Justification!

(Act 17:4) “And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas…”

 Persuasion is a word that carries with it a lot of weight. It is powerful, meaningful and has finality attached to it. It speaks volumes and leaves no wriggle room for any form of distortion on what is said. “For I am persuaded”, can mean nothing else! It does not suggest that I might believe something if I see more evidence or it invites me to taste and then I will be convinced. “For I am persuaded” means exactly that! No ifs or buts, no more evidence required…

Why do I spend time writing a blog many may ask? “For I am persuaded” that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life; regardless of opinionated differences on this truth, from all different walks of life and religions. “I am persuaded” that Jesus Christ is the only true God who has the power to save sinners from their predicament, every other religion is a lie, a decoy to misguide the masses into following God’s enemy, deceiving those blinded by their own sin. Satan has been so successful that even organizations that fly a Christian flag have been hoodwinked into placing their own corrupt efforts above God’s perfect work in and through His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ! They too have missed the mark completely!

If a person wanted to arrive at a required destination, a specific address, they would need to be given accurate directions, or their trip would be chaotic. How many times have you keyed in an address into a GPS device and then been sent on a rabbit hunt, especially in a country like South Africa with so many boomed roads. Going in circles and ending up in the same location, yet no nearer to arriving at your destination. Something was off! In this instance satellites cannot locate a boomed road and therefore it sends you down a road that has a dead-end. Religions do exactly the same thing; you think you are on track to please God when in fact you are doing anything but that! The Roman Catholic Church is such an organization. It puts people under pressure forcing them to confess to men and then being pardoned by a man not God. We all need God’s forgiveness and that can only ever be achieved on a personal level. It is between you and God! And this is how we shall all be judged one day, one on one. Do not be fooled into believing that you can earn an entrance into heaven on your own merit, this is a lie from the very pit of hell and “I am persuaded” that there is no other way to find favour from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Now the Muslims believe that Abraham was their father, but neither Isaac nor Jacob had anything to do with their claim and their religion. They believe in another God and he is not the God of truth! Of that “I am persuaded”! So then what is needed for those who do not have the same conviction? You must acknowledge your sin before the great “I AM” and confess to Him and Him alone, seeking out His forgiveness and then the light switch will be triggered. Only then will you be persuaded!

Here are the words of a man who once believed that to follow Mohammed’s instruction was the only true way to ensure his salvation, with death as the only assurance of entering paradise. The Jihad’s believe that if you die under Mohammed’s instruction found in the Koran, you will be guaranteed an entrance into paradise, “I am persuaded” that is a lie! 

Here is part of this man’s testimony who once believed that lie; Al Fardi was a man born in Saudi Arabia and he was taught that he would be punished if he doubted any of Islam’s laws. His religion taught him that you had to work for salvation. The bible in Hebrews chapter six teaches us that this type of mentality is no more than a dead work and it will never free the individual. You will always strive to please God but always find disappointment in your efforts. The only way man will ever find forgiveness for their sin is in and through the sacrifice of God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He paid the price for sin and no one else will ever accomplish what He has. Islam teaches a lie and Al Fardi came to this realization in spite of the prophet Mohammed teaching that the only way to be assured of heaven was to be martyred.

He came into contact with a Christian family in America with the intention of converting them to the Muslim faith, but it wasn’t that easy, they were Christian. Today He is a Christian and declares that message! God had mercy on Him and He now is able to declare the truth. He has an interesting story and it was refreshing to hear about his conversion. It was this verse that came to me whilst listening to his testimony; “And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9)

The mercy of God who can measure it!

Signing off

Tyrone

              

Forgiveness must come from the heart!

Forgiveness must come from the heart!

If your brother trespasses against you and you chose to forgive him with resentment it isn’t true forgiveness. Imagine if the Lord Jesus had bitterness to a lost world, blinded by their sin and then He chose to forgive with resentment. How would that resemble true love? It wouldn’t! There would always be a nagging indictment attached to it. The one forgiven would always be in debt, which in itself is conditional forgiveness. This epitomizes the human heart; it only ever forgives on condition. We cannot avoid this reaction as we are sinful creatures; it is part of our character. Test your own hearts and then decide if what I say carries any weight?

This is what true forgiveness looks like; "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)  - Once forgiven there would be no debt attached to that truth. God has such a gracious heart that when forgiveness is devoted to His mercy, His perfect love becomes our amazing reality! We are freed from any form of guilt and only true forgiveness can carry such power. Forgive someone of a debt but continue to remind them at every turn and what do you have? A recipe for disaster!  God’s forgiveness removes our sin from our guilty consciences, and He does it in this fashion; He removes our sin “as far as the east is from the west, remembering them no more.” He has the ability to forgive and forget, WOW!

Consider your life, examine it and find some event in your life that repulses you and consider that becoming public knowledge. How would you feel about having one of you weakest moments exposed for all to see. Those who once held you in high regard now losing all respect for you. If I am honest, which I shall be, I have moments in my life that repulse me and yet I know that God has forgiven me for all my sins. What an amazing relief! To be forgiven for something that I have done and not been charged for it and yet someone had to pay for my sin, this is a requirement for a perfect God. The Lord Jesus paid for my folly! That seems very unfair and yet it is the reality of all things considered. WOW!

What I find even more amazing is that God hasn’t only forgiven me for my transgression, but was willing to forgive me for such hideous actions. That blows my mind! Regardless of you sin God is willing to forgive you if you call out to Him, seeking His forgiveness. Why would he offer such a pardon? Like A.W.Tozer so accurately breaks it down for us in His book “The attributes of God”; God is perfect and because He is perfect, even His grace is perfect and therefore God has a measure of perfect grace that He has offered to all of mankind. Part of His character oozes mercy and grace. But in the same breath He is also perfect in justice and wrath. Reject His mercy at your own peril! For all who discard His mercy will be on the receiving end of His wrath!

I am pleased with my considerations this morning and I hope they will give you food for thought. The beauty of approaching such a magnificent God, who cannot lie, has declared that whosoever comes to the Lord will be received. So Come! Cry out unto Him for He cares for you, He, may be the only one who does. Nothing more will ever be needed in any individuals life because He is the finally authority on all things. Let that reality resonate deep within your heart.

Signing off

Tyrone.

A Pilgrims journey

A pilgrim’s progress through a world tainted by sin…

From the outset I would like to conclude with this understood assumption, all is vanity and again I say “ALL IS VANITY” or “Futility wrapped up in a disguise of our independence, driving to preserve that which will all come to an end regardless of our endeavour’s, come what may! This then is the conclusion; “acknowledge your sin before a holy God and seek out his forgiveness! This then is the sole duty of mankind!” Why do I say this? Because we’re been born into a world full of corruption because of one man’s sin and we have all partaken of that sin.

Hollywood have just handed out awards for their finest, but from their inception they have sent the world with all its inhabitants looking for “straw men”; misguided undertones, with their stamp of approval on all that is tainted by sin; when in fact God has offered the finest of His delicacies to all; He sent His Son, His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to pay the price for our sin. We can all autonomously come to this knowledge, but sadly many will pass Him by.   

Here then is an allegory which could make it easier to understand, for all those trying to make sense of this life…

There was a man from another world who understood the beauty of all things; he came from a land which had the best of fruits, a place where the lion laid down with the lamb. It was a world too beautiful to accurately describe its sheer brilliance. Thorns were unheard of, blemishes foreign to any of it fruits and sheer joy was an emotion that he understood all day. Peace was an undertone that filled his environment. It was an acreage embodied with pure bliss.

 And then one day an enemy from another world saw his opportunity. He was a creature with great power; he was cunning and full of sin, an evil being. His objective to get this man to follow him, but this man was not so easily fooled and so he devised a cunning plan and targeted that which he held closest to his heart. His wife was the apple of his eye and so this wicked creature approached her with lies and beguiled her into believing that he had a better life and land for her, unbeknown to her, she was drawn into his cunning scheme. So she entertained his advice and tried something forbidden. On the surface what he had to say seemed harmless enough, but once she indulged in the prohibited, her eyes were opened to a world of terror filled with death and then it was too late the door to their wonderful world was closed forever.

They were banished from their blissful country into a world filled with treachery. Monsters and vile beasts surrounded them on every side. They were now on the run seeking the preservation of life, hiding in caves and eating fruit full of worms. Death had become part of their survival! They now had to track and kill live venison to sustain their family. They hunted and at the same time were also hunted. The utopia on what was once peaceful had long been forgotten. Pain and suffering now had become a way of life with death continually knocking at their door.

Until one day the greatest of beings from another world witnessed their dilemma and took pity on them, HE made a way of escape for them. The only true God of the entire universe, both seen and unseen sent His Son to remove the curse that now ruled their world. This God-man was not a man of war but a man of peace and yet combat surrounded him and the evil beast that had deceived the woman set out with all his enlisted infantry to destroy him but to no avail. He did not succeed! Nevertheless the surmountable pressure cost the son of God his life, but with it came away of escape for mankind. Now there was hope where there was once only death and destruction, the wheel had turned and a way of escape was now on offer for all who would dare to clutch at it with both hands. What was needed was a simple cry for forgiveness. Sadly many continued in their old ways, pride and sin had blinded them. It was the way they had been accustomed too. However some did reach out and cry for forgiveness. For the fortunate few the shackles of their blinding spell of destruction had now been broken and the hope of a new world was just over the horizon. So they packed their bags and set out on a pilgrimage with their flag of “HOPE” flying high. Leaving behind the lifestyles they once lived.

The journey was rough as they still hid for cover from all the terror that surrounded them. Some even found themselves going back to the way they once lived but before long they came to their senses and reunited themselves with those of the “caravan of hope”. There were still thorn and thistles penetrating their hardened feet, but no matter, they stayed the course and even though they were looked upon by the bystanders as weak madmen they knew what was on offer. Utopia once again in a land full of bliss and a place where the lamb was feeding next to the lion; a territory where the waters were crystal clear and sweet to their palates, with streets of gold, with no more death nor destruction playing any part in their lives. HOPE fueled their motivation! It took them their entire lifetime to reach their destination, but they all eventually arrived. It was worth it all!

They had now earned the right to rule this new city for they had been tested along their journey and now had experienced the harshness of that old sinful world. They now knew what to look out for and they ensured that their children no longer made the same mistake their grandparents made. It was a land filled with no pain, nor crying, heartbreak was no longer a consideration. They were forever thankful to the one who died for them because he had been raised to life again and HE seated on a throne in the Land called the New Jerusalem and He was their king.

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:17)

Signing off

Tyrone

   

  

True wisdom or just a decoy!

Wisdom is something we all search for in one form or another, but without true knowledge we will always clutch at straws! Marketing is the king when it comes to leading people astray. There will always be some truth attached to a good marketing regime and depending on the targeted audience, believing their pitch or not, sales will either escalate or fall away. Because mankind is so needy it isn’t hard to fish out the weak if you have money and power behind you. Look at our current government, they have all the power and their campaign has been filled with empty promises for a very long time and yet the masses support even their blatant corruption. Why? Because they are still full of hope! They expect a better life and the government keeps promising them it; however when we evaluate the facts we see a shift in the opposite direction.

People overweight have a similar objective, they will try anything to lose weight and the simpler it is the more you draw in the candidates. Old age is another lure and then we could speak about the beauty industry and how they have women buying products that could feed a family of four for a month just to keep some wrinkles at bay. Deception always carries with it some form of truth. Take the greatest of all traps, Satan tempting Eve in the Garden of Eden; they (Adam and Eve) did for the first time understand what sin was all about, after eating from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, having understood sin for the first time; prior to that they had no knowledge of death.

Deception keeps our eyes off true wisdom and knowledge. The most powerful men in the world have accomplished great wealth and power and they use it to further their comforts in this life and then what? AND THEN THE JUDGEMENT! We will all stand before the judgment seat of the Lord Jesus Christ, previous to being ushered into a life of bliss or a painful existence for all eternity! This is a statement full of accurate wisdom and filled with priceless knowledge. Why then is this not the message propagated by the most powerful men in the world? This is an easy answer, they have been deceived by sin and the father of lies, Satan has hoodwinked the masses!

“If an axe man uses a blunt blade he will need more strength to bring the tree down”!

It is rather frustrating to think that we are so simple and yet without the grace of God it is impossible for us to realize this reality! Everything began with the Lord Jesus Christ (creation was spoken into being and the Word became flesh) and everything will end with Him {(“for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Rom 14:11)} – And yet none of the great leaders propagate this message! But there was one who did many years ago and his name was King Solomon, King David’s son. This is what he had to say; pay attention! –- “Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity. Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.” (Ecclesiastes 11:7-9)  

For those of you who haven’t actually read the Bible I would encourage you to read at least the book of Ecclesiastes and examine Solomon’s insight in the light of your own life and the wisdom you have applied to it and then come to a decision. Do not lie to yourself and say, the Bible is just a book and speak about it as a fool would claiming to be an expert on it if you haven’t read it.

What I have told you is not a lie so my prayer is that you would take what I say seriously, it may just open your eyes to the light and free you from groping in the dark when in fact you believed that you have it all together. Come what may you will never see a hearse towing a safe! But there is life or death on the other side and that is a promise in accordance with what the Bible teaches!

Signing off

Tyrone      

God's Mercy

(John 3:17) “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

Did you know that the world is condemned because of Adam’s sin? The Christian knows this to be true but how many outside of the Christian faith are aware of this fact? Many have differing opinions when it comes to the reality of Gods perception and this world we call home, where in fact our opinions will carry very little weight in the bigger scheme of things.

Let us reason together as reasonable beings; if you believe in creation then you are closer to God’s grace than you think, you are just a confession away from the covering of His mercy. But if you believe in a “big bang theory” I see trouble on the horizon. God is very clear that His presence can be witnessed through creation and those who admire His handiwork can understand His existence; “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” (Romans 1:20)

Let me use an example to illustrate a point that we can all comprehend; If the government of any particular country enforces a law, let’s say they enforce a speed limit for vehicles travelling on their roads and that speed is exceeded and a person is caught, what will happen? They will be guilty of breaking the law and subject to the punishment of their crime. It will not matter whether you agree with them or not, that is their law and you have been caught breaking it and subject to the penalty. It is no different with God’s law, if we are caught breaking it we will be subject to His judgement. Regardless of whether we agree with Him or not! I trust I have made my point very clearly!

Without going into too much historical detail, the world with all its inhabitants has been condemned for a very long time. But God who is rich in mercy did not bring judgement upon us but made a way for us to escape His judgement. How did he do this? He sent His Son from heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ to pay the price for our personal sin. This is a mind-boggling thought but accurate according to the teachings of the Bible! There is a condition attached to this mercy; we must acknowledge our sin against God and ask Him for forgiveness; if not we will remain accountable to Him for our own personal sin. There is nothing complicated about it. The choice is in fact ours to make! Will we accept the Lord Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf or not? I have made my choice, I am thankful to my God and Father for His mercy which now covers my sin.

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

Signing off

Tyrone

        

  

God's Power revised!

(Nehemiah 6:16)  “And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.”

Exploits done in the name of their Lord must drive every Christian to learn a valuable lesson, which is less of us and more of Him! It’s not as if we are called to be uninvolved, we must be very active participants within our daily activities, after all we are the ones that carry out what happens, if I am hungry I pick up an apple and put it to my mouth, etc. but there must be an obvious shift in our mentality. WE MUST BELIEVE THAT GOD IS ABLE!

Let’s strip down the simplest of actions, like walking. When a child takes their first step we always account the glory to the child. I have heard people boast about how good their child was as they outdid the next and walked from an earlier age. It’s never a blatant gloat, and yet there is always a hint of pride that accompanies their glee. Apart from the handicapped, every child eventually learns to walk. God has equipped them with that capability. Period! God has enabled them! And yet how often does He get the praise when a child takes their first step?   

Believing that God is able cannot just be a distant though we uncover when we are alone and meditating, it must be our actuality! Every true Christian believes that God spoke the creation into being; I am not talking about that kind of belief; that could almost be construed as objective faith. It is a fact in accordance with God’s Word, therefore it cannot be argued by the Christian. “God said” and the land brought forth its abundance. What is argued is whether the world is 6000 years old or millions of years old. Both are right by the way! God created man with age and therefore when scientists tells us that rock faces are millions of years old, so be it! What prevented God from creating creation with age? Absolutely nothing I would suggest! It is only time that handicaps our thinking! God is sovereign and therefore must have the ability to move in and out of any realm; therefore time has no hold on him! The Apostle Peter has this to say; “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2Peter 3:8) 

  

Now back to my point; we all say we believe the Bible, many uses it with a twisted set of rules, which is manipulation and all, will have to give an account of that type of trickery; those false prophets and teachers that use God’s Word for their own gain. Christianity is all about God extending His helping hand to a lost world; offering His favour to people who had transgressed His laws. God showed mercy, it’s all about what God was able to do, but more than that, What He was willing to do by choosing to show mercy. He had it in His power to forgive and chose to extend grace, and every Christian can bear witness to this marvelous act of God’s mercy. But if that message gets skewed, then we need our sails trimmed; we must always place “GOD FIRST” in everything we do, He must receive all the glory. This is not negotiable! By projecting this message we will shift people’s attentions from what may appears to be our achievements, helping them understand that it is rather God’s gracious work in our lives that empowers us.

The only thing that will ever silence the enemy is the brilliance of God. When they actually witness His majestic power! The grandiose miracle of the Rea Sea swallowing up the Egyptian army was heard far and wide; in fact even Rahab the harlot had this to say about that event; “For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.” A(Joshua 2:10-11) – Unfortunately for many they will have to see to believe, but then it will be too late as the bounds of God’s grace will eventually have run its course.

It is imperative that we must make every effort to point people to the finished work of Calvary and learn to be quick with what come out of our mouths. Comments like, “by God’s grace”, “if the Lord wills” and “Lord willing” we will do this or that! It is up to us to at the very least to let people know that we believe in the only true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! And with everything we achieve in live it is only because of the grace of God in our lives. Sure we all have differing abilities, but that is also only because of the grace of God! Everything must be given back to Him! This must be our resolve, wherever possible and whenever an opportunity presents itself to glorify God with our mouths. We will suffer persecution for it, but some may see the light and we know that if one sinner repents, the whole of heaven rejoices. Not all of us have the gift of the Evangelist but we all are capable of opening our mouths and glorifying God for who He is and for what He has done for us.

Let us be slow to curse but may God give us all boldness to be sharp with our tongues in praise of Him! To God be the glory now and forever more, Amen!

A man’s self-esteem must be crushed for Him to realise that he is in need of a Saviour! Until we understand our need we will never call for help! It is the sick man that seeks out the aid of a physician!   

Signing off

Tyrone     

   

God's Power!

(Nehemiah 6:16)  “And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.”

Exploits done in the name of the Lord must drive every Christian to learn a valuable lesson, which is less of us and more of Him! It’s not as if we have been called to be uninvolved, we must be very active participants with our daily activities, but there must be an obvious shift in our mentality. WE MUST BELIEVE THAT GOD IS ABLE! It can’t just be lip service it must be our actuality! Every true Christian believes that God spoke the creation into being; I am not talking about that kind of belief; that could almost be construed as objective faith. It is a fact in accordance with God’s Word, therefore it cannot be argued by the Christian. “God said” and the land brought forth its abundance. What is argued is whether the world is 6000 years old or millions of years old. Both are right by the way! God created man with age and therefore when scientist tells us that rock faces are millions of years old, so be it! What prevented God from creating creation with age? Absolutely nothing I would suggest! It is only the time that handicaps our thinking; God is sovereign and therefore must have the ability to move in and out of any realm, therefore time has no hold on him! The Apostle Peter has this to say; “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2Peter 3:8)  

  

Now back to my point; we all say we believe the Bible, many uses it with a twisted set of rules, which is manipulation and all, will have to give an account of that type of trickery; those false prophets and teachers that use God’s Word for their own gain. Christianity is all about God extending His helping hand to a lost world; offering His favour to people who had transgressed His laws. God showed mercy, it’s all about what God was able to do, but more than that, What He was willing to do by choosing to show mercy. He had it in His power to forgive and chose to extend grace, and every Christian can bear witness to this marvelous act of God’s mercy. But if that message gets skewed, then we need our sails trimmed; we must always place “GOD FIRST” in everything we do, He must receive all the glory. This is not negotiable! By projecting this message we will shift people’s attentions from what may appears to be our achievements, helping them understand that it is rather God’s gracious work in our lives that empowers us.

The only thing that will ever silence the enemy is the brilliance of God. When they actually witness His majestic power! The grandiose miracle of the Rea Sea swallowing up the Egyptian army was heard far and wide; in fact even Rahab the harlot had this to say about that event; “For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.” (Joshua 2:10-11) – Unfortunately for many they will have to see to believe, but then it will be too late as the bounds of God’s grace will eventually have run its course.

It is imperative that we must make every effort to point people to the finished work of Calvary and learn to be quick with what come out of our mouths. Comments like, “by God’s grace”, “if the Lord wills” and “Lord willing” we will do this or that! It is up to us to at the very least to let people know that we believe in the only true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! And with everything we achieve in live it is only because of the grace of God in our lives. Sure we all have differing abilities, but that is also only because of the grace of God! Everything must be given back to Him! This must be our resolve, wherever possible and whenever an opportunity presents itself to glorify God with our mouths. We will suffer persecution for it, but some may see the light and we know that if one sinner repents, the whole of heaven rejoices. Not all of us have the gift of the Evangelist but we all are capable of opening our mouths and glorifying God for who He is for what He has done for us.

Let us be slow to curse but may God give us all boldness to be sharp with our tongues in praise of Him! To God be the glory now and forever more, Amen!

A man’s self-esteem must be crushed for Him to realise that he is in need of a Saviour! Until we understand our need we will never call for help! It is the sick man that seeks out the aid of a physician!   

Signing off

Tyrone     

    

Learning the right lessons well!

Habits can be profitable, so long as they point us to Christ! After our salvation experience, our “born again” event that happened somewhere along life’s pilgrimage, the rules for us have changed and we have been instructed to now “put on the mind of Christ”, therefore if we do something that will help us “put on the mind of Christ” it will benefit us as well as those around me. With all this “load shedding” and the darkness that surrounds the space that we normally have well lit, it certainly throws our routine. However if someone walks into that dark room with a light in their hands, it will have the same effect as the person who puts on the mind of Christ; it will illuminate the area and darkness will flee!

These are good practices; we must look for them and nurture them. How are these good habits kept in toe? Obviously without a shadow of a doubt by the grace of God, it’s the goodness of God that leads a man to repentance and when we put on the mind of Christ that often requires repentance. It is God’s goodness that leads us there! Within the recesses of my own heart I have noticed that these positive habits, like waking up in the early hours of the morning, can at times be very destructive as it rears its head and turns what is  positive into something very negative, How so? Pride is a very wicked thing and must be kept at bay, this was Satan’s downfall! He took all the glory for himself; he forgot that it was God who had created him with all his beauty and wisdom!

Whatever we are in Christ, may we never forget that we are who we are by the grace of God. If we have more resolve than our brother in certain areas of our lives it is only because of the grace of God. If we cross that valley and begin to think more highly than we ort to think, our fall is just around the corner. Take heed: “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” (1Corinthians 10:12) - Our dependency is in the unseen, it is what our faith is built upon, and it feeds our hope which in turn stirs up love for others. Here is an interesting reminder of the mind of Christ; “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessings will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” (Proverbs 11:24-25)

Having said that there is another trap as effective that also deceives and it is this; we look to excuse our sin as if we are incapable of shedding our old natures. Even a snake has the ability to shed its skin! We must beseech God by His mercies to overcome all our Achilles heals that throw us violently off course. It is up to the individual to wrestle looking for grace to find victory. I understand that we will not always receive deliverance; it is often through the trial that our faith is tested. This was Paul’s testimony; “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)

Warning! I have often unwittingly used this verse to excuse sin in my life. This is not what the verse implies! When we suffer wrong for doing what is right and we take it patiently, this is when the grace of God is made perfect in our weakness. This is Paul’s point; “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.” Not weak due to my sin but weak with my rights that I am entitled to as an individual living in a democracy. This then is a good example of how we put on the mind of Christ!

Anything we can place in our daily lives that will help us put on the mind of Christ; can only ever benefit our cause so long as we remember to seek out our sister’s helps through it all and her name is Humility! As soon as arrogance and pride becomes our stance in life, we will certainly come tumbling down! God help us to learn this lesson well!

Signing off

Tyrone     

    

     

Faith believes God!

Faith believes God for who He is and then proves that by action. This morning I woke up with a durable thought and as it resonates through my mind I know I need to dissect it to get a clearer understanding of its message. My first point of call must always be prayer and then to cross reference all those ideas that resonate with the bible. No notions may supersede the Word of God; if it does it must be dissuaded as a vain imagination!

How do we help someone in need? Obviously there are many differing applications to comfort a person in want and I am sure we could all fill in the blanks quite comfortably. My objective is but one and with the help of God the Holy Spirit to show you who the Lord Jesus is! He is the only true Christ and before any true miracle can take place people must believe that emphatically!

Let me prove this to you from scripture, the writer of Hebrews has this to say about faith; “Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.” (Hebrews 6:1) - Why do so many look to reinvent the wheel; programmes, course and other tools to try and conjure up more faith, when in fact it is really very simple, “faith towards God” will do! No need to add salt to the recipe! Commitment to the sound Word of God is all that is required.

Let’s explore what it means to have “faith towards God”; “a firm belief of the existence of God, of his nature, attributes, and perfections, the trinity of persons in the unity of essence, the whole mind and will of God as revealed in his word, particularly what relates to the Lord Jesus Christ. We must by faith acquaint ourselves with these things; we must assent to them, we must approve of them, and apply all to ourselves with suitable affections and actions. Observe, (1.) Repentance from dead works, and faith towards God, are connected, and always go together; they are inseparable twins, the one cannot live without the other. (2.) Both of these are foundation-principles, which should be once well laid, but never pulled up, so as to need to be laid over again; we must not relapse into infidelity.” (Matthew Henry) - An unbeliever could never believe all of those truths that Matthew Henry so accurately points out for us, they are spiritually blind! Nevertheless they must at the very least understand that it is God who has the power to heal. They must have faith in His ability and no one else!    

The problem I see with the world today is very simple, many Christian communities do not witness true miracles because they do not believe God at His Word and they doubt His ability to heal, which in turn only proves one thing, their unbelief! It’s not that they don’t want the miracle to happen, they do but their sight is shifted onto the wrong source. How so? They look to the man and not to God! People flocked to TB Joshua and a building collapsed. Men will always be unseated; God will never be dethroned that is impossible! Do you believe that?

Now let’s look at some actual examples from scripture to prove that “faith toward God” is where the power lies; Let me use one of the greatest illustrations to prove this; The Roman Centurion heard about the man Jesus of Nazareth, he was so convinced that He had the power to heal that he made every effort to be seen by Christ.

Here is the account; “When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly. And he said to him, "I will come and heal him." But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith." (Matthew 8:5-10) – From the outset it is evident that the soldier understood the Lord Jesus’ authority, His power to heal is obviously understood by the man – his “faith towards God” in action! Proving that he believed God at His Word, this is a true understanding of what it means to have “faith towards God”. If God says it, it will come to pass; nothing else will ever be needed. WE MUST UNDERSTAND THIS! There must be no hedging of our bets! It is up to us to make this very clear to people when we pray for them!

I have by the grace of God resolve to no longer pray for someone without helping them understand this truth where possible.

If we go back in time we see that men no longer honoured God for who He IS and therefore God withdrew from them. Society is so warped that it is our responsibility with the aid of God the Holy Spirit to steer men and women back to God, but we must declare Him as the great “I AM” nothing else will cut it! No other men or gods can ever be entertained.

Here are the verses that prove this thought; “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves. (Romans 1:21-24)

My conclusion is that we must get those in need to understand who God is before we pray for them so when He decides to respond to our prayer that there is no mistaking the source of the miracle. When God puts on a show, it is magnificent!

Signing off

Tyrone    

Diligence

(Proverbs 4:23) “Keep your heart with all vigilance (diligence), for from it flow the springs of life.” – Here is a great insight from the law of wisdom.

How can we measure a person’s commitment? By their assiduousness to a specific task! Diligence is a word referred to in scripture and carries with it great intent. It is our hope that feeds our commitment with meticulousness and allows others to partake of fruits that flows from that commitment, which in turn will nourish their hope in Christ.

What then does it mean to “keep your heart”? It funds our resolve to wrestle with God in order to find grace to overcome so much opposition in our lives. It means that we must keep out all the evil thoughts of our hearts and ponder on the good ones. It reminds me of the daily battle that takes place in my soul and every time I look for victory I am reminded about Jacob’s encounter in the desert and he teaches me this lesson; “And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, "Let me go, for the day has broken." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." And he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." Then he said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed."” – For all who make it to heaven have this hope; “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.'” (Revelation 2:17)  

Theoretically it is easily understood but to find the means to methodically carry it out is quite another altogether. Diligence then the key to finding victory and yet we must never forget that this must always be carried out within the constraints of God’s grace, no other methodology will do! If not, boasting will be our lot in life. These are the tricky nuances that need to be juggled correctly. Our first port of call in achieving the correct bearing, which is heaven bound, must always start with “GOD FIRST”; This way we get the order of our priorities straight and the rest will then follow as it ort.

It is God who has given us souls; we have the charge over them and we must learn to be good stewards with them. There is so much work to do! I get dizzy just at the thought of it, but then I am remind to tackle one thought at a time and then one day at a time. I am yet to tick the box whereby I can say I have arrived in this area of my life, but while we have breath we most certainly have hope. If we understand anything about our sister wisdom, we will embrace her advice with open arms. And it is with “diligence” (resolute commitment) that we must pursue her instruction if we want wisdom to be our companion. The instruction is plain and must be received as the author has intended, nothing mystical, plan and simply understood; “Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.” (Proverbs 4:24-27)

We all seem to have a different Achilles heel but we must never sweep that sin under the carpet, ponder upon it day and night, wrestle with it to find grace through it and then that which is crooked will be made straight. This is wonderful advice and our sister Wisdom illuminates the burrs that rob us of our victory in Christ, paying careful attention to her voice will leave the soul well nourished. God help us give “her” due benevolence!    

   

“Diligence” is an attribute well worth pursuing, from it will flow many precious palatable fruits. God’s commitment to mankind is clear for all to see, God sent His Son to save those who were lost and His commitment to us is amazing. He is perfect in wisdom and He has led the way, we owe Him our lives and at the very least diligence should be our resolve. I understand it is a process but we must look to our God to find grace to become more astute with our perseverance in Him. Sin and darkness will always look to steer us in the opposite direction, but we have the mind of Christ, may God help us learn to arm it with due diligence!

Signing off

Tyrone

        

Believing God at His Word!

(Exodus 17:10) “So Joshua did as Moses told him…”

We have been taught that “obedience is better than sacrifice”, but what does that actually mean? It means to simply obey what we have been taught to follow! To trust God’s Word and then to submit to what it instructs us to do. “So Joshua did as Moses told him.” Although I give my body to be burn and I have not love I am like a clanging cymbal, an out of tune racket! Sacrifice often leads to “dead works”; when we do something to justify our standing before God, we try and earn points with Him and also from others. We forget that we have been justified through faith which is by grace and it is a gift of God. “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 2:8-9)

Sacrifice often leaves us boasting! Look at what the great Apostle Paul had to say: “I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows-- and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. Though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 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 12:1-10)

Any form of boasting puts us in the driver’s seat and it takes away from Christ’s accomplished on our behalf. It takes us to a place that can only ever end badly, it puffs us up and we know how God reacts to pride; “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."” (1Peter 5:5) – Opposition may often leave us having to endure far more than we ever needed to because of our pride.

With that established let us seek Gods face and learn to obey His Word above any other priority that may rear its head. “Joshua did as Moses told him.” Simple and yet profound, nothing complicated about it, this is why I believe we sometimes miss the clear instruction of God’s Word, sadly we feel that we must do more! Christ has done it all! Let us be constantly reminded of that truth, praise his name now, into eternity and beyond, Amen and Amen!

My prayer is that all of God’s children would be like Joshua; there is so much to learn from his example, if God has said it, BELIEVE IT! There will always be the naysayers that speak out against God’s Word; I suppose we will all need to find grace to combat doubt. Life teachers us to be realists, but faith believes God at HIS WORD! When the chips are down and there is no food on the table, if we obey God’s Word and seek His righteous we will be fed, no debate! God has said it, it will happen! If we are taught not to be anxious for tomorrow, let us obey and live for today, as unto the Lord, for tomorrow will take care of itself. There is enough we have to get through on a daily basis, when we worry about the future we get swallowed up by anxiety. If that happens we haven’t obeyed God’s instruction; “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)

Obedience is far simpler than I once thought it to be, we must stop second guessing the Word of God, because it is our downfall. All it does is proves our unbelief. Pay careful attention and examine what I say now; Gods Word is not linked to our faithfulness but to His, our unfaithfulness may keep us from the benefits of His faithfulness but He will always remain true to Himself. He is the great “I AM”. God is perfect in Himself and it is impossible for God to lie. Think about that and it may wonderfully free you to take your trust to a far deeper level. How I long to learn to trust God’s Word like Caleb, Joshua, and David or many of the other great examples we find in scripture. Look at Abraham’s example; he was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac because He believed God at His Word. God had made a covenant with Him and Abraham had faith toward God, end of deliberation!

Obedience is much nearer than our carnal minds would lead us to believe. Ask yourself this question; has God ever said anything that He hasn’t carried out on what He has settled his mind on? That will never happen! How do I know that? Because God has said it! And whatever God says will eventually come to pass; “so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.” (Hebrews 6:18) – This truth has now also been record for us on a doctrinal level, so we can be confident with trusting God at His Word; He himself has confirmed it through the writer of Hebrews.

When we believe God at His word we feed our hope, when we place our current predicament above the Word of God we lose sight of any hope…

Signing off

Tyrone

       

    

   

One flame at a time...

HOW I LOVE THE WORD OF GOD! The Word of God sets my world of fire one flame at a time as it burns away at the chaff. An illustration of the power of God’s Word in the lives of those who were once lost to a world of sin. Thankfully the Lord Jesus has taken care of that! Our battle against sin is an ongoing mêlée and yet we have been given all the armour needed to survive this corrupt dying world. Even when hypocrisy plays its part in our lives, there is hope for the Christian so long as we never condone sin as the norm. What an amazing God we serve, praise be to Jesus Christ our Lord and King!

A week or so ago I was shown very clearly that our faith can be measured by our obedience to the Word of God, with our commitment to it, especially when the chips are down and to trust God’s Word in spite of our apparent circumstance. I made reference to this verse last week; “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) – A verse that shakes us to our core when things have not gone the way we had planned. Calamity playing it part in our lives teaching us to trust our God in spite of! A very valuable lesson for all! Its verses like these which builds character in our lives. It adds in strengthening our faith as we learn to take the Word of God at face value. If God has said it we will believe it!   

However I have seen another great truth that we have all be a part of, repentance plays a massive role in a believers life. Equally as important as enduring hardship we too have instruction regarding sin in our lives that only the Christian is privy too. We often find the distraction of sin playing its destructive part in our lives; it somehow creeps up on us, deceiving us in one form or another and then begins to wreak havoc if not checked. Here is some great news, so pay careful attention to it; “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:8-9)

Therefore when we venture down the wrong alleyway and darkness surrounds us and we find ourselves indulging in forbidden fruit, there is an out for the Christian, just as there is instruction for when we are hard pressed, both these types of verse are God’s Word and we must learn to embrace both with commitment. We must trust it and rely on it. Regardless of how we may have fallen, our Saviour makes intersession for each and every one of us who has been drawn by the Father and we have this privilege, no more than that! We have been given the right because of the perfect work of Calvary, which was a once and for all time sacrifice, which paved the way for the sinner setting him free and what Christ achieved on Calvary, never recurrent like the sacrifices of the Old Testament. Done and dusted and never to be repeated!

The Lord Jesus is my only true hero! Who else is able to come to our rescue like He has? We can cry out to our God and ask for forgiveness, praise His name and when we ask, “HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE OUR SINS”. You see it’s about what God is prepared to do, not what others may think in that sense; if God forgives us who can lay a charge against us? He has given us an instruction concerning sin and repentance and we must learn to appropriate it to our lives just like Romans 8:28!

We serve the most wonderful God and heavenly Father; once again I am in awe of His brilliance. I love Him so!

In light of what has just been penned, I feel that this insight from Charles Spurgeon would be good for us to appropriate into our lives and not to look for the faults of others for we have many faults of our own that needs addressing. Pay attention…

"The judging faculty is best employed at home." 

Our tendency is to spy out splinters in other men’s eyes, and not to see the beam in our own. Instead of beholding, with gratified gaze, the small fault of another, we should act reasonably if we penitently considered the greater fault of ourselves.

It is the beam in our own eye which blinds us to our own wrongdoing; but such blindness does not suffice to excuse us, since it evidently does not shut our eyes to the little error of our brother. Officiousness pretends to play the oculist; but in very truth it plays the fool.

Fancy a man with a beam in his eye pretending to deal with so tender a part as the eye of another, and attempting to remove so tiny a thing as a mote or splinter! Is he not a hypocrite to pretend to be so concerned about other men’s eyes, and yet he never attends to his own?

Jesus is gentle, but he calls that man a “hypocrite” who fusses about small things in others, and pays no attention to great matters at home in his own person. Our reformations must begin with ourselves, or they are not true, and do not spring from a right motive.

Sin we may rebuke, but not if we indulge it. We may protest against evil, but not if we willfully practise it. The Pharisees were great at censuring, but slow at amending. Our Lord will not have his kingdom made up of hypocritical theorists, he calls for practical obedience to the rules of holiness.

After we are ourselves sanctified, we are bound to be eyes to the blind, and correctors of unholy living; but not till then. Till we have personal piety, our preaching of godliness is sheer hypocrisy. May none of us provoke the Lord to say to us, "Thou hypocrite"! (C.H.Spurgeon and copied from one of Pyromaniacs posts) http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2015/01/woodworking-101.html

Signing off

Tyrone

    

  

    

To be wise and gentle at the same time

This morning I thank God for life and the way it unfolds; God has chosen to use the base things of our existence to confound the way of “Mr Worldly Wiseman”. Life although tainted by the corruption of sin is a catalyst that helps us walk in the Spirit with the mind of Christ teaching us the way when we place God first in our lives. Somehow I have missed the emphasis that the Lord Jesus places on us to be as gentle as doves but as wise as serpents! I suppose this is the next chapter I must now consider and it is imperative that I get it right!

Therefore let the Word lead the way…

"Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16) – Wisdom then is the key! Let us not be fooled into believing that those outside of Christ will be on our side when the chips are down, we would be foolish to trust that. They are unconsciously driven by that which is unseen; “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) - They are enlisted in the army that prior to salvation we also belonged to; unwittingly lead about by our noses without any actual understanding. It would be imprudent of us to put our reliance in such men or women. With that said I understand that God is for us and whatever He determines will come to pass. He controls even the evil forces; they cannot go beyond the bounds of His instruction. We have been taught that very clearly from scripture and the book of Job gives us great insight to that fact! However when we begin to put our trust in uncertain riches, beware! We must place all our confidence in our God! Of all lessons, I believe this is one of the most important classes we can learn from here on earth, faith toward God! In spite of these physiques of death, flesh and blood forms that age and then eventually die a death of humility. We must learn to have faith toward our God as the only supreme ruler, remembering that our great Saviour has led the way; “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8)   

What do we do as Christians when we find ourselves partnered with unbelievers? It is hard for most of us to avoid such conditions of employment.

Let us explore further…

The context of this verse Matthew 10:16 is obviously under the bearing of ministering the gospel, the Apostles were sent, and they were given a particular objective, to preach the gospel. Not many of us have been sent in that sense. But we all have been commissioned to preach the gospel within our own circles. If we have been saved and have the mind of Christ we all have a certain measure of that gifting; “we have freely received now freely give” is the instruction. How then do we marry the two; working with unbelievers and preaching the gospel? It would be foolish to trust an unbeliever; we have already proved that they unwittingly belong to the enemy. They are blind due to sin, just as we once were! We must be diligent with what we have been called to do, with commitment as unto the Lord. But we must always have our wits about ourselves, trusting God and no one else. This is certainly a lesson that will keep us from disappointment. God has already promised to give us what we need if we seek His righteousness as our first point of call. “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 6:33-34)

To be as wise as serpent but as gentle as dove and understanding that it is better for us to suffer wrong when doing the right thing than to take up vengeance for ourselves; “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:19-21)

There is much for us to consider and this topic is far from over, My God open my eyes to wisdom in this area of my life is my prayer, Amen! I am in desperate need of your help my great Father God.

Signing off

Tyrone