The Joy of the Lord?

 To Have!

To believe in the death, resurrection and promised return of the Lord is one thing, but to follow Jesus is another?

To imitate, to apply Jesus actions everyday in our lives is hard and that is perhaps why many people who claim faith are unhappy, since they live as the world?

We were purchased at a heavy price and it is sad to see that many fail at this essential and simple hurdle or that they abuse the power they have been invested with!

Matthew/Levi 25:21-23,  1 Thessalonians 1:6,  Philemon 1:20.

Not Alone?

 God has not left us Alone!

Many people in the world wonder are we alone in the universe, is there not other life and do they visit now and then as governments might be hiding the truth on us?

But we who believe that we are not alone, since God gave to us His one and only Son to save us from our failings and when Jesus returned to Heaven He said that the Holy Spirit was coming and so all believers have the Spirit of God to comfort us in our times of trouble worry and much more!

it is not easy to be a believer we have to learn to endure the evil of the age that is around us and at times the anger and hatred that we may find the enemy will try to provoke us into in our hearts, but the Holy Spirit will help us if we pray believe, keep focused on the cross knowing that our Father cares for us!

Psalm 102:17,  Matthew/Levi 4:4,  Luke 10:40,  John 8:29.

LOVE?

 'He Loved us First!

We may have our own ideas or concepts about love and what this emotion is all about, but it may not be real as we think it is?

The world today is full of people loving everything, they say the words in relation to objects and people like water running out of their mouths and yet we know that in reality the words have little or no meaning!

When it comes to helping others, most people will not get involved in a situation, they pass it by hoping to get clear as quick as possible, while others don't want to get involved because of a bad experience?

But God's love is the only real one, since He gave to us His one and only son and Jesus showed compassion to many that He healed and saved like us too and from this is laid a foundation for us to follow!

John 3:3, 16, 14:6, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, Ephesians 2:4, 5:2, 1 John 3:4,  4:10-11, 19.

COVID-19 'A time to Love?

It is hard to love people who float Quarantine!

Is this the right time of the year to be talking about love, and why would it not be?

Arrogance and ignorance are terrible conditions to be in, when many of us have relatives that work in hospitals or clean up after old folks! 

We may be disgusted or critical of their habits and failings, but we too will be there one day shitty and messy not able to control mental functions apart from anything else?

Love is the key to being a believer in Jesus, since He had compassion we who follow Him must too have the same or try to do our best! He was sinless, we are not but we can try with difficult people to win them over and not fall victim to this truly awful virus?

Psalm 145:9,   Isaiah 63:9,   Matthew/Levi 15:32,   Luke 10:33,   Philippians  2:1,  Colossians 3:12,  Hebrews 10:34,  James 3:17,   5:11.

The people of Faith?

We Believers!

The New Testament paints a different picture of Gods faithful believers and its not the same as many in the Church today portray, for one reason or another?

Many Church going people resemble the world that we have to live in, they do the same things as the world and act in the same way, except on a Sunday they wear a suit and hold a Bible!

Hebrews chapter eleven is about what faith is and the types of people in the past who kept it, as well as those who are today walking by it, instead of sight and all the securities of this world?

Faith does not mean lack of wealth or being poor, but it means living with God and in a personal relationship with Jesus and following, even when it will cost us!

Acts 7:24,   Romans 5:5,   1 Timothy 4:1-5,   Hebrews 11:1-3,   32-40,   Revelation 21:8.

Our Heart? One.

Judge not and be not Judged!

Everything in relation to our condition starts with ourselves?

We today are going to look at how others see us, in relation to our conduct and walk with God! They may not see us fully as they think they see themselves and so they may think we are not saved or have come to a fulness in God?

But it is the heart within us that is where God is working, something that cannot be fully seen by others! One has to draw on ones own experience, because I have been judged by others as not being Born-Again?

Romans 10:8-9,   Acts 13:38-39,   Matthew 10:32-33,   2 John 1:7.

The Chasm? Part-Two/

Many have it in this life?

These many include the many who claim to be Christians, but the reality is that they are imposters!

They are like the greedy evil people of this world who are now enjoying the fruits on the backs of others, but God is not blind and He will not be mocked when all of humanity will have to face the Judgement seat of God!

What many forget is that there is no once saved always saved and it is up to us to work out our own salvation by keeping on the path of truth!

The chasm that is in place between us and God has been filled by Jesus, since He is the only way to salvation! It is he who we must seek and who real followers must press on with daily!

1 Samuel 25:36,  2 Thessalonians 1:4-10,  James 5:1-7,  Revelation 22:11.

A New kind of People. One.

Not what we Where?

It can be hard for many who believe and then go to fellowship, only to find people still gossipping as they were in the world?

James (Ya'akov=Jacob) warns believers that we cannot carry on now like we were before, salt and fresh water cannot come from the same spring! There are a few other illustrations that one could search for this week and have a bit of bible study, that relate to we cannot be hot and cold?

If we claim faith in Jesus, we must walk in His ways and no longer in the ways of this world!

James 3:5-9,  Matthew/Levi 6:24,  Luke 16:13.

New Year 2017.

Resolutions?

When we make promises to change, to loose weight, to take up a new hobby, to get out walking more, perhaps even get married? The problem is the same every year, after a few weeks we give up and go back to what we were fat, lazy, liars and ignorant of the facts of our condition?

There is as many people in the Church today, who once made a choice to follow God, they all went through the processes, said the right things? But they never really meant in their hearts, they are what the bible calls the weeds that choke the real believers?

Matthew 13:26-40, Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2:4, 4:14, 1 Timothy 4:2, 1 John 4:11.

New Year.

'Whats in store for You?'

Believers will be blessed, wither they deserve it or not! Because that is the way with God, he always wants to give us new things and lead us in the best ways and directions for our lives.

Perhaps this year you will give up your excuses and finally give in to following Him?

What ever you do, the history of the world will continue as it has, there will be great events and there will also be more disasters and wars, terrorism etc.

1 Kings 9:4,  Psalm 34:4-9,  101:2,  Joel 2;32,  Acts 7:50-60,  Romans 10:12-15.

Oppression. Part-Two.

Resistance.

The world today is full of feelings and people are ending up in disaster because of them!

People say do this and live like that, but God of the bible says, 'Resist the Devil and he will flee from you.'

God offers to us who are down in the dumps a way out, one that is worth taking.

Psalm 40:1-5,   Ephesians 4:27,   James 4:7,   1 Peter 5:9.

Who Do You Think You are?

'Im Someone.

There are many people out there telling us all sorts of different things about who they claim they are?

Look at me, im' related to this one, his my cousin, I know that person and so it goes.

We all like to follow someone, a Star, music, culture, personality and there are many of them who will do their best to get us to join a group, a following.

But we really need to be very careful who we follow!

Jesus is the only true one to follow, because He knows our future and He sees the best in us.

Jeremiah 29:11-13,  Acts 5:36-37,  1 Peter 1:3-5.