contrary, Jesus said,
“Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
Matthew 22:21a
The apostle Paul writing,
“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.”
Romans 13:1.
Christians believe that as long as we have the right to worship and follow the precepts of our faith we should submit to the governing authorities.
Many people over the centuries have predicted the end of Christianity yet it hasn’t happened nor will it.
The book of acts recalls a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, speaking at the trial of two of the apostles saying,
“But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
Acts 5:39.
The Christian faith is founded on the solid Rock of Christ the one and only Son of God. And no person of government is ever going to destroy it,
There’s an old poem that goes like this,
Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith’s door,
And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;
Then, looking in, I saw upon the floor
Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.
“How many anvils have you had,” said I,
“To wear and batter all these hammers so?”
“Just one,” said he, and then, with twinkling eye,
The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.”
And so, thought I, the anvil of God’s Word,
For ages skeptic blows have beat upon;
Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,
The anvil is unharmed - and hammers gone.
AnonymousThink about it.
Friday, 18 July 2014
What is a Christian
What is a Christian?
A woman I know asked me the other day to define for them what a Christian is. She had seen many who called themselves Christians both in the media and on the street that had turned her off.
So knowing that I was a Christian Bible study leader she asked me how I would define a Christian.
I answered her initially with the obvious.
A Christian believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. That Jesus died for their sins. They are someone who has confessed their sin directly to Jesus and as a result have had their sins forgiven.
Christians are saved by faith Paul stating,
“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.
The writer of Hebrews noting,
“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
That being said I believe a Christian must be far more.
Contrary to what seems to come across in the media many times a Christian is not the judge of the world.
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.
We are to keep our own house clean not to worry about judging the world 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.
I admit all too many Christians do judge. Lack of a judgmental attitude is a characteristic of a true Christian.
A True Christian is doing what 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.
A true Christian is being a light to the world, Jesus said,
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven”
Matthew 5:14-16.
A true Christian shows his or her faith in their deeds.
James writes,
“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.”
James 2:14-19.
Perhaps Francis of Assisi in a prayer says what Christian should be when he writes,
Yes there are many in the media, in the pulpit and in the pews that claim they are Christians but they are not. Jesus even says,
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
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 7:21-23
Think about it.
A woman I know asked me the other day to define for them what a Christian is. She had seen many who called themselves Christians both in the media and on the street that had turned her off.
So knowing that I was a Christian Bible study leader she asked me how I would define a Christian.
I answered her initially with the obvious.
A Christian believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. That Jesus died for their sins. They are someone who has confessed their sin directly to Jesus and as a result have had their sins forgiven.
Christians are saved by faith Paul stating,
“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.
The writer of Hebrews noting,
“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
That being said I believe a Christian must be far more.
Contrary to what seems to come across in the media many times a Christian is not the judge of the world.
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.
We are to keep our own house clean not to worry about judging the world 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.
I admit all too many Christians do judge. Lack of a judgmental attitude is a characteristic of a true Christian.
A True Christian is doing what 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.
A true Christian is being a light to the world, Jesus said,
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven”
Matthew 5:14-16.
A true Christian shows his or her faith in their deeds.
James writes,
“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.”
James 2:14-19.
Perhaps Francis of Assisi in a prayer says what Christian should be when he writes,
“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 AssisiYes there are many in the media, in the pulpit and in the pews that claim they are Christians but they are not. Jesus even says,
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
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 7:21-23
Think about it.
Thursday, 17 July 2014
God's Existence
God’s Existence
“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 uiverse.
I know that God exists, because I have heard the song of His presence from all the tree-tops of creation.”
Ben Zion Bokser
I’ve quoted from Ben Zion Bokser before. I like what he say’s
“I know that God exists, because I have heard the song of His presence from all the tree-tops of creation.”
There are many people out there that say God dose not exist. I honestly cannot believe it because without God I think life would be meaningless.
My brother an Atheist is fond of saying. “Life’s short and the one who has all the toys at the end wins.”
He doesn’t because someone ends up with all his toys.
The writer of Ecclesiastes states,
“I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”
Ecclesiastes 1:14
That’s to me is what life without God is.
I cannot believe that spark that makes us human, the soul, just vanishes into oblivion.
For me there has to be a God or the world would not make sense.
For that to happen one needs faith.
The writer of Hebrews saying,
“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.
Perhaps that’s why those who believe there is no God find it so hard to believe there is.
It’s hard to have faith in something you can’t see, feel or hear.
Yet scientist operate on what I would call educated faith. They theorize something is happening because of what they see then proceed to try and actually see it.
It’s the same way when it comes to faith. God does not ask us to have blind faith but rather look around at the world, the universe and everything in it.
It is all orderly and in balance. It’s because everything is that way that scientist can discover the things they do. Nothing is random even though we may see it that way.
Even the smallest space rocks are governed by the pull of gravity other factors however minute. We may not be able at the moment to measure all the forces that act on them, but those forces are there.
We may not be able to see God but we only have to look at the mathematical perfection of the universe to see the hand of a creator God.
Think about it.
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 uiverse.
I know that God exists, because I have heard the song of His presence from all the tree-tops of creation.”
Ben Zion Bokser
I’ve quoted from Ben Zion Bokser before. I like what he say’s
“I know that God exists, because I have heard the song of His presence from all the tree-tops of creation.”
There are many people out there that say God dose not exist. I honestly cannot believe it because without God I think life would be meaningless.
My brother an Atheist is fond of saying. “Life’s short and the one who has all the toys at the end wins.”
He doesn’t because someone ends up with all his toys.
The writer of Ecclesiastes states,
“I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”
Ecclesiastes 1:14
That’s to me is what life without God is.
I cannot believe that spark that makes us human, the soul, just vanishes into oblivion.
For me there has to be a God or the world would not make sense.
For that to happen one needs faith.
The writer of Hebrews saying,
“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.
Perhaps that’s why those who believe there is no God find it so hard to believe there is.
It’s hard to have faith in something you can’t see, feel or hear.
Yet scientist operate on what I would call educated faith. They theorize something is happening because of what they see then proceed to try and actually see it.
It’s the same way when it comes to faith. God does not ask us to have blind faith but rather look around at the world, the universe and everything in it.
It is all orderly and in balance. It’s because everything is that way that scientist can discover the things they do. Nothing is random even though we may see it that way.
Even the smallest space rocks are governed by the pull of gravity other factors however minute. We may not be able at the moment to measure all the forces that act on them, but those forces are there.
We may not be able to see God but we only have to look at the mathematical perfection of the universe to see the hand of a creator God.
Think about it.
Wednesday, 16 July 2014
Not Until
Not until
Not until the creation and maintenance of decent conditions of life for all men are recognized and accepted as a common obligation of all men and all countries—not until then shall we, with a certain degree of justification, be able to speak of mankind as civilized.
Albert Einstein
Our world is a wreck socially. There is enough food to feed the worlds population yet million die of starvation.
I watched a documentary on the U.S. network PBS the other day about illegal’s entering in from the south. It is a big problem.
Why are they coming? Simple, for a better life. They are so desperate that they will try anything.
I can understand also why protesters are trying to stem the tide. It could cost the government millions if not billions to take care of them. Money that could be put to good use for American citizens.
But can the flow be stopped sadly I think not.
In order to stop such a thing one needs to go to the root cause. In this case poverty, despair and lack of good stable living conditions.
How it’s to be done I don’t know. It all come down to political will. Are the countries of the west willing to pump billions into the third world countries to bring their standard of living up to that of the west? I think not.
And besides there is no guarantee that it will work. Corruption is rampant in the third world. The governments there don’t seem to want to change.
Sinking money into some third world countries is akin to fighting a million acre forest fire with a bucket.
So what is to be done?
I believe as Christians we need to do our best to help these people. We need to redouble our efforts as Christians.
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.
Put yourself in the position of those who are desperate and wanting only to have a better life for themselves and their children. Wouldn’t you do everything you could.
Our world has it’s priorities upside down.
Sometime ago Harry Golden wrote,
“I would recommend that we straighten out a few things before we contemplate any interplanetary transportation system. Suppose a man from Mars should suddenly appear on Earth? I think it would be terribly embarrassing if he learned that a second-rate singer in a night club makes four thousand dollars a week, and a high-school teacher makes three thousand eight hundred and ninety dollars a year. This and many other things should be straightened out first if we intend to maintain our dignity when planet folks start visiting us.”
Think of our priorities a professional sports player makes multi millions. Popular singers also make multi millions. While quite often the people who support them earn poverty line or live in households which earn poverty line wages.
All of these super stars, make far more than a doctor or teacher. Yet who do we notice first when they go on strike. Teachers, and Doctors.
I’m not against sports or entertainers making money. That’s their right.
At the same time I think our society needs to look at our priorities.
We need a rethink a societal change. Something that is not going to happen because man is very selfish and thinks primarily about himself.
The words of Jesus
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” are forgotten in our society in general.
Someone asked me why does God allow such things to happen I answer them with this quote from the Talmud,
“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.”
Sadly this is not happening because mankind is drifting further and further from God.
Profits and the bottom line take priority over the welfare of our fellow man.
All of that I strongly believe will eventually end. Each individual Person will be held accountable for their deeds and actions.
Again to quote the Talmud,
“When a man appears before the Throne of Judgment, the first question he is asked is not, “Have you believed in God?” Or “Have you prayed and observed the ritual? “He is asked: “have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow men?”
Do you?
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”
Be you a believer or not doing to others as you would have others do to you is truly the only humane thing to do. Isn’t it?
Think about it.
Not until the creation and maintenance of decent conditions of life for all men are recognized and accepted as a common obligation of all men and all countries—not until then shall we, with a certain degree of justification, be able to speak of mankind as civilized.
Albert Einstein
Our world is a wreck socially. There is enough food to feed the worlds population yet million die of starvation.
I watched a documentary on the U.S. network PBS the other day about illegal’s entering in from the south. It is a big problem.
Why are they coming? Simple, for a better life. They are so desperate that they will try anything.
I can understand also why protesters are trying to stem the tide. It could cost the government millions if not billions to take care of them. Money that could be put to good use for American citizens.
But can the flow be stopped sadly I think not.
In order to stop such a thing one needs to go to the root cause. In this case poverty, despair and lack of good stable living conditions.
How it’s to be done I don’t know. It all come down to political will. Are the countries of the west willing to pump billions into the third world countries to bring their standard of living up to that of the west? I think not.
And besides there is no guarantee that it will work. Corruption is rampant in the third world. The governments there don’t seem to want to change.
Sinking money into some third world countries is akin to fighting a million acre forest fire with a bucket.
So what is to be done?
I believe as Christians we need to do our best to help these people. We need to redouble our efforts as Christians.
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.
Put yourself in the position of those who are desperate and wanting only to have a better life for themselves and their children. Wouldn’t you do everything you could.
Our world has it’s priorities upside down.
Sometime ago Harry Golden wrote,
“I would recommend that we straighten out a few things before we contemplate any interplanetary transportation system. Suppose a man from Mars should suddenly appear on Earth? I think it would be terribly embarrassing if he learned that a second-rate singer in a night club makes four thousand dollars a week, and a high-school teacher makes three thousand eight hundred and ninety dollars a year. This and many other things should be straightened out first if we intend to maintain our dignity when planet folks start visiting us.”
Think of our priorities a professional sports player makes multi millions. Popular singers also make multi millions. While quite often the people who support them earn poverty line or live in households which earn poverty line wages.
All of these super stars, make far more than a doctor or teacher. Yet who do we notice first when they go on strike. Teachers, and Doctors.
I’m not against sports or entertainers making money. That’s their right.
At the same time I think our society needs to look at our priorities.
We need a rethink a societal change. Something that is not going to happen because man is very selfish and thinks primarily about himself.
The words of Jesus
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” are forgotten in our society in general.
Someone asked me why does God allow such things to happen I answer them with this quote from the Talmud,
“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.”
Sadly this is not happening because mankind is drifting further and further from God.
Profits and the bottom line take priority over the welfare of our fellow man.
All of that I strongly believe will eventually end. Each individual Person will be held accountable for their deeds and actions.
Again to quote the Talmud,
“When a man appears before the Throne of Judgment, the first question he is asked is not, “Have you believed in God?” Or “Have you prayed and observed the ritual? “He is asked: “have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow men?”
Do you?
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”
Be you a believer or not doing to others as you would have others do to you is truly the only humane thing to do. Isn’t it?
Think about it.
Tuesday, 15 July 2014
Ask, Seek, Knock
Ask, Seek, Knock
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Matthew 7:7,8.
I believe those words of Jesus quoted above. I believe that anyone who is truly looking for God will find Him.
I believe that provided we believe there is a God that if we search enough we will find him.
The Psalmist states,
“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
Psalm 14:1.
I believe that.
Ben Zion Bokser wrote,
“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.”
For me it is inconceivable that the universe we live in was not made by God.
Albert Einstein said,
“Human beings vegetables or cosmic dust. We all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible player.”
Einstein whether he knew it or not, I believe got it right. The mysterious tune is life the invisible player is God.
The Psalmist said,
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
Psalm 19:1.
I am no scientist. I am simply a well educated layman that throughout my life have put a premium on learning. I much prefer to watch documentaries rather than drama’s in the media.
The love of learning was imparted to me by my father. He made it clear that we need to learn something every day even, especially from our mistakes.
I believe it was Judah the Tibbon in twelfth century Spain who wrote,
“My son, make thy books thy companions. Let thy cases and shelves be thy pleasure grounds and gardens pluck their roses, take their spices and their myrrh. If thy soul be satiate and weary change from garden to garden, from furrow to furrow, from prospect too prospect, then will desire renew itself and thy soul be filled with delight.”
I believe that the true seeker of knowledge will, if they are open minded, and truly seeking will find God.
Think about it.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Matthew 7:7,8.
I believe those words of Jesus quoted above. I believe that anyone who is truly looking for God will find Him.
I believe that provided we believe there is a God that if we search enough we will find him.
The Psalmist states,
“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
Psalm 14:1.
I believe that.
Ben Zion Bokser wrote,
“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.”
For me it is inconceivable that the universe we live in was not made by God.
Albert Einstein said,
“Human beings vegetables or cosmic dust. We all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible player.”
Einstein whether he knew it or not, I believe got it right. The mysterious tune is life the invisible player is God.
The Psalmist said,
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
Psalm 19:1.
I am no scientist. I am simply a well educated layman that throughout my life have put a premium on learning. I much prefer to watch documentaries rather than drama’s in the media.
The love of learning was imparted to me by my father. He made it clear that we need to learn something every day even, especially from our mistakes.
I believe it was Judah the Tibbon in twelfth century Spain who wrote,
“My son, make thy books thy companions. Let thy cases and shelves be thy pleasure grounds and gardens pluck their roses, take their spices and their myrrh. If thy soul be satiate and weary change from garden to garden, from furrow to furrow, from prospect too prospect, then will desire renew itself and thy soul be filled with delight.”
I believe that the true seeker of knowledge will, if they are open minded, and truly seeking will find God.
Think about it.
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