Character

Whenever God’s people did evil in his sight there seemed to be server consequences, take for example when they had just come out of being blessed by God for 40 years, and then God delivered them into the hands of the Midianites. It is not as if they had the freedom to do what they wanted and then still expect a blessing. And yet how often do we cry out to our God expecting to be blessed regardless of our behaviour? It gets a little trickier for New Testament believers because of the work of the cross and our Saviour’s great achievements on Calvary. It is finished! The work of salvation is complete, believers are now covered by the blood of the Lamb. That has been cemented by the Lord Jesus’ resurrection, with many eyewitnesses confirming that. Not that this is required by faith. Nevertheless, in a court of Law, the verdict would stand.

 

If the work of God has been finished in the Lord Jesus Christ, which it has, how do we need to behave as believers? This is where deception can often play its part in our lives, especially when our selfish wants gets in the way.  Excuse after excuse is often our mantra. This is why I have often spoken about the mirror in my life, looking into it with honesty and asking God to show us who we are. If we miss this step we are no better than the ostrich that buries its head in the sand when the going gets tough.

 

It’s easy to voice that we Love the Lord, and I know that is the truth if we confess Jesus as Lord, but the reality of that watered-down confession often has hypocritical connotations. It is all linked to keeping the WORD of GOD as a rudder to our lives. Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my word. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me. (John 14:23-24) – We can most certainly tie this into this statement; “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (John 14:15) – This very statement often causes many to stumble, and at times, guilty as charges! Nevertheless, it’s the Goodness of God that brings his children to repentance, so that they can fall to their knees asking for forgiveness, which God gives in spades, thank you, FATHER! 

However, life’s journey must bring us to a place where we acknowledge that the commandments of God are a rudder to our lives and should set the tone for how we conduct ourselves. If not we have been deceived. And just like Gideon broke down the altars of Baal we need to do the same if we have allowed any to live in our lives.  

 

The storm is coming; just like any well-trained soldier before battle, we need honed skills for the upcoming war. Enough of the excuses and it’s time for me at least to prioritize God first in my life as it matters. There is nothing I desire above this truth. “Let God be true and every man a liar”, in the context of those who oppose his voice. And I want nothing more than to please my heavenly Father with my conduct and compliance to His word. I know this purpose is of the highest order and I sincerely seek out your prayers to accomplish my goal.

 

Remember we need to read our Bibles to understand God’s character, and the law often shows us another dimension to His character. The Tora, the first five books of the Bible is where we can learn about this.

 

Signing off

 

Tyrone

 

clean house

 

Having put my hand to the plow concerning a Bible daily reading plan which I gracefully started at the beginning of this year has been beneficial. How so? Well, it somehow opens one up to a different mindset. It’s not as if I’m looking for an answer to a specific subject. Nevertheless, it amazes me how certain truths jump out at me. And there is a specific subject that I would like to bring to your attention…

 

When God freed Israel from slavery out of Egypt the same pattern seems to emerge as the Bible takes us into their history through the ages. It had serve consequences when they allowed certain no-go commands to live with them. They were often instructed to kill all their enemies, yet they allowed some to live. MISTAKE! Without going into too much specific detail, what could I glean as a lesson for my example? What have they taught me? The answer is simple yet profound. What have I allowed to live in my life and not found the grace to kill off? What have I given a pass? What have you given a pass in your lives? If we do not address those areas urgently, it will cost us dearly. As it has already cost us dearly even if we haven't realized it yet, however, while we have breathe we have hope, and we can and must seek out God’s grace in our lives to right our wrongs. This is non-negotiable, I know that we have the power to ignore what needs to be rightfully examined but it will cost us of this I am convinced. Not only in this life but in the life to come.

 

Why should we read the bible daily? Without stating the obvious, it’s the only book that is actually able to read us. Get busy, be deliberate, and look to allocate a small amount of your day to do exactly that reading your bible. It does take discipline, so pray about it and then once you have put your hand on the plow, GO FOR IT! You will be blessed.

Grace and peace to all who confess Jesus as Lord.

 

Signing out

 

Tyrone

       

All came to pass

 

All came to pass

Thankfully I sit at my desk in the early hours of the morning, 3:15 to be precise and I wait in anticipation to have sweet fellowship with my Lord and Saviour. Just to feel His presence would be wonderful and then if I could hear His voice that would be delightful. So, what needs to be done to achieve this? Firstly there is no magic formula, but we certainly have been given a guideline for achieving such an encounter. Start with prayer, honor God as God and the creator of the universe, and hallow His name! Then ask and expect to be heard, this is how we apply faith to our lives. There should be no doubt, as long as our request is considerate of the will of God and not simply about our selfish wants. But even then we are heard and corrected, thank you, Father God.

 

Next, open the Bible and read until something catches your attention, and then start to unpack that. Look at it from every angle and then apply it to your lives on a practical level. Ask yourself how this relates to you and what can you take from it to bolster your relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Remember the Bible is our greatest tool for life it’s the only book that can read you as you read it. It opens us up before the Lord and then allows us to fall on our knees as we cry “Abba Father, please forgive me for my sin”. It is a phenomenal tool that God has afforded his children. We need to be reaching for it even more as we see that day approaching. The trial of life is about to ramp up and only those holding on with dear life will be able to endure.

 

Lastly, once you have had your time and found some direction, even just for the day. Thank God for his grace in your lives. Love Him audibly and soaked in the touch of the Lord as God the Holy Spirit assures you that God is with you. And to finish off with the title of this post “All came to pass”, remember this! WHATEVER GOD SAYS and establishes through His Word will come to pass,  with no ifs and buts, we trust His voice even if we sometimes do not understand the reasoning behind it. "let God be true and every man a liar" must become our motto for life, if not we are opening so many doors to differing deceptions.   

 

Even as I sign off the first song that comes to my mind is this, “To get a touch from the Lord is so real”. Thank you Father God for the sweet fellowship this morning, I love you and ask that you would make me mindful of the needs of others and help me apply myself to their lives for the furtherance of your gospel.

Blessing to all that call upon the name of the Lord Jesus and confess Him as Lord of their lives, Peace be with you all!

 

Signing off

 

Tyrone