God the ultimate authority!

(Romans 9:14) “What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means!”

“For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:6-8) 

Therefore we must reason with “the mind of Christ” and not with human intellect, get this wrong and we will be left clutching at straws. We must believe what Paul teachers and resist all that opposes God’s Word.

We ended yesterday’s blog with an example on Judas. Let us now unpack some of the objections Paul received on the sovereignty and will of God. It is tiring to have to contend over this matter, but the word is very clear and Paul does not mince his words, so neither will I!

We all have choices that need to be made on a daily basis, we brush our teeth, comb our hair and eat breakfast, or we chose not too! The choice is the individuals, I speak to adults. Billions of decisions happening on earth throughout the day, this is where so many become unstuck. For a long time I battled to see and accept that I was not in control but God is in complete control and yet it was me making the choices and therefore guilty as charged.

Although men and woman throughout the ages have been called to follow Christ, we understand that the book of life was written before creation. Some would like to suggest that it was by chance and our actions play their part. With God there is no chance but only certainty. Everything in life is for this one purpose to glorify God for who He is. Sin depicts who He is not and yet without understanding sin how would we comprehend the enormity of who God actual is? Opposite extremes, one good and the other evil; God is good but Satan is evil! And yet both part of His eternal script magnifying His brilliance and glory.

Paul’s wisdom is delightful to unravel as he anticipates the objections of his readers before they have time to object…

“This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said: "About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son." And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac,” (Romans 9:8-10): - Now here comes the curve ball for some, automatically resisted by the natural mind; “though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad— (why?) in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls-- she was told, "The older will serve the younger." As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” - With that said men throw up their arms, even amongst the Christian, but Paul anticipates every objection; “What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” (Romans 9:14-16)

It is the natural mind that now looks to go into overdrive with their objections, but who do we think we are?

“For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."

So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. (Romans 9:17-18)   

When we are settled on that understanding we move to this conclusion; “You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" (Romans 9:19): - surely I am no longer to blame if that be true. We are nevertheless responsible for all our actions, God has so willed it! “But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?" Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? (It is not as if God needs to explain himself to man but here then is one of the reasons) What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—“ (Romans 9:20-23)

My conclusion then; God in perfect control of both the save and unsaved alike. He has selected those whom will be vessels unto honour and well as vessels of dishonour. Nevertheless we are all responsible for our actions and will be judged accordingly. And if we do not like Paul’s teaching, tough! These are the facts; all we now need do is wrestle with all our might’s in and through the Lord Jesus Christ to end up as vessels of honour. Although it has already been written, we in that sense do not know whose names have been written where. We all have an obligation to call upon the name of the Lord and find salvation. I encourage you to call with vigour! The Lord Jesus Christ is the apple of God’s eye find Him and we find life.

Signing off

Tyrone      

     

Who is my brother?

(Mark 3:35) “For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother."

I thank God for His gentle rebuke in the way a loving father gently correct a misguided child. This privilege afforded his children is looked upon in the heaven realm, with if it were possible, this thought travelling through the minds of many heavenly hosts; “what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalms 8:4): - And yet even with all our weakness as men and women, it still pleased the Lord to send His Son to die in our place, thank you Father God! I do not make reference to us prior to salvation, those who were once dead in their trespasses and sins; I make mention to those who live.

Having said that we also know that God is a consuming fire; “For our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:29)

I wonder throughout life how many times I have stretched the grace of God to accommodate some selfish act, mostly relating to sin of some sort. In other words if and when I place myself before God or a brother then I am guilty as charged. We are clearly taught that if we love our neighbor as ourselves we prove that we love God. If not then John has this to say; “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.” (1John 2:9-12)

Why is it that we stumble at times? I would suggest that if we love our brother we will not stumble as we abide in the light. "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? (Matthew 7:1-4)

Who was the Lord Jesus addressing in this text? Was it not those who opposed Him, those who thought they knew better, and those who used the law to find justification? Nevertheless these men were spiritually dead; “how then can a dead man be judged?” is where I finished yesterday.

It is obvious that even the dead will be judged and they will be responsible for every one of their actions; we are clearly taught that at the “White Throne Judgment” every knee will bow and confess Jesus as Lord, praise His name! “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.” (Revelation 20:11-12)

The greatest of all biblical expositors is undoubtedly the Apostle Paul. In fact he even stresses this point, making it clear to his readers that what he penned is his gospel and not another’s; “on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. (Romans 2:16)

Therefore although the dead never find salvation in and through the blood of the Lamb, they will never escape judgment. I trust this is clearly understood.

Let us now consider the sovereignty of God with that thought in mind. Why then do some find life and others not? There are many opinions on this topic, but let us not focus on the minds of men if in fact that is all it is, men’s carnal reasoning.

Paul knew he would receive various objections pertaining to this question and so in his brilliance, he deals with it concisely and with precision. Lets us therefore unpack and follow some of his calculation…

Let us firstly lay a platform to build upon. We understand that God created the heavens and the earth before we were created. Now if we who are simple in comparison wish to build a house, do we not first get a draftsman or architect to design and draw up the plans? God in his mastery has mapped His plan out from beginning to end, that then must involve every fascist to His plan. If the builder miscalculated any of his measurement by millimeters, how then would the finished house be perfect? It wouldn’t be! And we know that God is perfect, in other words nothing can be added to His person or character, if something could be added this would mean He has flaws, which He obviously hasn’t! Therefore everything he does will ultimately end in perfection!

We may say if God is perfect, how can this world be in such a mess, sin on every corner. Murders, starvation, crime, rape and child abuse the order of the day. Obviously far from a perfect world! This is where we start to enter into the brilliance of His domain and I will not suppose to speak on His behalf as if I had all the answers, but this I will say, God is in perfect control and it will be understood by all at the appointed time. He has written His script and every “t” will be crossed with every “i” doted. There will be no exception! Praise the name of Jesus as He is the pivot of this perfect plan.

Some will respond to the gospel and some won’t, some will respond for their bellies sake while others learn to lay down their lives for Him. Some will need to be physically broken in order to learn obedience and for this I am truly thankful, “God chastens those whom He loves”. Some will be imprisoned and martyred while others not and so forth. And then their will be those who are the enemy of the cross, those who oppose the gospel with everything they have and yet that is also part of His plan, it was preordained. Here is a specific example that clearly spells it out; “Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.” (Luke 22:3-6): - Was this Judas’ decision or was it part of God preordained plan? The answer is clearly understood if we stick to the teaching of scripture and we remove our carnal rational. Here is what it teachers; “The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." Judas, who would betray him, answered, "Is it I, Rabbi?" He said to him, "You have said so." (Matthew 26:24-25): - We see a clear warning from the Lord directed at Judas and yet he did not repent, why not? It had been written, it was part of the script! And yet we are taught; “but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born."   

 Nevertheless still responsible for his actions! Time is up, Lord willing we will conclude this topic in tomorrow’s blog and hopefully we will have a clearer understanding on God’s Sovereignty and how His plan plays out in the lives of all.

Signing off

Tyrone

God in perfect control!

(Psalms 135:6) “Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.”

This thought will need a few entries to be understood…

There is much in today’s societies that looks to challenge God’s sovereignty (power and rule); on the one hand the masses acknowledge that a greater power exists and yet with the same breathe they believe him to be whoever they will him to be, or she if that is a better fit. “Mother nature” is often coined in common dialog. Come and let us reason together; is there anything random when it comes to scientific evidence concerning so many facets of the planet earth and its surrounding sphere? Does not the sun rise and set precisely as God has ordained? Of course it does, there is nothing random about it. What about the seas and their borders, there are no dam wall holding back the waters. God has commanded and so even the waters obey His voice; “Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.” (Psalms 135:6): - “Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, and said, 'Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed'? "Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place.” (Job 38:8-12)  

 

Of late I have witnessed a TV series called “Flash Forward”, a story based on fate and how some try to change the events of the future. Man’s attempt to reason it all out and manipulate the inevitable. Do you think this is possible?

My mind has been extremely active considering “forgiveness” in conjunction to God’s “sovereignty”. Without revisiting this topic, which in turn leaves us with the obvious conclusion, that God, the Only true God, the God who exists and the One who rules the entire universe, the creator of the heavens and the earth, who in fact proved to the world that Jesus Christ the Lord is in fact the only true Messiah. How was this done, God rose Him from the dead and there are many witnesses to this truth. It is this Jesus who now has given mankind a life line that through His death, burial and resurrection left a path open for many to make it to heaven; there is however only one way to God the Father and that is through His beloved son the Lord Jesus Christ, every other message is a lie!

Although I am persuaded with all my heart, it is not only my opinion, but the Bibles teachings make this finding very clear. It leaves everyone with a choice; they will either accept or reject Christ as the only true Messiah. This message is open to every ethnic group across the globe, regardless of one’s upbringing. But chose you must!

With that said can a dead man act to a command? Obviously a rhetorical question that we all know the answer too, it would be impossible! So unless God gives the dead life, they remain dead. It is an act of God. We are called to repentance and we will never find it unless we are given life, it is only when we find life that we are able to respond. Let us not over think it as it is simple; without a spiritual birth, we have no beginning spiritually. We are aware of our natural birth because we live and so is it with our spiritual existence. Did we choose our natural birth? Obviously not! Are we aware of our natural lives if we live, obviously! Did we chose our own spiritual birth, how could we of, if we were dead spiritually, but now that we live spiritually are we aware of our spiritual lives? Yes! It is the goodness of God that leads a man to repentance, never forget it! It has nothing to do with the will of man. God is sovereign, from beginning to end; is man therefore responsible for his own life, yes we have all been subjected to the laws of the land, break them and we will pay the price if caught. Is man responsible for His spiritual life? Yes! The same principle applies. But what if a man is never quicken spiritually? How can a dead man be judged?

I have run out of time, food for thought then…

Until tomorrow then,

Signing off

Tyrone  

Confessing the Gospel!

(Matthew 10:32) “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.”

To what extent am I willing to go for the sake of the gospel? Will I suffer friendships, lose relationships with family members or lose financial stability because I preach Christ and Him crucified. Without breaking that down; as it has many variables to consider with heaps of opinion attached to any of those conversations. Nevertheless, we will all be tried under the same banner, which will read something like this; “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32): - Without Christ confessing our names to His heavenly Father we will remain barred from heavens number; “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.” (Revelation 3:5): - There are many serious considerations to the Lord Jesus confessing our names before God the Father and proclaiming the gospel is amongst that number. This then is a rather serious consideration!

With that said the responsibility of confessing the gospel to others then depends on the individual. However having said that let us remember that the human body has many parts to it and so with that understood not all will have the same function. Some will be more vocal than others, that is a given! But we all speak; confession is a sign if you like, proving where an individual stands on any given topic. If they are “green” give even the shyest person and opportunity to save the planet and they will be quick to voice their opinion.

It is our own agenda’s that force us into corners, we remain silent where and when we should be vocal. Here is a recorded example; “Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue;” (John 12:42)

Yet there were others that had this testimony; Stephen the greatest of examples, a man so persuaded and concerned for the well-being of those who still walked in the dark, laid everything on the line to preach the gospel with this one intention that some might come to the light, the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. This is his story…

“Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly instigated men who said, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and they set up false witnesses who said, "This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us." And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” (Acts 6:9-15)

Acts chapter 7 gives a detail account of what he had to say concerning the gospel but we pick it up in verse 54…

“Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” (Act 7:54-60): - A thought that now come to mind is this; “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36) 

He was content to lose his life so that others may find salvation in and through the gospel. Was this not rather extreme, that it was! but how did God feel about His commitment? The text teachers us that the Lord Jesus was pleased with Stephen, look at His reaction; “and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." It pleased the Lord to such an extent that in the heavens, the celestial realm, He stood up off His chair and witnessed Stephen sacrifice. Praise God for accounts like this! It reminds us of Christ’s dedication to all who belong to Him.

We have two examples from scripture, those who believed but remain silent for fear of losing out, or that of Stephen who forsook all for the sake of the gospel. Where do we stand? I know where I stand if I am honest with myself, a far cry short of Stephens example. My prayer Father God would be that you would stir up the gift I received at salvation and that my mouth would be quick to proclaim the gospel. Instill a resolve in all you children’s hearts to be quick to confess Christ’s achievements regardless of the cost.

May we never forget the price it cost our glorious Saviour to bring us to understanding.

Signing off

Tyrone     

Faithfulness!

(2Timothy 2:12) “It is a faithful saying-If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him”

As Christians we are to be solely dependent on free grace to get us home, but in order to walk in obedience we need to follow God’s Word to the best of our knowledge at any given time. The Bible is full of warnings, red flags if you like; Wolves in sheep’s clothing, tainted doctrine, misguided lusts, or believing a lie to be the truth i.e. pretending that we have received something when in fact we haven’t. It is this thought that I want us to consider; “It is a faithful saying-If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him” and not the lie from the wolf in sheep’s clothing, which is, without blessings of material wealth we cannot be sure of our salvation. That is not sound doctrine but false!

Since I became aware of my need to depend upon the Lord Jesus as my God and King, I have often prayer for someone or something, to be more accurate every day consist of this type of dialog between the child of God and the only true God, or at least it should! I suppose we all may lose focus at times, not that this will excuse us. Every day is filled with various challenges that look to get us to forget Calvary and we need to find grace from the "throne room of grace" to overcome our deficiencies, which in turn will help us focus on our hope, heaven, instead of the distracting trial. The trial is there to teach us to look up, it is a help and not a hindrance. We must put on the mind of Christ! It is the God the Holy Spirit that leads us into these trials teaching us what Christ endured here on earth.

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” (Matthew 4:1): - We are also taught to pray like this; “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:13): - It is then obvious we need to seek God’s face in prayer to avoid times of trial through temptation, but there must also be times in our lives where the trials must come to train us up in the ways of righteousness. This must be clearly understood!   

  

We must explore all that is faithful, trustworthy! Times will get harder for the Christian; we must pay solemn attention to this, our basic training. It is the fit healthy soldier who has trained with due diligence who will reap the reward when asked to perform. There were ten virgins with lamps, but only those with oil in their lamps were ready for the bridegroom, the other five found themselves scrambling when they should have been ready; "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, 'Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.” (Matthew 25:1-10): - Yes, I am suggesting that our view with regard to the trials in our lives, will leave us in either camp. Constantly run from them and we will lack oil when called upon.

What then is my point? We must latch on to all that is faithful and disregard suppositions and the like. We must view the trial of life not as an isolated incident but we must see it as it works in conjunction with all that is faithful. What then is faithful? Here are some faithful sayings…

“Paul has four of these “faithful sayings.” The first occurs in 1Ti_1:15, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” The next is in 1Ti_4:6, “Godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation.” The third is in 2Ti_2:12, “It is a faithful saying-If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him”; and the fourth is in Tit_3:3, “This is a faithful saying, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works.” We may trace a connection between these faithful sayings. The first one lays the foundation of our eternal salvation in the free grace of God, as shown to us in the mission of the great Redeemer. The next affirms the double blessedness which we obtain through this salvation-the blessings of the upper and nether springs-of time and of eternity. The third shows one of the duties to which the chosen people are called; we are ordained to suffer for Christ with the promise that “if we suffer, we shall also reign with him.” The last sets forth the active form of Christian service, bidding us diligently to maintain good works. Thus we have the root of salvation in free grace; next, the privileges of that salvation in the life which now is, and in that which is to come; and we have also the two great branches of suffering with Christ and serving with Christ, loaded with the fruits of the Spirit. Treasure up these faithful sayings. Let them be the guides of our life, our comfort, and our instruction. The apostle of the Gentiles proved them to be faithful, they are faithful still, not one word shall fall to the ground; they are worthy of all acceptation, let us accept them now, and prove their faithfulness. Let these four faithful sayings be written on the four corners of my house.” (C.H.Spurgeon)

Therefore let no one tell you that as Christians we shouldn’t suffer, that is a lie from pit of hell itself. It may not be pleasant; it was never intended to be. But remember this encouragement; “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12): --And— “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” (1Peter 4:12)

Signing off

Tyrone

  

A New Commandment!

(John 13:34) “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

Wherever there is smoke there must be fire or at least the potential of a flame. Smoke may be useful when retrieving honey from a bee hide; the military whilst under attack may use it as a form of cover. Actually the more I think about it the more I realize the benefit smoke can play at times. It could be used as a signal to save the lost; we cook with it to change the natural savour of food. Yet we resent it so! All have stood around a braai (barbeque) and had the smoke follow them as if it had a personal vendetta. Once it has locked on it is very unpleasant resulting in red and stinging eyes and at times it is so unbearable that one is force to find somewhere else to sit, no matter how entertaining the conversation around the fire may be.

Smoke that irritates drives us away or we look to extinguish it, but it is not so with our God and King; He is patient, kind and we could never ask for a better High Priest, our Saviour is truly magnificent. No matter how full of smoke your life seems to be at times, everyone may look to desert you and where many once stood with you, you now seem to stand alone, take courage in this one fact; “…and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory;” (Matthew 12:20)

Salvation will never be left to the abilities and the tolerances of men; yes we all have our part to play as we are clearly taught that we are particular members of the body of Christ (the church) and we will be judged on how we have functioned as member in particular. However we will often run from the smoke, instead of running to it, helping to fan at it until the flame once again burns bright and clear. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6): - If then there has been a time in your life where peace seemed to be the order of the day but now there is very little of it, remember who is at the reigns, it is our Lord and King, the Lord Jesus Christ. Only remember to call out unto Him as everything is in His hands, He has the keys to heaven and hell. Do not let the trial of this life extinguish the smoking flax.   

Do you know what I love about the character of God? His ways are so far above our ways that when we just get a glimmer of His hand at work it is glorious to witness. When others have written you off, remember He hasn’t! It all began with the Lord Jesus, the Apostle John in his gospel is very clear on this and it will also end with our great King. As Christians we must run to our wounded and not from them, why is it that so many Christians have such resentment at times. Why is it that the Lord is willing to leave the ninety-nine to find the lost sheep but we are not? We see so many Christians making so many bad mistakes and we tend to write them off, but Jesus never!

Remember this story…

“Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.” (Luke 15:13-15): - How many are able to relate to this story on a personal level? Thankfully not many! Yet to some degree all have tasted some form of desertion; betrayal even played a part in Peter’s life; did he not deny the Lord three times? However the more we realise how much we have been forgiven and this would include all the bad choice we have made even after salvation, the more we will love; “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven--for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." (Luke 7:47)   

Why do I now mention this? Well the time is coming when the love of many will wax cold and judgment must begin at the household of God. We must guard our hearts against the hate that will take at will the hearts and minds of so many. We must continue to wrestle with God, striving like Jacob to find a blessing, even if it costs us personally. We must remember what price the Lord paid to set us free, it cost Him His life!

There is a real danger that we will begin to run from each other instead of toward one another. May God hear my cry! Please Father God, guard your children’s hearts in this matter.

It’s the end of the account that is glorious and heaven will be magnificent; "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate.” (Luke 15:17-24)

Now there is one of two ways we could react to similar accounts with others in the church of today. We could take on the mind of Christ or we could let envy have its way; "Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, 'Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'" (Luke 15:25-32)

I love the way God deals with His faithful son, such compassion.

Our God is truly great and there is no comparison to Him, let us learn to embrace His character, glorifying His name, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone  

   

   

Prayer and its power!

It is another morning where many simultaneous thoughts bounce back and forth with no clear direction, not as yet anyway. I will silently sit, listen and pray until I find some bearing…

(James 5:6) “…The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

What would be the benefit of a Christian’s life if he had no access to God the Father through Jesus Christ His Son with God the Holy Spirit as our guide and teacher? We might just as well call on some dumb idol or totem pole or look at some superstition like looking for signs from angels walking around looking for feathers and hopefully they are white and not grey. The blind leading the blind and both will fall into the ditch if they haven’t already. Strong words you may say, but nevertheless true!

There is no place for idolatry in a believer’s life; Horoscopes and the like are nothing more than idolatry; God demands to be acknowledged for who He is, the only true God! He has given us everything in Christ, praise His holy name! But let us be careful to acknowledge Him for who He really is, an awesome God who in one hand holds the access into heaven in and through Christ because He is love. Yet in the other hand He is a consuming fire and He will ultimately destroy all who oppose Him.

“Give glory to the LORD your God before he brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the twilight mountains, and while you look for light he turns it into gloom and makes it deep darkness.” (Jeremiah 13:16): - This then a stern warning; let us look to be free of all in our lives that does not glorify His name and His name alone! “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.” (Thessalonians 5:6)

If we have that understanding as our foundation and a springboard from which to launch our relationship with God our Father, let us then consider the importance of prayer and how it frees us to serve Him. It is the means in which God has chosen to allow sinful men once they have found repentance through the Lord Jesus to communicate with Him. What a privilege and what power!

I am not sure we understand the weight prayer carries for the believer, it is a great gift if use skillfully. Think about this, as a photojournalist I often meet influential and important people and at times I have stood face to face with many a great man, take Nelson Mandela for example; we exchanged words and many people seem to envy me for the opportunity I have been afforded. Yes he is a great man and he has achieved much, but in comparison to the almighty God he is but a man, a sinner in fact, no different to any other, as in need as any other to be set free, to find forgiveness in and through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Every Child of God has the opportunity to call out through prayer to their heavenly Father, Jehovah God, the great I AM, the same God who created the universe, the One who walked and talked with Adam in the garden of Eden and let us never forget why we have this pleasure, it is only because of the Lord Jesus’ obedience, praise His name! Nothing else will do and no other way will give a soul access to God through prayer.

How then should we prayer is the question we should be asking?

"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:5-8)

If God knows what we need before we ask Him why then should we pray? It is the Facilitator through which we can deepen our relationship with Him; God has so willed it, praise His name! It is a means whereby we are able to gain strength to overcome any given trial. It is the way in which we find grace and obtain mercy in time of need. The Lord Jesus taught us this very plainly in the way in which He lived whilst here on earth; it is our greatest weapon if we are to overcome. We must not rely on our own will power to overcome but find grace in time of need through prayer to overcome.

Here is the greatest of examples…

“And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation."” (Luke 22:39-46)

Let us therefore remember to pray as it is only through pray whereby we will find strength to overcome.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6) 

Signing off

Tyrone  

      

The wages of sin is death!

(Romans 6:23) “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Freedom is a word often used to describe liberty or independence. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned on Robben Island for eighteen years  and his life was filled with a struggle against the then governing party, known as the Apartheid Regime. His life was a fight for freedom and he was the voice for so many black South Africans. He achieved something no one else has achieved, he re-united a divided country through democracy and South Africa is now nicknamed the Rainbow Nation. He was the catalyst in getting different ethnic groups to live as neighbours. This idea was taboo for so many white South Africans, it was so shocking that the black citizens of South Africa were forced to carry “a pass book” with them and if a policeman called for it were and when he chose and that individual could not produce the necessary identification document they were thrown in jail or beaten. Think of being a citizen of a particular country, ones place of birth and to constantly live in fear. A terrible thought but nevertheless true.

I have come through both governments in South Africa, both the National Parties rule as well as the ANC and it surprises me that as a boy growing up I was taught that what happened in South Africa was the norm, scary!

Nelson Mandela fought for freedom and he conquered the system, his people are now free, or are they? Sure, they may be free from any racial discrimination, per say, but what really constitutes freedom? The vote is now an equal vote for all South Africans, so all are free to vote, is this true freedom?

It is one thing to be free from alcohol if you were once and alcoholic but you still compulsively lie, as your life was so full of lies because of the habit that ensnared your for so long. One may be free from substance abuse and feel good about it, but unless one is able to get rid of all that associated with that vice, we will never really be free. It may appear that we are free; many might even pat us on the back and compliment us for our efforts.

Be careful of the patchwork in our lives that tricks us into believing we are free, when it is just a smokescreen keeping us from seeking our true freedom. What then is true freedom? There is one enemy that keeps us from peace and freedom in this life and that is “SIN”. It has been this way from the beginning! Life is full of different chapters to our lives; all have had some driving force that feeds and motivates us to pen words to these episodes of life, which in turn leaves us happy or sad. Accusing or excusing!

Think long and hard on the point I make, be honest with yourself, if that be possible and consider your actions throughout a day, just evaluate one day and then ask yourself if you are really free. I am not suggesting that if you once drank but now that drinking is something of the past that you are not free of alcohol, it is a given, you obviously are. But does your mind still question many facets of life trying to make head or tails of what is really the truth? So many options on so many different levels when it comes to varying religions, which one is right? That type of reasoning is tiring and it does not corroborate freedom, but confusion. Freedom goes a lot deeper than just a topic; freedom speaks about a liberty of being free from the bondage of sin and its entrapment. It speaks about a “not guilty” verdict when accusations come against you if you are charged with a particular sin. 

The breaking of God’s laws is common to every single individual. What then separates the Christian from the unbeliever? It is a simple answer; the blood of Christ has covered the sins of all Christians. They will never be charged for sin as the Lord Jesus Christ has died on their behalf. Now that is true freedom! This understanding and gift will only ever be realized if and when we understand our need for a Saviour, when we reach out beyond the measure of our own abilities and we call out to God to save our souls, in and through the One who has already paid the ultimate sacrifice; He has already been charge for the sins of mankind, it cost Him His life. He died so that we could go free. This does not mean we will be free from the daily struggles of life but we will escape the judgment of God which every individual will ultimately face. This then is true freedom! “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

I implore you to look beyond the surface, go a little deeper and ask yourself the questions are you really free?

For those of us who have been set free, this then is my encouragement; learn to live in this freedom as we put of all the sins that so easily beset, always looking to Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith; “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” (Hebrews 12:1-4)

May God mercifully engrave these truths upon our hearts, Amen!   

Signing off

Tyrone

Our Hope is in you Lord!

(Matthew 12:21) “And in his name the Gentiles will hope."

The accuracy of scripture and the importance their instruction plays in our life’s as an imperative in accordance to our wellbeing for this life and the life to come, is crucial. Many Christians do accept the importance of this truth, but will rely on their own interpretation or understanding to any given text. Because of our own deceitful hearts we at times like to fashion text from scripture into the molds of our lives, whatever suits our needs, better put, our lusts! But before long we are taught by God the Holy Spirit through scripture and through life to reason with a sound mind. What then do I mean by this? I am convinced about this truth; The Lord Jesus came to do the will of His Father, Jehovah God; “Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”” (John 4:34); and part of that will is to get us (believers) home to heaven. 

But how do I know this is true, “I know because I know”, is often coined and I too have lay claim to the phrase, but are you willing to place eternity and how it plays out in your life on a warm fuzzy feeling, be careful! We must learn to settle on the Holy Scripture as out text book for life. If not, we may just as well play Russian roulette and hope the bullet designed for death does not find the chamber as we randomly pull the trigger.

My concern for every believer is that some seem to undermine the importance of the Word of God, the Bible! Get it wrong here and it will be like building a house on sand, as soon as the storm hits we come toppling down. In other words as long as life pans out to our liking, we will hold to our faith, but as soon as the pressures of life seem to push down on us, we come toppling down.

It is imperative to hold to Scripture as the be all and end all, it gives direction to our lives. It must come first and not second. Faith has its part to play in application as it proves to us where we stand in this relationship with almighty God. We will be tested, not that God needs to see our hearts on any given topic as He obviously knows all things, but our hearts are then expose through the trial and we see ourselves for who we really are. The trial of life must never captivate us above the Word of God. We must not let them rob us of the promises from God.

Twelve spies went to spy out the Promised Land even though God had promised it to Abraham and then to Moses, so based on His word it was a given. It would happen! Although all the Israelites who came out of Egypt had been in the same company marching through the desert; they all witnessed the same things; manna from heaven, the drowning of the Egyptian Soldiers in the Red Sea and water gushing from a rock. However not all believed God’s Word! Ten of the spies related to the trial of life as unconquerable, they brought back a bad report! They said that the land could not be occupied. But as for Joshua and Caleb, they believed God at His Word even though there were giants in the land and they knew that God was about to give them their inheritance, the Promised Land!

Regardless of the trials of life we must believe our great heavenly Father is in perfect control and take His Word on face value, we must! To find the deeper truths to scripture takes more of an intensive study and we must study to understand, but the promise of God is not dependant on how much we understand but rather on His promise.

May we learn to rely and rest upon His written Word, the Lord Jesus has begun the work and He will complete it on that day, whenever that may be for each of us individually, or when the trump of God may sound.

It is the cares of life that look to choke so many, by they will not exhaust our breath, if our eyes are fixed upon His Word, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Be then encouraged to look to Him and remember…

“Babes in Christ.”

- 1Co_3:1

“Are you mourning, believer, because you are so weak in the divine life: because your faith is so little, your love so feeble? Cheer up, for you have cause for gratitude. Remember that in some things you are equal to the greatest and most full-grown Christian. You are as much bought with blood as he is. You are as much an adopted child of God as any other believer. An infant is as truly a child of its parents as is the full-grown man. You are as completely justified, for your justification is not a thing of degrees: your little faith has made you clean every whit. You have as much right to the precious things of the covenant as the most advanced believers, for your right to covenant mercies lies not in your growth, but in the covenant itself; and your faith in Jesus is not the measure, but the token of your inheritance in him. You are as rich as the richest, if not in enjoyment, yet in real possession. The smallest star that gleams is set in heaven; the faintest ray of light has affinity with the great orb of day. In the family register of glory the small and the great are written with the same pen. You are as dear to your Father’s heart as the greatest in the family. Jesus is very tender over you. You are like the smoking flax; a rougher spirit would say, “put out that smoking flax, it fills the room with an offensive odour!” but the smoking flax he will not quench. You are like a bruised reed; and any less tender hand than that of the Chief Musician would tread upon you or throw you away, but he will never break the bruised reed. Instead of being downcast by reason of what you are, you should triumph in Christ. Am I but little in Israel? Yet in Christ I am made to sit in heavenly places. Am I poor in faith? Still in Jesus I am heir of all things. Though “less than nothing I can boast, and vanity confess.” yet, if the root of the matter be in me I will rejoice in the Lord, and glory in the God of my salvation.” (C.H.Spurgeon)

Wherever we may be on the Celestial road, whether it be just passed the starting line, near the end of our journey or anywhere in-between, let us remember the promises of God and hold fast to them and let today be filled with the words of this song; “very, very soon we are going to see our king.”

Our great God and King will get us home, praise His glorious name!

We will say with the psalmist; "And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.” (Psalms 39:7) 

Signing off

Tyrone

Stone throwers!

(John 8:7) "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."

We can all relate to dreams and the reality they carry with them. Even last night I had a simple dream about reversing into a barrier and denting a rented car, server enough to need to call on panel beaters to have it fixed. In fact the metal had peeled back leaving the cars body as if a can-opener had gone to work on it. The accident seemed trivial and yet the damage it left was severe. Is it not the same with sin? Sin often leaves people damaged, distraught and in need of help. This is why so many look to the counsellors of this age for help. But we must understand that the scars of sin go deep and no patchwork will ever free us from its yoke and the bondage it has on us. It has been this way from soon after the beginning, when sin entered in through one man, Adam!

How many like snakes? I know that I am not particularly fond of them, we are aware of the danger some of them pose, get bitten and you’ve had it. It is like that with sin and we all have fallen by its lures in one form or another. With some it is obvious and their sin cannot be missed yet with others one has to look deep to root them out, but both individuals are damaged goods! Both need repairs and so we go through life from repair shop to repair shop and yet we never are freed of our sin, that enslaving bondage, we may have patchwork done but have you ever seen what new fabric does to old, it aggressively pulls at it. Sow a new piece of fabric onto an old pair of jeans, before long the hole is in fact bigger and in need of a larger repair until they have run their course and eventually thrown on the rubbish dump. Why? Sin has an amazing ability to destroy and keep one in bondage. Some sin is obvious while others are just as deadly and yet they need to be rooted out, hence the psychologist.

God has proved through the law to all of mankind that patchwork will never cut it, we need a new beginning, a new start and this is why I love Him, because for me He bled and died for me. Yes, the Lord Jesus Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice, it was Him alone that died for sin and yet He was sinless. This in itself is phenomenal; He has broken the shackles of sin once and for all. This is why we need to be born again, it is a simple new start not by new a year’s resolutions or some form of patch work through some consoling group, they may well have their place, but they have nothing to do with a new beginning in Christ. At salvation the slate of sin is wiped clean, forgiveness by God the Father is sealed, never to be remembered. Why? Because of God’s love and Christ’s perfect sacrifice, it has nothing to do with our abilities or any patch up work through life. Reject His forgiveness and hell will be your final destination. Just like an alcoholic would need to understand that he has a drinking problem, so too do we need to understand that we are sinners in need of a Saviour before we will ever find forgiveness.

My concern is now not for the sinners of the world but for the believers, the forgiveness that is required from all of God’s children after salvation. We seriously lack compassion in this area of our lives. Once again I speak on behalf of myself and others that I am in fellowship with, so if you are clear in this matter then praise God, but if not pay attention!

The Lord Jesus teachers us in that what is known to many as the Lord’s Prayer a very important truth to daily living and that is this; “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12): - A good example to highlight the importance of coming to grips with this truth would be the woman caught in the act of adultery. So, let us spend some time here…

“The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?" This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.

But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."]] Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."” (John 8:3-12)

Here is the danger of not wanting to forgive others for sins committed whatever they may be; "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Matthew 23:27-28)

This is why Christianity is full of forgiveness, it is to help us take our eyes of the law in that sense and to remember what Christ achieved on our behalf. We are all guilty in one form or another even after salvation if we were to base our salvation on our own works, we would all deserve hell, if it had not been for the Lord Jesus and His accomplishment. May we never forget this and may we remember to forgive those who trespass against us just as God has forgiven us for our sins.

Signing off

Tyrone  

   

The price has been paid!

(1Corinthians 6:19-20) “…You are not your own, for you were bought with a price…”

To be tried or purged as by fire is my thought of the day and it is in this context that we need to put on the mind of Christ. Although trials are needful for our sanctification, so many of us look to shirk them instead of welcoming them, why? We reason as carnal men and not spiritual, we enable the lures of Satan to hanker us feeding the fruits of the flesh instead of feeding off the nourishing fruits of the spirit. We misunderstand their importance and why they have been tailor made specifically for us as individuals. God is in perfect control! Each individual trial must teach us to walk by faith, looking to Jesus in and through it all; in fact God has so designed it.

In order for us to put on the mind of Christ, we must endure the trial whatever that may be. We must come to the throne room of grace to obtain mercy. This is a topic most like to avoid, why? Sure our words will always be tested, and we may have to be sifted like wheat, and because of it we like to avoid certain topics. I will not by the grace of God play into the hands of the devil in this area of my life; Instead of asking the question, why? Rather ask are we are men without hope? Never! Let us learn to shift gears and get excited by the trials of life, as we know that God the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives, we must learn to use them correctly, it is the trial that will refine us into the image of Christ and nothing else will do. Trials through life are helps designed to help us walk by faith and to bring glory to God our Father, looking to our God for strength, to find grace and obtain mercy in time of need. They have a specific role.

I want us to break this down so we get a clear understand of what this will entail. Why is it we demand excellence from others and yet not from ourselves; why do we live in the fickle reality of accusing or excusing? My summation would be for this exact reason; we have not been schooled by the trial of life. It is the only teacher that will teach us to walk by faith. These are my thoughts as I often look to avoid the trials in my life, I do it by “goose stepping” the issues in my life and I know that I am not alone!

Let me find scripture to back this up as suppositions will simply not do!

We must however lay the correct foundation to our understanding, we have been bought with a price; “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1Corinthians 6:19-20): - Once something is bought, so long as it has been paid for in full, it no longer belongs to the seller, their rights are now no longer applicable as they once were. I sold my car awhile back, it once belonged to me but now that I have sold it, as much as I may want it back, it no longer belongs to me and if the new owner looks to paint it with pink dots, what is that to me. I agreed on a price and the trade was finalised.

It is no different for the Christian. How so? We had a debt that we could not pay; sin had kept us from God and for those who may still be trying to understand what this actually means. I will ask you but one question; can light and darkness co-exist? If you enter a room at night and it is pitch black once the light switch is flipped what happens to the darkness? It dissipates! Sin and righteousness cannot co-exist, that is why there will be two final destinations for all, heaven or hell! There will be no wolves living in the sheep’s pen. 

We as sinful creators by nature are never taught to sin as that comes naturally. No one teachers a child to liar but put them in a tricky situation and they will lie. And so our lives riddled with a vortex of sin and debtors to its leader Satan and his followers. However, only up until the time the price for sin was paid for in full, I am no longer subject to my previous owner's demands, praise the name of Jesus!

He died on a cruel Roman cross for the sins of mankind; He bought back the keys for repentant sinners to once again enter into a relationship with God. For those of us who have now been bought by His blood it is easy to understand this; “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price”, or at least should be! My right to my body just like the privileges to my previously owned car no longer belongs to me. A price had been paid, in fact it was the ultimate price as God’s only begotten Son came to die and pay a price for my sins so that I could go free.

With that hopefully understood, let us now look at the trial of life and their purpose in our lives. The Apostle Peter gives us much insight on this topic, let us therefore glean from some verses of his epistles to help us put on the mind of Christ.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, (remember that we no longer have rights we have been bought with a price and we now belong to God to do what He so chooses) than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.” (1Peter 3:12-18)

Having said that I will bring to our attention that we are now not just slaves but sons, and our Father knows what we need to put on the mind of Christ, what we need to go through and endure to help us become more like His Son, our Saviour! The mind-set that I must always be blessed with material goodies is far from the truth. There will be times when I will have in abundance but there must also be spurts of lack. Was this not Paul’s conclusion?” Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” (Philippians 4:11-12): - Have we learnt, or are we still in the starting blocks after a numerous number of false starts? 

May God give us ears to hear and eyes to see the importance of the trials in our lives and how they are there to hone us into the image of Christ, to Him alone be glory now and forever more, Amen!

Our lives may be full of many mistakes but God never makes a blunder!

Signing off

Tyrone