Grace our teacher...

If we are saved by grace, not of works, as it is a gift of God… which we are! It still remains that we must learn through faith to seek out grace.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8) – How then does grace work in our lives to get us to heaven? Life then must be full of varying trials to teach us our dependence upon the mercies of God. Life cannot be a cruise, it must be filled with hardship, how else would we ever come to appreciate this wonderful gift of salvation?

Let us go back many years, many epochs ago God chose a man by the name of Moses to save the Israelites from slavery out of Egypt. They were engulfed in great hardship! But before he used Moses to free them, even move hardships were placed upon them to help them realise their desperate state, just in case they never understood the severity of their plight. He used great signs and wonders to show them who He was and He uses similar rescue tactics with us. Not great signs and wonders like times of old, but that small still voice that rescues us out of our difficulty. Through prayer and our personal experience of Him coming to our aid is what it is all about.

I have come to understand this in a new light of late, how would I come to appreciate this truth if it wasn’t for various hardships in my life. It is only through my desperate state when I am forced to cry out unto Him that I realise I am unable in my own capability to rescue myself, that the magnitude of the grace of God will dawn upon me, as He comes to my aid. It is the same for one and all. The greater the responsibility in God’s kingdom, the greater the trial!

Let me explain…

It is only when I am desperate that I will realise how valuable the grace of God actually is. If life is a “bed of roses” and plain sailing how will I ever appreciate what I have been saved from?

Read through the accounts of Exodus and it will become evident what God’s intention was and now still remains. He hasn’t changed His approach, the same lessons that applied back then apply to us today. It is an example of how we should walk today, not to always ungratefully complain about out predicament but rather to be thankful for what we have in Christ. There is a promise just on the horizon, where we will enter into His rest, but until then we must seek out His graces to get us there. It is these trials that show us our faith, what it is made of!

“Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.”

- Job_10:2

Perhaps, O tried soul, the Lord is doing this to develop thy graces. There are some of thy graces which would never be discovered if it were not for thy trials. Dost thou not know that thy faith never looks so grand in summer weather as it does in winter? Love is too often like a glow-worm, showing but little light except it be in the midst of surrounding darkness. Hope itself is like a star-not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, and only to be discovered in the night of adversity. Afflictions are often the black foils in which God doth set the jewels of his children’s graces, to make them shine the better. It was but a little while ago that on thy knees thou wast saying, “Lord, I fear I have no faith: let me know that I have faith.” Was not this really, though perhaps unconsciously, praying for trials?-for how canst thou know that thou hast faith until thy faith is exercised? Depend upon it, God often sends us trials that our graces may be discovered, and that we may be certified of their existence. Besides, it is not merely discovery, real growth in grace is the result of sanctified trials. God often takes away our comforts and our privileges in order to make us better Christians. He trains his soldiers, not in tents of ease and luxury, but by turning them out and using them to forced marches and hard service. He makes them ford through streams, and swim through rivers, and climb mountains, and walk many a long mile with heavy knapsacks of sorrow on their backs. Well, Christian, may not this account for the troubles through which thou art passing? Is not the Lord bringing out your graces, and making them grow? Is not this the reason why he is contending with you? (Charles Spurgeon)

“Trials make the promise sweet;

Trials give new life to prayer;

Trials bring me to his feet,

Lay me low, and keep me there.”

Signing off

Tyrone

God or Money

(Matthew 6:24) “…You cannot serve God and money”

There has be much to do about the Christian and money; the prosperity preacher hones in on money as a form of blessing, whilst other shy away from it completely.

When we chase money, no matter who that person may be, their focus will be engulfed with reaching that goal, to have lots of it! Whether one has a little or abundance, this in no way proves a person’s status before God! King Solomon was arrayed like no other; he was very wealthy and gold surrounded him and this is what he had to say about that; “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

That man who insists that we need to be rich to be happy is a liar and he does the work of the devil. If you find yourself cashing money as I once did. It is no more than a red herring that will never bring satisfaction. In fact, anything that we place before obedience to our God is no more than a snare waiting to be triggered.

I mention a story that my brother Michael told me many years ago that has been engraved into my mind; it goes something like this; in his early Christian life he recalled walking into a poor man’s house, it was dimly lit and in the centre of the room a candle glowed on a humble table with an open book on it, it was a very unassuming abode, although base, this habitat with its simple furniture is not what caught his eye, it was neither the  glow from the candle but the radiance that shone from the man’s face. “Get to know this book” he said pointing to the Bible. I have heard many a fool say I do not believe the bible it is full of contradictions. But I often wonder if they have even held it in their hands let alone read the first chapter of Genesis. True peace and happiness comes from our relationship with the King of kings and the Lord of lords, get to know Him, get to know his Father and it will most certainly go well with our souls. Now whether a person has an abundance of money or apparently a lack thereof, that is not why we are told to avoid chasing it. The lesson is simple; if we chase money, all it proves is that we are more interested in this life than the life to come.

This then is the warning; no one can serve two masters, God and money. For if we serve money we will have our eyes fixed on this life, we will be chasing a temporal existence. It will past away! Whilst on the other hand if we can settle with what we have and be thankful for our daily provision which God shall supply we will then be able without distraction to focus on Him, storing up treasure in heaven, which will be our eternal abode.

Let us not be duped into believing the lies that so many false teachers like to proclaim. Don’t you know that your Father knows what you need before you even ask Him?

We must learn to simplify our daily walk along with our priorities; it is one day at a time that is all God our Father requires from us. It is a walk of faith! But not faith in uncertain riches, but faith in the great I AM! Does He not feed the birds of the field, how much more then will He not feed us!

Money or the lack thereof can fill our eyes with a hazy dearth to these truths; this is why we are taught by the Lord Jesus not to worry about tomorrow but rather to focus on today. Why? So that we can learn to put our trust in Him and not to hedge our bets just in case He doesn’t come through for us. He always will, because He cares for all those that belong to Him!

 "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)

Signing off

Tyrone   

God shall supply all our need...

(Hebrews 5:8) “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.”

Our heavenly Father is without question the greatest of all teachers’; to even consider that the Lord Jesus (God in the flesh) was required to face exactly the same process every Christian here on earth faces, is almost beyond our comprehension and yet without sin, is a phenomenal thought.  We know that He learnt obedience through the things He suffered whilst here on earth; “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,” (Hebrews 5:8-9)

Why did He have to suffer? We find the answer in the text; “he learned obedience through what he suffered.” It is not different for each and every one of His believers, every child of God will face the same process, the only way we will also learn obedience is through our own suffering. The sooner we accept this truth the sooner we will be free of anxiety and learn to walk by faith and be settled in our understanding when we face our daily trials.

Thankfully this will only be for a season…

Let’s face it, suffering isn’t pleasant, but without question needful; it teachers us to rely on Him and not our own self-worth, which is rather pathetic anyway. O to rest in the finished work of Calvary as it gives us such peace. He has accomplished what God the Father required from Him, O what a Saviour we serve!

With that now understood, let us also learn this valuable lesson; “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:31-34)

“And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.”

- 2Ki_25:30

“Jehoiachin was not sent away from the king’s palace with a store to last him for months, but his provision was given him as a daily pension. Herein he well pictures the happy position of all the Lord’s people. A daily portion is all that a man really wants. We do not need tomorrow’s supplies; that day has not yet dawned, and its wants are as yet unborn. The thirst which we may suffer in the month of June does not need to be quenched in February, for we do not feel it yet; if we have enough for each day as the days arrive we shall never know want. Sufficient for the day is all that we can enjoy. We cannot eat or drink or wear more than the day’s supply of food and raiment; the surplus gives us the care of storing it, and the anxiety of watching against a thief. One staff aids a traveller, but a bundle of staves is a heavy burden. Enough is not only as good as a feast, but is all that the greatest glutton can truly enjoy. This is all that we should expect; a craving for more than this is ungrateful. When our Father does not give us more, we should be content with his daily allowance. Jehoiachin’s case is ours, we have a sure portion, a portion given us of the king, a gracious portion, and a perpetual portion. Here is surely ground for thankfulness.

Beloved Christian reader, in matters of grace you need a daily supply. You have no store of strength. Day by day must you seek help from above. It is a very sweet assurance that a daily portion is provided for you. In the word, through the ministry, by meditation, in prayer, and waiting upon God you shall receive renewed strength. In Jesus all needful things are laid up for you. Then enjoy your continual allowance. Never go hungry while the daily bread of grace is on the table of mercy.” (Charles Spurgeon)

Thank you Father God for my daily supply I am truly grateful, continue mercifully to teach all you children to obey your wants; to God who is forever wise be glory for now and evermore…

Signing off

Tyrone

Hope fuels our faith...

(1 Corinthians 15:54) "…Death is swallowed up in victory…"

From the rising of the sun to the setting of the same we are constantly challenged, pressure on every side. But God in his infinite wisdom uses examples that teach us why there is such need in our lives. Direct one’s eyes at the beauty of the diamond; Carbon dioxide combined with extreme heat deep below the earth’s surface, under extreme pressure and voila! The result, precious gemstones sought out by one and all.

When do we find an urgency to fall on our knees and cry out to our God for help? Only when the pressure is on, is there real need for prayer. But it is this refining process that teaches us the value of walking by faith. Let us not shy from it, but rather find grace to embrace it, as it will teach us to become more dependent upon our God.

How often does the brightness of our righteousness flicker in winds of the trials of life? Far too often I would suggest! If only the penny would drop as we begin to understand the need for these times in our lives, for then it would be well with our souls.

Teach us O Lord to be thankful for what we have and not always striving for what we think we need. With food and raiment let us therefore be content, our God shall supply all we need. Beloved we are now the sons of God and it has not yet appeared what we shall be and that is just over the horizon. This we know for a certainty; that when we see Him, we shall be like Him and what a day that shall be. Even so come quickly Lord Jesus as we eagerly await your return!

A day is coming where the Holy Spirit will refine our minds and God’s divine power will change these corruptible bodies into eternal incorruptible glorious bodies just like that of our Saviour’s; a day where death will be swallowed up by victory! How I long for that day!

It is this hope that fuels our faith, therefore embrace you King as it will be worth it all…

Signing off

Tyrone

Temptation...

As my mind wonders amid my thoughts, governance resonates with this awareness; I have often heard it said that because God is not evil He cannot be evil, which is obviously true. “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.” (James 1:13) – If that be true, which it obviously is, why then are we taught by the Lord Jesus to pray, “Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil (the evil one).”

Some of you may remember the account of Job; if not, here it is; “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?"” (Job 1:6-8) as this account further unfolds, although instrumentally it is Satan who brings evil upon Job, we can very clearly see that it is God who allows the calamity (evil) to fall on Job, “Have you considered my servant Job”!

Although the Apostle James teaches us that when we fall into sin, that it is because of our own wicked hearts that we hacker after so much of what God hates, yes hates! And sadly we are often lead astray by our own lust. It is one thing to have a thought but another when it becomes an intention. There is without doubt an aspect of God’s sovereign will which allows us to be tested in certain areas of our lives. Why? So that we may see where our treasure lies! For if we love God, like every Christian would be quick to confess, the apostle John teaches us this truth; “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.” (1John 5:2)

The Apostle Paul on the other hand is quick to help us understand the severity the Christian faces on a daily basis, the coalface of our walk looks something like this; “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 all this to consider where does that leave us? There is a testing that God require from every believer, sanctification must be tried and tested on a daily basis, we must get to a stage in our lives whereby we begin to have victory over the areas we once where enslaved to. That does not mean we should cavalier into areas that could easily trip us up, but rather pray, “Father lead us not into temptation”, however when we are tempted we have an obligation to seek out God’s grace to overcome the trail and in so doing we will come out on the other side more refined. This is the walk we have been called to! Has God every said to Satan have you considered my servant Tyrone? I somewhat doubt it, nevertheless I have an obligation by his grace to shoot for the mark. It is our duty as Christians to live a life that brings honour to God. The Lord Jesus has left us with his perfect example to follow.

May we be quick to seek His face as we less frequently buckle under the weight of our own sin! May God help us all; remembering that it is not by our own strength that we will overcome the evil one, but rather by the finished work of Calvary! We must call on Jesus to find the grace to overcome, but overcome we must!

Signing off

Tyrone

  

Irony!

(2Corinthians 12: 10) “…For when I am weak, then I am strong”

Irony… what is irony? It means “a form of humour in which you use words to express the opposite of what the words really mean”.

Paul the Apostle liked the use of irony to help us understand certain truths about the walk of the Christian; how so? He came to a place in his life whereby he uses his own experience to teach others. We see Paul struggling with an infirmity (ailment), what that was I cannot with any certainty say, God Knows! Nevertheless, whatever that disability was, it caused him to earnestly seek out God’s face asking Him to remove it; God didn't! What can we conclude from this? God’s grace will always be sufficient for the believer!

Here is Paul’s experience…   

“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2Corinthians 12:7-10)

So, instead of wrestling with God about a particular issue, rather find rest in your current predicament, making this truth your very own; “for when I am weak, then I am strong”.

With this principle rooted in Christ, who is the chief cornerstone to our foundation, let us help others just as He has helped us.

This morning is a daybreak full of sombreness as I consider my character and all my failures along this pilgrimage; although this at first glance would seem negative it carries with it great strength when applying the mind of Christ to the equation. A proverb I have come to love which has help me find repentance over differing sins throughout my lifetime is this; “for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.” (Proverbs 24:16) – And yet I know that it has always been the grace of God who in His mercy has helped me see the wood from the trees. Through different aids and in different circumstances He has brought me to a place of repentance, praise his merciful name! Have I deserved his forgiveness on my own merit? Absolutely Not! And yet I have found His forgiveness, thank you Father God. Thank you Lord Jesus!

What then is the purpose regarding all the lessons I am learning here on earth? They must bring me to a place whereby my experience, although vastly different from Paul’s, as his life was above reproach in every area, whereby mine certainly hasn’t been. Nevertheless, by the grace of God, the dirt on my knees must once and for all be finally dusted as I leave certain past follies in my wake. This in turn will empower me to help other who struggle in similar areas. This goes for every one of us; our experience must be positively used to help others…

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. (Romans 15:1)

Here is what this means; “The apostle here lays down two precepts, with reasons to enforce them, showing the duty of the strong Christian to consider and condescend to the weakest.

I.            We must bear the infirmities of the weak, Rom_15:1. We all have our infirmities; but the weak are more subject to them than others - the weak in knowledge or grace, the bruised reed and the smoking flax. We must consider these; not trample upon them, but encourage them, and bear with their infirmities. If through weakness they judge and censure us, and speak evil of us, we must bear with them, pity them, and not have our affections alienated from them. Alas! it is their weakness, they cannot help it. Thus Christ bore with his weak disciples, and apologised for them. But there is more in it; we must also bear their infirmities by sympathizing with them, concerning ourselves for them, ministering strength to them, as there is occasion. This is bearing one another's burdens.” (Matthew Henry)

“Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 1:21-25)  

Signing off

Tyrone

Trust our God!

On reflection over the last 27 years as a Christian I must confess that although at times my faith seemed to be strong I have lost my way far too often. Be that as it may, those detours as heart-breaking as they may have been have also taught me many valuable truths along the way…

The thought that now seem to resonate deep within my mind would be “faith” or the lack thereof!

Of late I have had the privilege of once again going through the book of Genesis with my better half Lisa and have noticed the vast difference of my application to faith in God, to those mentioned in that amazing book. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all understood what it meant to live by faith; Joseph the son of Jacob, in type, a great forerunner to the person of Jesus Christ; a man who God blessed abundantly and yet it came at a very high price. But it was worth it all! Oh, if only I could now apply a small portion of his commitment and faith to the only true God! My God!

Here was a son who was favoured by his father Jacob and for this received great trouble throughout his lifetime. And yet he understood this verse; “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) - Although because of their jealousy his brothers sold him into slavery, God turned it around for his good. His whole family saved from starvation because of that one selfish act; “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!” (Romans 11:33)

Joseph a man who loved God and was loved by God… we must remember that God’s ways are far above our ways; we have a puny brain in comparison. God undoubtable knows what He is doing. When people make statements like, “if your God is a God of love, why does he let rape and the like happen or why do such atrocities’ happen to innocent children?” Our God is perfectly in control of all things and a day of reckoning is just over the horizon. I would not for one minute with any certainty answer those questions as if I have the answers, but of this one thing I am convinced; God has a perfect plan which He is in the throes of unfolding. Trust we must, let us learn from Joseph’s example…

At a young age, when God, through a dream told Joseph that His eleven brothers would bow down to him, they hated him even more for it and sold him into slavery. From there he once again found favour from God as Potiphar, an officer of pharaoh, bought him and everything that Joseph did prospered, for God was with him and Potiphar promoted him to ruler over his entire household. But as time passed the officers wife enticed Joseph to lie with her, but Joseph would have none of it. Because she did not get her way with him she accused him of attempted rape. He was then demoted and thrown into jail where he then once again found favour from God and was elevated to overseer the prisoner’s. Two of those prisoners’ then had troubling dreams and Joseph in turn interpreted them correctly asking the cupbearer to remember him when he was re-instated to pharaoh’s house. Although the cupbearer once again found favour from pharaoh he forgot Joseph. It took another two years before God decided to once again intervene with favour. Pharaoh then had a dream and he called all the magicians and wise men in Egypt to interpret his dreams, they couldn’t! Only then did the chief cupbearer remember Joseph. God, through Joseph then interprets pharaoh’s dream. Once again God elevates Joseph’s position as second in charge throughout the whole Land of Egypt; from slave, to prison and then to second in charge under a foreign king. That is the God we serve! Who could ever have seen that coming?

Joseph then reunites with his brothers, the same who sold him into slavery and he forgives them with these words and with this understanding; “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” (Genesis 50:20)

Trust in our God believer, do not question Him as if He has been caught napping, that has never happened and never will. Praise His glorious name!

Signing off

Tyrone

Crutch...

(Psalms 30:10)  Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!"

Because He lives I can face today, today is the day of salvation “do not harden your hearts in rebellion as some did…” and many have! Our glorious King is alive and He intercedes for all who would dare to acknowledge their sin, repenting in need of the eventual crutch, yes Crutch! I have heard many shy away from that word when referring to their Saviour, He is much more than any “crutch”, and at the very least we should all acknowledge that. He is the Aid of aids; which carries with it unwavering commitment.

How committed was He? Proving His commitment as He died on a cruel Roman cross on a hill called Golgotha! Unjustly accused of guilt and yet He was without guilt, yes that was His commitment!  

God’s very own Son, the very same who spoke creation into existence, yes God laid down His glory leaving the portals of heaven (in other words He laid aside immortality and took on a body of mortality), God choosing to impregnate a virgin named Mary and through the same process we all had to go through, conception and then birth, the Lord Jesus (God) was born as a baby with the cloak of mortality as the aging process had now begun, death looming for the very first time. Why? So that He could be “the crutch” for all those unable to achieve what He was about to accomplish…

God the Father who remained in the heaven with His cloak of immortality tasking His now immortal son with a quest, to live life for 33 years without ever breaking one of His laws, this was the requirement, an impossible task for all who had gone before. All the great men of God coming up short as each, one by one breached His law. They all failed to carry out His prerequisite and that was never to break one of His rules, the Ten Commandments, plus all the subsidiary by-laws, six hundred and thirteen to be exact.

Jesus Christ the Lord dying for sinners, paying the price for their sin, not His own, as He had no sin! What a glorious triumph!

Let us look at some of the opposition He faced along the way…

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'"”(Luke 4:1-4) – a man hungry who hadn’t eaten for forty days was offered bread to eat, but in so doing he would have breached God’s law and in turn would of failed His quest, leaving every repenting sinner doom for a life without God and a final destination known as hell! What of the time when He was so tempted that he began to sweat drops of blood. Or the time when God His Father turned His back on the Lord as He bled out on that cruel Roman cross. You may ask why He would have done that. Because of your sin and my sin, the price had to be paid! And paid it was, praise the glorious name of Jesus!

I have needed crutches in times past and they certainly help in time of need, it is when we are self-sufficient and mobile without any need of their assistance that we cast them aside. Be Warned! God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Get the point? It is the sick person that needs the physician and not the healthy. In like manner it is not the self-righteous that seeks out Jesus Christ to save and forgive them for their sin but the sinner will call upon Him and be saved. “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7)  

Without His garment of righteousness covering us we have no chance of getting to heaven… What will you do with Him? Today is the day of Salvation, call upon Him with heartiness and you will be heard.

Signing off

Tyrone

From the snare of the fowler

(Psalms 91:3) “For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.”

There will come a day in the not too distant future when we will all have to give an account to the Lord; no differently to a steward accounting to his master. If I consider that truth and spend too much time here I will soon be walling in self-pity. A life filled with so much apparent failure… BUT GOD!

Did you know that we will all have to give an account to the Lord for what we have done in our lives? Each and every one of us will stand before this great God and have to explain why this or that. The unrepentant sinner will be judged for his sin while the repentant sinner will be judged for his stewardship. What he has done with the free gift of life! Although this is a fact of life and without minimizing this reality, let me rather shift in reflection, let me ponder with gratefulness what I now have in Christ! How much do I take for granted? Far too much I would suggest and for this ingratitude I ask for forgiveness: Thank you Father God for everything you have given me; you are the great deliverer; how often you have delivered me from the snare of the fowler. You Word is a light unto my path; with so much uncertainty surrounding my current job predicament I am persuaded of one thing that all who belong to you will never have to beg bread.  

I suppose there have been times when that truth has been obvious but what of the times when I have been oblivious to the certainty of doom and gloom and yet I have escaped with my life intact! A victim or armed robbery gone awry… there will be numerous times where one day all shall be revealed. 

What comes to mind? I vividly remember as a young boy crossing the street when a voice called out to me saving me from certain death. Whether it came from the heavens or across the street I cannot say, nevertheless my life was spared, with that clear distinctive voice stopping me in my tracks as a truck whizzed pass my face with centimeters to spare. What about the time of my horrific accident, at the tender young age of eighteen, how I survived can only ever be attributed to the grace of God; as the fowler looked to finish his quest, keeping me from ending my life on a note of obedience to the Most High! And what of another time as I lay mangled in a heap after a very serious head-on collision; and yet my God once again coming to my aid as I woke up in hospital with weights dangling from my leg with traction my companion for the next six weeks. How great is my God and yet how foolish I have been! Let no one kid you into believing that we in ourselves determine the future. I would agree that many of the choices we make along life’s journey in reflection should have been avoided, however with that said; it is the brilliance of God with His ingenious ability to turn disasters into valuable lessons. Even the bad choices in life are also designed to mold us and come through and teach us this one truth, “fear God and keep his commandments”.  

I am thankful for having a leg shorter than the other, I am also thankful for having to live with the scourge of HIV, I am thankful for the continuous rescue of my great shepherd… He is forever watching over his sheep and for this I will forever be indebted to the greatest of God’s, the only true God! All hail king Jesus now and forever more!  

May God continue through His loving kindness to graciously teach us obedience in and through His beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ! We may stumble and fall many times but so long as God places a resolve in our hearts to dust the dirt from our knees as we once try again to find His will in that area of our lives which needs tweaking. If we still remain here on earth, hope is our companion; it is available to all who would call upon the name of the Lord… … so “while we have breath we have hope.”

“God delivers his people from the snare of the fowler in two senses. From, and out of. First, he delivers them from the snare-does not let them enter it; and secondly, if they should be caught therein, he delivers them out of it. The first promise is the most precious to some; the second is the best to others.” (C.H.Spurgeon)

Signing off

Tyrone 

Have you lost your way?

(Song of Solomon 3:1) “I sought him, but I found him not.”

Throughout the throws of life we have all been so conditioned to do what is against God. Sin taking hold of our lives has caused us to live lives detached from God! What a dismal state! BUT GOD who is rich in mercy has found it in His heart to save so many sinners from that dismal state. I thank God for His beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ my Saviour for His faithfulness, even after I had once been blinded by my own sin and not the sin of another. God has in accordance with His will chosen to call out my name and open my eyes to the filth of my life. How thankful I am for this free gift of salvation.

Nevertheless along life’s journey the “little foxes” have somehow reappeared and caused me to lose sight of this perfect gift. I fear I am not alone in my deliberation! In fact I know that many have encountered a similar experience! Those are the cards so many have been dealt! BUT GOD who is perfect in every way has made provision for all who belong to Him! Repentance and faith working together to restore what the cankerworm has eaten.

Cancer has surrounded me in more ways than I care to describe, death on every corner. Today I will attend a funeral of a man I knew who has died of cancer at the tender age of 54; my father’s struggle against the very same vermin; one of my best friends also struggles with a disease that takes no prisoners looking to destroy all that is good!

Be that as it may, it is no match for the only true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" (1Corinthians 15:55) – It is only a transition to something far greater; once we pass from this life into the next we will forever be with God our Father. Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour will be our king forever keeping those who belong to Him safe in His arms.

But until then we need to be diligent in trimming our sail, if we have lost our way we need with urgency to seek Him out. One may say, “I have lost my way and I cannot seem to find my way back to that glorious place of safety.” We no longer can with any confidence cry, IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL!” I say go back to the place where you lost Him and you shall surely find Him!

Consider these wise words from someone that has already arrived on the other side…

“I sought him, but I found him not.”

- Son_3:1

“Tell me where you lost the company of a Christ, and I will tell you the most likely place to find him. Have you lost Christ in the closet by restraining prayer? Then it is there you must seek and find him. Did you lose Christ by sin? You will find Christ in no other way but by the giving up of the sin, and seeking by the Holy Spirit to mortify the member in which the lust doth dwell. Did you lose Christ by neglecting the Scriptures? You must find Christ in the Scriptures. It is a true proverb, “Look for a thing where you dropped it, it is there.” So look for Christ where you lost him, for he has not gone away. But it is hard work to go back for Christ. Bunyan tells us, the pilgrim found the piece of the road back to the Arbour of Ease, where he lost his roll, the hardest he had ever travelled. Twenty miles onward is easier than to go one mile back for the lost evidence.

Take care, then, when you find your Master, to cling close to him. But how is it you have lost him? One would have thought you would never have parted with such a precious friend, whose presence is so sweet, whose words are so comforting, and whose company is so dear to you! How is it that you did not watch him every moment for fear of losing sight of him? Yet, since you have let him go, what a mercy that you are seeking him, even though you mournfully groan, “O that I knew where I might find him!” Go on seeking, for it is dangerous to be without thy Lord. Without Christ you are like a sheep without its shepherd; like a tree without water at its roots; like a sere leaf in the tempest-not bound to the tree of life. With thine whole heart seek him, and he will be found of thee: only give thyself thoroughly up to the search, and verily, thou shalt yet discover him to thy joy and gladness.” (Charles Spurgeon)

Signing off

Tyrone

PS It is well with my soul!

Wise or Foolish?

(Matthew 25:2)  “Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.”

It would be fair to conclude that foolishness has had a large role to play throughout my life. So many foolish choices along life’s journey! But without looking through the specifics let me rather conclude that I too, like Solomon, would have to conclude that the sole purpose of man is to fear God and to keep His commandments; “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13) -  Easier said than done, that is why God has so graciously made provision for a sinner like me; Jesus Christ paying the ultimate price for my sin, so that I could go free, or put another way; so that I could escape God’s judgment!

God’s call has gone out and very few, if any, have not heard these words, “For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."” (Romans 10:13) – Or at least the story of the gospel…

Yet even after my eyes were open to God’s plan for my life, mankind, this world and the universe I still filled my life with so many foolish choices. BUT GOD, who is rich in mercy, has once again opened my eyes to understanding the importance of confessing my sin and calling out to Him.

For those who understand what I am saying, take heed to the warnings in Matthew 25; if we are filling our lives with foolishness, we need to change gears, we need to call on God our Father in the name of Jesus Christ and seriously seek out oil for our lamps. For there is a day just on the horizon when darkness will fall upon the earth and all who reside on it will need the oil of Jesus Christ to light their paths; this time of trouble will be very unpleasant. The Bible has this to say about it; “For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:5-13)

Having said that, fear not, for our Saviour has overcome, He has conquered all! He will protect those who belong to Him, yes we may lose our heads, but we have a home just over the hill that is glorious. A place that cannot be tainted by sin or anything evil, a place where the Lord Jesus will welcome us with open arms, a place where faith would have run its race and no longer be needed; for we shall see Him for who He is, we will embrace Him and love Him not with the eyes of faith but in person. O how I long for that day, even so come quickly Lord Jesus…

There are the foolish and then there are the wise…

Let our cry then echo through the heavens, “help me to serve thee O God!”

Signing off

Tyrone  

Ask and ye shall receive...

(John 16:24) “…ask, and ye shall receive…”

The bible is full of instruction concerning the faith and the application of it for the believer, many have failed dismally in this area of their lives, but before I look to point a finger, which somehow seems so easy to do, let me first take the log out of my own eye and then I will see clearly and only then may I possibly help others that may be struggling with “splinters”.

What needs to be understood about this specific instruction the Apostle John gives us in this portion of scripture. “Ask, and ye shall receive” – this could possibly be the most misunderstood verse in the Bible! Why? Not that it is hard to understand, in fact there is nothing mystical about it… on a daily basis we often ask and receive…

Why then in the past have I asked God my heavenly Father, the greatest of all father’s for this or that and not received it? The answer is a simple one, pay careful attention to the answer… “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:3-4)

What then is the question I should be asking to receive God’s blessing? I need to begin to see through the eyes of the Creator of heaven and earth; I need to trim my lens so that I become more accurate in defining the shapes of the will of God in my life. I need to put Him first, just as the Lord Jesus put Him first and cried “not my will but thine be done”; easier said than done, too true! However I am persuaded of this truth; this then is the request one needs to make along life’s journey; “renew a right spirit in me” must be the cry of every believer and watch God work…

No wonder then when Elijah prayed for rain it rained and when he prayed that it would stop it did exactly that. There was no doubt in the man’s mind or in God’s mind. He asked and he received.

Signing off

Tyrone

  

“The rock that cannot be moved”

(Psalms 95:1) “Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!”

“The rock that cannot be moved” is a mantra that I have heard on more than one occasion. But with it comes such amazing stability! What rock has ever stood in the way of man’s exploits? Think on mankind tunneling though a mountain, an amazing feat and yet it is accomplished time after time. “The Eisenhower Tunnel, officially the Eisenhower–Johnson Memorial Tunnel,^[1] is a dual-bore, four-lane vehicular tunnel approximately 50 mi (80 km) west of Denver, Colorado, United States. With a maximum elevation of 11,158 ft (3,401 m) above sea level, it is one of the highest vehicular tunnels in the world.” (Wikipedia) - Here is a prime example of mankind and the achievements they are able to accomplish when they set their minds to something and yet there is a “rock that cannot be moved”! It is immoveable; it is anchored with a resolve that flies on the wings of eagles, high above the highest pinnacle and swims in the depths of the deepest seas. Come what may He cannot be moved!

From the beginning of time there has been no such man to accomplish what He has effectuated; He is “the rock that cannot be moved”! Men have ruled kingdom and conquered the globe and yet they have all been found wanting. Alexander the great, a man whose greed drove him to conquer regardless of who he took out along the way; Albert Einstein a man who had one of the greatest minds and yet they say he was a sex maniac; Samson the strongest man that ever lived and yet all it took was a woman to break his covenant with God! And we could continue to find men and woman through the ages of time who seem to have great resolve but we would eventually uncover some weakness; all in one form or another have been moved… And yet there was a man who was never moved, He never waived, He was never swayed from His objective; which was to do the will of His Father! In fact he had such opposition that the bible records the pressure he faced in the Garden of Gethsemane should have caused him to die… “saying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:42-44) - The rock that held true, even then, His love stood the test and held fast!

What of the time when He hung upon that cruel Roman Cross, alongside criminals being wrongfully accused; this then is how this account unfolded, as He look up into the heavens great sorrow flooded His soul and He cried; “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?"” (Matthew 27:46) – Yes even when God His Father turned His back upon His only begotten Son, because of our sin, He held true, “the rock that cannot be moved! Praise the mighty majestic name of my King, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Let me then conclude with this thought although we, if honest, would all come to the same conclusion, each and every one of us, rocks that are easily moved… Let us therefore flee to the “rock that cannot be moved”, the Lord Jesus; no matter where we may find ourselves we know that if we call on Him we shall be saved! Saved from our current distress and from the judgment yet to come!

Signing off

Tyrone      

  

The greatest of Shepherd's

My thoughts this morning ponder on how we all in some form or another through life’s journey have all been given very similar opportunities with the odd few handicapped. Not many are maimed in comparison to the majority; most have all their five senses intact! All have most certainly been give the same time in any given day; we all have 24 hours in which to do our commerce. I have often heard people quote, “do you know how busy I am”. And yet we all have been given the ability to slice any given day as we chose. I will concur that the pressures of life most certainly has its way in bleeding a stone as it were. Nevertheless we all follow a similar pattern through the throws of life; we are born, go through puberty and then on into our adult life. Some chose this while others chose that! It is also reasonably obvious that one man’s meat is another man’s poison. Some crack it as business entrepreneurs while others fail dismally in the same field. This in turn leaves many of us making bad choices through life! Sin taking its hold on us leaves many of us with regrets.  I could write a book on the bad choices I have made as a pilgrim along life’s journey. Be that as realistic as it may, we are not without any assurance, regardless of all the bad choices we still have hope, for those who at least belong to the Lord Jesus. “While we have breath we have hope!” Thank you Father God for your ability and choice to so easily forgive, without this glorious attribute unfolding in our lives we would be of all men most miserable.

This reality at times seems to be forgotten and yet our great Saviour the Lord Jesus, the greatest of Shepard’s does not neglect His duty and leaves the ninety-nine as he seeks out the lost; praise His glorious name! “I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.” (Ezekiel 34:16)

For all who think they have reached their end and life is no longer worth living call out even now to the greatest of Shepard’s and He will come to your aid, the bible has so declared this to be true! “For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."” (Romans 10:13)

Signing off

Tyrone    

Evidence of a good man...

Romans 12:21 “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

There has been much to-do about Nelson Mandela this week. One could almost say that his death has enforced the gathering of the masses in somewhat of a new light, people from all corners of the globe flocking to pay him a final tribute. Although his corpse lay in an open coffin with rigamortis having set in, in fact without the help of ice, dry ice or an embalming agent for his body it would be well on its way to stinking with decay setting in! And yet queues gathered overnight with a cold stony floor as their bed in anticipation that they would get one last glimpse of him; this empty shell that once hosted the great Nelson Mandela on view for all to see. With queues so long that many where disappointingly turned away. A man that achieved much in his life and one who has lived the example: Not only a talker but a doer. Was this man a Christian, God knows! And so I will leave that topic alone but what I will say is here was a man that proved this very verse… “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)

A man who somehow understood the value of what the Apostle Paul taught the church at Rome some 2000 years ago! I cannot with any assurance declare that the book of Romans was his source of inspiration. And yet the principles that he lived his life by most certain shadow that teaching. Just like most other values that carry any water with good attached to them all if taking back to their roots hinge on the foundation teachings of the bible! A man that had such an effect on the world that even after he had passed the masses from across the globe flocked and continues to flock to pay him homage.

There is much to be learnt from this event; did you know in type that there is a day coming when the world will forbid burying another two men; devout men of God whom the world will come against and seek their death like no other. Bin Laden will be child’s play in comparison and yet they are God’s chosen for that very hour! They too will be on display! People will be so happy to see them dead that they will send presents to one another celebrating their death. And yet God as always will have the final say, praise His glorious name! “And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here!" And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.” (Revelation 11:7-13)

Nelson Mandela the man known as “Madiba” such an inspiration to so many has above all things got me to consider this very verse… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Obviously the greatest example of all would be the Lord Jesus Christ, the man who willingly went to the cross accused of wrong-doing and yet He was without sin, my hero! And the Icon of so many of us, but I wonder how many of us have learnt to appropriate this verse? “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21) – Just as He willingly applied it his life!

Signing off

Tyrone