The Mercy of God!

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

"To be like Jesus, all I ask is to be like Him", is a request that is unobtainable in us, it is impossible and yet with God all things are possible. How then is it possible to be like Jesus if we have been doomed to destruction because of our sinful natures? Just as all things began with God and all things will end with Him concerning the human race, so too will it then rely on Him to get us to be like Jesus. No other way is possible and the process involved is extremely painful and filled with much disappointment. It is all based on the reckoning of God because of what Christ achieved on Calvary and not that which is achieved by man. If it was, then Calvary would lose its significance, but it never will, how could it? Therefore self-justification or accusation is a dangerous by product of the old nature wanting to taint the work of the cross. It never sleeps!

I have however a more serious concern that God is capable of justly imposing His judgment on an individual and freely loving another in spite of themselves. Regardless of opinions or fallacies, the Word of God is very clear on this point. The problem we have when getting our head around this fact is we box God into human understanding, which in itself is a tragedy. We process information like this; if I will not act like that then how can God? It is obviously a warped perspective as our reasoning springs from a fallen nature, we were born into sin! What is the point I refer too? Here is the text; “though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad--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." 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 9:11-16)

Many conclude and even teach that God acted like this because he could see their future, which is not what the text teachers. In fact it tells us why he chose to act in such a manner, it is all about God and His choices and not the choices of men; election is of God. It is all about His mercy and whom He chooses to have mercy on. This very reasoning helps us exclude any boasting from the equation of salvation. It begins with God and it ends with Him. It is all about Christ’s achievements and not ours.

With that understood where does that leave me? This is now where the rubber hits the road. How can I live a life of perpetual sin through points in time hoping that the grace of God may abound? How I hate myself when this becomes a way of life. Even though I know that it is so destructive I still find myself destroying that part of me. I can but only cry out for the mercy of God and pray please forgive me Father. He is just and perfect and He will decide my outcome. How I dread missing out on His mercy. Forgive me for even reasoning like this at times sweet Jesus, but for me to be false would not be honest, it is my heart I expose and hope and pray for your oil and the wine to heal the wounds.

Whatever you chose to do with me, Father God, I know will be the right thing. All I am capable of doing is calling out for your mercy in time of my need. Thank you Lord Jesus for your selfless sacrifice and forgive me for my selfishness.

Signing off

Tyrone  

Curse God and die...

(Job 2:9) “Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die."

It impossible to pretend to be someone you are not, one may get away with it for a time, but all will eventually be exposed, be certain of that. God will bring every secret thing into the open. With that said, what is a man to do if what he sees is despicable and unappealing when he views himself in the mirror against God’s glory, against the beauty of His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ? The thought of suicide comes to mind, but even that in itself is not an option as we will all have to stand before God on Judgment Day.

What about the advice of Job’s wife when she asked why he still held onto his integrity, and suggested that he curse God and die. Now as far as integrity goes, I would not even pretend with any hint of a suggestion that I have any. But as far as cursing God and dying, by the grace of God I will not! I may end up with nothing and in some gutter all because of so many bad choices, but so be it!

God is God and He has it in His power to do whatever He pleases, whenever He pleases who are we to even dare to question Him? All praise and honour belongs to Jesus Christ the Lord for His selfless sacrifice, praise His name now and forever more!

Signing off

Tyrone   

Can I now say the same?

“I know how to abound.”


- Phi_4:12

There are many who know “how to be abased” who have not learned “how to abound.” When they are set upon the top of a pinnacle their heads grow dizzy, and they are ready to fall. The Christian far oftener disgraces his profession in prosperity than in adversity. It is a dangerous thing to be prosperous. The crucible of adversity is a less severe trial to the Christian than the refining pot of prosperity. Oh, what leanness of soul and neglect of spiritual things have been brought on through the very mercies and bounties of God! Yet this is not a matter of necessity, for the apostle tells us that he knew how to abound. When he had much he knew how to use it. Abundant grace enabled him to bear abundant prosperity. When he had a full sail he was loaded with much ballast, and so floated safely. It needs more than human skill to carry the brimming cup of mortal joy with a steady hand, yet Paul had learned that skill, for he declares, “In all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry.” It is a divine lesson to know how to be full, for the Israelites were full once, but while the flesh was yet in their mouth, the wrath of God came upon them. Many have asked for mercies that they might satisfy their own hearts’ lust. Fulness of bread has often made fulness of blood, and that has brought on wantonness of spirit. When we have much of God’s providential mercies, it often happens that we have but little of God’s grace, and little gratitude for the bounties we have received. We are full and we forget God: satisfied with earth, we are content to do without heaven. Rest assured it is harder to know how to be full than it is to know how to be hungry-so desperate is the tendency of human nature to pride and forgetfulness of God. Take care that you ask in your prayers that God would teach you “how to be full.”
“Let not the gifts thy love bestows
Estrange our hearts from thee.”
(C.H.Spurgeon)

Do we ask like David did?

(Psalms 119:82) …I ask, "When will you comfort me?"

The last few weeks have been a troublesome time for me, I have been restless and we know that is the opposite of peaceful. A fruit of the spirit is peace and therefore it is obvious to conclude that I have not been walking in the Spirit, for if I had been I would not be as impatient as I have been over the last two weeks. It would be good to look to another who often found himself in difficult circumstances and how he responded to them.

David is a great one to follow; one may be quick to think about what he did to one of his best soldiers and want to write him off, but I certainly won’t! We have this one very serious recorded incident and then so many positive God exalting happenings that exalt God and His working in a man’s life that I take great encouragement. Whenever I look at David and his understanding, as a man living on earth, of whom God was and obviously still is gives me great encouragement.

As a boy David killed bears and lions to protect his sheep; later on he destroyed Goliath with a slingshot; he ran from the king Saul and hid in caves to escape death; he later became king but acted like a man obsessed when he took another man’s wife to be his own, in fact to cover up his sin he had the man killed. All in all David had a very eventful life even at the end of it his son tried to overthrow his kingdom. His life was full of constant pressure; some of that pressure fell upon him so that God’s name would be glorified through David, whilst some of the unwanted trial of life befell him because of his own sin. This is something I can most certainly relate too. Many bad decisions leave us having pity parties about our lives, be that as it may, what can David teach me?

I believe it is this, when we are victorious in a particular area of our lives and we forget who has given us the victory we then tend to apply our own carnal principles to life and then we come tumbling down. This has been my experience far too often I would suggest, but Spurgeon saw something in David that I am now also seeing…

“And David enquired of the Lord.”

- 2Sa_5:23

When David made this enquiry he had just fought the Philistines, and gained a signal victory. The Philistines came up in great hosts, but, by the help of God, David had easily put them to flight. Note, however, that when they came a second time, David did not go up to fight them without enquiring of the Lord. Once he had been victorious, and he might have said, as many have in other cases, “I shall be victorious again; I may rest quite sure that if I have conquered once I shall triumph yet again. Wherefore should I tarry to seek at the Lord’s hands?” Not so, David. He had gained one battle by the strength of the Lord; he would not venture upon another until he had ensured the same. He enquired, “Shall I go up against them?” He waited until God’s sign was given. Learn from David to take no step without God. Christian, if thou wouldst know the path of duty, take God for thy compass; if thou wouldst steer thy ship through the dark billows, put the tiller into the hand of the Almighty. Many a rock might be escaped, if we would let our Father take the helm; many a shoal or quicksand we might well avoid, if we would leave to his sovereign will to choose and to command. The Puritan said, “As sure as ever a Christian carves for himself, he’ll cut his own fingers;” this is a great truth. Said another old divine, “He that goes before the cloud of God’s providence goes on a fool’s errand;” and so he does. We must mark God’s providence leading us; and if providence tarries, tarry till providence comes. He who goes before providence, will be very glad to run back again. “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go,” is God’s promise to his people. Let us, then, take all our perplexities to him, and say, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” Leave not thy chamber this morning without enquiring of the Lord. (C.H.Spurgeon)

What then is the lesson? We must never for a second forget who has saved us and who we have been saved from. O how I pray for a heart like David!

Signing off

Tyrone

Thou shalt call his name Jesus.

“Thou shalt call his name Jesus.”

- Mat_1:21

When a person is dear, everything connected with him becomes dear for his sake. Thus, so precious is the person of the Lord Jesus in the estimation of all true believers, that everything about him they consider to be inestimable beyond all price. “All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia,” said David, as if the very vestments of the Saviour were so sweetened by his person that he could not but love them. Certain it is, that there is not a spot where that hallowed foot hath trodden-there is not a word which those blessed lips have uttered-nor a thought which his loving Word has revealed-which is not to us precious beyond all price. And this is true of the names of Christ-they are all sweet in the believer’s ear. Whether he be called the Husband of the Church, her Bridegroom, her Friend; whether he be styled the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world-the King, the Prophet, or the Priest-every title of our Master-Shiloh, Emmanuel, Wonderful, the Mighty Counsellor-every name is like the honeycomb dropping with honey, and luscious are the drops that distil from it. But if there be one name sweeter than another in the believer’s ear, it is the name of Jesus. Jesus! it is the name which moves the harps of heaven to melody. Jesus! the life of all our joys. If there be one name more charming, more precious than another, it is this name. It is woven into the very warp and woof of our psalmody. Many of our hymns begin with it, and scarcely any, that are good for anything, end without it. It is the sum total of all delights. It is the music with which the bells of heaven ring; a song in a word; an ocean for comprehension, although a drop for brevity; a matchless oratorio in two syllables; a gathering up of the hallelujahs of eternity in five letters.

“Jesus, I love thy charming name,

‘Tis music to mine ear.”

(Charles Spurgeon)

In remembrance of HIM!

(Revelation 22:13) “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

When looking for a certain destination and then to lose our way can be rather frustrating, it is a waste of time especially if there is a deadline. It seems so fruitless, but if we think about all the times we have as Christians been lost in the Wilderness, what then is our conclusion to so many wayward detours? Have they all been a waste of time? Let us think carefully about it; something as simple as losing our way to a holiday destination has in the past shown me other places in South Africa I would never have seen, but now I have! Was it planned? No! Sin can have the same effect on all our lives. I address the Christian, the one who has found grace in the Lord Jesus as God called them by name and opened their eyes to respond through repentance and in Him has found life, true life. Eternal life! Unto Him be the glory now and forever more.

We must remember that opinions can never supersede the Word of God, even when they tenaciously fight to have their way. How I hate myself when I do what I shouldn’t do as a Christian. I am ashamed to say that if all my detours where recorded and placed before me the list would be a long one. I can look at this in one of two ways; I could focus on how useless I am in my own ability as a man to do the right thing, which I am, or I could flip the coin. Flip the coin you say! How one may ask? When I look at all my apparent failure as a Christian I see a lot of disappointment and I find myself trapped and this keeps me in the vortex of my sin. I keep doing what comes naturally and I dig a deeper hole. But as soon as I flip the coin and although I understand the severity on my sin, when I view it through a different set of eyes, what do I see and understand? HOW EPIC JESUS’ SACRIFICE WAS! I am just one man out of billions that have lived and breathed. The Lord Jesus died for all who through time have called upon His name. This is a phenomenal feat! When I look to remind myself how useless I actually am all it really does or should do is show me how great my Saviour is. Praise His glorious name! Through my failure I see His brilliance, as He never failed, even though He sweated drops of blood.

It was such an epic event that God the Holy Spirit impelled the Apostle Paul to pen these words about His death and by so doing getting us as Christians throughout the ages to remember His sacrifice; “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” (1Corinthians 11:26)

It took God almost 4000 years to teach mankind that even through the law is good; it is a reflection of Himself, it is impossible as a man in the flesh to attain to His glorious heights. And yet when he created man, it was in His image; Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness… (Genesis 1:26) - What then was the purpose of the law, what is it meant to achieve for sinful man? Much could be said about this but I believe that the most important role the law has is to teach us about ourselves in reflection to who God is and that we needed a Saviour to save us from ourselves. The law was instituted to teach us about our sin; “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:20)

Once we understand this we will then look to call out for help, we will look for a Saviour, praise the name of Jesus! This obviously happens at salvation, but it does not end there, it is a daily on-going process that needs to captivate our lives. It seems that when we begin to take Christ’s achievements on Calvary for granted that we end up needing to be reminded of where and what we have been saved from. It is often our own sin that reminds us of His sacrifice. We get lost and then find ourselves on our knees calling out for help; this in itself is a good place to be for the child of God. Nevertheless, there is a danger with perpetual sin in our lives, our conscience could become seared. Paul puts it like this; “through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared.” (1Timothy 4:2) – May God help us to at the very least be honest with ourselves when it comes to the own sin in our lives.

  

With that said, let us remember that God is the mastermind behind the Salvation of mankind, for all those that receive Christ’s Spirit, this then is the encouragement, especially when we slip and fall into sin; “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) – This is not merely a suggestion or a consideration; it is a fact, no matter what the other voices in your head may be propagating: “By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, "That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged." (Romans 3:4)

This then is what Christ achieved for every true believer; everyone who receives His Spirit has this hope in them that one day we shall be like Him. But never let us forget what it cost our glorious Saviour to ignite this hope in us. For this very reason God through Paul teaches us to “break bread” in remembrance of Him. Let us not shy away from this practice as I did on Sunday, but rather embrace this ordinance remembering our Saviour. It is ultimately not about own success for if it was we would never have needed a Saviour and how we need our Saviour, praise His name!

Finally it was a once and for all time sacrifice; “He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.” (Hebrews 7:27) - What this means is the Lord Jesus conquered sin once and for all. We will struggle with these bodies of death until we die (or fall asleep), but it is not about what we accomplish but rather what our glorious Saviour accomplished on Calvary. When we lose our way let us go back to the instruction God has left us and that is to fall to our knees and to seek out His forgiveness in and through His glorious Son, our majestic Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. IT IS ALL ABOUT HIM! He is the beginning and the end.

Signing off

Tyrone 

   

The second coming...

(1Corinthians 15:51-52) “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”

"To confirm what he had said of this change,

I. He here tells them what had been concealed from or unknown to them till then - that all the saints would not die, but all would be changed. Those that are alive at our Lord's coming will be caught up into the clouds, without dying, 1Th_4:11. But it is plain from this passage that it will not be without changing from corruption to incorruption. The frame of their living bodies shall be thus altered, as well as those that are dead; and this in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, 1Co_15:52. What cannot almighty power effect? That power that calls the dead into life can surely thus soon and suddenly change the living; for changed they must be as well as the dead, because flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. This is the mystery which the apostle shows the Corinthians: Behold, I show you a mystery; or bring into open light a truth dark and unknown before. Note, There are many mysteries shown to us in the gospel; many truths that before were utterly unknown are there made known; many truths that were but dark and obscure before are there brought into open day, and plainly revealed; and many things are in part revealed that will never be fully known, nor perhaps clearly understood. The apostle here makes known a truth unknown before, which is that the saints living at our Lord's second coming will not die, but be changed, that this change will be made in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and at the sound of the last trump; for, as he tells us elsewhere, the Lord himself shall descend with a shout, with a voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God (1Th_4:16), so here, the trumpet must sound. It is the loud summons of all the living and all the dead, to come and appear at the tribunal of Christ. At this summons the graves shall open, the dead saints shall rise incorruptible, and the living saints be changed to the same incorruptible state, 1Co_15:52.

II. He assigns the reason of this change (1Co_15:53): For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. How otherwise could the man be a fit inhabitant of the incorruptible regions, or be fitted to possess the eternal inheritance? How can that which is corruptible and mortal enjoy what is incorruptible, permanent, and immortal? This corruptible body must be made incorruptible, this mortal body must be changed into immortal, that the man may be capable of enjoying the happiness designed for him. Note, It is this corruptible that must put on incorruption; the demolished fabric that must be reared again. What is sown must be quickened. Saints will come in their own bodies (1Co_15:38), not in other bodies." (Mathew Henry)

Signing off

Tyrone

Trusting God's Word!

(Revelation 11:3) “…and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth."

This clearly means the two appointed men that God has chosen will prophesy and what they say will happen, not every other Tom, Dick and Harry. We must take much of what men and women claim to be from God with a pinch of salt. It is nothing more than vain puffed-up imaginations.

I’m noticing that everything is geared to explain away one of the greatest events of all time, the coming of the Lord. The Rapture will happen because the Bible has so declared it shall happen. God the Holy Spirit its author and nothing He has ever declared has not come to pass. What is the enemy to do? He endeavour’s to rationalize whatever scripture declares and makes what was and is miraculous as something that can be understood by the natural, until his time arrives. He steers us away from the truth of scripture, this is not something new as he was a liar from the beginning. But what seems to fascinate me is the way in which he keeps abreast with the times in relation to biblical prophecy. He knows that the coming of the Lord’s hour is at hand and so for some years now especially Hollywood has played its part conditioning the minds of many. There have been a lot of movies of late about Aliens and the end of the world, but there is always some who survive the onslaught. “Avatar” the movie with lots of undertones; a particular species taping into mother earth and drawing substance from her, serving the creature rather than the creator, with Satan not the creator as he was created and yet he wishes to be served as an equal to his creator, God! This will never happen, sure chaos will seem to rule the earth for a time, but this is all by permission, God has so ordain it. Satan will have his hour, but then he shall be cast into the Lake of Fire.

What is he to do while he prepares the hearts of those in believing his lies before his time finally arrives? It is obvious! He uses our God given senses which have fallen prey to the corruption of sin to ensnare us. To get people to continuously believe a lie! To try and disprove historical events that the Bible has recorded; take the crossing of the Red Sea, how many takes have I heard on that? The water was only ankle deep where they cross and yet that also backfire on the critics, because the whole Egyptian army was then drowned in ankle deep water. Straw men (decoys), looking to disprove actual events that took place in times past, and they continue to try and disprove what will happen in the future. Prophesy in the Bible will always happen as God has declared it. The Lord Jesus will come to fetch His bride as a thief in the night, but He will come and once He has shown Himself I wonder how the world will explain it away, if that could be possible, time will tell!

This was posted on my Facebook page, a beautiful picture but what caught my attention was the explanation in the caption; “This is a rare meteorological phenomenon called a skypunch. When people see these, they think it's the end of the world. Ice crystals form above the high-altitude cirro-cumulo-stratus clouds, then fall downward, punching a hole in the cloud cover. Freakishly weird!”

 “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” (Luke 21:27):- Just by the association of the clouds people are drawn to certain conclusions, which is not accurate and who knows what will be said when Christ’s bride is raptured. This may well be a stretch of my own imagination but be that as it may, it is awareness to our surrounding that I wish to provoke as we explore beyond the surface for understanding. 

With this understanding; whatever looks to contradict the scriptures is a lie, it is a straw man looking to deceive, the Word of God is the final authority and not our vain imaginations, but Satan will use our imaginations to try and trip us into believing a lie, be alert, be on guard! Jesus is coming and He is coming as a thief in the night.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.” (1Corinthians 15:3-5)

Wherever your mind or those around look to take you remember that there is only one place of safety when it comes to accurate doctrine, not our imaginations but rather the answers will be found according to the scriptures. We must learn to trust nothing outside of God’s Holy Word, the Bible!

Signing off

Tyrone  

Grace abounds...

(Romans 5:20) “…but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more”

I am tempted once again in the early hours of this morning to look to tear myself to pieces as there is much tearing to do. But I will not do the Lord any more injustice concerning His perfect work on Calvary. This morning I would like to consider just how great an achievement it was for the Lord Jesus to lay down His life knowingly for people like me. It is not as if He determined to lay down His own life with this thought in mind; (once a sinner has repented and believe on my finished work, I will have his continuous loyalty, he will never sin again). I know I have failed you Lord on numerous occasions and sadly I am under no illusions, I will continue to disappoint myself as well as others regarding my commitment to this continuous struggle against this my “body of death”. Does that mean I will throw in the towel and cry, “no more Father”? I may well cry out for your grace, O how I need your grace, but now to say I will now retire, what would be the point? Life and all its lessons a complete waste of time!

I am sorry Father that I have not been the person I wanted to be with regard to your call upon my life, but I must conclude you knew that from the beginning and yet you willingly sent your Son to die for me, for this I will be forever thankful. You are a glorious Saviour Lord Jesus, to suffer “once and for all” to the degree you were called to suffer and yet without sin, with this understanding that those who found the Father’s grace would continuously sin for what you died to destroy is mind-boggling. And yet you still agreed to do it, Praise, Honour and Glory belongs to none other than our great Lord and King, All Hail King Jesus!

Just think back on our lives and it will soon be obvious who has kept us. Yes it is about many Wilderness experience, it is about finding our pallets parched and experiencing water gushing forth from the Rock. It is about those times when we knew what we were about to do was wrong and yet we did it anyway, as our conscience pricked away at us. Just that in itself an indicator that God is for us and not against us. These are just some of the things the Lord has had to deal with after saving so many sinners. I remember the early days were I was convinced that I would never fall in those areas I once fell. But God gives more grace, praise His name!

Remember wherever you find yourself do not, I say do not withdraw from fellowship. We must guard our hearts against this evil. A sick person require a doctor not one who is well and so when we are struggling we need the encouragement of our brethren. This is the ointment used to heal the wounds. God has so purposed it! It is His design!

Here is part of an email I receive by a concerned brother and I quote:-

Morning my brother,

What I'm writing here is not a new truth but one which we cannot see at times because of the pain of sin.

When a saint sins, no matter what the sin, the consequences are always severe - The amazing thing is, that we often seem to grade sin according to some yardstick which we do not find in scripture. This leads the saint to believe that some sin is not as bad as some "very bad sin". This leads us to erroneously believe two things:

1. That if we do not commit a "very bad sin" that we are more acceptable to God and the Church and we are therefore fooled into believing that we do not need to grieve "that much" over our sin and we never experience Psalm 51, because "we do not need to". Fooled into believing that we are not that sinful - the Pharisee and the Tax collector repeated all over again - we never see the "Pharisee heart" within ourselves. Pride tells us that we do not need to grieve over our sin and experience the reality of a broken and contrite heart.

2. On the other hand, when we do commit a "very bad sin", we have been conditioned by the unscriptural yardstick to believe and behave contrary to scripture. The lessons taught in the parable of the prodigal son are forgotten and we err. Yes it is true that God hates sin, it is true that God judges sin, it is true that God disciplines the sinner, it is true that sin strains the sweet communion we have with God - sin is a dreadful enemy to the soul.

We err because in the midst of losing the joy of our salvation, experiencing the crushing and bruising of our bones, being made aware of the wretchedness of the condition of our hearts from conception, the ever pressing awareness that God desires truth in the innermost part of our being, our ever present awareness that we need to be washed and a longing not only to be cleansed, but for the sin to be blotted out where the very presence of its stench is removed and that God will give us His strength to live a Holy life pleasing to Him - we err because we listen to the wrong voices.

The worst voice we can listen to is our own - when we've been exposed to the "yardstick of sin" and when we have sinned a "very bad sin" - that voice rises up and while it may sound "right", it can be very destructive. When we speak that voice, we speak words which the prodigal son spoke. Not worthy to be called a son - I am willing to be a servant - I am willing to forfeit all the privileges of being Your child. Perhaps we do need to hear these words during the process of our hearts being broken and we experience contrition deep within our souls - but there is a better voice.

God has graciously taught me that He hates "all sin" and that no sin is acceptable to Him - my spirit remains grieved for my assuming that my lesser sins, which were not frowned upon by my hardened conscience, were acceptable to God because they were accepted by both myself and my kinsman.

Hear His voice my brother and enjoy the ring, the robe, the fattened calf and the re-instatement - don't resist Him while reaching out to you - worship Him by accepting His lifting you up onto His shoulders and restoring you.

The pain is deep and it is severe - but God in mercy and grace does minister to that pain - don't resist him in your state of "unworthiness".

Do you see the sweet ointment of fellowship addressing the wounds, I am thankful for those who would take the time out to minister to me at a stint like this. Our God and Father is concerned more than we could ever imagine about His struggling children’s well-being. He is for us and not against us even if we at times make some treacherous decisions and let no one tell you otherwise. Why else would He have sent His Son to die such a cruel death, for the strong only, never! It is the weak He is concerned about, praise His name!

Signing off

Tyrone

   

What Christ accomplished...

It is a wonderful privilege to be surrounding by brothers that have a sincere concern for one another. When it is somewhat dark and our judgment has lost its sharpness we are very vulnerable, especially weak in wisdom and therefore often make things worse before they get better, enough said; let me hear from another…

“Therefore, brethren, we are debtors.”

- Rom_8:12

As God’s creatures, we are all debtors to him: to obey him with all our body, and soul, and strength. Having broken his commandments, as we all have, we are debtors to his justice, and we owe to him a vast amount which we are not able to pay. But of the Christian it can be said that he does not owe God’s justice anything, for Christ has paid the debt his people owed; for this reason the believer owes the more to love. I am a debtor to God’s grace and forgiving mercy; but I am no debtor to his justice, for he will never accuse me of a debt already paid. Christ said, “It is finished!” and by that he meant, that whatever his people owed was wiped away for ever from the book of remembrance. Christ, to the uttermost, has satisfied divine justice; the account is settled; the handwriting is nailed to the cross; the receipt is given, and we are debtors to God’s justice no longer. But then, because we are not debtors to our Lord in that sense, we become ten times more debtors to God than we should have been otherwise. Christian, pause and ponder for a moment. What a debtor thou art to divine sovereignty! How much thou owest to his disinterested love, for he gave his own Son that he might die for thee. Consider how much you owe to his forgiving grace, that after ten thousand affronts he loves you as infinitely as ever. Consider what you owe to his power; how he has raised you from your death in sin; how he has preserved your spiritual life; how he has kept you from falling; and how, though a thousand enemies have beset your path, you have been able to hold on your way. Consider what you owe to his immutability. Though you have changed a thousand times, he has not changed once. Thou art as deep in debt as thou canst be to every attribute of God. To God thou owest thyself, and all thou hast-yield thyself as a living sacrifice, it is but thy reasonable service. (Charles Spurgeon)

It is good to be reminded why Christ came and why He died, it’s good to remember Him, praise His name, Amen! Our never changing Prince of Peace, our great Immanuel, has accomplished all.

Signing off

Tyrone

The need for discipline...

(Proverbs 29:1) "He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing."

If I am not now surrounded by God’s grace as this warning now rings loud and clear; from as far back as I can remember, reproof has played a substantial part in shaping my life. Let’s face it who likes correction? I am no different and yet I probably as a rule need more disciple than most. So to think that I will eventually arrive at a place in my life that discipline will be a thing of the past is a figment of my imagination. By God's grace alone my arrival in Heaven will complete the process, but until then I will need to accept the facts; I am who I am by the grace of God! That does not excuse my sin, but one thing I know for sure that discipline has and will still play its part in my life. It is how I respond to it that is important and I do not stand alone, as discipline is what is used to mould the child of God.  

A little slumber is a little sleep and then the alarm goes off, what to do - what to do, get up or continue to hit the snooze button, which will it be I sit and ponder. There is only one obvious answer for the child of God, get up!

Here then is wisdom; “There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way; whoever hates reproof will die.” (Proverbs 15:10):- “This shows that those who cannot bear to be corrected must expect to be destroyed. 1. It is common for those who have known the way of righteousness, but have forsaken it, to reckon it a great affront to be reproved and admonished. They are very uneasy at reproof; they cannot, they will not, bear it; nay, because they hate to be reformed, they hate to be reproved, and hate those who deal faithfully and kindly with them. Of all sinners, reproofs are worst resented by apostates. 2. It is certain that those who will not be reproved will be ruined: He that hates reproof, and hardens his heart against it, is joined to his idols; let him alone. He shall die, and perish for ever, in his sins, since he would not be parted from his sins. 2Ch_25:15, I know that God has determined to destroy thee, because thou couldst not bear to be reproved;” (Matthew Henry)

A message from a friend and brother; “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Romans 13:14)

Satan is a fierce fiend and in ourselves we are obviously no match for him, but Christ has conquered him once and for all. However, I am not fully persuaded who I hate more, Satan or my flesh? How this body of death always looks for gratification contrary to the will of God. It most certainly has its own will and that is not to do the Lord’s bidding. May God have mercy on my soul, please give me ears to hear and eyes to see, as I have wondered from the paths of righteousness and now desperately look to find my way back. I remembered how safe I felt on that Celestial road, not so long ago had I travelled along that glorious road “Peace”, but now I feel somewhat trouble and confused but I acknowledge my fault having wondered from the path.

Father please forgive me for my folly and for taking my eyes off our leader the Lord Jesus, when I did that I found that I was no longer in the place of safety but now was treading new-old ground, a place I had learnt to hate or so I thought!

It was the Lord Jesus who lost His blood for our sins I will not forget that my great God, we must remember His finished work, it is all about what He has accomplished, so thank you Lord for what you did for me on Calvary, please forgive me for what I didn’t do for you and forgive me for my sin.

Signing off

Tyrone

What is it with the cycles in my life? How I suppose most of us go through both highs and lows in the Lord.

To be disobedient is a terrible thing and yet knowingly I still am. I know that I am happiest when I am obedient to God’s call upon my life.

“They shall sing in the ways of the Lord.”

- Psa_138:5

“The time when Christians begin to sing in the ways of the Lord is when they first lose their burden at the foot of the Cross. Not even the songs of the angels seem so sweet as the first song of rapture which gushes from the inmost soul of the forgiven child of God. You know how John Bunyan describes it. He says when poor Pilgrim lost his burden at the Cross, he gave three great leaps, and went on his way singing-

“Blest Cross! blest Sepulchre! blest rather be

The Man that there was put to shame for me!”

Believer, do you recollect the day when your fetters fell off? Do you remember the place when Jesus met you, and said, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love; I have blotted out as a cloud thy transgressions, and as a thick cloud thy sins; they shall not be mentioned against thee any more for ever.” Oh! what a sweet season is that when Jesus takes away the pain of sin. When the Lord first pardoned my sin, I was so joyous that I could scarce refrain from dancing. I thought on my road home from the house where I had been set at liberty, that I must tell the stones in the street the story of my deliverance. So full was my soul of joy, that I wanted to tell every snow-flake that was falling from heaven of the wondrous love of Jesus, who had blotted out the sins of one of the chief of rebels. But it is not only at the commencement of the Christian life that believers have reason for song; as long as they live they discover cause to sing in the ways of the Lord, and their experience of his constant lovingkindness leads them to say, “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” See to it, brother, that thou magnifiest the Lord this day.”

“Long as we tread this desert land,

New mercies shall new songs demand.”

(C.H. Spurgeon)

Signing off

Tyrone