Trusting God to get us home

As I consider faith mingled with the mind of Christ as they work together in perfect harmony completing the saint, I am struck by a thought that is rather worrying and as I look around the statistic states there are millions of professing Christian across the globe and yet most of it when judged in accordance with the scriptures proves one thing, most of them seem to be caught up with pseudo-Christianity. It is clear to see where any organization stands with regard to the voice of God. See how seriously they apply the Word of God to their lives or “Declarations of Faith” (evidence to what they believe and stand upon). It isn’t rocket science, in fact it is rather simple to see the sheep from the goats. Test the value of scripture in the context of any organization and it will soon become evident to whether they are true or false converts. If an organization claims to have Christian principles but blatantly disregards the voice of God, they do not belong to Him, they do not have the mind of Christ and they are wolves in sheep’s clothing looking to prey on the weak.

Who will fall privy to these lies, most certainly not those founded upon the truth of God’s Word? Who have their own house built upon the chief cornerstone, the Lord Jesus Christ! He is a solid foundation that will never be moved. He has overcome and His quest has been conquered, “it is finished”!

Condoning sin as if it is our common right is an error we can never excuse. Same sex marriages are just one of those voices that prove those claiming it as their God given right, highlights that they are the enemy of the cross. They are still blind and in their sin. There may be some that are yet babes in Christ that would be taken by these lies, but not for long, it will soon become apparent where we all stand with our God. For if they are truly born again God will bring them around. How do I know this to be true? Because the Word of God teaches me that my heavenly Father has no worthy opponent that will sway His will and breech His purposes. That is cast in stone! If God is for the believer who can be against them? “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:29-31)  

I am persuaded of these truths but are you?

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39)

When a person begins to toy with the Word of God all it proves is they are carnal by nature and they haven’t understood the importance of putting on the mind of Christ, which every believer has been given. If we look to twist it to accommodate our own fleshly lusts we will end up like Eve looking for fig leaves to cover up our shame. Trust the Word of God, believe it and then seek out the abundance of God’s graces to live it out and we shall live. That is a given! Let no one fool you with empty promises as they twist God’s instruction just as Satan did in the Garden of Eden. Receive God’s instruction plain and simple, do not look to complicate its instruction and it will be well with your soul. “But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some.” (2Timothy 2:16-18) – In other words do not get in disputes concerning the obvious with those who look to bring in heresy.

Regardless of you maturity as a Christian; TRUST GOD AT HIS WORD AND IT WILL BE WELL WITH YOUR SOUL!

Signing off

Tyrone   

    

    

     

Trusting God at His Word!

(Psalms 113:1) “Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD!”

We have been created to praise the Lord, and when we learn to praise Him as we ort, our lives will be full of unspeakable joy. Here the psalmist encourages us to praise the Lord. Why would he do such a thing? He understood the benefits of such an action! In context to the Word of God this is what I have learnt and by the grace of God that is available to me I am in the process of seeking to establish a way of life that revolves around God’s instruction more than ever. Why? It has an unlocking power that unhinges the shackles of death. It is ever authoritative and if and when we learnt to trust it as we ort, we will most certainly reap God’s reward. If we can learn to become obedient to it in spite of our logic that at times drives us in the opposite direction it will bring with it life in abundance, of this I am convinced. The true confessing Christian whom God has saved will all echo this sentiment; the brilliance of God who can know it, who can fathom the depths of it and yet we have been given the mind of Christ what a glorious God given tool, we are now able to see heaven through the eyes of faith but how skilled are we with those God given senses? We must continuously learn to walk by faith!

It is a very simple equation to understand, follow God’s instructions and live. Second guess it at your own peril. There is no greater example than the serpent (Satan) and Eve as they conversed over God’s instruction. Gods command was clear with no ambiguity; but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" - A clear instruction with a very perfect warning; if you eat it you will die! Because we sometimes do not see immediate consequences to our disobedience that does noes no mean we won’t bear the brunt of our actions. Trust God’s Word, apply it to your lives in faith and the joy of the Lord will be our reward. In fact the warning goes even deeper, “neither shall you touch it”. Why? If we flirt with the forbidden fruit we prove that we are not being careful but rather reckless with the call God has placed upon our lives as Disciples of Christ. What then in context is our forbidden fruit? Anything and everything that is pitted against the Word of God; Why? Because its sin looking for an occasion to rebel against the voice of God. I heard someone once say that they believe that the Bible is a book filled with broken telephone messages; what do you believe it to be? If it is filled with truth then our understanding of it will change the way we receive instruction from it. If not we will continue in the way we always did! Therefore test yourselves by studying the Bible and it will soon become apparent to what level we have understood God’s instructions for our lives. If it becomes your first port of call we know that we are on the right road, if not then maybe we are but babes in Christ or worst still, we do not belong to Him. Repent therefore and ask God to be merciful to you and to give you sight.

I love God’s Word because it is the greatest leveler as it silences the gainsayer and yes our old natures will always look for justification if we run contrary to God’s instruction in and through His Word, the Bible! God has given His children the wherewithal to apply His tuition into our lives but we need His grace to apply it the way we ort too. Therefore seek out whatever message is require for the day thanking the Lord for His goodness and mercy that He so freely gives us equipping us to glorify His name, now and forever more, Amen!

It’s never about us and our accomplishments, but it’s always been about His goodness, let us never overlook this truth.

“Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!” (Psalms 115:1)   

Signing off

Tyrone

       

Renewing my Vows

I will praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart. Has He considered you, then consider others and proclaim His wonders from the rooftops.

Today is a day which, I resolve like never before, in the abundant grace of the finished work of my Saviour’s wonderful accomplishments to go on record that I, Derek Tyrone Arthur, declare that from here on in I will make every effort to trust the Word of God and implement it as instructed to the best of my abilities within the bounds of God’s mercies. When faced with choices I will look to the Word of God for counsel with greater intent and believe it’s instructions as a child trusts in their father’s ability to keep them safe. I will not let the nagging voice of apparent reason influences your instruction. “Let God be true and every man a liar”… I know in whom I believe! There is none like you; you are all knowing; perfect in all of your character and you have instructed your children to walk by faith, which feeds our hope and in turn energizes us to find your will for our lives.   

Teach me these valuable lessons; give me a deeper understanding of what the men of old went through in regard to their commitment to you. My prayer is that you would help and teach me like never before to glorify your name as you equip me to walk by faith. I am thankful that these lessons have already kicked into gear, here I am Father God take me where you need me to be. I will not be as bold as I once was in my youth when I publically cried out “thrash me if I am out of line”. Moreover, how I needed that trashing, but I will forever be indebted to you for it. I stand in awe when I think of the goodness of Jesus and I think of what He has done for me. Thank you for being patient with me Father God. I love you my King.

How merciful you are to some; those who are in desperate need to be saved from themselves. I consider Samson a Nazirite whom you called to free Israel in a desperate time and how things played out in his life with all those who once relied on him, eventually giving up on him; “But God” after allowing him to travel down a very slippery slope as he flirted with your promises, he eventually came to his senses; “But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.” (Judges 16:22) – People often write off others as spent, but you Father God are the final authority on all things and you look into the hearts of your children and determine their outcome. My plea is that you renew a right spirit in me, teaching me to wait patiently. Open my senses to the Word of God like never before, as a hunter hones his knife ready for use when called upon. What else does a man have that will stand the test of time; the pleasures of this world are temporal with lures to take my eyes off what really counts, YOUR VOICE and YOUR WILL!  

 

When we study any given subject there will come a time when we are expected to write an exam. Am I ready for the test? On reflection many tests have been failed dismally and yet a resolve that can only come from the Spirit of God has driven me to pursue your will for my life; please continue to drive me towards your will and not my wants, and I am persuaded that you my great God will give me the desires of my heart. Thank you for who you are Jehovah God, Amen!

I am convinced that you are true and that it is impossible for you to lie, not that my validation would add any value to your awesome character but this truth helps me with my application of “putting on the mind of Christ”. Gracious Heavenly Father you are perfect in every facet of your being, and how do I know this to be true? You Word so declares it, the Lord Jesus said; “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

God can and will never be enticed by sin. It is out of the reach of His brilliance, Satan thought he was immune to sin but proved that he was taken by it, in fact he is the author of it, at least when it involved mankind. Was he not the one to entice Eve with mankind’s very first sin? Ay! Therefore it is imperative for my mind to be captivated by these truths; “if God is for me who can be against me”, but in the same breath if you are for me, I too must be as equally committed and take up my cross and follow you with new vigour. This I will only ever achieve if you enable me to apply my wishes. Restore the resolve the vigour I once had when I was newly saved so that I may take up my cross and follow my beloved Saviour even to death if need be for your name’s sake. But not with zeal without knowledge, I could never repay the debt of your kindness to me in spite of myself, thank you Father God for your undying love and commitment toward me; I just want to go on the record and thank you. THANK YOU MY LOVING GOD AND KING!  

Sure, I am fully aware of the weakness I still have as the old man looks to rob me of this, but the truth has been declared in and through your Word that I am a new creature in Christ, old things have passed away and all things have become new; “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2Corinthians 5:17) – It is this truth that I long to embrace, restore what the cankerworm has eaten from my life and thank you Father that as I make this request I am persuaded that you will oblige, bless your name now and forever more, there is no One like you and because of this I can cry Abba Father, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone       

Whose voice will you obey?

The greater the struggle the sweeter the victory is something that lingers somewhere in my mind as I hope for it to be validated by scripture. Because let’s face it, we should all understand that if a perceived truth isn’t validated by scripture it will bring about death. Death may elude an individual’s perceptions for a while but eventually at the end of its course, when it has fully played out it will be clear, and it will have its part in eternal damnation. Sadly we are all governed by our carnality, which is enslaved to sin, and therefore our design is about the here and now, our nearsightedness steering so many of our perceived perceptions into believing lies.

Do you recall the very first enticement before sin was conceived? Satan engaged Eve in conversation, with one intention, to deceive! To get her to follow his instruction at the expense of God’s command and our human natures are the same in character, by default it always looks to pull us in the opposite direction to God’s voice. The flesh and the Spirit are at war with one another and yet it is obvious that in these fierce battles there can only ever be one victor. Harmony is not something the flesh and the spirit will ever share. We have been asked to choose whom we will serve and I suppose that would imply a daily action on our part. It is not enough to confess the Lord as our Saviour once and then to forget our commitment to Him and then to live like we once did, enslaved to our sinful habits. Today must be a day where we make a choice and confess our heavenly Father, God or Satan, the Spirit or the flesh, sin or righteousness, life or death. It is a constant war that continues to rage on and this will be our lot in life until we take our last breath. It is now part of God’s design; we have choices that constantly need to be made. Knowledge helps us make informed decisions. If and when we learn to understand the Apostle Paul’s argument concerning our characters we will learn to shift gears and prepare for battle; this is his conclusion after a lengthy synopsis about his own fleshly character; “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” (Romans 7:24-25)      

The strength of sin resonates in this clue; Satan said to Eve “you shall not surely die”. She ate of the fruit and her eyes where opened to another realm, “the knowledge of good and evil”. It was not as if the fruit was filled with poison that killed instantly, she woke up the following morning and still breathed. Her fleshly mind now believed Satan and not God. However where is she now, she is dead! Her carnal body has decayed and become part of the earth, there is no more trace of her and yet her soul is alive and awaiting judgement. She has entered the spiritual realm with great regret. The moral of the story is that she was told that if she disobeyed God’s voice she would die. Satan tricked her into disobeying God’s command and she ate of the forbidden tree. She may well have believed the lie for a time, for she didn’t die immediately, physically that is! Her understanding of death was carried out over a process of time, but she is now fully aware of the magnitude of what God meant. We too will all come to understand the extent of our actions if we neglect the Words of God; it is therefore imperative that we make every effort to hear the voice of God before we too are filled with eternal regret. As Christians our minds must learn to serve the law of God.

And yes my initial thought can be validated by scripture. Samson was filled with the Spirit of God when a lion attacked him and he was able to kill the lion. On his return a couple of days later he came across the corpse and what has his reward; a swarm of bees had nested inside the carcass and he was able to eat something sweet. Life with all its challenges can be trying, they are meant to be, but if we put on the mind of Christ and abide in the Word of God through it, it will reap reward. But it is not only the individual that reaps the reward but those closest to us will also benefit. Samson gave some of that honey to his mother and father.

Signing off

Tyrone

   

God's Gift

Our lives are filled with special days, specific days that mean more to us than others. A birthday is often such an occasion. As a youngster it is a highlight to the toil through life. It’s a day that focuses on us and others who are normally favoured within a group take the backseat, at least for a while! Obviously I write to you using carnal understanding for many are yet to understand the importance of putting on the mind of Christ for carnality always dominates and has victory if we continue to reason as we always did prior to salvation.

Life is geared to mislead us in every area of our lives if and when we apply earthly reasoning to our mentality. In a nutshell when we strip all of our objections away from their menacing justifications it will become clear that if we continue to resist the Word of God all this proves is that we are yet babes in Christ, or worse yet we do not belong to the Lord Jesus; we are not one of His.

Let me use an example to depict the difference between a man that is carnal and a man that has put on the mind of Christ; in a trying circumstance the man who reasons with his natural mind will always ask the question why or how come. Whilst the spiritual man will understand that he has been called to live a life of trial for the sake of endurance. The natural man complains about sufferings while the spiritual man understands that it will bring about patience, endurance and character in his life, which ultimately will bring glory to his God. And a man that has matured into a spiritual adult will welcome suffering for he has learnt to understand that it’s for his benefit as well as those around him.   

Here is some instruction from the Apostle Paul to help cement these truths into our brains once and for all, and in so doing, free us to serve the living God with a clear conscience; “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:1-5)

I understand that one can know something theoretically, but it is quite another matter to live it out; you shall know a tree by its fruit, does a man gather figs from an acacia tree? Therefore it is not rocket science when analyzing our own lives with regard to our maturity as Christians. We have been commanded to put on the mind of Christ. Take any given circumstance within your lives and apply the Word of God to it and it will be clear to us where we stand in Him. Try and apply human wisdom to the equation outside of the mind of Christ and it will always produce fruits of the flesh. In other words we will continue to look for figs from a tree that is filled with thorns. Have you not understood that if we set our minds on the flesh it will only ever produce death? “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:6-8) – Test your circumstance; is your life filled with peace in spite of your situation? It will soon become obvious with regard to your maturity in Christ.

Having established that let me now reflect on this day, my fiftieth birthday! I have much to thank God for, He is perfect in Character, in fact, He is faultless in every facet of His existence. He cannot change nor be taught anything, but our lives are filled with valuable lessons if we pay careful attention to them.

As I look around me I see many differing faces that have played an important part in my life. And I know that many would be questioning my example as a Christian because let’s face it, my example has been dismal at times and for this I ask for your forgiveness. However although I have been slow to learn, my Saviour never gave up on me and He continues to apply grace to my life teaching me to put on His mind and for this I will be forever thankful.

For so long folly has followed me but God who is rich in mercy has now begun to favour me and all because of the perfect work that Christ accomplished upon the cross of Calvary. His finished work has allowed me to begin to understand the values of putting on the mind of Christ and before I am misunderstood let me make it very clear that this in itself is a gift of God, I most certainly never deserved His favour and yet I have found it, thank you my great God and King. True salvation and maturity in God will never be capable of boasting as it will never be linked to our own works. It is a gift of God! Today is a day that I thank God for the greatest gift of all, the mind of Christ!

On reflection there is a psalm that illustrates my journey to a tee and here are a few verses from it; “Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.” (Psalms 107:17-20)

Signing off

Tyrone  

   

       

      

The worlds greatest event in history

If I had to ask you what you thought the greatest event in history would be, what would be your retort? If your mind begins to flash through varying events as you consider differing individuals contemplating their merits as judges would critic any given contest; I would have to conclude that I fear for you...

The answer should be instinctive, forget the intellectuals or the inventors that advanced technology, the answer is an obvious one; “Jesus in my place”, the death of Jesus Christ, God the man; a time in history where God became a man and lived under the Law of Moses without ever breaching a single one of God’s decrees. That’s right from infancy to adulthood. He never stole nor told a “white lie” (there is no excusable sin within God’s economy). Sin had no power over him, but it cost him his life. His mission was no walk in the park and it would make the greatest combat training seem like child’s play with all things considered. In fact no one ever born up until then and since has ever passed the test the man Jesus was asked by God to complete, it was no picnic, in statement there was a time when Jesus the man cried out to His heavenly Father pleading with Him to remove the trial he was about to face, his cry was; "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." Jesus hoping to avoid the cup he was now about to face, which was a trial of mammoth proportion. His plea was for God to be merciful to him, but the reprieve did not come. God had prepared a cup of testing for His only begotten Son and he was sent to drink it all and not even the dregs at the bottom of the cup was avoided, HE DRANK IT ALL! His testing was so severe that he began to sweat drops of blood combatting the temptation of sin. All the times we have known what should be done in any given circumstance but we never found the strength to conquer, he did! His body was taken to the blink of death whilst having to endure the temptations of sin, WOW! Without his victory over sin and its power we (all of mankind) would be doomed and tried as sinners before a Holy God on judgment day. However because he subjugated life without a single blemish when it came to sin; he made a way for all to escape the eminent sentence just over the horizon. God will judge both the living and the dead. Provision has now been made by God for sinners like you and me to find forgiveness for our rebellion and sin against God, which is in breach of His character. “Jesus in my place”! 

If anyone would even dare hint a suggestion that all religions lead to heaven, they are blind and those who follow their voices will both fall into the ditch. It’s only the Christian, the true Christian that will escape God’s judgement. Why? The answer is obvious, no one else has lived a sinless life whilst alive on earth and therefore it’s only Christ that can forgive us of our sins and there is no confusion within the Christian message. The only question a person needs to answer for themselves is do they believe that they are sinners and need to be forgiven for their sins? It is as simple as that, but a decision needs to be made.

Why God became a man and died for His enemies is beyond most of us and yet we do understand His reasoning for this merciful act for He has shown it to us; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.” (Ephesians 1:3-8)   

God is love! Did you know that? I’m sure your mind has comprehended that fact to some degree but has it fully understood? Who of you would send your child to die for your enemy? God did exactly that, WOW! Because of His great love He chose to save us from ourselves. No greater love can a man have than to lay down his own life for his enemies. This is exactly what Jesus the man did for us roughly 2000 years ago. Do you believe you would have any chance to escape judgement if you turn a blind eye to God’s gracious offer? It’s not enough to echo the sentiments of so many religions that Jesus was a good man; only a liar and a false prophet would claim to be equal with God and that was exactly Jesus’ entitlement; ““I and the Father are one."” (John 10:30)

The day is at the door where the goats and the sheep (the true and false converts) will be separated and there will be no mistaking the allegiance of some when the true test of faith presents itself. God give me the strength to glorify your name even with my life if need be, and all of God’s people cried out “Amen”! It is time to make straight the crooked paths to our lives, where there is lack we need to cry out for grace and God will give it to us in abundance, the shaking of the earth, the test is about to present itself like it never has, at least in our lifetime, will you stand up to the test, will I? Like a wise man once said, “we will see” or “time will reveal all”.

I have not been the greatest of example of how a Christian should live, many of my friends have been privy to my sinful actions and for this I ask for your forgiveness. I too have been hoodwinked through varying situations and failed, BUT GOD who is rich in mercy has it in His power to forgive even someone as foolish as I have been over time, but there must come a time in a believer’s life when they cry out “enough foolishness” and they seek out God’s forgiveness for their sins and they make a telling decision. I have made up my mind and finally admitted to the sins in my life that I previously looked to excuse, no more is my cry! We have no more excuse for our sin, sin has been defeated by the finished work of the cross and although we will continue to sin in some form we must never make allowance for the practise of sin. Ultimately it’s not how many times a person falls and grazes their knees that counts but how often they are willing to get up and dust the dirt from their knees and find grace to march on. However if we do not take our sin seriously all it proves is that we haven’t understood the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice.   

In conclusion it is imperative for us all to understand that God will never accept any man made attempt to find His favour, there was only ever one man whom God was completely satisfied with and that was the man Jesus, God in the flesh paid a price for sin and yet he committed no sin. He became the off-scouring of the earth so that all those who would learn to understand their sinful state before God and their hopeless because of it all and then would somehow find the urge to cry out for forgiveness to the only ONE who has it in His power to forgive, the Lord Jesus Christ, only then will we find exact forgiveness in Him. NO ONE ELSE WILL ESCAPE GOD’s JUDGEMENT. I cannot put it any plainer than that…

Signing off

Tyrone

Senses...

In order for us to appreciate and enjoy the pleasures of our senses we need them operating at full capacity. I am now entering a phase to my life where my senses are beginning to fail. My eyes are not what they once were, I should wear glasses, but that wasn’t always my reality, there was a time when I had 20/20 vision or I was certainly very close to it: Why do I mention the obvious? It highlights God’s brilliance in pointing us towards the truth about our existence and what can be learnt from the clues, the hints of our experiences throughout our ongoing journey whilst we live here on earth, with all of them pointing us heavenward in order to enjoy Him. Sins effect has robbed us of these valuable lessons and distracts our minds with complaints and the like.

Let me use an example to help you understand my thought process and then if applied with vigor it should help us live differently. A blind man has four senses that function and not five, a deaf man the same and so on. The greatest of our God given senses in my humble opinion must be sight which works together with our brain which processes the information it witnesses and at times leaves us gob smacked. What we see can impact us positively or negatively, our eyes the gateway to our souls. What our eyes expose themselves too most certainly has an impact on our characters. Grow up feeding them with pornographic filth and that will become a thorn in our sides. The principle applies to every area of our lives, what we see affects us on a deeper level; it is as simple as that. However the beauty of sight if used correctly should work itself out for our benefit if we are skilled in what we expose them too. Sin drives us away from God and not towards Him. Apply my thought to a given circumstance and test if what I say has any factual evidence to it.

Let’s say we decide to venture into a game reserve and we experience what is on offer, one sprightly morning we see a breath taking sunrise and whilst in the throes on that beauty it must drive our imaginations towards God as an awesome creator; even the unbeliever has something that nags away at his conscience about God’s brilliance under those conditions. Even if they are convinced that it was evolutions big bang, they understand that the event must have been epic. It obviously was God spoke and it happened, phenomenal but precisely accurate, praise God! Beauty in creation certainly gets me to ponder the brilliance of God when I take it all in.

But what about the scandalous things I see on the internet? Have you ever seen horrific acts through video clips like the beheading of the “innocent”? In like manner without spiritual vision it leaves us questioning the atrocities we witness. It is horrific! It leaves so many questioning God instead of praising Him. Without spiritual sight we will never understand the carnage of this world, similarly to a blind man trying to imagine a sunrise. Without sight we need a stick to guide our steps and it is no different for those who are spiritually blind. God must give us sight to see heavenly things. If that eludes us we will only ever grope in the dark tying to imagine heaven with all its glory. Where does then leave us? In need of God’s grace to equip our eyes to see and how is this achieved? It is rather simple; we must be born again, or if you prefer made alive by the Spirit. “Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."” (John 3:3-8)

Let’s unpack the importance of these verses; the practise of philosophy and traditional religion will only ever leave an individual with a sense of thinking that they can see when in fact they have been hoodwinked. Trickery of one’s mind, thinking that all will be well with their souls when in fact it is a lie. Professing to see when in fact they are blind. Imagine that sunset seen in the Game Reserve we considered, take a blind man with you and ask him to describe what he sees, his imagination may be honed to see beauty in some other amazing way but I can assure that it will never be accurate, it will never depict the truth, that would be impossible not differently to a religious leader who in fact is blind teaching you how to get to heaven. Man’s interpretation on what should suffice in order to attain God’s blessing. The writer of Hebrews refers to this as “dead works”; dead because no matter how appealing the effort may seem, if it springs from death it will only ever produce death! In fact it can’t even do that as it is dead! Unless you leave a corpse to rot and stagnate, before long it will decay and cause disease. Thankfully I was saved from such decay and by God’s grace found life in Christ I was rescued out of Roman Catholicism. An organisation when the layers are peeled back it is very easy to see the error of their ways and sadly they trap so many into believing their lies. But I take comfort in the Lord’s conclusion; “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”  

Were the confusion reigns is a carnal perception about spiritual realities. Here was a man, a ruler of the Jews, a spiritual leader who up and until now was as blind as a bat concerning spiritual truths. No different to most of the so called Christian organisations of today, test if what I say has any truth attached to it. Here is the crunch verse; “that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” a clear distinction evident. Therefore if I try and add spiritual precepts to my flesh (my carnal mind) it can and will only ever result in feeding the flesh and my soul will be unaffected. My mind may feel good about itself but that is far as it gets me. Not enough to open my eyes spiritually, for that to happen I need a miracle in my life. So how do I become a candidate for that miracle? I need God’s grace to take effect in my being; I need to be born of the Spirit and without unpacking the Sovereign call from God on the lives of some and not others, the gospel has gone out to all. The requirement remains the same for all, which is this; “For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."” (Romans 10:13) – BUT CALL YOU MUST! Without that call your thoughts on religion may continue to deceive you into believing that all will be well with your soul when in fact it is no more than a lie… 

Signing off

Tyrone   

          

God's GOODNESS...

Considering that we have been commanded to put on the mind of Christ, to think and act like Him. How many people actually know what He would be thinking in any given circumstance? I have heard some appalling remarks from those who should know better and sadly in hindsight I have been part of some heinous annotations over time, looking to justify my actions whilst accommodating my sinful behaviour. We serve a very gracious God, who is perfectly HOLY and slow to anger. He is full of grace and is LOVE personified. Without all of His beauty playing out the way it does I would surely be dead and in the grave by now, but God, my God and heavenly Father has been extremely patient with me; all I ever deserved was the opposite and yet I am gladly beginning to witness the benefits of God’s ingenious mercies beginning to play out favourably in my life, praise God! I trust He is also noticing the change! Thank you Father for your abundant grace and mercy in my life; thank you for the unmeasurable love you have bestowed upon me…

It is one thing to know God, every creation is a reflection of God in all His glory; we needn’t travel far to prove to our enquiring minds that God exists. He has given us creation as an awesome witness of His power and glory. Just step out a door and into a garden, or look up into the night sky or turn on the TV and flip to a National Geographic channel and not another word is required proving God’s brilliance in and through His creation. In fact the evidence is so compelling that the Apostle Paul pens an explanation about the very topic in question in the book of Romans, condemning all who oppose the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as the only true God and mastermind behind all of creation which leaves mankind without excuse. Objections like, “what about the man in the Amazon Jungle how does God show him mercy?” All of us witness God’s brilliance in and through His creation; even the bushman tucked away in an isolated corner of the globe can understand that God exists.

All anyone needs to do is cry out to God for mercy and they would certainly find understanding about God’s existence. If mankind is so divided on this issue, why and what happened to leave us with so many varying opinions on this particular topic?  Let us go back in history to deepen our understanding…

History should teach us about the errors of our ways and help us to right our wrongs. Hindsight is the perfect science! If as a toddler I begin to explore my surroundings and I came across a live wire that was exposed and I handled it, what would happen? I would get a shock! But before long I would learn to avoid the experience by eluding the hazard. Experience therefore equips me to avoid making the same mistakes. History is my friend if I learn from it. God has given us the greatest History book, it is up to us to pick it up and read it. The Bible is our friend! Make use of it and learn to understand the lessons in it.

Considering creation and the mistakes we made over the process of time should equip us to right our wrongs, here then is the lesson about mankind’s downward spiral and historically how we moved away from God’s will for our lives instead of towards His favour; “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. 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, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” (Romans 1:19-24)

Although we as Gentiles were never apart of God’s law like Israel was and given the Law of Moses depicting His character to them as a nation; God did not leave us without witness of His brilliance, creation proves His existence. But professing to be wise in ourselves we became fools. And for this reason God gave us over to varying sins, we needn’t look very far to see the error of our ways for they have become evident. Today is a day where same sex marriage is no longer frowned upon. It has become our right! Unless we find God’s favour in and through His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ we will continue in our downward spiral of self-destruction. But God who is rich in mercy and full of love has offered mankind a lifeline in spite of our errors. Unless we turn to Him in repentance for our rebellion and our sins it will end badly for us all.

The time for our mutiny must now end and we must cry out to Him and seek out His forgiveness for our sins and our revolt. Today is the day of salvation, for us to put it off for another day only proves our folly.

“For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.” (Romans 10:11-12) – The offer is available to all who would dare to call upon Him, but call we must!

Signing off

Tyrone   

   

       

Our Lord is coming...

“That our Lord is coming, is certain; that his coming may be at any moment, is a matter of faith; and that we are ignorant of the time of his coming, is a matter of fact: “Ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”” A quote literally penned by Charles Spurgeon.

A time in history where a thought like the internet was absent from the perceptions on those back then. How times have changed, with technology echoing threats of world domination. Movies screaming “beware the machine may take over” and the like; not very far from mankind’s imaginations. Changes throughout history continually evolve, and yet through it all, there are some constants that we are able to cling too. In fact we have been commanded to hang onto every jot and tittle; the Word of God is one of those beauties; praise the name of Jesus my Lord! Many churches have disregarded the power and safety of the Word of God, which sadly will be to their own peril and for those who teach that change is acceptable, they will receive a stricter judgement; a current topic would be same sex marriages. Here is the warning; “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” (James 3:1) – We all have our weaknesses, one in this area while another in a different capacity. Our sinful natures have taken care of that but when we twist God’s Word to accommodate our sin, then we are in danger of eternal judgement with ceaseless consequences that will carry with it God’s judgments, and who in their right mind would look to challenge God? God forbid that we would ever accommodate such a futile mind-set.      

Just as it was in the days of Charles Spurgeon’s era where the same message was preached from the pulpit that the Lord Jesus is imminent, so too is it a given in our day and age that the message remains the same, the Lord Jesus is coming, His second return is looming, it is constant and there has been no change to it, “HE IS COMING!” He will return like a thief in the night, there are no ifs and buts to this message and for those who look to denounce that memorandum they will surely be caught off guard. Although we understand that many will grow impatient with this message and look to discredit it, the Lord Jesus shall return, this is a fact and will never be altered; God has set this truth in stone.

Christians must cling to this truth will all of our resolve and although it is very clear that we cannot be sure of the day we can most certainly be on the lookout for clues that God shall warn those who are looking for that day to unfold.

“Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24:42-44)

With this truth alive and well where does that leave the Christian? The proceeding verses give us an indication to what we should be on the lookout for; "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.” (Matthew 24:32-33) – We have the warning signs which our dear Lord and Saviour has warned us about and we must be prepared if and when we notice the signs of the times. It is clear that we are on the brink of this event and therefore we must not be overtaken by it. It would be expedient for us to treat each and every day from here on in just as if today could be the day of that trumpet blast where the Lord will return to gather His people and where we will be caught up into the air to meet Him. What a day that will be, even so come quickly Lord Jesus, we long to meet you in the air, Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone  

  

   

Examine yourselves...

(2Corinthians 13:5)  “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

Here we have an instruction and it asks us to gaze into the mirror and to be brutally honest with ourselves about ourselves. It is a reflection test and must be stripped of any aids; make-up will not help but only hinder our advances in working out our own standings before a Holy God. This inspection calls for brutal honesty and any application of base will hinder our assessment. Who I am, and how I am perceived by others must be part of the evaluation, however the pressing issue is to test myself in the light of “faith” and how I stand in that regard with my commitment towards God. Do I serve Him, or pretend to serve Him so that I may benefit today for today or am I driven by something far deeper, which is the laying down of my life for the sake of my Christian family? Because if we have the Spirit of Christ, if Jesus is in us we must now learn to behave differently in every area of our lives; hence the test! Rebellion to that call must begin to dissipate into an afterthought of the Oldman’s conduct.

Prior to arriving at this understanding we all lived in a very rebellious state towards God but thankfully the mercies of God covered me even back then and it was often the rod that was used to drive folly from me. I was an aggressive, unfaltering, self-centered individual and one who shunned authority at all costs. It was all part of my sinful character which God patiently allowed to play out in order to teach me how desperately I needed Him, bless His brilliance. He is ever wise even when others only see destruction, He adequately works miracles into any given situation and graciously saves individuals from themselves; this is my testimony; it took me 22 years to come to that understanding and the need to find forgiveness for my sins. And although many of those unwanted traits of my old character miraculously seemed to disappear without any effort on my part. After a while those hindering traits would look to rear their head and dominate any given situation when challenged. Nothing more than rebellion!

I have noticed through my experiences and encounters with other Christians that many deep rooted traits from the old man, our old lives prior to salvation sadly often never leave us, which can be very damaging not only for ourselves but for those who witness our appalling behaviour. This however does not excuse us in the light of being covered by the grace of God. Sure we find repentance for our actions from day to day in and through the finished work of Calvary; this is commonly known as part of our ongoing daily sanctification. Our lives must be filled with a measure of self-reflection as we have been commanded to put on the mind of Christ. In other words we must change the way we once conducted ourselves and apply ourselves to that change not with a carnal understanding, which at times may even seem as if we are doing the right thing on a moral level, if it is contrary to the mind of Christ it will only ever ensnare us deeper into our rebellion of self.

It is easier to pick out a fruit that is marred on its outer shell than one that is filled with worms which are hidden and feed off the inside of the produce. And yet both are equally undesirable. Let us not be fooled into excusing certain types of behaviours while picking on the more obvious easy targets. Our minds must now become obsessed with the “mind of Christ” and we must make every possible effort to understand what that looks like. Forget everything you thought you once knew, because some of what you may believe to be kosher may in fact be the very thing which hinders you from going onto maturity. It is God who hinders or accelerates a Christians progression; “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, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.” (Hebrews 6:1-3)

As a Christian, there is a process we must get to grips with no differently to a newborn baby familiarising themselves with their new surroundings, from the womb into the world and for the Christian; from the Oldman’s reckonings to the mind of Christ. If we resist this transformation we will sadly not be allowed to go onto maturity. Who in their right mind would want to be an adult with an infant’s understanding, how long would that individual last amongst the wolves of this world? Now before I am misunderstood; all of salvation is subject to the grace of God, however we must pay careful attention to the Spirit’s direction. The apostle Paul gives us this instruction and it would be extremely beneficial to examine ourselves in light of the tutoring; “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.” We must test ourselves and our conduct compared to the mind of Christ. We are new creatures in Christ, if in fact we have His Spirit in us, if not we kid ourselves and try to kid those around us that we belong to Him, when in fact we have a form of religion but it carries no power in our deliberations. We will eventually be found wanting, driven by our old characters where sin dominates our lives. There is nothing hidden from God, therefore we must examine ourselves; we must be honest with ourselves so that the necessary steps may be realised and then appropriate action through repentance in the finished work of Calvary can be taken. This is a very important facet of what it means to put on the mind of Christ…

Signing off

Tyrone

    

Emotion

The elation of victory is a wonderful emotion and the greater the win the fuller the joy. Life is all about conquering differing obstacles as and when they present themselves, regardless of our upbringing or background we all have the hurdles of life to conquer. And one needn’t look very far to find someone worse-off than ourselves. But regardless of our standings within society, whether we are first in the class or last we will only ever be in one of two factions that will carry eternal consequences; the Camp of Life or the Camp of Death! Whether a person ends up being a king or a pauper we will eventually all be divided as the Bible expresses it into one of two camps; Life or Death; Heaven or Hell! This is what mankind has generally overlooked from the beginning. Life is a treasure hunt and the greatest treasure of all is the Lord Jesus Christ and yet only some will find Him; whilst others chase mammon or something they value as their ultimate goal which drives them to be the persons they are. However the offer to find Christ through repentance has gone out to all. Eventually this truth will become apparent to all and yet sadly it will be too late for so many.     

Obviously we will all die and return to the dust but our soul survives death and lives on, either serving God in plain sight or it will continue to die in darkness and torment, absent from the presences of God for eternity; there is life after death! There will be no end to eternity and we will all be privy to that law which God has established. This truth eludes so many of us because we have been blinded by sin. Sadly the distractions of life keeps our minds busy with less important issues; education, sport, power, awards, money, lust, relationships and the like. Death will eventually knock for all and then what?

Imagine the doom and gloom of death knocking at the door, a man lies on his sickbed knowing that death is eminent, the fear of the unknown looming; that is a reality which in tow carries a heavy burden and an emotion filled with dread. Ifs and buts raging rampant in the man’s mind if he remains oblivious to the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has heard the message in some form, we all have, but he has rejected the grace of God throughout his life. What a dilemma!  How many actually find true repentance on their death beds? Some, but not many! God is full of grace and how many opportunities has He afforded mankind to find salvation in Him? Time will reveal it all!

Here is a parable we can use to stress the point…

There was a man who had achieved success and he was esteemed by his peers, a man dressed in purple and someone who feasted on the finest of what life had to offer. Each day on his way to work he looked down on a beggar disregarding him as a failure. A thought of annoyance having to see this man every day frustrated him and with that thought he felt a sense of self-worth about his own achievements. And then it happened death knocked and called his name. His eyes were opened to the reality of eternity and he was surrounded by flames of fire with all his facilities in tacked. How do we know this to be true? Here is his reality; "There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.” (Luke 16:19-25) – Lazarus (the beggar) was a man in need and yet He relied upon the grace of God to see him through life on earth, he was poor and destitute or so it seemed. Whilst on the other hand the rich seemed to suffer no lack. Until death knocked! He ignored the grace of God while he lived. A story which will apply to all whom live; you see that there is far more to live for than surface tripe and it is imperative that we understand the deeper meanings of life. God has offered all the chance to find Him.

Sadly it was too late for the rich man and this was his retort about his condition; “And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house-- for I have five brothers--so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'" (Luke 16:27-30)

This is the truth about life after death therefore be sure to find the grace of God whilst you still have breath. The offer has gone out to all…

Signing off

Tyrone    

  

  

Let's be sure...

Man-made religion is full of understandable snares that look to entice the carnally minded individual. But in order to safely navigate the traps along life’s journey we must put on the “mind of Christ”. This is crucial for our existence here on earth as well as what God has for us beyond the grave.

Why does religion play such a massive part in the world today? We are inquisitive beings and we have been designed with enquiring minds which leaves us permanently looking for answers. We are driven towards knowledge in one form or another. Let me use a very simple example to prove the point; I like boiled eggs prepared with the center soft but not runny. In order for me to achieve the perfect results I needed to test my gas stove with a specific pot and then the timing of the cook is crucial. I needed to test varying criteria to eventually arrive at my desired result. I required the theoretical knowledge I had learnt to then be worked out practically for me to achieve my goal. Without the specifics put into place, it would always end up as guess work to whether my eggs would be hard or soft. And when I get it wrong I know it’s because I never used the knowledge that I had already worked out over time. It was ignored! It is impossible to take the same eggs and to start again. New eggs are needed!

We get one crack at this life so it is crucial that we get it right. If we miss out there will be no second chance. Do not believe the liars with their hocus-pocus fairy tails about reincarnation, it is devilish and comes from the pit of hell. There will never be a second chance for us to right our wrongs, the Bible is very clear on this point; “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27)

Our soul drives us to find answers beyond the grave, no differently to our hunger pangs driving us towards our next meal. It is part of our design. Even though sin has blinded us from certain truths about the knowledge of God, somehow there is a gnawing voice in the back of people’s minds about life after death. God has graciously equipped mankind with an inquisitive mind that needs answers. I understand that the Bible is clear on the point that unless we are “born again” (born of the Spirit) we cannot see heaven with all its beauty and yet there is an unseen driving force that keeps people wanting to stay alive. The curse of aging is what we all look to avoid. The Makeup Industry is a multibillion dollar industry that is thriving and will remain to live as long as it has breath. How much of your salary goes towards makeup and antiaging cream that may keep a wrinkle away? Strip it down and we will all eventually end up in the same place; “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."” (Genesis 3:19) – We will all eventually take our last breath on this planet, which is the cold hard truth to our existence. There are no ifs and buts to that equation.

This is our truth but we have not been left without an alternative. Jesus Christ the Lord has already conquered the grave and in Him alone will we find salvation for eternity. There is no other alternative that will end well. However there are many voices that proclaim marginal solutions, they are nothing but lies. The true Christian has fully understood this but for the sake of those that may still be on the fringe of salvation let me break it down for you. Why is there no other way that will end favourably? The Bible has made it clear that God hates sin, rebellion to His existence is what drives our sinful natures and because we are all under the same curse we need a substitute to re-establish a rightful standing with the only true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Someone had to pay the price for our sin, hence the Lord Jesus dying in our place. Will everyone escape God’s judgement? NO! Only those who turn to Him through repentance will escape that judgement. How will this be achieved? It is simpler than you think, confess your sins before God; acknowledge your responsibility in them, seeking out God’s forgiveness for them through the Lord Jesus Christ and it will end well for you. The Bible has made this very clear; “For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:11-13) - However ignore the warning at your own peril. There will be no second chances.”   

How important is it for us to get it right? Considering eternity and because of our carnal natures it is sometimes hard to wrap our minds around the thought. This might help; let’s say a bird needs to sharpen it’s beak and it uses the rock face of Table Mountain to do that. How long would it take for the mountain to eventually wear away and disappear? Well if that was possible over the process of time, eternity would have only just started. Eternity cannot be measures as it lives beyond the bounds of time and yet it never ends, wow! Therefore it is imperative for us to make the right choice while we still have breath as it will affect our eternal existences. I trust you get the point. There will be no second chances!

For those who have found life and who can sing the song, “Jesus in my place” it is nevertheless needful to understand that we must change our mind-sets. Each and every morning we must endeavour to put on the “mind of Christ”. We are under a new set of laws; we must no longer be governed by our old traits. Faith must drive us towards the instructions found in the Word of God. Here is one of them that should anchor our thought process from here on in; “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” (Romans 8:5-9)

In conclusion we need the Spirit of Christ to help arm us with the mind of Christ and if His Spirit is absent, we simple do not belong to Him.

We must all face our own realities and ask ourselves the question does the Spirit of God dwell in us? Man-made religion gives those enslaved to it a vaccination, which in turn quenches their enquiring minds, feeding them with lies and keeps them from the truth. I too was once enslaved to a church that was dead.

I ask again, does the Spirit of God dwell in you? If not you do not belong to the only true God and you will not escape the judgement of God. The Bible is very clear on this. However if you are alive you can turn to God through repentance and seek out His forgiveness for your sins. Today is the day of salvation, call upon the name of the Lord and you shall be heard, but call you must!

Signing off

Tyrone