The Cup of Suffering...

Whenever or wherever we seek out results, one thing is for certain, it will have its price. If an athlete wants to achieve, it will take many hours of grueling hardship. The harder one trains the more probable their success will be. However with that training one must make sacrifices; friendships, relationships and even academic achievement may take strain… I remember very clearly at the age of eighteen and as a rugby player I was fortunate enough to make Craven week (provincial schoolboy trials) final selection week, but I knew if I made the side my end of the year holiday in Plettenberg Bay would suffer and deep down I was conflicted. The week before the trials I had a motorbike accident and was now left without a choice. Part of me felt relieved for the sake of my upcoming holiday while another part of me felt hard done by.

It is no different for the Christian; once they have been quickened in the spirit and are now alive to God, one thing is for certain; they will face hardships. Alone life’s journey choices will need to be made. We will either give into the drive from the wants of our lusts fuelled by our natural tendencies, but it will be at the expense of our obedience to God, or visa-versa.

God has a plan for our lives and we need to learn what that blueprint is. Now whether we choose to submit humbly or at times think we know better; the end of the matter will and must result with same conclusion, God will have His way. And for this I am forever grateful, praise the name of Jesus.

We often as Christians make the wrong choice, but God lovingly with His longsuffering character train’s us up in the ways of righteousness. He does not cast us to the wolves if we don’t perform like our brother Joe. Many of us, me included have become giddy from life’s merry-go-round experience. Nevertheless every Christian has the same path set out for them and that is to come the way of God the Father in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot be excluded from His pattern if we truly belong to Him. There is no other way.

This then is the words of our Saviour to His disciples while here on earth. He makes a categorical statement; these then are His words; “… And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:” (Mark 10:39)

What cup was it that the Lord Jesus had to drink? It was the cup of suffering; “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:39)

Even the Lord Jesus was looking to avoid this cup but not at the expense of the will of His Father; “nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” Just as He had a cup to drink, so too His disciples and so do we have to drink a cup of suffering. There is no escaping this truth…

But let me end off with this great truth; we are not alone and we have the storerooms of grace from which all of God’s children are entitled to pull from. And our great Saviour, through His own experience has a living compassion for all of God’s children with their struggles whatever they may be. So remember… “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16)

Signing off

Tyrone   

Death or Life?

(Ecclesiastes 12:7) “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”

We all understand our appointment with death, no one in their right mind believes they will never die; I speak in the carnal sense. From as far back as we are capable of remembering we have been introduced to dead; a loved one, a family friend and so on. For an individual to eventually die is an acceptable truth. Sure, we will at all cost do our utmost to prolong that event; if we have it within our means plastic surgery is often a means to an end. Diets become the be all and end all for some. Most has an opinionated idea on how to prolong one’s life. And then there are some who just couldn’t give a dam or so it would seem. No matter how we cut it, at the end of the day death is inevitable and we will all die; except for those raptured at the coming of the Lord, but let us rather stay on topic.

Dead is a card we have all been dealt. So when King Solomon makes the statement in the book of Ecclesiastes, “then shall the dust return to the earth as it was” it is easily understood and accepted by most. But what about the other half of that verse; “and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” We now enter the realm of that which is unseen; no one has visually seen a spirit leave the body and makes it way to heaven. That now is the realm of the spiritual and not the physical. Why then do some believe while others not? A very easy question to answer; some have been quicken spiritually while other not. It all hinges on the word we often hear “faith”. What is faith? In the context of Christianity let’s put it like this; belief in and devotion to God without any doubt even if we find ourselves in an apparent impossible predicament. Why was the Apostle Peter willing to be crucified upside down for his involvement in the gospel? His faith towards God!

There are many even apparent Christians that will confess the Lord Jesus when the going is easy, but I wonder how many will hold to their faith when it will cost them or their children their lives? Will I? Time will tell! I pray that the grace of God would abound to all His children.

The Bible has made it very clear; yes we shall die but just as importantly our spirits shall return to God, either to a life of absolute bliss, where pain and suffering will no longer rule the day while others will never escape an eternal existence of torment.

Today is the day of salvation; while we have breath we have hope. If you still sit on the fence, cry out even now to Jesus Christ the Lord, the One who paid the price for sin, and He will in no wise cast you out. Our Saviour has such a heart for the lost, that He cannot ignore a sincere cry. Praise His glorious name, all hail King Jesus!

The day will come just as our bodies return to the dust so will our spirits return to the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Bible has declared it…

Signing off

Tyrone

BUT GOD...

We all are what we are… I was once asked can a leopard change its spots. Or in the same vain will you see the wolf lying down with the lamb? Or can a lion eat straw like an ox? There are obvious criteria’s in life that are fixed in stone, or are they? Any person with half a brain and some common sense would happily accept these truths… BUT GOD!

Once we come to understand the brilliance of our God, only then will we begin to think with a spiritual mind. What then qualifies the individual to think beyond the realm of the natural and apparent? We need to be quickened in the soul by the Spirit of God, this then is known as the born again experience. Only then are our eyes opened to heavenly things; “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) – Only then will our eyes/minds be now open to heavenly things in the true sense; there are many spiritual people, with many alternatives to Christianity but they do not serve the only true God, they may be spiritual but have not come the way of the Bible. They think they see heaven but they are mistaken; one may now ask the question, who do I think I am to make such a dogmatic statement? Remember the point of reference? It is the Bible! I do not wield any authority from my own intellect. The Bible makes it very clear and without any wiggling room on how to correctly enter the realm of the spiritual. This then is what the BIBLE teaches; “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

So then we need to be born again and that experience must take place through the Lord Jesus and know other. Why? It’s the bibles instruction; nevertheless there is always a valid reason for the bibles training. We are all sinners, in other word we have all somewhere in life broken God’s law, the Ten Commandments. It is by our own sin that now classes us as sinners. We are the guilty party and not another so as to excuse us from our predicament. Without forgiveness for our sin we cannot be forgiven and ultimately escape hell and separation from God for eternity.

The Lord Jesus, God’s own Son was born through a virgin named Mary. He then lived a life, through childhood, into his teens, eventually becoming a man and yet throughout His life here on earth He never once broke one of God’s commandments. He is referred to as the “spotless Lamb”; this sinless man then paid the price for sin by dying a cruel death on a hill called Golgotha, where He was crucified. This is the only sacrifice God has and will ever accept for the price of mankind’s sin. Hence the dogmatic statements Christians throughout the world tend to make, that is why they could never ever entertain and form of spirituality that does not pivot on the Lord Jesus Christ.

The magnificence of what the Lord Jesus did is beyond belief, if our eyes have not been open to His achievement on Calvary it will remain unobtainable, God needs to open our spiritual eyes; it is the work of God and not man’s intervention. One would need to cry out to Him asking for forgiveness of our many sins. That then is where we need to start and then we need to acknowledge that it was the Lord Jesus who paid the price for our sin.

I hope it is clear why Christian seem to be so dogmatic at times, it is the Bible that teachers us this plain truth. One is entitled to their opinion if it differs from what the Bible teachers, but do not blame the Christian for what He says about His Saviour, blame God if you must. Nevertheless the truth will stand the test of time.

BUT GOD! Did you know that there is a day coming where the wolf will lay down with the lamb? “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 65:25)

There is also another day of judgement coming upon all who reject the Bibles teaching and those who choose to ignore the work of Calvary and the perfect sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ as the provision for their sin; “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” This event will happen, the Bible has declared it.

Signing off

Tyrone

Families and what they mean to us...

Families and what they mean to us…

Life with its entire agenda and its challenges; I guess, all would agree in some measure that we are conditioned by society to end up as a model citizen. That would be the hope of all our parents, hopeful that we would achieve and finish better than the “Jones”. Who then would not be proud of their own? As parents some are harder on their children than others, but outside of just plain simple abuse, the reason for it would be to get the most one could from their child. We push them so that they achieve. And to say that there is no selfish attachment as we persistently coach would not be utterly true. They are a reflection of us. The better they do, the better we feel and around the school fields one can always notice the rooster (father) by the way he cocks his head while cheering from the sideline.

Every sane parent holds a special place in their hearts for their children. Italians, Portuguese and many other ethnic groups outshine much of the western civilization when it comes to family bonds. It would not be a strange thing to see the entire family living on the same property; from Nona (grandmother) to grandchildren and everything between is never frowned upon; for some families the highest of all objectives when tackling life, family first  

With that said, what of our new family as Christians; if saved do we not all belong to our Father because of the finished work of Calvary? We have all been baptized into one body. Meaning this; that at salvation we all become members of God’s family. We are part of the universal body of Christ. However we are not left there, once our spirits have been quicken we must look for a local church where we can take up our place as a functioning member. We are commanded not only to receive but also to supply; “For the body is not one member, but many.” (1Corinthians 12:14) – In other words we need one another, but more than that we are family and to think that we do not need each another is a delusional thought; would we ever by choice cut off our hands or feet?

“If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body. And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members each one of them in the body, even as it pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now they are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee: or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary:” (1Corinthians 12:15-22)

Why do so many of us not feel the same way when it comes to God’s family as we feel about our own children? Again we lack understanding! Does a parent throw his child to the wolves if they are in disagreement? Never! And yet some churches choose to discipline where necessary and rightly so, but as soon as there is a difference in doctrine then they are no longer welcome. Why? They feel threaten, but my question is this, would they throw their own children to the wolves?

We all have a lot to give and account for, this is why the Apostle James is very clear when he says “let not many of you become teachers”.

Some hold to the message that if you are truly a child of God, that you may lose your salvation; what would it take to disown you own child? For me I could not even entertain that thought and my son is adopted.

What chance would your son have if you kept telling him, that if he didn’t behave or if he disagreed with your reasoning you would disown him?

Our Saviour has this to say about the subject; “Be ye free from the love of money; content with such things as ye have: for himself hath said, I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee. So that with good courage we say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear: What shall man do unto me? (Hebrews 13:5-6)    

Signing off

Tyrone

Bed of Roses or Not!

Just as a soldier prepares for battle so too must the Christian prepare for combat. To believe, for even a moment, that by putting on our Christian armour that all of life’s challenges will dissipate could not be further from the truth.

How often have I prayed to God Almighty asking Him to take away my burden? More times than I care to count, but when I reason with a similar mindset, all it proved is that I lack understanding. How so one may ask? A gospel message that is sometimes propagated goes something like this; you’ve tried everything else why not try Jesus, as if the work of Calvary and the perfect sacrifice of our great Messiah can be worn like some garment and changed with the trends of fashion.

The truth be told; once an individual is truly saved, when the goodness of God leads a man to repentance and not someone giving Christianity a chance as if it seems like the fashionable thing to do. When the Spirit of God quickens a man’s understanding as he understands his very own plight before God, a hopeless situation doomed for all eternity to an everlasting life of separation from God, vaulted into destruction and all because of our own sin, not the sin of another but our own sin. Only then does our life truly begin as a Christian. Once this is then realized we then are taught very clearly from scripture what God requires from us and why.

We have been called to suffer for righteousness sake just as Christ also suffered leaving us His perfect example. Why one may ask? To silence the gainsayer, or Mr worldly wise; it is by our example that when we hold our peace when wronged for doing the right thing. That then is the requirement; the why is this then is commendable (acceptable) before God. This then is the call for the Christian. We do not have the right to get even but taking revenge, or venting like a child not getting their own way, with the cry, “that is not fair”. All these actions prove is our lack of understanding…

Do I have scripture and verse to back up my reasoning? I most certainly do…

It is the Apostle Peter who brings us this teaching; for those who are not aware of how he died; he was crucified upside down; the reason they crucified him was because he decreed Christianity and it’s message; Jesus Christ the true Messiah and that all who reject Him as the way, the truth and the life will miss out on heaven as their final end. There is no other way to make it to heaven; all must come through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. No other man lived a perfect life without sin and then paid the price for man’s sin. It is as simple as that!

This then is Peter’s teaching; “For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.” (1Peter 2:19)

“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” (1Peter 2:21)

So then have we been called to a life of clemency or have we as Christians been summoned to a life of suffering? The text leaves no wiggle room…

And just in case we think we are being hard done by, look when Peter takes us; “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1Peter 2:22-24)

It is when we find grace to act like our Saviour, when we call on the name of our God trusting Him in the situation we find ourselves, only then does our great heavenly Father look down from heaven with the glint of acceptance across His brow.

That is where the battle takes place and not in the prosperity gospel of the more you give the more you will get type of mentality. It is far harder to turn the other cheek than to retaliate with a blow. Retaliation comes naturally but by turning the other cheek, we need to find grace.

The Christian is compelled to come to the throne room of grace with boldness so that they may obtain grace for such a time. This is the call of the Christian; let no one fool you into thinking that life ort to be a bed of roses with all the barbs removed.

Signing off

Tyrone

    

  

All in All

Every trade has its authorities; the artisan trade has the coded welded; those men and women who are qualified to get their teeth stuck into the difficult jobs; the medical profession has the specialist or surgeon and so on; a specific qualification that meets certain criteria…

If we consider the greatest man in all varying fields we must arrive at one conclusion; the Lord Jesus Christ is His name.

We or those closest to us instinctively seek out the best service when we have a serious need. I remember back in the year 2001, I was close to death, my immune system was nonexistent and the HIV Virus had almost run its course ending up the victor. Some of my family members made it their business to seek out the best HIV Specialists and ensured that they examined me. We want the best, we will not settle for second if our need it that serious. Unless of course we have no means to seek out the best. But where possible, we will plough all our efforts into our survival.

How great is our God? Consider the Lord Jesus, was He not the greatest Physician? We know He was and in fact, is (present tense). David Copperfield the greatest illusionist of our time; was not our great Saviour the greatest miracle worker of all time? When He turned water into wine it was not only seen by the eye but enjoyed by those at the wedding through taste. No illusion but rather a reality. What of the ten lepers or the blind man and the woman with the issue of blood? The Bible has this to say about this man, the Lord Jesus… “Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” (John 21:25)

The world has kings but there is only one King of kings, the world has lords but there is only one Lord or lords. Even at the London Olympics they called a swimming event the “I am” but there is only One great I Am. The Greek alphabet has the symbols alpha and omega; they are independent constants but the Lord Jesus is both the Alpha and the Omega. There are many religions with many niceties attached but there is only one true Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let me then move onto my point; regardless of where we find ourselves this morning, whether we are seated amongst kings or in a hut on the outskirts of town, one thing is for certain, the Lord Jesus has been there. If it is wisdom we seek out, who is the wiser? If we as are weak and sickly, who is the greatest physician? If the concern of the day is financial and we almost beg bread does not the Bible teach a certain order? It most certainly does; “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) – Which are what? What will be added? Clothing, food and shelter will be added to one’s life, and anxiety will dissipate.

This then is the assurance from scripture but we must walk in faith to appropriate these truths into our lives. That is where God begins with his children, repentance and faith towards God. Any other opinionated advice outside of repentance and faith is hot air and will lack any power. It is no good to pursue the one without the other. Many chemicals remain ineffective if they stand alone, but mix the right two together and we see something entirely different; “Pratley’s Putty” a case in point; once mixed the putty turns into a steel adhesive.

Whatever our need, whatever the question, it must always begin with the Lord Jesus and it must then end with Him. That is the lesson we must all learn, if not we will learn how to walk in circles but that is all we will ever achieve…

Signing off

Tyrone           

Knowledge

I would say that “knowledge” must be high on our agendas when it comes to everyday choices. It is not something that the selected few alone are privileged to use. Sure the depth of knowledge varies from person to person. However we all use knowledge as we understand it for survival or to satisfying the itch we need scratched.

Take the beggar; does he not use knowledge when he chooses which traffic light would be best to beg from? Or a young man looking to fill his life with wine, woman and song, he also uses knowledge to uncover the best haunts to frequent. The millionaire or the Stock Market Broker all use knowledge to make money. What then of the criminal, or the rapist even the despicable pedophile do they not all use knowledge to get what they desire? As warped as it may seem in reality as life unfolds we all use knowledge to achieve our goals.

So where did this all begin? It all began with sin; with it came the knowledge of good and evil.

“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:17)

The man and the woman disobeyed so death now a reality for both of them. Today we all understand death too well. But with that came the knowledge of both good and evil. This is now what we as individuals have been left with; what will we do with that knowledge, the knowledge of good and evil? I do not make reference to our human intellect but rather God understanding on the subject. Without Christ and His sacrifice the Bible teachers that it is impossible to do the right thing according to God’s holiness but with His covering we are now equipped to find grace in time of need to put off sin and to use our spiritual knowledge to glorify God. Obviously this is a process and we will be left with choices on a daily basis; we will not always make the right choice. However the pattern to our lives should change as time progresses. If we have gone backwards, we will be jolted to seriously examine our lives. It’s at times like these that I understand words like; God is good! Why would he be so long suffering with me; the answer is found in the Lord Jesus, praise His glorious name!

This then is my concern; there is a day coming when we as the human race will be left to face their choices and we will end up being exactly who we are. This may need some explanation; the knowledge we chose to use will eventually either take us to heaven or to hell…

“And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy." "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” (Revelation 22:10-15)

What then will we do with the knowledge we receive? The time for pretence is surely over; if it be that there are areas in our lives where we have turned a blind eye. Knowledge then is extremely important but how we use it is crucial.

Signing off

Tyrone

                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Peace of God

(Philippians 4:7)  “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Firstly Let us understand what it means to “understand” and then shall we only move onto the meaning of how to exceed the concept of our understanding.

How often are things said and even received with a nonchalant emphasis placed on what is actually meant? Not enough circumspection is given too much of what should be processed as it is meant. We often listen without actually hearing. I know that I am guilty; you will have to come to your own conclusion on the subject.

“Understanding” has many facets to it; one could say I understand; meaning that although I have not grasp the totality of the subject, I now however have a better understanding than before. Or one could have all knowledge on a subject that nothing could be added as they have fully comprehended every facet on the subject… e.g. “The Pythagorean Theorem: The sum of the areas of the two squares on the legs (a and b) equals the area of the square on the hypotenuse (c).” It is what it is and one either understands it or not, there is no in-between. This then is what I believe is meant in the quoted verse.

How then does one “surpass all understanding”? To surpass means; “to go beyond what was expected or hoped for, usually by being bigger, better, or greater” To think that there is something greater than ones understanding in the realm of “understanding” is an implausible concept; how can something be greater than ones understanding? This is an illogical perception, it goes beyond reasoning.

How then is this awareness obtained? When we first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness we enter the realm of faith which goes beyond carnal reasoning; “Faith is the substance of things hope for the evidence of things not seen.” Although I am hard pressed and there seems to be very little sunlight in my day, I know that there is a day coming that will be full of absolute joy and that my final destination is heaven. Therefore regardless of the facts that surround me I am able to push beyond the realm of reality through faith, which in turn must “surpass all understanding’, which equips me to embrace this principle. It is not a state full of panic but rather a reassured reality that captivates my mind, body and soul. It then is “the peace of God that is able to surpass all understanding”; fascinating and yet a tangible reality. The peace of God is then something we should all strive for or rather we should seek out His grace as the need presents itself, helping us in reality, to enter this realm, the “peace which surpasses all understand.” For when we live in this glorious place it will guard our hearts and minds. Even the strength of our understanding as it deals with the reality of our surroundings will be no match for God’s provision, “the peace of God”.  

Signing off

Tyrone

Acceptance

One could have many different approaches to this subject; sin and its hold on us…

The Bible puts it like this for the Christian; we are no longer under sin but under grace. So without spending too much time here this is one of Paul’s points; “Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16)  

It would be very unrealistic to except the entire human race to be of the same character and fiber with “sin” as our common denominator. Although we as Christians have been freed from sin, it is quite obvious we do not always live here. There is a day coming in the New Jerusalem that will unfold such beauty, but that day has not yet arrived. Why then do we expect so many who are incapable of walking like the pillars of our faith, men like Job or Daniel, to walk as if it should be expected of them? Not all are Model citizens; some seem to be a lot worthy than others and yet all fall short of the glory of God. But Christ is the express glory of God and His sacrifice was accepted by the only true God, the great I AM, Jehovah God, God almighty. It was a once and for all time sacrifice never to be repeated. Christians now are covered by His sacrifice, His righteousness and this is why we are accepted in the beloved; because of Him and not because of us. There are no ifs and buts in this truth. Christ has paved the way! Nevertheless we are instructed to walk worthy of the call in which we have been called. “What should we say, then? Should we go on sinning so that grace may increase? Of course not! How can we who died as far as sin is concerned go on living in it?” (Romans 6:1-2) 

Why then do so many of us fall far from the mark when it comes to this instruction. Obviously sin and it periods still having their effect on us, although it shouldn’t! We have been bought with a price; the blood of the Lamb! But I know I have failed miserably along the celestial road, throughout my journey as a Christian. The days of pretending have long eluded me, how I would love to have been a Paul, or one of the mighty warriors of old. The truth be told I am but a struggling pilgrim, weaker than most. What is a man to do? “While I have breath I will have hope” and until God says no more, by His grace I will endeavour to dust the dirt from my knees. There is no other option for God’s children…

There is “much to do about nothing” when we consider the psychobabble of the world and its systems and yet with that said not all should be ignored. As a young man having to confront the reality of HIV I most certainly needed to accept the truth before I was able to find a way to live with it. Up until that time where denial played its part in my life I was unable to find peace living with this disease. So too must we look into the mirror when it comes to where we are as Christians and honestly reflect before we can look to God to find forgiveness  and the aptitude to dust the dirt from our knees if need be. Where we can often go wrong is when we look at others and wish we could be like them. Not that we should not aspire to have examples, we must. Remember what the Apostle John had to say; “Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.” (3John 1:11)

Our goal then is to imitate all that is good, to put off all that which is evil and when we stumble and fall to get up and dust the dirt from our knees. God has promised to save all who call upon him, from the greatest to the least and not only the supreme. The truth has been declared; there is only one who was ever worthy of God’s complete requirement for sin, praise the name of Jesus!

When we find out that we are not like other "great specimens, it is not until we except whom we are in Christ that will we be able to be of any worth to fellow Christians and the body of Christ.

My life then has been a journey of much dirt dusting, which often leaves me feeling rather dejected, yet this has been the reality of my life, for me now to live in denial would be detrimental to my walk with the Lord. God help us all too honestly reflect into the mirror of our lives and come to terms with who we are in Him. Never to excuse sin but always looking to Him to find grace in time of need to overcome sin. And yes we maybe in such a hole that it seems like a pointless exercise, but there is nothing too difficult for our God, He is Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end and remember this truth; “For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame."” (Romans 10:11)

Signing off

Tyrone 

Hardship

(2Samuel 23:1) “The sweet psalmist of Israel.”

I love it when wisdom hits the ear…

If we consider one of the very many profound statements that Albert Einstein makes; “two things are infinite in this life, the universe and the stupidity of man and I not totally convinced about the first.” So then when I hear many truths penned by a beloved brother in Christ who lived over a century ago, it often brings a smile to my face or a tear to mine eye. Charles Spurgeon had this to say…

“For a Christian to die, is, according to Scripture, an act of the most natural kind, for it is but to fall asleep.” And therefore his conclusion after deeply considering this true was this; “The more you think this matter over, the more clearly will it appear to you that there cannot be any pain in death; all pain must be connected with life, it is the living who suffer. In death, we forget all pain. That gentle touch, that divine love-pat that, shall end all pain and sorrow, is, the thing which men usually call death, but which the apostle rightly calls sleep. There is nothing to be dreaded in it.”

My thoughts then must consider life and the pain we are called to suffer because of it. David was a man who experience much of that pain thought-out his life and yet God calls him “a man after my own heart.” We or rather I am so often caught up with my own pity-party that I tend to forget there were others who were called to endure a lot more than I will ever have too. However with that said and with that considered it does not relieve the pressure as one would hope. The trials of life remain as real with depression and his friends relentlessly driving their blows home. But it must remind us that we are not alone in our struggle, others have endured the onslaught and victoriously fallen asleep. That now must be my goal and it should also be yours. Yes I still am without a job, with a bank balance lower than I can remember. I am constantly hard-pressed about my son and his next meal. Sin then taking advantage of my weakness causes many bad choices to once again take hold of my life. There is however two key ingredients that we must hold onto as if our life depended upon it, for it certainly does; repentance and faith towards God. Without these two aspects captivating our lives we will die a painful death. One may say, “do you now not contradict yourself”, and I will say, “Oh no sir, for those who die outside of the Lord Jesus will die a painful death, hell will be their final destination. The BIBLE puts it like this; “and will throw them into a blazing furnace. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 13:50)

What did David then experience? Throughout the history of David we see his experiences not to be matched by another, in part maybe, but certainly not on the whole, except for our beloved king and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. No man endured what He had to endure! And possibly others, the Apostle Paul, Job, Joseph but I cannot be certain.

David was a boy who grew up without any luxuries, a shepherd boy who spent his time with sheep and all the dangers that came along with it. It has been recorded that he killed both the lion and the bear, with only a staff and a sling for weapons. He then found himself facing a giant who brought terror to the whole of Israel, but not to David, once again, his weapon a slingshot and a pebble bringing down Goliath with a mighty thud. There was another key ingredient that obviously David never took for granted but understood the importance of his faith toward God. He hid in caves like a bandit on the run from King Saul who looked to hunt him down like a wild beast looking to kill him, and all because of his jealousy. He later became king and with that power took another man’s life as well as his wife. A wicked sin and yet after Nathan exposes his heart, repentance was then actively on display for all to witness. He mourned and fasted for his son whom the Lord still took. What heartache he endured through that time, I can only imagine. He found forgives and yet God took His son. For every action there must be a reaction and often we all need to pay the price for our disobedience. Not our sin that price has been paid, praise the name of Jesus. David not only lost his son but a decree was passed upon him because of his rebellion which later on in life haunted him.

"'Therefore the sword will never leave your household, because you have despised me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.' "This is what the LORD says: "'Listen very carefully! "'I'm raising up evil against you right out of your own household. "'I'm going to take your wives away from you right before your eyes. "'Then I'll give them to your neighbor. "'And then he's going to have sex with your wives in broad daylight! "'What you did in secret I'm going to do right in front of all Israel and in broad daylight as well!'" At this point, David told Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan responded to David, "There's one other thing: the LORD has forgiven your sin. You won't die. Nevertheless, because you have despised the LORD's enemies with utter contempt, the son born to you will most certainly die." (2Samjuel 12:10-14)

We see that in the latter part of David’s life that his one son sleeps with one of his wives and another son turns against him as he looks to overthrow his kingdom and yet David mourns when he hears of his son’s death. I wonder could he have remembered the judgement place upon him so many years back. Did he look at his son’s rebellion as his own fault and not his sons? How do we see so many of the trials we now endure because of our own mistakes?

Signing off

Tyrone

      

 

Do not be anxious about anything...

(Philippians 4:6)  “Do not be anxious about anything…”

This then is a clear instruction from the Apostle Paul, yet it is easier said than done!

What is it that causes anxiety? Let me not speak on behalf of others, but for me it is the uncertainty of security… If we now consider that thought, I believe it is Paul’s exact point. Here I have just proved that I am not trusting in God’s Word. I am rather perturbed by the thought of no guarantee future income, forgive me Father!

All anxiety proves is the evidence of someone walking in unbelief. So why do we suffer from anxiety? It is then very obvious; do you remember why the children of Israel could not enter the Promised Land? It had something to do with unbelief; “so we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” (Hebrews 3:19)

Everything then hinged on this one fact, faith (belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof) as opposed to the lack thereof, unbelief (proof often the catalyst required to believe). Yet there is another factor that aids in the process of where we end up on any given day and that is whether we are obedient to God’s voice or not; “And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?” (Hebrews 3:18)

How often have I liked to quote the men of old, the men of faith as if I stood alongside them flying the flag of faith? To be fair in part there were times in my life where I could have made some claim as a “colour-bearer of faith” as one who lived by faith. But today I am unable to make that claim with any certainty. Yet while we have breath we have hope, the opportunity to once again find that place is at the door.

I think that we often muddled the lines between faith and obedience and yet they are hard to separate. Faith is proved by obedience and yet regardless of obedience faith can still be clearly seen in some. We need look no further than Samson the best/worst example of all. We all have our own perceptions but they hold little very weight if not weighed with God’s scales. Samson never lost his strength though sin in that sense (see Judges 16:1), only when he defied God by negating the only direct command he was required to keep was he rendered powerless; “for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines." (Judges 13:5):- This instruction was given to Samson’s mother and was obviously passed down; there is no written indication that he directly received this instruction from God, which was, never to cut his hair. Either way you think it through, he was very aware of his responsibility and that was to never divulge his secret.

Why then did he flirt with it with such pliancy? Could this “body of death” have had anything to do with it? I believe it most certainly had everything to do with it.

With that thought in mind let me consider my life and the anxiety it now faces…

How often do I pray before a meal thanking God for His provision? On the whole it is part of a daily routine. My prayer even mentions that we do not take this provision for granted. But it is based on tradition rather than a warm felt appreciation. It is only now that I am worried about where my next meal will come from that it somehow puts a different spin on things. How quick am I to denunciate the children in the wilderness and yet I have never experienced the half of what they practiced. Until we are in similar positions to others we will be able to sympathise but never truly understand.

Here is my dilemma; we all have the same make up, we all have this “body of death” and we have all been given the same command; “be anxious for nothing”, but with that comes an instruction, what is needed to combat this emotion; “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” And once that is part of our lives this then will be the result; “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This then is the factual truth of faith, anything outside of that is unbelief.

It must be for the Christian when we have a need to allow God to love us and for us to trust in His provision. We have an enemy, “this body of death”, sin likes to keep us in unbelief, it screams, “look at the proof, there isn’t any, you must be a fool to believe things will turn out alright”.

There is much that could be said on this topic, we are new creatures in Christ “old things have passed away and behold all things have become new.” Can I claim that, I should be able to, as Christ has made the way? And yet how often do I not live as if that is true to my life, forgive me Father God; please enable your Spirit to once again stir my soul so that my life may bring glory to you. You Word is true, help me think on those things and not this “body of death” which in turn leaves a man living in sin.

Signing off

Tyrone

      

    

What does it mean to be greatest?

What does it mean to be greater? For one it means to be bigger, more impressive than others of the same kind and when it comes to power it or rather He has the ability to outdo the rest, simple put He is GREATER than all…

When God looked across the heavens for someone greater than Himself he found no one and therefore when making His covenant with Abraham He swore by His own name, no one supersedes His authority and all judgment starts and stops with Him; “For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself.” (Hebrews 6:13) - Therefore it does not really concern me when it comes to the opinions of men, I will have to give an account to the greatest of all - Jehovah God, the great I AM, the Alpha and Omega and so shall we all!

I am not suggesting that when I or any of us sin that we do not hurt others around us, because we do, which in itself is very selfish. That is why when we pray we are taught to ask for forgiveness as we seek to forgive others who have trespassed against us. This is how we begin learning to love as God has loved; "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17)

No matter what we are asked to forgive from those who have offended us, the Lord Jesus is the greatest of all, no one could ever supersede what He has forgiven, a prime example of what it means to be the greatest.

When we consider the arch enemy, Satan, the father of lies, the son of perdition or many of the other names he is known by. When we compare him to our great Saviour; the Lord Jesus is greater, He has openly defeated him. There was a time in history when all of mankind were under the rule of Satan’s authority, we all were classed as the sons of Satan; now whether we were aware of it or not, this had no bearing on the actual facts; until the greater put an end to his rule. This is what actually took place; “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” (Colossians 2:13-15)

There was a time when Satan could claim to be the greatest when it came to our slavery to sin as we were slaves to it. But the Lord Jesus has corrected that now once and for all. There is nothing that the Lord Jesus lacks when it comes to His greatness over all, Satan included.

Why then at times do I still walk as a salve and not a freeman? I cannot proclaim to have the exact formula for if I did I would most certainly be a free man and yet I am a freeman. That seems to be a contradiction, well, what makes it so, is unbelief, it is as simple as that. Why did most not enter the Promised Land? “So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” (Hebrews 3:19)

Is my life filled with unbelief? It is or else I would not be conducting myself as I have been of the last couple of months. I seek God’s forgiveness as well as your forgiveness. My example has been a poor one, I acknowledge my faults as there are many, but one thing I am sure of is there is no one greater than the greatest of all, The Lord Jesus Christ, praise His name now and forever more, Amen!

Wherever we may find ourselves, we may be downcast; the trails of life may have robbed us of our love, our faith may have dwindled some, but one thing is for sure no one can remove hope from the equation; for while we have breath we have hope. We must look to Jesus to find life, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

Was heared in that He feared...

(Hebrews 5:7) “…He was heard in that he feared.”

How often, if ever, have you ever felt alone? I know I have in some measure. The Lord Jesus is most definitely familiar with this experience. Although He was alone in the Garden of Gethsemane the cup He needed to drink was His and His alone, even though those closest to Him whom we could call His favorites; Peter, James and John where asleep, when the Lord Jesus needed them more than ever, as He looked to them for comfort. He knew that His greatest trial was now upon him, He no doubt hoped that Peter and the two sons of Zebedee would stand with him and bring Him comfort or at least give Him some support. It was not to be; something’s are ours and ours alone. No one can stand in our place when it comes to our own specific trial that needs to be endured.

Let us look at our Masters great example; “Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go over there and pray." And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me." And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:36-37)

We clearly see no matter how the Lord Jesus looked to position those closest to Him to help in His trial, they fell asleep and He had to face this trial alone. It was mammoth in comparison to the trial anyone one of us have to face, but the trail we face in context to who we are in our own story is colossal as we often also look to others for help. Yet, sometimes we have to come to the same conclusion it is our trail and not theirs. It is something we personally need to find grace for to overcome. These are not pleasant times and who in their right mind would welcome such a trail? And yet the Lord Jesus was given a title because of His victory though His trial in the Garden; He is not only our King but our High Priest. He earned the right, as He is no touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He has personally been there and understands our pain. Therefore cast all you care upon Him is what the scripture teachers. Why then do we battle, or rather why then do I battle so?

We know the answer it is in the text, The Lord Jesus was heard in that He feared the weakness of the flesh; however the voice of Satan like a dripping tap would have nagged away at Him, “you see those closest to you have fallen asleep”. The taunting would have continued as the Lord Jesus initially looks to avoid the trail; it is only when He acknowledges that He is meant to go through it that He finds rest and God sends an angel to minister to Him; it would appear that this angel removed His fear, enabling Him to face the temptation with a calmness that followed; “Then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand."” (Matthew 26:45-46)

I suppose until each of us come to the same conclusion we will remain as those who grope in the dark, never learning.

May God give us eyes to see and ear to hear in these the latter times of grace.

Signing off

Tyrone

Seasons!

God’s mercy and grace who can actual fully comprehend it. The grace of God affords the believer what they don’t deserve; in fact the sun rises on both the believer and the unbeliever. The mercy of God then keeps from us what we actually do deserve; separation from God here on earth and then ultimately hell as our final destination. Why? I could never say this enough and if you have heard it from me a thousand times it would nevertheless be worth mentioning a thousand more. The Lord Jesus Christ has made a way, praise His name. If for some reason we ever forget this, remember we are only accepted in the beloved because of what He has achieved and not on our own merit. Without the grace of God (the Lord Jesus) where would we be? You fill in the blanks!

Everything in life has its seasons, why? It is the way God has ordained it. I do not only make reference to the cycle of life pertaining to the weather patterns as we know it, but the seasonal changes for us on a personal level; “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)   

All have their place in our lives, why? They have been instituted to teach us to become more dependent on the finished work of Calvary and obviously to become more like Him in character. Sometime the thought of some of these seasons seem to send us in the opposite direction. We look to the old man and his ability rather than the grace of God, which we never deserved in the first place. This then results in lots of heartache.

As a family we got some unexpected news, my father has been diagnosed with cancer. This in itself with everything else that is going on at this time seems to be a mistake. There are no mistakes with God, He is in perfect control. It is now the time for this season in all our lives. Will we run to Christ for sustenance or will we look for strength in the old man? God help all of us to use this opportunity to unite in the bonds of love in and through the wonderful finished work our Redeemer.

If I look at my struggles of late; may I be soon be reminded of what the Lord Jesus had to go through as a man here on earth and may I learn from His example. To now find strength for my family feeling so weak in myself seems an impossible task. But I am then reminded…

“And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed.”

- Mat_26:39

There are several instructive features in our Saviour’s prayer in his hour of trial. It was lonely prayer. He withdrew even from his three favoured disciples. Believer, be much in solitary prayer, especially in times of trial. Family prayer, social prayer, prayer in the Church, will not suffice, these are very precious, but the best beaten spice will smoke in your censer in your private devotions, where no ear hears but God’s.

It was humble prayer. Luke says he knelt, but another evangelist says he “fell on his face.” Where, then, must be THY place, thou humble servant of the great Master? What dust and ashes should cover thy head! Humility gives us good foot-hold in prayer. There is no hope of prevalence with God unless we abase ourselves that he may exalt us in due time.

It was filial prayer. “Abba, Father.” You will find it a stronghold in the day of trial to plead your adoption. You have no rights as a subject, you have forfeited them by your treason; but nothing can forfeit a child’s right to a father’s protection. Be not afraid to say, “My Father, hear my cry.”

Observe that it was persevering prayer. He prayed three times. Cease not until you prevail. Be as the importunate widow, whose continual coming earned what her first supplication could not win. Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.

Lastly, it was the prayer of resignation. “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” Yield, and God yields. Let it be as God wills, and God will determine for the best. Be thou content to leave thy prayer in his hands, who knows when to give, and how to give, and what to give, and what to withhold. So pleading, earnestly, importunately, yet with humility and resignation, thou shalt surely prevail. (C.H.Spurgeon)

Signing off

Tyrone

What vessels are we?

Some things in life are a lot easier for some than others, which is the way it is. But we all have the tendency and the ability to learn, it is the way God chose to create us. Life is about learning; our existence here on earth has this objective, to learn to be obedient to the will of God. The rest is all just fill-in. As Christians we have had our eyes now opened to this truth. Some find it easier to be obedient with less destruction to their lives while others struggle along. Nevertheless God is building his church and the gates of hell shall not prevail. We must cling onto this hope with all we have; “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)

Yet with that said we must also take into account that the scripture is clear, that there is also another category of apparent believers we need to consider; there are those who say they believe in the finished work of Calvary but their lives tell a different story; “They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.” (Titus 1:16)

It would be unwise for me not to consider this warning; many may needn’t spend too much time here and praise God for their conduct and testimony. However for some of us our lives as Christians have taken many wrong turns along the way and praise God for His forgiveness or else we would be lost. We may be groping in the dark even now, but we are not lost, just battling to find our way again. It is obvious that the map is Christ and no other!

So what then is it that turns us in the opposite direction is, well obviously it is sin, the enemy of the cross. The Lord Jesus Has conquered sin, but now it is up to us as believers to believe in His finished work and to also conquer sin in our lives. The battle rages on! For us to turn a blind eye to our sin whatever it may be would be like an ostrich entombing it face in the sand to avoid a predator. Foolishness personified!  We must consider were we are on any given day, with the knowledge that no matter how many times we may slip and fall that there is forgiveness for the Christian. But we must also remember those in the other camp; “They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.” Yes we may even be number amongst them. If that be the case what is a man to do? I believe the Apostle Paul gives us the answer; “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” (2Timothy 2:21)   

So it is the easily understood; we must look to our Saviour to put right that which is wrong, to make straight that which is crooked. It will come to pass! Just so long as we do not lie to ourselves and to God.

Father God it is almost unbelievable how forgiving you can be, time and time again you forgive me for the same sin, and there must also be others that feel rather bruised at times, it is for them I pray as I am able to sympathise with their failure. While we have breath we have hope and our hope is in none other than our glorious Saviour, you majestic Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is nevertheless imperative that we look to cleanse ourselves of that which disqualifies. For if this is our sincere will to put on the Lord Jesus, your Word is clear, we will be vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

Unto this end we do pray…

Signing off

Tyrone