Are you one of those?

  Are you one of those?

The apostle Paul wrote,

"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." Ephesians 4:1-6.

Here’s something to consider. No church congregation, or denomination is one hundred percent Christian. There are however true Christians. True believers in Christ Jesus, in all church congregations and denominations.

Thus the question becomes are you one of those true believers in Christ Jesus?

Please think about it.

Lunatic or God?

 Lunatic or God?

John’s Gospel records,

"The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." 

Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.  

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  

My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.  

I and the Father are one."

Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?

"We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."  John 10:24-33

Jesus claimed to be God. He claimed that He and The Father were one. Was He?

C. S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity put things this way,

"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.

Thus the question becomes who is Jesus to you? Is he a good man, a great moral teacher, God incarnate, or a poached egg?

Please think about it.

God Incarnate

  God incarnate.

The writer of Hebrews states,

“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  Hebrews 1:1,2.

Here we have a key belief of Christians. Jesus is the Son of God. He is appointed as heir of all things, and through Him the universe was made. Jesus is God incarnate.

C. S. Lewis stated,

    "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.

Thus the question becomes; who do you think Jesus is?

Please think about it.

Believe it or not

Believe it or not
The apostle Paul said,
“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.” Acts 17:30,31.
Here is a simple to the point statement the apostle Paul made to non-believing philosophers and other learned people in Athens. It is a statement that you either believe or you do not.
God will one day judge the world. The question is how will He judge you. Jesus 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.
Are you among those who believe in Christ Jesus or are you willing to take your chance that what the New Testament says about Jesus are not true?
Please think about it.

A Choice

A choice

Jesus told this Parable,
“Someone in the crowd said to him (Jesus), "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." 
Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?"  
Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." 
And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.  
He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' 
"Then he said, ‘This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  
And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' 
"But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' 
"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." Luke 12:13-21.
When you leave the city where I live along a certain major road you pass through the centre of a huge cemetery. Almost as many people are buried in it as are in the city. Most of the time no one thinks anything about it. Still it is a reminder that you don’t get out of this world alive.
Rich and poor are buried in that place. A place where all are equal their wealth or lack there of in this world, left behind to be divided up between relatives friends and even strangers.
Back when I was a new Christian in the early seventies my pastors wife use to say,

“We have but one life, that will soon be past. 

Only what is done for Christ will last.”

Truer words were never spoken. You may have all the riches in the world. Be part of the so called 1% but ultimately all you have will mean nothing unless you have given your life to Christ Jesus.
You have but two choices in this life. You can either believe in God, and the Saving Grace that comes through Christ Jesus or you do not.
From my perspective as a Christian the decision you make about God, and Christ Jesus will determine your eternal resting place.
If I am wrong there is nothing to fear. If I am right those who don’t believe in God and the Saving Grace that Comes through Christ have a lot to worry about.
Thus it is up to you.
Please think about it.

Do You?

Do you?
The Psalmist writes,

“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 

Worship the LORD with gladness; 

come before him with joyful songs. 

Know that the LORD is God. 

It is he who made us, and we are his; 

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; 

give thanks to him and praise his name. 

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; 

his faithfulness continues through all generations.” 

                                                                                  Psalm 100.

If you consider yourself a Christian. A believer in Christ Jesus do you shout for joy to the Lord?
Do you worship the Lord with gladness?
Do you come before God with joyful sons?
Do you truly believe the Lord is God and it is He who made us?
Do you truly believe you are one of His people?
Do you enter His gates with thanksgiving and praise?
Do you believe God’s love endures forever?
Do you believe His love endures forever?
Do you believe His faithfulness continues through all generations?

Please think about it.

It must be true

It must be true
The apostle Paul wrote,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.
I can see where people who do not believe in Christ Jesus, would think it is foolishness to believe that in a man who allowed himself to be crucified could be God and Saviour. It seems counter intuitive for the Saviour of mankind to do such a thing. After all would it not be better for God to show Himself in all His power and might? This would certainly make people believe in Him.
I’m certain that if God had come in His power and might it would have produce believers. After all seeing is believing.
But using force to make people believe in anyone does not create passionate believers. If force was used to make people believe it would quite likely create false believers. Individuals who believed strictly out of fear. This is something God does not want.
God wants people who have complete faith in Him. The writer of Hebrews telling us,

"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

People of faith are the strongest of believers. Such people will follow the person they believe to the gave. Such faith is a hallmark of Christianity.
The other thing when it comes to the death and resurrection of Jesus. If it is not completely true it would be counter intuitive to the cause of the gospel. So if it were not true why would the writers of the New Testament mention it.
The only conclusion we can come to is that the New Testament writers must have believed it to be true.
Thus my question to you is do you believe in God and the saving grace that comes through Christ Jesus?
Please think about it.

Away from me

Away from me
Jesus said,
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  
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 7:21-23.
Here Jesus makes things clear. Not everyone claiming to be a Christian, a follower of his really is. They will make claims that they did miracles, and drove out demons and even prophesied in Jesus name. Yet they will not get into heaven. Jesus saying “away from me you evildoers.”
The apostle Peter warns,
"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." 2Peter2:1,2.
The apostle Paul warns,
"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." 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
This has happened throughout the history of Christianity and is still happening today.
Here in North America where I live we have incredible freedoms. Sadly there are many claiming to be Christians who use that freedom for their unholy ways. Men and women who are everything the apostle Paul warned Timothy about.
Sadly also many who truly believe in Christ Jesus are being led astray by these people.
As believers in Christ Jesus it is up to us to study the bible. To use trusted commentaries on the bible that are not just from one point of view.
 We need to carefully listen to what the preacher, evangelist, or teacher is preaching and compare it to what is said in the Bible. We need to pray and ask God to give us guidance. To look at the scripture they are quoting and see if it is not taken out of context. Check and see if it is truly the truth being taught and not a lie.
It can be a daunting task I know for many people. But I believe if we pray with sincerity asking God to show us what is right and what is wrong He will show us.
The key is reading the bible for yourself. Get to know what the bible says well. Take the advice of the apostle Paul who writing to Timothy 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.”  2 Timothy 2:15.
Please think about it.

Something to think about

Something to think about.
In the book of Proverbs we read

"For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, 

and He examines all his paths."  

                                                    Proverbs 5:21

We are living in unprecedented time. A world wide pandemic has engulfed the world the likes of which we who are living have never seen before.
In times like these we see average people as well as political and religious leaders at their best and sadly at their worst. We see who has true compassion for their fellow man.
In the Jewish Talmud we read,
“Rabbi Akiba was asked by a Roman general, “Why does your God who loves the needy not provide for their support Himself?”  He answered, “God the Father of both the rich and poor, wants the one to help the other so as to make the world a household of love.” The Talmud.
I like that last phrase,
“God the Father of both the rich and poor, wants the one to help the other so as to make the world a household of love.”
In this time of crisis all mankind not just Christians are called on to show love to those around them.
Our political and religious leaders especially have a duty to those around them to do their personal best to show love by helping all those in need of all faiths.
Within Christianity the apostle Paul defines love this way,

"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.

This definition of love is not just a Christian definition it is a definition of love every person on the face of the earth can agree with.
That being said I agree with the writer of Ecclesiastes when he writes,
"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.
And make no mistake everyone will one day give an account of their actions in this life to God be they Christians or not. And I believe one of the things God will judge them on is whether or not they have loved their fellow man.
Please think about it.

Stranger than fiction

Stranger than fiction
The Apostle John writes,
“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....
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 1:1-4,14.
Someone once said to me, “sometimes you just have to admit that truth is stranger than fiction.”
They were right especially when it comes to God.
As a Christian I believe in God. Not only that I believe God in the form of His one and Only Son Jesus Christ entered the world that He created to show each person the way to heaven.
Deep down I think everyone believes there is a God. Even Atheists.
C. S. Lewis said,

"Atheist express their rage against God 

although in their view He does not exist" 

                                                               C. S. Lewis.

My answer to anyone who gets upset with me for speaking about my belief in God is simple. “If God does not exist why get upset. Something that does not exist cannot hurt you.”
God however does exist.
Werner Heisenberg the father of Quantum Mechanics and winner of the noble prize in physics said,
“The first gulp from the glass of natural science will make you an atheist,
but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you" Werner Heisenberg.
The Psalmist writes,

“The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

Day after day they pour forth speech; 

night after night they display knowledge. 

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.” 

                                                                                     Psalm 19:1-3.

We only have to look at the world around us. Everything from the largest galaxy to the smallest subatomic particle is designed to allow life as we know it to exist. This tells me there is a Creator God behind it all.
The apostle John who not only believed in God but knew Jesus personally speaking of Jesus, said,
“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.” John 1:12,13 
This gives life meaning to me.
The choice however is yours.
Please think about it. 

Radiance of God's Glory

Radiance of God's Glory
Jude whom scholars tend to agree is the half brother of Jesus wrote,
“Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.  
For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” Jude 1:3,4
Jude makes to points,
1. He writes a warning to the church that godless men have secretly slipped in among the believers. That these men are heretics who pervert the word of God.
They believe because they are saved they can do anything they wish good or evil. Nothing could be further from the truth.
If we are truly saved by the grace of God we will desire to be more Christ like. We will want to do the will of God. We will shun evil. We will love those around us.  Our desire will be to present the gospel of Christ to all who will listen.
2. The other point Jude makes is that there are those who have slipped into the church that deny that Jesus is the Christ our only Sovereign Lord.
You cannot be a Christian and deny that Jesus is our Sovereign Lord, that Jesus is the Son of God. The one who paid the price for our sins.
The writer of Hebrews states,
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:3.
The apostle John referring to Jesus as “The Word” writes,
“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....
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 1:1-4,14
Henry Ward Beecher said,
“If Christ is not divine, every impulse of the Christian world falls to a lower octave, and light and love and hope decline.”  Henry Ward Beecher.
Thus the question becomes, who do you believe Jesus to be?
Please think about it.

Be Still

Be still

“Be still, and know that I am God; 

I will be exalted among the nations, 

I will be exalted in the earth.” 

                                                Psalm 46:10

C. S. Lewis wrote,
“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
I think there are two primary reasons people cannot find God. One they are simply not looking for Him. The other is they have made up their mind and are not willing to listen anything that might give insight into God’s existence.
As someone I think wisely said,

Maybe the atheist cannot find God 

for the same reason a thief cannot find a policeman. 

                                                               Author Unknown

We especially here in the western democracies live in a society that is filled with a cacophony of noise and distractions. Distractions that quite often distract us from seeing God.
In order to find God we must be looking for Him. We must have faith that He exists. The writer of Hebrews stating,
“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.
In order to seek God we must be still. We must take time from our busy life sit down and simply ask, Dear Lord please show yourself to me.
The question I would ask you the reader is are you willing to be still and to ask God to show Himself to you?
Please think about it.

Who's going to Hell?

Who’s going to Hell?
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.
Jesus also said,
Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1,2
Christians have no right to judge where anyone will spend eternity. That is God’s decision and we must as believers in Christ Jesus must always remember that.
The Eleven O Clock Parable
It’s eleven o clock. Inside the court house a judge is about to make his ruling. A community, a nation, waits. 
Will the new law be legal? 
Outside the court house men and women with placards chant. 
On one side of the street stand a group of gay men and women. All in favour of the new law.
On the other side of the street separated by a line of police stand radical evangelicals, denouncing the new law.
One man among them screams angrily . “HOMOSEXUALS ARE GOING TO HELL!!!”
Approached by the media he says it again, “homosexuals are going to Hell.” 
From my office window I watch asking myself the question, ‘is this man an Christian?”
Wasn’t it Christ who told us not only to love our neighbour but our enemy also?
Wasn’t it Christ who told us not to judge, lest we be judged likewise?
Wasn’t it Christ who said go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation?
Is this man showing love?
Is this man judging another? 
Can this man be effective in reaching the whole world of which a percentage are homosexual?
Is this man even a Christian?
A question keeps rolling through my mind for which I know the answer, “Can we truly know what is in someone else’s head?
Do we really know why a person is like they are?”
For a moment I stare down at the crowd. All the time asking myself who is on the way to Hell this day, and how can I reach them for my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?
Turning away from my window I kneel down and pray, “Lord guide me this day. Let me make the right decision on this law.”
Question one, What is the right answer?
We as Christians, especially here in the west live in a secular democracy. A multicultural state similar in many ways to that of the Roman empire that the first century church lived in. With a government that does it’s best to accommodate all people regardless of their faith, lifestyle or sexual orientation. 
We are called to reach out to everyone with the love of God irrespective of who they are. We are told not to judge anyone.
I firmly believe two things when it came to the early church.
1/ God used the multicultural nature of Rome and the relative freedoms it gave its people to spread the gospel message and to show us how to spread that message.
2/ I believe the apostles and those within the early church kept their hearts and minds focussed on spreading the Gospel message and thus were not sidetracked by politics or trying to decide where anyone will spend eternity, or anything else.
It is a lesson we in the twenty-first century church need to heed.
As long as we keep our hearts and minds focussed on presenting the message of Christ to the world around us we will win souls for Christ.
If however we are distracted in anyway we run the risk of failing in our mission something that has eternal consequences.
Please think about it.

What think ye of Christ?

What think ye of Christ?
The first church I ever attended had a banner over the pulpit that read “What think ye of Christ?”. On the day Jesus died Luke recorded this conversation between the two criminals that were being crucified with him and Jesus.
“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 
But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?  
We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’” 
Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”Luke 23:39-43
Here in microcosm is the choice each individual who hears about Jesus has. You can either accept who He is The Son of the Living God, Saviour of Mankind. OR you can dismiss him as a fraud. Someone who along with his followers has perpetuated one of the greatest lies in the history of the world.
The choice is yours.
Please think about it.

I and My Father are one

I and my Father are one

John’s gospel records Jesus as saying,

“I and the Father are one.”

                              John 10:30.

This is a radical statement even today. For Jesus to say he was one with God in his day asking for trouble. In fact later in John, John 10:31-33, we see those around him who heard him say these words wanted to stone him.
Today in the twenty-first century to claim Jesus was one with God is still a radical claim that many people cannot bring themselves to believe.
C. S. Lewis said,
“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.
Thus the question to you the reader is,
Who do you believe Jesus to be?
Please think about it.

A Radical Claim

A Radical claim
The apostle Paul speaking to the Athenians said,
“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.
For all intents and purposes Paul was speaking to a secular audience when he spoke these words a the Areopagus in Athens. They were intellectuals who were interested and open to new ideas but when it came to resurrection from the dead, that threw many of them for a loop. They couldn’t believe such a thing could happen.
This claim of Christ’s resurrection from the dead was a radical claim then and for that matter still is. Yet it is a claim Christians ask all people to believe.
In Athens some sneered and rejected the resurrection out right. Others wanted to know more. Yet others believed. Which is the way it is today.
Believers in Christ believe he rose from the dead. While others sneer at the mere thought of it. And others want to know more.
The bottom line here is that the resurrection of Jesus is one of the cornerstones of the Christian faith. You cannot be a true believer in Christ Jesus and not believe He rose from the dead.
Thus the question becomes, what do you believe.
Please think about it.

Christian Principles for Living #5 Peace with God

Christian Principles for Living #5 At Peace with God
The apostle Peter writing to Christians reminds believers that Jesus will one day return and this earth will pass away. That He will come quickly when we are least expecting it. Therefor we need to be at peace with God. Peter writes,
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. 
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.    That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.  
But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.  2 Peter 3:10-14.
As believers we many times fall short of what God wants for our lives. It is however incumbent upon us as soon as we realize we have made a mistake to ask God’s forgiveness.
As believers we truly need to look at our lives from time to time and ask ourselves am I truly living a life that is glorifying God?
Am I truly at peace with God?
Please think about it.

Have you?

Have You?
James the half brother of Jesus said,
"If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.  
But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.  
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.  
For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. 
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,  because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! James 2:8-13.
The Talmud while a Jewish book and not Christian does express Christian values. Here quoted below is a scenario from the Talmud I can conceive as happening. It states, 
“When a man appears before the Throne of Judgment, the first question he is asked is not, “Have you believed in God?”  Or “Have you prayed and observed the ritual?  “He is asked: “have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow men?”The Talmud
So if you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus. A believer in God have you dealt “honourably and faithfully with your fellow men?” or have you shown favouritism in your dealings with your dealing with your fellow man?
I think sometimes without realizing it many Christians show favouritism when presenting the gospel message. They are for example quick to condemn certain groups they disagree with while giving the benefit of the doubt to those they agree with.
The apostle Paul noted,

“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.” 

                                                      1 Corinthians 5:12,13.

Every individual will one day be judged by God. Thus James warns,
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” James 2:12,13.
So the question becomes if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, have you treated all with whom you deal with fairly?
Have you refrained from judging those around you and extended the hand of mercy to them?
Please think about it.

Where is your Faith?

Where is your Faith?
The Psalmist writes,

“Be still, and know that I am God; 

I will be exalted among the nations, 

I will be exalted in the earth.” 

                                             Psalm 46:10.

I as a believer in Christ Jesus believe one day every individual will meet God. That one day God will appear and judge mankind. I believe the words of Jesus who 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 way I see it at this moment God is giving you the reader, and everyone who hears the Gospel message the chance to go to heaven.
I believe that getting to heaven is very much an act of faith. The apostle Paul writing,

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—

and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  

not by works, so that no one can boast.” 

                                                    Ephesians 2:8,9

The writer of Hebrews telling us,

“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.  

The writer of Hebrews defining faith this way,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

 and certain of what we do not see.”  

                                                          Hebrews 11:1.

I believe God wanted us to believe in Him by faith, not because it was easy but because it is hard.
It is difficult for most people to believe in someone they cannot see, feel or hear. But God knows those who truly have faith in someone will keep that faith until their dying day.
So the question is, Where is your faith?
Please think about it.

Hell in a Handbarrow

Hell in a Handbarrow
Some time ago I came across a book by John B. Harrington called Essentials in Christian Faith published in 1958. After reading it I realized it could have been written yesterday, it’s message was,... is, that relevant.
It opens with this quote from Paul Gallico published in Esquire Magazine in 1948:
   “A writer in a popular magazine has written the following words; 'We are all, if you will pardon the expression, Headed for Hell in a handbarrow. If, ever the people of the world stood in need of a spiritual revival, it is now. We are beginning to poison the face of the earth with our miserable presence. The brakes are off. The cart of the world is sliding down the way greased with hatred, ambition, lies, self-seeking and avarice toward the pit.’"
   Harrington notes that Gallico makes no pretense of being "a religious man" noting that    "...for him it is precisely religion in its organized forms which has in part caused the situation he deplores. He is careful to state that it is not "religion" for which he is looking. For in his opinion, religion throughout the history of our culture has advanced its control over human beings by the investment of bigotry and persecution. 
   Yet, out of despair over the current human situation he says; ‘The voice for which my heavy spirit is yearning must reach us all... For if it is not heard, we are lost. 
Something beyond our material enrichment and lust for power and position, some rewards founded on good will, selflessness, and the innate dignity of the human spirit...honour, humility, decency courage.”
If Paul Gallico is right and I believe he is, mankind is considerably nearer the bottom of that slope than he was in 1948. Moreover at the bottom of that slope is a very deep lake filled with brimstone.
Another Paul writing to a member of the first century church wrote the following,
"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" 2 Timothy 3:1-4
This is happening today.
As I look around the world today it is easy to look a the various terrorist groups who claim to be acting in the name of their faith when they are not. They are simply evil men who attach religious names to themselves to try an justify what they are doing.
The same is true for many politicians and others here in the west. While they espouse “Christian values” their words and deeds show they do not.
At the same time there are many men and women calling themselves Christian pastors, evangelist, who are not. This is true also for many who sit in the pews.
Jesus warned of us about such people saying,
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  
“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 7:21-23.
As believers in Christ Jesus it is incumbent on us to show the world there is rest for their weary soul. That there is something beyond this world and the materialism there in. As Gallico puts it, “Something beyond our material enrichment and lust for power and position...”
Jesus said,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
This is the message we as believers in Christ Jesus must reach out to the world with. For if we don’t we just may condemn someone to a Christless eternity.
Please think about it.