Go and bear fruit

 Go and bear fruit

Jesus said,

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  

You are my friends if you do what I command.  

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.  

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last....”John 15:13-16a.

Here Jesus is speaking to his disciples telling them to go and bear fruit. He tells them clearly that he has given to them all that the God the Father has given to him.

Matthews gospel records Jesus as saying,

"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20.

This is what God requires of us today to make disciple. To reach people around the world for Christ and teach them all that the Bible says about Christ.

Question. 

If you consider yourself a Christian. A true follower of Christ Jesus are you doing this?

Please think about it. 

Do your best

  Do your best

The apostle Paul writes,

"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.

If you consider yourself a Christian, a believer in Christ Jesus, are you following this advice from the apostle Paul?

Take a few minutes to look at your life as a Christian. Are you letting Evangelist, pastors, and teachers tell you what is in the Bible? Are you letting them interpret the Bible for you? OR are you taking time to pray and study the Bible for yourself?

I know it can be a daunting task. But if you pray asking for God’s guidance and use a good study Bible, you can learn the truths within the Bible. You can learn what it is to be a Christian.

Please think about it.

 Correctly

The Apostle John records,

“To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.  

I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. 

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.  

Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.  

Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.” Revelations 2:12-17.

Here is what is commonly called the compromising church. Jesus states,

“I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.”

These people stayed true even when one of them Antipas was put to death.              That being said this church let things go on that were not Christian. Some in the church were teaching the teachings of Balaam who tired to turn the people of Israel away from God. They were also allowing the teachings of the Nicolatians, another heretic group. 

The apostle Paul wrote,

"What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you." 1Corinthians 5:12,13

As Christians we cannot allow anything to be taught in our churches that is not in line with the word of God as presented in the holy scriptures. Anyone preaching things contrary to the teachings of the Bible must be put out of the church.

Thus the question becomes are you and the church congregation you attend truly living out and presenting the word of God each day?

The apostle Paul 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. 2Timothy 2:15.

Are you doing this?

A Daily thing

  A daily thing

“Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Saviour, and my hope is in you all day long.” Psalm 25:4,5.

Here is something we as believers in Christ Jesus need to be praying daily. It’s a simple request to God to lead us into truth.

In a world filled with half truths, and out and out lies both from outside the church and from those espousing to be Christians we need God guidance daily.

We need to be praying and reading the word of God daily so that we know the paths God is leading us in.

Are you spending to quality time in the word of God?

Are you taking quality time to pray and ask God of guidance?

Is your hope truly in God?

Please think about it.

Our duty as Christians

  Our duty as Christians

The apostle Paul writes,

“Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”1 Thessalonians 5:1,2.

As Christians we must be ready for the return of Christ. I know many people like to speculate when Jesus will return. There is nothing wrong with that. After all it’s a nice to consider a day when we will be in heaven with God.

The problem becomes when we obsess about the day of his returning to the point where we are not doing Gods work on this earth.

Remember Jesus said,

"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20.

This is our duty as Christians to do anything less is to fail God.

Please think about it.

Coming Soon

Coming soon

“He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” 

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”

                                Revelations 20:21 

The second last verse in the New Testament makes it clear Jesus is coming soon.
Thus if he was coming soon when Revelations was written the time of Christ’s appearing is much nearer now.
With all that is happening around the world today Christians seem to be talking more and more about the coming of Christ. The internet is drowning in Christian material from a myriad of sources pointing to the fact that Jesus will be hear soon.
Evangelist and pastors in the media are sorting through every speck of information that is coming in on the news wires and trying to read prophetic significance into it.
I’m sure some of those pastors and evangelist are right about what they say. I am equally sure that just as many, if not more, are wrong.
Some may even be out and out charlatans preying on believers in Christ for their own personal gain, using the interpretation of prophecy to lead people down the wrong path.
When it comes to prophecy we must be careful who we listen to.  Just because it sounds good doesn’t mean it is right.
Now I’ve said all that to say this. While the study of prophesy is nice and the speculation as to what is going to happen is interesting. It is not the responsibility of Christians to worry about prophesy.
When it comes to Christ’s return Jesus said,
“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  
As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.  
For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;  and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 
Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.  
Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. 
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” Matthew 24:36-42.
As believers in Christ Jesus we are to keep watch and do our appointed task. That task is winning souls for Christ. I firmly believe that instead of spending our time speculating on prophesy and buying books and recordings on prophesy we need to spend that time and money on reaching people for Christ.
Jesus said,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20.
As Christians this is what we should be doing because not doing so could condemn someone to a Christless eternity.
Think about it.