Evaluate

 Evaluate

The psalmist writes,

"On my bed I remember you; 

I think of you through the watches of the night. 

Because you are my help, 

I sing in the shadow of your wings. 

My soul clings to you; 

your right hand upholds me." 

                                        Psalm 63:6-8.

Do you remember God as you lay on your bed? 

Is God your help in all situations?

Do you sing praises to God?

Do you cling to God?

Can you see how God has looked after you throughout your life?

Why not take some time now to look at your life and your relationship with God. Take time to evaluate Gods place in your life.

Please think about it.

I remember you

 I remember you

The Psalmist states,

"On my bed I remember you; 

I think of you through the watches of the night. 

Because you are my help, 

I sing in the shadow of your wings. 

My soul clings to you; 

your right hand upholds me." 

                                                   Psalm 63:6-8.

If you consider yourself a believer in Christ Jesus, do you do what the psalmist is saying here?

Do you think of God night and day?

Is God your helper?

Do you sing to God?

Does your soul truly cling to God?

Do you remember God in good times and bad?

Please think about it.

The Persecuted

The Persecuted
Through the book of Revelations Jesus speaks to seven churches. As I said in my previous blog. Scholars have noted that these churches can be taken in several ways. They can speak to individual churches throughout history and today and they can be personalized by individuals.
The Second church mentioned is Smyrna. That was located at a major port city just north of Ephesus. The Imperial Roman cult was presence in the city as was a large number of Jews. Both of whom may have persecuted early believers in Christ.
The book of revelations records,
“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: 
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 
   I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.  
Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. 
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.”Revelations 2:8-11 
Here Jesus identifies Himself as “the First and the Last, “who died and came to life again.”
He notes that the church has gone to affliction and poverty.That they are slandered, yet they are rich
Today around the world there are churches and individuals who are as one person said “dangerous neighbourhoods”. Areas of the world where being a follower of Jesus Christ can get you put in jail, attacked or even murdered.
Jesus in addressing the church at Smyrna is addressing them. He calls on them not to be afraid. That while they may be put in prison and suffer persecution they will be given a crown of life.
For anyone going through persecution it can be hard. No one deserves to go persecution for their faith not matter who they are. That being said however as believers in Christ Jesus we have the assurance that in the end we will receive the victors crown and live eternally in Heaven with God.
If you are a Christian living in the west that is not undergoing persecution take time to remember the persecuted church. Men and Women who are suffering for their faith. Take time to pray and if you are in the western democracies especially write to your member of parliament, or prime minister. Ask them to bring up the plight of persecuted Christians. It can’t hurt but it may just do a lot of good.
Perhaps even bring up to your pastor and Church congregation the need to keep praying and doing what you can to help believers in Christ that are being persecuted.
Please think about it.

Remembrance day

Remembrance Day
                     Words on a Canadian War Memorial

“Let us therefore follow things that make for peace.”

                                                                                                               Romans 14:19
                                                                                 
Today is November 11th 2015. A hundred years ago today there were men fighting and dying in the fields of Europe. They were fighting for the peace of the world.
Some historians have said it was actually only round one. Come September of 1939 round two would begin.
By the time it ended world war two would have claimed the lives of over 60,000,000 soldiers and civilians.
Put in perspective in 1939 the total population of the United Kingdom was 47,760,000. Canada at the time had a population of 11,267,000. So just short of six times the population of Canada died in world war two.
Canada itself had 43,600 war deaths or 1.8% of the population. The then Soviet Union lost 24,000,000 or approximately 14% of it’s 1939 prewar population.
Nazi death camps cost the lives of an estimated 11,000,000 innocent civilians, approximately 6,000,000 of them Jews.
The Bible verse I quoted above,“Let us therefore follow things that make for peace.” was written with the intent that Christians, to whom it is written should follow a path of peace.
Sadly at least in the twentieth century, and now it seems with the upsurge or terrorism in the world today, the path of peace means waging war.
In the 1930's politicians did all they could politically and peacefully to prevent war. Evil men however forced war on men of peace. It seems as though this may happen again.
For today however let us remember those who for the best of reasons took up arms in the pursuit of peace.
Those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we could enjoy the life of freedom we here in Canada and the west enjoy.
Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (November 30, 1872 – January 28, 1918) who served as a surgeon in world war one. A hundred years ago this year, while at the funeral of a friend in Flanders wrote what is perhaps the most quoted poem ever written by a Canadian, he wrote,

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.”

                                                                      Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD.
Let us no matter what we believe, always remember that at times the peace and freedoms we enjoy today cost a terrible price.
Let us always be vigilant and stand up against any evil that would attempt to take away our freedoms.
Let us take the torch passed to us by those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and stand up to evil and tyranny in all its forms.
Martin Niemoller a German cleric and Anti-Nazi wrote,

“When they came for the Communists, 

I did not stand up, because I was not a Communist. 

When they came for the Jews, 

I did not stand up, because I was not Jewish. 

When they came for the Catholics, 

I did not stand up, because I was not a Catholic. 

When they came for me, 

there was no one left to stand up.”

                                                                                        Martin Niemoller
Let us not allow such a thing to happen again. We must never let evil and tyranny in any form go unchecked. No matter the cost.