A thought for the New Year

A thought for the New Year

On February 14, 1990, NASA at a distance of 6 billion kilometres (3,7 billion miles) had the Voyager 1 space probe take a picture of the Solar system. It showed earth as a pail blue dot smaller than the head of a pin.
Looking at it we see just how small earth is in the universe. Within the vastness of the universe it seems insignificant. Yet it is everything to those of us who live on it.
That being said what amazes me is that the God who created the universe and everything in it did not think that pail blue dot insignificant at all. For he chose to bless mankind by stepping onto that dot in the form of His One and Only Son Jesus Christ and offering to all who would receive eternal life.
The gospel of John tells us,
“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....  
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.  
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. 
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, 11-14.
As fantastic as this seems it is true. As they say truth is quite often stranger than fiction.
What the apostle John writes here is the basis of Christian teaching and belief. God in the form of his One and Only Son Jesus Christ entered the world He created in order to call all men to himself. Offering them eternal life in Heaven.
I simply present it here for you to accept or reject. The choice is yours.
Please think about it. 

Words

Words
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” 
                                                                                          Genesis 1:1
“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.” 
                                                                    John 1:1-4.
Words especially it seems words espousing the existence of God seems to get some people upset. The Bible does not debate that God exists. It simply says he created the heavens and the earth. The New Testament tells us that Jesus is God and as a result created the heavens and the earth.
Sadly there are atheist out there that seem to fear this concept. And any words that espouse the existence of God.
The question I always ask is why. If God does not exist, if He is simply a myth or the fabrication of man, why do they fear having references made about Him in print or on the walls of public buildings.
After all something that dose not exist cannot harm anyone.
The government of North Korea is an extreme example of Atheism gone crazy. The government feels religion can pervert the nation. As a result they are according to human rights groups the worst persecutor of Christians in the world.
Think about it. Christianity correctly practised promotes love of God, ones neighbours, even one’s enemies. Jesus even told us to pray for our persecutors.
The apostles Peter and Paul told Christians to submit to the governing authorities.
Yet North Korea and other countries continue to persecute Christians.
Even Atheist here in the west are so opposed to Biblical text that have been on public building for decades and in some case centuries. Yet they don’t believe God exist. Therefor how can a reference to a God they say dose not exist be of any consequence.
Of course there is another scenario. God existing.
C. S. Lewis said,
“A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.” 
                                                                  C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain.
If God does not exist then all the word about Him written in all the books and on all the walls around the world amount to nothing.
If on the other hand God exist. Those who do not believe have a serious problem.
I believe the words of Ecclesiastes who wrote,
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole  duty  of man. 
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” 
Ecclesiastes 12:13,14.
I also believe the words of Jesus who when 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.  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 nice thing about God however is He dose not impose Himself on anyone.
When He created man, He did not create a robot. He gave man a freewill and in order for that man to have a truly freewill God had to give him the ability to choose to believe in Him or not.
Thus the choice is yours the reader. You can believe in God and all that implies or you can reject God with all of it’s implications.
If God does not exist you have nothing to fear. If on the other hand God exists then you have at the very least a lot to think about.
Please think about it.

Believe it or not

Believe it or not
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole  duty  of man. 
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” 
Ecclesiastes12:13,14.
Ultimately whether you believe in God is up to the individual. It is a personal act of faith. The Bible dose not argue whether God exist or not. It after all is a book of faith that maintains there is a God that created all things and interacts with mankind.
The book of Hebrews states,
“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
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” 
                                                                                                                                Hebrews 11:1.
Whether we believe in God or not makes no difference. God does exist. As C. S. Lewis said,
“A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.” 
                                                                            C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain.
The reason I believe some people do not believe in God is not because God does not want to show Himself to them but because some people are simply closed minded.
To quote Lewis again,
“He shows much more of Himself to some people than to others-not because He has favourites, but because it is impossible for Him to show Himself to a man whose whole mind and character are in the wrong condition.” 
                                           C. S. Lewis.
We must want to find God. We must have faith that He exists. As the writer of Hebrews said,
“...anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.’
                   Hebrews 11:6b.
Please think about it.

God's Work

God's Work

“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.” 
               Acts 5:28-39.
The above is about an incident in which a couple of the apostles who had already been told not to preach in the name of Jesus were caught doing so. The general consensus of the religious leaders was to have them put to death.
However a “Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people” stood up and made a wise statement. After giving them a brief history of men who had risen up claiming to be great men with purpose who had all failed. Told the assembled men,
“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.”  
I believe he was right.
Over the centuries many have come against the message of Christ. Many have predicted the demise of Christianity. Instead it continues to grow. Today there are close to three billion Christians in the world and that number is growing throughout the world.
Jesus was and is all he said he is. The Son of God the Saviour of each and every person who will accept him into their lives.
Jesus came into this world for each individual.
C.S. Lewis said,
“He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.” 
                                       C.S. Lewis
Lewis also 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.
I think the importance of Christianity is in part demonstrated by the fact it continues to grow. That it’s message is as relevant today in the twenty-first century as it was in the first century.
I firmly believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God that the words he spoke 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.
Are completely true.
Please think about it.