The Creator!

(Genesis 1:31) “It was very good...”

How meticulous is God? For the first time I have actually given this thought time of day. I am not sure why it has taken me so long to explore this thought with intent. How I love the mornings, the sun just about to show its glory, with birds singing and ushering in its brilliance. But what I love the most of the mornings is the different thoughts I wake up with, God the Holy Spirit plants a seed in my mind and affords me the opportunity to explore it, hence the blog!

By default I have understood that creation is a mastermind of brilliance, in fact all of mankind have been given a small glimpse into God as the Creator and deep down they know that there is a God just by witnessing creation. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:18-20)

It is clearly evident that even the atheist has been created with this knowledge, so he to is without excuse. Even if he may pretend to say he believes that there is no God, all it really proves is that he is a liar! It is not up the created to determine how he is created by up to the Creator how he chooses to create.

You may think that is quite a brash statement; Let us think about that and then reason it out. Let’s keep it simple; I am a potter and I have a lump of clay. Who will then determine the outcome of the finished product? The potter or the clay! The answers is obvious, the potter the one with the power and control. As the potter I have it within my power to do whatever I wish with the clay, I could make a vase, a plate or a mug; something I could use practically on a day to day basis or I could choose to mould it into some sort of show-piece. However, the quality and end result would hinge on my ability as a craftsman. It would soon be evident to all whether or not I knew what I was doing. When we look at the universe and creation, do you think God knew what He was doing? What an ingenious craftsman! No wonder Moses the author of the book of Genesis tells us that when God created the heavens and the earth and all that was in them, this is how He felt; “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good...” (Genesis 1:31)

Now if I had made something I was not happy with, would I not have it in my power to break it up and start again? Of course I could! Why not! If I wanted a show-piece that would catch the eye of all my guests, I would want to get it just right and make it as perfect as I could, even if it took me numerous attempts to achieve my objective. But that would mean that if the clay had feelings, the first couple of attempts would be to their peril. That is ridiculous you may say clay has no feelings! Well said! Man and beast on the other hand do have feelings, but would that relinquish the Potter’s ability to start over if He chose too? The only reason they have feelings is because that is how they have been created, and therefore the Potter still has it in his power to start over if He so chose to do so. Why should He not want the best possible outcome for His showmanship? Do the created, because they now have feelings, have power to determine what the Creator should do? Obviously not! It is totally up to the One who wields the power! And if you reason with another mindset, then you reason as a fool!

But God, who is rich in mercy, did however take into account His sovereign will, His showmanship and His love for those whom he has loved. Remember the flood! This was a time in history when He nearly started over again. His creation had become so wicked and the thought were continuously evil. Why should He have not said enough is enough and destroyed all that I have created and started over? Does not the potter have it in His power to do exactly that! Of course He does! And although He had been captivated by sorrow, He may have written off mankind and all of creation, but He chose not to do that: “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. And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” (Genesis 6:5-8)

Here we see a beautiful glimpse of God’s character and His heart; this is why the Apostle John makes a statement like he does; “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1John 4:8)

It is only when we come to grips with this truth, will we be free to serve Him with all our hearts. But if our lives are full of questions like, “why does God allow this.” Then we have not understood His heart in the matter. God is love and His heart is for all who fear Him and love Him in reverence, we must understand who He is and the power He wields in His hand. Do not think that if you reject Him as the creator and the One who has the power over life and death that you will escape His judgment. Noah found grace in the eyes of God and was saved from His judgment but do you think the rest of creation escaped? We know they did not! They were judged and all died in the flood. Do not think that if you neglect so great a salvation in and through the Lord Jesus Christ that you will escape his judgment, you will not and your end will be the Lake of Fire.

This is the heart of God; "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

But do not be fooled, if you reject His love you will face His wrath! Do not believe the lie that is bandied around that God loves everyone. Did He love those who were continually evil in the days of Noah? They died a treacherous death in the flood. So too will all who reject the work of our glorious Saviour on that cruel Roman cross end up with a treacherous death, hell will be their end! He will and can only ever love those that are covered by the blood of the Lamb. Repent I say and turn to Jesus and find forgiveness. This is the only out for those whom have been created, the Creator has so determined it! Whether the created feel this is right or wrong makes no deference as the Creator wields all the power and not the created. But what fascinates me about the goodness of the only true Creator is that He has made a way of escape for His creation in and though His beloved son, the Lord Jesus Christ. GOD IS LOVE!

I will leave you with this final thought; “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2Peter 3:9)

I plead with all to turn to Him and to find life!

Signing off

Tyrone

The Word will endure forever!

(1Peter 1:25) “But the word of the Lord remains forever."

Beware of the counterfeit! It often is wrapped well in what looks like its original sealed packaging and yet it is phoney. There appears to be a market for deceiving entrepreneurs to spend money on packaging and because it is sealed, it gives the sellers a better strike rate with their sales. The supplier’s behind the “street hawkers” in South Africa have it down to an exact science. Nevertheless I am convinced the salesmen must understand that they are selling the end user a lie and therefore are consciously aware of their theft. I have seen it happen with top brands of sealed aftershaves and now with USB memory sticks, in fact these are so well sealed that it takes a surgeons brain to unravel the packaging. But once you get your hands on the actual product it is very easy to recognise that it is imitation. As far as the aftershave goes it is simply food colouring with a drop of scent in the mix. When it comes to a 32 GB memory stick when plugged into a computer, it tells you that “you need to format the disk in the drive: before you can use it.” And once that is done it then comes up with error messages and the stick is unusable! Did you know that there is a day coming when the Lord will return and rule this world, our planet with a rod of iron, no longer a period of forgiveness and grace, but a time of severe rule and yet in righteousness. Mankind will no longer have a free will to do what he likes when he likes; if God’s law is broken that individual will be punished by force. Who will do the ruling? It will be those who faithfully endure who will rule and have authority over the nations; “The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.” (Revelation 2:26)

Just another glimpse of putting to bed the idea that when we get to heaven we will sit on a cloud playing a harp, we will have definite functions in heaven and on earth and we will be proactive and yet with a clearer understanding of all things hidden. How I long for that day! But until then let us be found faithful in the little things, this must happen before we will be given authority over things of grandeur. Let us remember our brothers and sisters, lets us put their needs above ours where and when we are confronted with an opportunity to do what is right. Let our witness shine bright is this perverse and dying generation, let our God be glorified!

So the reality of what is counterfeit is obvious to all and it affects us all, we must be on guard against it if we are not to be caught out by it. If a street hawker catches a customer with deceit that will not be the end of the world, he may be out of pocket but life nevertheless will go on for him. But is we are caught out by the trickery of someone selling a spiritual lie, it may be catastrophic, and it may even have eternal consequences.

Have you ever wondered why when the disciples ask the Lord about His “Second Coming” (when He returns to the earth as King to rule and not to serve as He once did) that His main concern was to avoid deception? He warns against it not once but a three times in the same passage of scripture. He understood the onslaught of all that is false and how it will come against His sheep, where possible! Let us look at some of those caveats.

This was the question His disciples posed; "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?" Note the Lord’s first and clear retort; “And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray.”” (Matthew 24:4)

“For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray.” (Matthew 24:5)

-Note: Many will come and not a few and they will come in Christ’s name saying they have the message for the hour. That does not mean that they claim necessary to be the Messiah himself, but what it may mean is they will claim to be speaking on His behalf.

Matthew Henry, probably the greatest of all biblical expositors, or at least who I have come across in trying to understand scripture, was a man born in 1662 and then died in 1714, and he had this to say! “It is observable, that what Christ here saith to his disciples tends more to engage their caution than to satisfy their curiosity; more to prepare them for the events that should happen than to give them a distinct idea of the events themselves. This is that good understanding of the time which we should all covet, thence to infer what Israel ought to do: and so this prophecy is of standing lasting use to the church, and will be so to the end of time; Christ here foretels the going forth of deceivers; he begins with a caution, Take heed that no man deceive you. They expected to be told when these things should be, to be let into that secret; but this caution is a check to their curiosity, “What is that to you? Mind you your duty, follow me, and be not seduced from following me.” Those that are most inquisitive concerning the secret things which belong not to them are most easily imposed upon by seducers, 2Th_2:3. The disciples, when they heard that the Jews, their most inveterate enemies, should be destroyed, might be in danger of falling into security; “Nay,” saith Christ, “you are more exposed other ways.” Seducers are more dangerous enemies to the church than persecutors.”

Here is the point I now I wish to highlight:

“Three times in this discourse (Matthew 24) he mentions the appearing of false prophets, which was, 1. A presage of Jerusalem's ruin. Justly were they who killed the true prophets, left to be ensnared by false prophets; and they who crucified the true Messiah, left to be deceived and broken by false Christ’s and pretended Messiahs. The appearing of these was the occasion of dividing that people into parties and factions, which made their ruin the more easy and speedy; and the sin of the many that were led aside by them, helped to fill the measure. 2. It was a trial to the Disciples of Christ, and therefore agreeable to their state of probation, that they which are perfect, may be made manifest.

Now concerning these deceivers, observe here,

(1.) The pretences they should come under. Satan acts most mischievously, when he appears as an angel of light: the colour of the greatest good is often the cover of the greatest evil.

[1.] There should appear false prophets (Mat_24:11-24); the deceivers would pretend to divine inspiration, an immediate mission, and a spirit of prophecy, when it was all a lie. Such they had been formerly (Jer_23:16; Eze_13:6), as was foretold, Deu_13:3. Some think, the seducers here pointed to were such as had been settled teachers in the church, and had gained reputation as such, but afterward betrayed the truth they had taught, and revolted to error; and from such the danger is the greater, because least suspected. One false traitor in the garrison may do more mischief than a thousand avowed enemies without.

[2.] There should appear false Christs, coming in Christ's name (Mat_24:5), assuming to themselves the name peculiar to him, and saying, I am Christ, pseudo-christs, Mat_24:24. There was at that time a general expectation of the appearing of the Messiah; they spoke of him; as he that should come; but when he did come, the body of the nation rejected him; which those who were ambitious of making themselves a name, took advantage of, and set up for Christ. Josephus speaks of several such impostors between this and the destruction of Jerusalem; one Theudas, that was defeated by Cospius Fadus; another by Felix, another by Festus. Dosetheus said he was the Christ foretold by Moses. Origen adversus Celsum. See Act_5:36, Act_5:37. Simon Magus pretended to be the great power of God, Act_8:10. In after-ages there have been such pretenders; one about a hundred years after Christ, that called himself Baṙcochobas - The son of a star, but proved Baṙcosba - The son of a lie. About fifty years ago Sabbati-Levi set up for a Messiah in the Turkish empire, and was greatly caressed by the Jews; but in a short time his folly was made manifest. See Sir Paul Rycaut's History. The popish religion doth, in effect, set up a false Christ; the Pope comes, in Christ's name, as his vicar, but invades and usurps all his offices, and so is a rival with him, and, as such, an enemy to him, a deceiver, and an antichrist.

[3.] These false Christs and false prophets would have their agents and emissaries busy in all places to draw people in to them, Mat_24:23. Then when public troubles are great and threatening, and people will be catching at any thing that looks like deliverance, then Satan will take the advantage of imposing on them; they will say, Lo, here is a Christ, or there is one; but do not mind them: the true Christ did not strive, nor cry; nor was it said of him, Lo, here! or Lo, there! (Luk_17:21), therefore if any man say so concerning him, look upon it as a temptation. The hermits, who place religion in a monastical life, say, He is in the desert; the priests, who made the consecrated wafer to be Christ, say, “He is en tois tameiois - in the cupboards, in the secret chambers: lo, he is in this shrine, in that image.” Thus some appropriate Christ's spiritual presence to one party or persuasion, as if they had the monopoly of Christ and Christianity; and the kingdom of Christ must stand and fall, must live and die, with them; “Lo, he is in this church, in that council:” whereas Christ is All in all, not here or there, but meets his people with a blessing in every place where he records his name.

(2.) The proof they should offer for the making good of these pretences; They shall show great signs and wonders (Mat_24:24), not true miracles, those are a divine seal, and with those the doctrine of Christ stands confirmed; and therefore if any offer to draw us from that by signs and wonders, we must have recourse to that rule given of old (Deu_13:1-3), If the sign or wonder come to pass, yet follow not him that would draw you to serve other gods, or believe in other Christs, for the Lord your God proveth you. But these were lying wonders (2Th_2:9), wrought by Satan (God permitting him), who is the prince of the power of the air. It is not said, They shall work miracles, but, They shall show great signs; they are but a show; either they impose upon men's credulity by false narratives, or deceive their senses by tricks of legerdemain, or arts of divination, as the magicians of Egypt by their enchantments.

(3.) The success they should have in these attempts,

[1.] They shall deceive many (Mat_24:5), and again, Mat_24:11. Note, The devil and his instruments may prevail far in deceiving poor souls; few find the strait gate, but many are drawn into the broad way; many will be imposed upon by their signs and wonders, and many drawn in by the hopes of deliverance from their oppressions. Note, Neither miracles nor multitudes are certain signs of a true church; for all the world wonders after the beast, Rev_13:3.

[2.] They shall deceive, if it were possible, the very elect, Mat_24:24. This bespeaks, First, The strength of the delusion; it is such as many shall be carried away by (so strong shall the stream be), even those that were thought to stand fast. Men's knowledge, gifts, learning, eminent station, and long profession, will not secure them; but, notwithstanding these, many will be deceived; nothing but the almighty grace of God, pursuant to his eternal purpose, will be a protection. Secondly, The safety of the elect in the midst of this danger, which is taken for granted in that parenthesis, If it were possible, plainly implying that it is not possible, for they are kept by the power of God, that the purpose of God, according to the election, may stand. It is possible for those that have been enlightened to fall away (Heb_6:4, Heb_6:5, Heb_6:6), but not for those that were elected. If God's chosen ones should be deceived, God's choice would be defeated, which is not to be imagined, for whom he did predestinate, he called, justified, and glorified, Rom_8:30. They were given to Christ; and of all that were given to him, he will lose none, Joh_10:28. Grotius will have this to be meant of the great difficulty of drawing the primitive Christians from their religion, and quotes it as used proverbially by Galen; when he would express a thing very difficult and morally impossible, he saith, “You may sooner draw away a Christian from Christ.”

(4.) The repeated cautions which our Saviour gives to his disciples to stand upon their guard against them; therefore he gave them warning, that they might watch (Mat_24:25); Behold, I have told you before. He that is told before where he will be assaulted, may save himself, as the king of Israel did, 2Ki_6:9, 2Ki_6:10. Note, Christ's warnings are designed to engage our watchfulness; and though the elect shall be preserved from delusion, yet they shall be preserved by the use of appointed means, and a due regard to the cautions of the word; we are kept through faith, faith in Christ's word, which he has told us before.

However my intention is not to single out anyone in particular but to warn us to be on the lookout for such imposters; let us always remember to hold the Word of God and what it teaches in higher regard then that what people may say or do. I leave you with this encouragement; “but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” (1Peter 1:25)

Signing off

Tyrone

I thank God for my Lighthouse!

(1Corinthians 15:21) “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

I thank God for my Lighthouse I owe my life to Him, where would I be without Him? I do not think many understand the severity of a life without the Lord as the only true lasting Lighthouse. Every positive lasting attribute to my life, I owe thanks to Him and every unwanted tarnished sin in my life I attribute to Adam and His fall. But before we get carried away with ourselves, although that is the true! Adam is the father of sinners. Sure! Satan was the very first to sin and he was cast out of heaven, but as Adam was a man and our ancestor in the natural realm, he is responsible. There is a natural realm as well as a spiritual dominion, that which is spiritual is spiritual and that which is carnal is carnal; just as the heavens are higher than the earth so are those who live there higher in stature and are their bodies stronger in makeup, for now! Our bodies constitution is make up of flesh and blood, and yet they are not dissimilar to that of the caterpillar, weak in movement, hindered by a lumbering body, but there comes a time when they enter a stage of metamorphous and they cocoon themselves, when that time has run its course they are transform from that which was awkward and somewhat ordinary to something beautiful, free as they float with ease and grandeur from flower to flower. I would like you to consider the depths of what we eagerly wait for. If we reject to contemplate this in our lives, we will then be class amongst the majority; “You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.” (1Corinthians 15:36)

With this in mind, why then do we fear death with such horror? I will make a suggestion, because we do not understand the need for our metamorphic transition, it has not gripped our imagination and become a reality to our understanding. Do you ever think a caterpillar would look to avoid its conversion, I am told that it is a painful process, the change from a caterpillar to a butterfly, but all who reach that stage in their lives do not look to prolong the inevitable; they do what they have been created to do, align themselves with the will of God. We on the other hand, develop cosmetics and the like to prolong the inevitable, death! It is a billion dollar organisation that has people flocking to find that which will keep them looking younger and help them live longer. Why would you want to remain a caterpillar if you could be a butterfly? Yet we all do! Why? Because we lack understanding! But God who is rich in mercy has given us so many examples that teach us about death and how that every seed needs to die before it can germinate and produce a new tree and new fruit. We are surrounded by so many tangible examples; “You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.” These are the facts and they are no different in principle to us and our lives. We must also die on a daily basis, what does that mean? We must deny ourselves and the lustful wants we so often have when we think of ourselves before others. In doing this we will begin to understand our hope after death! Did you know that the last of the enemies to be destroyed is death! Yes it is an enemy and it robs us of our understanding of what is to come, nevertheless it has been defeated in and through our Saviour upon the cross of Calvary; “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1Corinthians 15:21)

Note: We must belong to Him (Christ) if we are to escape death! We all without exception come from Adam and fall into the trap of sin, it was not a choice we had to make, it happened by default. Yet this is the hand we were dealt! But now we are given a lifeline in and through the last ADAM, THE LORD JESUS, and the only way we will defeat death is if we are covered by His blood and His sacrifice. The only way we can be sure that we will avoid eternal condemnation and we will avoid an eternal death, a transition that will forever be painful, in fact so painful that there will be a wailing and gnashing of teeth, unless we find forgiveness in Him. No one can find repentance for you, but you! If you put your hand up in a meeting and you think that is enough, you will be wrong! If your family members and friend continuously convince you that you will be saved, they will also be wrong. It is a personal experience and no one else can enter into this relationship. It must be something you find for yourself. Believe no one; trust no one until you are totally persuaded that you have found repentance in Him and that you are covered by the blood of the Lamb and that death will no longer have any hold on you! I beseech you to be sure, it took me days to understand that I had been called and yes I may have made many mistakes along the way, but I can say with an assurance that I am covered by the blood of the Lamb and I owe my life to Him! I thank God for my Lighthouse, can you say the same? If not, remember to wrestle until you can. I will leave you with these encouraging words from the Apostle Peter; “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2Peter 3:9)

Signing off

Tyrone

We must escape!

(Hebrews 2:3) “How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?”

The 1^st of April, “April fool’s day!” Traditionally a day that I have had a lot of fun with, one year while still working as a photo journalist for Business day, I recall being set up by my boss, He sent me to cover a make believe job far away. I suspected foul play and prior to my arrival I decided I would reverse the prank on them. Half an hour or so into my trip I got on the phone and called my picture editor, with a frantic desperate pitch to my voice and I said, “Rob there is pandemonium here in Randburg, cops have blocked off the road outside Nedbank and their guns are drawn, and because of the dead-line I was on to cover the job they had sent me on I could not stop although I had tried calling earlier but couldn't get through on the phone, he remarked that I should have stopped. I stressed the point that it was going to be a real news winner and maybe they should look into it.” I knew that all the photographers were out and therefore if they wanted to cover it the boss (picture editor) would have to go himself. He then called back and told me that he was already on his way and I was not to worry about it. They had taken the bait! Shortly after that I got a phone call with someone laughing on the other side, it was the News Editor Andrew, “April fool” he said chuckling as he told me to come back to the office. He had absolute glee in his voice and felt that it was a fantastic idea to play a joke on me, but little did they know, “that he who last laughs last laughs longest!” I kept my peace. On arriving in Randburg Robby asked me "where is the commotion" and I sent him on a wild goose chase for a while and then I broke the news to him, “April fool” I bellowed! To be fair to Robbie, he took it well but as for the News Editor Andrew, he was not amused, in fact he actual sulked for days after.

Why the story you may ask? What aim is there to this story? April fool’s Day is a day that is traditionally known for jokes and tricks and if someone is caught by it, after a couple of laughs it is a day soon forgotten. The evidence of having been caught with egg on your face is never pleasant and many do not take kindly to it. But there is no real damage done if we end up being the victim to someone’s prank as most of us take it with a pinch of salt and possibly even laugh with them.

Judgment day will be no laughing matter; it will not be soon forgotten! It will have a sentence so immense that it will remain with all who end up under its wrath for eternity. I often make reference to this tragic day, as it will happen; it is neither joke nor any fairytale. The Lake of Fire is a real place with server consequences, I plead with all who will not take what the Bible teachers on the subject to be sober and seek forgiveness. Contemplate the seriousness of denial. I once believed that I would never fall prey to a virus, the HIV virus, other yes but never me, denial rife in all our lives. But ignore what the Bible teaches to your own peril! However if you are reading these words it proves only one thing, you still have times to repent and believe on the finished work of the cross. And for those who confess Jesus as Lord, the instruction to us is this, do not do what others have done; “They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they should not do like them.” (2Kings 17:15)

Come out from among them and be separate is our instruction. Let us take God’s Word seriously and not get entangled with the idle pranks of life, our enemy does roar ferociously and every day is April’ Fool’s Day to him, as he laughs at the expense of all who turn a blind eye to the life line God has extended to all in and through His dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. If we neglect so great a salvation, then we will be doomed for eternity. “Wipe the sleep from your eyes” I say, common let us rally together and let us encourage one another and find motivation to serve the Lord with all our hearts. It will be worth it all! “How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3)

Signing off

Tyrone

The alpha and Omega!

(Revelation 1:8) "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God.

What does Alpha and omega mean? Alpha and omega is the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet and they symbolize the beginning and the end. The Lord is informing us that He is the first; all things began with Him! In fact none of creation would have existed if the Lord Jesus was not personally involved; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” (John 1:1-3)

John makes reference not to the written word, but of the essential word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ is clear, we understand that the Bible had not yet been written, but “the Word” nevertheless was with God and in fact was God. Let us consider Matthew Henry’s thought on the subject: “The Word is two-fold: logos endiathetos - word conceived; and logos prophorikos - word uttered. The logos ho esō and ho exō, ratio and oratio - intelligence and utterance. There is the word conceived, that is, thought, which is the first and only immediate product and conception of the soul (all the operations of which are performed by thought), and it is one with the soul. And thus the second person in the Trinity is fitly called the Word; for he is the first-begotten of the Father, that eternal essential Wisdom which the Lord possessed, as the soul does its thought, in the beginning of his way. What I find interesting in considering the reference Henry now makes;” "The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old.” (Proverbs 8:22)

The introduction to the beginning of wisdom: “That it is an intelligent and divine person that here speaks seems very plain, and that it is not meant of a mere essential property of the divine nature, for Wisdom here has personal properties and actions; and that intelligent divine person can be no other than the Son of God himself, to whom the principal things here spoken of wisdom are attributed in other scriptures, and we must explain scripture by itself. If Solomon himself designed only the praise of wisdom as it is an attribute of God, by which he made the world and governs it, so to recommend to men the study of that wisdom which belongs to them, yet the Spirit of God, who indited what he wrote, carried him, as David often, to such expressions as could agree to no other than the Son of God, and would lead us into the knowledge of great things concerning him. All divine revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, and here we are told who and what he is, as God, designed in the eternal counsels to be the Mediator between God and man. The best exposition of these verses we have in the first four verses of St. John's gospel. In the beginning was the Word, etc. Concerning the Son of God.”

Matthew Henry’s thought process is very intriguing and He was a man mightily gifted by God, in fact even Spurgeon viewed him as one of supreme understanding, if not the greatest of all expositors of scripture. Now back to his thoughts; “There is nothing we are more sure of than that we think, yet nothing we are more in the dark about than how we think; who can declare the generation of thought in the soul? Surely then the generations and births of the eternal mind may well be allowed to be great mysteries of godliness, the bottom of which we cannot fathom, while yet we adore the depth. There is the word uttered, and this is speech, the chief and most natural indication of the mind. And thus Christ is the Word, for by him God has in these last days spoken to us (Heb_1:2), and has directed us to hear him: “He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." (Matthew 17:5)

“He has made known God's mind to us, as a man's word or speech makes known his thoughts, as far as he pleases, and no further. Christ is called that wonderful speaker (see notes on Dan_8:13), the speaker of things hidden and strange. He is the Word speaking from God to us, and to God for us. John Baptist was the voice, but Christ the Word: being the Word, he is the Truth, the Amen, the faithful Witness of the mind of God.”

He is the beginning and He will be the end to all of mankind’s endeavours. When we see and understand the importance of His role in God’s economy, we will value His work on the cross with a lot more homage. It is God’s way of keep us close to Him and He will never let us forget the brilliance of His achievements. Remember the warning to the church of Ephesus; John leads us from chapter one into chapter two with a reference of Him being the first and the last; “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last.” (Revelation 1:17)

Only then does he tell the church at Ephesus after he commends them for their diligence in signalling out false teachers and the like. Nevertheless he reminds them to do the first works as they had lost their way and abandoned their first love. They had forgotten who it all started with, the Alpha and the Omega! In fact the warning is so serve that the warning they received was if they did not remember Him their lampstand would be removed: “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” (Revelation 2:4-5)

The Apostle Paul understood this so clearly that we often see him making reference to the importance of this truth and he continually reminds us that it is all about the Lord Jesus and no one else: “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1Corinthians 2:2)

We must be careful not to run away with ourselves when proving a doctrinal truth to the exclusion of His accomplishment on the cross of Calvary. God will have no part in that matter! Why should He, as His Son is so dear to Him that nothing will stand in His way when it comes to exalting His name. Although we are now sons and entitled to all of the blessings that accompany that privilege, we must never forget to keep the Lord Jesus in the forefront of our minds at all times, as He is our Alpha and Omega!

Signing off

Tyrone

(Note on Daniel 8:13) The question asked concerning it, Dan_8:13. Observe [1.] By whom the question was put: I heard one saint speaking to this purport, and then another saint seconded him. “O that we knew how long this trouble will last!” The angels here are called saints, for they are holy ones (Dan_4:13), the holy myriads, Jud_1:14. The angels concern themselves in the affairs of the church, and enquire concerning them, if, as here, concerning its temporal salvations, much more do they desire to look into the great salvation, 1Pe_1:12. One saint spoke of the thing, and another enquired concerning it. Thus John, who lay in Christ's bosom, was beckoned to by Peter to ask Christ a question, Joh_13:23, Joh_13:24. [2.] To whom the question was put. He said unto Palmoni that spoke. Some make this certain saint to be a superior angel who understood more than the rest, to whom therefore they came with their enquiries. Others make it to be the eternal Word, the Son of God. He is the unknown One. Palmoni seems to be compounded of Peloni Almoni, which is used (Rth_4:1) for Ho, such a one, and (2Ki_6:8) for such a place. Christ was yet the nameless One. Wherefore asked thou after my name, seeing it is secret? Jdg_13:18. He is the numberer of secrets (as some translate it), for from him there is nothing hidden - the wonderful numberer, so others; his name is called Wonderful. Note, If we would know the mind of God, we must apply to Jesus Christ, who lay in the bosom of the Father, and in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, not hidden from us, but hidden for us. [3.] The question itself that was asked: “How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice? How long shall the prohibition of it continue? How long shall the pleasant land be made unpleasant by that severe interdict? How long shall the transgression of desolation (the image of Jupiter), that great transgression which makes all our sacred things desolate, how long shall that stand in the temple? How long shall the sanctuary and the host, the holy place and the holy persons that minister in it, be trodden under foot by the oppressor?” Note, Angels are concerned for the prosperity of the church on earth and desirous to see an end of its desolations. The angels asked, for the satisfaction of Daniel, not doubting but he was desirous to know, how long these calamities should last? The question takes it for granted that they should not last always. The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous, though it may come upon their lot. Christ comforted himself in his sufferings with this, The things concerning me have an end (Luk_22:37), and so may the church in hers. But it is desirable to know how long they shall last, that we may provide accordingly.

A True Happy Ending!

(Titus 3:4) “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared.”

Who is able to actually come to grips with the depths of God’s goodness and His love? Prior to my face to face encounter with Jesus Christ my Saviour, as much as I tried to have a relationship at times (normally when I was in a bind) with the only true and living God, it was a fairly tale, a dream, I wanted it so badly at times, but I think I liked the idea more than the actual commitment I would need to show by loving Him in return. I remember my sister Yvette constantly reading Danielle Steele novels, and when I ask her as a young boy to tell me what they were about, they always seemed to have the same theme; it was a woman finding love or searching for it whether she aware of it or not. A kind of prince Charming idea, where a man would ride into diverse situations but always somehow sweep her of her feet and they would live happily ever after. I cannot say with any accuracy whether this is true or not as I have never read any of her books. But this is the idea I got and it seemed that a lot of woman fantasies about that kind of conclusion to their lives, and why not! All I ever did, when it came to the little bit of reading I did while growing up was read Louis L’amour western novels. These stories where were filled with testosterone and the mucho cowboy defeating the bad guy. The hero always had good sound morals, but to be honest there was almost always a woman in the story, so to be fair even these so called manly works of fiction also often had the touch to "happy ever after endings". I suppose if I am honest, male and female alike all want to find true love! It is a God given tendency we all desire.

The love of God is an amazing story, we are able to witness to what degree the Lord Jesus was willing to go in order to find His bride, the church! He was not only prepared to seek out a bride but He was willing to lay down His life for her and to die on a cruel Roman cross in order to please His Father. The Father’s will was to find a bride for His Son. So man and God could live happily ever after. Have you ever wonder why in the beginning God decided to create man in His own image? This is one of those reasons! “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27)

He created mankind with many of His attributes until sin entered into the heart of man and He disobeyed God. This is where everything began to go “pear-shaped”. Self gratification was the order of the day, but when we see the Lord Jesus’ example we can clearly see that He disregarded all of His own fleshly wants and desire in order to find a bride, it cost Him His life. No greater love has a man that to lay down His life for His enemies. We where enemies of the cross until God’s shone His love into our hearts and we then realised that we were once doomed for eternity; a pit so treacherous that I shudder to think of that outcome. To witness a man on a particular day cursing the Lord with blasphemous remarks and then the next to see tears streaming down his cheeks as he now blesses the One he once cursed, the picture perfect fairytale ending. I must confess that I was once amongst that number! But now I can see! I now am aware of what it cost the Lord to love me and die in my stead. I am thankful to Him and confess that I do indeed love Him, He is the love of my life and I will make it known to all.

If you also have found His love then remember to be quick to exalt Him when the opportunity presents itself. He wants all his saints to be quick on the draw in confessing His name before men; “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

And again; "And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God.” (Luke 12:8)

How often I now find tears rolling down my face, in fact it is almost a daily ritual; when I am reminded of what I have been saved from. God is good all the time! Everything that happens to us has a purpose and He is working it out for our good and one day we will have our happy ending. We will live happily ever after with our Saviour and with God as our Father and He will be happy to call us sons. What a hope we now have! This is the hope I have, can you say the same? I pray it is so!

Signing off

Tyrone

Surely this thing is Known!

(Exodus 2:14) "Surely the thing is known."

How long will mankind live with secrets? For as long as they can get away with them I suppose! All have tried and will continue trying to keep their hidden secrets out of sight. That is why they are called secret sins. Now it would be good for us to understand what the Word teachers about this type of behaviour. But from the outset I will make a bold statement and categorise all of mankind as falling into this trap and this type of sin. I cannot give you scripture and verse to prove my point, I could referrer to many references singling out individuals, but let me rather focus on what the scripture teachers on this subject as a general topical study.

Moses lived in Egypt and had been raised by the princess (pharaohs daughter) so he was entitled to Egyptian privileges but he understood his birthright as a Hebrew. One day Moses saw an Egyptian guard beating a Hebrew slave, one of his people. Now this is the point which I would like us to pay special attention too... “He looked this way and that, and seeing no one; he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.” He assumed that because no one would see the crime he was about to commit, he felt it would be safe to accomplish his intention, so he killed the Egyptian! It is exactly the same for all who believe that if no one knows about what we do in secret we will be safe and we will get away with it. That could not be further from the truth, it is another decoy that the devil has used from the beginning to get us to believe we will escape judgment; “But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die.” (Genesis 3:4)

Do we see the subtlety used here? The woman ate, her eyes where opened and she knew that she was naked, but she did not die there and then. Spiritually she did die! She was cut off from the presents of God, but her body didn’t die just as Satan had said. The next day she still was breathing the same air she inhaled the day before. But her body and her cells now began to die off as she now began to age. It is the same for mankind when we reason with this type of mentality, until we are caught in our sin. Moses felt that he got away with murder, until he was confronted by those he protected; “Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid, and thought, "Surely the thing is known." And because it was now know he had to take action to escape judgement. Nevertheless he had to have his heart exposed, to understand that he now needed to flee in order to live. “When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.” (Exodus 2:15)

If we flee from our sin to the Lord Jesus we will find forgiveness, this is the beauty of the gospel message, and this is why the Lord Jesus came to die for mankind, so that we could escape eternal judgment. But as long as you feel you will get away with your secret sins and have no need to find forgiveness, you will continue in trickery and deceit. But there is a day coming that every action of every person will be as it where an open book before God and you will be judged accordingly. We all will be judged! Yet all those who are covered by the blood of the Lamb will escape judgment for sin as the Lord Jesus Christ has already paid the price for all of the sins that repentant sinners have committed. Yes, this is the hope we (believers) now look forward too! We will not be judged for sin, that penalty had already been taken care of in and through our great Saviour, the Lord Jesus! “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10)

There will be another judgment every believer will face, it is known as a “works judgment!” But let us leave that topic for another day. Now let me address all those who reject this glorious gospel message; a wise king, a man who lived long ago has this to teach us and I quote; “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:14)

Nobody will get away with any secret sin, as God sees all! Do not be fooled into believing a lie, repent and turn to Him and find forgiveness for you sin while you still breathe here on earth. While you have breath you still have hope, but when you breathe your last breath it will be time for judgment. What will you do I wonder?

Signing off

Tyrone

God meant if for good!

(Genesis 50:20) “... but God meant if for good.”

I think a crucial truth we all must comes to grips with is that God is building His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. God has many plans and all and every plan He has ever instituted has panned out exactly according to arrangement. Yet if we do not examine the Word of God with accuracy we will find ourselves dazed and confused. The greatest enemies of the cross will often make reference to the bible, yet without any personal attention to it. There are so many examples we could use to prove this point, but it is essential we make this truth our own. We must believe that God is in control of all things, which He is! But we must believe without exception that He is in control of our lives, wherever we find ourselves. You may think that the trial of life is pressing down so hard on your life that God has abandoned you. Remember who is in control, if we begin to believe that God has lost control, which will never happen in this life or all the ages to come, in fact He is in total control, even though we my look at a situation and think, how-why-where! But God will finally only hear music in His ears as every "t" will be crossed and every "i" will be dotted with regard to his eternal plan.

With God’s sovereignty in mind; I am fascinated about God’s ability to love on the one hand and also to be extremely angry on the other. He has so much love in Him that He was not only willing and able to send His only Son to die in the place of sinners; But He chose to do exactly that! "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Could there be any greater way for God to put His love on display. God dying for mankind, so that they can go free! Each and every person without exception guilty of transgressing His law and therefore doomed for eternity to spend the rest of their existence in a Lake of Fire, until God in His love stepped in and made a way of escape. This is almost unbelievable! Yet it is exactly what God did some two thousand years ago. How complete is the love of this great God of ours, not only did He talk a game of love but has proved His love by sending His Son to pay the price for sinners. The so-called scholar and intellectual thinks they have the answers for life, they ignore this truth. There will be consequences to their folly; the Lake of Fire will be their eternal destiny! Nevertheless God’s love on display for all to witness! “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.” (John 6:47):- and yet the flip side of this is this; “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:18)

All those who reject God’s love will pay the ultimate price; they will spend eternity in hell! He has shown us all that He means business; back in the days of Noah He was so angry with the lifestyle of mankind that He had this to say; “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. And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them." (Genesis 6:5-7)

But even in His anger we find evidence of love tugging at His heart and “Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” (Genesis 6:8)

How intricate is the makeup of this awesome God? Before time began He had names written down in the book of life; “everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.” (Revelation 13:8):- He has a plan and even the absolute wickedness of mankind will not interrupt that plan, He has willed it and it will unfold exactly as He has intended. That does not mean that He is not affected emotionally by the unfolding of His plan, it is clear to see that He has an emotional involvement with mankind. He has so much love and yet He has righteous anger that is also on show for all to witness.

Having said that let us consider our original thought: Stretch your imagination with me this morning, and try and view everything in your life from God’s eyes and not your own. Step out of the picture and examine your life from a spectator’s point of view. Life with all its challenges and how we cope with them will determine how much we value the sovereignty of God in our lives. As they unfold and often not according to our own plans, we find ourselves discouraged and our hope seems to dwindle. This is not the purpose of the trial of life; these tests are meant to ignite our hope and make us long for our ultimate goal, heaven! Regardless of our opinions and advice we so often try to give God with regard to how our lives should unfurl. He has a particular plan for all of His children; in fact even His enemy’s sinful actions are working according to plan. When Adam was instructed by God not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, when he ignored the voice of God and took of the fruit to eat that is exactly what happened, he became aware of the knowledge of good and evil. Think of it like this, how will you know what is good is you do not know what is evil? Or how will you understand light if you have not seen darkness? Adam walked in the garden but was oblivious to all that was evil until he ate from that tree. In fact, there was a tree of life that he could have eaten from but because he did not understand death he never ate from it. After his awakening, when he was aware of dead and sin, only then did God place the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

Let us prove the point of God’s control in our lives! Let us consider the account of Joseph: His brothers, all ten of them plotted to destroy Him and even lied to their father about his existence, they said that he had been killed by a wild animal. They sold him into the slavery where he had to endure much hardship and eventually was thrown into jail on a false accusation. He spent many years in jail and in a foreign country away from the comforts of home. But after many years through God’s intervention he was reunited with his father and this is what he had to say to his brothers about that period of his life; “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” (Genesis 50:20)

This is such a beautiful account of God’s control, even when so much seems to be going against him and us, we must remember this truth; “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Will you dare to believe this and use this truth to ignite your hope?

Signing off

Tyrone

Fight the good fight of faith!

(1Timothy 6:12) “Fight the good fight of the faith.”

If I consider creation and the diversity of it and yet the accuracy in which each creature has within themselves their own ability to achieve what is needed for their own survival, I must conclude, that our God reigns and with grandiose power. Who could ever compare with Him, nobody or anything could ever come close to His luminosity. Even Satan as he covered the throne of God as beautiful as he was to behold; “...thus says the Lord GOD: "You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.” (Ezekiel 28:12) – He nevertheless was not perfect in wisdom and therefore when pride entered his heart and he sinned against God, he was cast out of heaven, the scary part of it all, is he took one third of the angels with him. Why? Well the answer is obvious if you look for it. He was perfect in beauty, which means that there was nothing that could have been done to improve his appearance- perfect in beauty was he! It must have been his beauty that lured the angels to follow him and reject the Creator. Even they began to serve the creature and not the creator. “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Romans 1:20)

Let this be a warning to us, let the beautiful things in life that look to surpass God’s wisdom be shunned and rejected with a vehement desire. Instead of hankering after them, lets us reject them as a healthy man would reject a leper. Not that we should not show the leper compassion, but let us not be so foolish as to ignore the contagious effects of the disease. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1Timothy 6:10-12)

In my stint awhile back as a day trader of the JSE (Johannesburg Stock Exchange) I realise in hindsight that I was lured into thinking that I now had a way to become rich and I ignored that exact warning, whatever the reason may have been, that is irrelevant; our focus must be on things eternal! I am thankful that what I had was taken from me; I lost more than 1.5 million rand over a year. The goodness of God has vigorously dealt with me through my life to teach me these lessons so that through experience I may learn to depend solely upon Him. I do not claim to have arrived, but life goes on and we (believers) are all taught various lessons to become more like our glorious Saviour. Many are hurtful and seem unnecessary at the time, but God is in perfect control and the entire quota of lessons He teaches us are needful.

“The apostle affirms that the love of money is the root of all evil, 1Ti_6:10. What sins will not men be drawn to by the love of money? Particularly this was at the bottom of the apostasy of many from the faith of Christ; while they coveted money, they erred from the faith, they quitted their Christianity, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Observe, [1.] What is the root of all evil; the love of money: people may have money, and yet not love it; but, if they love it inordinately, it will push them on to all evil. [2.] Covetous persons will quit the faith, if that be the way to get money: Which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith. Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, 2Ti_4:10. For the world was dearer to him than Christianity. Observe, Those that err from the faith pierce themselves with many sorrows; those that depart from God do but treasure up sorrows for themselves.

II. Hence he takes occasion to caution Timothy, and to counsel him to keep in the way of God and his duty, and particularly to fulfil the trust reposed in him as a minister. He addresses himself to him as a man of God. Ministers are men of God, and ought to conduct themselves accordingly in everything; they are men employed for God, devoted to his honour more immediately. The prophets under the Old Testament were called men of God. 1. He charges Timothy to take heed of the love of money, which had been so pernicious to many: Flee these things. It ill becomes any men, but especially men of God, to set their hearts upon the things of this world; men of God should be taken up with the things of God. 2. To arm him against the love of the world, he directs him to follow that which is good. Follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness: righteousness in his conversation towards men, godliness towards God, faith and love as living principles, to support him and carry him on in the practice both of righteousness and godliness. Those that follow after righteousness and godliness, from a principle of faith and love, have need to put on patience and meekness - patience to bear both the rebukes of Providence and the reproaches of men, and meekness wherewith to instruct gainsayers and pass by the affronts and injuries that are done us. Observe, It is not enough that men of God flee these things, but they must follow after what is directly contrary thereto. Further, What excellent persons men of God are who follow after righteousness! They are the excellent of the earth, and, being acceptable to God, they should be approved of men. 3. He exhorts him to do the part of a soldier: Fight the good fight of faith. Note, Those who will get to heaven must fight their way thither. There must be a conflict with corruption and temptations, and the opposition of the powers of darkness. Observe, It is a good fight, it is a good cause, and it will have a good issue. It is the fight of faith; we do not war after the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, 2Co_10:3, 2Co_10:4. He exhorts him to lay hold on eternal life. Observe, (1.) Eternal life is the crown proposed to us, for our encouragement to war, and to fight the good fight of faith, the good warfare. (2.) This we must lay hold on, as those that are afraid of coming short of it and losing it. Lay hold, and take heed of losing your hold. Hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown, Rev_3:11. (3.) We are called to the fight, and to lay hold on eternal life. (4.) The profession Timothy and all faithful ministers make before many witnesses is a good profession; for they profess and engage to fight the good fight of faith, and to lay hold on eternal life; their calling and their own profession oblige them to this. (Matthew Henry)

Let us be on guard against the distractions of life that so easily take our eyes off the ball. We must reason with sober minds and not be ignorant to the wiles of the devil. May we persevere like the swan and cry out to our God in time of need to rest and lean upon Him, bringing Him glory and exalting our King, the Lord Jesus Christ as He now reigns supremely. Is His reign absolute in our lives?

Signing off

Tyrone