"WHO DO PEOPLE SAY THAT I AM?"

In the world today I have heard many discussions on religion and in my writing I am not here to deny or dispute any of them. In fact I believe Muhammad is who he says he was and even Buddha, and the Jewish God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But there IS a man who walks this earth making many claims to who HE IS. Two thousand (~2000) years ago He willingly suffered and died the most gruesome death never denying his divinity or his humanity for the sake of SAVING THE WORLD FROM THEIR SINS. It does not matter how good you have lived your life. As Jesus says, Whoever without sin cast the first stone. Can you cast the first stone?

God is a God of Love, but he is also a God of Justice and Mercy and as the psalmists David 51:6-7, said"Against you alone have I sinned; and done what is evil in your sight. You are rght when you pass sentence and blameless in your judgement. For I have been guilt ridden from birth, a sinner from my mothers womb."

BUT in
John 3:16 "GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE US HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON THAT WHO EVER BELIEVE IN HIM WILL NOT WALK IN DARKNESS BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. "

Just to quote a few of Jesus statements recorded in his own words,

• " I am the way, the truth and the life, no one can come to the Father but through me."
• "I am the Living bread that came down from heaven."
• "I am the Light of the world, he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of Life"
• "I did not come to condemn the world but to save it"
• "Before Abraham was I AM"
• "Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.

And everywhere Jesus walks there are miracles of healing, signs and wonders and people being set free. Free from sin and all types of strongholds, starting from the day Jesus was born, because that day the Kingdom of Heaven came to earth and it is a foreshadow/foretaste of our life in eternity.

As Jesus said in the gospel of John, "Which part do you want to stone Me for?" Jesus to the samaritan woman at Jacobs well, if you only know who is asking you for a drink, you would ask him for living water. She says sir, when the Messiah comes he will tell us everything, then Jesus says, "I AM HE"

Therefore Jesus in his infinite wisdom asks this question to all of us in the gospel of Mark 8:27 and other gospels

Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, "WHO DO PEOPLE SAY THAT I AM?"

The question we should all be asking is Who is Jesus? And is He all He claims to be?
It is either He is who He says He is or He is not. If He is who He says He is then those who do not believe or are not sure, need to be absolutely certain of what they believe in, because eternity is a very very very long time to live in darkness and suffering. I am absolutely certain if you seek God with all your heart and repent of your sins, you will respond as Simon Peter did,

"YOU ARE THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD"

Sheppard Me Oh God

Jesus in the Gospel of John 10: 14, 10 says “I am the Good Sheppard” “I know my sheep and my sheep knows me. The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy but I ( Jesus) have come so they may have life and have it to the full."

Who is your Sheppard? What and who's voice are you listening too and by what authority do they speak? Who is promising to give you life to the full? There are lots of voices, which one are you listening too?

The first time I heard my Sheppard’s voice and then after heard the scripture from John 10: 14 read in mass, the tears streamed down my face. For many years I knew God existed but I did not realise that HE spoke and spoke so clearly. Thus I write this, inorder for you to take the first step, to know Jesus Christ and listen to his voice. He will teach you to recognize his voice. He is alive today as he was 2000 years ago. Take that first step, start with 10 minutes a day in silence, read the gospel of John, the psalms and listen for God to speak to your heart. Seek Him with all your heart, while he is yet to be found. Pay attention and wait.

Seek truth and ask the Holy Spirit for the gift of discernment. In conversation with my colleagues, there are lots of quotes used to debate an issue, and their answers may sound plausible, but when you truely delve into the depths of what is being said, there is no foundation for it to stand. They are excuses that we rationalize in our minds to escape with sin, because honestly we lack the strength of character to truly LOVE. True love is tested by the deprivation of oneself for the good of the other. In Genesis the serpent said to eve. "Did God really say that you must not eat from this tree in the garden?" You will not surely die. For god knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." It is the rationalization of a half truth to gratify oneself is what started this. The sorry state of it all to make ourselves feel better we invite a few friends to fall along with us, because if they agree then surely it must be the right thing, just as Eve invited Adam to eat of the fruit. It is called disobedience to the simple law God set in place to give us LIFE in ABUNDANCE.

We are constantly trying to claim for ourselves what belongs to God. Stop and Trust God with your life and impossible circumstances. Let go of the rationalizing and our reliance in human strength and be still and know that Jesus Christ is God, listen for His still small voice, leading you on the path that few travel, but will launch you into everlasting life.