Why I am a Christian by Alan Moreton

All the rational arguments in the world and all the so-called proofs of God’s existence did not convince me to become a Christian. These are merely a means of bolstering one’s faith after the event.

I became a Christian because God willed it. “For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.’ So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” Rom. 9:15-16

It is impossible to will yourself to become a Christian. You can will yourself to adopt the Christian religion but it takes a supernatural act of God in accordance with his plan and purpose for an individual to become a son of God. You cannot will yourself to be fathered, it is impossible!

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” Rom 8;14.

Jesus makes this plain in John 3:3 “...unless one is born again (or born from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

The situation that caused me to become a Christian at the age of seventeen was a supernatural confluence between my hearing John 3.16 and God’s spirit acting upon it to create spiritual life within me.

When I heard: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotton Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life,” I heard God speaking directly to me and He imparted to me the faith to believe it, which engendered new life in me from the seed of this word.

This was not something I did but something which happened to me by the will of God.  Then I acted, by submitting to Christ as my Lord and Saviour.

I was not seeking God; I was not planning on becoming a Christian. I did not consider all the reasonable and rational arguments and then make a logical decision to serve God. No, all that came after God supernaturally intervened in my life. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Cor. 5:17

Why I Am a Christian by Michael Spencer

1.     It is reasonable that God might exist.

2.     Further, it is reasonable (based on the evidence) that this God who might exist might be personal and therefore have communicated with human beings.

3.     The world’s religions are a reasonable place to look for evidence of such communication.

4.     Among those representing the world religions, Jesus of Nazareth seems to hold the consensus as the person most likely to provide convincing evidence of the God who might exist. (Since Jesus is- in some way- incorporated into all major world religions. If all the world’s religious leaders were locked in a basement until they could elect only one person to represent the best of their beliefs, I believe Jesus would be the person selected.)

5.     The resurrection of Jesus is a reasonable explanation for the existence of Christianity as a distinct belief system from Judaism.

6.     An examination of the various alternatives and existing evidence convinces me that the Resurrection is, in fact, true.

7.     If the Rez is true, then Jesus’ statements about himself, God, Truth, Sin, etc. (The Christian worldview) are true by deduction.

8.     Based on this conclusion, I relate to the God who I now believe exists through Jesus.

9.     My experience matches what Jesus describes, providing personal verification of the truth of Christianity.

10. Based on Pascal’s wager, I await eventual verification of this conclusion after death, but haven’t lost anything if I am wrong.

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Making A Drama Out A Crisis!

Saturday 10 December 2011

In Luke 21:34 Jesus says: “...take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with (the) cares of this life...”

I find it is so easy for me to be caught up in material concerns and to become worried and anxious about the outcome of events in which I am involved.

At every adverse circumstance the temptation is to react with feelings of gloom and doom as though some great tragedy had occurred. Then to rant and rave, moan and complain until it becomes a big drama in which I am swept up and in which I am forced to involve all my emotions and energies.

Now that I am retired all I really want to do is to write and publish my books. I keep hoping that all the drama surrounding the work I am having done on the house will be over by the end of December, so I can look forward to spending my time on my creative endeavours in 2012.

I would like nothing more than to have a heart that is unburdened by the cares of this life, but just as in politics, it seems that we are driven by events beyond our control.  It is not that Jesus does not expect us to have cares and concerns, but he warns us not to allow them to overwhelm us and distract us from what really matters.  I keep on having to remind myself to step back from events and to get some much needed perspective.  I think this is what Jesus meant.

Testing! Testing!

Friday 10 December 2011

Jesus said: “In patience possess your souls.” Luke 21:19

One of the things I wish for is self-possession; the ability to react to extreme provocation with patience and forbearance.  This is not easy because I am often worn down by continual negative commentary, which is often unrelenting and drives me to distraction.

James says: “...the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work.” James 1:3-4

The only consolation I can take from a difficult situation is that it is designed by God for the purpose of producing mature Christian character. But I often feel that I am only expressing my carnal nature as the worst aspects of my character are brought out in anger, irritation, annoyance, impatience, resentment and wrath.

Proverbs 16:32 says: “He who is a slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”

But how is this to be accomplished? Only by continual testing and adjustment it seems!

Doing Business

Thursday 8 December 2011

In the parable of the talents in Luke 19: 11-27 Jesus said: “Do business till I come.” It seems that we are to use the talents, abilities and opportunities we have without allowing the fear of failure to prevent us from taking action.

How often I have been tempted to give up in despair when things have not gone according to plan, but earlier in Luke 18:1 Jesus said “that men ought always to pray and not lose heart.” I suppose He knew that we would be tempted to lose heart and said that prayer is an ever constant resource when we do.

I have often taken calculated risks with varying degrees of success (and failure!) But I do not regret the failures, because I do not regret the fact that I tried.

Now I am trying to gain recognition as a writer and published author and anyone who is a fellow writer knows that in today’s market place despair is an ever present reality! The competition is overwhelming, but the point that Jesus makes is to never give up, to commit it to God in prayer and to be faithful in taking action.

Or as Jesus puts it in verse 17: “...you were faithful in a very little...”

Because by doing some little thing every day towards promoting our talents we are “doing business” and being “good servants.”

An Attitude of Gratitude

Wednesday 07 December 2011

Luke 17:11-19 “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?”

Jesus healed ten lepers but only one returned to thank Him and to give glory to God. Gratitude is a very rare attitude and on that must be cultivated and especially taught to children. It is so easy to take God and people for granted and to assume that all our blessings are deserved and therefore not worthy of thanks.

Doing our duty.

Tuesday 06 December 2011

In Luke 17; 10 Jesus says: “...when you have done all those things which you are commanded to do say ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”

From this I gather that we must not think we have done anything extra –ordinary or give ourselves praise for only performing what it is our duty to do. Every act of love and service is merely our duty and should be performed with humility without expecting either gratitude or praise.

Jesus says in v.9 “Does he thank that servant because he did all those things that were commanded him? I THINK NOT!”

Paul says something similar in Romans 12:1 “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

So why do I feel put upon when I do not receive either gratitude or praise when I think I have deserved it?  Probably, because I forget that I have only done what I am required to do. Such is human nature!

The New Covenant

Monday 5 December continued

In Luke 16:16 Jesus said: “The law and the prophets were until John.”

The Commentary says that “the ministry of John the Baptist signalled the great turning point in redemptive history.”  There are those who would base Christianity on the law and say that the keeping of the law, especially the Sabbath, is a requirement for salvation.  But Jesus repudiates this, as does Paul in all his epistles, in which he distinguishes between law and grace.

See Hebrews 8:13 especially in which Pauls says: “In that He says, ‘A new covenant’. He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”

In 70AD when the temple was destroyed the old covenant did, in fact, vanish away. “He takes away the first that He may establish the second.” (Heb. 10:9)

Also, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord; I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them.” (v16)

Temporary things

Sunday 04 December 2011 continued

Jesus says: “...whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

The Commentary says: “In contrast to the cares of the rich young ruler (18:22) Jesus does not say a disciple should sell all his possessions and give everything away. “

I have always wondered about this. If I was to sell all my possessions and give everything away then I would become one of the poor and an object requiring charity.

The Commentary continues: “His thought probably is that of a continual abandonment of things, yielding up the right of ownership or the desire to cling to things, rather than outright disposal of them. The disciple of Jesus may be given the use of things in trust, as a stewardship, but they are no longer his or her own.”

I am reminded of this Scripture: “For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:18)