The Message of Christ

The message of Christ
The apostle Paul wrote,
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” Titus 3:4,5.
Writing to the Romans Paul states,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.
C. S. Lewis put what Christians believe this way,
“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 individuals cannot work your way to heaven. The prophet Isaiah saying,
“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” Isaiah 64:6
The apostle Paul noting,
“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.
It is our faith in the saving grace of God that comes through Jesus Christ that saves us. Not our works.
The writer of Hebrews telling us,
“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 writer of Hebrews defining faith as,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

 and certain of what we do not see.”  

                                                 Hebrews 11:1.

This is the message all Christians, all believers in Christ Jesus are called to do.
Do you believe this?
Please think about it.

I Cannot

I Cannot
When it comes to believing in God the simple fact is no matter how passionate I am about my belief that there is a God, I cannot force my beliefs on anyone. The fact is a person must decide for themselves if God exists or not. It is an act of faith. As the writer of Hebrews states,
“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.
I believe God wanted us to have faith in Him because God knows people who have faith in anything tend to be loyal and passionate in what they believe in. Which is what God wants from His followers.
The question I always like to ask however to a non-believer especially a non-believer in Christ is are you sure? Are you sure there is no God? Are you sure that Jesus is not The Way to heaven?
Saying you can’t see, feel or touch God is not a good answer. There are a lot of things that exist that you cannot see, everything from black holes in space, to subatomic particles, to radio waves. We can’t see, touch or feel them yet they exist.
Proving God exists I believe is simple. We simply have to look at the world around us. The Psalmist states,
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” 
                                                                                                                                Psalm 19:1.
I watched a documentary the other day about Mathematics and how Math can be used to figure out what is happening in our world and universe.
Math is used to determine the movement of the stars and galaxies as well as being able to predict the existence of various subatomic particles.
The documentary was quick to point out they don’t know every formula in math yet but they are getting closer to the solution.
For me the fact that the Universe is mathematically perfect is proof there is a creator behind it all.
I never argue about how long it took God to create the heavens and the earth or how God did it. It’s a futile argument. To me whether God used the big bang and billions of years or six day does not affect my faith.
He is God and He has the power to make the universe any way He wished.
So my question to the unbeliever is; Are you absolutely certain there is no God? Are you willing to gamble your eternal destiny on what you believe.
C. S. Lewis said,
“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.
Jesus said,
“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 call of Jesus is to all people everywhere. It is offering you rest no matter the circumstance you find yourself in.
It is a truth Christians around the world know to be true.
It is my prayer for all who read this that they will look to Jesus and accept Him as their Lord and Saviour.
It is my hope that you the reader will find rest for your soul.
Please think about it.

Truth is Truth

Truth is truth

“Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.”
                                                                                                                                     Buddha
I as a Christian firmly believe truth is truth no matter where you find it. The above quote by Buddha is correct. While I may not believe that Buddhism is the way to heaven what the Buddha says about man not being able to live without a spiritual life is true.
I believe in life after death and an almighty God who gives us hope beyond the grave. Not having that hope for me cheapens our existence in this life.
Peter John Kreeft a Catholic philosopher wrote,
“Atheism treats people cheaply. Also, it robs death of meaning, and if death has no meaning, how can life ultimately have meaning? Atheism cheapens everything it touches, look at the results of communism, the most powerful form of atheism on earth.
And in the end, when the atheist dies and encounters God instead of nothingness he had predicted he’ll recognize that atheism was a cheap answer because it refused the only thing that’s not cheap the God of infinite value”
                                               Peter John Kreeft ph.d 
I have met many people over the years that have had good lives. Many atheist that frankly have lived better lives than some I know claiming to be Christians. Still that does not negate the fact man is more than what we can feel, hear, and see. Man has a spiritual aspect to he being.
If you as an individual are honest with yourself you have to admit there are times when you wonder if there is more to life as full as your life may be.
For lack of a better expression I believe there is an empty space within the very being of every person. It is a hole that no matter what we try to fill it with, it never seems to be filled. A hole that can only be filled by God.
I know people who have reached the height of their professions who have made millions of dollars who have said they still feel empty inside.
Some turn to drugs and alcohol others to various other pursuits. Yet no matter what they do they feel empty inside.
Jesus said,
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” 
              John 10:10.
Those who would deny the existence of God are to my mind thieves of a kind. They strip life of hope.
The Psalmist reminds us,
“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” 
                                                                      Psalm 14:1.
Jesus says to all men and women everywhere,
“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.
God I believe offers all people everywhere a choice when Jesus 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
If I am wrong about all of this then no one has a thing to fear however if I am right then those who do not believe have a lot to at least think about.
Please think about it.

On God

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 
“You shall have no other gods before me. 
“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.  
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,  but showing love to a thousand  generations  of those who love me and keep my commandments. 
“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. 
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  
Six days you shall labor and do all your work,  but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.  
For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 
“Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 
“You shall not murder. 
“You shall not commit adultery. 
“You shall not steal. 
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour. 
“You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.” 
Exodus 20:2-17.
The ten commandments a basic set of morals to live by, given by God to man.
Moral absolutes is one thing the atheist cannot explain. If there is no universal absolutes mankind would sink into anarchy.
Every man and woman that has ever been born is born with moral absolutes. We know instinctively what is right and wrong.
The book of Exodus puts down in writing what God would have us live by in the form of the ten commandments.
The first five outlines how God would have us act with respect to him. The last five outlines how we are to act toward our fellow man. It is because of this basic moral code that human society can function correctly.
When these basic laws are broken society starts to fall apart. Nazi Germany is a classic example. Millions of people died because a group of men and women did not fear God and broke His moral code. The Islamic State terrorist and for that matter all terrorist groups are also examples of men who have transcended God’s laws bringing about death and misery for hundreds of thousands.
Man needs moral absolutes. Man needs a God to respect.
Abba Hillel Silver wrote,
“Faith in God is the strongest bulwark of a free society.  Human freedom began when men became conscious that over and above society and nature there is a God who created them...who fashioned them in His likeness, and that they are, therefore, possessed of intrinsic and independent significance and are endowed, as individuals, with original and irrevocable rights and authority.
Abba Hillel Silver
I for one believe those who say there is no God are fooling themselves. God and life after death add meaning to life,
Peter John Kreeft states,
“Atheism treats people cheaply. Also, it robs death of meaning, and if death has no meaning, how can life ultimately have meaning? Atheism cheapens everything it touches, look at the results of communism, the most powerful form of atheism on earth.
And in the end, when the atheist dies and encounters God instead of nothingness he had predicted he’ll recognize that atheism was a cheap answer because it refused the only thing that’s not cheap the God of infinite value”
                                            Peter John Kreeft ph.d 
Please think about it.