On Love

On Love
Jesus when asked,
 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment. 
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40.
In Matthews gospel we also read of 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.
The apostle John writes,
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1John.
Do you love? Do you love according to the definition of love given by the apostle Paul when he wrote to the Corinthians. When he wrote,

“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....

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.”  

                                                                 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.

    Today is Good Friday. The day Jesus showed the world, family, friend, and foe alike how much He loved us by going to the cross and dying for our sins.

Thus my question to you. If you consider yourself a true believer in Christ Jesus do you love as a believer in Christ Jesus should love as Jesus loved,... Unconditionally.

     Please think about it.

No excuses

No excuses
The Psalmist writes.

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 

Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 

Know that the LORD is God. 

It is he who made us, 

and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; 

give thanks to him and praise his name. 

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; 

his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

                                                                    Psalm 100.

I am a Christian a believer in Christ Jesus. I make no excuses for what I believe. When I get the opportunity to present my faith. I do just that. I present what I believe and leave it for the listener to agree or disagree with me.
I know on that day when this life is over I will bow before God and thank Him for His wonderful love. Until that day however I will praise and glorify God’s name here on Earth.
Thus my question to you the reader;
Do you believe in God?
If not why not?
If you do why?
Please think about it.

Can

Can
John’s gospel records this conversation between Jesus and Martha.
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes Lord” she told Him, “I believe you are the Christ the Son of God, who was to come into the world,” John 11:25,26,27.
The other day I was asked if I believe a gay man can get to heaven. I answered with the words of the American evangelist Toni Campolo who said,
“We ought to get out of the judging business. We should leave it up to God to determine who belongs in one arena or another when it comes to eternity. What we are obligated to do is to tell people about Jesus, and that's what I do.”Tony Campolo
Jesus speaking about himself said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. John 3:16-18.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  Romans 10: 9,10.
The psalmist writes,
 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16
Only God knows why we are the way we are. No one can truly tell what is in the heart and mind of another person. No one knows an individual as well as God does. Thus we have no right to Judge other people when it comes to where they will spend eternity.
Jesus told his disciple and through them us,
“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.
He did not tell those who believe in him to judge people with respect to where they will spend eternity. He told them to go out and show the world how they can spend eternity in heaven.
Please think about it.

True Friends

True Friends
John’s gospel records this incident between Jesus and His disciples. He records,
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.  
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  
You are my friends if you do what I command.  
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:12-14.
Here Jesus notes several things. First he tells his disciples to love each other as he has loved them. He states,
 “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”John 15:13.
 This statement I am certain come to have even greater meaning when they see Jesus actually giving his life for those who would believe in them.
Jesus then states,
“You are my friends if you do what I command.” John 15:14.
Intimacy with Jesus is doing what Jesus asks us to do. True friends will be loyal to one another and do what is right for one another.
This statement marks a distinct change in the relationship of the disciples to Jesus. They are no longer his servants but his friend. Jesus states,
 “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15.
A servant does only what he is told to do. He does not necessarily know why his master is doing a particular thing.
A true friend on the other hand has intimate knowledge on the reason why his friend is doing a particular thing.
Jesus had at this point imparted to his disciples why he came to earth.
In John 3:16,17 he states,
“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.
This is the message Jesus wants his friends to take to the world.
True friends of Jesus. True believers in Jesus will take this message to the world.
Please think about it.

The Greatest is Love

The Greatest is Love
The apostle Paul wrote,
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 
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. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.  
For we know in part and we prophesy in part,  but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.  
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.  
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 
  And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."1 Corinthians 13:1-13.
Someone has said that the apostle Paul here in 1 Corinthians 13 gave the perfect definition of Love.
He makes it clear that the greatest gift is Love.
 Jesus who when asked,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment.  
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40
Jesus also said,
“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,...” Matthew 5:43,44.
As Christians we are called to a life and lifestyle of love.  We believe God set the example. 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.
Jesus also 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.
We as individuals want unconditional love shown toward us. Therefore it is only logical that we show unconditional love toward others.
Unconditional love to my mind is the purest form of holiness and the writer of Hebrews tells us,
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14
Question: Are you showing unconditional Love to those around you?
Please think about it.