Love God

Love God
In the book of Deuteronomy we read,

“Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,

 with all your soul, and with all your strength.

And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.

You shall teach them diligently to your children, 

and shall talk to them when you sit in hour house, 

when you walk by the way, 

when you lie down, 

and when you rise up

You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, 

and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 

You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

                                                                                     Deuteronomy 6:4-9 

Here in Deuteronomy we are told the most important thing in a believers heart should be. Jesus when asked,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment.  
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40.
As believer in God. As believers in Christ Jesus we need to put God first in our lives. Not only that we need to teach them to our children not only in word but in deed.
When I was growing up there was an old saying that some of my extended family use to say. They’d say, “Do what I say. Not what I do”. Believers in Christ Jesus must not say or practice such a thing.
In order to show our children and the world around us the importance of God. God should come first in our lives. We need to tell our children about our faith in word and in deed.
Francis of Assisi wrote,

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 

                                                                   Francis of Assisi.

Francis also said,

“Preach the Gospel at all times 

and when necessary use words.”

                                Francis of Assisi

If you claim to be a believer in God. A believer in Christ Jesus are you doing this?
Please think about it.

A Need to Study

A Need to Study
The apostle Paul writes,
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,  without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—  having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” 2Timothy 3:1-5.
Paul’s warning to Timothy is especially true today. Today as never before there are many in the church who have a form of godliness but are not true believers in Christ. They are not following the scriptures correctly.
These are people within our church congregations and denominations. They are evangelist pastors and people in the pews. Men and women we need to be cautious of.
I believe the best Christian is an educated Christian. Someone who not only studies the Bible but also studies church history from the time of Creation to the present.
Believers in Christ should at the very least know what they believe and why they believe it. Sadly all too many Christians do not know why they believe what they believe. They simply go on the word of a pastor or evangelist.
The thing is, as good as pastors, evangelist and Christian teachers are they are fallible and from time to time even the best teacher and preachers make mistakes. That is why we need to study the scriptures.
The advice of the apostle Paul told Timothy applies to us all,
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”  2 Timothy 2:15.
Do you study the Bible on your own? Do you take time to study the history surrounding the scriptures?
Please think about it. 

Antichrists

Antichrists
The apostle John warns,
“Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.  
They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. 
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.  
I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth.  
Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son.”1John 2:18-22.
Here John seems to use extremely strong language. He states that anyone who claims Jesus is not the Christ the Messiah is an antichirst.
Note however he is referring to those who at one time claimed to be Christians and are now denying that Jesus is the Christ the saviour of mankind.
It is these people Christians need to be careful with.
It’s understandable that those of other faiths may not believe as we do. For a myriad of reasons they do not agree with Christian teaching. I do not believe John is talking about these people.
John’s comments are directed at those who claimed to be Christian he states,
“They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us.”
These are men and women who have taken the scriptures and teaching of Jesus and the apostles and pervert them to their own ways.
The apostle Peter warns of such people saying,
“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.
The apostle Paul also echoes this saying,
“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.” 2Timothy 4:3,4.
We as Christians need to be careful as to who we listen to, especially in this multimedia age.
There are many men and women in the media that seem like they are Christians. They seem as if they are teaching about Jesus and God correctly but are not.
In order to ensure that we are not deceived we need to study the scriptures for ourselves and know for certain what is right and what is wrong. The words of the apostle Paul when he said,
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2Timothy 2:15 are as true today as they were when he wrote them. They are words we need to take to heart and follow.
Please think about it.  

Some are not

Some are not
Jesus told this parable,
“Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.  
But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.  
When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 
“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 
“ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 
“ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them.  
Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’” Matthew 13:24-30.
Believe it or not there are men and women in the world today who claim to be Christian but are not. There are pastors, evangelist, teachers and others in the Media within denominations, and within individual church congregations who are not Christians.
Jesus said,

“Many will say to me  on that day, 

‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, 

and in your name drive out demons 

and perform many miracles?’  

Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. 

Away from me, you evildoers!’”

 Matthew 7:22,23.

 Just because someone has a pulpit in the media or in a church be it large or small. Just because someone goes to church and is active in a church congregation of denomination does not mean they are Christians.
The Church has been around for a long time it has sadly picked up a lot of baggage. There are men and women claiming to be Christians who are deceiving many. Some are taking advantage of people both spiritually and financially.
The apostle Paul tells us,

“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.” 

2Timothy 4:3,4.

This is happening now in our day.
Equally however there are I believe far more honest, good and faithful servants of God within the twenty-first century church than there are bad people.
However the key to anyone who supports a ministry, preacher or evangelist is to constantly be on guard. To study the scriptures for yourself.
Make sure what is being preached to you is taken in context and not being twisted to forward an agenda of the one speaking.
God will one day judge those who claim to be Christians and are not. The key for now for Christians is to follow the advice of the apostle Paul who wrote,

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,

 a workman who does not need to be ashamed

 and who correctly handles the word of truth.”  

2 Timothy 2:15

It is advice I would also give to non-Christians. Reading the Bible and learning what it says cannot hurt. At the very least you will learn what Christians believe and be able to decide for yourself if you believe what is being said.
Please think about it.