Dont Be A Fool!

(Psalms 14:1) “The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good.”

There is not a word the Lord has uttered without intent that has not come to pass; He is Holy and therefore demands righteousness, but because of our fallen natures our understanding to what is righteous is often marred, what we think is right is wrong, we are born sinners, we were never taught to sin but by default, outside of the Lord Jesus we can do nothing else. We think we are doing what is right and even justify ourselves when we are wrong and we publicly say things like this, “ I am not a bad person!” or I am kind to others and because of this I think I will make it to heaven. These types of traps claim the most scalps. Many of these trophies will be on display in hell, and you will be amongst that number if you reason with that kind of mindset. It is only the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ that will enable you to enter heaven and escape hell. But God is righteous, He demands payment for the smallest of sins, if you told a lie when you where twelve and never ever lied again, you would still be classed as a liar. This is what it means to be judged by a righteous Judge, you would find you guilty as charged and you would need to queue with the liars awaiting your sentence! “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:14)   

We can wiggle and squirm as much as we like to try and get out of the ruling but the truth will be this, yes you did lie, even if only once and therefore you will righteously be addressed as a liar. And as a lair God demands justice! If the Lord Jesus who was only ever innocent and without sin was dealt with in the manner in which God dealt with Him and had to face separation from His Father, where do we get off believing we will escape God’s Judgement under the pretence that we are not such bad people. Sucker, dunce call yourself whatever you like, all those who believe this lie will face the wrath of God! “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8)

Let no one lie to you, each and every sin you have ever committed will be brought to book, even those sins you have forgotten about will rest on you when you are judged. There will be no escape at the judgment seat of God, none whatsoever! He is righteous and will demand payment, and no backhand into the hand of an unrighteous police official will be on offer to get you off the hook, they are also unrighteous but God is Righteous and they too will be judged. I spell this out because I do not want you to believe a lie, I have spoken truthfully and all those who have not repented and are not covered by the blood of the Lamb, will face the wrath of God! So then if you reject so great a salvation message where will you find help when you are judged? Repent I pray, call upon the name of the Lord and you will escape the sin judgment. It will cost you your life here on earth, your lifestyle will change but you will no longer be trapped by the snare of sin like you once where, and you will escape hell! There is no other out for mankind, reject Christ and his saving grace and face the consequences, hell will be your home for eternity. But while you still breath and have the opportunity, repent I say turn to Jesus, Richie do you hear the call my friend! Do not delay, today is the day of salvation, you may not get many more, who can say, God alone knows!

If you are not committed to Christ and you have read this blog this morning, you may have thoughts like, "well what about you Tyrone", do you not have any sin in your life? My answer would be, yes I do still struggle in areas with sin in my life; the only difference is my sin has been paid for by the greatest of Saviour, I am not justified by what I have achieve over sin but am justified because he has paid the price for my sin. So is it for all who repent and turn to Him, sin for the repentant believer will not be charged to his account and only because God the righteous judge has already judged it; that is why when the Lord Jesus hung upon that cruel Roman cross on the hill known as Golgotha, God the righteous judge turn His back on His own Son, not because he has no backbone, but because He is righteous and needed to judge sin and so He judged His Son on our behalf. You better understand this with absolute clarity, if you now reject this provision which is now available for all who believe in the resurrection and repent looking unto Jesus, you will face the wrath of God. Why?

“When God saw Jesus in the sinner’s place, he did not spare him; and when he finds the unregenerate without Christ, he will not spare them. O sinner, Jesus was led away by his enemies: so shall you be dragged away by fiends to the place appointed for you. Jesus was deserted of God; and if he, who was only imputedly a sinner, was deserted, how much more shall you be? “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” what an awful shriek! But what shall be your cry when you shall say, “O God! O God! why hast thou forsaken me?” and the answer shall come back, “Because ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh.” If God spared not his own Son, how much less will he spare you! What whips of burning wire will be yours when conscience shall smite you with all its terrors. Ye richest, ye merriest, ye most self-righteous sinners-who would stand in your place when God shall say, “Awake, O sword, against the man that rejected me; smite him, and let him feel the smart for ever?” Jesus was spit upon: sinner, what shame will be yours! We cannot sum up in one word all the mass of sorrows which met upon the head of Jesus who died for us, therefore it is impossible for us to tell you what streams, what oceans of grief must roll over your spirit if you die as you now are. You may die so, you may die now. By the agonies of Christ, by his wounds and by his blood, do not bring upon yourselves the wrath to come! Trust in the Son of God, and you shall never die.” (C.H.Spurgeon)

Think about this thought; the Lord Jesus was imputed (to attribute a usually undesirable quality to a person, cause, or source) as a sinner and yet He was without sin and yet He still faced the wrath of God. How then will you who believe that you have been a good person, but have actually sinned be able to stand before God, find acceptance and escape judgment! DONT BE A FOOL!

There is only one option, repent, believe on the finished work of Calvary, fall to your knees and find forgiveness in Him.

Signing off

Tyrone

Note: Yesterdays insert of C.H.Spurgeon was taken from Pyromaniacs blog http://teampyro.blogspot.com

We must lose our lives for His name sake!

(Matthew 16:25) “But whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

To what degree am I willing to be rejected by men for the Kingdom of God’s sake? Let me explore the concept of Christianity and all the diverse opinions to it. What are the benefits to Christianity? This is a very interesting question; it all depends on what you want from it! Forgive me for my candid style but my point will soon be evident. A large percentage of individuals that visit churches who dress under the label of “A Form of Religion” have agendas, in fact to be true we all have an agenda, both the sheep as well as the goats. How so? From the day the Lord began his ministry, in fact even prior to that, His mother knowing who He was came to Him and asked Him for a miracle, they needed more wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee and this is the account: “And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come.” (John 2:3-4) 

Mary (the mother of Jesus) probably felt for this family, they may have been poor and unable to purchase enough wine for the marriage feast as they had now already moved into the third day of celebrations. So in order that this family did not suffer disgrace she beckoned to the Lord Jesus to intervene. His response gives us a clue into His heart in the matter; why are you troubling me with this; I have far greater needs to attend too! He came to do His Fathers will and that was His sole purpose, there was a tremendous responsibility placed upon Him, in fact we should spend more time considering those responsibilities and we may just get a clearer glimpse of His greatness! This would help in walking uprightly before Him, placing His needs and our Fathers will before our inconsequential wants. How often do we ask God to intervene in our lives with selfish intent because we are aware of His power, just like Mary did in this account? Mary was not concerned for her own well being but she had placed the well being of her friends above the well being of her Son’s mission; to do the will of His Father! We are far worse at times. We demand and expect the Lord to act for us on request and at will, forgive us Lord! Forgive me Father! Yet even with this request we see our great Saviours heart for all those whom He loves. Nevertheless, Mary acted in faith and instructed the servants to do whatever He told them to do, she anticipated a miracle! And so it was, it happened! He had compassion on His mother and turned the water into wine. Note: Although He performs the miracle; we see a rebuke in His tone, He does not call her mother but woman; as many as Christ loves, He rebukes and chastens. Examine your life and think about how often you pray for something, normally when you are in need and it will be for your own benefit. We often only call out to Him in times of trouble. The Lord Jesus on the other hand never considered His own well-being but always put others before self. “And Jesus saith unto him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.”” (Matthew 8:20)

When we begin to be assuming, we should be reminded what we are, men and women, frail, foolish, corrupt and we must put off this type of reasoning. Our lives must begin to take on the appearance of a selfless attitude, just like our great Saviour. This will be an ongoing process for as long as we live here on earth. But we must resolve to achieve this very goal. It will be worth it all as we will rule and reign with Him throughout eternity, just like He now sits on a throne in heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father, so we too will be beneficiaries with him in heaven. All those who are found faithful to His will and those who endure unto the end! This is what we will be judged for and will then be rewarded accordingly.  “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25)

Throughout the Lords ministry here on earth we see many examples of people following the Lord for self gain. Many flocked to hear him speak and although He carried with Him the words of life it is clear to see that many overlooked His wisdom but never overlooked His miracles. Let us prove this from scripture!

Many had gathered to listen to Him speak in a town called Bethsaida and He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. As the day wore on the crowd grew hungry and needed food He performed another miracle before their eyes as He fed the entire crowd with two fishes and five loaves; “And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" And they answered, "John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen." Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered, "The Christ of God."” (Luke 9:17-20)

Note: Everyone who was there witnessed the miracles and they assumed that the Lord Jesus was a prophet but only Peter recognised Him as the Christ (the anointed One). The crowd saw Him as someone who could help them with their physical needs; healing, food etc. If that is how we view the Lord Jesus then we have missed the mark. He neither came to heal or bodies and gives us daily bread, although He will take care of those needs, we must firstly view Him as Christ in our lives and we must look to appropriate His righteousness to our lives before that will happen. If not then we will be no different to blind leading the blind and we too will fall into a ditch. He came to save us from hell!

There are sadly some who fly a banner of Christianity who are deceivers and mislead many into error, but only babes (new believers) and those who have hidden agendas will fall by way of their folly. The Apostle Paul recognised them and has this to say; “For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” (Romans 16:18) 

“(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)” (Philippians 3:18-19)  

We must all examine our own hearts and ask ourselves, do we serve Christ because of his righteousness of do we have hidden agenda’s?

Signing off

Tyrone

  

"Turn to Me and be saved!"

(Isaiah 45:22) "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!”

Are we in or out of gear with God? We will only ever find ourselves in one of two camps, it is either Bethel or it will be Babel! In fact there is no neutral ground! We will be wearing our Glorious Saviour’s “coat of arms” in humility or we will be strutting as the proud peacock with our tails fanned, just waiting for our fall. For all whom reject the simple message of the gospel will understand the Lake of Fire as they will experience it firsthand. The road before us is steep and turbulent with very tricky corners than needs skilful handling; in fact no man would ever be able to complete the journey in the wrong gear and have a happy ending. At times even first gear seems to be underpowered to get us through the severity of life. There seem to be one obstacle after another and the journey never seems to end. Until we find the right gear for life and then we are no longer phased with trivial nonsense, but be warned anything outside of the land of Bethel is perfidious and lays in wait to snare all those who wander through the land of Babel. At times wolves find their way into God’s glorious land with one intention, to lead true believers astray and persuade them to shift gears, but before long all those who wear God’s armour find their gear once again and they soon work out to differentiate between the wolves and the sheep. How I love the land of Bethel! It is a place of rest and any tired traveler can always find solace there! The educated and the simple have a right to enrol and enlist in God’s army but there is only one entrance to this beautiful land. However it is surrounded by high walls and skilful climbers may find away over the walls but they will be imposters and not enlisted men and eventually see their demise. "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.” (John 10:1)

How I have learnt to love the simplicity of the Gospel; it is not a complicated message, there are no tricks to it or devious turns. We will either believe the message or reject it! It is that simple! All we need do is acknowledge our sin before a holy God, accept His provision in and through his beloved Son and fall to our knees as we seek out His forgiveness and we will then be saved, we will then find ourselves wearing His “coat of arms”.

This is what my beloved brother in Christ had to say on the subject just over a hundred years ago: “A good many years ago, when I was about fifteen or sixteen years of age, I wanted a Savior, and I heard the gospel preached by a poor man, who said in the name of Jesus—"Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth." It was very plain English, and I understood it, and obeyed it and found rest.

I owe all my happiness since then to the same plain doctrine.

Now, suppose that I were to say, "I have read a great many books, and there are a great many people willing to hear me. I really could not preach such a commonplace gospel as I did at the first. I must put it in a sophisticated way, so that none but the elite can understand me." I should be—what should I be? I should be a fool, writ large.

I should be worse than that, I should be a traitor to my God; for if I was saved by a simple gospel, then I am bound to preach that same simple gospel till I die, so that others too may be saved by it. When I cease to preach salvation by faith in Jesus put me into a lunatic asylum, for you may be sure that my mind is gone.” (C.H.Spurgeon)

I leave you with this very simple choice; “For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."” (Romans 10:13) 

Will you call out to Him and find life in Him or will you continue to strut with your tail fanned with the pride of life? I pray it is not the latter!

Signing off

Tyrone

"Occupy till I come!"

(Luke 19:13) “...Occupy until I come.”

This is the instruction to all of God’s disciples! Although we will not be judged for sin we will however be judged on this; how have we occupied with what God has given us! Remember the parable of the talents! Not all achieve their intended objective. Without now being overly wise and dissecting that portion of scripture, why that individual failed and was cast into outer darkness, it is obvious he was never saved, but that is not what the parable teachers. It emphasises they were given an opportunity to take what they had been given, different talents and to be found faithful with whatever the individual had been given. All where instructed to use their talent or talents and to make a profit! What is so encouraging is that all who are found faithful in what they were given were entitled to enter into His rest. Some are given more and others less, the point however is not how much you have been given but what you have done with what we have been given. Let us fasten our gaze on what the text teachers; I want us to learn from the parable; even now I want to learn from this parable with God the Holy Spirit as the overseer to the lesson. As I know I lack in this area of my life. Many things along the way have had their part to play, sin the forerunner! But on every side and every corner there is a lure to take our eyes off the ball and to hinder our progress, which is “to occupy until He comes”! What is the purpose of parables? To teach us to be God-centred and not man-centred, I am so far off the mark in this area of my life that it hurts to think how selfish I actual am! May God forgive me and help me change my lifestyle in this area of my life. This is the lesson from this parable; instead of singling out others let me reflect inward and examine myself against this parable as I would encourage you to do the same. But as a maths equation has a formula in reaching the correct answer, we must also understand that if we appropriate the wrong dimension to our understanding of how to achieve a God-centred mindset, we will fail! We must be found faithful to this truth! I would like us to consider this thought; “that which is flesh is flesh and that which is spirits is spirit!” (John 3:6)

The Lord makes a distinctive statement, differentiating between flesh and spirit, He highlights this very clearly. It is important we unmistakably understand this; it would be rather difficult to speak with our ears and listen with our mouths. No! It would be impossible! Likewise is we try and walk in the spirit by the weakness of the flesh that will also be impossible. It is like oil and water that do not mix; they cannot change their properties without introducing other chemicals. If we remember and realise that God designed the human body, and He has arranged it as He has pleased. We have had absolutely no say in the matter as the created. We may affect our appearance as life progresses, some become obsessed with health and fitness while others end up lethargic and some even obese! What we do with what we have been given varies from person to person. It is no different to the talent God has given each of His children. I say children, because unless you are "born again" we are still dead in your trespasses and sins and spiritually we are incapable of being God-centred. Everything we do even though it may have an appearance of godliness will nevertheless be man-centred. How can I say that? The bible clearly teachers this; Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) 

Without a spiritual awakening we will always reason with human intellect and the next verse proves this; “Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

The point we must seize with clarity is this; “that which is flesh is flesh and that which is spirit is spirit.” But until our spirits are awakened to this truth we will remain in darkness. The difficulty we face after we have been saved and our spiritual eyes are opened, although we have now begin our journey in the spirit, we often and I am no different to most, forget this truth and we try to achieve a God-centred mindset by the flesh. All that really means is although we have begun in the spirit we try and find perfection in and through the flesh, humanism creeps in once again and robs us of our victory. It prevent us from glorifying God and his grace alone, we begin to think we can somehow do it in our strength. I do not believe we purposefully set out to walk with this mindset, but it often happens. The apostle Paul has this to say; “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain--if indeed it was in vain?” (Galatians 3:1-4)

It is imperative if we are to “occupy until He comes”, that we embrace the finished work of cross, that we remember from whence we have fallen. But we must understand, “That which is flesh is flesh and that which is spirit is spirit”. In order for us to be found faithful with the talent or talents we have been given, we must walk in the spirit! How do we walk in the spirit? We must feed the spirit! How do we feed the spirit? We give as much time as possible to it! All day and every day, we must be consciously aware of who we are feeding, our old man and their natures or the new man and the Christ in us. I have a confession to make; my life has been found wanting and I ask for your forgiveness Father, help me on a daily basis to remember to put on the armour of God (Ephesians 6:13-17). It is one thing to wake up and remember to spend time with you, but as soon as the clock strikes 9, then I somewhat feel that I have done my bit, I have been wrong and I repent of my sin. Help me “occupy until He comes” and I pray help all who fear and love you achieve this as tough times are on the horizon. How will we stand if we still reason as men? We have every good gift available to us and only because of our great Saviour, your glorious Son! Help us be faithful to seek out the weapons that will help us stand in the time of trial, I ask this for your glory and in the name of the only true Saviour, Jesus Christ our Lord!

Signing off

Tyrone

   

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.