Remembering the lost...

Another early morning for me as I excitedly wait for direction form the Lord of my Life. I wonder how many people around the globe are entitled to a similar privilege. Or rather how many of my friends and acquaintances have the same fortune of waking up at 2 in the morning, sitting at their desk and conversing with the only true God? It is an open offer; “For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."” (Romans 10:13) - But how many have embraced this invitation? I am forever thankful that God almighty, my heavenly Father has afforded me this opportunity, praise His Holy name! Thank you Lord Jesus for drying on Calvary for me; a wrenched sinner like me!

 I am under no illusion that on the face of it, and with human reasoning, I most certainly do not deserve salvation. I have absolutely no merit in myself, on the contrary if I look at all the times I have failed even as a Christian, why would the Lord still bother with me? If the truth be told, even as pathetic as I am, He is perfect and He will glorify His own name, for His own name sake. There may be others out there who want to throw in the towel as they feel they cannot cut it as a Christian; failure after failure seems to be the order of the day. That may probably be true; BUT GOD is able to save from the extreme to the uttermost. I can assure you He has not given up on you, even if you have given up on yourself. This is one of the reasons He came to earth to live as a man in a human body to experience the weakness of the flesh. This is why He was able to say this to Peter; ““Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."” (Matthew 26:41)

He understands what it is like to live as a human. A shepherd like no other, the lion and the bear may be on the prowl looking to devour and they may even find a wandering lamb; but like prince Valiant upon his horse our Saviour always arrives in the nick of time. Just as the beast is about to sink his teeth in for the closing blow, our Knight in shining armour arrives with His flaming sword in hand coming to our rescue, praise the name of Jesus!

Even when we know we are in the place we should never be. Let us learn from these setbacks in our lives and avoid similar situations the next time around. These tests will come, as they must! We must however learn to be careful as Christians and stay away from the danger of the Fowler when we have it in our power to do just that. Do not venture into places that will test your resolve, we must go back to our “first works” as Christians, the time in our lives were we avoided the lying traps of life with such vigour. Why then after so many years do we slip back into the same routine we once avoided? The storerooms overflow with grace for every true believer, but we must come as we have been instructed to come, and that is with boldness, seeking out God’s grace in time of need.

How many faces flash through my mind’s eye of those who have come and gone, what has become of them I ponder? I am persuaded of this one fact if they were truly saved I will of a certainty see them on the other side, clothed in white. Do they lie desolate in some damp corner as life rips away as their faith, they are weak but He is strong! I beseech all my brothers and sisters in Christ to stop and consider those who once were but now seem to be no more, pause and pray for them with an earnest expectation, as we have been instructed to pray for one another, it is the way of the Christian! Remember them now and cry out to our God on their behalf! Be wary to disregard them as lost and forgotten, our God has not written them off; you may have but He hasn't! “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory;” (Matthew 12:20)

It is love that covers a multitude of sins, just as Christ has loved us,  we ort also to love others…

I will leave us with this thought from our brother Jude; “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.” (Jude 1:21-23) 

Signing off

Tyrone

My grace is sufficient...

No matter where we find ourselves, nothing more needs to be said…

I am quick to grumble… forgive me Father God and thank you for the reminder…

My grace is sufficient for thee.”

- 2Co_12:9

If none of God’s saints were poor and tried, we should not know half so well the consolations of divine grace. When we find the wanderer who has not where to lay his head, who yet can say, “Still will I trust in the Lord;” when we see the pauper starving on bread and water, who still glories in Jesus; when we see the bereaved widow overwhelmed in affliction, and yet having faith in Christ, oh! what honour it reflects on the gospel. God’s grace is illustrated and magnified in the poverty and trials of believers. Saints bear up under every discouragement, believing that all things work together for their good, and that out of apparent evils a real blessing shall ultimately spring-that their God will either work a deliverance for them speedily, or most assuredly support them in the trouble, as long as he is pleased to keep them in it. This patience of the saints proves the power of divine grace. There is a lighthouse out at sea: it is a calm night-I cannot tell whether the edifice is firm; the tempest must rage about it, and then I shall know whether it will stand. So with the Spirit’s work: if it were not on many occasions surrounded with tempestuous waters, we should not know that it was true and strong; if the winds did not blow upon it, we should not know how firm and secure it was. The master-works of God are those men who stand in the midst of difficulties, steadfast, unmovable,-“Calm mid the bewildering cry, Confident of victory.”

He who would glorify his God must set his account upon meeting with many trials. No man can be illustrious before the Lord unless his conflicts be many. If then, yours be a much-tried path, rejoice in it, because you will the better show forth the all-sufficient grace of God. As for his failing you, never dream of it-hate the thought. The God who has been sufficient until now, should be trusted to the end. (Charles Spurgeon)

Tyrone

   

The Wisdom of God...

“Out of the eater came something to eat!”

Satan goes around seeking whom he may devour…

But our GOD more precious than gold, more brilliant than the glint of a diamond, sweeter than honey in the rock and He has a heart full of love…

It is without question that the trial of our faith teachers us many valuable lessons in life, but more than this, it is only when two crushing stones come together do we get the most out of the olive! How else would we get such a precious well sort out oil if there was no pressure placed upon the olive? No pressure no oil! Throughout the ages the olive has been of great value to mankind. Let us then learn from the oil; we need pressure in our lives to produce oil that is useful to us as well as others with us. It is the trial of our faith through our daily experience that teaches us the value of “oil”. We are quick to pray it away, why? Because we do not understand our God, our Father is greater than any earthly father could ever dream to be, why then would He look to bring us harm? He wouldn’t! Trust we must!

I stand in awe when I consider the greatness of our God, His ways are far from finding out. He has chosen to operate outside the realm of human reasoning and with great affect He works out His eternal plan! When mankind reasons, we find ourselves always asking the question, “why? How come if God is a God of love has this happened”, filters across the lips of so many. He isn't bound by the laws of gravity and the aging process, our God has no restraints! No wonder the Apostle Paul boldly says; “For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1Corinthians 1:25) – Men think themselves to be wise but in fact they are foolish, educated men say things like, “there is no proof of God where is He?” But God has declared through the Apostle Paul in the book of Romans, to those who would dare to search the scriptures; “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)  - And yet in their arrogance they continue to pipe the same tune, trying their utmost to cause doubt in the hearts of the simple! The day of reckoning is just around the corner and there is a day coming, where every knee will bow to the Lord Jesus and confess Him as the Lord of lords and the only true God; they will all have to eat their bullishness! What a day of rejoicing it will be for the believer but for the heathen the lake of fire will be his portion! I beseech you therefore, proclaim the good news far and wide, and do not leave the gospel edict until tomorrow for today is the day of salvation. While we still breathe we have hope but for those who have gone on, their race is run and judgement waits! No second chances as it were! There is one of two outcomes: heaven with all its glory, or hell and damnation a sentence that will last forever.

Have you ever seen a person shy away from warning people from tragedy? Take the movie called “Contagion” as our example; an epidemic starts in Asia and travels abroad to the United States of America, a virus highly contagious and transmitted by touch. Once the news was out, there was no, “should I, why would I”, or people saying “I don’t believe it”, as the masses died around them as they sobbed for loved ones. This virus was so contagious it took no prisoners, in fact it was so aggressive that shortly after entering the humans body it began to mutate; straight on the offensive, destruction its objective! My point should be obvious but if not, let me spell it out. There is a day coming when the Lord Jesus Christ, the same man who died on the cross of Calvary; God in the flesh, the One who knew no sin, and yet He paid the price for sin as if He was indeed a sinner. The same God who paid the price for an unworthy sinners like me. He will judge the living and the dead! The trumpet is booming, men and woman across the globe are appealing to the “whosoever” to come, you needn’t be rich, you needn’t be poor, just come as you are; all have been invited, but come you must!

Woe to the one who rejects the invitation, judgement is looming just over the horizon. No other philosophy or religion will cut it, it may bring some relief here on earth, but as for the life to come every deception will all bow at the feet of Jesus!

There is but one criterion that qualifies mankind for salvation, they must acknowledge that they are sinners and that they need a Saviour. Where do you fit in?

Signing off

Tyrone

   

How do we know we love God?

How do we know we love God?

There are many facets to this answer…

But let us highlight some of the truths we are given from the Word of God, the Bible; the living Word will set us free if we learn to apply it into our lives.

It is important that we accurately consider the training from God’s Word so that we can hunt out His grace to correct whatever needs correcting, which is the purpose of any instruction manual! We are told “that in the last days the love of many will wax cold”; hate which hinges off a lack of tolerance will sadly be the norm. It is evident that this has already begun like never before, not in my lifetime anyway! Road rage is common news, just the other day a man fatally shot another man in peak hour traffic. There he was on his way to work and an hour or so later in jail with his life now turned upside down. Was he married, did he have children? If so, not only his life, but others who depend upon him now also suffer from the effects of his outburst. No matter how hard he wills things to be different; that is now engraved in the history books of time.

With the intolerance of hate lurking in the shadows, deep within the recesses of men’s hearts, no differently to a pit-bull waiting to pounce on its next victim, we as Christians must pay notice to this warning. Here is a clear instruction from the Apostle John; “If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (1John 4:20-21) –intolerance for whatever reason will not cut it, if our reasoning supersedes the Word of God, it makes us a liar and the act of repentance must follow. If not we must then conclude that we cannot claim to love God! May I remind you as I firstly remind myself; If I do not find repentance and forgive my brother for any indifference I may have with him, I then cannot claim to love God, all it proves is that if I say I love God I am a liar! A stern warning from the beloved disciple, but it is imperative for us to pay careful attention to it! Let us be careful not to look for justification and not to reason with our carnal minds. Let us rather come to the throne of grace with boldness, seeking out resolve to make straight our crooked paths.

The next test is also found in the epistle of John and it proves not only to the believer but to other believers, whether or not, we truly are the children of God. “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.” (1John 5:2-4) – Here we see that our faith, which is a gift from God, equips us to overcome the world. This is a lot harder to settle in our minds, for we all have a “thorn in the flesh”, an achilles heel that seems to plague us, I am aware that we have different struggles with sin, but we all have them! Nevertheless we must learn to find grace to overcome the various temptations we face as pilgrims here on earth. If not, we cannot with any assurance claim to be children of God! Oh how we need God’s intervention in our lives to be victorious Christians, but triumphant we need to be, we must learn to walk by faith! Yet we must find tolerance with a meek and gentle spirit when we see our brother straying, lest we fall into the same temptation and be found wanting. How we need you intersession my dear beloved Saviour! The Lord Jesus taught us to pray like this; “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12) – Just as the Lord has considered us, we must also learn to ponder others and put them before our own needs. This then is true love!  

And finally we know that we love God when we can begin to accept that whatever may happen throughout the day, regardless of tragedy as we would understand it, we must be settled by this truth, that our God is in perfect control and it is not our place to second guess Him. Two days ago the main house was flooded, but I am convinced it was needful for all, if not it would not of happened! The Apostle Paul teachers us this truth; “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) – This applies to God’s children and not to those outside of His family, it is the called that God is fashioning into the image of His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ! We must learn to rest in the wise Master Builder’s ability as He fashion and moulds us, remember Job!  

Help us find rest in whatever it is we need to face so that we may bring glory to you marvellous name Father God and thank you Lord Jesus for your High priestly role you play in our lives. You are touched with the feelings of our infirmities and for this we are grateful!

Signing off

Tyrone

United by faith!

(Hebrews 4:2) “…because they were not united by faith with those who listened…”

What does it mean to be united by faith? Firstly it is imperative to understand that without “unity by faith” we play right into the “hands of detriment”! Faith is packed full of nutrients that has been designed by God to sustain the soul, no differently to vitamins for the body. Of late I have been struggling with some pain in my legs and according to my doctor; I lack the supplement magnesium… Instinctively I have now been forced to pay attention to my body’s lack, bananas now part of my daily diet! If I have no magnesium and I ignore my physique’s lack I am then forced to face the consequences, pain in my legs throughout the night! I do not get a goodnight sleep! Without suitable application to faith our souls will suffer and the joy of the Lord will elude us.

However I am not for one minute suggesting that in our application to faith by Christ Jesus our Lord, that life will be plain sailing, on the contrary life will be full of trials, it is through those tests that we will learn to live by faith; without them we would be no more than a clanging cymbal without any harmonious beat.

We needn’t look any farther than our brothers and sisters of old; Jacob was told to go and he went with staff in hand and yet it is through the trial of his faith and his dependency upon the Lord which taught him to trust in his God! It was no different with Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, and Rahab the prostitute…

“And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets- who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.

Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.

They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated-- of whom the world was not worthy--wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:32-40) – We have all been sold a lie; we needn’t look far-off, as we and those closest to us, who call upon the name of the Lord love to “hedge our bets”. We have life policies, saving for rainy days and the like which reassure us that all will be ok! We say things like, “God wants us to have good careers”, oh really! If anything takes priority over our dependence upon our trust and our faith in God, we believe a lie! We have been hoodwinked and we need to repent and perhaps God in His goodness would repair a right spirit in us all! Be merciful Father God I pray, not because of who we are but rather because of who you are!

The writer of the book of Hebrews has sounded the trumpet; here then is the warning… “Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.” (Hebrews 4:1-2) 

   

 My prayer for today would be that we would make it our business to ask God to open our eyes to this truth and reveal the lack in our lives so that we may search out His grace, in order to please Him.

Signing off

Tyrone

Be on Guard & Alert..

Be on guard and alert…

Stimulatingly in the early hours of this morning, sleep has evaded me, not that I normally suffer from insomnia, but I do love these times, when in the still of the night I find myself alone in thought with the Lord. I’m not sure my son feels the same as I clout away at the keyboard.

·         Sin with its lying effects must top them all; the deception of believing that self-gratification can outweigh the peace we find in Christ… the devil with his cunning beguilements has used it effectively from Adam and then some! Ah but the peace I experience even now as my thoughts explore the graces of the day and the wonderful Love of God my Father is unmatched. But alas I know that there will be some lure just around the corner looking to trip me up, but if I (we) can find rest in the finished work of Calvary, it will be well with our souls. Always be quick to cry out to the One who has conquered all, even Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour!

·         Be wary of vain jangling’s (babblings) it is no more than another decoy to shift our focus off the One we love!

·         The law is good but only if used lawfully!

·         Never to forget, although we were saved in our ignorance when we were still blinded by our sin, remembering that Christ died the ungodly and that we have been saved by grace through faith, not of ourselves, but it is a gift of God, therefore boasting in any form on behalf of the believer has now been excluded.

·         God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble…

·         To take our focus off ourselves and to consider others within the family of God, for one needn’t look far to find a brother or sister contending with a struggle.

·         To be quick to gaze at our reflection in the mirror of the fruits of the spirit and then to cry out to God our Father as we seek out His grace to appropriate the lack.

·         To my sisters in Christ, remember to learn quietly with all submissiveness and not to be out spoken as is the manner of some, especially with today’s booming voices across our country and the globe which is contrary to God’s order. It is no more than just another distraction to keep you from the peace of God. Remember the account of Abigail; “Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. The woman was discerning and beautiful, but the man was harsh and badly behaved; he was a Calebite.” (1Samuel 25:3)  - Did you know that it is through the foolishness of preaching whereby God has chosen to save souls? However the Apostle Peter gives us an exception to the rule and it applies only to women; “Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct.”  (1Peter 3:1-2)

·         Remembering that deception is not willful sin in that sense but rather a trap to trip one up into believing something to be true when in fact it is false! – be watchful and pay careful attention to God’s instruction for there is no shepherd like our Saviour the One who looks out for us. His instruction is for our benefit! We know that with God all things are possible and yet it is impossible for Him to Lie! “…so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie…” (Hebrews 6:18)

·         The Spirit expressly teaches us that in the later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and the teaching of demons, let us therefore hold fast to sound doctrine, and at all costs to avoid liberal loose teaching opening ourselves up to these deceptions. If something sounds new or strange let us be quick to examine the scripture to see if that indeed is precise!

·         Avoid silly myths and rather seek out graces to correct godliness to our lives. Bodily exercise will profit our well-being but godliness must be far higher on our agenda as it holds promise for this present life and the life to come.

·         “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.” (Proverbs 3:27)   

·         Bring our children up establishing them upon the truth of God’s Word.

·         What has passed in our lives is history, from now on we must keep a close watch on ourselves and on the teachings from God’s Word, we must persist in it, for by so doing our example will affect those around us and who knows who mayA be converted by it, God knows, may we all earnestly with great zeal seek out His graces in our daily lives to bring glory to His Majestic name, now and forever more, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

True benefit...

(Hebrews 19:9) “…for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.”

The sooner we rest in this truth the sooner our lives will be filled with ease; not to be mistaken with a life full of slothfulness, on the contrary, the greater the need the grander the urgency! Urgency and contentment, how both words can fit together in the same sentence, one could be thinking. Why is it that the simplest of instructions from our heavenly Father are sometimes the hardest to appropriate? His instruction is so contrary to that which the world impregnates into our minds from a very young age, and then as parents we solidify these lies as if they were truths! It is time to leave behind the lie of this world and to once again begin to appropriate doctrinal truths from the word of God, to begin once again to prioritize what is of real value. To toss our lives into the winds of God’s Word so that the chaff may be driven away! To reassess everything that we were once taught! There are some trying times for the Christian just over the horizon, so let us embrace only that which will provide sustenance for the upcoming test! Judgement will and must firstly begin with the Christian. Our faith will be tested! “For it is time for judgement to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1Peter 4:17)   

We must seek out God grace like never before; we must become so dependent upon it that it becomes a way of life and not an exception to the rule. The greater our need the more we will learn to seek out grace in time of necessity. Hence the instruction; “for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.”

King Solomon, King David’s son asked God for wisdom before wealth or anything else and that is what the Word of God will give us if we pay careful attention to it. “Straw men” or “red herrings”, call them what you will; they are no more than lies to take our minds off what is of utmost importance and in this context it would be, to daily have our hearts strengthened in finding God’s grace for our lives; these temptations (diversions) often leads us down the wrong path as we pursue studies and careers to the detriment of having our heart strengthened by grace. We believe that money will lighten the load, it is a lie! “For it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.”

I am persuaded by this truth; however I would confess that I am in the throes of learning this lesson and I have not yet arrived, for at times I cannot help the anxiousness I feel! Nevertheless I know in whom I believe! All hail King Jesus my Lord and Saviour!

Strength must come from my heart and not my wallet! This then is the lesson, may God give us all the insight to understand this valuable warning, for when we are settled by it, peace will of a certainty flood our souls and the joy of the Lord will be our portion…

Signing off

Tyrone

No Never!

(Hebrews 13:5) “…for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

The Greek word used here for “never” is oume’, which is a double negative strengthening the denial; in other words not at all, no if’s and buts, it is a statement of fact! Emphasising the point, no never! When we read the sentence, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”, look at all the negatives heaped together to confirm the promise.

This promise is not for personal interpretation, it is intended for all true believers in Christ Jesus our Lord! If we look at the context of Hebrews chapter 13 we see the writer making a general call to all the saints and not only an individual. This promise applies to ever true believer and not only the individual. It is a blanket promise to all who place their trust in their Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ…

This chapter is full of encouragement for the family of God and our responsibility one to another. I suppose one of the current lessons for me is this; I must be content with what I have. My current predicament is teaching me to put my faith in my God and not to chase money as it will not bring me closer to finding the graces of God in my life; “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."” (Hebrews 13:5) – But for me to find solace in this promise I must be convinced of this one truth that I belong to Him and I am a child of God, if there remains any doubt I will always play the guessing game!

Let me use an example… although my son Mongi does not originate from my seed, and although he has not been legally adopted, he is nevertheless my son with all the rights of a legally adopted son, I will always have his back and I believe he will always have mine. There is no doubt in either of our minds of what roles we play to one another, I address him as son and he calls me dad. There is no uncertainty within our relationship. Sure there are those even within my family that haven’t quite understood this truth, nevertheless he is my son and I am his dad, period!

Could you imagine how unsure he would be if one day he thought I was his dad and the next not. This is my commitment to him; I am his dad and will always treat him as my son. How much more then can we claim this promise from God; “I will never leave you nor forsake you”? Man is but flesh and subject to the volatility of the flesh, BUT GOD is God and can never change; “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) - find solace in that truth.

 

“I will never leave thee.”

- Heb_13:5

No promise is of private interpretation. Whatever God has said to any one saint, he has said to all. When he opens a well for one, it is that all may drink. When he openeth a granary- door to give out food, there may be some one starving man who is the occasion of its being opened, but all hungry saints may come and feed too. Whether he gave the word to Abraham or to Moses, matters not, O believer; he has given it to thee as one of the covenanted seed. There is not a high blessing too lofty for thee, nor a wide mercy too extensive for thee. Lift up now thine eyes to the north and to the south, to the east and to the west, for all this is thine. Climb to Pisgah’s top, and view the utmost limit of the divine promise, for the land is all thine own. There is not a brook of living water of which thou mayst not drink. If the land floweth with milk and honey, eat the honey and drink the milk, for both are thine. Be thou bold to believe, for he hath said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”In this promise, God gives to his people everything. “I will never leave thee.” Then no attribute of God can cease to be engaged for us. Is he mighty? He will show himself strong on the behalf of them that trust him. Is he love? Then with lovingkindness will he have mercy upon us. Whatever attributes may compose the character of Deity, every one of them to its fullest extent shall be engaged on our side. To put everything in one, there is nothing you can want, there is nothing you can ask for, there is nothing you can need in time or in eternity, there is nothing living, nothing dying, there is nothing in this world, nothing in the next world, there is nothing now, nothing at the resurrection-morning, nothing in heaven which is not contained in this text-”I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Charles Spurgeon)

Signing off

Tyrone

A true sacrifice...

Psalms 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

There is so much in our lives to be thankful for, if only our attractions to that which glowed brightly in the dark constantly captivated our personalities, instead of the gloomy traps of uncertainty, which so often aggressively tear at the walls of our faith was the order of the day. How comfortably would we walk with our Saviour? May God continue to help the struggling pilgrim learn this lesson! Not all that glitters is gold refined in the fires of the trail of life; there is a day coming when all will be tried by fire; every work whether good or bad will be brought to God’s furnace and have to endure immense heat.

It is dawning upon me with freshness, a warm glow of satisfaction filters through my soul, as renewed realization of the grace of God is really gorgeous to behold, O what comfort I find in my Saviour’s tender arms, what reassurance, what rest! They are new every morning, when the fear of a current predicament is so large that it engulfs the entire mind, when hope is hardly realized, when the wicked one stands rubbing his hands together as if to gloat arrogantly, just as we are about to throw in the towel, and with one last desperate plight we fall to our knees with a broken heart and a contrite spirit and cry out to our God, “I can’t anymore”, it is here where our God loves, yes loves, to come to our aid, praise His glorious name! “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalms 51:17) - He is without doubt the greatest of shepherds! If only the penny would finally drop for the struggling pilgrim, no more toil, no more confusion, just sweet peaceful rest.  

As the arrogant and conceited man, mostly unaware of his predicament, would stand upon the hilltop with chest out and shoulders back with his haughty boastfulness, a persona of follow me I have arrived, trailing in his wake. How great the fall just over the next hill! I do not address those outside the family of God, but those within. How we could avoid such painful lessons; there is no need to hear our bones crack, as God the disciplines His children. Find rest sibling in the arms of our Saviour, for it is sweeter than honey in the rock!

We must heed the voice of our beloved brother Jude and flee from all that would ensnare. “But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions." It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” (Jude 1:17-21)

Let the fruit of carefulness engulf our lives, stay away from all that is full of empty promises, chasing money will never bring satisfaction, leave it alone, our God loves to come to our aid in the desert. Trust and obey is my prayer today.

“Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved!”

Prayer will always be a forerunner to mercy, let us therefore humble ourselves before our heavenly Father and grace shall assuredly follow…

Signing off

Tyrone

Grace our teacher...

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

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

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

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

Let me explain…

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

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

“Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.”

- Job_10:2

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

“Trials make the promise sweet;

Trials give new life to prayer;

Trials bring me to his feet,

Lay me low, and keep me there.”

Signing off

Tyrone

God or Money

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34)

Signing off

Tyrone   

God shall supply all our need...

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

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

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

Thankfully this will only be for a season…

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

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

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

- 2Ki_25:30

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

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone

Hope fuels our faith...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone

Temptation...

As my mind wonders amid my thoughts, governance resonates with this awareness; I have often heard it said that because God is not evil He cannot be evil, which is obviously true. “Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.” (James 1:13) – If that be true, which it obviously is, why then are we taught by the Lord Jesus to pray, “Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil (the evil one).”

Some of you may remember the account of Job; if not, here it is; “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it. And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?"” (Job 1:6-8) as this account further unfolds, although instrumentally it is Satan who brings evil upon Job, we can very clearly see that it is God who allows the calamity (evil) to fall on Job, “Have you considered my servant Job”!

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

The Apostle Paul on the other hand is quick to help us understand the severity the Christian faces on a daily basis, the coalface of our walk looks something like this; “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)   

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone