Why I Believe Biblical Christianity Promotes Religious Liberty

     In chapter 9 in the book of Luke, Jesus and the disciples, John and James were walking through Samaria. A group was sent into a town ahead of them to prepare the Samaritans  for a visit from Jesus..The town's people rejected the offer. John and James were angered and suggested that fire should be called down from heaven and destroy the town. Jesus answered them by saying, " Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of; For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."
     The Apostle Paul in the second book of Timothy instructs Christians; " The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach patient. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if God, perhaps, will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth." In the book of 1st Peter we are instructed to; " Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous. Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, but on the contrary be the blessing, we are called to be."
    Jesus in the parable of tares in the book of  Matthew, taught that we should leave the tares among the wheat so that God himself could separate the good from the bad at the end..The Bible teaches us in 1st Thessalonians; "Now we exhort you brethren , support the weak be patient toward all men...No where in scripture does it teach that the followers of Christ are to force, coerce or punish others for not sharing their beliefs..On the contrary we are taught to love and be kind and patient with unbelievers..Jesus Himself said in John 3-17, " For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved."

                                      Wesley Jones

Why I Have Never Given Up On Going To Church

    One of the hardest things to get past when going to church is the immutable fact of universal human frailty..We all have our faults and blind spots whether we attend church or not..As I have matured and grown in Christ I have come to the realization that I am not always right and all knowing..I have also learned to be more patient with those who share the same propensity to error. Too often we go to church and expect a perfection in others that we are not able to attain ourselves. Having said that, there are genuinely bad experiences and less than honest people in some congregations and positions of authority in Christian churches..
    Fortunately we live in a time and place where we are free to choose from many different kinds of churches, or attend a different church with different leadership within the same denomination..With so many options I find it hard to come up with an excuse to ignore the biblical command; ...And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
    One of the most compelling reasons I have not given up on attending church is, I love to be where my God is worshiped openly and where the Holy Bible is read and taught.. I also love to be around people who are making an honest effort to seek and please God, even if like me they are doing so imperfectly..I receive a lot of peace and grace from corporate worship..Our Lord Jesus taught us that in this world there will be persecution and tribulation..We need each other to help heal the wounds this world inflicts on us..
     One of the most important things attending church has taught me is a love, and patience with people I might not agree 100% with. We all have different life experiences and degrees of knowledge, so we are not always going to be on the same page all the time..However my love for Jesus Christ produces a love for my fellow Christian as well as the rest of mankind..Church has civilized and softened me..It has also lifted me up when I have been down and out...The friendship I have found in Christian churches has been wonderful and I have learned much from other believers...
     Church is not perfect and is often  messy...But in this troubled world it is a safe port in a very fierce storm..I have attended hundreds of churches in my life..I know from experience there are many out there full of honest kind people who are trying their imperfect best to please God..I would encourage everyone to make an effort to find a church home where you can be encouraged and encourage others...

                                        Wesley Jones

Biblical Encouragement For Those Who Worship The Son Of God...part 3

Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ...1 John 1-3

The blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleanseth us from all sin...1 John 1-7

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil..1 John 3-8

He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son...1 John 2-22

Whosoever denieth the Son the same hath not the Father...1 John 2-23

Ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father....1 John 2-24

And this is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son, Jesus Christ...1 John 3-23

God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him....1 John 4-9

And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world...The apostle John.....1 John 4-14

Whosoever shall confess Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God...1 John 4-16

Who is he who overcometh the world, but he who believeth that Jesus is the Son of God..1 John

He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself; he that believeth not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of  his Son..I John 5-10

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God...1 John 5-13

      This is part 3 of a series of posts meant to encourage those who in truth and love worship the Son of God...
                                  Wesley Jones

Encouragement For Those Who Worship The Son Of God...Part 2

As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father..Jesus Christ....John 10-15

Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life...Jesus Christ....John 10-17

Say ye of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world , thou blasphemest; because I said I am the Son of God...Jesus Christ....John 10-36

This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the son of God might be glorified..Jesus Christ...John 11-4

She said unto Him, Yea Lord; I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, who should come into the world...John 11-27

And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father I thank thee thou hast heard me...Jesus Christ....John 11-41

For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father, who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak....Jesus Christ...John 12-49

He that receiveth  me receiveth Him that sent me...Jesus Christ...John 13-20

Let not your heart be troubled you believe in God believe also in me...Jesus Christ...John 14-1

I am the way, the truth, the life; no man cometh to the Father but by me...Jesus Christ...John 14-6

I go unto my Father...Jesus Christ...John 14-12

He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father....Jesus Christ....John 14-21

If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him....Jesus Christ...John 14-23

The word you hear is not mine, but the Father's, who sent me...Jesus Christ..John 14-24

If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father; for my Father is greater than I....John 14-28

    This is part 2 of a series of posts meant to encourage those who worship the Son of God, Jesus Christ....

                           Wesley Jones

I Am Not A Prophet ; But I Have A Hope And A Vision For My Country

    The Bible tells us if  someone prophesies in the name of God and what they predict does not come to pass, the people are not to fear them...I have thought I knew God's will many times and said so, only to be dead wrong..God's ways are far above and beyond my capabilities to comprehend..However  the Bible also tells us without a hope and a vision the people perish..For there to be a hope for a better day, someone must possess a dream or a vision that things can be better and can move forward..Not only a vision is needed but there needs to be people who are willing to work and sacrifice to see that vision come to pass..
    I believe the apostle Paul when he said; In Christ there is no Jew or gentile, bond nor free, male or female. We are all loved by and important to the God of the Bible. However, God knows the beginning from the end. He knows what nations, people and individuals will serve or reject him.. Nations and their leaders have been raised up and thrown down according to their obedience to the God of the Holy Bible..I believe the prosperity and freedom we enjoy in present day America is built upon our founders belief in, and obedience to the Biblical Christ..The Vision and aspirations  I have for my people and my country are based rightly or wrongly on what is contained in the book of Romans chapters 10 and 11..
     Not only is the Holy Bible a revelation of God and his Son, ( our Messiah ), it is the history of the Jewish people and the nation of Israel..God deals with other nations in the light of their relationship with the God of Israel..Not only in the past and present but also the future..The salvation of Gentile people and nations, according to the apostle Paul has as it's main objective to provoke Israel (both people and nation ) to jealousy that they might be saved and come to knowledge of their Messiah, Jesus Christ.
    Moses in the Old Testament and the apostle Paul in the New Testament prophesied that God would not only raise up a people, but also a nation that He would bless in such a way that it would provoke the Jewish people to jealously and anger, and they would begin to seek the Christian Messiah...I believe the people Paul and Moses were referring to are Gentile Christians..As far as the nation they referred to...It is my hope and dream that my country the United States will fulfill that prophesy...
     The apostle Paul went on to say in Romans 11:11  I say then has Israel stumbled that they should fall? God forbid; but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy....Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their salvation........In other words when Israel rejected Jesus as Messiah salvation and blessing came to the Gentiles...If their rejection of Christ became a blessing to the Gentile world..How much more blessing will come to the world when they accept Christ..The apostle Paul put it this way in verse 15 ...For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead..
    I say all this to give some substance to my hopes and dreams for the United States...We can continue our drift into moral chaos or strive to become the nation so blessed by God it even provokes Israel to an angry jealousy..A revival so thorough and nation wide it would give God the latitude to bless and prosper us in unprecedented ways..If a revival here in the States could provoke one among the Jewish population and Israel, it would become a catalyst for world wide revival and a blessing to all nations...
   We can give our country and the world over to evil with no hope of redemption. Or we can work towards something the Bible not only says is possible, but even desirable...

                                            Wesley Jones

  

Some Encouragement For Those Who Worship The Son Of God...

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him...........John 1-18

I saw and bore witness that this is the Son of God ...John the Baptist...John 1-34

Nathanael answered, and said unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; the King of Israel....John 1-49

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son..For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.....John 3-16, 17

The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things unto his hand...John 3-35

Verily, verily, I say unto you,  the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do.......For the Father loveth the Son and showeth him all things........John 5-19, 20

He who honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the father, who sent him... John 5-23

For as the Father hath life in himself, so he hath given to the Son, to have life in himself......John 5-26

I can of my own self do nothing , I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me...Jesus Christ....John 5-30

This is the work of God that you believe on him whom he hath sent...Jesus Christ..John 6-29

For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me..John 6-38

Jesus answered them and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me..If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself...He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory; but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, no unrighteousness is in him....John 7- 16 thru 18

For I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent me...John 8-16

I am one who bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me...Jesus Christ...John 8-18

I do nothing of myself ; but as my father hath taught me, I speak these things....And he that sent me is with me..The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always the things that please him...Jesus Christ...John 8-28,29

If God were your Father, ye would love me; for I proceed forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me...Jesus Christ...John 8-42

If I honor myself, my honor is nothing ; it is my Father that honoreth me, of whom you say , that he is your God...Jesus Christ...John 8-54

    This is the end of part 1 of what I hope will be an on going series of scripture posts encouraging Christians to hold on to their belief and worship of, both the God of the Bible, and His Son Jesus Christ...

                                           Wesley Jones

A Native American Christmas Prayer In The Form Of A Poem

O Great Spirit, Grandfather, God of the Holy book.
Like the Hebrew children to Thee we pray, we look.
As a man I have troubles, my people many sorrows.
Sins of yesterday, have tainted even our tomorrows.
.
For a redeemer I pray, a great messiah our people need.
Send Him to my heart first, my soul desires to be freed.
Is the Christmas manger where the savior laid His head?
Is the child from Bethlehem He who rose from the dead?

Did God include the red man when His only Son He gave?
Can Jesus not only my soul heal, can He my people save?
I can find no other hope when I walk through a barren land.
So to this Christmas Jesus I will lift a trembling weary hand..

" Let not your heart be troubled you believe in God. Believe also in me"....Jesus Christ
                  
                                           Wesley  Jones

Why I Believe Bethlehem's Jesus Is The Only Begotten Son Of God

    The first and foremost reason I believe the biblical Jesus is The Son of God is the Holy Bible states many times in many different ways; Jesus of Nazareth is indeed God's only begotten Son. The Bible tells us Jesus existed with God and had the same form as God prior to coming  to earth in human flesh. He shared in God's glory. The very universe we inhabit the Bible tells us, God created for Jesus, and by Jesus Christ, His only  Son..The God of the Bible twice with an audible voice proclaimed from Heaven in the presence of others that Jesus indeed was His beloved Son; at the baptism of Jesus and on the mount of transfiguration..
    The Bible tells us Jesus was sinless. Only someone who had been with God for eternity could know God's perfect will and trust Him enough never to disobey Him...No one in History loved God, or man more than Jesus..Only the Son of God that was responsible for the creation of all of us could in His dying breath ask His Father to forgive those who's sins He was dying for..
   The biblical apostles founded a church almost 2000 years ago that has grown to almost 2 billion members today..All of their writings declare Jesus as the divine Son of God..The apostle Peter who when asked by Jesus who he thought Jesus was answered, "Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God". Jesus then said to Peter that upon that declaration He would build His church and that the gates of hell could not prevail against it..For centuries man has tried to persecute those who believe Jesus to be the Son of God out of existence..Man has tried to make Jesus a liar, a myth, a madman or an ordinary man no more divine than any of the rest of us..
   We are human because our parents are human..Jesus is divine because His Father is God Almighty. God has made His Son our Savior, and our mighty God. Jesus of Nazareth, the Jesus of the Bible came from God His father to earth. He was born of a virgin in Bethlehem Judea. Lived a perfect sinless life in obedience to God.He was crucified, died, rose from the dead, and now sits at the right hand of God Almighty making intercession for everyone who will repent and make Him the Lord of their lives..
   Jesus promised us that if we would love and submit to Him, He and His Heavenly Father would come and make their abode within us..Another reason I believe Jesus is the only begotten Son of God..Jesus has reconciled me to my Heavenly Father..Now both Jesus and God live within my heart..I now have access to the throne of God because of what Jesus the Son of God did while He was on earth. My sins have been forgiven and I can rest in the arms God unashamed..I celebrate the birth of my Savior Jesus Christ this month...God's Son, Jesus the Messiah is my Everlasting Father, my Mighty God, The Prince of Peace and most of all my friend...
    
                                     Wesley Jones

The Selective Amnesia Of Socialism

    Many in the occupy Wall Street movement are too young to remember the cold war and what life was like behind the bamboo and iron curtains..Many are calling for the overthrow of the free market in favor of a planned socialist economy..They naively have fallen for the socialist Utopian myth that brought so much human misery to the twentieth century..Not only would a serious study of economics help enlighten them, but just a rudimentary  knowledge of the history of socialism and free market economies..Our current problems pale in comparison to the poverty socialism created in places like the former Soviet Union and eastern Europe..
    Socialism brought to the last century a brutality and politically caused poverty and starvation such as had never been known to the world before..Socialism produced the Bolsheviks, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot, etc..Socialism where it was practiced in it's entirety brought one party totalitarianism. Along with the total loss of religious and economic freedom.. Countries who have gone the socialists route historically have created weak anemic economies unable to meet their populations basic needs. North Korea and Cuba have socialist economies...Unbelievably there are those in this country who know so little about economic history they would take us in the same direction..
     There is nothing wrong with government trying to help the less fortunate among us..However historically the best way to produce the wealth to do so has been free and open markets..The mentality that if everyone can not succeed, no one should be allowed to succeed, is based upon envy not sound economics..Capitalism alone will not make our country free and prosperous. A moral common ground that in the past was supplied by Biblical Christianity is needed. Freedom can only be maintained by those who are morally capable of governing themselves..
    Political, religious and economic liberty have historically produced  free and prosperous nations..It is no accident those nations have had in the past a Biblical and Christian foundation..

                         Wesley Jones

When The Fear Of Being Made Fun Of Determines Your Beliefs..

    In the early 1980s I began my inquiry into the evolution-creation debate..I quickly realized true science often took a back seat to the battle over public perception..When I began my inquiry evolution had been the entrenched dogma of academia for decades..Because the belief in evolution is not accompanied by any moral code, or any incentive to be fair and truthful about any evidence contradicting it. It could be defended without science, often through the courts and politics..
    The evidence claimed as proof of evolution's scientific certainty used in text books in my childhood. I later learned was disputed or even proven to be a hoax.. There is no moral incentive to be honest and truthful about the short comings of evolutionary theory..It is seldom defended by scientific method. It is often used as a religious litmus test to exclude it's detractors...Evolution is based upon an amoral world view and is promoted couched in scientific terms..It is believed by millions with little or no scientific knowledge, simply because they are told not to believe it would be irrational..In the case of evolution the fear of being made fun of, far out weighs the scientific evidence..
     I have many friends and acquaintances who are certain evolution is a valid scientific explanation for origins. When I ask them to defend their position scientifically they haven't the slightest idea where to even begin..They believe it because the social cost is too high not to believe it...Evolutionists have framed the debate not on science but in religious terms and the popularity of their beliefs...They have promoted the idea that all scientists in every field believe evolution to be true..When in fact thousands of accredited scientist in every discipline know that science has left Darwinian evolution in the dust..The fear of being considered old fashion. a religious fanatic, or not in the mainstream has led more people to believe in evolution than any of its scientific arguments..
    Evolutionist's have made the social costs so high for anyone who contradicts them, belief in evolution is driven more by fear than science. For those who are truly interested in the scientific study of origins there are brave scientists who have risked their careers and published the scientific evidence against evolution on the internet..

                                     Wesley Jones

There Is No Such Thing As A Moral Vacuum

    In the early part of the twentieth century " higher criticism" ( debunking the Bible ) was all the rage in the universities across the western world.. For centuries the Bible had been the under pinning of western civilization..It offered a moral code of conduct and a foundation for reason, politics and philosophy..There was no place more adept at creating doubt about the Biblical God than the top universities in pre-World War Two Germany...Because what one believes is morally acceptable governs all aspects of our lives, it is impossible to be devoid of moral opinions and still be able to function.
     The Nazis and Marxists moved in quickly to fill the void in Europe. Richard Wurmbrand the founder of , The Voice Of The Martyrs said his communist captors often reminded him during torture; there is no God, no punishment for evil, no reward for good, we can do what we want. As Europe and the United States, (in a lesser degree), forget and unravel their Biblical foundations looking in vain for moral neutrality. Other world views such as Islam and militant socialism stand in the wings waiting to fill the void..
    Many if not most of the criticisms of the Bible taught in the twentieth century have been answered by science and Biblical apologists..Historically the Bible still remains the only moral system of thought that has yet to build anything close to a free and just society. The sermon on the mount, the golden rule, the ten commandments were the foundations western society was built upon. As we in ignorance of history move further from our Biblical roots. I am afraid we are heading for the religious tyranny of Islam, or a pagan-atheist, socialist totalitarianism.
    Christianity when not controlled by government and lived according to the Bible not only promotes a just society, but also a free one as well..

                                         Wesley Jones

Some Things The Occupy Wall Street Movement Might Want To Consider

   Our constitution gives us all the right to peacefully assemble and petition our government. However, we do not have the right to shut down commerce without due process..We do not have the right to destroy public or private property as a form of protest..We have the right to use our public parks and streets to voice our political beliefs. We do not have the right to render public places unusable by the rest of society who pay for their upkeep..
    I saw an interview with a protester who claimed to be a spokesman for BAMN ( by any means necessary). She believed that any form of protest no matter how violent and destructive is justified to bring about the destruction of capitalism and to usher in socialism.. I know it is a tired cliche, but anarchy really is the cruelest form of tyranny..No one has any rights or protection..The end justifies the means mentality made the last century the most violent and oppressive in human history..It ushered in the era of Hitler and Stalin..There is a difference between principled protest that can bring about productive change, and lawless revolution..
    I, like many of the protesters believe there is too much outside lobbied monetary influence (corporate and otherwise). It corrupts the decisions many of our politicians make..I do not believe that tearing everything down and disregarding the property and civil rights of others is a wise or effective form of change..We need principled people who will use principled methods to bring about peaceful change..The ( by any means necessary) attitude will bring about only  misery and poverty, violence and tyranny..

                                    Wesley Jones



    

Why I Believe Evolution Is Antithetical To A Belief In A Just God

   The evolution, creation debate goes to the very core of the argument about the  nature of God . It addresses whether God is a loving all powerful God, or a passive indifferent observer..Did God create a world perfect and pain free, only to have it stained by a rebellious creatures? Or did He devise a world predicated on death, disease, suffering and violence? The God of the Holy Bible claims to have created a world in perfection and innocence. The god of evolution claims the world came into existence through violent, painful trial and error. I refuse to bow the knee to evolution's god..Even if evolution's god did exist it would lack the compassion and power to create a just after life..If God lacks the power and compassion to create the mature, perfect world explained in Genesis, who is to say He has the power, or even desire to create a better existence  for us in the next life..
    Evolution's god is the god of chance...It is ignorant and blind stumbling through time straining at perfection..It has no sense of justice, fair play nor any reward for good and punishment for evil..The God of the Bible has proven His creative genius in the book of Genesis..He created a universe without death, disease and suffering. He created beings with the ability to be noble and creative themselves, but also with a free and independent will..We are not bound by instinct and chance. We are created eternal beings made in the image of God..We can worship the God of the Bible who created us in perfection and placed us in the Garden of Eden..Or we can continue to rebel against Him and bring even more death and suffering into a world that was never meant to be a place of sorrow..
    The god of evolution has never known perfection, only millions of years of death, violence, filth and disease..The only promise the god of evolution promises is that maybe in a few billion years through trial and error it might get it right.. The Biblical God of perfection promises us justice, mercy and eternal joy as soon as this life is over.. I would never worship a god who created innocent beings through death and suffering..The God of the Bible created our world without death and pain. Our sin and that of the fallen angels have marred His creation. But God did not leave us without remedy. He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to restore our souls now, and a promise to restore our fallen world later. I choose to worship and trust the God of the Bible who has proven His perfection and compassion by creating the world without millions of years of suffering and death..

                               Wesley Jones

Kingdom Come !

    From the garden of Eden forward God's people have been looking to when God's promised Messiah would rule the earth as king in truth and justice. There has always been a spiritual representation of God's kingdom on earth..Those who did not deny God's existence and sought to know and please Him.. From the time of Seth, Adam's son, through to the time of John the Baptist, that kingdom was hid in the hearts of God's people..John began to preach that the promised Messiah and King had come to earth..The kingdom or ruler had come and was manifested to the world. Mankind then proceeded in squandering a unique once in a life time opportunity.
    The prophet Malachi in the last two verses of the Old Testament warned us; " Behold I will send you Elijah, the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the lord; And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."  Jesus told his disciples John the Baptist was the promised Elijah..The curse I believe was a time of wrath the Bible calls the "great tribulation". If John the Baptist's message had been heeded Christ would have set up His kingdom then and there. There would have been no need of a time of wrath and tribulation. But John was beheaded and our king and Christ was crucified. The curse lies before us...
     There is still hope for those who have submitted to Christ and entered into His spiritual kingdom..We are promised we will be kept from that terrible time if we remain faithful until Jesus returns...The curse all of mankind could have avoided, if only they would have heeded the words of John the Baptist, has been set in stone and looms before us..For seven years a dreadful curse will afflict mankind, afterwards Jesus Christ will return with the people who made up His spiritual kingdom through the ages and we will rule and reign with Him forevermore..
     Because Christ said that only His Father knows the hour of His return our duties as Christians are both short and long term.. Our job until Christ returns is to try and get as many people as we can into the spiritual kingdom of Jesus Christ..That is best achieved in societies based upon liberty and justice. The apostles taught that it is God's will that all of mankind come to the knowledge of truth..They also taught our duty is not limited to making life better for only Christians, but our duty while we wait for Christ is to make the world a better place for all of mankind in anyway possible..

                                  Wesley Jones

Why I Am Certain Jesus Christ Is The Messiah

    I have studied many if not most of the world's religions in some detail.. What sets Jesus Christ apart from the rest of humanity can be summed up in one word, Mercy! Not only does the Biblical Jesus offer mercy equally to all. He teaches his followers to be merciful as well ( not all who claim to be his followers live by this unfortunately). There is no other act more beneficial and comforting to the soul of man than receiving, or extending mercy..Nothing is so antithetical to our nature as forgiveness without reparation..The mercy taught and offered by Christ is beyond ordinary man's ability to construct or invent. It is of divine origin there is no other example of it in all of human history.
    The number of Old Testament prophecies Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled is astounding. If one were to reject the New Testament account of Jesus as prejudicial. The amount of secular evidence we have regarding His life is beyond reasonable debate; Jesus is the Messiah prophesied hundreds of years before His appearance in the historical record..( Since the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls the age of those prophesies and the time Jesus lived are no longer in doubt.) Isaiah Chapter 53 and the 22nd Psalm alone give a detailed account of the life, suffering and death of the historical Jesus..
     I believe Jesus performed all the miracles attributed to Him in the New testament. But even if He had not done one of them His teachings are so profound and beyond human ability. I would still believe He is the promised Messiah..I also know from personal experience. There was a time I had nothing invested personally in Jesus Christ. I had only heard of Him. In a time of great trouble and anguish of soul I cried out for Him to forgive and save me. He heard me, forgave me, restored my soul and saved me out of all my troubles..This alone is more evidence than I need to believe that He indeed is all He and the Bible claim Him to be..Beyond any doubt whatsoever, I believe the Biblical  Jesus Christ is God's Messiah, and the only begotten Son of the living God..
                           Wesley Jones

I Would Be Thy Friend.

If rhetoric were carefully weighed.
And reason heard above the din.
If hate human bonds not frayed.
Despite all, I would be thy friend.

My children laugh, cry, same as thine.
We love and toil for much the same end.
Thy heart aches at loss same as mine.
If you knew me, I would be thy friend.

Mad agendas, cruel words litter our path.
Lunatics proclaim, to love would be the end.
Blinded by the insanity of anger and wrath.
But given a choice, I would  be thy friend...

        Wesley Jones
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The Holy Bible And Politics..This may surprise you !

    The Bible does not give us a detailed political treatise on which we can govern ourselves.. It does however give us moral principles and God's view of government..It also gives us a few commands we are to obey when dealing with government..One of the most detailed references to our responsibility towards political leadership can be found in the book of 1st Timothy chapter 2, " I exhort, therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men..For kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty...For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God, our savior..Who will have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth"...
    There will never be a time; short of when Christ reigns on earth, when we will agree with everything those in authority promote or do.. We can constantly try to over throw authority that is not in 100% agreement with us, or we can work within the system and pray for those who hold power..God has promised us He is in control when He gave us this verse in Proverbs 21, " The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turneth it withersoever He will ".. Aberrations like the dictators Hitler and Stalin are a result of the people turning to their own devices to settle old scores and to throw off all restraint..
      Our prayers for our leaders to make wise, honest and effective decisions are not only encouraged by God, but they carry a lot of weight with Him also..The alternative is unremitting political turmoil and civil war..When the electorate makes a poor decision and elects candidates unqualified; either intellectually or morally, it is because the populace is either in need of knowledge, or in defiance of God, and  trying thwart His revealed will.. Both can bring about incredible human suffering..Either way once someone is in power it behooves us to pray that God enlightens and guides them whether they were our choice or not...
    Those who have served in the military during, or lived through a civil war, will tell you the toll in human suffering and the injustices visited upon ordinary citizens are monstrous...I don't fear when my choice for a political office is defeated because I know God hears and considers my prayers for the winner..When politics become all about party, ethnic, and sectarian  religious views, and not about sound governance, effective policy and moral principle..People become impatient and unreasonable.. Politics becomes about personality, style and charisma. The Bible teaches; My people perish for the lack of knowledge..Our job as citizens is to promote sound policy backed by moral principle..This takes hard work in acquiring knowledge and wisdom needed for discernment..
   Policy and governance are intricate science..None of us are all knowing experts..Our politicians need our prayers because their job is crucial and full of repercussions..In a nation built around individual liberty none of us are going to always get our way politically..Everyone has the right to criticize politicians in any way they choose..I have found more often then not most issues are about ideas not individuals..It is far more effective to take on ideas rather than people. (It is also more work)..Every person who occupies an official position of political leadership has my sincere prayers..I pray they will stay the course when their cause is just, and will be flexible in areas of doubt..
    If we were to become a nation of people who passionately prayed for our leaders, and our leaders sought to govern according to the moral principles found in the Holy Bible. Our nation would not only be more just and stable but also more prosperous and of greater help to other nations..Solutions to our political problems are not outside of God's purview or our ability to address in prayer.. Respect for God's Holy written word is needed by not only those doing the governing but also by the governed..Rather than trying to tear down individual politicians I try my best to pray for them and teach  solid Biblical principles that I believe could help and heal my country..

                                          Wesley Jones

     

Lay Me gently At Heaven's Door

If my tears do no good, nor water a greater plan.
If my struggles benefit not me, nor my fellowman.
If my suffering helps no one in life's troubled span.
Wipe my mother's tears, and lay me gently at heavens door.

If love of God and  friend hath no earthly pay.
If here faith hath no reward, in this dark day.
If wisdom sought, and  hard work hath no sway.
All memory of me bury, and lay me gently at heaven's door.

    Wesley Jones

Life, It Aint Easy

We wash our face straighten our clothes.
Smile, join the parade, ring the bell.
While we fool others heaven knows.
Life is hard, our sorrow we quell.

There is joy and some happiness.
Times of ease, occasional peace.
They are too few we must confess.
Cares and toils here seldom cease.

But alas Heaven knows.
and even cares.

 Wesley Jones

Why Is There So Much Division In Christianity ?

       Where there is liberty there is variety. Not all people have the same tastes, background or level of knowledge. Many people view the diversity in Christianity as a flaw or an excuse to dismiss it. There are some divisions that are detrimental. The division between the churches who believe the Bible to be the word of God and those who believe to be just literature is a serious one.. I am a Biblical Christian. The Jesus I worship is the Jesus of the Bible. The rules and standards I govern my life by are the ones found in the scriptures. My first allegiance is to what I believe to be the word of God, The Holy Bible.
    Because my knowledge of God and scripture is incomplete and limited I attend church to learn from others. Unlike many Christians I feel free to attend many different kind of churches..( I have found sinners and saints in all of them.). Some of the church services I have been in were awe inspiring. While others bordered on being dreadful and something to be endured. But I can honestly say I am a better person for attending each and every service I went to. Our churches and denominations are imperfect because we are imperfect.. Many (but not all ) of the divisions found in Christianity were fostered by noble attempts to offer something a parent church did not offer. Some enhanced the kingdom of God, some did not.
    What I believe would go a long way in uniting Christianity is not a single denomination or any denomination for that matter. But for each individual church within an organization to strive to produce people who thoroughly search and study the scriptures for themselves. And seek God and His will for their lives on their own. Our ignorance of God and His word is what divides us..It also leaves us vulnerable to false teachers and those who would use us for monetary gain. Our collective and individual knowledge of the Bible unites us as a Christian people.Without coercion or loss of liberty. I believe it is the church leadership's job to produce free and educated Christians who are capable of governing themselves. I believe that is something we could all agree on.

                                                           Wesley Jones