Comfort for the heart...

2Thessolonians 2:17 “comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.”

What is it that takes our eyes off that which is important for our lives, both here on earth and the life to come, the hereafter! I suppose that being an open ended question could have a thousand retorts, nevertheless when we strip it down we are left with one little word SIN, an everyday manifestation that constantly gnaws at our conscience, which has had an influential influence on all from the beginning of time.  I am tempted to say bar the Lord Jesus; although He miraculously never yielded to sin, to say it never had any bearing on His life would not be accurate. He was summoned to earth by His Father (God Almighty) with one objective in mind, to do the will of His Father which was to defeat sin once and for all… His goal, to defeat sin in a man’s body! A flesh and blood body we have all been given and yet we have all fallen privy to sin in one form or another, we are all guilty as charged!

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—“ (Romans 5:12)

We are very quick to want to excuse ourselves from our own sin as we accuse others; this may well carry water here on earth as we gather audiences to nod their heads concurring with our self-justification, but not before God! “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:2)  

Let us use an analogy to help us understand what that verse teaches us;- a law is passed by the government declaring that the speed limit is 60km per hour, a man then travels along that road at 70 km per hour, a trap records his vehicle travelling over the speed limit. Is he guilty of breaking the law? Another man travels at 120 km per hour and is also caught by the same trap, is he guilty of breaking the law? They are both guilty as charged! Therefore if we had to reason as we all do through the throws of life, “but I wasn’t going as fast as the other man, or I am not as bad as that person; this type of rationale can and will never excuse us of our sin. Just as both men were guilty of speeding so too will all be guilty of sin. The punishment will be harsher for the man travelling at 120 km per hour but yet both will be penalized!

The Lord Jesus came to pay the price for our sin: who will then be forgiven from their penalty of sin? Those who are covered by His righteousness!  In other words; “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Although all have sinned many will escape judgment because of the free gift of God. Who then shall escape judgment? All who call upon Him seeking His forgiveness for their sin! Do they deserve forgiveness? Absolutely Not! All have broken God’s law! Some may have travelled through life at 70km per hour while others have motored along at 120km per hour; nevertheless all are guilty of sin in one form or another. Why then do some respond to the free gift of God while others dismiss it as baloney? Here is just one of the many reasons the Bible teaches us why… They suppress the truth; many will give place to the planet (earth) and the saving of it, but refuse to acknowledge the One who created it! “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)

Therefore sin is our greatest enemy as it will always look to take our eyes off what is of most importance… The will of God the Father! This then is our battle even after we have been saved, that is why this verse is so comforting; “comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.” (2Thessolonians 2:17)

“Comfort is a means of establishment; for the more pleasure we take in the word, and work, and ways of God, the more likely we shall be to persevere therein. And, 2. Our establishment in the ways of God is a likely means in order to comfort; whereas, if we are wavering in faith, and of a doubtful mind, or if we are halting and faltering in our duty, no wonder if we are strangers to the pleasures and joys of religion. What is it that lies at the bottom of all our uneasiness, but our unsteadiness in religion? We must be established in every good word and work, in the word of truth and the work of righteousness: Christ must be honoured by our good works and good words; and those who are sincere will endeavour to do both, and in so doing they may hope for comfort and establishment, till at length their holiness and happiness be completed.” (Matthew Henry)

As underserving as my example through life has sadly proved to be, yet will I rejoice in the Lord for He has made a way for the struggling pilgrim!  How is it that some of us lose our way and yet God still finds it in his heart to open our eyes when they have been so tightly shut, praise His glorious name, now and forever more. All hail King Jesus! A shepherd like no other!

Signing off

Tyrone

   

The spotless bride...

(The song of Solomon 4:7) “There is no spot in thee.”

For those who have a relationship with the Lord Jesus the way He chooses to view us in the light of whom we are in Him is often hard for us to accept. But for those who stand on the outside looking in, they will most certainly grapple to understand His undying love for His own; let us remember that God’s way are most certainly not our ways; “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." (Corinthians 1:27-31)

My boast this morning is most certainly in Him…  

All are familiar with the concept of marriage; some are married, others divorced and some dream about marriage. The story of Cinderella and the like have weathered the test of time; the idea of romantically living “happily ever after” is a dream for many and let’s faces it who in their right mind wouldn’t want a happy life? Whether we fall into the category of those requiring tender affection or those that pretend it isn’t that important; when we strip away all our own complexities we should all arrive at the same conclusion, we wholly want to live “happily ever after”, a priority for all.

Why then are we surrounded by so much of the opposite? Heartache, conflict, divorce and sadness; The underlying answer is an obvious one, sin taking control and working itself out can only produce death. Just as the serpent deceived Eve in the garden, so too, does he and his band of reprobates, although unseen, look to fill our lives with misery. Satan wilfully looks for permission to do harm. (See the story of Job…) This I understand and have no problem comprehending his objectives and the mayhem I witness throughout the world because of sin; all are effect by it, but where does this leave the Christian?

We often stumbled and fall, when I look at my life, divorced has played its part in robbing me of obedience and peace. At the time of matrimony I thought I had an apparent understanding of the responsibility of marriage. No matter how I look to slice my very own cake with the “knife of justification” I always come to the same conclusion, FAILED! How then was it that I failed? Although there is an enemy that goes around like a “roaring lion seeking to devour” those in the faith, it does not now totally excuse me. Here are the facts, I did not love my spouse as I should have loved her; neither did I lay my life down for her; I was selfish and quick to highlight her blemishes while excusing my own. I did not heed God’s instruction in and through His Word, which is, “husbands love your wife like Christ loves the church”, in other words lay your life down for your spouse regardless of her actions. That instruction is not based on the merits of her commitment nor her submission. It starts with the husband and then ends with him…

An impossible task if one is always finding fault! This will not only rob us of marriage but in every walk of life when we look at the splinters in the eyes of others we more often than not overlook the log in ours.

However there is still very good news for all those who call upon the Lord Jesus…

This is what our Saviour has done and keeps on doing in the lives of all those that call upon Him…

Realistically we all have a lot more than spots and blemishes and yet the Lord Jesus sees none of them in the negative per say; let me explain… Even though His spouse often wanders from Him; grieves His Holy Spirit and the like, He never quarrels with her and He never lets her faults influence His love for her. He may even reprimand at times but always with tender affection and with the kindest of intentions. Amazingly even in our darkest times it is even then that He whispers, “my love”. There is no repeated remembrance in the future of our follies, which are many, innumerable for some (guilty as charged). He does not apprize ill thoughts of us, although He created the elephant; often referring to them and we quote, “he has a memory like an elephant”. He does not hold onto retentions that tarnish. He pardons us with His love after as well as before the transgression, an amazing husband with no comparison! Imagine if the Lord Jesus was as mindful of our offenses as we are with our partners, how could He ever commune with some of us? And yet even with my many felonies He still loves me. What a wonderful God I serve. NO! Rather, what a gracious, merciful, stupendous, loving and wonderful God I serve.

Because of our sin we often convince ourselves that we are unworthy, realistically on the face of it we most certainly are, with hypocrisy having its way in our lives, but even this does not hinder our husband, our Saviour, our God the Lord Jesus Christ from loving us with pureness and with no quarrel. Even our silly hearts are no match for His love. When He looks at His bride, even though we look at each other and see many spots, He sees neither spot nor blemish. He pronounces His Church full of beauty. Moles and beauty spots are often surgically removed to enhance ones beauty. What of the deadly ulcers and the cancerous sin that captivates so many of us? The Lord does not even venture there; He sees no spot or even the slightest blemish. Who then wouldn’t want a husband like that, praise His glorious name. This then will be where we find our “happy ever after”, looking no further, look to Jesus and peace with happiness will flood our lives. As we look to Jesus it will soon become apparent that we belong to Him.

True love will always win the victory; come what may…

Signing off

Tyrone

Gospel of peace 2

(Ephesians 6:15) “And, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.”

When I initially think about a battle, my thoughts instinctively go to what weapons do I have at my disposal? But give it some thought and one will quickly realise how important shoes are! Today normally worn as an outer covering for the foot, usually made of leather, fabric, or plastic but back then “shoes, or greaves of brass, or the like, were formerly part of the military armour (1Sa_17:6): the use of them was to defend the feet against the gall-traps, and sharp sticks, which were wont to be laid privily in the way, to obstruct the marching of the enemy, those who fell upon them being unfit to march. The preparation of the gospel of peace signifies a prepared and resolved frame of heart, to adhere to the gospel and abide by it, which will enable us to walk with a steady pace in the way of religion, notwithstanding the difficulties and dangers that may be in it. It is styled the gospel of peace because it brings all sorts of peace, peace with God, with ourselves, and with one another. It may also be meant of that which prepares for the entertainment of the gospel, namely, repentance. With this our feet must be shod: for by living a life of repentance we are armed against temptations to sin, and the designs of our great enemy. Dr. Whitby thinks this may be the sense of the words: “That you may be ready for the combat, be shod with the gospel of peace, endeavour after that peaceable and quiet mind which the gospel calls for. Be not easily provoked, nor prone to quarrel: but show all gentleness and all long-suffering to all men, and this will certainly preserve you from many great temptations and persecutions, as did those shoes of brass the soldiers from those galltraps,” etc.” (Matthew Henry)

Once we declare to others that we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ and that we have been bought by a very costly price, the death of God’s own son! We then put it out there and we will be watched by the enemy waiting for us to trip up. Sadly most along the way will stumble and fall, there will be accusation thrown at the believer and often forlornly with just cause. We all have our own particular path we need to travel! “For we all stumble in many ways...” (James 3:2) Nevertheless when we share the gospel with others it not only enlightens them to the truth but it also has the potential to free someone that is lost; and it most certainly equips us, it reminds us that we are in God’s army and that we are surely at war. It prompts us of the task at hand, our ultimate goal, heaven and all its glory!

As Christians we often find ourselves so self-absorbed with our faults that we often tend to overlook Christ’s wonderful achievement; - life to all who would believe!

  

Think on this infallible fact; - the victory has already been won; whilst the Lord Jesus hung upon the cross of Calvary, with a thorn crowned brow, a gaping hole in His side while He gasped for air with death looming, He cried “it is finished!” Even though we struggle with the issues of life, the truth has already been establish regardless of our short comings; here is a verse that once we make it our own it will be like a vitamin B injection; “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:30-31)

Whilst sharing this wonderful Gospel message, a life-line to the lost, all those who are dead in their trespasses and sins; we must however learn to be gentle and yet firm with what God has given us. On the one hand it is far too easy to excuse ourselves while judging others and on the other hand extremely too easy to excuse our sin as if it isn’t a serious concern. It is because of sin, this the sole reason why our Saviour had to die on Calvary’s hill! His message is a message of hope and while we have breath we must proclaim this wonderful message…“If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.” (John 12:47)

Shoes then are an imperative part of God’s amour! Let us dress for battle, let us seek out God’s graces readily in season, sharing this wonderful message of hope to all who would lend an ear.

Signing off

Tyrone

Man makes plans...

Man makes plans and yet it is God who determines the outcome of all things...

What really amazes me is how we believe that we are within ourselves very powerful and that we determine the outcome of so many things. A good word to describe our characters is “delusional”; how often have you heard someone accuse someone else for the outcome of a sports game being played thousands of miles away; “you see if you had kept quiet they would not have lost”, really! As if the powers some possess will determine the outcome of an event by what they say or what shirt they wear. Are we really that simple? We most certainly can be at times! This then would be a simple illustration most could relate too.

We then may have other ideas as we hold onto the notion that we determine our very own outcome. This is where it becomes somewhat more difficult to differentiate from the ease of superstition. Every action has a reaction, this is a fact, science teaches us that; throw a ball in the air and it will lose its kinetic energy induced by the arms action and gravity will cause it to drop to the ground. Put two fingers in a plug socket with the power on and “zap” you will be shocked!

We are emphatically taught through scripture that prior to salvation we are “dead in our trespasses and sins”. How can we be dead and yet we breathe, eat and conserve with others that seem to live? We do in fact live as carnal beings but we are people enslaved to sin and its strongholds, this is something totally different to being alive in the spirit! True life only takes place once we have been quickened by God the Holy Spirit; “This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." 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?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:2-6)

“Salvation is of the Lord.”

- Jon_2:9

“Salvation is the work of God. It is he alone who quickens the soul “dead in trespasses and sins,” and it is he also who maintains the soul in its spiritual life. He is both “Alpha and Omega.” “Salvation is of the Lord.” If I am prayerful, God makes me prayerful; if I have graces, they are God’s gifts to me; if I hold on in a consistent life, it is because he upholds me with his hand. I do nothing whatever towards my own preservation, except what God himself first does in me. Whatever I have, all my goodness is of the Lord alone. Wherein I sin, that is my own; but wherein I act rightly, that is of God, wholly and completely. If I have repulsed a spiritual enemy, the Lord’s strength nerved my arm. Do I live before men a consecrated life? It is not I, but Christ who liveth in me. Am I sanctified? I did not cleanse myself: God’s Holy Spirit sanctifies me. Am I weaned from the world? I am weaned by God’s chastisements sanctified to my good. Do I grow in knowledge? The great Instructor teaches me. All my jewels were fashioned by heavenly art. I find in God all that I want; but I find in myself nothing but sin and misery. “He only is my rock and my salvation.” Do I feed on the Word? That Word would be no food for me unless the Lord made it food for my soul, and helped me to feed upon it. Do I live on the manna which comes down from heaven? What is that manna but Jesus Christ himself incarnate, whose body and whose blood I eat and drink? Am I continually receiving fresh increase of strength? Where do I gather my might? My help cometh from heaven’s hills: without Jesus I can do nothing. As a branch cannot bring forth fruit except it abide in the vine, no more can I, except I abide in him. What Jonah learned in the great deep, let me learn this morning in my closet: “Salvation is of the Lord.”” (C.H.Spurgeon)

It is one thing to promise but another thing altogether to preform! Therefore let us be slow to promise and eager to peform, let us all seek out God’s graces to live out our lives in holiness!

Signing off

Tyrone

God's Armour continued... The Gospel of Peace

(Ephesians 6:15) “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace”

To have ones feet protected in battle was imperative and the cladding used was always suited to the terrain. Imagine the types of snares the enemy would lay, gall traps and the like, sharp sticks hidden in camouflage waiting to impale the victim they were intended for! But if the marching enemy had their feet cladded correctly the entrapments would have little effect and therefore be of very little concern. How then are we to have our “feet shod for the preparation of the gospel”?

There can be no greater teacher than God the Holy Ghost; but I surmise it is life itself with our own journeys and God’s Word as our guideline that teaches us so many lessons, as we so often blunder with this precious gift God has given us, the Lord Jesus Christ; I have often worn the wrong foot attire to battle. How do I and so many others make this mistake? We get caught up with the cares of life, which in turn forces us to remain silent. This is not the instruction the Apostle Paul gives us in this portion of scripture.

“The preparation of the gospel of peace” implies a prepared and resolved frame of mind, a condition of our hearts that adheres to the gospel and abides by it, which will enable us to walk with a steady pace in the way of Christianity, regardless of the dangers alone the way. This however has not been the consistent banner that I can confidently claim my life has flown. With that as the truth does this now mean I now throw in the towel and cry, “woe is me”!  On the contrary, it is the grace of God that has reminded me of the error of my ways; “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4) 

Even through my own folly, if God in His goodness still chooses to show me the error of my ways, I shall be obliged to fall on my knees as I cry out unto Him with immense gratitude for once again having the opportunity to call out on the name of the Lord seeking out His forgiveness driving me to seek out His grace as He leads me into repentance wherever needed. Without repentance coupled with obedience we will always be found wanting regarding the footwear we wear! This will then cripple us as we encounter the snares of life leaving us mute. Silenced by the snares of life!

The Apostle Paul has this to teach; “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (1Corinthians 9:27)

How many of us have had trouble with authority throughout life’s journey? It is deep rooted by that which taints; sin with all its power and yet God has freed us from sin through the sacrifice of His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ! This tragically is often forgotten as we take our eyes of the ball, BUT God who is rich in mercy reminds us of our error, praise His glorious name!

How many have been disqualified? I have often stumbled and been rightly accused of being a hypocrite. Nevertheless if we truly repent God then mercifully allows us once again to fly His banner in our lives. If we are then sensitive to His leading we will once again find His strength in our lives to clad our feet with the right cladding for the right terrain as peace once again floods our soul and we find our lips beginning to loosen as we point those who are lost in the way, the truth and the life; which is styled “the gospel of peace because it brings all sorts of peace, peace with God, with ourselves, and with one another”. Leading all in the way of repentance, leaving our feet shod as we live our lives constantly repenting which others will also observe causing them to ask questions and with our feet now shod with the gospel of peace we will not be easily provoked as we gently share the hope that is in us with others nor shall we be prone to constant quarrelling…

With this in mind our feet will be protected just as they were back then from the gall traps being no match for those soldiers who wore brass cladding on their feet.

Signing off

Tyrone

WHY?

(James 1:3) “for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

Why is it that this truth which I will explore plays such havoc with our commitment to Christ? At times we find ourselves asking, “How and why?” I most certainly have wrestled with this for a long time in my Christian life and I still find it looking to rob me in so many different ways regarding my “standing” in Christ Jesus my Lord! Nevertheless regardless of us, it is impossible to take away from the Lord Jesus’ accomplishments. Irrespective of our hypocrisy, denial, unbelief or even disobedience; His accomplishments have been recorded, what Christ achieved here on earth shall stand the test of time and beyond the curtains of eternity His works will be chronicled throughout the ages to come, praise His glorious name!

Men may one day praise the name of Jesus and sadly the next freely curse, or find themselves unashamedly standing on a street corner calling sinners to repentance and soon after eating and drinking with the drunkard; no differently to “a dog returning to his vomit!” I would confess the above analogies most certainly, sadly, have played a part in my life, guilty as charged! This proves but one thing, my volatility… however it has no actual bearing per say to what Christ achieved here on earth. It certainly gives opportunity for the gainsayer to point his finger. Yet does this in any way undermine what the Lord Jesus achieved? Most certainly NOT! He alone died on Calvary and He alone paid the price to set sinners free. No matter what anyone else does or does not do, it can’t nor ever will take away from the majestic victory Christ consummated whilst on earth. Galaxy after galaxy and throughout the ages Christians will be telling others about Christ’s effectuated victories and how He was able though His own sacrifice to find and free those who were once lost, those clueless with regard to who God is and yet to give them a hope, to open their eyes, correctly resetting their compass, heaven now their destination with hell fading in the backburner, where it once welcomed them with open arms; for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) 

    

With this in mind, my question then, “why has God left us with the ability as His children to still so easily make so many wrong choices”? If we have received his Spirit, if we have truly been born again this should not happen, or should it? It certainly shouldn’t! However we have not been taken out of this sinful world and this is by design. God has so willed it! Our own hearts need to be tested along life’s journey…

Once we are alive in Christ, the age varying for all those whom are called, depending on when we respond to the wonderful message of the gospel. Some earlier on in life while others close to their death beds; regardless of age, we all have a road in front of us that will teach us to become dependent upon the finished work of Calvary. Just as the Lord had to be tried and tested so too shall we be tried and tested. No believer will escape this truth! But many shall be found wanting when tested. Even our failure (disobedience) will work together for our good, so long as we love God and have been called in accordance with His purpose.

God’s goodness is most certainly beyond measurement, for those whom he loves, it is too wonderful to describe. He is able to change ones perception about so many things. He alone is wise, kind, merciful and patient. Many may have given up on you, but not God! “Whilst you have breath you have hope”! Callout and you shall be heard! Why? Because the Lord Jesus Christ has opened the door and paved the way! But be watchful of the thieves along the way, those who come with another message, those who speak of an easier way, they are liars! By Christ alone, through grace alone, shall we only ever be able to enter heaven. Find Him and find life!

Now back to my question, why do we make so many wrong decisions? Or rather why have we been left with the ability to make so many wrong choices? It’s simply the way God the Father has chosen to equip His children for the ages to come. The Lord Jesus was constantly bombarded with having to make choices; thankfully He never made a wrong one. Life in Christ is here to teach us to find grace to make the right choices regardless of how many times we may have failed in a particular area. However we cannot accept failure as permission to carry on as we once did, this is deception luring us into error, and we are to have no part with anything that is false.

If we remain within the boundaries of grace we shall have peace with God, move outside of those boundaries and we will soon be no different to dogs returning to their vomit or like pigs having been washed returning to the mire and rolling in it.

God help us to understand “that we will be happiest when we remain within the bounds of his grace”.

Signing off

Tyrone

Wherever you are...call out!

(Romans 10:13) For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Many stumble and fall; not all find themselves on a runway in Milan or Paris. Many a young girl dreams of being a ballet dancer, but how many end up gracing a famous stage in some grand production where a standing ovation becomes a way of life?  Or do all great athletes win the gold medal at the Olympics? So too is it with many a Christian, but only a handful shine like Moses, Paul the Apostle, John Bunyan, Charles Spurgeon or today the likes of John Mac Arthur; those who seem to faithfully plod along with consistency and great fortitude; those who regardless of the opposition, to the onlooker they always seems to do the right thing before the eyes of God. However there are millions of professing Christians throughout the world who most certainly will never be amongst that number and I most certainly fall into this category. But am I alone? I think not!

The thought I have this morning is as clear as the rising of the sun. Yes we do stumble and often make the wrong choices or find ourselves in the wrong place where we allow ourselves to compromise the call to our Christian walk. It ought not to be, but these are the facts! The Children of Israel were freed by God with Moses as their leader; their goal; - from slavery into freedom. However it was not an easy journey; nevertheless with it came a promise; their own country! But first they had to endure the passage. Sadly none of the original starting out crowd, except Joshua and Caleb made it. Why we must ask ourselves so that we too may learn from their example. It would be a travesty to fall by the wayside, to see heaven on the horizon and then for the gate to close just in front of us. Almost will never be good enough! Think on the poor Comrade runner, those who find themselves after 12 hours and having not yet reached the finish line hearing the sharp distinctive pitch of a gunshot whistling through the air signaling the end of the race. “Almost or if only” would be their cry! No medal for them!

This then is the message I have clearly received this fine winters morning; regardless of where we find ourselves, if we have ears to hear, we will be left with one of two choices, to heed to God’s instruction or to disobey!  Mercy you have given us our gracious heavenly Father, but I pray that we find the grace to act upon your mercy as it is freely available to the believer.

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. (Hebrews 3:7-9)

Therefore it’s not about now many mistakes you have made or keep making but rather to find repentance seeking out God’s forgiveness for the mistakes we may keep making, we are not alone, others share in your grief, sorrow and the like; in fact the Lord Jesus is touched with the feelings of our infirmities and He is the master builder. I therefore urge you to call as I now find myself calling upon the name of the Lord and with that call comes a promise; “For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."” Praise the glorious name of our Lord and Saviour, our King, the King of kings, ever our Master, Jesus Christ the Lord!

Signing off

Tyrone   

A sobering thought...

“Art thou become like unto us?”

- Isa_14:10

“What must be the apostate professor’s doom when his naked soul appears before God? How will he bear that voice, “Depart, ye cursed; thou hast rejected me, and I reject thee; thou hast played the harlot, and departed from me: I also have banished thee for ever from my presence, and will not have mercy upon thee.” What will be this wretch’s shame at the last great day when, before assembled multitudes, the apostate shall be unmasked? See the profane, and sinners who never professed religion, lifting themselves up from their beds of fire to point at him. “There he is,” says one, “will he preach the gospel in hell?” “There he is,” says another, “he rebuked me for cursing, and was a hypocrite himself!” “Aha!” says another, “here comes a psalm-singing Methodist-one who was always at his meeting; he is the man who boasted of his being sure of everlasting life; and here he is!” No greater eagerness will ever be seen among Satanic tormentors, than in that day when devils drag the hypocrite’s soul down to perdition. Bunyan pictures this with massive but awful grandeur of poetry when he speaks of the back-way to hell. Seven devils bound the wretch with nine cords, and dragged him from the road to heaven, in which he had professed to walk, and thrust him through the back-door into hell. Mind that back-way to hell, professors! “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith.” Look well to your state; see whether you be in Christ or not. It is the easiest thing in the world to give a lenient verdict when oneself is to be tried; but O, be just and true here. Be just to all, but be rigorous to yourself. Remember if it be not a rock on which you build, when the house shall fall, great will be the fall of it. O may the Lord give you sincerity, constancy, and firmness; and in no day, however evil, may you be led to turn aside.” (C.H.Spurgeon)

“God resists (opposes) the proud but gives grace to the humble” – (1Peter 5:5), is a verse I have emphatically quoted many times throughout my life; it is sweet on the ear, but I wonder how deceitful my heart has been with its actual meaning? How often have I quoted it as a way of escape excusing my sin and looking for justification? When I examine the mirror a little closer I know I am guilty as charged! Please forgive me Father God and continue in your mercy to renew a right spirit in me. There is a day coming when your wrath will have it’s vengeance, a day coming when the hypocrite will be cast into outer darkness for all eternity, a day coming when your judgment must begin with your household, the household of God will be judged! “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”

Will I be judged faithful to the Lord, will others be judged faithful? The truth of it all is there will certainly be men and women found in both camps; The Holy Bible so declares it! God has spoken and His Word carries amongst so many intricate facets immense power but only can ever declare truth!

O how I long to hear those words; “And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.” (Luke 19:17)

Although I do hold firmly to the five points of Calvinism, which are; Original sin, unconditional predestination, invincible grace in conversion, particular redemption, and perseverance of saints. Nevertheless, one would be foolish to bury ones head in the sand ignoring the warnings throughout scripture about how we as Christians ort to live our lives!  There is a day coming of reckoning, not the reckoning of men but of God; “On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:22-23)

Many will stand as if they belonged to the household of God and yet they would have been nothing more than deserters or hypocrites. Where do I fit into the equation? Is it enough to be seated with the congregation; I think not! One must be part of the body of Christ (His church) or certainly be doomed for all eternity!

The writer of Hebrews makes a point of getting this exact argument across to the reader; “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:1-3) 

To enter Gods rest our lives must declare Christ and not depict who we once were those enslaved to sin! Now once again I look a little closer at my mirror and I am found wanting! O what is a man to do? “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, (Ephesians 2:4) has been rich in mercy and has once again come through for those who have never deserved it, I cannot find words to exalt His glorious name but to say I serve a great and mighty God. Wherever you may find yourself, whether it be in trial or in the mire with the pigs if God who is rich in mercy chooses to reveal himself to you, call out unto him for he has been merciful to you. With that now as our foundation let us strive in His goodness to find grace in times of need and lift our heads from the sand if need be and to once again run the race that has been set before us.

“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. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. (Hebrews 3:13-19) 

“Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:11)

Signing off

Tyrone

Breastplate of righteouness

(Ephesians 6:14)  “… put on the breastplate of righteousness.”

Putting on the breast plate of righteousness (it originates from the Greek word which sounds like “dik-ah-yos-oo’-nay” equity - of character or act; specifically for the Christian it means to be justified = righteousness). There is another danger many are lured to when reasoning with the old mind; we often feel justified in what we do and how we conduct ourselves; this does not mean I am now excused from finding obedience to the call God has placed on my life; we all have a responsibility and will be judged on our obedience; but not to mistake that with Christ’s accomplishments; it is not what I do that justifies me, allowing me to put on the breastplate of righteousness, that merit belongs to another, praise the mighty name of Jesus. He alone conquered death, hell and the grave. He has allowed all that find repentance in and through Him to wear His righteousness. Why? He alone paid the price for our sins; we could never repay that debt. Why then once we have been saved do we at times forget this truth? We go back to our own “self-worth” as we look for acceptance from God. It will and can never happen, history has taught us that… (Read the Old Testament and the introduction of the law and follow the pattern of men)

For those who have never truly repented but like the idea of morality the Christian and the Bible holds to; they will always play in this field and their lives will be full of accusing or excusing. Why? They use their own works to justify themselves before God and excuse others and visa-versa, whereby the Christian understands that we can never justify ourselves before God. Why? Because of our own sin, we all deserved judgment and hell should be our eternal punishment. BUT GOD… who is rich in mercy, and was not only able to free some of His enemies, but had it in his power and chose to do exactly that. What a merciful God!

It nevertheless cost Him dearly in order to free so many sinners, His only begotten Son came to earth, leaving all the pomp He was entitled too in heaven, became a man and live as a nomad, a man with no home and yet He did it for his Father, as it was his will. He bled and died to relinquish the punishment required by the only true and righteous God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Sin is no light issue and will always be judged, it therefore needed to be enormously dealt with; in fact it was such a heart wrenching experience we could almost conclude that God the Father caught his Son Jesus of guard; “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"” – Do you hear surprise in his cry? I most certainly do! Yet we know that God will never forsake those who belong to Him. We all know the end of the story; “Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you." (Matthew 28:1-7)

So then the breast plate of righteousness has nothing to do with us per say (our achievements) and all to do with what Christ achieved on our behalf. We must always be ready to give an answer to the gainsayer but be careful not to get caught up with “straw men” topics; our own justification in what we do as opposed to what Christ actually did do. For those who repent and call upon the name of Jesus, all these individuals are entitled to put on the breast plate of righteousness. No, rather had been trained to put on the breast plate of righteousness, it is a more of a command than a request.

Signing off

Tyrone

  

The Belt of Truth...

(Ephesians 6:14) “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth…”

When I used to ride my motorbike it was judicious to consider not only some of the protective clothing, but all. So too would it be prudent for us to give thought to the entire arsenal of God’s armour. Obviously wearing some protection is better than nothing, but who in their right mind would dress sluggishly when going into an area full of hazards. I am yet to witness a “motor-crosser” riding with boots, shoulder pads, elbow and knee guards but then deciding not to wear his helmet. All it takes for a serious injury is just one exposed body part. My helmet has most certainly saved my life. Protective clothing has been carefully thought out and does exactly what it should do, and that is to protect! With that in mind and with the minds of men behind its design imagine how well thought out Gods armour is, not designed by men but God through the Apostle Paul designed it for men and women. Let us therefore not take this portion of scripture lightly…

Let us diligently dress for battle; our instruction is to take up the “whole armour of God”, and once dressed, our instruction is not to aggressively run into battle, but rather to stand. Nothing else is needed; think on this if our armour is in place there is no weapon that could possibly penetrate our defense, our Saviour the Lord Jesus has tested the very armour we are now instructed to wear.  However, if slipshod when dressing, we will be an easy target and never be able to stand as the blows strike us on our unprotected areas. A verse that springs to mind, probably because it has been so real in my life is the following; “for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.” (Proverbs 24:16) – There is two sides to this verse and both ring true; a righteous man falls and rises again, why? Because of the Lord Jesus’ work on Calvary, he is covered by the blood of the Lamb. The wicked stumble when the pressure is on and embrace an attitude of worldly sorrow, why me! But to be fair and honest even the Christian falls, no in fact he falls every time if not dressed for battle. The only difference is that the grace of God allows him to stand up again. Are you not tired of the yo-yo experience? I know I am! Let us then learn to dress for battle!

I suppose we will need to see the advantages of each piece of God’s armour before we rush off to dress. When the knights were protecting their king and country they would dress with metal armour; “cumbersome” is a word that under describes what a hindrance it was for them to not only dress for battle and accompanied many difficulties, it was time consuming, but to then have to fight like that was tough. Nimbleness was not a word we could use to describe their agility in battle and yet they all dressed for battle. Why? It was that heavy cumbersome armour that would save some of their lives. “Armour up or die” may well of been the slogan.

God uses an example about the advantage of well thought out armour when addressing his faithful servant Job about one of His creations, Leviathan a dragon type beast; this is the question He poses to Job; “Can you fill his skin with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?” (Job 41:7) – Who in their right mind will take a knife to a gun battle? Who in the right mind will look to take on demonic forces while being naked and exposed and yet we do it all the time. REMEMBER TO DRESS FOR BATTLE!

The Lord Jesus as a man has tested each piece of God’s armour and He has conquered. His instruction is for us is to follow His example, for when we chart it to the letter; we will also savour the sweet taste of victory.

Here then is the armour we have been called to use; “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel.” (Ephesians 6:14-19)

We must firstly learn to stand on the truth (belt of truth); what help will a liar aid in us winning the battle? It won’t! Therefore as we stand, the first item we must attend to is the “belt of truth”, why? It was a lie that caused separation between God and man; the Garden of Eden; “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die.” (Genesis 3:1-4)

Is Adam alive today in the flesh? We must learn and yes with gentleness to never tolerate any lie that takes our eyes off our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Deception will always lead us down a rocky road. It is the “belt of truth” that keeps us looking for the truth. Tolerance to a lie is simple foolishness and nothing more. Here then is an example of truth; “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”” There is no other way to get to heaven but in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Neither Buddha, Mohammed nor any other idle will get you to the Father and heaven. Why? It was only the Lord Jesus, who is God and yet He lived as a man without sin, conquering sin once and for all so that all those who truly repent for their own sin may now have access to the Father and the hope of heaven now becomes a reality. Anything outside of this truth is a lie and has nothing to do with the “belt of truth”! Now when I am found wanting with my Christian walk, which certainly happens for time to time, I may well be accused by some as a hypocrite, and there may well be justification by the accusation, but one thing I cannot be accused of when dressed with the “belt of truth” is that I am a liar. Jesus is the only way, the only truth pertaining to us as mankind finding a way into heaven and into the “afterlife”. Every other idea or notion that excludes sinners needing to repent in and through Him is a lie and will send you straight to hell.

As we stand let us remember the first item for dress is the “BELT OF TRUTH”. Do you see the importance of the item of clothing as it leaves no wiggle room; a decision is forced from the reader/listener.

Signing off

Tyrone    

 

     

God's Armour part 2

Part 2

I must take what I am now about to say a lot more seriously than I have over time, I think we all should. Why? Our design fills our minds with so much of today’s appetites that we have to dig deep in order to appropriate the truth of eternity as our reality. We live for today with possibly some thought for eternity. We give a lot of thought about tomorrow, but for the wrong reasons; "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) – Our concern should then be for today and how we will combat the trouble of the day, tomorrow will arrive when it arrives and then we must learn to combat its troubles. The KJV translation of the bible is a lot more specific with what we need to battle; “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” – So then it must be about each and every one of us learning to combat the evil we will all face today, tomorrow will come for some and it may come for others but we will address that tomorrow.

What must I do today? “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:10-11) - I will confess this is not part of my daily routine, most days I will give some thought to the work of the Lord Jesus in my life, but I am certainly not vigilant when it comes to the wearing of God’s armour. I ask all who read this and have it upon their hearts to pray for me about seriously dressing for battle; I certainly need your prayers. As Christians we are all part of the same army, God’s army, we all wear His coat of arms, with Jesus Christ as the Admiral. We are our “brother’s keeper” and we must look out for one another. I am weak in this regard and I pray that the Lord would reignite a new spirit in me, I once was a watchmen but have now become somewhat complacent, which is simply unacceptable, please pray for me to once again be more than vigilant in this area of my life.

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16) – it is the work of your prayers that I seek out, not that I may spend their powers on my lusts but rather it would cause the name of our great God to be praise and exalted.

So it should be clear by now that we are influenced by the evil forces in the unseen realm; “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) 

To combat them efficiently we must follow the Apostle Paul’s instruction to the letter, which is; “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:13-20)

There is much to discuss with regards to the specific apparel mentioned here in this portion of scripture. To give it the attention needed to help us with the effectual working of each part I think it would be prudent to spend more time studying the value of each and every part; “the belt of truth”, “breastplate of righteousness”, “as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace”, “shield of faith”, “helmet of salvation”, and “the sword of the Spirit”, “praying at all times in the Spirit”, this will keep us alert and we will not be like the foolish virgin that fell asleep and if we have fallen asleep, we will wake up.

Until the next time,

Signing off

Tyrone

   

    

Our Armour

Part 1 of 2

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11)   

Following on from yesterday’s thoughts it would be prudent to look at the amour of God in detail as to how we should use it profitably. Firstly what is the amour of God? It is the provision given to every believer to equip them for battle. It is obvious that if we have been instructed to put on the whole amour of God as we are at war. Let no one fool you into believing that we are not in a fierce battle. Who then is the enemy? We have enemies within as well as without; “Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.” (James 1:13-17) – A recognizable reality in the lives of all, both young and old, rich and poor; there is no exception! A continuous barrage of fierce struggles that we all face on a daily basis; the Apostle John explains it like this; “For all that is in the world--the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions--is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1John 2:16-17)

So it is then clear why we need the “amour of God”; it is a help that allows us, when used to its fullest potential to do the will of God. Self with all its pitiful will is placed on the backburner while God is glorified in and through our example. We place Him first and ourselves second. Look no further than our great Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ and see His example and we will soon get the idea. To what extent should we take this seriously? We must all make up our own minds before God our Father. However this was the extent whereby the Lord Jesus laid down His life for us in obedience to the will of His Father; “And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."” (Luke 9:58)

Not only are we our greatest enemies; let me explain; the way our lust looks to lure us in the oppose direction to the call that God has placed on us. And there is also an external force, a fierce enemy that has but one objective to get the child of God to walk in disobedience. To undermine their God and Fathers will and ultimately curse God; before the creation of mankind there was a conflict in heaven, Satan opposed God and convinced one third of the angels to side with him. Their punishment, they were banished from the presence of God. So then what do they do now? Here is some insight to Satan’s objective; “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." (Job 1:6-11) – Note: Satan is seen on the earth, going to and fro and walking up and down on it. Why? It is obvious that he looks for those whom God has favoured and then looks for permission to bring trial against them which in turn will hopefully get them to “curse God”.

There is a fierce enemy that patrols the earth looking to trip all those who walk by faith. Do not be deceived, this then is our reality; “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

With this understanding we must conclude that we are in a fierce battle, there seems to be so much against us, and realistically what chance do we have? Nay, let the truth be told, we have victory in and through the One who has already overcome, praise the wonderful name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

Who then is entitled to God’s armoury and all the wonderful equipment available for battle? Those who are born of the Spirit, those born again, those who believe in their hearts that God rose Jesus from the dead and confess Him as Lord with their mouths. Where so many of us go wrong is we only look to put on some of the amour at any given time, instead of putting on the whole armour of God; “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11)

Until next time then...

Signing off

Tyrone  

   

Reconciliation

(2Corinthians 5: 18) “…who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…”

We all need to have our say on most topics; I suppose that is the way we are. A very good friend of mine has recently been diagnosed with cancer and he has notice, although people have good intentions while knowing very little on the subject, his summation is that everyone is a doctor, or at least thinks it. I cogitate it is because we care when we see someone withering away. We all have a tendency to want to save those who need saving. We want to do our little bit, which in itself has its place when guided with precision. Take a marksman as an example, he may well buy the best telescopic sights for his rifle, but he does not simply bolt it into place prior to a competition. He carefully works with it and once he is satisfied, only then can he confidentially go about his business.

Did you know that as Christian we have all been given the responsibility from God to share the gospel with this dying generation; “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2Corinthians 5:18-21)

Why is it then that most of us, would rather look for reasons to hold our peace on these eternal issues but on the advice about life, where we actually know very little, we will have a lot to say? I include myself amongst the number of having an opinion when it really doesn’t hold water and then when the opportunity arises to declare my Lord’s faithfulness I hold my peace. This is not the pattern we have been called to follow. “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us.”

It is obvious for some why we hold our peace, for once we publically declare our allegiance to our great God, in and through His Son our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ we expose all our flaws to those watching, Hypocrite is often the accusation and yes we are often found wanting, need I say more! Then it is the sin in our lives that the Lord Jesus has already conquered that entangles us in our ability to be the example we have been called to be. But before we run away with ourselves and give too much place to the devil and his hold on the world, let us rather focus on our Saviour’s achievements and what it took for Him to overcome its power so that we could go free.

Buckle up…

“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) – How can that be one may ask? We see so much sin in the world today. He is the one who conquered sin, how? He live a life in a world full of sinners who had one simple objective, knowingly to some and unknowingly to other, to get him to nosedive just once, to sin just once and he would have failed. He lived on earth for 33 years and experience everything we experienced and yet He overcame, He never ever sinned, for if He had we, every Christian would be without hope and separated from God for all eternity. Hell would have been our final destination. But no, it is heaven and all its glory that is where every believing Christian will end up. You may say then, why do so many Christians sin? The Lord Jesus’ sacrifice allows men and women to be washed by his blood when true confession is made seeking out the forgiveness of their sin.

“This ground of hope we have - Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God. [1.] He takes away sin. He, being Mediator between God and man, takes away that which is, above any thing, offensive to the holiness of God, and destructive to the happiness of man. He came, First, To take away the guilt of sin by the merit of his death, to vacate the judgment, and reverse the attainder, which mankind lay under, by an act of indemnity, of which all penitent obedient believers may claim the benefit. Secondly, To take away the power of sin by the Spirit of his grace, so that it shall not have dominion, Rom_6:14. Christ, as the Lamb of God, washes us from our sins in his own blood; that is, he both justifies and sanctifies us: he takes away sin. He is ho airōn - he is taking away the sin of the world, which denotes it not a single but a continued act; it is his constant work and office to take away sin, which is such a work of time that it will never be completed till time shall be no more. He is always taking away sin, by the continual intercession of his blood in heaven, and the continual influence of his grace on earth. [2.] He takes away the sin of the world; purchases pardon for all those that repent, and believe the gospel, of what country, nation, or language, soever they be. The legal sacrifices had reference only to the sins of Israel, to make atonement for them; but the Lamb of God was offered to be a propitiation for the sin of the whole world; see 1Jo_2:2. This is encouraging to our faith; if Christ takes away the sin of the world, then why not my sin? Christ levelled his force at the main body of sin's army, struck at the root, and aimed at the overthrow, of that wickedness which the whole world lay in. God was in him reconciling the world to himself. [3.] He does this by taking it upon himself. He is the Lamb of God, that bears the sin of the world; so the margin reads it. He bore sin for us, and so bears it from us; he bore the sin of many, as the scape-goat had the sins of Israel put upon his head, Lev_16:21. God could have taken away the sin by taking away the sinner, as he took away the sin of the old world; but he has found out a way of abolishing the sin, and yet sparing the sinner, by making his Son sin for us.” (Matthew Henry)

What a God we serve, if He has done so much for us and if we reject His offer, what chance do you really think we will have when the Day of Judgment finally arrives, and be sure it shall arrive. We all have a responsibility to gently share our hope with those who are perishing. If it is our own sin that is keeping us silent, then let us seek out God’s provision to combat whatever we need to walk as victorious Christians. We have an enemy that seeks to stop us from sharing with others, he cannot bite only roar, but God has given us amour for the battle and just like a trained marksman depends on his sights, so too let us learn to use Gods amour skilfully; we must practise with it if we are to be effectual witnesses.

Signing off

Tyrone