Speak for

  Speak for

In the book of Proverbs we read,

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, 

for the rights of all who are destitute. 

Speak up and judge fairly; 

defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

                                                              Proverbs 31:8,9.

These are words from the bible not mine. Notice they don’t give the reader the an option. It states clearly 

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, 

for the rights of all who are destitute. 

Speak up and judge fairly; 

defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

                                                              Proverbs 31:8,9.

 Sadly when I look around North America where I live there are many calling themselves Christians, especially politicians, who are not following this call of God.

We as believers in God are called to help those in need period. Even if it is in just a small way. 

I like the way the American Evangelist Tony Campolo put it,

“These issues are biblical issues: to care for the sick, to feed the hungry, to stand up for the oppressed. I contend that if the evangelical community became more biblical, everything would change.” Tony Campolo.

So if you consider yourself a Christian a believer in Christ Jesus what are you doing to help those in need around you?

Please think about it.

Fighting God

  Fighting God

 In the book of Acts we read a Pharisee named Gamaliel standing before the Sanhedrin as they were presiding over the trial of two of Christ's apostles saying,

"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." Acts 5:38,39.

I firmly believe Gamaliel was right about what the apostles were preaching about being from God. The proof is that two thousand years later what the disciple of Christ were preaching is still going on. The message of the Gospel of Christ has reached into every nation.

Not only that any attempts by governments from the time of the Romans to the present day to try and stop the spread of the Love of Christ has failed.

I do believe that those governments and government leaders that try to stop the spread of the gospel will one day stand before God and give an account for their actions.

If I am wrong those who oppose the Gospel message. Those who oppose Christ Jesus have nothing to fear.

If on the other hand I am right, as I believe I am, then all who oppose and try to suppress the Gospel message have a lot to fear.

Please think about it.

Ultimately

Ultimately
The apostle Paul writes,
"By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.  
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.  
If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.  
If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  
If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames." 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.
While Paul is addressing the Corinthians here the message is also for us today. Paul was used by God to lay the foundation of the faith the Corinthian believers. But Paul warns no one can lay any other foundation than that already laid.
He points out that if believers try building on that foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or even straw it will be burned away. Resulting in the person entering heaven by the slimmest of margins.
Jesus said,
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money” Matthew 16:19-24.
Both Paul and Jesus here are warning Christians not to mix the riches of this world with their faith.
Ultimately the riches of this world will fade away. Everything material possession we have will dissolve away. Only what we have done for God will last.
Please think about it.

A Note to the 21st Century Church

A note to the 21st Century Church
"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" Matthew 7:12
Think about this...
Jesus and his disciples,
• Never Voted.
• Never Protested.
• Never judged anyone outside their own faith.
Yet they within a century they had spread the Good News of the Love of Jesus Christ throughout the known world.
They did so by,
• Presenting the Love of God to their family friends and foe alike.
• Showing Love and Mercy to all those they came in contact with.
• Living as far as possible at peace with those around them.
The disciples put into action the words of the Apostle Paul who wrote,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”  Romans 12:18.
And the words writer of the writer of Hebrews,
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14.
They followed the teaching of the Apostle Peter who wrote,
“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11,12.
If you claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ are you doing this?
Above all they put into action the words of Jesus who said,
"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" Matthew 7:12
Please think about it.

The Church in Smyrna

The Church in Smyrna

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
As I noted in my previous blog through the book of Revelations Jesus speaks to seven churches.
Scholars have noted that these churches can be taken in several ways. They can speak to individual churches and denominations both 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 who may have persecuted early believers in Christ.
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 yet is rich. That they are slandered.
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.

Note from a Christian

Note from a Christian
Jesus told this parable,
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  
When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. 
                                                                                            Matthew 13:44-46.
What Jesus says here about heaven is what Christians believe. To a true Christian knowing Jesus as their Lord and Saviour is the most important thing in their lives.
We Christians believe it is so important that we are, if necessary, willing to die for what we believe.
We believe all people everywhere need to know about Jesus. That’s why we tell people about Jesus.
If you’re a non-Christian I’m sure you can understand that if you had something you thought of paramount importance to the people around you. So important it means life of death. Wouldn’t you want to tell people?
So it is with Christians we believe Jesus when He 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.
The book of Acts records Paul speaking to the Athenians about Jesus this is what Paul said,
“So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.  
A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.  
Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?  
You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”  
(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) 
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.  
For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. 
“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.” 
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”  
At that, Paul left the Council.  
A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.”  Acts 17:17-34.
Pauls message is as important today as it was on the day he spoke it. Thus the choice is up to you dear reader.
Who do you think Jesus is?
Please think about it.

The Question

The Question

“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?” 
                                                                                                                              John 11:25,26.
Here is a simple statement spoken by Jesus himself that every man and woman that has ever been presented with the gospel of Christ must answer. Who do you believe Jesus is.
C. S. Lewis 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
For those who doubt that Jesus is indeed God incarnate, God in the flesh, I would suggest you read C. S. Lewis’s book Mere Christianity. He for me presents an excellent case for Jesus.
Either way God has given each and every person a free will to choose the path they follow. That free will includes the right to reject the claims of Jesus and the gift of eternal life that he offers.
Jesus said,
... “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 
                                                                                                                                                 John 14:6.
The decision as to who you believe Jesus is however remains up to you the reader.
I a Christian would ask one thing of you the reader. Please read at least the New Testament with an open mind and no preconceived ideas before you make your final decision about Jesus.
Please think about it.