Jesus for all

Jesus for 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.
I believe that every one needs to come into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Sadly I think way to many people calling themselves Christians both in the media and out are turning people away from Christ.
I see this particularly in North America pastors and evangelist using their so called freedom of speech to jump all over and condemn those they disagree with.
Many point to homosexuals and bash them as if they have some special sin. They protest outside of abortion clinics and heap condemnation on those who work there and those who go into them. This should not be so.
Jesus who is the Son of God and has the right to judge never once said anything against the secular authorities of Rome.
True he debated and disagreed with those within his own religious community but never once did he say anything against those outside that community.
Sadly I think North American Christians are there own worst enemy when it comes to reaching people. Particularly those with different lifestyles.
Neither Jesus or his apostles ever judged anyone. They simply presented the love of God.
The Apostle Paul when speaking in Athens I believe gave the best message ever given by a follower of Christ.
Athens at the time was the centre of culture. It was also the centre of pagan worship and practices that would have been very much at odds with what Paul believed yet he never condemned them onece.
The message he gave he was invited to give by Epicurean and Stoic philosophers at the Areopagus a meeting place in Athens where ideas were discussed.
The book of Acts records that he said,
“Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.  
For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. 
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  
And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.  
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.  
‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 
“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill.  
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.  
For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” 
                                                                              Acts 17:22-31.
The book of acts also records the reaction to those who were there. It is the same reaction people have today about the Gospel of Christ. The book of acts recording,
“When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”  
At that, Paul left the Council.  
A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.” 
                                                                                 Acts 17:32-34.
The question to the non-believer reading this is what do you believe about Jesus?
I understand that it is very easy to lump all Christians into one group and say we are all a bunch of hypocrites. I wouldn’t blame anyone who’s been the victim of an attack by those who claim to be Christians.
But even Jesus said,
“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.
I would ask all who read this to read the words of Jesus and the apostles written in the New Testament for themselves. Even make a sincere prayer to God to show you the truths in the Bible.
Please read with an open mind and heart and I know God will show you the truth about Jesus.
Please think about it.