Grasping a truth!

Theoretically at times it may be easier to grasp a truth than apply it. Some may even dare to say that if a truth has not been applied then the theory is useless. Can a man survive without water? Obviously Not! Our bodies know that to be true and instinctively drive us towards liquid when needed. We drink without resolutely thinking about it, but there is obviously a command within the recesses of our brains which triggers an instruction, which in turn strikes us into action. Some of our engagements are obviously triggered instinctively. When we face danger, we respond in one of two ways, fight or flight” this is also an inherent reaction.

However it’s not these types of responses I refer too, or is it? The human race is naturally made up of flesh and blood, Adam; the first man was originally created from dust. There is a difference between accepting a truth and actually believing it and then there is even a greater step which takes us further, the stride that brings about real change, exercising that which will generate conversion. Where this gets cloudy in a persons mind, we understand that we can generate change in our lives, eat less and we lose weight, train harder and we get stronger. However that is like for like; let me explain, if you pour oil into water will in mix? In like manner the spirit and the flesh cannot operate under the same directions; the spirit kingdom remains the spirit jurisdiction whilst the flesh remains in its realm. We see the world and all that is in it, but God has kept the spirit realm from our natural understanding. If we logically think it through it is rather easy to accept. Where so many make the mistake is once God opens their eyes to the spiritual realm they revert back to naturally trying to apply reason to a completely different predicament. Birds of a feather cannot flock together; they have different flying patterns with different strengths and migration patterns. It’s the way of the world!

Salvation, redemption, regeneration cannot come from a persons intent, it may start with a thought of a person trying to find forgiveness for their sin but that miracle must be inspired by God for real change to be witnessed. If not a wolf may look like a sheep for a time if dressed correctly, but as the heat of the day begins to take its toll upon that individual they will begin to peal back those heavy coats of wool revealing their glimmering pelt of wolf-like hair. They will eventually throw in the towel and cry “no more”! As for the true Christian that God has revived, regardless of the amount of times a person may found themselves on their backs and in the dust, they will be given a resolve to stand and clout the dust from their knees and press on. It is God who is working in them and He will see them through the pressures of this life. It cannot be falsified! For a time a liar may get away with their defamations, but the truth will eventually be revealed. Some may be so skilled in their deceptions that only the judgement of God will expose them for who they truly are, but they will eventually be exposed. That is a truth I am persuaded of.

When I consider my life and the mistakes I have made, many have written me off as a lost cause, but I known in whom I have believed. My God will bring about the changes in my life to see me through this life and into the next. In order for us to find victory in the areas that we may struggle in, regardless of what that may be, Christ, who is the “Light of the world” needs to be elevated above the struggle. We need to give Him pre-eminence in that particular area. We should all understand by now that sin and darkness share the same space and that light is a reflection of righteousness. If one enters a dark place how does the darkness flee? You introduce light into that space. In order to get the most out of light it needs to be raised, right? You cannot put it under the table and expect to get the most from it. In like manner we need to start giving the Lord Jesus the pre-eminence in those hard to reach areas of our lives that seem to linger. We must elevate Christ above our selfish wants that keep us in bondage. We must elevate Him above the darkness, it’s as simple as that, if not we will continue to tussle in certain areas of our lives.

I have chosen not to specify our particular struggles, each will know their own, the formula is simple; place Christ above the burden, do not bury His finished work under your mattress. He has conquered all, praise His name and the Christian now wears His emblem on their chests, we must begin to truly believe in His victory, especially in those the regions of doubt. God help our unbelief I pray! Father God I bless the name of Jesus Christ your beloved Son and my treasured Saviour now and forever more, Amen and Amen! I cannot find adjectives that will triumph my gratitude, but you know my heart. I recall what the Lord Jesus asked Peter; Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" His response was what I believe would be no different for the Christian; He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." Let us find the resolve and the grace to get on with God’s biding. Please help us Father God, is my prayer.

It is God who is building His Church, it is up to the Christian to seek out His righteousness as our incentive, this must becomes our daily goal, when we arrive I am convinced we will see the invisible building blocks magically appear in our lives. Miracle after marvel and our lives will be filled with wonder. Amazement that will be extremely personal! God blessing us as He has blessed others in times passed, reaching across the divide revealing His glory and it will be extremely personal, praise God now and for ever more, Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

(Our Father) He who is "I AM"!

(Matthew 6:9)  “Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”

How often have you heard people make absurd statements like these, “if God is in control, why does he allow such evil to exist?” or “If this is the God that you serve then I want nothing to do with him.” And yet the Lord Jesus Himself taught us to pray; "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” We must begin here if we are to progress into a deeper relationship with our God, the Christians heavenly Father, praise His name now and forever more, Amen! There is only one true God and his creation can either accept His rule or reject it for now, however like any well written production or novel “all” their scenes will eventually play themselves out, everything will be revealed and we will see the intentions of God's plans as they are. There is a time coming when are will be revealed. 

Did you know? God is so brilliant that even those who oppose His rule is part of His script, they too are interwoven into the brilliance of God’s production as they expose the evil that exists, helping us understand our need and enabling the sinner to cry out to Jesus for help. Who has ever enjoyed a suspense thriller without the villain playing their part? All will be in accordance with His will and there will come a day where second guessing the Bible’s teachings will have passed, of this I am persuaded! There will come a day for us all where we will be ushered in to the spiritual realm and we will reap what we have sown here on earth. The Christian will inherit Christ and all that accompanies Him. The unbeliever will inherit eternal damnation. The lie of getting there by our own efforts, “I am a good person” mentality will keep us out of heaven if we are not sanctified by the blood of the Lamb; it’s as simple as that! We must wear His colours openly, we must fly the flag that declares that we are sinners who have cried out to Jesus.

It would appear that it could be easy to loose our way concerning prayer by conjuring up repetition, with “ME” as the focal point, when in fact it is obvious that God must be central and the pivot of all desire. Firstly, we must acknowledge that He is in heaven, way above us in position and stature. We are puny in comparison, maybe this is one of the reasons why he created the ant. Mankind towers above the ant, we have authority and power over the ant or the bug, and we can squash it just like that. God towers above us and He could do the same in an instant and yet he allows us to find salvation in and through His beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only is He far above us in the chain of the order of life, He is KING, HE is CREATOR, we are the created. There is nothing in our lives that must displace that truth, “GOD FIRST”!

Sadly this is normally not the case; even the Christian falls privy to the pitfalls of their wants. We often get the lines jumbled, thank you Father God for your grace and patience with us; thank you Lord Jesus for your constant collaborations as our High Priest, who makes this possible. Without our Saviour role in this bridge between mankind and God, our prayer would be ignored because of our sinfulness. It is important to understand the Jewish customs and the law in accordance with the high priest and his sin offering on behalf of the people to appreciate what Christ has actually achieved as our HIGH PRIEST! Our words are only ever heard and accepted when we approach the throne of God under His cover; praise His name now and forever more, Amen!

However now that we have the cover of Christ, those who are true Christians must not “get lost in translation”; our selfish needs and often our wants must not become our focus, God must always have that position, our Heavenly Father requires that commitment. At times it is so easy to lose our way as the pressure of life begins to squeeze… These are the times when we are being tested to see where we actually stand. The trial of our faith must be tested…

Examine your prayer and what you pray about, does it start the way the Lord Jesus taught us to pray, and I don’t mean a congregation rattling off “Our Father” in parrot like fashion with their minds far from the meaning of the prayer. We are to pray in our closets, without any attention drawn to us. This is where we must start, it’s how we must honour God (acknowledge Him as our King) and “hallow His name”; to show that we understand that He alone is Holy, everything He is and does is right, whether we can understand it or not. He is in control and we are not, and yet at times our feeble attempts to institute change may play its part in transformation, Nelson Mandela changed so much. However even that change could not of come without God allowing it. We need Him, He does not need us. And yet it was His will to create us in His image, Adam was created in God’s image. I suppose, when God looked down on Him, he would have seen a “mini me” in some form or another. It is obvious that He would not have looked at a giraffe and seen his own resemblance but when he looked at Adam He was satisfied. We know that He was pleases with His creation; “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:31)

Prior to the flood which wiped out the world, save 8 souls, at that time in history the worshiping of God’s name was just about extinct. Noah was consecrating God’s name but as for the rest of the known world, this was their state of mind; “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5) – It is only the righteous who have a voice to stay the hand of the Lord, praise the name of Jesus! The righteous will not be judge with the world and those who do not “hallow the name of God” will eventually understand their fate in the Lake of Fire! The picture that the Apostle Paul painted for us in chapter one of the book of Romans has gained momentum, mankind is on a slippery slope.

A man once ask the man Jesus a question; “"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.”” (Matthew 22:36-38) 

The creator demands acknowledgement of His existence and should be love as such, Satan looks to beguile the masses by denouncing His existence and this is where deception is at its strongest; people looking to save the planet, God’s creation at the exclusion of remunerating homage to the creator. I trust you have seen what God has shown me, it will be clear to some and not to others, the circle of life plays out, but God will have the final say, praise His name now and forever more, Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

Truth!

“Truth” is a five letter word that is very seldom disclosed correctly or at least only ever given in half-measures. Just enough is only ever disclosed to keep the onslaught at bay and this is what lies within the recesses of our hearts. We all seem to be tarred with this brush. In fact, sin has had such an effect on us all that many would not agree with my assumption; truth evading even those who claim to be totally truthful. They run a television program in the USA which is called, “The Moment of Truth” and did you know, even though half a million dollars could be won by those invited to that show, they only need to be totally transparent; interestingly enough no won has ever won the main prize; what does that then prove? Our inherent natures will always chose a lie if that works out better for us, just so long as we can get away with it. Even though these individuals have been connected to a Polygraph somewhere deep within their souls the lie is worth more than the money and yet all the contestants who remain in the game still take a stab at getting away with their inventions. The acting that follows, the look of total disbelief could win many of them Oscars. No one feels good caught in a blatant lie, however shielding the truth with a smokescreen (admitting just enough to stay out of hot water) lies within the cracks of our personalities.

I have in times past affirmed the quote that “the pen is mighty than the sword”; its confession that will either keep us in or out of heaven. However confession to the Lord Jesus Christ must be the order of the day, it cannot be to one of His representatives. God see all, therefore total disclosure is required. This will and can only ever be achieved if we are serious about our sin before a Holy God. The sooner we understand that as good as a Lie detector may be, God can never be tricked by His creation. HE SEES ALL! The Lord Jesus said this whilst on earth; “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”” (John 14:6) – I know I often beat this drum, but it is imperative to realise that half truths will never set us free. Every other religion outside of accurate Christianity will keep those ensnared by it trapped in a lie.

Even those who apparently fly the Christian flag are lying about certain truths concerning the truth about true Christianity. “The Vatican releases an extremely disturbing video in which Pope Francis declared that all of the major world religions are "seeking God or meeting God in different ways" and that ultimately "we are all children of God".” (MICHAEL SNYDER) – If and when I compare what he says against that of the Bibles teaching it is obvious that he is a liar. It is imperative that we all seek out God’s truth for ourselves, for our eternities depend upon it. No one wants to obviously oppose a person with such authority as their first point of call, but if what he teaches will keep us out of heaven we must! Therefore I am willing to go on the record, regardless of the consequences for I know that my Saviour has my back. It is imperative for the Christian to make a stand on the truth of God’s Word as it may just free some from their entrapment.

Who will you believe Pope Francis or the Lord Jesus Christ, I have made my choice!

Any religion that propagates any other way to get to the Father and to find favour from Him is in contradiction to the Lord Jesus’ teachings and those who are taken by it will be in danger of the Lake of Fire.

The Lord Jesus died for sinner and nobody else, therefore He alone is the One who can save us from our sin. I know where I stand on this truth; I have made up mind, have you?

Signing off

Tyrone

Looking a little deeper

(Matthew 1:21) She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

Irony is often linked to humour but no easily seen by the typical brain; one normally has to look a little deeper to understand satire. One needs to tap deeper into those crevices to unlock that understanding. How the mechanics actually works within ones brain I cannot say, God knows! Let’s take the life of the Lord Jesus or a facet of it, He proclaimed that His kingdom had come; it was a time in history where God the Father had ushered in his role on earth as the baby, boy and then the man Jesus, this happened about two thousand years ago. We know that the Word became flesh (Jesus was born of a virgin and live as a male up until the age of 33 and then he was crucified). History has that recorded, but its John that takes us a little deeper – “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) - John pens these words and speaks as a witness, verifying a truth that he had witnessed and had now come to understand; the person whom he himself had handled was in fact the Word of God and that his mission was to live amongst the population of that time. The place, Nazareth and its surrounding provinces; his mission, to give sight to the blind and to breathe live into some, equipping them to become the forefathers of the Christian faith with the majority of those individuals being Jews, and yet as a nation the ones who rejected Jesus as their Messiah, which is still in play today.    

The very same Jesus entered this world like all of us, through the womb of a woman; he grew up with simple comforts and learnt the trade of his earthly father, carpentry. He subjected himself to the care of his parents and all that that entailed. As a baby he would have suckled to develop and I have no doubt that his mother loved him dearly. He found himself under their counsel and he reverenced his parents. He lived a life of sinlessness, the only person to ever achieve this, making him the perfect sacrifice for our sin. He was never tainted by the ruin of sin; he was perfect in applying the same rule on earth as he had applied in heaven. He revered his Father in heaven and his life was all about his heavenly Fathers will. He had a job to do and he did it perfectly. Its not that he never had to deal with puberty as a teenager, but rather that his life in accordance with Gods commandments was perfect and without breech. This however did not keep him from the lures of temptation and their entrapment's; at times they were fierce but he overcame all of them, praise God, Amen!  This is a shared view by all Christians throughout the ages, he was badly treated and falsely accused of breaching God’s commandments by those who supposedly where the spokesmen for God. The Jewish rulers of that time threw out accusations against him; “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'” (Luke 7:34) - But they where in breech, they were the liars and not HIM!

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob then stamped His approval on the man Jesus by raising him from the dead. We must look and ponder upon that facet of the resurrection, although Jesus was in fact God, he was now reduced to a man with the capability of death, hence they crucified him and he died on a cruel Roman cross. The proof of his achievement in bridging the gap which sin had destroyed was now repaired and confirmed by the Father. It’s the resurrection that proves that He was the One whom God had chosen to save the world, or rather the believers of the world.

Not all of mankind is loved, but only those who believe in Jesus’ merit to save them from eternal damnation. This is an obvious conclusion; “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36) 

With this understood it is here where irony has its part to play; although the Lord Jesus Christ is the King of kings. The Apostle Paul has this instruction for the Christian; “I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time--he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (1Timothy 6:13-16) – When kingdoms inaugurate their kings into power they crowned him with a crown of gold, but the Lord Jesus was crowned with a crown of thorns. His throne was not a throne of nobility but rather a cruel rugged cross. He was elevated with death and not the reign of power. The King of kings died so that we (the Christian) could escape the wrath of God. He sacrificed his life for ours. In fact this truth was taken so far that an inscription was placed above his head on that cross, which read; “…This is the King of the Jews."

Who are those loved by God? It is only those who believe in the finished work of the cross and all it stands for. Those who reject it are not loved by God by remain in their condemnation, which is this, they will stand before God on Judgement Day and ultimately be cast into the Lake of Fire, which was originally prepared for Satan and his followers. Therefore all those who reject the love of God with suffer the same fate as Satan; “and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:10-15)  

Signing off

Tyrone