Time to trim the sails

 

Regardless of the arena where our voices are heard and where we stand up to be counted; to be fashionably “current” is important. Imagine a businessman in the eighteen hundreds dressed to the hilt with his fancy attire looking to strike up an agreement with a computer geek of the twenty first century, a casually dressed millionaire in his slops and t-shirt. The deal would have had immense strain placed upon it before negotiations even began. Perceptions and preconceived ideological conditions as individuals. Diversity at its core, and yet God remains the same yesterday, today and forever, He is constant, praise His name!

 

For us to handle scripture in a day like today we must look for the clues that are relevant. The Word of God is not bound by time, whereas “style” is linked to time. Fashion must never dictate, the Word (Bible) must always take pre-eminence if we are to survive and end up on the right side of God’s judgments. Let me be clear, scripture in its entirety is relevant if we dissect the words within the verses that are on the pages with precision no differently to a homicide detective searching out clues within a crime scene carefully paying attention to the obvious as well as the hidden detail. Some will be better than others in reading and interpreting scripture, no differently to the varying measures of talents across every other area of our lives. It is also obvious that we will play different roles within the body of Christ (the church, on a local and universal scale). Therefore it would be impossible to continuously walk on our hands if we are actually place in the body as feet. The Apostle James says it like this; “let not many of your become teachers as you will receive a stricter judgement.” All were never meant to be teachers, but all are capable of an intermit relationship with God, that is, if we are born again and new creatures in Christ. Then and only then will we have eyes to see spiritual truths.

 

The voice of reasoning, which on the surface is exactly that, reasonable. Logic and common sense teach us to live in a certain manner. However when we strip it down it is the opposite of faith, which God requires from His children; “but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him." (Hebrew 10:38)  - “reasoning” in that sense is in direct opposition to the voice of God and is driven by the devil and his followers. When the Lord Jesus sent out his disciples to proclaim the gospel what was his instruction in spite of their initial obvious understanding of planning for their trip? Thoughts like; food, a weapon for self-defence, a change of clothing and money for the trip…

 

This was the instruction; “These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, nor two tunics nor sandals nor a staff, for the laborer deserves his food.”” In that sense God does not need help from men to do His bidding , He is the great “I AM”, this is where I believe so many of us get it wrong, we bring God down to our level instead of the other way around. True faith allows us to operate in the correct realm, GODS DOMAIN!

 

It is imperative to trim our sails and to check our bearing if we are to make it to our final destination, heaven with all its glory!

 

Let us all remember that if we believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord of our lives, we most certainly belong to the household of God and we shall be saved on that day, and yet when we flip the coin we see that God is not happy with those who draw back…

 

”Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, "Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.” (Hebrews 10:35-39)

 

Are we numbered amongst the latter or have we fallen asleep? Is it time to trim your sails, my sails need constant trimming. Give me strength Father God in the mighty name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour to see the wood from the trees and to discern your will for my life and not to over emphasis the carnal wants in my life. Teach me to live by faith, Amen and Amen!

 

Signing off

 

Tyrone

Thoughts unpacked

Some random thoughts throughout the week…

Prophecy (to foresee the future and then forecast it) – The Bible is full prophecy, upcoming events that must still unfold. An obvious event yet to happen is the Lord's second coming, often referred to by Christians as the rapture! A day that we so eagerly await. The ramifications of that day are mind-blowing, to be caught up in the air and to be changed, this corruptible body of ours will be swallowed up by corruption and it will happen in the blind of an eye; “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52) - changed into what? Our ever-dying bodies will be changed into eternal bodies. Think of the massive leap one sees in seed as it is planted, it goes into the ground and sprouts into something phenomenal. Our soul has always been eternal, but the physical body will change. It will take on a whole different makeup, incorruptible, means exactly that, it will never die, wow! Almost too much for the mind to comprehend. Some people say they don’t enjoy science fiction movies, yet what this prophecy encapsulates is beyond natural comprehension. Superhuman powers as seen with Marvel comic heroes are exactly the thought, fire unable to destroy our new bodies. Standing on the sun and being able to survive it. Or even better still, being able to enter the presents of God and survive. Remember Moses on the mountain and how God hid him in the rock to shield him from death as he passed by. The point we must grasp is this, eternal means exactly that, never-ending, therefore our awaited new bodies will be indestructible.  

 

Another thought pertains to eternal judgments, where our works will be tried by fire and all the dead works that have filled our lives will be swallowed up by flames. Referred to in the book of Corinthians as the Christians' Judgment! “Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he will be saved, but only as through fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:12-15) - Our foundation is the Lord Jesus, but I cannot be sure how those rewards will be factored into our eternity, but they will play their part. Paul has foretold us about this upcoming event and it will happen, period! If some do not believe this to be true that changes them, not the truth, “let God be true and every man a liar”. Because someone disbelieves something true, does not mean it will not come to pass. This is another great deception playing out in our world today, people believing that have the right to choose what they want to believe when it comes to God. God will never be mocked, it’s HIS way or the price for disobedience will be eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire. Everything has been declared, the warnings are all there, and now every individual is left with the ability to choose, will you believe what has been penned or do you know better? I Believe! Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your saving grace. 

Here it is if you doubt my last point; “And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15) – Therefore to avoid the Lake of Fire we must have our names written down in the book of life and if in doubt, I would not leave the fate of my eternity on a hope, a maybe! Be sure to secure your spot in the register and call upon the name of the Lord, believe in the finished work of Calvary, confess your sins ask God to forgive your folly and finally believe in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Once this event truly takes place in your lives, only then can one be sure that their name has been penned into the Book of Life and that you will avoid the Lake of Fire as your final eternal destination.

 

Signing off

 

Tyrone