And God Said!

(Genesis 1:31) “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”

The church and the way we should operate is what I am currently looking for answers too. My daily thoughts continuously develop around this topic. This morning it has dawned upon me that we are unique; we are rebellious by nature; I understand it is sin that has caused this type of behavior. Sin the root and father of so many evils!

Have you ever had a moment where something hits you between the eyes, a thought that should have always been there and was but only as a vague consideration? Then you have a break-through and what should have been obvious now becomes extremely apparent. Well this morning had such daybreak, and I feel rather… no! In fact I am not sure how I feel, all I can say is thank you Father for the Lord Jesus’ sacrifice; without His obedience I would be in very serious trouble, praise His name! Obedience is vital!

It’s ironical that I am the one now seeing this facet of Christianity so clearly, as my life has been so full of disobedience; historically I has been dull of hearing and full of rebellion to God’s instruction. Hence my comment about my great Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ, without Him, His gentle forbearance and possibly above all else, His loving patience never outran its course in my life. For this I will be forever thankful. This is why the Apostle Paul makes statements like these; “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1Corinthians 2:2) – It must always be about Him and not our stupid man-centred ideas. How I am starting to hate, yes hate man’s interference with God’s design.

What then have I seen?

To see what I now see so clearly can only be the influence of God the Holy Spirit as He mercifully teachers me through revelation, as He wills, it is all of God! It is no great new revelation as there is nothing new under the sun. It is obvious to the eye when looked for, but I know that it is very seldom obeyed. How do I know that it is seldom obey, all you need do is look around and it will be obvious? Begin with our own hearts and then look at the hearts of others and it will be unmistakable. We all have a tendency to “do it our own way”; we always look for other possibilities to find the easy out! Which is a lie!

Let’s unpack some scripture; “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1-3)

And God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." (Genesis 1:6)

And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. (Genesis 1:9)

God spoke and His voice was obeyed which left Him please, in fact well pleased! “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:31)

Then man came along under the influence of Satan and sin was conceived, disobedience had now found life. Leaving God not pleased! Now men and women were awakened to freedom of choice. But if we ignore God’s voice we will never find His blessing, it is as simple as that. We must follow His model in and through the Bible to hear our God and Father say “I am well pleased.” Nothing else will do! The sooner we learn this lesson the better and it is no different to the model Paul has left us to follow as members in particular within a body of believers, the church.

Signing off

Tyrone

  

Consider the ant!

(Proverbs 6:6) “Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.

In yesterday’s post I received some positive remarks, a few resolute comments and others remained silent, no doubt digesting what was said. Even throughout life we are taught that a divided house will never stand. Unity must be unanimous if one is to have the best possible opportunity for success. The greatest of teachers is found in nature and we needn’t look much further than our feet; just look at the ant, they are so regimented and work with such purpose, unity the order of the day. Something so small and yet they achieve such amazing feats. Ants work in groups, and achieve their goal in unity Alas!  Most men lack this and fail; amazingly they do not have a leader. The ant never gives up; it is not in their character to succumb to defeat. Destroy their nest for whatever reason and they immediately attend to their new task at hand as they start to rebuild a new home. They do not stop to lick their wounds, but get on with the task at hand; “Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.” (Proverbs 6:6-8)     

What is interesting in the above verse is what I have highlighted. I see them teaching us the body principle, even God’s creation through nature speaks. Will we have ears to hear! What is the objective for a body of believers is it not “unity of the faith”. Yes it is! – “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13)   

Why is this important? “So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:14-16)

This is why for this very reason we need to be part of a body of believers that have amongst them teachers that propagate sound doctrine, as they have been appointed by God to steer the ship, His ship! Get this wrong and the ship will soon go off course and its heading will no longer be heaven but some hidden reef seeking to destroy all those who venture into those treacherous waters. Having said that the teacher has as much need of the weaker vessels input; the bruised reeds if you like; for when they work together in unity they will “grow up in every way who is the head, into Christ”! This is not up for debate as God’s Word is clear; “For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. (1Corinthians 12:14-18)

I am convinced that a body of believers, a church must avail itself to allow each member to function as God has intended for them to function, if it does not, then it is no more than men interfering with God’s design. Men putting their hand to that which is holy; “God’s altar was to be built of unhewn stones, that no trace of human skill or labour might be seen upon it. Human wisdom delights to trim and arrange the doctrines of the cross into a system more artificial and more congenial with the depraved tastes of fallen nature; instead, however, of improving the gospel carnal wisdom pollutes it, until it becomes another gospel, and not the truth of God at all.” (C.H.Spurgeon) 

This is one of the responses I received from yesterday’s post and I quote; “The operation of the local fellowship: Still working through this but I definitely do not see the 'body building itself up in love' as every Tom, Dick and Harry using the pulpit. We build one another up through prayer and fellowship.”

I couldn’t agree more, as it is only the teacher that should teach, but he should not dominate and shackle the other members from their rightful role within that body of believers. Would a teacher cut off his left hand because he only thinks he needs his right hand to write with, no! That would be preposterous! Or what if I was an athlete and trained for a body building competition and it was obvious that my biceps were smaller in proportion to the rest of my physic, I wouldn’t spend more time doing squats building my legs but rather give more attention to doing curls and the like, in other words giving more opportunity to the weaker vessels not less, thus giving myself every opportunity to win the competition. Why then do we not reason wisely as men in authority, is it that we feel we know better that God! I pray this is not the case!

Therefore provision in application must be afforded each member the platform to operate within their measure and no more, so that the body may eventual find unity and grow and build itself in up in love.

Signing off

Tyrone

The church, the body of Christ!

To be sensitive to the leading of God the Holy Spirit is this even biblical? This is why I have woken up earlier than normal. Who is now influencing my actions? It is as if I am in a corner of a wrestling ring waiting for the bout to begin. I am here because I have chosen to be here, or have I? Either way I responded to the call, firstly in prayer and now I eagerly wait on God for revelation with great expectations. Although I am not quite sure what to expect and I am a little apprehensive, nevertheless eager for battle. Although it was 2:00 am I lay in bed with a choice to make, back to sleep or to get up. It is now 2:26 and my tenacity is to now wrestle until I find the truth to my question.

Interestingly enough I have been led to this place, how you may ask? A simple thought entered my mind, nothing more and no! There was no booming voice from heaven just a strong gut feeling if you like.

Initially I was directed to C.H.Spurgeon and his daily devotion and this is what it had to say;

“If thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.”

- Exo_20:25

“God’s altar was to be built of unhewn stones, that no trace of human skill or labour might be seen upon it. Human wisdom delights to trim and arrange the doctrines of the cross into a system more artificial and more congenial with the depraved tastes of fallen nature; instead, however, of improving the gospel carnal wisdom pollutes it, until it becomes another gospel, and not the truth of God at all. All alterations and amendments of the Lord’s own Word are defilements and pollutions. The proud heart of man is very anxious to have a hand in the justification of the soul before God; preparations for Christ are dreamed of, humblings and repentings are trusted in, good works are cried up, natural ability is much vaunted, and by all means the attempt is made to lift up human tools upon the divine altar. It were well if sinners would remember that so far from perfecting the Saviour’s work, their carnal confidences only pollute and dishonour it. The Lord alone must be exalted in the work of atonement, and not a single mark of man’s chisel or hammer will be endured. There is an inherent blasphemy in seeking to add to what Christ Jesus in His dying moments declared to be finished, or to improve that in which the Lord Jehovah finds perfect satisfaction. Trembling sinner, away with thy tools, and fall upon thy knees in humble supplication; and accept the Lord Jesus to be the altar of thine atonement, and rest in him alone.

Many professors may take warning from this morning’s text as to the doctrines which they believe. There is among Christians far too much inclination to square and reconcile the truths of revelation; this is a form of irreverence and unbelief, let us strive against it, and receive truth as we find it; rejoicing that the doctrines of the Word are unhewn stones, and so are all the more fit to build an altar for the Lord.” (C.H.Spurgeon)

Although this speaks about sanctification in and through the finished work of the cross, it goes even deeper and in principle it can be applied to the full counsel of God's Word, the Bible!

This now has set the tone for my deliberation, what about the work of the Holy Spirit and His role in a believer’s life and what is our responsibility to Him.

Was Paul only speaking to a select few when he told the believers at Corinth that they were to desire spiritual gifts or is it relevant for us as believers today? We could lift up our tool of human reasoning and chip away at it until we arrive at an acceptable conclusion, but would that not just confirm Spurgeon’s point. I think that is exactly his point. He often makes the point that we need to rely on the leading of God the Holy Spirit. In fact reformed theology is big on systematically going through a book, one verse at a time and I also see the benefits of teaching like this. But Spurgeon never used this methodology when preaching from the pulpit. His Sunday sermon to the His congregation were topical; no doubt he waited on the Lord as he was led by the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Delivered on Sabbath Morning, 2^nd of December, 1860, by the REV. C. H. Spurgeon, At Exeter Hall, Strand. He preached on "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies."— (Philippians 2:1)

And then on the 9^th of December he preached on "Suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment."— (Jeremiah 4:20)

And then again on the 16^th of December he preached on "If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse."— (Job 9:20) and so he preach throughout his life.

Why then do we avoid his technique with such vigour? Maybe because we have seen so many abuse this type of preaching; scripture taken out of context.  Now because some abuse the Word of God, does that mean we are not entitled to pursue the “prince of preachers” example and seek out the truth the same way he did. If he found merit in it, then we too must sit up and pay attention. We are far too stiff in our application and possibly this mind-set is to our detriment. “Has the potter no right over the clay…” (Romans 9:21) – should we not be flexible!

Wherever I look I am saddened, I do not see men building as he did.

Let us consider the role of God the Holy Spirit. Is He not as much God as God the Father and the Son? Of course He is! To suggest anything else would be blasphemous. God forbid we would ever go there! So what does scripture teach us about His function?

But before we go there we must first understand our role as believers in the body of Christ. The Apostle Paul is our teacher and this is what he has to say: - “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. (1Corinthians 12:27)

What does this actually mean?

“The relation wherein Christians stand to Christ and one another. The church, or whole collective body of Christians, in all ages, is his body. Every Christian is a member of his body, and every other Christian stands related to him as a fellow-member (1Co_12:27): Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular, or particular members. Each is a member of the body, not the whole body; each stands related to the body as a part of it, and all have a common relation to one another, dependence upon one another, and should have a mutual care and concern. Thus are the members of the natural body, thus should the members of the mystical body be, disposed. Note, Mutual indifference, and much more contempt, and hatred, and envy, and strife, are very unnatural in Christians. It is like the members of the same body being destitute of all concern for one another, or quarrelling with each other. This is the apostle's scope in this argument. He endeavours in it to suppress the proud, vaunting, and contentious spirit, that had prevailed among the Corinthians, by reason of their spiritual gifts.” (Matthew Henry)

With this now in mind let us look at God’s design for his church and how each member should function; “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16)

Therefore we need one another and place must be given to every member of the body so that it may function properly, this is God’s design! “For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.” (1Corinthians 12:14-22)

If we ignore this teaching it will be no doubt to our detriment and we walk in disobedience.

Therefore God’s church must give all its members a platform to function to His glory if we are to find unity in Him. A one man ministry with only the influence of the teacher/pastor is only one aspect of the body of Christ. If this is the churches mind-set then just maybe Spurgeon’s point is now a valid one as the tool of men now hinders the potter from His original design. Not that man will ever interfere in that sense with God’s plan, as he will build His church, but ears are needed if we are to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

This then would lead us into the way we structure our meetings, we would have to give every member an opportunity to be a foot if that is what they are, or if a kidney then a kidney etc. This could never be achieved systematically; our total dependency would be upon God the Holy Spirit as he leads and guides us as He wills; “All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” (1Corinthians 12:11)

It would then be up to the teachers to ensure that sound doctrine is taught throughout this process, so that we would not be led astray by vain imaginations.

I would be happy to find myself part and parcel of such a church… it is now 5:15 am and my heart has been satisfied, praise the name of Jesus, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

   

Faith and its War!

(Hebrews 3:13) “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

This morning I wish to thank you my God for your brilliance in and through your glorious instructive Word as it teaches us how to act. Today is a new day and it is filled with new possibilities. Yesterday may have been a disaster, or it may have been filled with obedience, but the truth be told, it has passed and we will not get it back, and it has been recorded in the history books of time. The 12^th of July 2011 has passed and will never return, not at least until judgment day and how that will exactly unfold carries with it some guesswork. But be sure it will happen!

So wherever we find ourselves this morning; whether we are in a state of sorrow or the opposite may be our portion, we could feel good about Yesterday and how we engaged with our God and Father throughout the day. The Bible has an instruction for ever scenario. This morning we can find obedience, all we have to do is find an answer in and through God’s Word, the Bible and act upon it. How great is our God? So we are without excuse, the Lord Jesus has made a way, praise his name! “Obedience is better than sacrifice”!

If there is one lesson I am learning to value the most and although I still fail miserably at times, it is patiently teaching me to live day by day and no more… "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:34) 

If we have had a torrid time of late just remember that today is a day with new beginnings, if we have sinned all we need to do is to fall to our knees and seek God’s forgiveness, as we know what His response will be; “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9)

If we are standing with our shoulders back and as proud as a peacock, then the caution would be; “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” (Romans 12:3)

If Yesterday was a day full or tears, today may just be the day where mourning is turn to laughter. Or it could even be the time of our testing with hardship on the horizon. There are numerous different possibilities we face. Conversely the Lord Jesus has experience every single one of them and yet without succumbing to the sin that so easily besets. The warfare is fierce and Peter gives us this warning; “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” (1Peter 2:11)

If anger has not been part of our daily routine, I pray that we would be filled with righteous anger as we call on our Lord for assistance. It is far too easy to compromise and succumb to the temptation of sin. It will never gratify or edify and all it can ever accomplish is a sense of failure as it leaves us covered in dirt with grazes all over. Nevertheless today has new beginning, so call out to the Lord! “For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.” (Proverbs 24:16)

Whatever our state, there is a truth that will never change and that is the Lord Jesus has overcome, so then, what will we do with His victory today?

Signing off

Tyrone   

     

Denial!

(Matthew 7:5) “…first take the log out of your own eye…”

There are some verses I tend to brush over, they are not as appealing or encouraging as other stanzas; on the surface our minds dismiss them as negative. We love to concentrate on the unconditional side of God’s love which is beyond measure, and so we should! But we will never automatically be drawn to the harder verses, those that speak of discipline which are full of constructive warnings, never consciously seeking out their truths and only because denial plays such a massive part in our lives.

In October 1993 I remember walking into the doctor’s office with what appeared to be a throat infection but walked out the following day with HIV, a death sentence! I was 27 years old at the time and at first ever fiber in my life did not want to accept this truth. Denial had taken hold of me and was now looking to aid the virus in my demise. In 2001 I was no longer fit to work and was admitted to hospital with glandular fever, phenomena, dementia and suspected tuberculosis. My CD4 (immune system) count had lowered so badly that is was operating at less than a percent of the norm, which should read a count of 1000 and now only recited a reading of 9. For seven years I had chosen to reject anti-retroviral medication. One of my physicians at the time did not think I would make it, but for the grace of God some ten years later here I am, as I sit punching at this keyboard with my stubby clumsy fingers. I never ever wanted to believe that I hadn’t actually accepted the fact I was HIV positive, as I had, or so I thought! As I was even open about it and spoke freely to all who posed the question. On the surface there was no hidden agenda but there was something deep down that was alive which tricked me into believing a lie and I supposed I wouldn’t die. Denial almost claimed another scalp! BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD!

HIV is a virus known to most, but many who contract the virus live out long periods of their life in denial and in fact some have even died in that state. Denial seems to be a common flaw amongst the human race. It is one of those ugly character flaws that sin has sunk its teeth into as it trickily deceives. There is no doubt who is behind this wicked deception, Satan the mastermind of sin and all its exploits. For as long as I was not willing to reach out for this lifeline, which was anti-retroviral medication I was toying with death, I was playing “Russian Roulette” and so is everyone when they exclude the bibles teachings on all topics.

With these thoughts in mind I have been lead to examine this verse and search out any root of denial that would look to rob me of my freedom in Christ: - “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” (Matthew 7:5) – If I lie to myself but continue in denial it then makes me a hypocrite…Definition of HYPOCRITE. 1: a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion. 2: a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs.

Now would be a good time for me to receive instructive direction from another tried and tested bible expositor, so that I may not be blind-sided by my own pet subject…  

“1. It is not every one who is fit to reprove. Those who are themselves guilty of the same faults of which they accuse others, or of worse, bring shame upon themselves, and are not likely to do good to those whom they reprove, Mat_7:3-5. Here is,

There are degrees in sin: some sins are comparatively but as motes, others as beams; some as a gnat, others as a camel: not that there is any sin little, for there is no little God to sin against; if it be a mote (or splinter, for so it might better be read), it is in the eye; if a gnat, it is in the throat; both painful and perilous, and we cannot be easy or well till they are got out. [2.] Our own sins ought to appear greater to us than the same sins in others: that which charity teaches us to call but a splinter in our brother's eye, true repentance and godly sorrow will teach us to call a beam in our own; for the sins of others must be extenuated, but our own aggravated. [3.] There are many that have beams in their own eyes, and yet do not consider it. They are under the guilt and dominion of very great sins, and yet are not aware of it, but justify themselves, as if they needed no repentance nor reformation; (my very own consideration,DENIAL) it is as strange that a man can be in such a sinful, miserable condition, and not be aware of it, as that a man should have a beam in him eye, and not consider it; but the god of this world so artfully blinds their minds, that notwithstanding, with great assurance, they say, We see. [4.] It is common for those who are most sinful themselves, and least sensible of it, to be most forward and free in judging and censuring others: the Pharisees, who were most haughty in justifying themselves, were most scornful in condemning others. They were severe upon Christ's disciples for eating with unwashen hands, which was scarcely a mote, while they encouraged men in a contempt of their parents, which was a beam. Pride and uncharitableness are commonly beams in the eyes of those that pretend to be critical and nice in their censures of others. Nay, many are guilty of that secret, which they have the face to punish in others when it is discovered. Cogita tecum, fortasse vitium de quo quereris, si te diligenter excusseris, in sinu invenies; inique publico irasceris crimini tuo - Reflect that perhaps the fault of which you complain, might, on a strict examination, be discovered in yourself; and that it would be unjust publicly to express indignation against your own crime. Seneca, de Beneficiis. But, [5.] Men's being so severe upon the faults of others, while they are indulgent of their own, is a mark of hypocrisy. Thou hypocrite, Mat_7:5. Whatever such a one may pretend, it is certain that he is no enemy to sin (if he were, he would be an enemy to his own sin), and therefore he is not worthy of praise; nay, it appears that he is an enemy to his brother, and therefore worthy of blame. This spiritual charity must begin at home; “For how canst thou say, how canst thou for shame say, to thy brother, Let me help to reform thee, when thou takest no care to reform thyself? Thy own heart will upbraid thee with the absurdity of it; thou wilt do it with an ill grace, and thou wilt expect every one to tell thee, that vice corrects sin: physician, heal thyself;” I prae, sequar - Go you before, I will follow. See Rom_2:21. [6.] The consideration of what is amiss in ourselves, though it ought not to keep us from administering friendly reproof, ought to keep us from magisterial censuring, and to make us very candid and charitable in judging others. “Therefore restore with the spirit of meekness, considering thyself (Gal_6:1); what thou has been, what thou art, and what thou wouldst be, if God should leave thee to thyself.”

(2.) Here is a good rule for reprovers, Mat_7:5. Go in the right method, first cast the beam out of thine own eye. Our own badness is so far from excusing us in not reproving, that our being by it rendered unfit to reprove is an aggravation of our badness; I must not say, “I have a beam in my own eye, and therefore I will not help my brother with the mote out of his.” A man's offence will never be his defence: but I must first reform myself, that I may thereby help to reform my brother, and may qualify myself to reprove him. Note, Those who blame others, ought to be blameless and harmless themselves. Those who are reprovers in the gate, reprovers by office, magistrates and ministers, are concerned to walk circumspectly, and to be very regular in their conversation: an elder must have a good report, 1Ti_3:2, 1Ti_3:7. The snuffers of the sanctuary were to be of pure gold.” (Matthew Henry)

This is now sound council and may it help me and all of us to first remove the log from our own eyes before we endeavour to be helpful to our brethren.

Signing off

Tyrone

We know in whom we believe!

(Hebrews 4:15) “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses…”

As a press photographer I spend time recharging my batteries as there is nothing worse than having no power if and when the need arises. This means that the batteries need to be plugged into a charger so that they can carry out their intended purpose, which is to power up my camera. Without power my camera is useless, all I would be left with is an expensive paper weight.

Life seems to demand a similar mindset, work hard, relax recharge and then back to work and so the cycle of life continues. Once a year we calibrate our batteries by taking a holiday. But do we realize that as Christians we never need calibrating, we either have the Spirit of Christ or we do not, there is no in-between, we are either a son of God or we are not! Throughout the Old Testament life was full of in type “battery recharging” - sacrifice for sin, but “calibration” happened when the high priest would offer a sin offering for Israel. This was a very scary time, firstly for the high priest and then for all of Israel.

“A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe. And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the LORD, and when he comes out, so that he does not die.” (Exodus 28:34-34) – Imagine the anxiety they faced not knowing whether the high priest would live once he entered the “Holiest of Holies”. They even had a bell and pomegranate sewn on to the bottom of his robe so that they could hear the jingle and by implication would listen for its chime; if it stopped then the priest would be dead and their sacrifice unacceptable before God. It was a time of Godly fear and holy reverence. Anticipation would have filled the outer courts of the temple. His life depended upon his and their obedience toward God. A life filled with uncertainty, scary times!

However in today’s day and age it is not like that. Why has God changed? He hasn’t! But in the fullness of time His plan has now run its course, the Lord Jesus our ultimate sacrifice has risen and is seated on the right hand of God making intercession for all His people. No longer is the sacrifice of bulls or goats required, as our “Ram” has paid the final sacrifice and this is now in the past tense. Look at these beautiful words; “We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” (Hebrews 13:10-14)   

It is now the spilt blood of the Lord Jesus that has made a way for all His people. Who are His people? Only those who are covered by His blood, all repentant sinners who acknowledge that they deserve hell because of their sin, but have found repentance in Him, and only because the Lord Jesus paid the price for their sin can they now escape hell and hope for heaven. It was John Newton who captured this with such potency in the hymn we still sing today, Amazing Grace. The line that impacts me mostly is; “who saved a wretch like me”. Are you captivated by His great achievement? I trust your answer is yes! If you have His Spirit then I know your answer can only be yes, but if you are a church goer and like the idea of religion and what it stands for, then I fear for your soul. His sacrifice goes far deeper than that. He came to set the captive free, do you believe this? No matter where we may find ourselves, if our batteries need recharging we need look no further than to our great High Priest as He is now touched with the feelings of our infirmities. He has live as a man and understands exactly what we go through…

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16) 

It is not a holiday we need but rather we need to obtain mercy and find grace whenever the pressure seems overwhelming. Our King and great High Priest is able, no rather does sympathise with our struggles. So let us remember to cry out to Him, praise his holy name, for He alone is worthy! He will get all of those whom the Father has given Him home. We will all see heaven, only trust, obey and believe!

Signing off

Tyrone  

Take every thought captive!

(2Corinthians 10:5)  “…take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

Lately I’ve noticed a new phenomenon about my subconscious and how even my dreams are affected. When I walk in the Spirit as we are all called to do on a daily basis, then my mind is consistently being renewed as it proves (works out) what is that good and acceptable will of God for my life. I leant to walk in obedience, this is the call for ever born again Christian. We have all been called to obey. Obey who? Our heavenly Father and His Word, the Bible gives us direction, it is the lamp for our paths. It the Shekinah glory of Christ’s brightness that leads the way. He is the way the truth and the life!

Yes we will get feeling and hunches at times and we may even hear people whisper what we want to hear and believe it is God who has spoken, and all its been is our lusts and our wants running away with themselves. But if we use the bible accurately, all this means is when we pull out a scripture it must be looked at in context, we must understand the underlying lesson.

Let’s use an example… “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain." Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!" And God granted what he asked.” (1Chronicles 4:9-10) 

“Jabez was more honorable than his brothers”. As you read it, what does it mean to you? I have a verse that springs immediately to mind, but how and to whom was he honorable? Although it does not clearly state it, I believe he was more honourable to the Word of God and to God. Some theologians suggest that history teachers us that he comes from a family of scribes. However it is not enough to be absolutely certain, but it does help with my reasoning. I still need stronger confirmation; I need to confirm it by the Word of God.

If we follow the thread of scripture in the next verse we see that Jabez requests something from God. He asks for material wealth and to be kept from pain and he asks God to be with him. God grants Him His request. How will we be sure that God will be with us and grant us our requests? Where else do I find a verse in the bible that teaches me about honour, possessions and God being with us? Let look at what the Lord Jesus taught; in Matthew chapter 6 He gives us insight as to how we should live as believers. He teachers us to live by faith, now faith toward God means we trust Him and we believe that He will provide, this in turn represents honour. Yet for us to be the beneficiaries of God provision we need firstly to qualify, so what qualifies us? Obviously we will only ever qualify if we are covered by the blood of the Lamb, but there is more, how can there be more? Let’s look at the verse; “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) 

Years ago someone wrote a book on this exact verse and many seemed to be caught up in frenzy as the hunt for worldly possession now sprung to life in a new light, Name it and we could claim it. Wrong! A misrepresentation of scripture! Firstly it was a contract between God and Jabez, not his mother or his brothers nor anyone else. That is the first point. We are told by scripture to imitate all the good examples throughout scripture, so that we may learn to be more Christ like. Jabez was a good example but if I take this verse out of context for my life I enter into error. How so? He was honorable and put God first, I know this because the Lord Jesus teachers us that we need to put God first in our lives and how do we do that, well we seek out His righteousness, only then am I entitled to be the beneficiary of His promise. Ask yourself Has God ever blessed outside of His Word, never! Will a non-believer in what Christ accomplished on Calvary ever enter heaven, no never! It is all about seeking His purpose for our lives, and this must be the forerunner in our lives if we are to share in Jabez’s blessings, in God’s blessings. Every blessing throughout scripture hinges on obedience.

Now with that in mind when I am disobedient I open myself up to sin and my brain then entertains thoughts that do not come from God but the devil, as he is the father of sin. Christ died to free us from the bondage of sin. This is now important; if I know that I should not lust after a woman with my eyes and I ignore the warning an entertain the thought, I then feed my mind with what Christ came to free me from, I keep sin alive! I am not seeking out God’s righteousness for my life and then this thought is stored in the recess of my brain. Even my dreams now entertain these thoughts. How I know this is that my dreams even teach me. Let us not glibly drop our guard, we must always put on the mind of Christ, we must arm ourselves with every opportunity to walk in obedience. Does the Bible teach us to do this? Yes it does! “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2Corinthians 10:5)

When this becomes part of our daily routine even our dreams begin to change. May God give us a resolve to seek Him out in everything we do, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

Praise the name of Jesus!

(Psalms 103:2) “Forget not all His benefits.”

It is wonderful to admire the great achievements of the saints of old, and I am often inspired by some of their majestic bouts of faith, as we should be! These examples should drive us to be more diligent toward our great God and Father. But how often do we get lost in their stories, to our own detriment? In other words it remains their reality and goes no further. We must transfer what they are teaching us into what we are being taught. We have been called by the great I AM, He has sent His only begotten Son to pay the price for our sin, just as much as He sent Him for David, Samuel, Moses and the like. We are as much son’s as they were, no rather are, it is both past and present tense. Once God has begun a good work he will complete it. We may founder and fall at times but He will never taste defeat. We know setbacks too well, how often have I resolved to do something for my great God and before long I have gone back on my commitment.  I am truly thankful for our great Saviour’s achievement on Cavalry, who else could have bridged that gap? Absolutely no one else! Praise the name of Jesus our great Saviour!

Let us not get lost in failure but rather focus on victory, Christ’s victory! If we were able to do it alone, there would have been no need for Christ to die such a cruel death.

Haven’t we seen the work of His hand in our lives, of course we have! Samson faced such opposition that a thousand Philistine came at him in one attack, it was not just one challenge or concern but a thousand and all at the same time. Will we learn from his example and reach for the jawbone; will we reach for Christ in time of need and fight with His strength until me find grace to overcome? The same weapons available to him are available to all of God’s children. Have we not tasted the sweet joy of victory just like Samson did? Amen, we cry! Or what of David as he faced the goliath of all challenges, did he not shirk the armour of men as he stepped out in faith knowing in whom he believed, he did! Have we? There must have been times of victory, if we have Christ’s Spirit, it is a given! Think back on your life and savour the sweet taste of honey. No other victories are as sweet. Or what of Daniel as he was feed to the lions, did God not stop their mouths, we know He did! Have we not been in a similar place and left for dead, I know I have and sadly I must confess it was not for well-doing but my own folly at play left me desperate and almost without hope and yet my great Saviour saved the day. Praise His name! Have we not denied our Lord when we know we should have spoken out just as Peter did, I know I am guilty. And yet our great God finds it in His heart to forgive us, how great is He!

Words will never capture the immense enormity of His loving kindness, but may we never forget why we are privy to this love, PRAISE THE NAME OF JESUS! How often have we dropped our guard just like Samson and believed that we are bullet-proof, I know I have and the pain was almost unbearable. But before long our hair once again begins to grow, thank you Lord Jesus! What a great Saviour we serve, may we never forget Calvary!

We will never forget Calvary as He will always bear the marks in his hands. Praise His glorious name! So today wherever it may be where we find ourselves, may we focus upon His achievements in our lives and it will be well with our souls. If we need to sing from the rooftops then sing with gusto. If we are weak and feeble, then let us fall to our knees and seek out His forgiveness as He is just a prayer away, Praise His name! And above all things let our lives day by day speak more of our obedience toward Him.

“Let us not forget all His benefits…”

Signing off

Tyrone

Dress yourself for Work!

(Jeremiah 1:17)  “But you, dress yourself for work;”

Is the pot starling to boil? Maybe not quite! But it is evident the heat has been turned up. The question I have, is do those puppets actual know that they are being used as pawns by Satan or have they been blinded by his cunning exploits? When searching for answers it would be a good idea to search out similar scenario’s from scripture as we use history to search out an answer. Now with history in mind, the only way we will be sure not to be duped is if we stick to the cannon of scripture. For the illustration let’s use a hypothesis to illustrate my point; Let’s say the account of the Red Sea parting was never recorded with the pen but tradition men arrived at a place where the story was verbally passed down from generation to generation, what would probably happen to the actual account? It would inevitably loose its accuracy. We have all heard about the “broken telephone”; someone relays a story and then on to another and another and when it eventually arrives at it intended destination it is distorted. If that person was now to act on what they had received it could be detrimental. The facts may be inaccurate and what was once a true account had now just became a story, and it could have a catastrophic outcome. How where myths and folklores born, in exactly the same manner! My son once told me that in African Folklore they believe that there is a big flying snake that flies around and can blow down houses and then he ask me if it was true, get the point!

We have all learnt to depend on certain characters for biblical doctrine, at times we look to the traditions of churches, but if we take it no further we could be in for a rough ride. C.H.Spurgeon is the man that most influences my understanding of doctrine. But he is just a man and therefore potentially at risk of entering into error. I agree most unlikely, but nevertheless there is a slim possibility. How would I know if what he expounds is sound or not? I do not rest on my laurels on what the Metropolitan church of the 1900’s stood by, that is not enough! I must seek out the cannon of scripture to confirm that what he preached is historically sound and I use the Bible as my reference, with the influence of God the Holy Spirit as my guide. Why? Because this is the original manuscript that God has ordained. Weren’t those from Berea commended for examining out scripture? Yes they were! “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:11) – They examined the bible and did not rely on stories. If I am not sure about a certain truth, I then look at other sound men throughout history and see what conclusion they arrived at. What then about the Bible translations from the original? They do play a part, but not to such an extent that I would lose my way.      

Back now to my original thought; “the heat the world will soon face”; the question I need answered, did pharaoh know that he opposed God’s will for the Israelites, as he kept them from freedom. At first glance the answer would seem obvious, yes he did! But let us consider this a little deeper; prior to Moses and Aaron instructing him to release Israel how would he have known that it was God’s will? His conscience may have plagued him but then again it may have been so seared that he felt nothing. I suppose he wouldn’t have known. But once he had received the instruction then he was without excuse. Nevertheless we see God’s plan unfolding exactly according to His manuscript, in fact at times it was God who hardened Pharaohs heart which kept him from releasing them so that His great name would be praised amongst His people: - “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills." (Romans 9:17-18)   

It will be no different as the heat of the anti-christ begins to work itself out here on earth. It will be his time but God will still be pulling the reign according to His master plan.

Last night I watched the end of Opera and I witness celebrities all in one accorded apparently praising the name of Jesus and yet many are strong believers in scientology. They do not believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only way and the only truth and the only way to find life. It is once again another snare of the devil as he tries to lure the feeble Christian into his web of deceit. Nevertheless God will build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against Him, praise His name! We know in whom we have believed. Trust and obey Him with the Word of God as our anchor and it will be well with our souls.  

So they may not know now whom they serve but there will come a time when they will know exactly who it is they serve and they will not relinquish the error of their ways, just as Pharaoh’s soldiers pursued the Israelites into the bed of the Rea Sea and ultimately drowned. Nevertheless we pray that God may save some of the remnant from amongst those who now lock hands with Satan as we too once stood shoulder to shoulder with them in our ignorance. But now we give thanks to our God and Father for opening our eyes and for saving our souls. Be merciful Father I pray and save some who are now amongst that number. Glorify your name!

Let us buy oil so that we may trim our lamps and not be caught off guard. Their where ten virgin and only five remembered to buy oil, may we be amongst that number I pray.

Lord Jesus our faith rest solely upon your finished work and nothing else, we praise your name our great King and Saviour, help us seek out grace with boldness as the time is soon approaching when the screws will be tightened on all who confess Jesus as Lord. Let us dress ourselves for work...

Come what may we know in whom we have believed, all hail King Jesus!

Signing off

Tyrone    

The importance of a balanced diet!

(1Corinthians 10:3)  “And all ate the same spiritual food…”

This morning brings with it soberness, I am wide awake and it has just gone 3am but my heart is heavy, Why? For a number of reasons, I am so consciously aware of how much apathy lives with me in life. I never seem to commit myself to God’s Word like so many have done. I think of Charles Spurgeon, Matthew Henry, John Bunyan, Jerry Bridges, John Piper, John MacArthur and the tenacity of Mike Atlee, a man who was resolute; his entire life seemed to revolve around Christ and his understanding of the Word. It was under his work that God chose to save me, the Coastal Assemblies of God a fairly new work in South African which flew the Pentecostal flag. I can no longer hold to all of their doctrine, but much of it is still very dear to my heart. Be that as it may when I look at this man’s drive and commitment in what he believed to be God’s call upon his life, I am yet to meet a man like him. I wanted to be like him in my early Christian years. Sold out for the Lord Jesus!

Why am I concerned this morning, what is it that has kept me from sleep? There seems to be so many voices propagating Christianity, under so many varying denominations, what would those on the outside hear? I suppose just some foreign gibberish language. A very sad state of affairs!

Amongst the charismatic churches, not much if any true doctrine is preached, how they feed their sheep is beyond me. I know that some are amongst God’s number ever in those churches but they will be tested soon as the Spirit of God, God the Holy Spirit will never go against His own Word: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1John4:1)

Then some Pentecostal churches believe that you only receive the Holy Ghost once you have been filled by Him after salvation and the proof of that is you will then speak in another tongue, a language foreign to your native tongue. That would imply that men like C.H.Spurgeon and many other faithful Christian who have accomplish more than most ever would, was not filled with the Holy Spirit (Ghost). What nonsense! However I do not agree with some that the gifts of the Holy Spirit have ceased. That is not conclusive when looking at scripture, but men’s opinions. Nevertheless when so many churches claim healings and the like, I would ask you to examine their claims. When the Lord Jesus healed was there ever any doubt to his healing? Of course not! They were all miraculous and doubt was never in question. When God makes a statement, there will never be any doubt. Did those who lived in the days of Noah doubt it was raining as they fought for their lives to no avail. Never! There were 950 false prophets who claimed to be blessed of God that came against Elijah and God majestically humiliated them with their god’s. But Elijah was the man that God used to embarrass them. What of the walls of Jericho or the parting of the Red Sea or even Daniel in the lion’s den. When God moves there is no mistaking it, and so it will be when God chooses to heal or when He moves in judgment. A day is coming where one third of the earth will be destroyed with fire (Rev 8:7). It will be evident to all just as it was in the days of Noah. Why then do we no longer see God’s hand at work through miracles and healings; it may just be that we no longer walk in faith as they once did, God knows! But I pray the He would stir His people to desire all that He has given us so that the enemy may be silenced as we look to be earnestly used in glorifying His name. Thank you for your patience with so many of your children Father, when I look at my life I am often left hanging my head in shame as my life seems powerless at times, forgive me Lord. I know that if we remain faithless you will never change you will never deny yourself. Help us; help me seek out your face like never before I pray. You have given us so much and yet we give so little in return.

I have read that amongst Protestant Churches, statistically their number splits after reaching 100–200, why we would ask? The people there are more likely to split churches than seek out unity. (Dan Phillips-Pyromaniacs)

This now brings us to our text; “and all ate the same spiritual food,” they all drank from the rock. “Their drink was a stream fetched from a rock which followed them in all their journeyings in the wilderness; and this rock was Christ, that is, in type and figure. He is the rock on which the Christian church is built; and of the streams that issue from him do all believers drink, and are refreshed. Now all the Jews did eat of this meat, and drink of this rock, called here a spiritual rock, because it typified spiritual things. These were great privileges. One would think that this should have saved them; that all who ate of that spiritual meat, and drank of that spiritual drink, should have been holy and acceptable to God. Yet was it otherwise:” (Matthew Henry)

What is very scary as we unpack the rest of the text we see that God was not well please with a lot of them; “Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.” (1Corinthians 10:5) – We must take this caution seriously as this was written down for us. This portion of scripture was penned so that we would not make the same mistakes they made. We must avoid idolatry, sexual immorality, we must not put Christ to the test, and we must not grumble as some of then did. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. (1Corinthians 10:11-12)

It is never pleasant to write harsh stern warning in my blog, how I long to speak of God’s promises but what would it help if we had a false sense of security, the truth must be told as it is the truth that will set us free. Please see my heart in the matter and always remember that my heart is the first to be exposed.

Having now said what has been stated, I leave us with this thought; as the war rages on God is building His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against Him. Praise His name as the beautiful chimes of our Saviours finished work rings true to our ears.

Signing off

Tyrone