Wednesday, 21 September 2016

Anyone

Anyone
The Apostle Paul writes,
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”Romans 10:9-13.
Paul makes it clear here if you “confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raise him from the dead you will be saved.
Paul writing to the Ephesians states,
“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.
It is by the grace of God we get to heaven. We cannot be good enough to stand before a holy God.
C. S. Lewis states,
“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”  C.S. Lewis.
Christians believe God reached down in the form of His one and Only Son Jesus to offer us forgiveness of sin and eternal life with God.
We Christians believe is Jesus incarnate. God in the flesh. That he provided purification for our sins. 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.  
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 1:1-3  
Through Jesus God offers us a choice. Jesus speaking of himself stating,
“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.
Thus the choice in yours, who do you think Jesus is?
Please think about it. 

Tuesday, 20 September 2016

If False

If False
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” C. S. Lewis.
The Book of Acts tells this incident that occurred about two of Christ’s disciples who had been told by the religious leadership of their day not to speak of Jesus. They  were caught despite the warning speaking about Jesus publicly. It records,
“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” 
Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!   The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.  
God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.  
We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” 
When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.   But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while.  
Then he addressed them: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men.  
Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.  
After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered.   Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.  
But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” Acts 5:28-39.
I believe Jesus is all he says He is. The Son of God, the Saviour of mankind. I believe history has proven this. Belief in Christ has continued to grow from the day of his death and resurrection until now.
Christianity despite persecution all over the world is still growing. Those who have tried to eradicate it have all fallen by the way side. Many just footnotes in history. Many more forgotten all together. Yet belief in Christ is stronger than ever.
The question is who do you believe Jesus is.
Take some time to read the New Testament and see for yourself what his followers believed about him.
Please think about it. 

Monday, 19 September 2016

Incomprehensible without Jesus,

Incomprehensible without Jesus,
Ernest Renan, French historian, religious scholar and linguist said,
“All history is incomprehensible without Christ.”
 More things have been written about Jesus Christ than perhaps any other person in history. Today his followers number close to three billion people and that number is growing. Yet Jesus never ruled a nation on this earth. He never raised a sword in anger. Quite the opposite he called his followers to Love God, their neighbour and even their enemy.
Johns 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?” John 10:24-32.
Jesus here equates himself to God, a crime punishable by death in his day. Yet it was a claim he never backed away from.
Jesus speaking to Martha said,
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes Lord” she told Him, “I believe you are the Christ the Son of God, who was to come into the world,” John 11:25,26,27. 
Martha answered a question we all must answer, Who do you believe Jesus is,
C. S. Lewis points out,
“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 you dear reader must answer is “Who do you believe Jesus is?”
Before you answer that question directly, at least take some time to read the New Testament and see what His followers believe him to be.
Let the word of those who believe Jesus is the Son of God, the Saviour of Mankind speak to you. Then decide for yourself who Jesus is.
Please think about it.

Sunday, 18 September 2016

I have not seen

I have not seen
Ben Zion Bokser wote,
“I have not seen the robin but I know he is there because I heard him singing through my window from the tree-top outside.
I have not seen God.  But I have looked at my child’s eyes, and have been overwhelmed by the miracle of unfolding life.
I have watched the trees bedeck themselves with new garbs of green in the spring, and have been stirred by the miracle of continual rebirth.
I have looked at the stars, and have been overcome by the miracle of the grandeur and majesty of the universe.
I know that God exists, because I have heard the song of His presence from all the tree-tops of creation.”  Ben Zion Bokser.
Just because you can’t see something does not mean it doesn’t exist. I can’t see the atoms and sub atomic particles that allow my computer to run or the light on my desk to shine, yet they are there.
The Psalmist states,
“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 live in a world that is perfectly made for life to exist as we know it. This I believe is the work of God.
You the reader however must decide for yourself if God is real or not. It is your right given to you by God himself.
Please however before you make your decision read at least the New Testament and see what Jesus and His disciples said about Him and God. Then make your decision.
Please think about it.

Saturday, 17 September 2016

An act of Faith

An act of Faith
Hear is something for you to think about.
The Bible states,
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1.
It does not debate whether there is a God or not. The Bible makes it clear that there is a God who created the heavens and the earth. I as a Christian believe this. There is no middle ground.
Furthermore the New Testament tells us,
“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.
Here John makes it clear that “the Word was God”, that “through him all things were made; and without him nothing was made that has been made.”
John also tells us that “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
In other words God entered the world He created. God became a man.
I know this seems hard to believe but we Christians believe this. We believe God entered the world He created to show man how far in human terms He would go to point man to heaven.
In coming to earth in the form of Jesus God experienced all there was to be a man. Everything from the mundane such as the feeling of the sun on his face. To walking in the rain.
On earth Jesus experienced the love of family and friends. He attended a wedding and other events.
He experienced the hate of his enemies. The suffering of a merciless beating and the death on a cross for a crime, even the Roman governor, who ordered his execution, admitted he was innocent of.
And we Christians believe He did it for us. The Apostle Paul stating,
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8. 
This is another key belief of Christians we believe we all have sinned. That sin is falling short of God’s ideals. Doing things he never intended us to do. Sin separates us from God.
The apostle Paul telling us,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23.
The apostle John states,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 1John 1:9-10.
Christians believe that the only way to heaven is by accepting the saving Grace Jesus offers us. The apostle Paul stating,
“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.
Christians believe we cannot work our way to heaven. It is a gift offered freely to all who would believe in Christ and confess their sins to God.
Ultimately what you believe about God and Jesus comes down to an act of faith. One must read at least the New Testament for themselves and decide for themselves who Jesus is. It comes down to an act of faith. The writer of Hebrews stating,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  Hebrews 11:1
“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.
Please think about it.

Friday, 16 September 2016

Freedom of Judgement

Freedom of judgement
“It is imperative that freedom of judgment should be granted, so that men may live together in harmony, however diverse, or even openly contradictory their opinions maybe.  In proportion as the power of free judgment is withheld, we depart from the natural condition of mankind.” Baruch Spinoza.
I as a Christian believe God has instilled in each and every person a freewill to do as they wish. That freedom even extends to whether the individual believes in God or not.
God did not make robots. God crated human beings with a free will. God allowed man freedom to judge for themselves what they believe and what they do not.
I believe that no matter who you are Christian, Muslim, Jew, or those of other faiths, even Atheist must have the right to choose what they believe. Free from the judgement of others.
I believe the words of Jesus,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” Matthew 7:1.
We do not know what is in the heart of another person. We do not know why a person does what they do. Or why they are the way they are. Thus we have no right to impose our morals or lifestyle on them.
In fact the apostle Paul warns Christians,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?” 1 Corinthians 5:12.
Christians are called to present their faith to others not try to impose it on them.
As a Christian I believe the words of the writer of Hebrews who said,
“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.” Hebrews 1:1-3.
Still however ultimately you the individual must Judge for yourself who Jesus is. Upon it I believe rests your eternal destiny.
Please think about it. 

Thursday, 15 September 2016

Mankind Civilized?

Mankind civilized?
“Not until the creation and maintenance of decent conditions of life for all men are recognized and accepted as a common obligation of all men and all countries—not until then shall we, with a certain degree of justification, be able to speak of mankind as civilized.” Albert Einstein.
I do not think mankind can do things on its own. Take a look at the world around you. There is violence in the streets of every major city. People are murdered daily. People rob, and cheat other people of money and belongings daily.
It doesn’t seem to matter how strict the laws are people still break them.
Around the world we can see terrorist who are killing people on an industrial scale without fear. Death means nothing to them. Fear of reprisal by governments mean nothing.
God in all of this is left out of the picture. Those who commit crimes be they terrorist or the average person on the street have no fear of God and eternal punishment.
In a previous post I quoted Ecclesiastes who said,
“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.
Today in 2016 many in our society have no fear of God. Society in general is slipping away from God’s absolute morals and setting their own standards.
The way I see it mankind, should it continue on its present course, is slipping toward a lake filled with brimstone from which it cannot escape.
We need to return to the moral absolutes of God.
Please think about it.

Wednesday, 14 September 2016

A Need For

A Need For
Abba Hillel Silver wrote,
“Faith in God is the strongest bulwark of a free society.  Human freedom began when men became conscious that over and above society and nature there is a God who created them...who fashioned them in His likeness, and that they are, therefore, possessed of intrinsic and independent significance and are endowed, as individuals, with original and irrevocable rights and authority.” Abba Hillel Silver.
Man needs God’s moral absolutes in order for society to function correctly. A society without moral absolutes cannot function correctly. A society without moral absolutes is a society without freedom.
That is one of the many reasons I believe in God. I think it’s lunacy to think all men developed the same moral code at the same time globally. Yet people all over the world have common morals.
Irrespective of where a person grows up it is never right to kill, steel, commit adultery and such. These are moral absolutes that all men recognize.
These are absolutes I believe God wrote on the hearts of men from the beginning of time.
The ten commandments say it all. Half tell men how to interact with God. While half tell how man must act with his fellow man. No atheist group has ever come up with a better moral code than is written in the ten commandments.
The writer of Ecclesiastes states,
“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.” Ecclesiastes 12:13,14.
Each person in this world must I believe decide for themselves if God is real or not. The way I see it deciding whether God is real or not is the most important decision one can make.
Thus I suggest to anyone who is searching for answers about God to first at least read the New Testament if not the whole Bible.
Take time and even ask God in prayer to show you that He is indeed real.
Please think about it.

Tuesday, 13 September 2016

Comments on Jesus

Comments on Jesus
Napoleon Bonaparte said,
"You speak of Caesar, of Alexander, of their conquests and of the enthusiasm which they enkindled in the hearts of their soldiers; but can you conceive of a dead man making conquests, with an army faithful and entirely devoted to his memory? My armies have forgotten me even while living, as the Carthaginian army forgot Hannibal. Such is our power.”
“I know men and I tell you, Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour, millions would die for him.”
“I search in vain history to find similar to Jesus Christ, or anything which can approach the gospel.  Neither history nor humanity, nor ages, nor nature, offer me anything with which I am able to compare it or to explain it. Here everything is extraordinary.” Napoleon Bonaparte.
H. G. Wells, British writer, (1866-1946) When asked which person left the most permanent impression on history, he replied,
        "that judging a person’s greatness by historical standards:
“By this test, Jesus stands first.”
“I am a historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very centre of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history.”
“Christ is the most unique person of history. No man can write a history of the human race without giving first and foremost place to the penniless teacher of Nazareth.” H. G. Wells.
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
Thomas Aquinas said,
“If, then, you are looking for the way by which you should go, take Christ, because He Himself is the way.” Thomas Aquinas.
The gospel of John tells of this incident in the life of Jesus,
“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?” John 10:24-32.
Even when faced with stoning and death Jesus did not back down on saying who he was.
The apostle Paul tells us,
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6,7.
Ultimately you must decide who Jesus is. Before you do however I would ask that you read the New Testament for yourself. Read what Christians who knew Jesus personally believed about him. Then decide.
Please think about it.

Monday, 12 September 2016

Only Love Can

Only Love Can
Martin Luther King Jr. One of the leaders of the civil rights movement in the 1960's said,
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
I heard a disturbing statistic today. In the city of Chicago in the United State more people have died through gun violence between 2001 and 2016 than American soldiers died in the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts combined. That is only one city in the United States.
Gun violence has reached has reached epidemic proportions in the United States all fuelled by hate. Love seems to be forgotten. The teachings of Dr. King, of non-violence seems to be lost to history.
Around the world love is lacking. Terrorist seek to impose their will on populations using violence, promoting hate wherever they can. They fail to learn the lessons of history. No person or group has ever conquered the world and kept it through the use of hate.
Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver during the early years of World War two said,
“There is one other fundamental difference between love and hate.  Love is always a refuge.  Hate is never a refuge.  Only a mentally sick person can find refuge in his hates.  But love is the enduring sanctuary of life.  Life may rob you of many things.  It often does.  But it can never bereave us of love itself.  That remains. -Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver, rabbinic leader, from a December 22, 1940, sermon.
   If one wants to conquer the world hate is not the way. If one wants to end the violence in American cities and for that matter any city around the world there is only one way. The promotion of Love.
The apostle Paul defined 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.
Love is the chief lesson Jesus and his followers strived to promote. Jesus when asked,
 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment.  
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40.
Jesus also said,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  
  And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  Matthew 5:43-47.
The Love of God, your neighbour and even your enemy is something that needs to be taught in our homes, in our schools from the very beginning.
The words of Jesus and the apostle Paul are universal truths all faiths can understand.
We need to teach our children what Jesus said,
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” Matthew 7:12.
I think it is no coincidence that as our society has moved away from God violence in all its forms has increased globally.
The writer of Proverbs states,
“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 
Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” Proverbs 3:3,4.
This is something we need to be teaching our children. Words we need to be living in front of our children.
Laws no matter how strict they may be will not stem violence. Strict laws have been around since before biblical times and those who commit violence have not been deterred by them.
Only a dynamic change in our thinking can pull our society away from the pit filled with brimstone, that if it keeps going as it is will one day fall into.
Only by teaching our children from the day they are born to Love and forgive unconditionally will society start to change.
Please think about it.

Sunday, 11 September 2016

Of Importance?

Of importance?
C. S. Lewis said,
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” C. S. Lewis.
You the individual must decide this for yourself if Christianity is true of false, because ultimately it could be the most important decision of your life. Upon your decision rests your eternal resting place.
Christians believe Jesus is God incarnate, God in the flesh. That God entered the world in the form of his one and only Son Jesus. What Christians believe is summed up by what is known as the apostles creed. While not written by an apostle of Jesus what it says is what Christians believe.
1.I believe in God the Father the almighty maker of heaven and earth
2. I believe in Jesus Christ God’s on and only Son, our Lord and Saviour.
3. I believe Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary
4. I believe Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate; That He was Crucified, died, was buried. That he descended in hell.
5. I believe He rose again on the third day from the dead.
6. I believe that he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
7. I believe Jesus will one day Judge the living and the dead.
8. I believe in the Holy Ghost
9. I believe in the Church which is the communion of the saints,
10. I believe in the forgiveness of sin.
11. I believe in the resurrection of the body.
12. I believe in life everlasting.
The question is do you believe. There is no middle ground when it comes to Christ. Jesus speaking of himself gave us all a choice saying,
“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.
C. S. Lewis points out,
“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 choice is yours. Please take some time to read the New Testament and see for yourself What Jesus said of himself and what his disciples believed him to be.
Please think about it.

Saturday, 10 September 2016

Your Shelter

Your shelter
Martin Luther King jr. wrote,
“We need not join the mad rush to purchase an earthly fallout shelter. God is our eternal fallout shelter.” Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love, 1963.
Martin Luther King wrote above words at the height of the cold war. At a time when a thermonuclear war was feared. When people thought our civilization might be wiped off the face of the earth and millions would die.
The fact is millions of people world wide die  due to natural causes alone, not to mention disease, starvation, war and other things daily.
The ultimate statistic is the fact that each person born will one day die. The question is however where will you spend eternity.
I am a Christian and I firmly believe the individual is an eternal being. We live forever. Life does not end in death.
Tony Campolo the American evangelist said,
“When you were born, you cried and everybody else was happy. The only question that matters is this - when you die, will you be happy when everybody else is crying?”Tony Campolo.
Will you?
You have a choice in this world where you will spend eternity. I as a Christian believe the words of Jesus who 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.
We Christians do not believe we can live a life good enough to get to heaven that is why God in the form of Jesus entered our world to offer us salvation. C. S. Lewis states,
“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”  C.S. Lewis.
The apostle Paul writing to the Romans said,
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8.
Christians believe it is by the grace of God through our faith in Him that we get to heaven. 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.
Thus the choice is yours. Do you believe in God? Are you willing to accept the grace that comes from God through Christ Jesus?
Take some time to read the New Testament and see what Christians believe.
Please think about it.