joyancejames

Tag: Christianity

  • Applause of heaven

    To please all men or to gain the applause of all men is impossible, if you voice your opinion you might offend someone who has a differing viewpoint, if you stay silent you might offend someone who is banking on you to support his/her stance. Whereas it is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6); it is possible and feasible and logical to have faith.

    This makes the applause of God and heaven attainable as compared to the applause of men.

    Secondly, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8), unlike the wavering adulation of our fellow men. Jesus never backs down on His word.
    God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?
    Numbers 23:19 NLT

    Lastly, the Bible’s explicit stance on certain key ideas of culture and society leaves no room for ambiguity. The sanctity of life, including the life inside the womb, the intrinsic value of every human being created in the image of God, the sacredness of sex within the covenant of marriage, the creation of man and woman to complement each other in a hetero sexual  union through marriage.
    The Bible is unequivocally pro-life and God values every individual regardless of race, colour or ethnicity, since He created them in His image and likeness, making all as equals. 

    We are meant to show God’s love for all (no ifs and buts), but we’re also meant to preach the truth in love, even though the truth may not go down well with everyone. In the 1st century the gospel was a stumbling block to the Jews and the Greeks considered it foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:23). Speaking the truth may not help us win popularity contests, but it may cause someone to gain eternity. Popularity through compromise is detrimental to the kingdom of Heaven. Hence, the onus is upon the church to be Biblically correct before political or cultural correctness.

    What if you lose popularity so that someone can gain eternity?

    Applause of heaven >> applause of men.

    Trading the temporal for the eternal

  • The Most-read Gospel!

    It is not the gospel written on tablets of stone or on ancient manuscripts of papyrus or sheepskins or the contemporary inked ones sold leather bound, but it is the Christ of the Christ-ian that is read the most!

    “Ah, friends of the Christ, in the world today
    Are many who watch you upon your way,
    And look to the things you say and do
    To measure the Christian standard true:

    Men read and admire the Gospel of Christ
    With its love so unfailing and true,
    But what do they say and what do they think
    Of the gospel according to you?

    You are writing each day a letter to men
    Take care that the writing is true;
    ‘Tis the only gospel that some men will read,
    That gospel according to you”
    -The gospel according to you
    Anonymous

    We are God’s workmanship created in Christ to do great works! And He is a master Craftsman who makes no mistakes and His creations come with a life time validity!

    We are meant to be light bringing out the God-colors into the world (Mat 5 The Message). Doesn’t matter if you’re a candle or a torch or just a flickering spark cause in the end all the 3 strive to dispel the darkness around them!

    The torch was not meant to light up the tiny cellar nor was the candle meant for the regal hallways! Each has its place and destiny!
    And a thing to remember is that we reflect His light, just like the moon, we light up and shine to reflect God’s glory.
    Can we say like Lecrae, ” I’m just a trail of star dust leading to the Superstar “?
    Does your cave seem dark? Think you need to shine brighter!
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