Of Infinite importance

Of infinite importance?

Luke's gospel records what happened just days after the birth of Jesus when he was brought to the temple to be dedicated. Luke states,
"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ.  
Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, 
a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." 
The child's father and mother marvelled at what was said about him.  
Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, Luke 2:25-34.
In the book of Hebrews we read,
"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." Hebrews 1:1-3.
In the gospel of John we read,
"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....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. " John 1:1-4,14.
This is what all true believers in Christ Jesus believe. We believe Jesus is God incarnate, God in the flesh who entered the world He created to pay the price of our sins and show each individual the way to heaven.
C. S. Lewis said of Christianity,
“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 question comes down to you the reader; Is Christianity true of false?
Please think about it.

To be Christian

To be Christian
Someone once said to me the basics for being a Christian is believing in the Saving grace of  Christ Jesus. Believing that He is the Son of God, the Saviour of Mankind and accepting Jesus as your personal Saviour.
He noted that the nuts and bolts so to speak of what we believe as Christians is stated in the Apostles creed that states,
1.I believe in God the Father the almighty maker of heaven and earth
2. I believe in Jesus Christ God’s on and only Son, our Lord and Saviour.
3. I believe Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary
4. I believe Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate; That He was Crucified, died, was buried. That he descended in hell.
5. I believe He rose again on the third day from the dead.
6. I believe that he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
7. I believe Jesus will one day Judge the living and the dead.
8. I believe in the Holy Ghost
9. I believe in the Church which is the communion of the saints,
10. I believe in the forgiveness of sin.
11. I believe in the resurrection of the body.
12. I believe in life everlasting.
All of that is true but it’s not all there is. Being a Christian a follower of Christ Jesus a lifestyle. It is putting the teachings of Jesus into action in our lives daily.
The means loving God, our neighbour, and even our enemy unconditionally. It means praying for our persecutors. It means following the words of Jesus who said,

“Do to others as you would have them do to you. 

                                                                    Luke 6:31.  

It means exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit. The apostle Paul telling us,

"But the fruit of the Spirit is 

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, 

goodness, faithfulness,  

gentleness and self-control. 

Against such things there is no law."  

                                       Galatians 5:22,23.

This in a nutshell is what it is to be a true follower of Jesus Christ.
Please think about it.

Seemingly Outlandish

Seemingly Outlandish
John’s Gospel records this conversation between Martha and Jesus,
“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.
Matthew’s Gospel records this conversation between Jesus and his disciples,
“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.”  Matthew 16:13-17.
John’s Gospel records this interaction between some people in the temple area in Solomon’s Colonnade.
“Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.  
“The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 
Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.  
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  
I and the Father are one.” 
Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”
“We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” John 10 22-33. 
Here are just three incidents among many that Jesus makes the claim to be the Messiah. That he claims to be equal to God.
If you think about it such claims could be considered outlandish. They were certainly dangerous make. In the last incident I quoted the people were going to stone Jesus for claiming equality with God.
If you think about it, if such claims were not true why would the writers of the New Testament include them? It would injure their fledgling movement.
C. S. Lewis put it this way,
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.
     He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. 
Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. 
You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Please think about it.

Of God

Of God
The book of acts records the following incident between the apostles of Jesus and the religious leaders of their day. Those religious leaders had told the apostles not to preach in the name of Jesus. Yet they continued to do so. Thus they were arrested.
The book of acts then records,
“Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest.  
“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” 
Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!  
The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.  
God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.  
We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” 
When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.  
But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while.  
Then he addressed them: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men.  
Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.  
After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered.  
Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.  
But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” 
His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 
The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.  
Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.” Acts 5:27-42 
Luke the writer of Acts tells us the religious leaders were furious with the disciples wanting to put them to death. However cooler heads prevailed in the name of man named Gamaliel. Whom Luke describes as
“a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people.”
Gamaliel gives them a brief history lesson of incidents that the religious leaders knew about. How several men claiming to be of God led several groups of rebels against the status quo. However when these men were killed their followers scattered and the movement they started amounted to nothing. He then went on to say about the apostles,
“Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.  
But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” 
Those religious leaders must have thought what Gamaliel said had merit for rather than having the apostles put the death they simply had them flogged. Which still didn’t stop the apostles for preaching in the name of Jesus.
The book of Acts recording,
“The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.  
Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.”
Considering it has been two thousand years since this incident, and the followers of Jesus are still growing despite persecution in many countries around the world. I think we can say what the apostles were teaching and what believers in Christ are teaching today is of God.
The question however comes down to what do you believe.
Is Jesus the one and only Son of God, the Saviour of mankind or is he not?
The choice is yours.
Please think about it.

Post 1716

Post 1716
The other day it was pointed out to me that over the four plus years I’ve been writing my various blogs I’ve written 1715 of them. Put in perspective if they were weekly sermons it would have been 32 years of them.
My soul purpose in writing them is to tell anyone who will take the time to read them about my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
I do not expect everyone who reads them to agree with what I say. All I ask is that they at least take time to consider what I have expressed.
The way I see it Jesus is the most important person that ever lived. Napoleon the late emperor of France said of Jesus,
“I know men and I tell you, Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour, millions would die for him.”
“I search in vain history to find similar to Jesus Christ, or anything which can approach the gospel.  Neither history nor humanity, nor ages, nor nature, offer me anything with which I am able to compare it or to explain it. Here everything is extraordinary.” Napoleon Bonaparte.
Jesus is extraordinary because he is the Son of God. He is God incarnate. The Apostles Creed while not written by an apostle of Jesus expresses the core beliefs of all who would call themselves Christians it sates,
1.I believe in God the Father the almighty maker of heaven and earth
2. I believe in Jesus Christ God’s on and only Son, our Lord and Saviour.
3. I believe Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary
4. I believe Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate; That He was Crucified, died, was buried. That he descended in hell.
5. I believe He rose again on the third day from the dead.
6. I believe that he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
7. I believe Jesus will one day Judge the living and the dead.
8. I believe in the Holy Ghost
9. I believe in the Church which is the communion of the saints,
10. I believe in the forgiveness of sin.
11. I believe in the resurrection of the body.
12. I believe in life everlasting.
The apostel 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....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ” John 1:1-4,14.
As strange and bizarre as it may seem to people, I and an estimated three billion Christian in the world today believe Jesus is God incarnate, God in the flesh. The Saviour of the world. Who will one day judge each and every individual.
The apostle John quotes Jesus speaking of him self, saying,
“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 choice therefor is yours the reader. Is Jesus the Son of God, Saviour of mankind, or is he not. Please take time to read the New Testament and see what the early believers in Christ believed for yourself.
For I believe what C. S. Lewis once said about Jesus,
“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.
Please think about it.

Lunatic or Saviour?

Lunatic or Saviour?
John’s gospel records this interaction between Jesus and his disciples,
“Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  
If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 
Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 
Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?  
Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.  
Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.  John 14:5-11.
This if you think about it is quite the extraordinary statement. Jesus makes two statements that if not true makes him a lunatic. He states,
1. “I am the way the truth and the life. No one come to the Father except through me.”
2.  “I am in the Father, and the Father is in me.”
What Jesus is saying is He is divine. He is God incarnate. The way to Heaven.
 C. S. Lewis said it best in his book Mere Christianity when he wrote,
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.
This is the choice the writers of the New Testament lay out before the whole world. Either Jesus is God incarnate, the Saviour of mankind, or he is not. The choice is yours.
Please think about it.

The Jesus Problem

The Jesus Problem?
John’s gospel quotes Jesus as saying,
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ John 14:6.
This is quite a controversial statement. One debated by Christians and non-Christians around the world. Yet Christians believe the statement to be completely true.
I firmly believe God does not work the way we humans work. God knows better.
Skip Moen wrote of God,
"God does not come to us in nicely defined, rationally explained, thought categories.  God does not fit Himself into our theological text books. The Hebrew God breaks all the rules.  He is near, yet transcendent; clothed in human form, yet holy; more terrifying than can be imagined, yet compassionate; invisible, yet revealed; judging, yet merciful; sovereign, yet humble. No matter where you look, God breaks the molds."  Skip Moen
I have said many times that if we humans were in God’s place we would simply show our power from on high thus ensuring that people at the very least would believe God exists.
God however does not do that. The God we Christians believe in requires us to have faith in Him even if we cannot see Him.
Jesus is quoted in the gospel of John as saying,
“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 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.
Faith is an incredible thing. People who have faith in anything will do anything for what they believe in. It is the same for believers in Christ Jesus. Millions in the past and even today are willing to die for their faith in God, their faith in Christ Jesus.
If Jesus is not the Son of God, God incarnate, the Saviour of mankind, then that faith is in vain. Still at the end of their lives they will by following the teachings of Christ lived a good life.
On the other hand if Jesus is all that Christians believe then those who do not believe in Him have a great deal to worry about.
Thus I would ask you the reader to take time and at the very least read the New Testament. If you do not want to read the whole New Testament. Read at least the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Then decide for yourself who Jesus is.
Please think about it.

Who is Jesus?

Who is Jesus?
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....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ” 
John 1:1-4,14
Who is Jesus to you?
In the above scripture the apostle John states that “The Word” (Jesus) was in the beginning with God. That all things were made by him. And that “The Word” became flesh.
Thus according to the apostle John, Jesus is God incarnate, God in the flesh.
The writer of Hebrews states,
"The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:3 
This backs up what John stated.
John’s gospel also records this incident where the Jews gathered around Jesus and asked him who he was. John records,
“The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 
Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.  
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  
I and the Father are one.” 
Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?
“We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”  John 10:24-33
For the Jews in the day of Jesus making ones self equal to God was blasphemy. Thus the question becomes if Jesus was not telling the truth. Why would he say such a thing? He knew the potential consequences of saying such a thing.
C. S. Lewis the great Christian commentator said,
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Thus the question you the reader must ask yourself is, Who is Jesus?
Please think about it.

Watch Out

Watch out
Jesus said,
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Matthew 1:15.
Never has such a warning been necessary as in this century.
We live in a multimedia world. Where anyone with a smart phone can post there views on anything. This is especially true it seems when it comes to speaking about God. There are many people claiming to be Christians that are not.
They may seem to be. They may string a few scriptures together that makes them sound good but a closer look will see that they are not teaching the truth about Jesus.
The apostle Paul warned,
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”  2 Timothy 4:3,4
The apostle Peter warned,
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.  
Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.  
In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. 
Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.” 2 Peter 2:1-3.
  Such teachers were around in the time of the apostles and are very much around today.
Now I know within the Christian world there are differences of opinion on minor things.
However in order to be a follower of Christ Jesus we must agree on the basics.
The apostle creed while not written by an apostle of Christ is the baseline as to what I believe you need to believe in order to be a follower of Christ Jesus. It reads,
1.I believe in God the Father the almighty maker of heaven and earth
2. I believe in Jesus Christ God’s on and only Son, our Lord and Saviour.
3. I believe Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary
4. I believe Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate; That He was Crucified, died, was buried. That he descended in hell.
5. I believe He rose again on the third day from the dead.
6. I believe that he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
7. I believe Jesus will one day Judge the living and the dead.
8. I believe in the Holy Ghost
9. I believe in the Church which is the communion of the saints,
10. I believe in the forgiveness of sin.
11. I believe in the resurrection of the body.
12. I believe in life everlasting.
What do you believe?
Please think about it.

What do you think?

What do you think?
The apostle Paul writes,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.
For many in the world, what believers in Christ Jesus believe is foolishness. Christians believe that Jesus is God incarnate and for many this seems like an improbable scenario. Yet the apostle John stated,
“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....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ” John 1:1-4,14
Christians believe Jesus came to earth to save each individual who would believe in Him from their sins and grant to them eternal life in heaven.
The apostle Paul writing,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
The apostle John quoting Jesus speaking of himself as saying,
“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 Paul speaking in Athens expressed what all believers in Christ Jesus believe when he said,
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  
And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.  
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.  
‘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 17:24-31.
Thus the question is, What do you believe about Jesus.
Please think about it.

Do you believe?

Do you believe?
The Apostle John writing about 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.
The Apostle Paul writing to believers in Christ Jesus said,
“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.
It is the core of Christian belief that through belief in Christ Jesus you become children of God. That you receive eternal life.
Jesus said,
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6.
The apostle Paul writes,
“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.
What the apostle Paul is saying here through belief in Christ Jesus we receive eternal life.
Thus the question becomes. Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, God incarnate who died for your sins, That you may have eternal life in heaven with God?
Please think about it.

Who is Jesus?

Who is Jesus?
The Apostle Paul writes,
“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”
                                                                                          Colossians 2:9.
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....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ” John 1:1-4,14.
The writer of Hebrews states,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3 
In the above quoted scriptures from the New Testament we see the three basic things believers in Christ Jesus believe.
1. Jesus is God.
    ”in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”
    “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” 
   “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.”
Simply put Jesus is God incarnate. God in the flesh.
2. He made the world and everything in it.
   “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
Jesus is one with God the creator of the universe and everything in it.
3. He provided purification for sins and sits with God in Heaven.
  “After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
 To be a Christian, a true believer in Christ Jesus you must believe that Jesus is the one and Only Son of God. God incarnate. The one who provided purification for your sins.
What do you believe about Jesus?
Please think about it. 

The Narrow Gate

The Narrow Gate
Matthew’s gospel records Jesus as saying,

“Enter through the narrow gate. 

For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, 

and many enter through it.  

But small is the gate and narrow the road 

that leads to life, and only a few find it. 

                                         Matthew 7:13,14.

This is what I see in this passage of scripture. I believe the life Jesus is referring to here is life eternal. That here Jesus point the way to heaven. He says we must enter through the narrow gate. That the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction.
The road that leads to destruction is the world in general. The world offers the individual a myriad of things that offers pleasure and satisfaction. None of which are bad in and of themselves providing they don’t pull us away from God.
Within the world also there are many who would say there are many ways to Heaven. While others say there is no God.
The Bible however both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament says there is only one God the creator of Heaven and Earth. That we must have faith in God. Faith is that Narrow road Jesus is talking about. The writer of Hebrews telling us,

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,

“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

The gate referred to by Jesus in Matthew 7:13,14 is Jesus. Jesus speaking to his disciples said,

“I am the way and the truth and the life. 

No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

                                                                     John 14:6.

The writer of Hebrews telling us,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3.
I know there are many reading this who would not agree with me. That is your right. God gave every person a freewill to believe what they wish and do what they may.
I however believe that all who hear about Jesus must make a decision as to who he is. 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.

If Jesus is not the way to heaven or just one of many ways to heaven, then no one has anything to fear.
However if what Christians believe is true. That He is the way to heaven those hear about him and do not believe in Him have a great deal to think about at the very least.
Please think about it. 

Jesus is

Jesus is
Jude whom scholars tend to agree is the half brother of Jesus wrote,
“Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.  
For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” Jude 1:3,4
Jude makes to points,
1. He writes a warning to the church that godless men have secretly slipped in among the believers. That these men are heretics who pervert the word of God.
They believe because they are saved they can do anything they wish good or evil. Nothing could be further from the truth.
If we are truly saved by the grace of God we will desire to be more Christ like. We will want to do the will of God. We will shun evil. We will love those around us.  Our desire will be to present the gospel of Christ to all who will listen.
2. The other point Jude makes is that there are those who have slipped into the church that deny that Jesus is the Christ our only Sovereign Lord.
You cannot be a Christian and deny that Jesus is our Sovereign Lord, that Jesus is the Son of God. The one who paid the price for our sins.
The writer of Hebrews states,
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:3.
The apostle John referring to Jesus as “The Word” 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....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-4,14
Henry Ward Beecher said,
“If Christ is not divine, every impulse of the Christian world falls to a lower octave, and light and love and hope decline.”  Henry Ward Beecher.
Thus the question becomes, who do you believe Jesus to be?
Please think about it.

Thoughts for the end of the Year

Thoughts for the end of the Year
Ben Zion Bokser wrote,
"I have not seen the robin but I know he is there because I heard him singing through my window from the tree-top outside.
I have not seen God.  But I have looked at my child’s eyes, and have been overwhelmed by the miracle of unfolding life.
I have watched the trees bedeck themselves with new garbs of green in the spring, and have been stirred by the miracle of continual rebirth.
I have looked at the stars, and have been overcome by the miracle of the grandeur and majesty of the universe.
I know that God exists, because I have heard the song of His presence from all the tree-tops of creation."
                     Ben Zion Bokser.
Billy Graham the great American evangelist wrote,

“I can't prove it scientifically, that there's a God, but I believe.”

                                                                                   Billy Graham

Blaise Pascal wrote,

“It is incomprehensible that God should exist, 

and 

it is incomprehensible that he should not exist.” 

                                                             Blaise Pascal.

The Psalmist writes,

“The heavens declare the glory of God;

 the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

Day after day they pour forth speech; 

night after night they display knowledge. 

There is no speech or language 

where their voice is not heard.” 

                                                 Psalm 19:1-3.

I believe in God it is that simple. I have faith that He exists. I as the writer of the Apostles creed puts it,

I believe in God the Father the almighty maker of heaven and earth

I believe in Jesus Christ God’s on and only Son, our Lord and Saviour.

I believe Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary

I believe Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate; 

That He was Crucified, died, was buried. That he descended in hell.

I believe He rose again on the third day from the dead.

I believe that he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty.

I believe Jesus will one day Judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost

I believe in the Church which is the communion of the saints,

I believe in the forgiveness of sin.

I believe in the resurrection of the body.

I believe in life everlasting

The choice for you the reader is simple do you believe in God or Not. There is no middle ground. The choice is yours.
Please think about it.

An Unlikely Place

An Unlikely Place
Luke’s gospel records this about the birth of Jesus.
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  
And everyone went to his own town to register. 
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  
He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,  and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:1-7.
Bethlehem at the time a very small backwater village in a backwater country of the mighty Roman empire. An unlikely place for the Messiah to be born. Certainly if one thinks of a Messiah a Saviour, a Redeemer, of a people being born, such a tiny village would not at least to man’s way of thinking be the ideal spot.
I’m certain to the Jewish people of the day, who were under the Roman boot were probably looking for a conquering Messiah, like Alexander the Great or Napoleon. Which Jesus was most certainly not.
Jesus was a suffering Messiah who would die for the sins of mankind. To offer life everlasting with God for those who would believe in him.
The apostle Paul wrote of Jesus,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.
          The apostle John wrote
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.  
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 would go on to conquer the hearts and minds of billions of people. More people today worship and serve Jesus than were ever in all the lands Rome had conquered. And how did He do it? Through Love.
Napoleon Bonaparte, the late Emperor of France said of Jesus,
"You speak of Caesar, of Alexander, of their conquests and of the enthusiasm which they enkindled in the hearts of their soldiers; but can you conceive of a dead man making conquests, with an army faithful and entirely devoted to his memory? My armies have forgotten me even while living, as the Carthaginian army forgot Hannibal. Such is our power.”
“I know men and I tell you, Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour, millions would die for him.” Napoleon Bonaparte.
Please think about it.

Who is Jesus "The Enunciation"

Who is Jesus
The Enunciation
As I write this Christmas is about two weeks away. One of the holiest days on the Christian calendar. A time when Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of their Lord and Saviour.
The question however for non-Christians is just who is Jesus. Perhaps one of the best accounts as to who Jesus is comes from the Gospel of Luke.
The gospel of Luke opens with,
“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.  
Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,  so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” Luke 1:1-4.
Luke is believed to be a well educated gentile believer, writing to another gentile believer we only know as Theophilus.
He states,
“I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus” Luke 1:3.
He makes it clear that he spoke to eyewitnesses of the events. Thus the way I see it when we read the gospel of Luke we can either believe him or don’t believe him. We either believe the witnesses Luke talked with or we do not. The choice is up to the reader.
Luke’s first mention of Jesus come in Luke 1: 26-38, where Luke records,
“In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,  to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.  
The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  
You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,  and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” 
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.  
Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.  
For nothing is impossible with God.” 
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.” Luke 1:26-38.
What Luke records here is quite remarkable if you think about it. While he is writing to believers. He is also presenting the story of Jesus to the world at large.
Luke does not hid the miraculous visitation of the angel Gabriel to Mary. He makes it clear that Mary is a Virgin. He does not hide what was obviously told to him by Mary. The angel Gabriel telling her,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35.
Luke lays everything out for his readers. Luke truly believed what he wrote. That Jesus was born of a virgin, that the child she bore was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was called the Son of God.
Luke asks all who reads his gospel be they in the first century or in the twenty-first century to believe it. He leaves no room for any middle ground.
Question, who do you believe Jesus is?
Please think about it.

The Trial of Jesus

The trial of Jesus
John’s gospel records this about the trial of Jesus before the Roman governor Pilate. John notes,
“Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.  
The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they struck him in the face. 
Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.”  
When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” 
As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!” But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.” 
The Jews insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.” 
When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer.  
“Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” 
Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” 
From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.” 
When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha).  
It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. 
But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. 
Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.” John 19:1-16.
Pilate had found Jesus not guilty of braking any Roman law that would deserve the death penalty. To placate the religious leaders and the crowd that day however he had Jesus flogged. Still however they were not satisfied. They demanded his death.
Pilate possibly fearing a riot played politics and gave Jesus to them to crucify. But note the conversation between Jesus and Pilot here. John records,
“Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” 
Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” 
Jesus was telling Pilate that the power he, Pilate, had came from God. Not only that he pointed out that those, meaning the religious leaders, had the greater sin because they should have recognized the Messiah.
John notes that upon hearing that Pilate tried to release Jesus, but the crowds whipped up by the religious leaders who feared Jesus at least in a political sense yelled “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”
Finally Pilate yielded to the crowd and Jesus was put to death.
The choice Pilate, the religious leaders and the crowd had that day is the same choice we in the twenty-first century face. Who is Jesus?
True believers in Christ Jesus believe him to be the Son of God, The Saviour of Mankind. God incarnate who was and is The Creator of the world.
John’s gospel records,
“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....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”John 1:1-4,14
  John records Jesus speaking of himself saying,
“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.
Thus the choice is up to you the reader. Who do you think Jesus is?
Please think about it.

Jesus on Jesus

Jesus on Jesus
The apostle John records Jesus as saying what amounts to his purpose in coming to earth.
“Then Jesus cried out, “When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me.  
When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me.  
I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. 
“As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.  
There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.  
For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.  
I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” John 12:44-50
Jesus states,
 “When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me.”John 12:44,45.
The writer of Hebrews states,
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”  Hebrews 1:3.
Jesus is God incarnate, God in the flesh. The creator of the world who entered His creation to show men the way to heaven. To pay the price for the sins of each person who would believe in him. The apostle John in a later letter noting,
“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 then notes in his gospel that Jesus states,
“As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.” John 12:47
Earlier in his gospel John records Jesus referring to himself as stating,
 “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 did not come into the world to judge the world. The express purpose for Jesus entering the world is save souls. To point mankind to eternal life with God.
Jesus however does note that people will one day be judged. He states,
“There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.  
For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.
I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”  John 12:48-50
What Jesus is saying here in John 12:44-50 is an incredible statement. He not only equates himself to God but he also states that through faith in Him the individual can get to heaven.
Believers in Christ truly believe that through Jesus, God reached down to show man the way to heaven. That it is by God’s grace we enter heaven not our works. 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.
If what Jesus said is untrue, if what Christians believe is false then no one has much to worry about.
On the other hand, if what Christians believe is true, and all that the New Testament says about Jesus is true, then those who do not believe in Jesus have a great deal to fear. For their unbelief has eternal consequences.
Please think about it.

God's Way

God’s Way
In one of my previous blogs I noted how Jesus had become a political liability to the Jewish religious leadership of the day. In this portion of scripture John records Jesus as doing something that most definitely twists the religious leaders the wrong way. John writes, 
“The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.  
They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!’” 
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” 
“Blessed is the King of Israel!”  
Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, 
“Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” 
At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him. 
Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word.  
Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him.  
So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” John 12:12-19.
Up until this point Jesus had discouraged public expressions of support now however a week before he would be crucified he allowed it.
The crowds welcomed him as a prince. They placed palm branches down before him and called out “Hosanna” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”
John tells us,
“Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word.  
Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him.” John 12:17,18.
 John notes the reaction of the Pharisees saying,
“So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” 
Up until this point they had taken no physical action against Jesus. They had not arrested him or detained him in any way probably for two reasons.  One the crowd believed in him and they feared the wrath of the crowd. If the crowd rioted the Romans would step in and their positions would be in jeopardy. Also they had no legal grounds to arrest him.
Still however they feared what Jesus may do.
These men were blind to the fact that Jesus was not the conquering Messiah but the suffering Messiah. Even his disciples were blind to this.
After the resurrection of Jesus while he was meeting with His disciples the book of Acts records this conversation,
“So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.  Acts 1:6,7.
It would have seemed to any person thinking logically with the wisdom of man that getting yourself crucified as Jesus did was not the way to conquer the world.
The apostle Paul however tells us,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.
The apostle Paul when writing to the Romans said,
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8.
Jesus tells us,
“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.
God could have used a mighty army or bring legions of angels to force man to submit to His will but he didn’t. That would not have produced true believers. Many would have believed simply out of fear of what God could do to them.
Napoleon the late French emperor said of Jesus,
"You speak of Caesar, of Alexander, of their conquests and of the enthusiasm which they enkindled in the hearts of their soldiers; but can you conceive of a dead man making conquests, with an army faithful and entirely devoted to his memory? My armies have forgotten me even while living, as the Carthaginian army forgot Hannibal. Such is our power.”
“I know men and I tell you, Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour, millions would die for him.”
“I search in vain history to find similar to Jesus Christ, or anything which can approach the gospel.  Neither history nor humanity, nor ages, nor nature, offer me anything with which I am able to compare it or to explain it. Here everything is extraordinary.”Napoleon Bonaparte.
In Jesus, God reached down in Love to each person offering them eternal life with Him. 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.
Salvation and Eternal Life with God is free to all who would believe in Jesus. Thus the choice is yours.
Please think about it.