Much more

Being a Christian is much more than joining a religion,

 much more than belonging to a church,

   much more than keeping rules,

      much more than freedom from traditions, 

         much more than good moral living........

God at work means forgiveness of all sins

     God at work grants justification by imputed righteousness

          God at work includes acceptance into the family of God as  children

             God at work brings eternal life as a gift

                God at work grants the Holy Spirit to overcome temptation

                  God at work transforms a broken life into a fulfilled life  ............

And how do I become a Christian?

'Repentance toward God
and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ'      -    Acts 20.21

Today, let God make you a genuine Christian.

John McKee

Faith of our fathers

For those of us reared in the fear of God and the authority of the Bible, the faith of our fathers is worth remembering.

It could be summed up in the words of the Apostle Paul:

“Repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ”

The christians among who I was raised, had an awe of God that affected the way they lived. God’s word, His commands were paramount. In an effort to ‘please God’, many things were denied as being worldly. Eg sport, TV, politics, scant clothing, working Sunday etc. Whiles some of this may have been taken to an extreme, it did limit the indulgence of the flesh and also limited the input of ungodly thinking.

The emphasis of the brethren was the attendance at meetings. Every Sunday morning, afternoon and evening we attended the breaking of bread, Sunday school/Ministry meeting and Gospel meeting. This ensured that our thinking was often about God and His word.

The preaching of the Gospel was full on. We were taught that we needed to be saved. Our sins deserved eternal death. Even the best we could do was not good enough for God. Only Christ dying on the cross could save us from  hell.

And thus our faith was directed to the Lord Jesus Christ. The learning of Gospel verses was encouraged and rewarded. The one that became special to me was Romans 10:9 KJV

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou  shalt be saved”

Thus by trusting in Him and His finished  work, I found peace with God and assurance that all was well for eternity.

So much more could be written about the ‘faith of my fathers’. After filtering out the traditions of men, I say I had a godly heritage.

Maybe you would like to share your story -

johnmckee@internode.on.net

Proclaiming the Word of God

History records much of Christian endeavour. Some misguided, some with sinster agendas. Some as God intended. Circumstances have varied, affecting the way the messages have been delivered but the fundamental purpose remains -  to   ‘proclaim the word of God’.

Moses consistently said,    “Thus says the Lord”

I survey the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ  -  His primary service was teaching  ‘ the Kingdom of God’.  His kind healings and wonderful miracles, were all helpful, but not His focus.

When I read the Acts of the Apostles,  I discover the servants of God busy taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth. After reading the messages recorded,  it is evident that they first declared the true honour of Jesus Christ.  'Jesus of Nazareth who had been crucified, was now risen from the dead and appointed to be the final judge of all people.' Their message was given in accord with the Old Testament writings – Torah and the prophets.

For the general world,  this news was not acceptable. It clashed with their selfish and satanic agendas , and so the persecution of Christians began. The people who did believe the message, found a  life changing message, but with it came the persecution.

Well, nothing much has changed. When the Word of God is made known, people choose God’s way or their own with the same consequences. Sadly , many who claim to be Christians have forsaken proclaiming the ‘word of God’. Praise God that in many other countries the Word of God is proclaimed and millions are finding “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”  (Romans 5:1).

God has spoken, and it is for us to ‘ hear and believe’.

Better still , we can know Him who is “the Word” – Jesus Christ our Lord (John1)

For anyone who does not have a Bible,  I offer one free.

contact  johnmckee@internode.on.net