Visions, dreams and sound doctrine part 3

This will be the final post of visions, dreams and sound doctrine. From the outset forgive me for its word count, but this is a topic of great relevance, with so many voices out there. This is by far the longest post ever uploaded. The reason behind this, I have decided to bring in another perspective on the topic and so I felt it would be prudent to have Gideon’s input on the subject. He is the pastor at Florida Baptist Church. This then is a joint post with intertwined thoughts from both of us. If you want to dissect this topic accurately it would be good to read it with an open Bible. There are many references to scripture but not all have been captured in their entirety due space constraints.    

Now that we had a foundation laid concerning sound doctrine and what we must be on the lookout for, which I covered in part 1 and 2, let’s now explore dreams, prophecy and visions.

Again it would be prudent to establish a fundamental truth concerning this, not to say that dreams have totally run their course, but to swallow them up would be foolish.

The difference between a vision and an apparition is that a vision is not an actual manifestation but something that occurs in the mind. An apparition is a physical manifestation of the spiritual object. A vision is not an actual appearance of something, where an apparition is. However, an actual object that exists spiritually can appear in the form of a vision that is not seen by others. Apparitions, on the other hand, are often seen by more than one person at a time.

A vision is a "Visual” experience of any kind. The term is sometimes used of dreams with no thought of supernatural revelation (see literal renderings of Job 20:8 cf. 7:14; Isaiah 29:7), but usually refers to the extraordinary religious experience of a prophet.

There are many accounts of visions in the Bible. Here are a few.

·         "The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah," (Isaiah 1:1).

·         "Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God," (Ezekiel 1:1).

·         "Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord," (Acts 9:10).

·         "About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, “Cornelius!" (Acts 10:3).

·         "A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us," (Acts 16:9).

Different people have seen visions in the Bible.

·   Abraham, after these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great," (Genesis 15:1).

·        Jacob, "God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am," (Genesis 46:2).

·    Paul, "A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, 'Come over to Macedonia and help us,'" (Acts 16:9).

·     Ananias, "Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord," (Acts 9:10).

·     Cornelius, "About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, “Cornelius!” (Acts 10:3).

There are visions of different things.

·     The Lord, "After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, 'Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great,'" (Gen. 15:1).  See also, Gen.46:2; Num. 24:4; Isaiah 6:1).

·     The Future, "“As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. 16 “I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth," (Daniel 7:15-17).

• A man, "A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us," (Acts 16:9).
• An angel, "For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me," (Acts 27:23).

DREAMS

Dreams can sometimes fascinate believers. From the visions Daniel experienced in the Old Testament (Daniel 7) to Peter’s dream about clean and unclean animals (Acts 10:9-16) it seems as though dreams lace almost all the books of Scripture.

Even in the modern context, it seems as though believers have come to Christ through seeing Jesus in a dream

What are some examples of dreams throughout Scripture? What does the Bible have to say about dreams explicitly and does God still speak to us through dreams? And how much stock should Christians place in dreams today?

We cannot dive into every instance of dreams in Scripture. However, I will highlight a few instances of dreams and why they matter:

Joseph (Old Testament): You cannot discuss Joseph from Genesis without diving into dreams. Granted, most of the time he spent interpreting dreams (Genesis 41), but he did have a dream of his own before he entered Egypt (Genesis 37). These dreams hinted that Joseph’s family would “bow to him” in the future. This comes to fruition when they come to him for food during a great famine. In essence, the dream had a purpose to foretell the future

Daniel (Old Testament): Like Joseph, he often interprets dreams rather than has them, but in Daniel 7 he witnesses a terrifying dream of four beasts. Theologians have attributed each beast to a certain kingdom (Babylon, Medo-Persians, Greeks, and Romans/End Kingdom). The dreams served to show events and kingdoms to come.

Joseph (New Testament):

Joseph, Jesus’ father, sees an angel in a dream who warns him to flee to Egypt before Herod can take the life of his son (Matthew 2:13). This dream served as a warning.

Pontius Pilate’s wife (New Testament):

When Jesus stands at trial with Pontius Pilate, his wife warns Pilate against having anything to do with him, because she knows of his innocence (Matthew 27:19). The dream informed her about the true nature of Jesus.

AS SEEN

All the dreams in Scripture and the meaning behind them. Dreams often employ symbolism to teach a lesson, divulge elements of the future, or help us discover more about God.

TO US THEN

I know that many will now be looking to the book of acts to say, “But hang on”; “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;” (Acts 2:17)  - It is obvious that in the last days this will happen but never at the expense of God’s Word. Can you conclude with any certainty that we are in the last days? God is not the author of confusion, when a dream, vision or prophecy contradicts God’s Word it is obviously a false message. The ones that are not as obvious to discern, we then wait and see if they come to pass. If not, they are false and we must not give the one who speaks to much attention. “You need not be afraid of him.” Although most dream references in Scripture refer to certain dreams God has given to a certain person (see above), Scripture does mention a few things about dreams:

• Acts 2:17:  In the End Times, many believers will see dreams. Although it doesn’t specify what exactly they’d see, one can infer it might be a vision of Heaven, Christ, or of the future.
• Eccl.5:7: This verse seems to warn against placing too much hope in dreams. “Much dreaming . . . (is) meaningless.” Therefore, we shouldn’t dwell too much on dreams, and instead, turn to Scripture to hear God’s messages to us.
• Jer. 29:8: This verse warns us against placing our faith in the dreams of others. Sometimes false prophets will speak about dreams that did not take place to sway God’s people. Christians have to be careful whenever anyone speaks about a dream and should test everything said about that dream against Scripture.

If you take a look at the frequency of dreams in the Bible, most occur in the Old Testament. Since most who lived in the Old Testament had limited access to God’s word, or in the case of those who lived before the time of Moses, God used dreams and visions as a way to communicate His messages to people. The Bible does mention believers having dreams in the last days, but those dreams should never usurp Scripture in terms of authority.

God may place a dream in a Christian’s life to warn them about a future event, show a symbol that is important for that believer’s life, or to convey a certain message. Whenever a Christian encounters such a dream, they should test the spirits by opening the Bible and reading what it has to say about the subject of that dream.

Furthermore, although dreams may fascinate us, Christians should not envy other Christians who have dreams. Dreams don’t have a greater authority than Scripture, and most believers have God’s words right at their fingertips.

If people are experiencing visions and dreams today, it may fulfil what Scripture says about this happening more frequently in the Last Days. However, ultimately, it shows us God is still speaking to those unreached by Scripture.

Amidst all this we have been called to test the spirits; “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1) – The context of this chapter teaches us that every spirit which denies that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is the spirit of antichrist (a deliberate opponent to the message of the true gospel, an enemy of the cross).

There are many ministries, churches and cults that are thriving on dreams and vision. This is not new, we see it from the Old Testament (Jer. 23:16-32) and Paul dealt with the same issues in the Church in Colossian (Col.2:16-23). The trend we are seeing in the Church today, it’s easy to uncover and obvious to pick out as we examine them against the Bible.

However the not so evident deceiver is the one who dresses in sheep’s clothing but are in fact ravenous wolves. Remember to remove emotion from the analysis, do not be caught out by the hype of their productions.

Jeremiah singles out these types of individuals (Jerimiah 23:1-2, 9) –

 (Deuteronomy 18:20-22) – We also understand that God chose a time and a season whereby he used prophets in a mighty way to get His message out. The Old Testament if full of their dealings with the children of Israel.

The writer of Hebrews now brings in a truth that we must digest and cherish above all else; “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” (Hebrews 1:1)

There was a time prior to the finished work of the cross where prophet played a major time in the lives of God’s people, that time has passed, we now have the written Word of God that fuels our feet and the direction in which we (the Christian) walk.

Conclusion

Christians should consult Scripture any time they encounter a vivid dream that seems to have a meaning or authority greater than the regular dreams most of us experience each night. The day of reckoning is not far away, let us hold the penned Words of God in the Bible as our priority. Without the grace of God in our lives we would all lose our way. Thank you Jesus for your input in our lives. Gives us ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches is my heartfelt prayer.

In the articles circulating around which talks about Muslims who have seen Jesus in dreams, those dreams occur because they mostly do not have access to God’s word or have not read Scripture for themselves. Dreams form a temporary bridge for them to encounter God.

Let us cling to the finished work of the cross as we embrace our Saviour with outstretched arms as we trust Him to get us home.

Signing off

A joint post by

Tyrone Arthur and Gideon Mpeni

The called

“The called” a very interesting consideration…

Before we consider the aspect behind “the called” we need to regard who is the one that calls? Firstly we must understand the authority behind any call. Does the caller have the right to call? Do we view the call of God as the final authority or not?

I remember as a student, when the teacher called a body of pupils most responded rapidly to that call, whilst others didn’t give it the same attention. However, when the teacher called addressing a body of pupils, it was up to the recipients to react. Those who responded well where never singled out, but the rebel always took flack. Why? They never regarded the call as a priority. They would rather face discipline, projecting what they believed to be a cool persona. 

Many will find themselves in hell as they reject the offer on hand, the message of the Gospel has gone out to all; “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) – Sadly, we know that not all will respond favourably. Therefore, some of what has been penned in the Bible gives the believer insight to the mystery behind God’s call, all we need to do is reconnoitre God's call.

With that in mind let us unpack what it means to be called by God, the general call has gone out to all, but to the ones that respond positively to the message of the Gospel we can class as those who have been “effectually called”. The ones who have truly been born again and saved from their sin. Those who see their sin for what it is and have jumped to God for the rescue, in and through the finished work of the cross. I am convinced that this group of people will arrive safely. The grace of God will get then home. And yes! Every single one of them. God has willed it and so it will come to pass, period! The only question we need to work out is where we fit in. Are we “the called” or have we just been caught up by the hype of fabricated Christianity? With a message that promises wealth and prosperity, which is all about satisfying the cravings of the flesh. That message isn’t blatantly unpacked like that, but one doesn’t have to dig very deep to uncover the motivation behind such preachers and churches. For them it’s all about self-gratification. The true Gospel message is all about repentance.

True Christianity look like this; cast your eyes upon Jesus and then look for grace to lay your lives down for others, it's full of acts of selflessness. The complete opposite. To what extent do we need to give of ourselves? Even to death? Yes! It’s these individuals that I refer to as the ones who have responded to the “Effectual call” of God in their lives. Have they made mistakes along the way? Too many to number, but repentance is high on their priority list. The beauty of God’s patience in so many lives is clear to see and I am certainly amongst that number. I will forever be indebted to my Redeemer's love, thank you Lord Jesus for your work in my life.  

Let us consider Covid 19, the coronavirus has the world in a spin, people all around the globe now fear death as it knocks at the door for all. But did you know that God has so will the virus, an act of mercy. How so? One may ask. I need you to reflect on your lives and remember the times you found yourself calling out to God, was it not a time of helplessness. I vividly recall a time in my life, prior to salvation where I earnestly ask God to keep me alive and I wowed I would change my behaviour, I didn’t, even though God spared me. Covid is a virus that should get people to look inwardly and seek forgiveness for their sins. It's the mercy of God affording people the opportunity to reflect.

“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) – It is obvious then that Covid is working out for our good, for those who love God and those who have been called by Him. But for those who do not love God and those who have not responded auspiciously to God’s call, those who have heard the “general call” of God but pushed it aside. Covid is certainly not working out for their good and what will follow will be no different.

Believer, child of God be encouraged; “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”  (Romans 8:29-30)

The day is coming when we will receive our glorified bodies and what a day that will be. Regardless of the trial of life and the voices out there. We must remain faithful to our God and stay the course, come what may, and all because we love God and we have been called by Him. Some of us may even face death because of our faith, but remember this; “if God is for us who can be against us?”

May the peace of our great Father, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob be with you all and may we cling to our Saviour with all our might. God bless you and keep you, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

Visions, dreams and sound doctrine - part 2

Part 2

Christians have been called to suffer with Christ and it’s not a senseless instruction. There is a specific reason why we need to suffer. Think of it like this, when the body is struck with a fever, how do we get it to break? Well, one on the ways we do it is to sweat it out. The body is place under pressure and works against the fever and if all goes as planned, eventually the fever breaks through perspiration. In like manner, when we walk in the Spirit we deprive our carnal desire of their lustful wants. The process God has implemented for the Christian to walk worthily is a painful process and it’s only when we shun our responsibilities as Christians, when we fail to arm our minds with truth that we remain babes in Christ, or worse, do not even belong to the household of God. We obviously cannot earn our salvation, which in itself is a gift from God. Positionally we are saved by grace through faith and that is a gift from God, not according to works (our efforts) least anyone boasts. Boasting has been excluded. However, sadly for so many, we like to live with this banner as a declaration to our lives. Because we are covered by the grace of God, which we always will be, excusing sin as our right, is a default weakness, and therefore we don’t pay it the due benevolence we should. I confess, I lived here for a long time, because I could never understand why I still struggled with temptation if I was a new creature in Christ. This was my bout, and therefore I decided to live with one foot in church and the other in the world. But God who is rich in mercy has opened my eyes to see a little clearer. Once we are saved, we must understand the call God has placed upon our lives, we need to be refined through the process of suffering, which in turn helps us understand what our Saviour went through on our behalf. Look at this verse; “and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (Romans 8:17) - Without this process in our lives we live lives of lasciviousness and our example is tainted with hypocrisy. Our beloved brother Paul exhorts us like this; “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:1-4)

The only way for us to kill off the acts of sin in our lives is through the “sweat of sufferings”. How is this then achieved? “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8: 5-8)

All we need to ask ourselves is how do we process and deal with the sin in our lives, no one is immune. We will only put off this body when we die or are raptured and until then we need to arm ourselves with this mind-set - pay careful attention to Peter’s instruction; “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” (1 Peter 4:1)  - But I thought Christ said “it is finished?” He did! And it is. Positionally the true born again believer, the one whom God has saved, the one who has not come to Christ for selfish gain, is covered by the finished work of the cross. Because of this truth in our lives we now look to “present our bodies as a living sacrifice unto God, which is our spiritual worship”. We do not run with the world, we have a new understanding. It’s now about the will of God and not our selfish ambitions and lustful wants. Not to say that we do not fight against them, the war is fierce and at times we give in to the craving of our flesh, we all sin. But we do not live nonchalantly, giving them a free pass. If we do, then we need to check our birth certificates. Have they been stamped with the blood of Christ, or has someone creped in and deceived us, is the ink fake? I am fully aware of the deceitfulness of sin and the way it tricks us into believing lies. It’s only the goodness of God that rescues us from such a predicament. Praise His name, Amen!

As the clock winds down and the day of the Lord Jesus’ return quickens, the surge from the enemy will increase and deception will surround us. (See 1 Timothy chapter 4:1-5) Therefore we need to value the warnings found in scripture, and I am reminded and now remind you that it’s for our benefit; ​ “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”  (2 Timothy 4:1-4) – Notice Paul’s instruction to Timothy, “reprove, rebuke and exhort”. In other words reprove (criticise the error), rebuke (bring the inaccuracy to the surface and correct it) and exhort (encourage). What would be the point in encouraging each other if we remain in error? And the two of the three directives is about exposing the mistake. There seems to be two thirds of his attention addressing the error and only one third deals with encouragement. It is obvious that waves of people will wander off to suit their own passions, not enduring wholesome teachings from the Word of God. The only question we need to ask, where do we fit in and what is required from me to seek out God’s grace for my life to bring Him the glory, He alone so richly deserves?

Hopefully I will be able to tackle dreams and vision with my next post. Foundationally, I felt the need to unpack the truths I’ve discussed in these two posts. Without an awareness to our surroundings we often trustingly eat whatever is placed in front of us.

It is never a pleasant thing to expose error, but if God exposes it and then reveals it to us, who are we to shirk our responsibility in highlighting what He has declared through His Apostles so that we remain faithful to Him.

Father God apply a special portion of your grace to the reader and the one that is offended by what I have penned. You are the One who has it in His power to be merciful, be merciful! I love you Father God and I thank you for my beloved Saviour, Jesus Christ my Lord.

To God be the glory now and forever more…

Signing off

Tyrone

Vision, dreams and sound doctrine - part 1

Visions, dreams and sound doctrine and how do or should they play a role in our daily lives? This is a topic that certainly needs some clarity. The gullibility faced by so many Christians worldwide is of serious concern. The way in which whatever seems to be spurred out of the mouths of whoever has anything to say, so long as they fly a Christian flag, regardless of their teachings seems to be devoured. Babies are the ones that put everything to their mouths. But as we grow we learn to be selective. As Christian we should have the same objective and be like the Bereans (a people in the book of Acts that tested what the apostles taught to make sure they were legit - Acts 17-11), we must test what is being said by all, against the Word of God, the Bible! Please test what I am saying...

The very First question I want us to ask is this? What is the most important lesson in life? And before you read on, think about it and then see what comes to mind… This gives us insight to where we are with our Christian travels.

In my opinion, it must be the aligning of our wills to the Word of God. God’s voice must be our number one priority, and obviously this encapsulates the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle John, the one known as the beloved disciple, the man who had a place of rest reserved for his head on the chest of Jesus. The Disciple of love, starts his gospel with these words and it would be good for us to digest and then allow this to become a mantra for our lives; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  (John 1:1)

We see creation and we are gobsmacked by the beauty of it all. It’s the way God has informed us of His existence - see Romans 1, but for us to shift our attention and place all our energies on the planet at the expense of the Creator is where so many have erred from the potential relationship available to them in and through the finished work of the cross. Creation is not God’s supremacy but rather the evidence of His influence. His power resonates with his voice, it’s only when we do not value His voice as our number one priority to our lives, that we lose our way.

Let us go back to the beginning; “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” God said and it happened, period! Mankind’s power echoes with “stuff”. Money brings with it positions of power, but only in this world, which will eventually be thrown into the fire. We need material to create something, a carpenter needs wood to build a table, God depends upon his Word and it happens, “God speaks” and it materializes. How often do we say something but end up not following through or doing the exact opposite to what we have openly confessed?

How did sin enter the realm of humanity? Sin entered in when Satan the serpent deceived Eve. How did it happen? He challenged the word of God; “Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1) – Any deviation to God’s word should send out alarm bells in our heads. As it could be a trap to deceive.   

However, until we understand the awesomeness of God's voice in and through His Word, the Bible, we will always be clutching at straws to find motivation for our lives. If it sounds palatable, so many of us are quick to put it to our mouths and swallow, No! We must not comport ourselves like this, it is time to grow up, for the time of great testing for the believer is not far away. The Apostle Peter reminds us that testing must begin with the household of God, “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?”" (1Peter 4:17)   

With that fundamental truth laid as our foundation, the building blocks we add to our understanding must be reinforced by the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever is declare across social media platforms must be tested against the Word of God, the Bible must be referenced correctly and contextually for us to arrive safely. 

Let me mention a few warnings before we move on…

When God wills something and announces a truth it will come to pass. Do you believe this? “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared…” (1 Timothy 4:1-2)

The Spirit of God teaches us, those who have ears to hear must realise that “some will depart from the faith” and it’s imperative that we are not amongst that number, wouldn’t you agree? How will they be lured? They will devote “themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons”. This is not a possible reality but rather a fact, it will happen, end of story. Liars who have had their conscience seared will spurt out all sorts of garbage for their own gain in this life. We must be warned about them and resist them will all we have.

Another warning that we must observe; “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness (holiness- added), he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing.”  (1 Timothy 6:3-4…)

Therefore when a scripture is quoted out of context or twisted in any way we must be careful, we may want to conclude that it’s an honest mistake, and it could be, but it shouldn’t be, if we have given the topic any study at all. At the very least, a red flag must be applied to our understanding.

Yesterday’s on a communal group I am part of, a teaching from Joyce Meyer was shared. She opened her service with Matthew 6:33 and I quote “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you”. The danger of this type of delivery, is that when a part of the verse is left out the meaning takes on a different perspective; In the Bible it reads, “seek ye first the kingdom of God, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, and all these things will be added unto you. Now I have referenced 5 different translations and “his righteousness” is penned in all of them. The King James Bible, ASV, HCSB, NIV and the ESV. It would then appear that leaving that out must have been a calculated move. I’ll leave it at that, you must come to your own conclusion.

Father God, please give us eye salve, so that we may see clearly and bring you the due benevolence you so richly deserve. To God be the glory now and forever more, Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

Anxiety

(Philippians 4:6) “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

There are times in our lives that we who have the Spirit of God know exactly what it is we should be doing but somehow find the resolve within not aligning with the will of God for our lives, this is a place of absolute frustration. I believe we are all the same to some degree when it comes to our struggles within. However, it is impossible to speak on behalf of another without at least having travelled in their shoes for a time. This is why we have a high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who has done exactly that. He has been tempted with the enticements of all who have ever lived and yet without sin. That is an impossible truth to digest, it remains foreign to our natural understanding, and it must be digested through the eyes of the Spirit and faith. A miraculous feat achieved in a natural body.

Anxiety is a real enemy that constantly is fed by our defeat, or at least our perceived defeats. This is why we have to constantly commune in prayer, with thanksgiving, through the finished worked of the cross and in the name of Jesus as we plead our case with our heavenly Father. It’s our means of trimming our sails and just like the sailor navigates the dangers of the sea, we too need to check our bearings and then trim our sails accordingly. But all of our reasoning must be rooted on the correct foundation, our beloved Saviours achievements and not our failures, which when analysed correctly are many. And yet we cannot brush them aside as if they should have no bearing on our lives. That would be like having the spinnaker out when trying to tack.  They are there to remind us how reliant we are upon our husband, the Lord Jesus Christ. When the pressures of life begin to mount, remember this, we have been called to work it out, that by testing we must get on with. It’s about the will of God in our little worlds. What is it I need to do, in order trim my sail and to bring glory to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Now before we run off at a tangent, and make the error of the Galatian church; “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3) – This seems to be our default switch that we constantly engage when we realise that we have fallen short of the glory of God. It’s the way we are naturally programmed. But it has to change, we must learn to walk in the Spirit. We know that we will never lose our way when the sails of the Spirit is aligned correctly, in fact, did you know it is impossible to lose our approach when we are walking in the Spirit; “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16) - The only time we choke, is when we allow the reigns of our flesh (the carnal way of thinking) to once again captain the ship, calling out his orders that only ever brings confusion. It’s his voice that we must learn to silence. Now that is a task for each individual. And it’s up to the particular person to work it.

Here are some aids that will help us trim our sails when we lose direction. Our struggles happen on a daily basis and we need to remember that we walk one day at a time. Anything more than this could become too difficult to endure.

·       “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)

·       And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

·       Matthew chapter 6 read the whole chapter and focus in on the Lord’s Prayer – spend some time here…

The purpose behind us working it out, hinges on this truth and if we miss it we will always be grappling with misdirection. God has instigated a perfect plan and it’s up to us to derive a place of understanding our roles in His masterpiece. Our journeys are about accepting and then finding grace to implement our part correctly, playing that perfect role He envisaged before the foundation of the world. Pay careful attention to this verse; “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Let’s make this personal as we break this down; through salvation, our born again experience and baptisms both into water and the Holy Spirit, sets us up to achieve the objective, “that we should walk in them”. Walk in what? The good works that God prepared beforehand. We must eventually come to a place of understand our roles in “HIS PRODUCTION”, we have a specific role, but without being swallowed by the magnitude of that thought, know this, all we need to really work out is to make every decision possible with the intent of bringing God glory and the rest will fall into place. Our lives are filled with tests, to see where we stand on the matters of life, and we need to learn to test our own action and how they play their part in God’s masterpiece. Hollywood has Oscars, God has eternal glory waiting for the faithful.

Let me leave you with this though, if some of what I have shared is missed. There is one overarching truth that we daren’t miss, and it is this. In order to achieve our objective, we must develop our relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. He has overcome and He will see us home. He is the Alpha and the Omega. If we find ourselves facing any dilemma, run to Jesus. If He has allowed us to snuggle into His chest, move even closer and finally when the cares of this life look to swallow us up, remember we have a brother that is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, HE UNDERSTANDS!

To God be the glory now and forever more, Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

Tribulation

We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. Not a very popular message, nonetheless let’s face it, true Christianity is anything but a popular message. It is a very specific despatch and has isolated itself from any other religion or philosophy, salvation in and through the finished work of the cross, a message where the individual is saved by grace and through faith alone, not linked to our efforts, works have been excluded. In other words salvation from God’s eternal wrath highlighted by the goodness of God, through grace, which means unmerited favour. The mechanics behind the saving of a sinners has many opinionated views across differing Christian organisations. Some declare with immovable boldness that it’s God who saves the sinner, irrefutable deliverance leaving the individual incapable of any other choice, which in part I also believe to be true. Others believe that we are given the choice and we are brought to a place as a sinner and we then have it within our own power to choose or reject God. I partially believe this to be true, we choose, but only once we are given sight, God first and then our response to His unmerited favour. If it was the other way around, I would have something to say about my commitment. I would have reason to boast and it’s very clear that boasting of any sort has been excluded. “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. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10) - Why is this important? Confession to this truth instils in us the awe of God and removes any form of pride that may look to coexist with our spiritual well being. The goodness of God, who can fathom it? The next question we find that rallies for our attention, is why me and not another. Now that remains a mystery? Because we cannot get our heads around a certain truth does not give us licence to fabricate our own opinions. We must be true to the text. However I am at peace, God has settled my mind on the subject, I am confident that He knows what He is doing and I will not question or explain away the reason for His actions. I am simply the clay and He is the potter. Settling on this truth brings with it a tranquil peace. It has truly freed me on what was once a great struggle in my life.

However this does not leave the individual without a choice. We now choose God because He first chose us. I love the Lord Jesus because He first loved me, God first and then our response to His grace. We cannot conclude that we have no choice in responding to God, that would be like putting one's finger into a plug socket with the power turned on and not responding to the shock. It would be an impossible quest. We must not muddle our carnal understanding with spiritual truth, which is a lesson all in itself. It's only through testing our reasoning against the Word of God that brings with it true spiritual alignment.

With that slight distraction out the way, let us get back to the point on hand. The Christian must arm their minds with this truth, tribulation is part of our journey. We will not enter the kingdom of God without the trial of life shaping us. The only time this becomes a problem is when we deny that part of God’s plan for our lives. Reject the trial of life and we will be like the grain of wheat that falls amongst the rocky ground with no depth to its roots. The trials of life will squeeze and we will fall away. Please do not be taken by the false messages propagated by the wolves in sheep’s clothing. Their agenda is an obvious one, it’s all about self-gain. True Christianity is all about self denial.

“Strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22)  - As spokesmen for Christ, in whatever capacity God has afforded us, it is our responsibility as men to be accurate with our God given ability to project the entire truth behind the gospel message. Misdirection will produce false converts. Obviously, its God who gives the increase, but we better be paying vigilant attention to what the Spirit is saying to the churches and then declare that truth to those we come into contact with.

The message that God will bless us with wealth and prosperity is a false message, some have been blessed and will continue to be bless in that area of their lives, but the overarching message that we as Christians need to understand if we want to continue in the faith is this; “and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”  The reason we need this information in our lives, is not to be caught off guard and when we are confronted with these types of trials in our lives we know what we need to do in order to overcome the obstacle, we need to find grace. We need to approach the storerooms of grace that remains unlocked and is freely available in spades for the Christian to indulge in.

The Christians duty is to silence the gainsayer by their example, this is the will of God for our lives. We need to be illustrations though the trial of life to bring HIM glory. Without hope this would become an impossible task, however, we of all people have the greatest of all hopes, one day we will receive a body like the Lord Jesus’ glorified body and we will rule and reign with our God into eternity. We will fly the flag “sons of God”. If that doesn’t spark a will within us to glorify our God, then I question the legitimacy of our understanding to the call God has placed on our lives. Are we truly saved? This question needs to be settled on a personal level, but settled it must be, if we are to endure what awaits the believer just around the corner.

Signing off

Tyrone

Reflections

Reflections… it’s good to be reminded about our past so long as it leads us towards the light. But like any truth in our live we have to recognise the storm in order to value the calm. How would be appreciate the light in our lives if we never understood the darkness? It would never be as grand, who hasn’t fumbled around in the dark looking for something by feel alone? Where have all experience partial blindness in some form or another, but until we are brought into a light so grand that our carnality cannot contain its sheer magnificence, the place where we come to have our spiritual eyes opened, where for the first time, we gaze into the realm of the eternal and every other illuminating experience seems somewhat of an anti-climax. The day when God affords the individual the privilege of looking into the Lord Jesus’ beautiful face. Not to say we see him as He is, a spirit being clothed with His glorified body, the same type of body that every Christian in heaven is waiting for. But we are given the eyes of faith to see without seeing, a sight fed into our understanding that we know what we now see is absolute and without doubt the truth. A certainty where we realise that we have been seeking out this reality for all of our lives. The missing link uncovered, praise God for His genius and the way he has chosen to unearth this truth into a believers life.

 

Faith (sight into God's unseen world) comes by hearing the Word of God. Which gives us an ability to believe that what we are hearing is full of truth and not tainted by the sins of men’s interventions. It feeds that part of us that cries out “I believe, I believe” and only then does our understanding align with what it meant for the Lord Jesus to die and pay the price for our sin. When I unpack the working of it all, I am left with a gaping mouth and a mind that silently screams, “Ingenious”! God is awesome! A message that remains foolishness to the Gentile and a stumbling block to the Jew. The Gentile cannot see it so he will not believe it, he is blinded by his own wisdom. The Jew does not believe that Christ is their messiah and therefore looks for another, someone who will come with a majestic ability to entice with signs and wonders, they await a miracle worker. The anti-Christs hour is not far away, he will deceive with marvellous feats of grandeur. But to the believer, everything aligns in perfect harmony and just like that blind man in the temple, once we encounter our beloved Saviour and we are touched by Him, we run around shouting “I can see, I can see”. To see and understand what we have been saved from. A life of sinful capitulation where our sin has blinded us and habitually driven us from God, until that day arrives, where Jesus enters our lives and as I can vividly recall the happiest day of my life, hands down.

 

Here is a portion of scripture that partially uncovers what I am talking about and to all who are sitting on the fence, I pray that God would use lethargy to bring you to your senses; “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1Corinthians 1:21-25)

 

Signing off

 

Tyrone