The Law

We are all governed by the law, it’s our default. So much of our time is spent by laws governed by the country which in turn governs us. It’s just the way it is. Far be it from us to write our own laws, although we most certainly do that within the laws which rule. We all look to do it our way, a tailor-made lifestyle which suits each individual. And when the pressure is on and we need an itch scratched we do that in secret, hoping to get away with the breech. The thief steals hoping not to get caught. The adultery beds another man’s wife in secret, captivated by his own desire. And the list is endless. It’s like what the scientist refer to in space as a black hole, "don’t let the name fool you: a black hole is anything but empty space. Rather, it is a great amount of matter packed into a very small area." Secret sin is like that, the truth be told, all will be expose by the light on Judgment Day. There is no such thing as a secret sin that is just another lure the world has swallowed hook, line and sinker. We may even get away with the deceit for a time, but it will catch up with all of us, repent and be saved is the solution. God has afforded all the opportunity to cry out unto HIM. I cannot be straighter with you, to all of my friends. Which covers childhood, through puberty and all the way up into adulthood. I have declared a truth to you, what will you do with it? That old adage, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. "If only" will be the cry of many.

 

So we are bound by the law for as long as we live, it manages us with impunity and yet we are anything but free. The Apostle Paul puts it like this; “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. “ (Romans 7:19) - In a way it's not our fault, the sin of Eve has tainted us. We instinctively err on the side of sin when an opportunity presents itself. But because we have been given a way out, we will all be held accountable if we decline God's offer.  

 

When we understand this correctly, it becomes obvious that we need to be saved from ourselves, sin, Satan and the wrath of GOD! It is God who has extended the life line, praise His name. Bless the name of Jesus the One who took my punishment, why? Obedience to the will of His Father. Why did God require such a sacrifice? Sadly, because of our to sin. However, because God is love, He has extended all a lifeline. I hope you get it! Miss this eternal opportunity and the penalty will be so serious that none of us like to speak about it. Have you ever been to a funeral where they speak of the departed now on hell? And yet so many will end up there. I will not be one of those friends who lies to you, so not to offend. I have made that mistake in the past, and not spoken up and someone has died, that is on me. However now you breathe and your hope is alive, the solution is simple, cry out to Jesus and ask Him to save you. You must mean it, and believe that you need salvation. “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” (Romans 10:13)

 

Signing off

 

Tyrone

Be Vigilant

What is rather obvious is how God has chosen the natural world to teach us so many valuable lessons that we must apply to our spiritual lives. It is also palpable that we cannot take those lessons and then live them out in the flesh to find favour from God. Here is the truth behind that type pf reasoning: “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”  (Romans 8:7-8) – We must make this truth our own, if not we will always be living in a bowl of oil and water trying to mix the two into a single liquid, which is impossible.

However the brilliance of God has allowed us to learn many valuable teachings as we live out our lives in the natural. But unless there is a shift into the spiritual realm we will remain babes in Christ; that is if we have been truly saved. Just like a baby putting everything into their mouths, unable to differentiate the good from the bad. How do we apply ourselves with prudence? We examine those trainings against the voice of God and see how we are able to carry those lessons into our spiritual walks with God. It’s always good to have the intent of finding the acceptable, good and perfect will of God in and through the experience. How do we accurately measure what we believe we are being taught, how do we know whether our understanding is accurate or not? We examine it against the Word of God and not the opinions of others. God has afforded His children that privilege. With that said, I am heavy hearted this morning, so many of us believe because someone claims to be a Christian, it must be so. It is imperative that we mark out those who are truly invested in the will of God and expel those who are all about their own agendas. Sadly there are many who fall into the latter category. Mark out those amongst you and be astute whilst examining what they have to say, is it in accordance with the will of God, or more accurately are they vessels unto honour or not? Not that we need to knit pick on the different persuasions Christians have on certain fundamentals. I believe we will all be squared away when we get to heaven. But blatant violations cannot be overlooked, that will end in devastation. I trust God the Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth concerning this. “Let God be true and every man a liar”. So whether a women covers her head or not as Paul teaches, that wouldn’t be a hill to die on. However when he teaches on how or who should be teaching God’s Word and the reason for it, it must be taken very seriously if we are to stay on track.

When the focus of the author or the preacher becomes about themselves more than the finished work of the cross, be warned! Paul Tripp in his book "Awe" puts it like this; “When we put ourselves in the center of the story, not only do we become rebels against God, we become a danger to ourselves and others. And since we are our greatest problem, we are left powerless to help ourselves.” How do we change our application to the problem of self-getting in the way? “The law can reveal how much you have put yourself in the center of the story, but it has no power to put God back in his rightful place in your heart. We are confronted with the utter foolishness of repeatedly asking the law to do what only grace can accomplish.”

It’s the grace of God that has saved us and it’s the grace of God that will get us home. But we must always be mindful of this truth, it’s not as if we now repeatedly look to abuse the grace of God in our lives, a license to live a life of habitual sin.

​“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2) – The war rages on, but the Christian must be brought to their senses if they have been truly saved. It may take some serve disciple to bring them round, however I am persuaded because God has begun the work HE will see it through unto the end. We are not all the same per se, sure we are all tainted by sin, but some are dull of hearing and just like the rebellious lamb that always wanders away from the protection of the flock and eventually needs the shepherd to intervene. Historically we are taught that a shepherd used to go as far as breaking the lamb’s leg and then carrying it on his shoulders to keep it save. What a glorious metaphor.

The Holy Spirit of God will bring the Christian to their senses, let us make every effort to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Signing off

Tyrone

God First

As a father, what is it we seek from our children? Obedience is most certain high up on the list. But what I would place even higher is to witness a true blossoming relationship with God come to fruition in their lives. As I take that thought deeper I realise that obedience will come out of that relationship. And just like that my thoughts align and I am reminded of this verse; “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  (Matthew 6:33) – God first and everything else falls into place. I am not suggesting that life becomes a bed of roses, often the opposite is true. But of this I am certain, the peace of God through the struggle will be our portion. It’s about transporting our rational into a position so that we instinctively place God first in our lives.

When we open our eyes after a night’s sleep do we reach for the glass of water first to address our parched mouths or do we praise God and tell him we love him and then reach for the glass? That may seem trivial, but is it? I know that my heavenly Father wants me to love him with every iota I have and because we apply ourselves by faith this has nothing to do with the natural. It’s all about learning to walk in the spirit. What I am looking for, is for that to become inherent. For this to happen I need to align scriptures instruction into my understanding. I am taught that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. What this teaches me is that if I want my life to echo faith I must be feeding my mind with scripture. Without that application I will obviously not strengthen my faith.

 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) – Although it is clear that the train of thought behind this verse is referring to preaching the gospel and people responding to it, receiving the faith to believe. However, it would be good for us to carry that thought into our Christian growth. We need to constantly embrace the WORD of God, our lives do depend upon it. Sound doctrine is key to our growth and has an effect on our ability to love God. It is easy to be swept up by the hype of an experience as we are naturally inclined to feed that high. However because the Christian has now received the Spirit of God and He coexist with you, the spirit is always willing to align with God’s will, it’s the flesh that pulls us in the opposite direction. Have you understood the correlation between the two and has it settled? If not, you need to seek out God’s grace to arrive. Without a clear understanding of ourselves and the war within, we will never change. It will always be us first and God second. I am not suggesting that once we resolve on our responsibility to put God first in our lives that we have arrived. NO! The war has just truly started. It becomes a daily battle, but we are now aware of what our responsibility is. We need to put on God to shed all that resists God’s order in our lives. We begin to prove God’s will for our lives and our application to daily living changes. Obviously this is evident in a believer’s life when they are newly saved. The change we witness is radical. However as we grow we often make mistakes or become complacent, that is simply not good enough, I realise the work that still needs to be done in my life. But the days of acceptance is a thing of the past, all I want now is to truly love my heavenly Father not only in word but with my actions and for that to happen I need FAITH.

I need to constantly put myself into a position that will feed that part of my life. Reading the Bible, fellowship with other believers, listening to ministry, but be careful with this as sound doctrine is crucial. For many will come in Christ's name with their own agendas. A good place to start if you truly believe that God has saved you, is to allocate an allotted time slot to reading the Bible and praying, pencil it into your diary and do not put it off. The cares of this life will look to get in the way, but be vigilant.

I will leave you with this encouragement; “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” (James 4:8)

Signing off

Tyrone

Tyrone Crux profile

Finding Favour

The beauty of God’s favour in our lives must sting at times. “Oh wretched man that I am who will deliver me from the body of death?” Even as self-proclaimed Christians we must understand that this war is fierce.  In any time of crisis there is much to do about helping those in need with people standing up and looking to be recognized, so that they can say they have contributed to the cause feeling better about themselves, and praise from others is always welcomed. This is an inherited trait alive in all of us. We single out the good and look to stand with them. We are quick to put up our hands just as long as the cost is bearable. I need you to mull over that for a minute or so and arrive at you own synopsis…

Ok, let’s move on…

I know it is much easier to align my purpose with like-minded individuals. “Birds of a feather flock together”. But how far are we willing to go if and when the cost is unbearable? When the odds are stacked against us to the extent that it becomes impossible to complete. Breaching the gates into heaven is an impossible quest when we look to ourselves to somehow achieve the objective. I really need us to spend some time here as we reflect on our own efforts to find favour with God. What is your go to action that makes you feel better about yourself? Is it an action that you know others will notice or do you really just get on with it, regardless of the opinion of others? I am convinced not many fall into the latter category. We all need our egos stroked in one form or another, it’s who we are.

But until we learn the better way, we will continually hit a wall, a dead end to the quest of heaven with all its glory will remain a figment of our imaginations. We must stop trying to window dress our lives for the sake of others; that approach is nothing more than a decoy looking to deceive. The sooner we are truthful about the pride of our sin, whatever that maybe, the freer we will find our walks in Christ to be. Justification is one of the vilest of sins. Whenever we find reason to excuse our behaviour whilst accusing others we will remain trapped and of this I am persuaded. Deception is a way of life and we are taught to feed it from a young age. Makeup hides the blemishes on ones face. Why is it a billion dollar industry? Our hearts are desperately wicked and until we see them for what they are we will miss the ultimate goal; finding adoption into the household of God. It’s only the faithful that will enter in.

Just like the words of Jacob, when he said “my brothers meant it for evil but God meant it for good” so too although Satan meant sin for evil God has turned it for good in the sense that it’s our sin that gets us to the place that we understand the gravity of it and therefore call out to be saved, but call we must. Have you ever seen someone call out for help when they believed they haven’t needed it? But put someone in a place where death knocks and then see their rapid response to call out. Although sin is the enemy it should bring an individual to their senses. This is where the sinner calls out to Jesus to be saved. This is what is known as the born again experience.

That is all good and well, like Malcolm Harris recently reminded me, it is one thing to be touched by Christ and to receive partial sight, like the blind man that saw men like trees walking. We must be honest with our retort when asked, “What do you see?” This man had been touched by the Lord, he was no longer blind, per se, he could partially see. When we hide our sin, we only ever deceive ourselves and even others for a time, but never the Lord. The sooner we come to grips and see ourselves for who we are the more proactive we will become in looking to Jesus to find grace in time of need to glorify our Father in heaven and be about His will in every area of our lives. Until then we will look for greater truths behind God’s curtain and only ever see shapes instead of precision.

Father God bring all of your children to their senses is my prayer and help us understand the gravity of our sin, however obscure it has become. Repair that which the cankerworm has eaten, renew a right spirit in us so that we can all be about your will and not our wants. The hot iron that has deadened our consciences need to be switched off.  

Signing off

Tyrone

Death

(Revelation 21:4) “…and death shall be no more…”

There is a day coming when we will no longer visit death, funerals will be a thing of the past. Eternity for every Christian will become their reality. A period of bliss, not bound by physics and the like, it will be a stretch where tears will be a historical moment in time. Pain will no longer be a measure to remind us that we are alive. All our former understanding on how we existed and all that correlated to those lives will be soon but a memory.

The joy we felt whilst alive will be a smidgen of the bliss that will be ours in heaven. As Paul Tripp explains bliss, he calls it AWE. Heaven will be AWE personified. I suppose it would be like trying to compare the sensation you get whilst swinging on a garden swing and the big dipper in an amusement park. Absolutely no disparity to speak of.

All things will be made a new, God has so ordained it. Why? Apart from the brilliance of God setting things in order as only He has the ability to do it. A fresh start for every believer will be our lot, an epoch of sheer genius will unfold and we will be part of it and on the dependable side of it all, praise God!

And all because of the finished work of the cross, all because of the Lord Jesus Christ’s achievement in a man’s body whilst on earth. The miracle that so many have missed as they loosely blasphemy the One who died to potentially save them. Absolute confirmation of the blind leading the blind and both falling into the ditch. All those who profess to be wise have become fools. And yet there is still hope, “whilst we have breath we have hope”. There is still a chance for the unbeliever to repent and call upon the name of Jesus. We have work to do, do not grow wearing, in due season the faithful shall reap their reward.

“The new heaven and the new earth will not be separate from each other; the earth of the saints, their glorified, bodies, will be heavenly. The old world, with all its troubles and tumults, will have passed away. There will be no sea; this aptly represents freedom from conflicting passions, temptations, troubles, changes, and alarms; from whatever can divide or interrupt the communion of saints. This New Jerusalem is the church of God in its new and perfect state, the church triumphant. Its blessedness came wholly from God, and depends on him. The presence of God with his people in heaven, will not be interrupted as it is on earth, he will dwell with them continually. All effects of former trouble shall be done away. They have often been in tears, by reason of sin, of affliction, of the calamities of the church; but no signs, no remembrance of former sorrows shall remain. Christ makes all things new. If we are willing and desirous that the gracious Redeemer should make all things new in our hearts and nature, he will make all things new in respect of our situation, till he has brought us to enjoy complete happiness. See the certainty of the promise. God gives his titles, Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, as a pledge for the full performance. Sensual and sinful pleasures are muddy and poisoned waters; and the best earthly comforts are like the scanty supplies of a cistern; when idolized, they become broken cisterns, and yield only vexation. But the joys which Christ imparts are like waters springing from a fountain, pure, refreshing, abundant, and eternal. The sanctifying consolations of the Holy Spirit prepare for heavenly happiness; they are streams which flow for us in the wilderness. The fearful durst not meet the difficulties of religion, their slavish fear came from their unbelief; but those who were so dastardly as not to dare to take up the cross of Christ, were yet so desperate as to run into abominable wickedness. The agonies and terrors of the first death will lead to the far greater terrors and agonies of eternal death." (Matthew Henry)

Signing off

Tyrone  

Mind of God

Imagine if we could see into the future and how that would change our lives. The only problem we would have with that ability is our selfishness would dominate. Sadly our sinful natures takes care that. We would be looking to extract whatever we could to be better off and sadly, we wouldn’t have the will of God in the forefront of our minds. Sin has tainted our abilities to rule righteously. Power is the last rung on the ladder of success. It would appear that this is also the hardiest of lessons for us to embrace. A generation ago, I would have singled out men. But in today’s society there is very little difference when it comes to the power struggle, even across genders. Jesus laid down his power to save the sinner. The Man with the ability to look into the future. The same man that had the power to summoned angels to rescue him but rather chose to die a humiliating death. No wonder he teaches us this very valuable lesson; “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” (Mark 10:31) - He has been elevated to the right hand of God. He lost it all and has now reap his reward. There will be others who procure exponential rewards because of their obedience to God’s voice. Their sacrifice will be worth it all, what about us? Where will we end up in eternity?

So let me ask you again, imagine we could see into the future? We can’t but God can and has already set out His plans. What we need to grasp with both hands is that God is in control, He is righteous and what he has set in motion will come to pass. These are the facts and regardless of the thwarted attempts to cause disruption God always has the last word. Do you believe this? If not what I then have to say will pass you by.

However if you believe what I am saying to be accurate then we need to be sure we hear the voice of God in our lives. We need to listen out for it. How? It is rather simple and there is no mysticism to it. “As our words explain our minds to others, so was the Son of God sent in order to reveal his Father’s mind to the world.” (Matthew Henry) – In the exact same manner as I now pen my words for you to read, so too has the Bible been written for us to tap into the mind of God.

Before Christ walked the earth and accomplished the impossible, that which mankind was unable to achieve, a life of sinless perfection. God spoke to us in a different way. He used miracles and the prophets where the vessels used to declare God’s heart to His people. ​“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”  (Hebrews 1: 1-2)

There should be no greater quest in our lives than hearing the voice of God. What would the ultimate goal would be? “The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” (Revelation 21: 7) – Wow! If that certainty doesn’t blow you away, something is off, we need to revisit out walks with the Lord. We should all be searching out God’s grace on a daily basis to appreciate the quest we are on.  Although we are now sons of God by grace through faith, there is a day coming when we will receive our glorified bodies, a body capable of traveling between the seen and the unseen worlds with a capacity to stand in the presents of God. Breaching that impenetrable barrier of light, which God set up in the beginning, a barricade separating the natural from the spiritual with sin playing its part in that calculation.

Are we convinced that heaven will be our home? If so, let the way we live begin to prove that. We must live in the Spirit and the things that lure us into or carnal existence will begin fade. We need to be opened faced, honest about our weaknesses so that we can find grace to please our heavenly Father.

Signing off

Tyrone

Destroy and Deliver

Synopsis

Introduction: - Hello my name is Tyrone Arthur, a simple man with no grand accolades to my name, save this, that I have understood my need to be saved from my sin. However, just like most of us we all have a story to tell, this is mine. I have been taught many valuable lesson by the Lord, which I wish to share in the hope that others may glean from it and live fuller lives to the glory of God. Destruction, the pain and discipline we experience through the throws of life is part of deliverance and it will soon become obvious through this read. Therefore I have titled the book, Destroy and Deliver (Synopsis).

Why: - Why did I put pen to paper? The answer is simple, to inform the uninformed about eternity and the judgments of God. Highlighting God’s love for mankind and the lifeline offered to all in and through the finished work of the cross, the absolute achievement of the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, the One who takes away the sins of the World, with an offer to save all who will call upon Him for rescue.

My Objective: - I have a heart for the lost sheep of God, wayward or wandering sheep, and many would refer to those individuals as backsliders, those who for whatever reason have lost their way as I did. My prayer is that the Lord through the Holy Spirit will use this book to open their eyes and see their need for their Saviour and cast themselves on Him and right the wrongs they are dealing with. Obviously my heart goes out to the unsaved and I trust this read will reach some. It is a read for all, even though the unbeliever may be left behind with all the scripture quoted, but we know with God all things are possible.

Many years ago I was privilege enough to visit many schools throughout the country on the back of my first edition, and with many testimonials from students on how it touched their lives. I pray that God would use this to promote His legacy.

Style: - I have written this book with a style of constantly reflecting on the now, what I mean by that, although I touch on my life in the form of an autobiography, I felt it important to underplay the detail, at times I’ve chosen to be more explicit in order to get a point across. I have constantly looked to bring the reader into my mind-set throughout the read. Even though I highlight an event at any given time, in hindsight I have often correlated where I should have been at the time and used scripture to prove that. I have not written it like a novel building it up to its climax. Needless to say I trust all will take something away from this read.

Conclusion: - It has taken years of reflection to arrive at this final stab at my autobiography. It has been tweaked with a greater understanding of certain truths pertaining to the will of God for my life. “While we have breath we have hope”, is something I often quote throughout the chapters of this book. It is imperative we act whilst we can and do our bit in tandem to the gospel and this could be the tool used as an aid to help loved ones come to their senses.

It wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t mention, that I am also hopeful that this will bring in some revenue for me as times have been tough of late. Therefore any support would be greatly appreciated.    

   

Be blessed in Him, our great Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ

Signing off

Tyrone