The suffering Christian

(1Peter 4:16)  “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.”

If a man is found blameless and righteous in his own standings what profit would calamity bring to his life? Job was such a man.

Lawbreakers when caught face the penalty for their crimes with time spent in jail as their sentence or worse, death by execution. Therefore when we view hardships in people’s lives around us, when we become privy to them we often conclude whether the sentence is deserved or not. We demand justice! It is a default switch that cannot be avoided, at least in some measure.

Very few of us like to accept injustice as we understand it. But the view of calamity in the paths of Christians has a far greater purpose than that type of understanding. It serves a far greater resolve, and that is to silence the arch-enemy, the devil. I suppose if I was to be truthful, there are not many accounts where this is in plain view. However the story of Job depicts such a wonderful illustration when viewed correctly, when witnessed with the mind of Christ.

We must understand God’s role in these events in our lives to reap the required prize. If not we will continue to grumble and show that in fact we prove only one truth, that we lack faith towards our God. Wherever He leads will we follow? I understand that growth in Christ happens over time no differently to the growth of a child into adulthood. Maturity in Christ is never instantaneous; it is the trial of life that brings it about.

People (Christians) have concluded that God brings no evil upon a person as they use these verses to justify their thoughts; “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. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.” (James 1:12-16) – Note, look at the context in which this verse is unpacked; it begins with a believer remaining steadfast under trial. God can never be blame for us falling into sin for he is not privy to such temptations; they have no bearing on His existence. It is impossible for God to be tempted, it is beyond Him. The Lord Jesus felt the pressure of this when he was a man, finding himself in a body of flesh we see the way temptation played out in his life; “And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will."” (Matthew 26:39) – Although the Lord Jesus’ directive was very clear, the pressure he faced in the Garden of Gethsemane brought about a request to avoid the cup that he was required to drink, but only up to a point.

God did not bring the temptation upon Job or His Son but He most certainly allowed it. Why? Well we know the end of Jobs life; he was doubly blessed once he came through the trial on the other side; “And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. He had also seven sons and three daughters.” (Job 42:12-13) – As for the Lord Jesus what he endured for our sake entitled Him to not only be our Saviour but also our high priest; “And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you"; as he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek." In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 5:4-10)

Therefore it cannot be any different for the believer; every struggle we face throughout our life times serves a purpose and the sooner we accept our realities the sooner I believe God will allow us to go onto perfection.

In conclusion, Job’s examples eventually silenced the devil and revealed God’s brilliance in showing up the Satan as inferior; God is not subject to anything evil but allows calamity to cross a believer’s life so that His name would be glorified through it all.

The Bible is clear on the subject and even the trials that befell Job are penned in this way; “Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold.” (Job 42:11) – Note; we see that the evil that Job had to face was accounted to the Lord and yet we know the way in which this played out, Satan requesting the hardships to befall Jobs life and only once permission was given by God did that actually materialise. – See Job chapter 2…

We must not be so focus on this life and the trial of it all to cloud our judgments but rather look to eternity where we will receive our reward if and when we have been found faithful to the call God has placed upon our lives, for that epoch for the Christian will engulf infinity.

Signing off

Tyrone

   

God is in control

(Romans 8:31) “… If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Idolatry (excessive admiration shown to someone or something) is a word we like to bracket in the category of extremes. At least this is often the way I have view it. But I believe the trap of it goes a lot deeper than that as it proves a lack of faith when anything is substituted in any measure above the Word of God. When or where there is a shift from sound doctrine and God’s clear instruction towards any other application I believe it must be categorized as Idolatry. My conduct in any given situation will soon prove where I stand at any given point in my life. It’s only once I’m standing on the edge of the cliff that it will truly become apparent where my loyalties lie. Tests of our faith must come across our paths, to help us understand the necessity we have with our God and Fathers call upon our lives. Instinctively in our natural capacity we view it as something foreign, when in fact it should just be understood as another opportunity to help build up our faith towards God.

Throughout our schooling careers how many dreaded exams? It normal was the one who was not prepared, but for the one who has studied and applied themselves to the task at hand normally where the ones that reaped the reward of a good result; however without the test you never really new the measure of your ability.

Life is filled with these types of endurance tests, an athlete trains for an event and it soon becomes apparent how hard they have trained when put to the trial. Of course gifting has its part to play and not everyone can be a great athlete and this is why we are not all tarred with the same brush. And yet every born again believer has receive this gift, a measure of the mind of Christ. Paul the Apostle pens these truths; “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.” (1Corinthians 2:12-16)

Not all will have to endure tortured for the sake of the gospel, but some have and some will still be required to travel this road, whilst others will be tested in other arenas but all of us are required to live by faith in some measure. As it is part of our passages in this life.

There was the outcome of those save out of the land of Egypt and sadly most of them fell in the Wilderness not overcoming the required obstacles. Lots wife was another who hankered after the pleasures of this life and although she was freed from the dangers of Sodom and Gomorrah she look back and was turned into a pillar of salt. The sooner we learn to leave our old lives behind the better off we will be. It’s not about how close we can skirt to the borders of what we have been saved from but rather our mind-sets should be freed from that rational as we look to the Word of God to escape entrapment.

“And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:30-31)

Anything and everything that overshadows this truth is an entrapment to the throes of idolatry. God is just in character and will never leave any of his children to the voracity of the wolves when they put their trust in Him. He has an eye for His children of this I am persuaded. Although at times we may be hard pressed by the trial of life He will never leave nor forsake us. Everything we face in life has its purpose. Believe it we must!

The Apostle peter was a founding pillar of the Christian faith and the Lord Jesus made this statement to Him; “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."” (Matthew 16:18-19) - “Peter, in the name of the church, had confessed Christ, and to him therefore the promise intended for the church is directed. Note, There is nothing lost by being forward to confess Christ; for those who honour him, he will honour.” (Matthew Henry)

There is a time coming where the goats and the sheep will be separated by God. They look similar in design but when examine it is easy to tell the difference. The trial of life will soon separate the true believer from the false and without it we will never know where we stand. God help us to find grace in time of need; He will supply all our needs and not our carnal wants.

We must all arrive at this place in our lives and share the sentiment of our beloved brother Paul; “Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” (1Timothy 6:6-8) – Anything above this truth hinges on Idolatry and it will lure us into entrapment.  

Signing off

Tyrone

   

     

         

Maturity

(1Corinthians 13:11) “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”

“God is good”, which is obviously true but the phrase seems to lack intensity on how brilliant God actually is; His character, is filled with goodness, Wow! Sadly mankind knows so little about Him and are often quick to arrive at many differing false conclusions. Satan and sin has taken care of that and yet our abilities to still find repentance was not completely removed, God had a plan that has come into fruition, Jesus Christ the Messiah dying in my stead. It was always apart of His plan, He was never caught off guard. He allowed his only begotten Son to be captured by wicked hands and then to be crucified so that sinners could go free and escape the penalty of the second death, where the judgement of God will sentence the guilty parties for all eternity.

Can you not see, do you not understand the measure and the depths of Gods grace that He has offered all and which still stands today? Currently the cry goes out “Clemency” for all the perpetrators, with no conditions attached, save the acknowledgment of ones sins. Admitting that we are in breech of God’s law and unable to live by it, no matter how hard we have tried.

This was the Apostle Pauls conclusion regarding his efforts in trying to live under the strain of it all; “For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.” (Romans 7:11) – We all need to arrive at the same conclusion that sin is the killer and seeing that we all have fallen victim to it, the sooner we relinquish our part in it the sooner we can face our realities and then it will be plain to see HOW GOOD GOD IS!

Satan and sin looks to keep a person in denial when it comes to their sin. It is part of their design. On the other hand God’s goodness leads a man to repentance; “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4) – This is what we all need in our lives to receive our pardons from God for our own sin and not the sins of another.”   

Therefore whilst I am still under the power of sins spell, this will always be my outcome; “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.” (Romans 7:18-21)

The goodness of God sent His son to die in my place and to free me from that bondage. But for that to materialise I needed to be born again. There is a requisite to be freed from the burden of the weight of my sin. God has afford me this privilege and I am not alone, there are many who have apprehended this; in fact the Apostle John saw the number whilst imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos as he was teleported into the future; “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"” (Revelation 7:9-10)

This is where our spiritual journey BEGINS; our new birth experience is where our eyes are opened to this truth. Please note that there is an emphasis place on “begins”, it is where we realise the merits that we thought we once had outside of God’s forgiveness was nothing but a lie. Trickery and deceit enslaving us to the hope that one day we would escape God’s judgments on our own virtues. Jesus has paid that price and no one else, bless His name now and forever more Amen!  

As babes in Christ we are protected by God and when I revisit that time in my life I am astounded by the change that God afforded me. My life did an about turn. The things that once drove me to my sinful behaviour miraculously vanished and it soon became apparent that I had been changed by the goodness of God. But like a child I began to grow and it was then that I needed to begin to learn the lessons every Christian needs to learn, which is to learn to stand on their feet and begin to walk as men in Christ. Blows taken and which I am still taking through life is preparing me for eternity. In hindsight I have now begun to understand the importance of it all. Without the trial of life pressing in upon me I will never arrive at my vocation. Which is, to be armed with the mind of Christ; “But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.” (Hebrews 2:9-10)

We must all learn this vital lesson; “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” (1Peter 4:1-2) – Without suffering playing it roles in our lives we will never learn to obey the voice of our Father as we ort. It is part of His design; “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.” (Hebrews 5:8-9)   

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.” (1Corinthians 13:11)

Repentance is where our journey begins, but as we travel through life it will become apparent that without obedience we will never see our God as his children. We must learn to obey His voice in spite of the trials of life. This is the way for the Christian.

Our sufferings through life are not randomly selected but carefully designated events that draw us closer to our God and make us more like our Saviour, praise the name of Jesus and His brilliant design and this is why God is GOOD! His ingenuity is far beyond the understanding of those who reject his goodness.

Bless his name now and forever more Amen and Amen!

    

Signing off

Tyrone  

  

    

      

Our inheritance

The hope the Christian has in Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour… one day it will come into fruition and what a day that will be…

“Him hath God exalted.”

- Act_5:31

“Jesus, our Lord, once crucified, dead and buried, now sits upon the throne of glory. The highest place that heaven affords is his by undisputed right. It is sweet to remember that the exaltation of Christ in heaven is a representative exaltation. He is exalted at the Father’s right hand, and though as Jehovah he had eminent glories, in which finite creatures cannot share, yet as the Mediator, the honours which Jesus wears in heaven are the heritage of all the saints. It is delightful to reflect how close is Christ’s union with his people. We are actually one with him; we are members of his body; and his exaltation is our exaltation. He will give us to sit upon his throne, even as he has overcome, and is set down with his Father on his throne; he has a crown, and he gives us crowns too; he has a throne, but he is not content with having a throne to himself, on his right hand there must be his queen, arrayed in “gold of Ophir.” He cannot be glorified without his bride. Look up, believer, to Jesus now; let the eye of your faith behold him with many crowns upon his head; and remember that you will one day be like him, when you shall see him as he is; you shall not be so great as he is, you shall not be so divine, but still you shall, in a measure, share the same honours, and enjoy the same happiness and the same dignity which he possesses. Be content to live unknown for a little while, and to walk your weary way through the fields of poverty, or up the hills of affliction; for by-and-by you shall reign with Christ, for he has “made us kings and priests unto God, and we shall reign for ever and ever.” Oh!, wonderful thought for the children of God! We have Christ for our glorious representative in heaven’s courts now, and soon he will come and receive us to himself, to be with him there, to behold his glory, and to share his joy.” (Charles Spurgeon)

True knowledge that saves

Folly is filled with many misconstrued perceptions, when evaluated it is easy to see this with certainty. It is all about a skewed perception of what in fact is an accurate analogy of righteousness. Proverbs is a book filled with snippets that helps with our skewed perceptions on what is actual righteousness in action. It is a book that unearths many precious gems and it is life-changing when applied into our lives. There is something for everyone and once one truth is realised another soon follows – It is a book filled with inexhaustible trinkets of wisdom…

However it is crucial that we do not look to the First Covenant as the final authority in our lives, as the Second Covenant is alive and well and in fact nullified the first and it calls us to service in a more excellent way; “But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.” (Hebrews 8:6-7) 

If the work of the cross, “Jesus in my place” is the hinge pin on where I actually stand before a Holy God then I need to find my rest in that reality. This in itself is an unnatural response that I look by default to resist; surely there is something I can do to add to the equation continual flickers through my mind. That type of reasoning nullifies the complete work of the cross and I then find myself looking for reward just as the children of Israel expected their remuneration once they sacrificed an animal as part of the First Covenant’s commandment.

They were taught that if they sacrificed a particular animal they would be forgiven for their sin. It was a perpetual lifestyle of continual sacrifice, the sinner always had to live by the Law of Moses to find acceptance from God as well as society (those chosen by God). It was up to the individual to work for their salvation. However with Christs sacrifice there now remains no more need for any other sacrifice, the penalty for sin has finally been paid for in full; “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10) – The Fist Covenant was filled with instructions which exposed mankind’s sinful nature and highlighted that they needed a Saviour; “So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” Galatians (3:22-26)   

Understanding this, the first building blocks that needs to be recognised and established in our lives is “repentance from dead works and faith towards God”. However, this can be easily forgotten when life and its challenges present themselves. Nothing changes for Joe Soap, but for the true born again Christian a new set of laws are now in play; “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9) – These are the basic fundamentals to the Christian faith, however the more I delve into this truth with it playing out in my life and those around me the more concerned I become. How many actually understand this as the pillar to our existence? There is much work to be accomplished.

If a designer finds a flaw in his invention will he not rectify whatever needs remedying in order to accomplish the desire result? Likewise it may be time to re-examine our commitment as Christians. I believe the book of Hebrews was written with that in mind. It is a book filled with many warnings to those saved out of the Land of Egypt; the reality for those saved out of slavery results with a sobering and an obvious conclusion; “Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, 'They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.' As I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter my rest.'" Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” (Hebrews 3:10-19) – How so? Did they not continually offer up sacrifices as the law commanded? And yet the majority of them never entered the Promised Land. There is much to be learnt from their grumblings.    

The wisdom found in the book of Proverbs is truly filled with wonderful insight to any given situation, but if we disregard the work of the cross as foundational it will never produce the intended fruit required. A potter may mould a wonderful piece of pottery but without a keel it wont last very long when handled or expose to the elements. It needs heat to cure it, no differently to the Christian needing trials to produce the desired result. In other words without faith mingled together with God’s instruction into our lives we will miss the mark. This is very important for us to understand. It’s all about applying ourselves to the promises the Christian has in the finished work of the cross.       

It would be impossible to lose something you never had. These are very sobering thoughts but needful for us understand. Examine yourselves, is the instruction. Have we armed ourselves with this understanding; “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” (1Peter 4:1-2)

Peace to all who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb  

Signing off

Tyrone 

Measuring Faith

Precision is never frowned upon by those drawn to it. When we consider faith and our faithfulness towards God how do we accurately evaluate it? Some may feel that the one more visibly gifted lives closer to the edge of “faith towards God” than one who isn’t. There may be a hint of truth attached to that thought; unless someone faithfully applied themselves to their calling and God given gifts they could be classed as the ones squandering their talents. See the parable of the talents in Matthew chapter 25.

There is however a misconstrued perceptions of individuals with their “vain imaginations” running riot, which seems to be bantered around various churches across the globe bringing mockery to the Christian faith; this wave of scorn seemed to begin to flourish in the eighties with many having the gifts of “prophecy” and the like. People speaking into each others lives outside of the written Word. All this really proves is a lack of faith as men and women looked to step in and give God a hand with superstition running riot, no differently to individuals depending on the horoscope to find direction for their lives. It’s God’s voice we must pay careful attention too and nothing else!

I am aware that in most cases people have been caught up in the hype of wanting to be accepted and noticed whilst deception has been at play. We have a coherent nature that drives us towards wanting to be in control. The clay never has power over the potter. Because we may not like the look of our kidneys under a microscope it does not mean that we don’t need them to survive. However we do not measure one another by our gifts and callings, election and gifts have nothing to do with the one who is singled out, it is God who singles them out and not the other way around; He choses whom He wills; “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—“ (Romans 9; 11) - Nevertheless once we have been made aware of our calling and been given various measures of Christ (gifts) it is then up to us to use them wisely and faithfully which will bring comfort to the whole body (the church); “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.” (2Peter 1:10)   

Its not as if we are expected to be amongst the number of those blessed with a measure of healings or miracles to prove that we are living by faith. Is the shoulder not attached to the chest, the chest to the torso and so on; which are all part of the same body. Because we do not see the heart pumping blood does that mean it doesn’t have its own function, on the contrary it’s the parts of the body that are normally in the background that play the most crucial part in keeping it alive.

Regardless of our growth in Christ, whether a babe or someone who is going onto maturity we can always measure our faith towards God. A babe will always desire the sincere milk of the Word, no differently to a babe seeking out their mother’s teat. “Nan” (man made baby formula) will never cut it for those individuals; “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation-- if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious.” (1Peter 2:1-4)

In today’s day and age with humanism and equal rights high up on people agendas; let me go straight for the jugular to drive my point home; we can measure our faith towards God on how accurately we apply ourselves to His voice through the written Word of God, the Bible. It’s not complicated! As soon as we second guess His Word and listen to the others voices around us we prove one thing, our lack of faith. Without singling out any examples, let me say this, men and woman have their varying roles to play in accordance with Gods instructions. My prayer is that we will all find a resolve to devour the Bible so that it will soon become apparent where we all fit in; each member in the body has its particular function. The hand was never designed to do the work off the foot. God’s voice is the finally authority on all things whether people want to accept that or not, which will never change and continue to ring true. God’s character does not change; “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)   

Simply put believe God at his Word regardless of the surrounding voices that speak to the contrary. For us to be precise with our callings it must all revolve around the One who has called, God has His purpose and we need to find our roles within His will. Move outside God’s parameters and the eye of the tornado with soon arrive.

To my beloved sisters in Christ wherever you may be please do not be drawn into the trickery of this age where the voices of this world speak in total contradiction to God’s voice with your roles within society and the body of Christ. We all have our specific roles which God has set in place. When we settle into that mind-set it will be well with our souls.   

Signing off

Tyrone      

Seeing is believing

Herein is love amazing, love divine, yes, love beyond degree, my voice cries out to the Jesus who died for me. If all could see what I can see your voice would ring out praises over land and sea. Why do so many laugh Him to scorn? Oh my wounded soul feels for thee. There are none so blind who do not wish to see.

The Sovereign King who has had mercy on me, my plea is for you to set them free. Regardless men if only you would want to see, if only you could see God’s “shalls” across the seas, I’m sure you would see what I can see. What God has blessed is blessed indeed. How do the flowers flourish it should be plain to see. Look to Jesus and you will be set free.

Signing off

Tyrone      

A plea for prayer

(Proverbs 18:14)  “The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?”

The condition of our hearts can grow weary as the pressures of life certainly want to take their toll on us at times. The trial of life tears away at our strength but only when our faith is misdirected. However with this truth surrounding our everyday circumstance it is almost impossible at times to walk victoriously when overshadowed with doubt. Everything in our lives must be fed with our hope in Christ, if not we will soon become very despondent. That is why it is imperative to daily set time aside to seek out God’s counsel for our lives. Miss a day or two and we will be swallowed up with so many unwelcomed thoughts that depression will seem to be in the driving seat and who can in themselves handle such torment?

God has shown all of mankind (both the saved and the heathen) that creation and all in it, hinges on seasons; “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

There was a time where the Lord Jesus lived as a man on earth, where he died a cruel death being punished for someone else’s crime (the sins of mankind) but now that time has run its course, that season is over and our glorious Jesus is now alive and well risen from the dead and seated with His Father, our Father in heavenly places. Where His enemies will be made His footstool (still to happen) and where every knee will bow and confess Jesus as Lord, bless and praise His name now and forevermore, Amen!  

We all need to follow in His example and the throes of life will map that out for us. As for me I am hard pressed at present, understanding the obvious mistakes I have made along the way. But as God has mercy upon His children and teaches us right from wrong I am at a place where I see the importance of confession and the power of prayer working in cohesion. The Apostle James teaches us this very important lesson and it would be good for me to call upon his instruction at this time in my life; “And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. ” (James 5:15-18)

We always need to pay the price for our folly and at other times we will find the trial of life pressing in on us just because we need to grow in the good graces of our Lord. We must learn to trust and obey our Saviour as the wise Master Builder in our lives. But within the lessons of life we are also instructed to appropriate scripture into our lives. Therefore I call upon my brothers and sisters across the globe to please pray for me as the pressures of life begin to wear away at my spirit. I have been without permanent employment for many years now, not that I have suffered want in the form of food and shelter but times have been tough and I know if God my heavenly Father says “enough is enough” that the trial will pass, however not my will but His be done and yet I know that if I call upon you to pray for me at this time in my life with regards to a more perpetual job I would be extremely thankful. I confess my fault to my Christian family and the way in which I have squandered my monies over time I now need to right my wrongs and would appreciate an opportunity to find full time employment. Please pray for God to open a door that would in turn bring Him glory in this area of my life.

“Outward grievances are tolerable as long as the mind enjoys itself and is at ease. Many infirmities, many calamities, we are liable to in this world, in body, name, and estate, which a man may bear, and bear up under, if he have but good conduct and courage, and be able to act with reason and resolution, especially if he have a good conscience, and the testimony of that be for him; and, if the spirit of a man will sustain the infirmity, much more will the spirit of a Christian, or rather the Spirit of God witnessing and working with our spirits in a day of trouble. It is therefore wisdom to keep conscience void of offence.” (Matthew Henry) – I have been hard pressed with regard to the worries of unemployment for some time now, not that I have lost faith in my God, He has always remained faithful, bless His name now and forever more, Amen and Amen!

The pressure on my responsibilities as a Christian in this regard is reaching an almost unbearable point in my life, this season of uncertainty weighs heavy on my shoulders. I am persuaded all that is needed is for God to say “enough” and I will once again be able to play my part in this area of my life as a good steward. My cry is Father God please have mercy on me.

(Psalms 22:14)  “My heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.”

Our blessed Lord experienced a terrible sinking and melting of soul. “The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity, but a wounded spirit who can bear?” Deep depression of spirit is the most grievous of all trials; all besides is as nothing. Well might the suffering Saviour cry to his God, “Be not far from me,” for above all other seasons a man needs his God when his heart is melted within him because of heaviness. Believer, come near the cross this morning, and humbly adore the King of glory as having once been brought far lower, in mental distress and inward anguish, than any one among us; and mark his fitness to become a faithful High Priest, who can be touched with a feeling of our infirmities. Especially let those of us whose sadness springs directly from the withdrawal of a present sense of our Father’s love, enter into near and intimate communion with Jesus. Let us not give way to despair, since through this dark room the Master has passed before us. Our souls may sometimes long and faint, and thirst even to anguish, to behold the light of the Lord’s countenance: at such times let us stay ourselves with the sweet fact of the sympathy of our great High Priest. Our drops of sorrow may well be forgotten in the ocean of his griefs; but how high ought our love to rise! Come in, O strong and deep love of Jesus, like the sea at the flood in spring tides, cover all my powers, drown all my sins, wash out all my cares, lift up my earth-bound soul, and float it right up to my Lord’s feet, and there let me lie, a poor broken shell, washed up by his love, having no virtue or value; and only venturing to whisper to him that if he will put his ear to me, he will hear within my heart faint echoes of the vast waves of his own love which have brought me where it is my delight to lie, even at his feet for ever.” (Charles Spurgeon)

“Peace to all of you who are in Christ.”

Signing off

Tyrone

     

  

     

Testings must come

What is the imperative that the Christian needs to appropriate into their environments to be favoured by God? No one can take honour unto himself, even the Lord Jesus did not do that, but God exalted Him above everyone else and this is why He is now seated at right hand of God. It was God the Fathers call; He alone is the One who has it in His power to exalt another. Regardless of the honour we may receive throughout our lives; honour, degrees, awards and so on, they all have their place with their reward but those things are all temporal and they will eventually run their course; However if we are looking beyond the temporal veil of carnality and into eternity our convictions most certainly begin to take on a different appeal. It will soon become evident on how serious we are in finding God’s help.

For any of these truths to become our reality we must believe God at His Word; the seas do not have a choice in the matter; God says halt and they stay! This is the test we will all have to confront in our lives. The greatest example is what our Saviour had to endure on the cross just before he died. What was going through His mind? We get some insight into the emotions that the Lord Jesus Christ faced; “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"” (Matthew 27:46) – It is obvious that the Lord Jesus felt that he had been abandoned by His Father, even if it was for a fleeting moment. We also know that the Lord Jesus had it in his power to call thousands of angels to annihilate all of his oppressors and yet he chose not too; his entire life was about the will of His Father. He trusted His Father to such an extent that he knew he would be raised from the dead and therefore was committed to the hardships he needed to endure along the way. God had said that on the third day he would rise again; Jesus believed God the Father and proved it by dying upon a cruel Roman cross. He was punished for our sin even though He had no sin. God had a plan for his life just as He has a plan for our lives; it is obviously meniscal in comparison but it has its place in God economy and we will be given varying opportunities to make good on that call, praise the name of Jesus!   

We see that most of the Children of Israel didn’t reach the Promised Land; they lacked faith; God said that He would give them new lands and we know that it is impossible for God to lie because we have been taught this truth in and through the Word of God. Why? Because they murmured and grumbled; therefore it was only Joshua and Caleb who entered the Promised Land. Just think about how many tens of thousands left Egypt at the time and for only two of the original liberation to receive the promise is rather mind blowing. How do we stack up with our commitment to the rescue God has given us?   

We have all been called to trust and obey our God even to the point of death, this is the ultimate test of our faith and we are to find grace along the way as it is available to every born again believer; we must not grumble, but rely on the grace of God to get us through whatever challenge we face. Christianity is about our faith towards God as individuals and we will all be tested through real living experiences. Lets us not be fooled into believe that we will get a pass. Christ has lead by example and now we must follow in his footsteps, all hail King Jesus, Amen!

Abraham believed God; we are not given too much insight into the unfolding of this explanation, at least in the Bible, there is however some historical writings (found in the Book of Jasher referred to in Joshua and Second Samuel) that gives us some insight to Abrams (Abraham) struggle against his father’s foreign gods and how he tested their worth, eventually smashing them. It just about cost him his life, BUT GOD! However seeing that those entries are not part of the Bibles writing I will refer only to what is written in the Holy Bible as I know that these writing are accurate and when we commit to them as intended we will be blessed by our God. “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” (Hebrews 11:8) – We must trust to the same extent if we are to come out on the other side purely refined. Sadly the wolves have run riot amongst the sheep folds of God across the globe with their cunning lies, with their false application of faith and how it should be exercised. However this should never detract from our duties with our faith towards our God. Do not let the enemy leave us with a watered down application towards true faith; sadly amongst so many denominations we tend to want to over correct when we see error and therefore we do not reap the intended benefit. Faith is a pivotal ingredient for us to find God’s favour in our lives.

By the grace of God I have reach a place where I will look to my Father to begin to apply scripture with a greater commitment, regardless of the gonging cymbals that look to make so much noise without any doctrinal truth attached to it. “Let God be true and every man a liar!” Everything for this life and our eternities in the future hinges on this very important fact, which is to trust and obey our God as we receive instruction from His Word, the Bible! The written Word is a treasure map filled with palatable delicacies which will help us find our way to heaven.

In conclusion let us spend more time on our knees even the more as we see that day approaching.

Signing off

Tyrone   

    

Acuity

Day and night thoughts relentlessly arrest my mind, but I know it is the goodness of God that drives me from them towards His Word. I find a wrestling within that looks to drive a wedge between the mind of Christ which every true born again believer has received and the rational of the Oldman. The time when we where are lead about like the blind leading the blind with our opinionated ideas on life and how we should go about living, oblivious to eternity and the will of God. Once God breathes life into a repentant sinner’s heart we all receive a new understanding and now life begins with a new set of rules that drives our intent. However the “Oldman” and his thinking still lingers looking to constantly make an appearance. So how do I separate the wood from the trees? By what method do I know which considerations will be beneficial to the call God has placed on my life? The answer is very simple; trust and obey the Word of God at the expense of all opposition, come what may! Easier said than done, maybe, but only when we walk in scepticism! The sole purpose of mankind is to be about the will of God the Father. And again I must remind all those who now process varying thought as they hit home that everything and everyone is part of the cogs in the wheel of life and God the Father is directing even those who claim to be heathen.

In every house there must be receptacles of honour as well as dishonour, so that the vessels of honour stand out. If you are into art and you get your hands on something of great beauty, do you leave it in the basement or do you mount it on the wall as a show piece? A nail is needed to display the picture in the correct position as it holds it in place. But the nail is never the showpiece. We all have a role to play in God’s Universal Production; I cannot stress the point enough. Do you know your part in the play? Judas Iscariot one of the disciples betrayed the Lord; someone had to do it as it was part of God’s script. And just like sin and temptation have their roles in society; it highlights the difference between light and darkness, good and evil. The bible is clear on the topic; "Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!” (Matthew 18:7) – Throughout our lives we all have run into varying regrets to these phenomena’s. But we must never leave those stones unturned; we must all find forgiveness for our sins if it is to end well.   

    

We cannot serve both God and mammon, Why not? “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." (Luke 16:13) – How do I know that this is sound advice? It’s rather very simple, the Lord Jesus so instructed his followers. So what will we do with this information? Like all sound doctrine, we must take it and make it our own. It is foundational to our lives and we must build upon that foundation. As Mongi and I trekked through the book of proverbs there was a particular verse that still nurses my mind and it was the words of Agur the son of Jakeh; “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar. Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, "Who is the LORD?" or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.” (Proverbs 30:5-9) – Do we share his sentiment? I know if I share in his ideas that it will be well with my soul, of this I am persuaded. However there are many thoughts that look to rob me of this authenticity. Father God, give me the resolve to live by these truths. I confess that I am always looking for an easy out and when I do I know that I have erred. Please forgive me when I venture down this path. Please continue to make me more like your beloved Son, my glorious Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. I confess I need your help.  

My mind has been taken to a justification that David encountered and it is the reaction of Joab the son of Zeruiah that we need to pay special attention too. The scene was one where God was about to give Israel back their city that the Philistines had stolen after the death of Saul; King Saul had sadly sought out a medium to find direction for his life and not looked to the prophet of God to find direction for himself and God’s people. The time in his life had resulted in great folly and he had proved it to the onlookers as well as to God, and therefore God put him to death. A scary thought but extremely accurate. Let us sit up and take note of his actions so that we do not make similar mistakes. David on the other hand paid very careful attention to the words of God and this was the result; “So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by Samuel. And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, that is, Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land. The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, "You will not come in here." Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.” (1Chronicles 11:3-15) - What caught my attention was Joab’s reaction to David’s instruction; “David said, "Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander." And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief.” (1Chronicles 11:6)

 

Who will be first and last in the kingdom of God, is a very deep question that is almost forbidden and yet it was asked by enquiring minds. How do I find favour from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the only true God? I must listen to His voice; I then trust it by an action of obedience. Joab responded first and became chief. I wonder how many others stood around and watched as they waited for someone else like Joab to be the first responder.   

  

Have you buried your talent or are you putting it to good use is another way of looking at it. Has sin kept you from proclaiming the gospel? Many amongst us may claim salvation in the finished work of the cross but sadly we are all too often silent when confronted and the reason for this is that we are not willing to relinquish our sin. The Lord Jesus taught us that the reason why so many do not come to the light is because their deeds are evil; “For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God." (John 3:20-21)

It is God alone who decides the outcome of a person’s faith, He is Sovereign and yet somehow in His astounding brilliance He has interwoven a capability into mankind that leaves us with the ability to make choices that we alone are accountable for. God is ingenuous, who can fathom His brilliance? Thankfully we are afforded snippets of it the more we delve into His Word. Praise His glorious name now and forever more, Amen and Amen!

David sinned and realise that he could not rescue himself and for us to find forgiveness we too must follow his example; “To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.” (Psalms 51:1-13)       

  

Pressurised thoughts often have a tendency to drive an individual into a decision that brings with it regret. This can be because of many differing factors, but strip away the clutter and trust and obey the Word of God and it will be well with our souls and it will end healthily. We must put off all and any considerations that contradict the Word of God and follow Him in faith; “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) – Evidence in our commitment to Christ can be measured by our obligation to His instructions.   

In conclusion it is obvious that everything in our world has its part to play, light dispels darkness allowing us to function more efficiently; blessed are the peacemakers, and yet without war we wouldn’t need peacemakers. There must be wars in order to exalt the peacemaker. We must understand darkness to value the beauty of light. We must believe God if we are to be counted amongst the righteous. I trust I have made my point…

Regardless of where we stand on so many differing fronts, we all play our part in God’s Production with some living their lives as a testament to His brilliance whilst others mock His name; both are needed to highlight the two extremes. The question we have to ask ourselves is where do we fit? There is a day coming in the not to distant future, where the separation between light and darkness will be worlds apart. For those who find repentance in and through the Lord Jesus Christ will eventually all end up in the New Jerusalem “but as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8)

Signing off

Tyrone

Giving an account

Wow, was the first word that came to mind when I caught a fresh glimpse of what the Word of God has once again revealed to me; a mystery that so many by default guise to overlook, especially when it concerns self. Human nature is so often twisted for self gain. We like to believe that we place others before ourselves, but strip it down and if candid our hearts are swiftly expose, if we are willing to be true to the matter. It is not how the Lord Jesus conducted Himself, He is my hero! Even when he was being crucified for a crime he didn’t commit he was being thoughtful of his perpetrators; “And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments.” (Luke 23:34) – Even whilst he was being cruelly treated there where those looking to profit from his death, not understanding their actions. Christ’s death was needful for mankind to profit, but not in a monetary sense. He died so all those who would find repentance in his sacrifice would be forgiven for their sinful conduct against a Holy God. Forlornly there are those who have jumped onto the band wagon of Christianity for that exact reason, financial gain.

Sadly even for us who find salvation still tend to focus on self in one way or another. If honest I am amongst that number, please forgive me Father God and renew a right spirit within me. Scripture is filled with such beautiful revelation and instruction on how we should conduct ourselves as Christians and yet I find what I learn from you is self-sacrifice. What right do I have in finding fault in others when I am not treated the way I feel I should be? I see those who have it in their power to make a difference but procrastination seems to be the order of the day. Scripture is clear on certain topics and when I see those turning a blind eye to my predicament I feel mistreated. Sadly this is the underlying truth to my reality. Once again forgive me Father. I conclude that I wouldn’t behave like others do and yet I find that when I am in a position to give I withhold, just below the surface I am no different. It is who I am, but I no longer wish to live there. I find a perpetual thought process that always looks for an opportunity to justify selfishness. From the greatest to the smallest thoughts it is a pattern I am governed by. When I look left and right and see other living under the same rule, how does that excuse my actions? It doesn’t! We will all stand before our Maker and have to give an account; “So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12) - Help me be more generous in character I pray, make me more like my beloved Saviour is my cry. I understand that I have a long road to travel and for me to reach its end I recognize that much suffering will need to be endured, give me the fortitude to cry out for your grace to get me through is part of that prayer.

In any battle there are always scouts that are sent to spy out the lay of the land. It is a dangerous task but needful to secure victory. I understand that in order to reach the Promised Land all of your children will need to suffer to learn obedience, a denial of self must be high up on our agendas. But we must have a willingness to travel that boulevard, give me the endurance needed and help me see the wood from the trees as I learn to bring glory to my beloved Saviour.

Thank you for hearing my plea my beloved God and Father.

Signing off

Tyrone