The Strongest Bulwark

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
All societies around the world believe in an afterlife, weather their governments or the intellectuals of their society believe it or not. Likewise the majority of people believe in God. Some in many god’s.
I wonder without God would mankind even be around today?
Think about it. In order to exist mankind needs a set of morals to live up to. A set of guidelines to live by.
I grew up in the “do your own thing” era. As long as is didn’t hurt anyone you could just do what you wanted.
Still even those who espoused this kind of lifestyle realized there was a basic of rules we had to live by. Do not murder for example, don’t bare false witness. Be honest in all you do.
Which begs the question where did our morals come from?
Was it possible for the cave man to write a universal set of morals? A moral code that even the most ardent atheist follows today thousands of years on?
It seems to me that the basic moral code all people live by is with us from the moment we are born. Perhaps proving it is part of our very make up as human beings. Psalm 139:13 hints at just such a thing,
“For you created my inmost being;you knit me together in my mother’s womb”
For me I cannot believe that all of what we have today is by chance or random acts in the universe that just happened to result in us. There has to be a creator.
As I look at what Atheist and many scientist believe I wonder who has the greater faith, them, or me?
I think it takes greater faith to believe there is no God or Creator of the universe than it does to believe.
I see the world as carefully crafted. Very much in the same way an engineer would build it.
Just looking into something as common as a tree leaf fills me with amazement knowing that beyond what I can see with my naked eye are intricate arrangements of cells. All of which work together to make the leaf what it is.
Such structure to me cannot be mere chance. There has to be a God.
It is my firm belief that given enough time and provided scientist keep an open mind they will one day prove there is a creator. That the universe is not just chaos and random chance.
I see such proof coming to light as scientist study fractals. Its something that has been around for several centuries but only recently, with the advent of modern computer capacity has it started to be studied in depth.
I have a definition of Fractal’s that comes from, what is .com, it states,
“The term "fractal" was coined by Benoit Mandelbrot in 1975. It comes from the Latin fractus , meaning an irregular surface like that of a broken stone. Fractals are non-regular geometric shapes that have the same degree of non-regularity on all scales. Just as a stone at the base of a foothill can resemble in miniature the mountain from which it originally tumbled down, so are fractals self-similar whether you view them from close up or very far away. Fractals are the kind of shapes we see in nature. ...
We find trees, mountains, rocks and cloud formations in nature, but what is the geometrical formula for a cloud? How can we determine the shape of a dollop of cream in a cup of coffee? Fractal geometry, chaos theory, and complex mathematics attempt to answer questions like these. Science continues to discover an amazingly consistent order behind the universe's most seemingly chaotic phenomena.”
I like that last sentence “Science continues to discover an amazingly consistent order behind the universe's most seemingly chaotic phenomena.”
Science is an on going process. It is not complete. All good scientist are continually asking questions searching for answers.
Much of humanity is looking for answers this is most prominent when they are near death or someone close to them is near death.
Sadly today all to many people are looking for the answer to life in all the wrong places.
They need to turn to the Bible and learn about Almighty God and the saving power of His Son Jesus Christ.

Eternal Consequences

Read Titus 2

But as for you, 

speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine:

that the older men

 be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience;

the older women likewise,

 that they be reverent in behaviour,

 not slanderers, not given to much wine,

 teachers of good things–

that they admonish the young women to 

love their husbands, 

to love their children.

To be discreet,

 chaste, homemaker’s, good, 

obedient to their own husbands, 

that the Word of God may not be blasphemed.

Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded,

in all things showing yourself 

to be a pattern of good works: in doctrine

 showing 

integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,”

sound speech that cannot be condemned, 

that one who is an opponent maybe ashamed, 

having nothing evil to say of you.”

                                        Titus 2:1-8
Take a good look at the words above in
* all things showing yourself
* to be a pattern of good works in doctrine showing
* showing integrity,
* sound speech that cannot be condemned
* having nothing evil to say of you.”
All too often, people do have evil to say of Christians, because the example they have seen is negative.
Some groups of people don’t feel welcome in our churches.  They feel they are being condemned.  As a result, they run the other way, when asked to come.
     The world sees self-appointed Christian leaders and speakers, pointing fingers in judgment at various groups. As a result they call all Christians hypocrites, and hate mongers or worse.
The world sees Christian businesses as a Christian version of the secular world.  They see no difference between us and the world.  How sad.
“Judge not” said Jesus.
While Paul here, tells us we should be an example of integrity, reverence, incorruptibility and sound speech that cannot be condemned.  (Titus 2:7)
Something to think about
  I think the key in all of this is that we should be vigilant in what we say and do. We should be very different from the world.
Our churches should be a place where all are welcome regardless of who they are or their lifestyle.
Our Christian leaders should be held to a much higher standard than that of the world. And we should be willing to stand up to those leaders who are in error and correct them in accordance to scriptural principles.
All to often this does not happen but it must.
For if we do not live up to the standards of God. If we do not make our leaders both in the churches and in the media live up to the standards God has ordained for them it will have eternal consequences.
Eternal Consequences for those who don’t live up to the standard and those who were turned from Christ because of them.
Think about it.

Think about it.

“He spreads out the northern  skies  over empty space; 

he suspends the earth over nothing.” 

                                                                                                        Job 26:7
You can think of the Bible what you want. I have always maintained that it is not a science book. It is a book calling people to have faith in the one true God.
Job obviously believed that God created the heavens and the earth as to do I. And  it matters little to me weather the world was formed in six days or six millennium or six trillion years. It does not affect my faith.
Throughout the bible however God reveals Himself to us. He takes a man like Job and inspires him to write the above statement.
On Christmas of 1968 as someone has put it “Apollo 8 discovers the earth,” taking the first ever photograph of earth from space as they orbit the moon.
God is very real and he shows himself in a myriad of different ways to us.
The Psalmist writes,

"The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands." 

                                                            Psalm 19:1                          Astronomers have a place they call the Goldilocks zone. It is the place they look for around distant stars. The place where the right conditions exist for possible life.
The place is like where we are located around the sun.

Our planet is exactly the right distance from the sun. It is exactly the right temperature, (a few degrees either way and we couldn’t live on earth). It has exactly the right balance of gasses, liquids and everything else we need to exist.
That is one of the reasons I firmly believe God exists and that he made the earth the heavens and everything in them.
I firmly believe it takes more faith to be an atheist than it does to be a Christian. I also believe that given time man will see that everything is connected and that connection leads to God.
One just has to look at the complexity of something as simple and everyday as a tree, a blade of grass or an ant climbing on them.
Intricately detailed bio-mechanisms that point to a divine creator.
                                                                                 Think about it.

Dust in the Wind

Kerry Livgren of the group Kansas wrote,

I close my eyes

Only for a moment and the moment's gone

All my dreams

Pass before my eyes with curiosity

Dust in the wind

All they are is dust in the wind.

Are we that, just dust in the wind?
Isaiah the prophet wrote,

A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” 

“All men are like grass,and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. 

The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. 

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” 

                                                                                                           Isaiah 40:6-8.

If you listen to an atheist I’m sure they would give you that impression. To their mind we are born we procreate and die ending in oblivion. I can’t believe that.
I believe there is in every man, woman and child that has ever walked the face of the earth, a piece of eternity.
I believe inside every human being there is at the very least a knowledge that there is something awaiting us after death.
Throughout history we have whole civilizations that made elaborate preparations for a journey to the after life.
There is not one civilization known to man that hasn’t believed in some kind of life after death.
I believe sadly that men claiming to be wise. Possessing a wealth of knowledge of this life have become blind to what happens after death. They are blind because they only understand what they see, feel and hear. They many times see faith as a crutch and dismiss it.
We are made in the image of God and when this life is through we will meet Him as our saviour or our judge.
We I strongly believe we will be given every opportunity in this life to come to a saving knowledge that only comes through Christ Jesus.
In order to do that however a leap of faith is required and that is hard. And to me it seems to be made harder with the more knowledge one possesses.
Many point and say the Bible contradicts science. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Firstly the Bible is a book of faith not science. And if it seems to contradict science it is the interpreter that is in error.
Science I believe should God tarry will one day prove the existence of God.
In the mean time Jesus calls out through the Bible.  

“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
Will you turn your life over to Jesus today?
Think about it.

Not blind faith

Read 1 Timothy 1
To Timothy, a true son in the faith;

"Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our LORD.

   As I urged you when I went into Macedonia–remain in Ephesus 

that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies,

 which cause disputes, 

rather than godly edification which is in faith.

Now the purpose of the commandment 

is love from a pure heart,

 from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,

from which some having strayed, 

have turned aside to idle talk,

desiring to be teachers of the law,

 understanding neither what they say 

nor the things which they affirm."

                                                                                                    1 Timothy 1:2-7
Here Paul is basically telling Timothy to tell those who are teaching wrong doctrine to stop.  To stop teaching things that cause divisions in the church.
Paul as he states is doing it “out of  a pure heart,  from a good conscience, and from sincere faith. (1 Timothy 1:5)  A faith he points out that some have strayed from.
It is so, so important that we know what we believe and why we believe it.  It is imperative that we study the Word of God and know what it says.  Many people have been led astray by wrong teaching.
I can remember Jones town.  A very dynamic, well spoken preacher by the name of Jim Jones, convinced a large number of people to follow him, to a place in South America.  Once there, he convinced them to commit mass suicide, as he himself did.  Hundreds of men, women and children died.
This is an extreme example, but there are those out there, in churches on television, and on radio, that are misleading people.
Some are out for money, others for other things.  Some are even doing it out of ignorance. But all lead to the same thing, separation from God.
We as Christians are asked to walk by faith, but not blind faith in a man or denomination.  We are told by the Scriptures “to study to show thyself approved.” (2 Timothy 3:15)
We need to know the Word of God.  We need to seek God daily.  To pray and ask God for the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
We need to ask God to lead us to a solid Bible believing church congregation, that is following God.  One that teaches the truth.
Something to think about:
Most people take what a pastor, evangelist or what is preached in the media,  at face value and most of the time, there is not a problem.
Still, most people would never think of studying the Scriptures quoted by the preacher either for accuracy or to get greater insight in what he or she has said.
Do you ever take time when you’re at home to study the Scriptures spoken about from the pulpit?

A Challenge:
Take notes from your Pastor’s sermon or from the evangelist you hear on radio or television.  Then turn to the Scriptures given and see what else God has to say to you.
And never fear questioning a pastor or evangelist. Talk to them if you don’t understand no honest minister of God’s word will ever turn you away.

What Think Ye of Christ?

Read John Chapter 10

“I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

“But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees;

 and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.

“The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.

“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep,

 and am known by My own.

“As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; 

and I lay down My life for the sheep.

“And other sheep I have which are not of this fold;

 them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice;

 and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.

“No one takes it from Me, 

but I lay it down of Myself, 

I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.

  This command I have received from My Father."

                                                                                                              John 10:11-18                          
Throughout John chapter ten, Jesus makes it clear who He is, but, the people don’t believe Him.  They even accuse Him of blasphemy and want to stone Him.  They have been asking Jesus, if He is the Messiah, yet, when He answers, they turn against Him.
Many people today, are like this, they refuse to accept the evidence put before them.  They accept that Jesus is a good man, that He is an important historical figure, but, refuse to accept that He is LORD and God.
Jesus states clearly that He has the power to lay down His life, and to take it up again, something that was seen when He died and rose from the grave.  No other religion in the world claims resurrection from the dead.
Jesus is LORD and God, He has the power of life and death.  He has the power to forgive sin.  These things are the cornerstone of our beliefs as Christians.
As Christians, we may disagree on many things but on these things we cannot:
* Jesus is LORD and God
* Jesus died for our sin
* Jesus rose again from the dead conquering sin and death
* Jesus has the power to forgive sins
* It is by faith in Jesus Christ that we are saved through grace not our good works.
Something to think about:

The first church I ever attended had a large banner over the pulpit that read,

“What think Ye of Christ”

Question: What do you think of Christ?

When I speak of Sin

I am very cautious when I speak about sin to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgenderd community because to many Christians have muddied the waters so to speak.
Specifically they have made homosexuality out to be a “special sin” nothing could be further from the truth.
As I see it we can safely say homosexuals are not sinning, unless they are committing the same sins any other person in the world are committing. The same holds true for the whole LGBT community.
Psalm 139:13-15 reads,

“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,...” 

To me this means God knew before we were born our very genetic make up. He knew weather we would be gay or strait and he allowed us to be born.
God says to every man and woman that has ever been born, gay or strait,

“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 3:23-26
Jesus said,

“ ...."I am the way and the truth and the life. 

No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

                                                                                             John 14:7
I as a Christian believe John 14:7 they are the words of Jesus, and that statement compels me to reach out to all people everywhere offering them the Love Christ gave to me.

I believe the words of Paul to the Ephesians when he 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. 

For we are God's workmanship, 

created in Christ Jesus to do good works,

 which God prepared in advance for us to do.

                                                                                       Ephesians 2:8-10
We cannot work our way to heaven. We cannot be good enough to stand before God and say ‘I deserve to enter your heaven because I am a good person’.
We must confess our sins to Christ and accept His free gift of eternal life. We must believe the words of John when he writes,

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. 

                                                                                1 John 1:9,10
Jesus gives us a choice. Believe he is who he say’s he is, the one and only Son of God who came to die for our sins, or reject Him and accept the other option, that He and his followers have created the greatest lie in history.
The choice is yours.
All I am asking you, who ever you are, what ever your lifestyle, ethnicity, or your position in life is to consider what I have written above. Then if you believe it pray this prayer,
Dear Heavenly Father.
I believe that Jesus is your One and only Son. That he came to earth to die for my sins. 
Please forgive my sins today and come into my heart and life. 
Show me you will for my life from this point on.
                               In Jesus name I pray
                                       Amen.
If you’ve prayed this prayer in all sincerity, I urge you now to start reading the Bible and ask God to lead you to a Church where the Bible is preached in all its fullness.

Careful, don't Cherry Pick

“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 the words of Jesus.

Where do we draw the line when following the laws of the Old Testament? After all Jesus came to give us a new covenant. The writer of Hebrews saying,
“They(the priests)  serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”  
But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.” 
                                                                                             Hebrews 8:5,6
When I talk with members of the gay and lesbian community about Christ. They at times until they get to know me become defensive. And with just cause.
They see well meaning Christians constantly putting them down. Pointing out that they have a “special sin”.
The following is something that was passed on to me. It’s obviously sarcastic but it points out the slippery slope we can get on if we start cherry picking old Testament laws.

“Laura Schlessinger is a US radio personality who dispenses advice to people who call in to her radio show. Recently, she said that homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22 and cannot be condoned under any circumstances. The following is an open letter to Dr. Laura penned by a US resident:

Dear Dr. Laura,

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show and I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind him or her that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. I do need some advice from you however, regarding some of the specific laws and how to follow them.

(a) When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev. 1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

(b) I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?
(c) I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev. 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offence.

(d) Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

(e) I have a neighbor who insists on working on Sunday (the Sabbath). In the book of Exodus verse 35:2 it clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

(f) A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination (Lev. 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't know. Can you settle this?

(g) Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

(h) Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev.19:27. How should they die?

(i) I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

(j) My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Lev.24:10-16). Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14).

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging, and we should do what the bible says.
Your devoted disciple and adoring fan.

While the above is very sarcastic it points out to Christians that we must be very careful with regards to old Testament law.
Paul writing to the Galatians states,
"I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” 
Faith or Observance of the Law 
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.  
I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?  
Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?  
Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing?  
Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? 
Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”  
Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.  
The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”  
So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 
All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”  
Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”  
The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.”  
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”  
He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” 
                                                                                         Galations 2:21- 3:14
The bottom line in all of this is that there is no grater or lesser sin. Moreover we cannot choose what sins are applicable in the twenty-first century.
Matthew notes, 
“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.
We are not called to judge anyone or to say for that matter what sin is.
It is the Holy Spirits job to convict men of their sins. It’s that simple. We are to present the Gospel of Faith.
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.  
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” 
                                   Ephesians 2:8-10
This is the lot of the Christian, to present the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour to a lost and dying world without judging. For only God knows what is inside the persons heart.
Only God knows why we are as we are.
Think about it.

Christians sin also

Read 1 John 1

“If we claim to be without sin, 

we deceive ourselves and the truth is no in us. 

If we confess our sins, 

he is faithful and just 

and will forgive us our sins

 and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

                                                                                          1 John 1:8,9

All to many of us once we become Christians take things for granted. We take our salvation too much for granted.
When we first come to Christ the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin and need of a Saviour and we act on that conviction and confess our sins.
As time goes on and we grow there can come a point I think in most Christians lives when we take that salvation very much for granted. We’re saved that’s all we have to worry about seems to be our attitude.
But even as mature Christians we make mistakes we sin.
Sin is simply falling short of what God wants for our life, and we need to be aware of our sin. We must realize that sin is sin there is no such thing as a big sin and a little unimportant sin.
We must be open at all times to the moving of the Holy Spirit in our lives to convict us of the sins we are doing. And we must be ready to confess those sins to God.
Peter tells us

"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 3:14
We can only do what Peter is saying if we are aware of the sin in our lives and as soon as we become aware of it confess it to Christ.
Christians are not perfect people we are simply progressing.
As we grow in Christ we see many areas in our lives where we fall and many areas we need to fix up. It is therefore imperative that we go on a daily basis to God and admit we’ve fallen.
There’s a radio show I listen to called Key Life on it the minister Steve Brown has a simple prayer I think tells it all, he ends the prayer to the effect “and forgive my sins for which there are many”
I like what John say in the last verse of 1 John 1:10

"If we claim we have not sinned, 

we make him out to be a liar 

and his word has no place in our lives."

Something to think about.
All too often when we pray we are asking God for something. Or to get us out of something that has happened to us.
We over look the mistakes in our life. The places where we fall short of what God would want for us. We feel we are saved and that is the end of it. Not so.
We all sin and make mistakes it is just part of the growing process. But we should not be lax in confessing our sin.
As soon as we become aware of our sin we should confess it to God.
Do you?

A Lesson for Christians form the Talmud

“An aged man, whom Abraham hospitality invited to his tent, refused to join him in prayer to the one spiritual God.  Learning that he was a fire-worshipper.   Abraham drove him from his door.  That night God appeared to Abraham in a vision and said: ‘I have borne with that ignorant man for seventy years: could you not have patiently suffered him one night?”
                                                                                                                            The Talmud

Do Christians drive people away from their door because of what they believe? I think so.
Case in point the same sex marriage debate. The gay and lesbian community have been lobbying governments for years to be able to be ‘married’.
Christians and other religious groups have a very clear definition of marriage. It is the union of a man and a woman. And to Christians in particular marriage is a very sacred thing. To violate what they feel is it’s true meaning is to put a red flag in front of a bull. It’s the equivalent of a Christian asking a gay man to stop being gay.
Now before I go any further. Let me make it clear I am not asking Christians or for that matter members of the gay community to give up their beliefs.
What I am asking is that Christians, of which I am one, recognize that we live in a free and democratic secular society. A society where governments try to work in what they consider is the best interest of all people.
As Christians I don’t think we should be standing with placards in front of parliament trying to restrict the rights of others.
To do so is to like Abraham throw the person out of our tent and potentially sentence them to an eternity separated from God.
I feel we need to reach out to the gay community agreeing to disagree at least on the same sex marriage debate.
I also believe that until we put the placards down and stop protesting against everything except our right to worship freely, our ability to reach others will be at least limited.
We cannot stand on street corners, scream in the media, and yell from the pulpit, in a secular world such as we live in “because I disagree with you, I want your rights restricted!” Which is exactly what people see when they see us protesting against anything.
Christianity is not a “do not” belief system.
Christianity is a lifestyle. It is a belief that God himself reached down to man saying, Jesus himself 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. John 3:16, 17.
How can we as Christians possibly hope to get that message to anyone when they see us protesting against anything and everything we dislike.
Question: Do you really think the apostle Paul spoke against anything he disliked when he was in Athens or any other part of the Roman empire. Read Acts 17: 16-34. And think about it.

A Choice

A choice
"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.One of the verses quoted here, John 3:16 is perhaps the most quoted verse by Christians. And indeed it is perhaps one of the most important verses in the Bible.
It tells how God loved His creation so much He sent His one and only Son to earth.
This is what separates Christianity from other religions. Christianity is God reaching down to man.
God in sending Jesus to us was saying two things.
1/ I love you and am sending my One and Only Son to pay the price for your sins.
2/ I am preparing my Son to judge the world.
Later on in John Jesus states,
"
For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man."
John 5: 26,27
Had God remained in His heaven and not sent the Son to walk among us we could legitimately I think say you don’t understand what it is to be human. What it is to be tempted. What it is to be a political refugee. What it is to be beaten and falsely convicted of a crime you didn’t commit. But when we stand before Jesus as our judge we can’t say that.
Jesus walked on this earth he knows what it was like to do something as mundane as walk along a dusty road. He knows what it is like to have to flee what amounted to political persecution when his parents had to flee with him to Egypt to avoid him being killed.
Jesus knew what it was like to feel the lash. The pain of being beaten and put to death in a most gruesome manner.
Jesus knew what it was like to be human.
So when we stand before Him we cannot say you don’t understand. But until that day we have a choice. The choice stated above.
"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.Where do you stand? Do you believe Jesus is the One and Only Son of God? Have you accepted Him into your heart and life?
If you want to all you have to do is ask him to come into your life. It’s as simple as a prayer. One like this.
Dear Heavenly Father
I believe that Jesus is your one and only Son. That you sent Him to earth to pay the price for my sins.
Jesus please come into my life today, forgive my sins and create in me a clean heart.
Direct my life from this day forward
Amen.
If you’ve prayed this prayer I urge you to pray and ask God to show you a church congregation that will help you grow in the Lord.
I urge you to get a Bible and start to read it. I recommend that you start in Matthew in the New Testament.
You can skip over the genealogies but read it carefully.
You might even want to get a Bible that has a commentary with it.
A commentary is simply teaching that expounds on the various verses you are reading. Teaching you what they mean.
At the same time read the Bible asking God to give you understanding. You’ll be amazed at what you learn.

An extraordinary claim

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
                                            John 14:6,7 

Jesus here is answering Thomas and in doing so makes the most extraordinary claims ever made by any one of any faith, “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father (God) except through me.”
Jesus was no respecter of person. He doesn’t care if your gay, strait, black white, asian, or Eskimo.  He cared for everyone.
Jesus wanted all people everywhere to come into a personal relationship with God the Father. He wants all people everywhere to have eternal life.
I challenge anyone who has not taken time to read the Bible and in particular the New Testament in it’s entirety to read it with an open mind.
I don’t care what ministers or evangelist say be they in church or in the media God loves everyone.
He has a perfect plan for everyone. Psalm 139:13-16 states
“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 them 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,
All 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  
God wants what it best for your life it’s that simple.
So as I said take time to read the bible with and open mind and as you do ask God to show you the truth and logic within it.