You have a purpose

 You have a purpose

The apostle Paul writes,

"For we are God's workmanship, 

created in Christ Jesus to do good works, 

which God prepared in advance for us to do"

                                                                       Ephesians 2:10.

Everyone has a purpose in life. For the Christian it is to do good works in the name of Jesus. To tell people about the love of God that comes through Christ Jesus. To show the people around them the way to heaven.

If you consider yourself a Christian are you doing this?

Please think about it.

To save souls

To save souls

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 am someone who is not in favour of so called ‘hell fire and brimstone’ preachers. I say this because I don’t think yelling and screaming that someone is going to hell bothers non-believers because many times they don’t believe in hell.
In her book To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee writes,
“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)....” Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird.
Harper Lee is right. People calling themselves Christians have probably done as much if not more to turn people away from Christ than those who are not Christians.
In the name of Christ many try to take away the rights or restrict the rights of those they consider morally wrong or those they disagree with. You cannot legislate morality. Nor did Jesus and his disciples ever try to do this.
Jesus and his apostles lived in a society that was as least if not more diverse than our twenty-first century society. Yet they didn’t try to overthrow the Roman government.
Instead they sat down with those they disagreed with and presented the good news of Jesus Christ, much to the dismay it seems of the religious leaders of their day.
From my point of view I believe we as 21st century believers, especially those of us who live in the western democracies need to follow their example.
We need to stop yelling at those we disagree with. Stop telling them they are on the way to hell and point them to heaven.
Jesus speaking of himself said why he came to this earth. John’s gospel recording,
"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 what we a believers in Christ Jesus must always remember. Our job is to save souls for Christ. NOT judge where they will spend eternity for only God knows that.
Please think about it.

All things work together

All things work together
The apostle Paul writes,
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28.
This portion of scripture can be the hardest thing to believe, especially when we are going through tough times.
Yet the apostle Paul believed this and the apostle Paul was someone who was no stranger to hard times.  Through all the hardship Paul went through, things did work for good. For it helped spread the gospel of Christ throughout the know world.
Paul during his life time was able to speak to the common man. He spoke to intellectuals in Athens. Was able to witness to people after a shipwreck. Paul also witnessed to Jewish leaders, to a Jailor, Roman soldiers, governors, even the Roman emperor himself.
Paul no matter what he went through lived his faith in word and in deed. Which is what we are called to do in our lives today.
So my question to anyone reading this who claims to be a follower of Christ Jesus. Do you believe what Paul wrote? Are you despite what you are going through, good or bad, telling people of your faith in Christ Jesus in world and in deed?
Please think about it. 

Purpose

Purpose?

Many years ago I discovered a wonderful story by Ben Zion Bokser called The Rose Talked Back. It goes like this,

The Rose Talked Back

"The man sweeping the synagogue paused for a moment.  He looked at the flowers lying about in disorder, ‘What waste!’  He said too himself.  Those roses had adorned the pulpit at a wedding aan hour before.  Now all was over and they were waiting to be discarded.
The attendant leaning on his sweeper was lost in thought when suddenly he heard a strange sound.  One of the roses replied to him.
‘Do you call this a waste?” the flower protested, ‘What is life anyway, yours or mine, but a means of service?  My mission was to create some fragrance and beauty, and when I have fulfilled it my life has not been wasted.  And what greater privilege is there than to adorn a bride’s way to her beloved, what greater privilege than to help glorify the moment when a bride and groom seal their faith in each other by entering the covenant of marriage?’
Our little flower paused for a moment too watch the man’s face, and then continued her discourse.
‘Roses are like people.  They live in deeds, not in time.  My glory was but for a brief hour, but you should have seen the joy in the bride’s eye.  I like to believe that I had something to do with it, by creating a suitable setting for the moment of her supreme happiness.  So don’t grieve for me.  My life has been worthwhile.
Having spoken her little piece, the rose was once more silent.  The attendant, startled from his reverie and a little wiser, pushed the sweeper again and continued with his work".
                                                                                                                 Ben Zion Bokser
Do you have meaning in your life?
As I look sadly at many people going from the west to join terrorist organisations like IS. I have to wonder what is causing them to go.
But perhaps we should reverse the question and ask, why can’t western society keep them here. What is so lacking in western society that people would want to join such a twisted way of thinking and theology?
Personally I think western society is the very best choice of a lot of bad choices.
We in the west enjoy freedoms that are the envy of many countries in the world. However western society is extremely materialistic. And materialism is a cold bed partner.
My father’s generation had a cause to fight. He and other young men like him at the time fought against the evil that was Nazism. They believed in their righteous cause and were willing to die for it.
Youth today seems to lack a cause a purpose in life. In our materialistic society. A society that seemingly has forgotten God. Life seems cheap. With many people particularly our youth trying to fill it with the latest gadget, bangle bobble or popular trend.
While there are causes within western society that our youth can latch onto. Our youth see a society that while it claims to the best, with int it is a lot of poverty and suffering.
With in North American society as rich as it is, people can’t get access to health care and medication they need, because they lack the money and government is unwilling to help.
People struggle to put food on the table. Children and adults go without meals every day. People rely on food banks to get food. Something that should be a basic human right written into the laws of the land.
People live on the streets while the top ten percent have more money than they will ever need.
There are programs out there to help people but they are far too few, hard to find and woefully underfunded.
Sometimes I look at the news and think the gun lobby and the right to bear arms gets more attention than the need to help the poorest of the nation.
Is it any wonder idealistic youth looking for a better cause can be fooled by such perverted people like Islamic State.
Hitler proved you could fool one of the most culturally advanced nations in Europe ultimately causing the deaths of millions.
To my mind society need to turn to Christ, to God. For only then will the individual find fulfilment in life.
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.
It is my belief that the further our society moves away from God the worse it will become.
Our youth and for that matter everyone within our society needs something to aspire to. We need purpose and meaning in life. This is what faith in God and his One and Only Son Jesus Christ has to offer
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.
I have found that to be so true.
It is my hope that people everywhere would find hope and meaning in Christ Jesus.
Please take time today to start to read the New Testament and see what Jesus can do in your life.
Please think about it.