From Psalms

 From the Psalms

The Psalmist writes,

“How can a young man keep his way pure? 

By living according to your word. 

I seek you with all my heart; 

do not let me stray from your commands. 

I have hidden your word in my heart 

that I might not sin against you. 

Praise be to you, O LORD; 

teach me your decrees. 

With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. 

I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. 

I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. 

I delight in your decrees; 

I will not neglect your word.” 

                                                      Psalm 119:9-16.

If you consider yourself a Christian. A believer in Christ Jesus. Why not make these words from Psalms a reality in your life today?

Please think about it.

Following Christs example

Following Christs example

The apostle John writes,

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  

If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1John 3:16-18.

I firmly believe that it is not good enough to simply be satisfied with saying “Well I have accepted Christ as my Saviour”. We need to do more. We need to follow the example of Christ.

We may never be called to lay down our life for Christ but we can still show He is at work in our life by helping others. John states,

“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” 1John3:17.

I think both Christians and non-Christians can agree that having food, clothing, a place to live, good medical care are basic human rights.

And while we as individual Christians may not be able to meet the needs of the poor around us, we can all do something. Helping at a food bank. Helping at a ministry that provides meals for those in need, Giving what we can to reputable charities that serve the poor.

For me helping those in need is an obligation of all Christians. The measure of how much they love Christ.

Please think about it. 

A Word of advice from Paul

 A word of advice from Paul

The apostle Paul writes,

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."  Colossians 3:15-17.

This advice from Paul couldn’t be more simple. We are to study the scriptures and take them to heart. Teach one another. Interact with one another, with the purpose of helping each other grow in Christ.

We are to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude to God for all he has done for us. For his amazing grace that comes through Christ Jesus.

Paul finishes by saying “whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

If you consider yourself a Christian. A believer in Christ Jesus. Do you do this?

Please think about it.

In word and deed

 In word and deed

    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 your 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 

This to me is saying clearly that God should be the centre of our lives. That it is our obligation to God to teach our faith to our Children.

The Talmud states,

Whoever teaches his son teaches not alone his son

 but also his son's son, and so on to the end of generations. 

                                                                                   The Talmud 

We should not only be telling our Children about our faith but we should be living our faith before them.

Our Children do see our every move therefor we have a duty to them to live our faith in word and in deed.

The apostle Paul writes,

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17.

Do your words and deeds reflect that of our Lord and Saviour Jesus?

Please think about it. 

Show your child how

 Show your child how.

In the book of proverbs we read,

“Train a child in the way he should go, 

and when he is old he will not turn from it.” 

                                                                    Proverbs 22:6.

I firmly believe that we as believers in Christ Jesus, we must show our children in word and in deed what it is to be Christian. We must live the true Christian life in front of them every day.

Above all we must teach them to love as God loves. The definition of Christian love being written by the apostle Paul when he wrote,

"Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil 

but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, 

always perseveres. 

Love never fails....

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love."  

                                                             1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.

If you claim to be a Christian and have Children are you teaching your children to love as God loves, unconditionally?

Please think about it.

An Ambassador

 An Ambassador

The Apostle Paul writes,

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.  2 Corinthians 5:18-20

As believers in Christ Jesus we should always remember what the apostle Paul is saying here

“We are therefore Christ's ambassadors,

 as though God were making his appeal through us.” 

                                                                         2 Corinthians 5:20.

If you claim to be a Christian. A true believer in Christ Jesus you must always remember you are Christs representative on this Earth. People will see Christ through what you say and do.

St. Augustine said,

"A Christian is: 

a mind through which Christ thinks, 

a heart 

through which Christ loves, 

a voice

 through which Christ speaks, 

       and

 a hand through which Christ helps" 

                                                                                St. Augustine 

Francis of Assisi put it this way,

"The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon some persons will hear today" 

                                                                              Francis of Assisi.

Thus my question, What are your words and deeds telling those around you about Christ?

Please think about it.

Gods representatives

  Gods representatives 

The apostle Peter writes,

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 

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 2:9-12.

Question; do you live up to what the apostle Peter is saying here?

Francis of Assisi made two interesting statements. He said,

“Preach the Gospel at all times 

and when necessary use words.”

                                                            Francis of Assisi

"The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon some persons will hear today" 

                                                                               Francis of Assisi.

So what are your words and deeds telling those around you about Jesus?

Please think about it.

Preach at all times

  Preach at all times

The apostle Paul writes,

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:15-17.

Pauls call to all who believe in Christ Jesus is to let His words dwell in you richly. We are called to teach one another. To praise God with gratitude in our hearts. 

We are called to do everything we do in the name of Christ Jesus.

I firmly believe that all of what the Apostle Paul is saying here should be so much a part of our life that we do it automatically, without thinking.

Like wise I believe those around us should know we are followers of Christ Jesus without us saying a word. As Francis of Assisi put it,

"Preach the Gospel at all times, 

and when necessary, use words." 

                                            Francis of Assisi.

Thus my question; when people around you see your words and deeds do they see the Love of Christ, the Love of God in them?

Please think about it.

Advice from Paul

 Advice from Paul

The apostle Paul writes,

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."  Colossians 3:15-17.

This advice from Paul couldn’t be more simple. We are to study the scriptures and take them to heart. Teach one another. Interact with one another, with the purpose of helping each other grow in Christ.

We are to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude to God for all he has done for us. For his amazing grace that comes through Christ Jesus.

Paul finishes by saying “whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

If you consider yourself a Christian. A believer in Christ Jesus. Do you do this?

Please think about it.

Unless

Unless
The Psalmist writes,

“Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain....”

                                                                                       Psalm 127:1a.

If you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus, do you let God build your house?
Jesus said,
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  
But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27.
Sadly not everyone who claims to be a believer in Christ builds their house on teachings of Christ. Instead they base what they believe on the teachings and interpretations of various preachers and evangelist.
Now for the most part I think preachers and evangelist around the world are in general good men and women who do their best to present the gospel message truthfully. They base what they teach on the teachings of Jesus.
Still however there are many both in the pulpit and in the pew claiming to be followers of Jesus who do not follow the teaching of Christ.
The apostle Paul warns
“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.
I firmly believe we as individual believers in Christ need to be careful who we listen to. We have an obligation at the very least to ourselves to make sure the ministers and evangelist we are listening to are truly teaching the word of God.
We have an obligation to ourselves to make sure that we are building our spiritual house on the teachings of Jesus.
We have this obligation, because what we believe, will ultimately determine where we will spent eternity.
Please think about it.