The Heavens Declare

The heavens declare

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

                                                                                                                                      Psalm 19:1
The other day I looked through a microscope at a leaf and marvelled at the intricacy of it.
A short time later I looked at pictures taken by the Hubble space telescope and marvelled at the immensity and complexity of the heavens.
When I look at the smallest things known to man and the largest expanse I see the handy work of God.
I see a universe in perfect balance. I see the planet on which we live perfectly suited for life as we know it.
Our planet just happens to lie in what some scientist call the goldilocks zone. The perfect distance from our star to support life.
I can’t believe this is simply chance. There, to my mind, has to be a creator.
I firmly believe that given time and an open mind scientist will one day discover beyond a doubt evidence of God meanwhile we must believe in God by faith.
Faith defined by the writer of Hebrews as,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.  

This is what the ancients were commended for.” 

                                                                                   Hebrews 11:1,2
God wants us to look around, assess what we see in nature and in the heavens. He wants us to examine all he crated. Then, after noting how magnificent it is. How perfect it is, make that leap of faith, concluding there is truly a creator.
Hebrews noting,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  

This is what the ancients were commended for."

                                                                                                            Hebrews 11:1,2
Are you willing to make that leap of faith?
Take time to examine the world around you and think about it.

Righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe

“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  
God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” 
                                                                Romans 3:21-26
The basic belief of Christianity is that” all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Christians also believe that we cannot work our way to heaven. Paul writing to the Ephesians saying,
“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.
That we are justified before God by the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presenting Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood.
Once again this is something that no other faith offers.
In Christianity it is God that reaches down to mankind. Offering us a free, if you will, ticket to heaven.
We do not have to sacrifice animals, or take pilgrimages. We do not need to worry about whether or not our good deeds will out weigh our bad deeds on judgement day because Jesus died for us.
Paul writing to the Romans stating,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 
Romans 5:8.
All anyone has to do to get to heaven is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.
Think about it.

Jesus Christ is Lord

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 
Who, being in very nature God ,did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,  but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! 
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” 
                                                                                                                         Philippians 2:5-11

Here Paul makes it very clear that Jesus is the Christ and that He brings Glory to God the Father.
That “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” 
Again we see here that the apostle Paul who was writing this letter within living memory of the death and resurrection is claiming that Jesus is God.
That even at the mention of his name every tongue both in heaven and on earth shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Irrespective of what you may think about Jesus and Christianity you must admit that, first of all Christians want people to believe that Jesus is indeed God.
Therefore to make extravagant claims about him would be to turn people away and thus counter  productive to the cause of Christianity.
Yet Christians do make the claim that Jesus God. Not only that but they publish those beliefs for all the world to see.
Therefore logic dictates either they are correct about his Deity, or they have perpetuated the most momentous lie in the history of the world.
Think about it.

There'e Christians and There's christians

“Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.”
                                                                                                       Acts 11:25,26
The disciple were first called Christians (literally “Christ followers” or ‘those of the household of Christ.”) at Antioch.
The name Christian was a nickname, possibly a word of derision for Jewish and Gentile believers in new movement within Judaism known as “the Way”.
It was a name the early believers took to themselves. A name that now stands for an entire movement.
Today by most estimates Christianity in all its forms is the largest single religion in the world.
Followers of “the Way” can be found in every corner of the world be it in countries with anti-Christian regimes where it has to survive in secret, or in the worlds democracies where it has free reign to prosper openly.
Once while in discussion with some  friends I heard it said that “While freedom allows the church to grow easily and quickly, persecution can be good for the church.
When it’s persecuted the church has no option, it has to concentrate on what it believes. It has no time to get side tracked with politics or other frivolous things like it frequently does in a free society.”
It is with that in mind I asked myself what is a Christian? What is the quintessence of being Christian? Especially here in North America in the twenty-first century.
Certainly to those who felt the swords of the crusaders  in Jerusalem in the fourteenth century, a Christian must have seen to have been a blood thirsty savage.
To many especially those of low birth, in the Europe in the middle ages the God of Christians must have seen as a harsh taskmaster placing through the church, almost impossible demands on lowly man.
Here in the “enlightened” twenty-first century many of those who espouse to an alternate lifestyles see Christian’s as hypocritical uncaring, judgemental, self serving legalist who use the bible to fulfill there own agenda.
Today especially here in North America, the average none church going person who sees some evangelist and pastors in the media must think, God as someone negative. A person who wishes to impose harsh rules on them.
They see the Church as against everything. Yet nothing could be further from the truth.
Like any movement that has survived centuries there are groups and individuals that have claimed to be Christian and are not.
Individuals who have for personal gain or unthinkingly in their zeal have departed from the pure word of God and followed their own agenda.
In Matthew 7:12 Jesus clearly states,
"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.”
Today in the twenty-first century, particularly here in the free society that is North America, what it is to be a Christian, the pure essence of what it is to be a Christian, seems to be lost in the cacophony of noise from those that claim to be Christians and are not.
Who then qualifies as a Christian?
Christianity varies widely in its practices and forms of worship. There is quite literally something for everyone.
Worship can range from the deeply traditional services.
Services that have been performed for centuries the same way. With elements that to those who practice them have deep meaning. Elements that take the worshipper through deep waters immersing them silently in the love of God.
At the other end of the spectrum are the modern charismatic’s who prefer a lively service with modern music, and dance. People who are full of emotion and wish to express there love of God with intensity of spirit.
Forms of worship however do not define who a Christian is.
Becoming a Christian is an individual choice. No one is born a Christian even if every member of your family is a Christian.
John 1:12 states, “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become Children of God.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 make it clear that salvation is a gift.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, though faith– and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God.– not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Like any gift we must choose to take it in order to have it.
A true Christian has made that choice and had a life changing experience with God that change is noticeable.
A person with Christ truly working in his or her life will perhaps slowly at first but most definitely start to desire to do the will of God.
They do not judge another individual but rather reach out to anyone who will listen, regardless of their beliefs or life style.
Christianity, true Christianity is all inclusive, Peter noting
   “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 
                                                                                                        2 Peter 3:9
The choice is always up to the individual as to whether they wish to become a Christian.
And it is up to the individual Christian to present that choice with out prejudice to all whom they would come in contact with.

Children of God

Children of God

“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

“To all who received him, to those who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God.”
What a promise. All we have to do is believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and we have the right to become children of God.
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”  John states in 1 John 3:1.
Our heavenly Father loved us so much that he allows us to be called children of God. What a privilege. What an honour. We are, “children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
John also points out that, that is the reason the world does not know us or understand us at times because it does not know God.
We here in the west live in a world that is moving further and further from belief in any kind of God.
Consumerism and the philosophy of doing your own thing is the norm.
People are wrapped up in acquiring material things. They seek to find happiness in everything from sports, to the arts, to personal achievements. Non of which are bad in themselves.
These things however end with this life.
How many people today know who Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister was? How about Christiaan Neethling Barnard or John Logie Baird?
Bannister was the first person to run the mile in under four minutes, Barnard was a South African doctor who performed the first successful heart transplant and Baird was the inventor of the televison.
All great achievements yet for the most part the names of these men are lost to history.
Our names however are not lost to God. Especially if we have received him as our Lord and Saviour.
Read John’s words again,“To all who received him, to those who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God.”
We as Christians are God’s own children and thus will be without a doubt, with Him in heaven.
Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour? To know him is as simple as saying a prayer, like this,
Dear Heavenly Father.
I believe in you. I believe that you sent your Son Jesus Christ to earth that I may have life eternal. To die for my sins.
I know that I am a sinner. That I fall short of what you would have for my life.
Please forgive my sins.
Dear Jesus please come into my heart and life today that I may have the free gift of eternal life that you have promised me.
In Jesus name I pray
                     Amen

Jesus Testifies about Himself

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 
The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.” 
Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going.  
You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one.  
But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.  
In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid.  
I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” 
Then they asked him, “Where is your father?” “You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 
                                                                            John 8:12-19 
Jesus never shied away from saying who he was. He makes it clear that his father is God.
If we think about this testimony logically it is either one of the most outrageous claims in human history. The claims of a lunatic or the truth.
For Jesus to claim he was the Son of God in his day was to commit sacrilege, blasphemy,  a capital offence in the eyes of the Jewish religious leaders of his day.
Yet Jesus did not deny that he was the Son of God.
He made it clear when he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 
He is claiming to be God incarnate.
This claim is what we as individuals must consider.
Was Jesus a lunatic, mentally disturbed person who created what has to be the greatest lie in human history or is he who he says he is. The one and only Son of God.
Think about it.

Jesus is God

“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.  
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.  
So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. 
For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father’” 
     Hebrews 1:1-5
I’ve heard some who claim to be Christians say Jesus was just an angel. That is not true. The writer of Hebrews makes that clear.
The writer states, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”
Jesus is the second person of the Trinity and sustains all things in heaven and earth by His word.
“...he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.”
Jesus is God. He is superior to the angels because He is the creator of heaven and earth. He was their according to John 1:1 at the beginning of creation.
“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” states John 1:3
Jesus the Son of God was the only one who could purify our sins, and according to Hebrews 1:3 he did provide purification for our sins after which he sat down at the right hand of “the Majesty in heaven”.
Jesus is God. I understand that there are people out there who find it hard to comprehend how God could come to earth while at the same time still be in heaven.
In order to understand it you must realise that God is infinite. Infinite means without end.
Therefor it is possible for him to take a small portion of himself and become flesh.
Look at it like this.
Imagine infinity is the pacific ocean. If I were to take a glass out of it, the pacific ocean would still be there and there would be no appreciable difference. Yet I have the pacific ocean in the glass.
That’s how it is with God. He can take a portion of himself and put himself in the world that he created without diminishing his power or might.
Which is what He did.
In order for us as humans to distinguish the portion of God that was in the world and portion of him that was still in heaven we classify for lack of a better word the potion that is in heaven as the Father and the one on earth as the Son of God.
Both are still God.
Think about it.

Can you imagine

“Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.  
“Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” 
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” 
So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.  
I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”  
The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” 
                                                                                        John 11:38-44
Christians make if you think about it, what could be considered outrageous claims. The above is one example.
Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Quite the feat four days after Lazarus had died.
It’s interesting here that it is four days, because it was believed that the persons spirit hovered near the body for three days. By the forth day it would have been gone. Martha noting that by this point there would be a bad odour, or to put it as the king James version puts it, “by now he stinketh.” The body was starting to decompose.
Still Jesus raised him from the dead.
If you think about this logically to put such a claim in writing for the world to read is, if not true, counter productive to bringing people to believe in Jesus.
The gospel of John was written depending on who you listen to, between 50AD and 80AD. Certainly within living memory of the people mentioned in the incident.
Therefore when it was written more than likely there would have been people around who knew Lazarus. Who knew whether he died or not and was raised by Jesus.
Even looking at it from the context of the twenty-first century Christians most certainly believe this is true. Just one of many miracles Jesus did.
For the this event or for any miracle mentioned in the bible not to be true is certainly counter productive to the spreading of the gospel. And who in their right mind would make claims that are not true and expect people to follow what they believe?
Everything that is claimed in the Bible is true and Christians ask people everywhere to believe those claims.
It all comes down to faith.
The Bible presents people with the truth about Jesus and God and asks them to accept those facts.
To as Paul said to the jailer,...“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Acts 16:31.
The decision is yours.
I challenge you if you haven’t read the Bible to read it. Especially the New Testament.
Read it, but before you do say this brief prayer.
Dear Lord God
If you are real, if you exist, show yourself to me through the reading of the Bible.
Now after you have said that prayer I would ask only that you read the Bible with an open mind that God may show you that he truly does exist.  And that he is a rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
Think about it.
If you have any questions you can Email me at nealbelieves@gmail.com

Jesus Prays

“After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: 
“Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.  
For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.  
Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.  
I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.  
And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” 
John 17:1-5

In the above prayer Jesus makes clear that he is indeed God’s son and that his purpose in coming to earth was to glorify the father. That God has granted Jesus the authority over all people that he might give eternal life to them.
He makes it clear what eternal life is when he says,
“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
It is important that we know God personally. That we enter into a personal relationship with God by accepting the sacrifice of Jesus.
Jesus states in this prayer that he was with God before the world began, and he asks to be restored to that position. A position to which he was restored after his death resurrection and ascension, where he rose to sit at the right hand of the Father.
We to can have the opportunity to enter into the very presence of God as his children. Johns gospel stating,
“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 
That is the amazing thing about Christianity, it claims we can become children of God simply by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
In Jesus, God reached down to his creation. To mankind and offered us the free gift of eternal life by simply accepting Jesus into our hearts and lives.
It is a decision each individual can only make for themselves no one can make it for them.
Just because you are born of Christian parents does not mean you are Christian. One must make that decision for ones self when one fully understands what they are doing.
Will you dear reader give you’re life to Christ this day?
Think about it.
Email me at nealbelieves@gmail.com.

God Knows

“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

The psalmist makes it clear here that God knows us from our mothers womb. He knows our very genetic make up. It is he who ordained all the days that we have to live.
We may not know the day of our departure from this world but God does. As a result he gives every man woman and child on this earth every opportunity to meet him on a personal level.
Throughout our lives we have a choice as to what we will do with our life. We have a choice as to whether or not we want to follow God.
God understands what it is to be a man. That’s why Jesus came to this world. To experience all that it is to be human from the best things in life such as celebrating at someone’s wedding to suffering the agony of a crucifixion for a crime he didn’t commit.
It is precisely because he understands that he sent Jesus into this world to offer us salvation.
He understands that life can be hard. That all people question at some point in their life, what is life all about and he gives an answer.
His call to all mankind is  
“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.” 
                        Matthew 11:28,29
I believe firmly in what Jesus said as recorded in Matthew,
“...the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father....”
                                                       Matthew 13:43a
The choice as to whether you shine with the righteous or not is entirely up to you the individual.
We are given one life, and the ultimate statistic tells us we will not get out of it alive.
The choice then is yours where will you spend eternity?

Children of God

“He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.  
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 1:10-14
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
The scripture tell us that to all who receive Jesus into their hearts and lives to them he gave the right to become children of God.
What an awesome promise. We as believers becoming children of God simply because we believe in his name.
I know of no other religion that makes that claim.
All we have to do is believe not just intellectually but with our very being.
It’s simple to accept things intellectually. To have a head knowledge of what one is studying about. Many people have an excellent knowledge of the bible. They know all the facts and figures. They know what Jesus and the writers of the bible spoke about. But they fail to believe. To take a step of faith and go beyond the intellectual acknowledgment that things are true and walk day by day in faith.
The writer of Hebrews states,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

 and certain of what we do not see.” 

                                                                               Hebrews 11:1
We can understand all the facts in the bible that’s the easy part the hard part is learning to walk by faith.
To pray and listen to what God wants for our lives then put it into action.
Abraham intellectually new there was a God and it could have ended there. But Abraham was a man of faith who listened to God then took a step of faith even when it may not have seemed logical.
The writer of Hebrews noting,
“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.  
By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.” 
                                                                                                       Hebrews 11:8,9 
This is what faith is. Stepping out not always knowing where we are going but at the same time trusting that God has a plan for our lives.
Do you truly have faith in God or are you only intellectually believing there is a God?
Where do you stand?
        Think about it.

The Beginning

“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. 

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 1:1-3,14
New Years day. A time for some to reflect on things past.
As for me I feel it’s a time to thank God for all that He has brought us through over the past year. To thank him for His mercy in our lives. A time to simply say “thank you Lord that I have a new year, a blank slate to do as I wish and with your help to do what you wish me to do.
The bible makes it clear that God created the heavens and the earth. It also makes clear that Jesus (the Word) was in the beginning with God.  That,
“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
That
“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.”
That our infinite Almighty, Creator God took time to come into the world and experience what it was like to be human with all the temptations and physical limitations.
Jesus experienced everything human. Think about it.
He was knew what it was to be a child growing up. He obviously had friends that he played with.
As a teenager he undoubtedly did things teenagers did.
We know while in his teens he surprised his parents by sitting with the teachers in the temple listening to them and asking them questions.
Jesus undoubtedly understood what it was to be human. That is why He has the right to judge everyone on the face of the earth.
No one on judgement day can ever stand before Jesus and say you don’t understand what it is to be human, because He does.
Because He understands, he understands why He was sent. Why mankind needed a Saviour. Why He had to die in a most hideous way for our redemption.
That is why he offers salvation and freedom from judgment to all who come to know him. The apostle Paul wrote,
 “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 choice entering this new year is ours. Is yours dear reader. Will you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savour or will you turn away.
Please think about it.