Sound Doctrine

Sound Doctrine
The apostle Paul writes,
“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.
This is a warning not just for Paul’s day but for every generation of believers. Sadly too many people in the Christian community only listen to what they want to hear. This does not necessarily lead to the truth.
St. Augustine said,
“If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.” St Augustine.
From time to time I believe we need what we believe questioned. We should not live in a bubble. We should do as Paul writing to Timothy states,
“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.
At the same time we need to discuss our beliefs with others. Even question what we believe.
It was by questioning their own beliefs, by questioning what they had been taught, that Martin Luther and John Calvin realized that some of what they believed was not scriptural. This triggered what we know today as the Reform or Protestant movement.
Those who believe in Christ Jesus. Those who are truly rooted in the truth of Christ’s teachings need not fear their faith being questioned.
Quite the contrary if what we believe is true, questioning what we believe will only make us stronger in our faith.
So the question I would ask you, if you espouse to be a believer in Christ Jesus do you from time to time question what you are being taught? Or, Do you simply blindly trust those who are teaching you?
Please think about it.

Praise

Praise
As I write this Christmas is just a week or so away. Most scholars agree that December twenty-fifth was not the actual birth day of Jesus. That however does not matter. What matters is that we celebrate the birth of Jesus. The most momentous day in history.
The day when God chose to enter His creation in order to point mankind to the eternal life He offers so freely to those who would believe in Him.
Luke’s gospel records Mary the mother of Jesus as praising God saying,
“And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. 
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. Luke1:46-50.
Think of this from Mary’s perspective. While Mary was as they say very human, she must have had deep faith in God for Him to trust her to care and bring up Jesus in the ways of God.
    Of all the women in Israel she was chosen. An incredible blessing for her. A tribute to her faith in God.
I think it must have taken sometime for her to understand the ramifications of the situation.
Even after her visit to her cousin Elizabeth she could not possible understand what the future for the child she would give birth to would be like.
Mary however it seemed lived in the moment. She praised God for what was happening to her at that moment. She was to give birth to the Messiah. And she praised God for the honour. She called out,
“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.”
As believers in Christ Jesus with Christmas approaching we should be glorifying God.
The Psalmist wrote,

“Praise the LORD. 

Praise God in his sanctuary;

 praise him in his mighty heavens. 

Praise him for his acts of power; 

praise him for his surpassing greatness. 

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, 

praise him with the harp and lyre, 

praise him with tambourine and dancing, 

praise him with the strings and flute, 

praise him with the clash of cymbals, 

praise him with resounding cymbals. 

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. 

Praise the LORD. 

                                                                  Psalm 150.

If you are a believer in Christ Jesus, why not take sometime right now to praise the Lord.
Please think about it.

A Prayer for Believers

A Prayer for Believers
The apostle John in his gospel records Jesus as praying for believers who would believe because of the work of the apostles. That includes believers here in the twenty-first century. John records,
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  
I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:  
I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 
“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.  
I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” John 17:20-26
Jesus prays for the unity of believers so that those around them in the world will believe that God has indeed sent them. He prays,
“I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:23 
Earlier in his gospel John records Jesus as saying,
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34,35. 
Love, unity of spirit and doctrine show the world the reality of Christ Jesus to the world.
Jesus goes on to pray,
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” John 17:23.
It is the desire of Jesus that believers see His glory a glory that was His before the creation of the world.
This should be the desire for all believers in Jesus. They should desire that all who believe in Jesus because of their witness see the glory of Christ.
Jesus concludes,
“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.  
I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” John 17:25,26.
The world does not know Jesus. Some say he was just a man, or a good teacher. Some even deny his existence.
True believer in Christ Jesus however know the truth about Jesus, that He is the Son of God, God incarnate, the Saviour of mankind.
This is the message all believers in Jesus are taking to the world. It is a belief however that takes an act of faith. 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
Faith defined as,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

 and certain of what we do not see.”  

                                                       Hebrews 11:1.

Please think about it.

Trouble and Distress or Glory and Honour

Trouble and Distress or Glory and Honour
The Apostle Paul writes,
“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.  
Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.  
So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?  
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? 
But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath , when his righteous judgment will be revealed.  
God “will give to each person according to what he has done.”  
To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.  
But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.  
There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;  but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.  
For God does not show favoritism. Romans 2:1-11.
Here Paul makes it clear that we have no right to judge others. He states,
“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”
We have no right to judge others because like them we sin and all sin is equal. So in condemning the sin of others we are also condemning the sin in our lives. And as Jesus 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
Paul goes on to say,
“...do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?”
God does show kindness, tolerance and patience to those who sin. Likewise he shows the same things to those who do not know Him.
The reason is kindness and leads to repentance.
Jesus tells us in  John 3:16, 17,
“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.” John 3:16,17.   
Paul points out,
"God “will give to each person according to what he has done.”  
To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.  
But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.”
This does not mean we are saved by our works. Paul makes it clear in his other writings that it is by faith we are saved.
Here Paul is talking to the believer. Telling the believer that those who continue in the faith doing good will be given their reward eternal life with God.
On the other hand those who are self seeking, who reject to truth and follow evil will subject to wrath and anger.
Paul then notes,
1/ “There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;” 
2/ “but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”  
He notes every human being who does evil will be punished.
Likewise every one who does good will receive glory and honour.
Please think about it.

Christian Duty

Christian Duty
The Psalmist writes,

“For you created my inmost being; 

you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 

I praise you 

because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 

My frame was not hidden from you 

when I was made in the secret place. 

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

 your eyes saw my unformed body. 

All the days ordained for me were written in your book 

before one of them came to be.” 

                                                                              Psalm 139:13-16

A few months ago I met Sean for the first time at his mothers funeral. I’d known Sean however for over thirty-eight years. You see Sean at one time was Anne my wife’s nice. She underwent Sexual reassignment surgery sometime ago transitioning to Sean.
As Anne, Sean had always had problems regarding who she was. As a result she’d dabbled in drugs, had been part of a lesbian relationship, all to no avail.
Finally one day she realized what was wrong and started the long process of psychological evaluation and eventually surgery to become Sean.
We were able to spend sometime with Sean and I asked him, “are you happy?” to which he replied, “Very happy and very content.”
I could see in his eyes he was being honest. Even though we were at the funeral of his mother a sad time, I could see that the very confused young woman I’d known for so long was in deed not only happy but content for the first time in his life.
I know many calling themselves Christians would not agree with what Sean did. That is between them and God.
What Sean did, did not change who he was on the inside. The transition did not change Sean as a person. Sean is still Sean an individual loved by God. And that is how we must look on anyone as and individual loved by God.
The scripture I quoted at the beginning of this blog post tells me God knows the individual on if you will a genetic level. He knows what makes us what we are.
God does not see just what is on the outside of a person but what is on the inside. That is why God and God alone can judge the individual not man.
We as Christians must accept people for who they are, an individual loved by God, unconditionally. We must accept all people without judgement.
Billy Graham the American evangelist said it best,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge 

and my job to love, 

                                                                      Billy Graham
       If you claim to be a Christian do you?
Please think about it.