Irony!

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

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

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

Here is Paul’s experience…   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone

Trust our God!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone

Crutch...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone

From the snare of the fowler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone 

Have you lost your way?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I sought him, but I found him not.”

- Son_3:1

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone

PS It is well with my soul!

Wise or Foolish?

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are the foolish and then there are the wise…

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

Signing off

Tyrone  

Ask and ye shall receive...

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

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

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

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

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone

  

“The rock that cannot be moved”

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

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

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

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone      

  

The greatest of Shepherd's

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

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone    

Evidence of a good man...

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

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

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

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone

     

Comfort for the heart...

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

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

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

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

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

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

Although all have sinned many will escape judgment because of the free gift of God. Who then shall escape judgment? All who call upon Him seeking His forgiveness for their sin! Do they deserve forgiveness? Absolutely Not! All have broken God’s law! Some may have travelled through life at 70km per hour while others have motored along at 120km per hour; nevertheless all are guilty of sin in one form or another. Why then do some respond to the free gift of God while others dismiss it as baloney? Here is just one of the many reasons the Bible teaches us why… They suppress the truth; many will give place to the planet (earth) and the saving of it, but refuse to acknowledge the One who created it! “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:18-20)

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

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone

   

The spotless bride...

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

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

My boast this morning is most certainly in Him…  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone

Gospel of peace 2

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

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

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

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

  

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

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone

Man makes plans...

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

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

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

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

“Salvation is of the Lord.”

- Jon_2:9

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone