A Special Day

A special Day
Jesus said to his disciples,
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8.
What Jesus spoke about here actually occurred fifty days after Easter Sunday according to tradition. Within Christian circles it is called Pentecost Sunday or Whitsunday. It is the time when Christians celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit,
The book of Acts tells us,
“When the day of Pentecost came, they (the followers of Jesus) were all together in one place.  
Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  
They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.  
When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.  
Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?  
Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome  (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”  
Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Acts 2:1-12.
Interestingly enough this occurred on the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. The time when the Jews celebrate God giving them The Law (the Torah) and when they celebrate the wheat harvest. It was a time when Jews from all over the world made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
If you think about it this was the ideal time to launch the church. To present the salvation message to the people. And God did this in miraculous fashion scripture telling us,
“All of them (the followers of Jesus) were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.  
When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.”
An incredible event that caused people to ask,
“Brothers, what shall we do?” 
Allowing the Apostle Peter to reply, 
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  
The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:38-39.
And the promise dear reader is for you.
Jesus speaking of himself said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16,17.
The apostle John tells us,
“If we confess our sins, he (Jesus) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 1John 1:9-10
The apostle John also writes of Jesus,
“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.
Thus the choice dear reader is yours. Will you believe in Jesus?
   Please think about it.

The Ultimate Battlefield

The ultimate Battlefield
The ultimate battlefield is not waged by the armies of this world in great conflagration on the ground, at sea or in the air. The ultimate battlefield is within the hearts of men.
The book of Joshua records,
“Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.  
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24: 14,15.
Jesus said,
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.  
But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 
“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Matthew 6:19-24.
Billy Graham the American evangelist said,
“The great question of our time is, 'Will we be motivated by materialistic philosophy or by spiritual power?” Billy Graham.
The choice is yours. From the moment you are born you start your inevitable journey toward eternity. I as a Christian believe that within that journey you must decide what you believe and whom you will serve.
The Atheist will state there is no God. Therefore we can do as we wish. Live for the now. As someone has said, “eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.”
Christians on the other hand believe there is more to life than this life. That we live on through eternity.  That there is a God. The writer of Ecclesiastes states,
“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.
I Believe as we live the ultimate battle is taking place. The battle for a persons soul. That soul can either be won for God or lost for all eternity.
Each person whether they believe it or not is fighting that battle.
The world in which we live is like the battlefield it can be a confusing place, a cacophony of noise. Confusion and noise that we must decipher in order to win the battle.
Each day we are bombarded with the ways of the world. We are offered by the world the latest, greatest thing that supposedly we absolutely need. Something that will make our life better.
Each day God is reaching out to each person saying I love you. The cry of Jesus to each and every person is,
“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.
The apostle John speaking of Jesus said,
“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. 
I and all Christians believe you have the choice here and now to become a child of God or to reject God. The choice is yours it is a choice that is with you until your dying breath. It is a choice only you can make. No one can make it for you.
If I am wrong you have nothing to fear. If I am right you at the very least have a great deal to think about.
C. S. Lewis said of Christianity and it’s message,
“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
Thus the choice is yours.
Please think about it.

Christian Actions

Christian actions
“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  
As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.  
For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;  and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.  
Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.  
Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. 
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.  
But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.  
 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.  Matthew 24:36-42
I as a Christian believe that Jesus will return to this earth to judge all mankind. Here in Matthew 24:36-42 Jesus points out not only what will happen in the days leading up to that return but crucially that no one knows the day He will return. Thus it is incumbent on those of us who believe in Jesus to be found working for him. To do our best to present the truth about Jesus and the eternal life with God he gives.
Sadly all too many Christians like to as one of my friends put it “read the tea leafs in the scripture” they look for the signs Jesus spoke about. They read the book of Revelations and other prophetic books and try to guess when Christ will return. It’s not just the current generation of Christians that does this. Each generation of Christians seem to have believers who try to predict Christ’s return.
 I can remember my first pastor who started preaching around the beginning of world war two. He told me many thought Hitler was the anti-Christ and that God was coming. They like those who speculate to day were wrong.
It is not the job of a Christian to speculate on when Christ will return. While it might be nice to speculate. Speculation amounts to nothing productive.
Our time would be better spent spreading the Good News of Jesus to the world around us. And no other generation has a better opportunity to do so that this one.
I am sixty-two. When I was born the first man made artificial satellite had not been launched. Communications satellites were unknown. The way the gospel message was spread was through church congregations, evangelistic crusades, Radio and eventually Television. All of these media while good, took a lot of planning and money.
Today however we have the internet. Anyone with a computer, smart phone, or electronic tablet can in an instant post something that can be read by virtually everyone on earth at little or no financial cost.
Thus I believe it is our obligation as believers in Christ to tell the world about the most important thing in our life, Jesus Christ.
Jesus said,

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. 

When a man found it, he hid it again, 

and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  

When he found one of great value, 

he went away and sold everything he had 

and bought it

 Matthew 13:44-46.

The message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is simple. Jesus speaking of himself said,

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, 

that whoever believes in him shall not perish

 but have eternal life.  

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, 

but to save the world through him. 

John 3:16,17

John’s Gospel telling us,

“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.

This is what Christians need to be telling the world.
Please think about it.

All are one

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,  
for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” 
      Galatians 3:26-28
The above is a fact for all who believe in Christ Jesus. We are all children of God and we are all equal.
The apostle John writes,
“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.”
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.  
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 1:1-4,11-13.
This is something totally unique to Christians. We believe that once we receive Jesus into our lives we actually become Children of God. That all people whoever they are become equal.
This belief arose at a time when such things as slavery were common place and women were far from equal with men.
The apostle Paul making the clear statement,
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
As Christians we believe we have a personal relationship with God.
The apostle Paul writing to the Romans writes,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 
Romans 5:8
Christ died for the sins of each of us.
C. S. Lewis states of Jesus,
“He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.” 
                            C.S. Lewis.
The key to becoming a Christian, to becoming a Child of God is to accept Christ as your personal Lord and saviour.
The Apostle Paul wrote,
“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
Faith is the key to becoming a Christian. The writer of Hebrews stating,
      'Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." 
                                                                                                                               Hebrews 11:1
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
                                                                                                     Hebrews 11:6.
The Apostle Paul writing to Timothy wrote,
“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 
The final word goes to the apostle John who recorded the words of Jesus who said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” 
                                                                                                                                     John 3:16-18.
Ultimately the decision is up to you on whether you believe what the New Testament says or not.
Please think about it.

Creation

Creation
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
                                                                                     Genesis 1:1

A Nebula taken from Hubble space telescope

                                                                     A  day old human embryo

The surface of Mars a planet too far from the sun it has no life as we know it.

                                                                       Earth our home. Just the
                                             right distance from the sun for life to exist.
                                                   With all the elements necessary for life.
The book of Job states,
“He spreads out the northern  skies  over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.”
                                       Job 26:7
Not a bad description for a man who had never seen an image from space. Who had only seen the world around him.
The more I look into the heavens or through a microscope the more I see the hand of God. Everything is in balance. Everything we need to sustain life as we know it is there. Contrast earth to Mars. Earth has everything necessary for life Mars has as far as we know has some water and little else.
We are a divine creation. Created by God to have fellowship with Him. God did not want robots. Quite the contrary he wanted people who could think. Thus he gave us the ability to choose knowing full well that we may choose to turn away from him, as many people have done.
Never the less he has seen fit to show us the way back to him. He did so by sending his one and only son into the world.
Jesus came into the world I believe to experience everything a man could possibly experience.
Jesus as far as we know grew up in a devout family and had a relatively normal childhood. He did however have to become a political refugee while still an infant. He and his parents escaping to Egypt to avoid the wrath of a despot who wished to kill him.
Jesus also studied the scriptures. His parents finding him in his early teens talking with the scholars of his day, who marveled at his knowledge.
Throughout his ministry he spoke to the average person about God and the way to heaven.
He made things clear about himself saying,
... “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 
                                                                                                                                                 John 14:6.
After a three year ministry he suffered the indignity of an illegal trial, was flogged and put to death in a most hideous way.
In between all of this he lived an exemplary life and understood all was to be human. Everything from the rain against his face. To the heat of the sun, to the pleasing scent of a flower.
He even understood what it was like to be tempted and go his own way, away from God. That is why when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ we can never say to Him you don’t understand what it is to be human.
Over the years many ideas about God have arisen. Many ideas about how we get to heaven but non have made the claims Christians make.
The apostle Paul while speaking to the Athenians said of Christ,
“‘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 17:28-31.
There is no doubt in my mind that Jesus will one day judge mankind. The question is will you meet him as your Judge or you Saviour?
The apostle John in his Gospel writes,
“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. 
John 1:1-4,12,13.
Think about it



a

Not because we are Good

Not because we are Good
C. S. Lewis said,
“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.
Christians believe we cannot be good enough or do enough good works to stand before a just and holy God.
The apostle Paul reminds us,
“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
He writes to the Ephesians,
“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.
This is quite different to many other faiths in the world. Christianity makes it simple to get into heaven. We must simply believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that he paid the price for our sins on the cross.
John tells us,
“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.
John tells us in his gospel,
“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
It could not be more simple.
Think about it.