Testing and Obedience

The testing of our faith is a way of life for Christians, and obedience is the result. We often ask, why? Instead of seeking out, through prayer and fasting, God's grace to overcome. 

There is a significant shift between the cry, "WHY?" and the question, "What is the lesson?" Life is one big test, and the sooner we understand this, the better. If not, we will be like babes tossed about by every wind of doctrine and never maturing. Will this hinder our salvation? Yes, it hinders our growth but does not disqualify us; that would minimise the work of the cross. We are saved by grace and not works, and the reason for this is to avoid any form of boasting. We could never achieve what our beloved and great Saviour accomplished on our behalf. He alone will receive the glory for our salvation; bless His holy name, Amen now and forevermore. Who has ever seen a baby happy just crawling? No! The sooner they can get up on two feet and stumble around, the happier they are. Those first steps bring such joy to their parents.

Sin in our lives is often a result of a failed test, which brings about a temporary release, but it is often filled with resentment. This has been my experience. Will it ever change? Not while we breathe the earth's air. 

Hopefully, we will mature in our faith, and the goalposts will shift as the tests move with our growth. It’s a change in our mindsets, examining our lives, revisiting the trials of life. It is a test to stabilise our faith. Until we can reach this conclusion, our projection in life will remain circular and not upward. It is rather simple; let’s not complicate it with all sorts of reasoning.

1. God Testing People

•  Genesis 22:1 – "God tested Abraham..."
  God tests Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac. This serves as a classic example of a test of faith and obedience.
•  Deuteronomy 8:2 – "to humble you and test you to know what was in your heart..."
  God tested the Israelites in the wilderness to reveal their true character and dependence on Him.
•  James 1:2-4 – "the testing of your faith produces perseverance."
  In the New Testament, testing is viewed to build endurance and maturity in believers.

 

When we are dull of hearing, God will discipline us; “Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines you. So you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him.” (Deuteronomy 8:5-6) - If you are habitually allowing sin to live in your life as the norm and your life is without discipline it is now time to examine your birth certificate. Sadly many will be called out as having never been known by the Lord, It is imperative to examine our hearts and to be absolutely persuaded that we belong to our God. Remember there are checks and balances to find an accurate result.  

 

Conclusion

Although we are being tested, remember we too are testing our conduct given the scripture; “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2) 

 

Signing off

 

Tyrone  

Other religions

 On 702, the host of the 9-12 morning show, Clement Manyathela, has been running a “spiritual session from different religions and what they believe about the afterlife, " and as he says, “we should be curious.” So, I sent a voice message calling him out, and this is the example I used: “Once we have the answer to a solution, we no longer need to be curious about the result; 2 + 2 = 4 - no further investigation. " He claims to be Christian but has engaged with all religions and their beliefs. It is very politically correct; the right thing to do to appease the masses. But we are Christians who serve the only true God and are fundamentalists; there is no skirting that. It is best to buckle up to that realisation: you cannot be a true Christian and a people pleaser accommodating false gods. This is just a brotherly warning: accommodate other religious beliefs at your peril. God will never share HIS glory with another; He alone spoke the world and all we see into being. He alone gave up His son to die on a cruel Roman cross for the sins of mankind. He has made the way available to sinners like you and me to find repentance, giving us the power to cry out to Jesus to save our souls. We owe Him everything, including our loyalty, standing for His Word, the Bible, as it has been penned and without compromise.

 

Signing off

 

Tyrone

Death And Judgment

 Death, judgment, and sexual orientation are aspects we like to toy with as humans. There is always something hidden in the recesses of our minds that believes we will outlast death and judgment. We think we can do it again because we got away with a lie once. Why do we live like this? Because of the above, we believe we will somehow escape. Sadly, on the contrary, God will have the final say, and if you are not dressed in white wedding garments at the marriage feast of the Lamb, the Lake of Fire will be your eternal home.

If you ask, "Will I be one dressed in white?" there is still work to be done in your life: confession of sin and a sincere call upon the name of the Lord to save you are still needed. Remember it is not by effort but by grace that we are saved. Nevertheless, it's not cheap grace; God hates sin so much that He sent the darling of heaven, His Son, to die for it. That is how seriously sin will be taken at the judgment seat of Christ. Why does God hate sin? To simplify, sin embraces everything God isn’t. Think about a big black stain on your favourite garment; no matter how you wash and bleach it with the most expensive detergents, the stain remains. What will you eventually do with your favourite piece? No doubt, discard it!  God's love compelled Him to use His most “expensive piece, " His Son, to die for the sins of mankind, thereby removing the stains of sin. We discard He restores, but a high price was paid to save us. If you reject the Lord Jesus’ sacrifice, you will be on the wrong side of God’s wrath. Did you know " to fear God is the beginning of wisdom”? Do you fear God? You might say, “Love casts out all fear,” which is true, but just as we need an order to obtain a certain result, we must start with the fear of God in our psyche before we can embrace His love. Get the order wrong, and the result will be immoral. This is the exact reason for Christ's death on a cruel Roman cross.   

fornicators, homosexuals, drunkards, liars and the like will not inherit the kingdom of God. We do not have a license to live like we once did, Paul is clear on this; “should we continue in sin so that grace may abound? God forbid, he who once live in sin has been set free,” and so the chapter continues” Same-sex marriages and sex outside of marriage is a breach and is such classified as sin. In today's day and age, people are squirming to find wiggle room. There is none, period! It's God’s way or the Lake of Fire!

Having said all of this it would be amiss of me not to highlight the love of God and the voices that cry out across the globe beckoning all to come to the rivers of living waters, come to the Lord Jesus, cry out to him and he will not turn one away. But come you must…JESUS is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE! Every other way is a lie from the father of lies, the Devil.

·        If you want the answers to life, they are to be found in Jesus

·        If you are tired of being surrounded by so many liars, In Jesus you will only find truth as it is impossible for God to lie!

·        If you have a goal to live, Jesus's life is the answer to this life and the next.

Once saved all that is left to unpack is the deeper treasures of God. This is filled with a treasure trove of jewels and pearls of wisdom that are never exhausted.

Hence, I write a blog to share the little gems God reveals to me along my journey, which I am compelled to share. “Freely you have received, now freely give.” I haven’t always got it right, but He is gracious and long-suffering. Praise HIS glorious and majestic name. All hail KING JESUS!

Signing off

Tyrone