Testings must come

What is the imperative that the Christian needs to appropriate into their environments to be favoured by God? No one can take honour unto himself, even the Lord Jesus did not do that, but God exalted Him above everyone else and this is why He is now seated at right hand of God. It was God the Fathers call; He alone is the One who has it in His power to exalt another. Regardless of the honour we may receive throughout our lives; honour, degrees, awards and so on, they all have their place with their reward but those things are all temporal and they will eventually run their course; However if we are looking beyond the temporal veil of carnality and into eternity our convictions most certainly begin to take on a different appeal. It will soon become evident on how serious we are in finding God’s help.

For any of these truths to become our reality we must believe God at His Word; the seas do not have a choice in the matter; God says halt and they stay! This is the test we will all have to confront in our lives. The greatest example is what our Saviour had to endure on the cross just before he died. What was going through His mind? We get some insight into the emotions that the Lord Jesus Christ faced; “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"” (Matthew 27:46) – It is obvious that the Lord Jesus felt that he had been abandoned by His Father, even if it was for a fleeting moment. We also know that the Lord Jesus had it in his power to call thousands of angels to annihilate all of his oppressors and yet he chose not too; his entire life was about the will of His Father. He trusted His Father to such an extent that he knew he would be raised from the dead and therefore was committed to the hardships he needed to endure along the way. God had said that on the third day he would rise again; Jesus believed God the Father and proved it by dying upon a cruel Roman cross. He was punished for our sin even though He had no sin. God had a plan for his life just as He has a plan for our lives; it is obviously meniscal in comparison but it has its place in God economy and we will be given varying opportunities to make good on that call, praise the name of Jesus!   

We see that most of the Children of Israel didn’t reach the Promised Land; they lacked faith; God said that He would give them new lands and we know that it is impossible for God to lie because we have been taught this truth in and through the Word of God. Why? Because they murmured and grumbled; therefore it was only Joshua and Caleb who entered the Promised Land. Just think about how many tens of thousands left Egypt at the time and for only two of the original liberation to receive the promise is rather mind blowing. How do we stack up with our commitment to the rescue God has given us?   

We have all been called to trust and obey our God even to the point of death, this is the ultimate test of our faith and we are to find grace along the way as it is available to every born again believer; we must not grumble, but rely on the grace of God to get us through whatever challenge we face. Christianity is about our faith towards God as individuals and we will all be tested through real living experiences. Lets us not be fooled into believe that we will get a pass. Christ has lead by example and now we must follow in his footsteps, all hail King Jesus, Amen!

Abraham believed God; we are not given too much insight into the unfolding of this explanation, at least in the Bible, there is however some historical writings (found in the Book of Jasher referred to in Joshua and Second Samuel) that gives us some insight to Abrams (Abraham) struggle against his father’s foreign gods and how he tested their worth, eventually smashing them. It just about cost him his life, BUT GOD! However seeing that those entries are not part of the Bibles writing I will refer only to what is written in the Holy Bible as I know that these writing are accurate and when we commit to them as intended we will be blessed by our God. “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” (Hebrews 11:8) – We must trust to the same extent if we are to come out on the other side purely refined. Sadly the wolves have run riot amongst the sheep folds of God across the globe with their cunning lies, with their false application of faith and how it should be exercised. However this should never detract from our duties with our faith towards our God. Do not let the enemy leave us with a watered down application towards true faith; sadly amongst so many denominations we tend to want to over correct when we see error and therefore we do not reap the intended benefit. Faith is a pivotal ingredient for us to find God’s favour in our lives.

By the grace of God I have reach a place where I will look to my Father to begin to apply scripture with a greater commitment, regardless of the gonging cymbals that look to make so much noise without any doctrinal truth attached to it. “Let God be true and every man a liar!” Everything for this life and our eternities in the future hinges on this very important fact, which is to trust and obey our God as we receive instruction from His Word, the Bible! The written Word is a treasure map filled with palatable delicacies which will help us find our way to heaven.

In conclusion let us spend more time on our knees even the more as we see that day approaching.

Signing off

Tyrone   

    

Acuity

Day and night thoughts relentlessly arrest my mind, but I know it is the goodness of God that drives me from them towards His Word. I find a wrestling within that looks to drive a wedge between the mind of Christ which every true born again believer has received and the rational of the Oldman. The time when we where are lead about like the blind leading the blind with our opinionated ideas on life and how we should go about living, oblivious to eternity and the will of God. Once God breathes life into a repentant sinner’s heart we all receive a new understanding and now life begins with a new set of rules that drives our intent. However the “Oldman” and his thinking still lingers looking to constantly make an appearance. So how do I separate the wood from the trees? By what method do I know which considerations will be beneficial to the call God has placed on my life? The answer is very simple; trust and obey the Word of God at the expense of all opposition, come what may! Easier said than done, maybe, but only when we walk in scepticism! The sole purpose of mankind is to be about the will of God the Father. And again I must remind all those who now process varying thought as they hit home that everything and everyone is part of the cogs in the wheel of life and God the Father is directing even those who claim to be heathen.

In every house there must be receptacles of honour as well as dishonour, so that the vessels of honour stand out. If you are into art and you get your hands on something of great beauty, do you leave it in the basement or do you mount it on the wall as a show piece? A nail is needed to display the picture in the correct position as it holds it in place. But the nail is never the showpiece. We all have a role to play in God’s Universal Production; I cannot stress the point enough. Do you know your part in the play? Judas Iscariot one of the disciples betrayed the Lord; someone had to do it as it was part of God’s script. And just like sin and temptation have their roles in society; it highlights the difference between light and darkness, good and evil. The bible is clear on the topic; "Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!” (Matthew 18:7) – Throughout our lives we all have run into varying regrets to these phenomena’s. But we must never leave those stones unturned; we must all find forgiveness for our sins if it is to end well.   

    

We cannot serve both God and mammon, Why not? “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." (Luke 16:13) – How do I know that this is sound advice? It’s rather very simple, the Lord Jesus so instructed his followers. So what will we do with this information? Like all sound doctrine, we must take it and make it our own. It is foundational to our lives and we must build upon that foundation. As Mongi and I trekked through the book of proverbs there was a particular verse that still nurses my mind and it was the words of Agur the son of Jakeh; “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar. Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, "Who is the LORD?" or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.” (Proverbs 30:5-9) – Do we share his sentiment? I know if I share in his ideas that it will be well with my soul, of this I am persuaded. However there are many thoughts that look to rob me of this authenticity. Father God, give me the resolve to live by these truths. I confess that I am always looking for an easy out and when I do I know that I have erred. Please forgive me when I venture down this path. Please continue to make me more like your beloved Son, my glorious Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. I confess I need your help.  

My mind has been taken to a justification that David encountered and it is the reaction of Joab the son of Zeruiah that we need to pay special attention too. The scene was one where God was about to give Israel back their city that the Philistines had stolen after the death of Saul; King Saul had sadly sought out a medium to find direction for his life and not looked to the prophet of God to find direction for himself and God’s people. The time in his life had resulted in great folly and he had proved it to the onlookers as well as to God, and therefore God put him to death. A scary thought but extremely accurate. Let us sit up and take note of his actions so that we do not make similar mistakes. David on the other hand paid very careful attention to the words of God and this was the result; “So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by Samuel. And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, that is, Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land. The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, "You will not come in here." Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.” (1Chronicles 11:3-15) - What caught my attention was Joab’s reaction to David’s instruction; “David said, "Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander." And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief.” (1Chronicles 11:6)

 

Who will be first and last in the kingdom of God, is a very deep question that is almost forbidden and yet it was asked by enquiring minds. How do I find favour from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the only true God? I must listen to His voice; I then trust it by an action of obedience. Joab responded first and became chief. I wonder how many others stood around and watched as they waited for someone else like Joab to be the first responder.   

  

Have you buried your talent or are you putting it to good use is another way of looking at it. Has sin kept you from proclaiming the gospel? Many amongst us may claim salvation in the finished work of the cross but sadly we are all too often silent when confronted and the reason for this is that we are not willing to relinquish our sin. The Lord Jesus taught us that the reason why so many do not come to the light is because their deeds are evil; “For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God." (John 3:20-21)

It is God alone who decides the outcome of a person’s faith, He is Sovereign and yet somehow in His astounding brilliance He has interwoven a capability into mankind that leaves us with the ability to make choices that we alone are accountable for. God is ingenuous, who can fathom His brilliance? Thankfully we are afforded snippets of it the more we delve into His Word. Praise His glorious name now and forever more, Amen and Amen!

David sinned and realise that he could not rescue himself and for us to find forgiveness we too must follow his example; “To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.” (Psalms 51:1-13)       

  

Pressurised thoughts often have a tendency to drive an individual into a decision that brings with it regret. This can be because of many differing factors, but strip away the clutter and trust and obey the Word of God and it will be well with our souls and it will end healthily. We must put off all and any considerations that contradict the Word of God and follow Him in faith; “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) – Evidence in our commitment to Christ can be measured by our obligation to His instructions.   

In conclusion it is obvious that everything in our world has its part to play, light dispels darkness allowing us to function more efficiently; blessed are the peacemakers, and yet without war we wouldn’t need peacemakers. There must be wars in order to exalt the peacemaker. We must understand darkness to value the beauty of light. We must believe God if we are to be counted amongst the righteous. I trust I have made my point…

Regardless of where we stand on so many differing fronts, we all play our part in God’s Production with some living their lives as a testament to His brilliance whilst others mock His name; both are needed to highlight the two extremes. The question we have to ask ourselves is where do we fit? There is a day coming in the not to distant future, where the separation between light and darkness will be worlds apart. For those who find repentance in and through the Lord Jesus Christ will eventually all end up in the New Jerusalem “but as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8)

Signing off

Tyrone

Giving an account

Wow, was the first word that came to mind when I caught a fresh glimpse of what the Word of God has once again revealed to me; a mystery that so many by default guise to overlook, especially when it concerns self. Human nature is so often twisted for self gain. We like to believe that we place others before ourselves, but strip it down and if candid our hearts are swiftly expose, if we are willing to be true to the matter. It is not how the Lord Jesus conducted Himself, He is my hero! Even when he was being crucified for a crime he didn’t commit he was being thoughtful of his perpetrators; “And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments.” (Luke 23:34) – Even whilst he was being cruelly treated there where those looking to profit from his death, not understanding their actions. Christ’s death was needful for mankind to profit, but not in a monetary sense. He died so all those who would find repentance in his sacrifice would be forgiven for their sinful conduct against a Holy God. Forlornly there are those who have jumped onto the band wagon of Christianity for that exact reason, financial gain.

Sadly even for us who find salvation still tend to focus on self in one way or another. If honest I am amongst that number, please forgive me Father God and renew a right spirit within me. Scripture is filled with such beautiful revelation and instruction on how we should conduct ourselves as Christians and yet I find what I learn from you is self-sacrifice. What right do I have in finding fault in others when I am not treated the way I feel I should be? I see those who have it in their power to make a difference but procrastination seems to be the order of the day. Scripture is clear on certain topics and when I see those turning a blind eye to my predicament I feel mistreated. Sadly this is the underlying truth to my reality. Once again forgive me Father. I conclude that I wouldn’t behave like others do and yet I find that when I am in a position to give I withhold, just below the surface I am no different. It is who I am, but I no longer wish to live there. I find a perpetual thought process that always looks for an opportunity to justify selfishness. From the greatest to the smallest thoughts it is a pattern I am governed by. When I look left and right and see other living under the same rule, how does that excuse my actions? It doesn’t! We will all stand before our Maker and have to give an account; “So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12) - Help me be more generous in character I pray, make me more like my beloved Saviour is my cry. I understand that I have a long road to travel and for me to reach its end I recognize that much suffering will need to be endured, give me the fortitude to cry out for your grace to get me through is part of that prayer.

In any battle there are always scouts that are sent to spy out the lay of the land. It is a dangerous task but needful to secure victory. I understand that in order to reach the Promised Land all of your children will need to suffer to learn obedience, a denial of self must be high up on our agendas. But we must have a willingness to travel that boulevard, give me the endurance needed and help me see the wood from the trees as I learn to bring glory to my beloved Saviour.

Thank you for hearing my plea my beloved God and Father.

Signing off

Tyrone     

The Bible

Of late in one of my recent posts I made the statement that “books are good but the Bible is better”, although I always knew that this statement was true; I seemed to miss a persuasive necessity to drive this reality home until I was sitting in a doctor’s consulting room as he was running late with his appointments, which afforded me the opportunity to read two chapters of Paul’s epistles. It was only then that it dawned upon me again that reading scripture certainly feeds the soul. Just by reading the Bible its truth began to pop with the beauty of scripture revealed in a fresh light. Regardless of what we think we know or what we have already read in the past the Word of God is an extremely precious commodity filled with fresh revelation to all who explore it with intent. Not “fresh revelation” as something new needs to be discovered, by re-inventing the wheel but new to the readers understanding which in turn fuels their faith and ignites our hope. These types of encounters are priceless… how do I know this to be true? “TT” (tried and tested)! God is faithful, He cannot deny himself and it is impossible for God to lie. The Lord Jesus is the Word, the one who became flesh and dwelt amongst us.

We all need to begin somewhere, the first step must be calculated; a determination to change our habits and resolve to read the bible; pencil time into your schedules, diarise your alone time with the Word of God. If God was determined to use His Word to sustain all of creation and He has given us His written Word that is freely available to so many of us, best we use it to deepen our relationship with Him. The Word of God reveals so many beautiful attributes of God which strikingly silence the opinionated suppositions of this world.  

Did you know that those who place their faith in lying signs and wonders above the importance of God’s Word haven’t understood the value of God’s Word and its saving power. You can always test the validity of any church by how much value they place upon the written Word. The world understands power by might, through weapons and the like, the Arms Race proves this point emphatically; it is not so with our great God, His Word is His strength and the enemy will always look to water down the Word even amongst those who falsely claim to be Christians. Have nothing to do with compromising the Word and it will be well with our souls. Look to it, trust it and depend upon it. The only true and living God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob decided that the Bible would be His treasure map in order for us to find Salvation in His beloved Son and then to be sustained by the Holy Spirit which always points us to scripture, never away from it, Satan does that!  

There is a day coming; take note of what is highlighted; “Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations. Fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, but behind them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them. Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, and like war horses they run. As with the rumbling of chariots, they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, like a powerful army drawn up for battle. Before them peoples are in anguish; all faces grow pale. Like warriors they charge; like soldiers they scale the wall. They march each on his way; they do not swerve from their paths. They do not jostle one another; each marches in his path; they burst through the weapons and are not halted. They leap upon the city, they run upon the walls, they climb up into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief. The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. The LORD utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the LORD is great and very awesome; who can endure it?” (Joel 2:1-11)

Creation begun with words from God, time is also governed by His Word and the heavens with the earth as we know them will also end with His voice; “And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.” – The beginning of time as we know it. God then gave an instruction to Adam, do not eat from the tree of the “Knowledge of Good and Evil” which Eve disobeyed and then Adam followed her folly and sin entered into the hearts of all men from there-on in. Cain killed Abel! Moses went up the mountain and there he conversed with God and received the “Ten Commandments”, introducing the law of God to His people, the Jews, the seed of Abraham. The Word began flesh; the Lord Jesus Christ was born and brought with him salvation for all of mankind, for all who would believe in Him. And when time has run its course the heavens and the earth as we know it will be folded up as a garment with a new heaven and a new earth established. And all of these truths are found penned in the Bible, the written Word of God.

I trust we understand the value of the Bible and the insights it gives us to this life and the life to come. We must all learn to place our trust in it for it is a lifeline which God has afforded all those who seek out His will and purpose. By the good graces of God I am learning to love it more and more as the voices of this world drive so many from it. The Bible is our rudder to His will for our lives. Where will you stand on your dependency upon His Word, as for me and my family we will trust it from here on in, will you?

Signing off

Tyrone        

  

To have our consciences purged

I am thankful for the way in which God allows us to grow in His graces or not with faith as an underlying lesson attached to all of it; He is Sovereign! He sometimes allows us to bear fruit which in turn glorifies His brilliance and there are times where the tree remains barren for what seems like an eternity. The skill of the honed Gardener at work, the more I get a glimpse of God’s brilliant ingenuity the more I am humbled and my dead works are quickly silenced. The Holy Spirit opens this gateway and at times leads us into the spiritual world and shows us snippets of this great universal production that God is in the process of directing. We all have a part in His production, that is a given, whether we believe that to be true or not is irrelevant. The greatest Director, the great I AM, Jehovah God has set the wheels rolling with His invention and nothing will stop His will from unfolding. This is such a comforting thought and I treasure it with my entire being as it fuels my faith and helps to cement my hope in Him, the only true God.

What is it that you treasure the most? Is it a weekend away from the hustle and bustle of life, your yearly holiday, a healthy bank balance, or “goodies?” It could be your children, your partner or a potential partner that you still looking for. This list could be endless, however when we learn to treasure the Word of God above everything else we are most certainly on the right road, its only when we neglect the Word of God that we lose our way. This is why ever Christian, regardless of your gifting in Christ must make and spend an allotted time with their God through His Word the Bible. Christian books are good but the Bible is better and the Holy Spirit has been commissioned within the Godhead to lead you into all truth and just like David this will become our resolve; “Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” (Psalm 25:5) – We wait on the Lord through prayer and supplication, but how will we know how to pray efficiently if we haven’t learnt from the forerunners penned in scripture? The Bible reflects our God and reveals the Lord Jesus in all His glory. We may not always understand the depths of scripture, for not all gifted as teachers, however we all have been given a measure of Christ; we will get glimpses of His glory when we spend time in the Word of this I am convinced. 

I am in God’s army and I have my instruction, which is to be faithful to His call upon my life. However there are many violent snares and individuals that look to stop me from ever finally arriving at the finish line, this God has also allowed. Just as car needs fuel so too does the Christian need the work of the Holy Spirit to fuel His resolve; without His work in our lives we would never arrive. Religion of any kind without the work of the Spirit in our lives will never produce anything other than dead works; “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. "A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me." (John 16:13-16)  

He is the fuel that gives us life, without Christ’s accomplishments and the Will of the Father working together with the Holy Spirit we will never reach our goal of repentance from dead works. I hope this is clearly understood. Although Scripture teaches us the varying roles of God, with God the Father as head; it is clearly understood that all of the Godhead (three in one) works in unison, without any hint of contradiction. Perfection personified!

To have our consciences purged from dead works is a miracle. This would be an impossible feat to achieve without His intervention; it all starts with the realisation of “Jesus in my place” and without that snippet of this reality hitting home we will always look to ourselves too arrive, which is beyond our capabilities, because of our sinful natures. There has been no exception to the rule, save the man Jesus Christ; the one who through the spilling of His own blood has purchased the ransom for many. Only those who have His covering will understand this term “repentance from dead works and faith towards God”, and without it that which I hone in on, will elude the masses. It will keep them continually looking for “stuff” to do in order to find favour from God, which is an impossible quest. Sure, there is plenty “stuff” to do but it will remain dead to our heavenly Father; it will pass-by unnoticed and we wont be able to pull on it as a drawcard when Judgement Day eventually arrives if those works have not been sanctified by the blood of the Lamb. These types of often public display will be appreciated by bystanders and they will receive their praise but not from God. Men may appreciate your efforts but not God. We have all fallen short of the glory of God; “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.” (Romans 3:23-25) - Nothing we say or do will ever change this truth, outside of repentance for our sin and the acceptance of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. You could be Nelson Mandela or Mahatma Gandhi if you haven’t been sanctified by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ all your works will remain dead before God the Father and it will not give you a pass into heaven. In other words He isn’t interested in them and you won’t find forgiveness for your sins by them. Therefore let us stop wasting time as we progressively learn to trust Our God and King and pay attention to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our live as He stirs our consciences toward good works. “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)  

       

Considering the workings of our consciences, my beloved brother Trent Eayrs opened my eyes to a deeper understanding of how the conscience works with its resolve. It is an awareness that help us understand the will of God for our lives. We do not drive those thoughts but God the Holy Spirit shows us right from wrong, training us up for godliness; when we err on the side of sin it drives us to a point of repentance and when it has run its course in a particular area of our lives we will understand the depravity of our sin, not to be repented of, over and over again. It brings us to a place of understanding, we begin to see and understand the price that Jesus Christ our Messiah had to endure and therefore we are repulsed by the sin that so easily besets whilst being trained up into godliness. We begin to learn that the pleasure of overcoming the deceitfulness of sin has greater reward than the taste of what that sin offers. Our consciences are our allies. There are times when we look to balance the scales of our sinful conduct, known throughout scripture as “dead works”, where we begin to rely on our own efforts to find favour from God instead of resting on the finished work of Calvary. We are instructed to repent from these effort and we must turn away from them as we learn to provoke one another towards good works; understanding that God alone must be glorified. Boasting of any form outside of His achievements has been excluded in God’s economy.     

There are times in a believer’s life where our sin can sear our conscience; it is one of those violent traps I referred to a little earlier in this post. As new born believers we are very in tune to our consciences and the slightest sin triggers it into action, however when we become dull off hearing and we look to ignore our blunders as repetition kicks in our consciences become seared. It is a treacherous place to flirt with as Christians, we must repent if that is where we find ourselves and just like David we must cry for help. Our plea must go something like this; “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalms 51:10) – Thankfully our God has immeasurable storehouse of mercies that He affords His children, without His longsuffering we would all be doomed, however He looks out for His own, but we should never ignore sin as acceptable, for it is vile in the eyes of God.

Signing off

Tyrone    

Separating the wheat from the chaff

After my post on “Remembering the poor” and the conditional snub I received, it once again drew my attention to our inherent nature that will look to excuse ourselves from applying God’s word to any opportunity we have in relation to helping our brothers in need. We instinctively tend to help those of our families, because “blood is thicker than water” but what of our needful brothers and sisters in Christ? We can be quick to cast aspersions on the lazy but not so swift to put our hands into our pocket especially if that means we will go without. In my opinion this is an intriguing consideration. So many will look for reasons of why not to help instead of suffering want, so I ask myself the question, why and at what cost?

There are so many thoughts bouncing around in my mind, but it would be a good exercise in separating the wheat from the chaff. Again I stress, it is the Word of God that always holds the key to any dilemma and if we are to end up on the right side of God’s instruction we must search the scripture if we are to resolve any given scenario. Be still; listen for the voice of God and the clutter will dissolve.

It only takes the smallest of errors in so many differing areas of our lives, for us to loose our way; with that in mind, what is our respected roles within this question; the aiding of our Christian families in need? The Apostle John has a steady instruction that we should all take sympathetic note of; “But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?” (1John 3:17)

I am cautious in my pondering as I need to examine my own heart in this matter, I must arrive at a conclusion as I ask myself, am I now looking to excuse myself of my responsibility in the hardships I now face concerning my work scenario and diminishing lack of income; combatting so many different opinions from within and without on the reasons for my current predicament. Am I doing as much as I could or am I waiting for help? One thing is for certain, the hardship I now face in this chapter of my life which seems to be never ending is part of God’s brilliance, even if disillusionment is my companion. I suppose that God alone would be able to really see where my heart lies on the matter. However when I remove myself from the equation, the Word of God stands firm and the instruction is clear, we are to look for reasons on how to help the household of God and not the other way around. This is the heart of a true disciple and our beloved brother James has this to say; “For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder!” (James 2:13-19)

It is one thing to be slothful refusing to work when the opportunity presents itself but quite another thing altogether when work is scares. This thought now brings me to a bothers judgment which God has blessed and obviously multiplied his ministry. My post a few days back from Charles Spurgeon summed it up beautifully, we are surrounded by those individuals (those who suffer want) to have our own hearts exposed, are we animated or passive with our application to those in need? I am convinced this is where the rubber hits the road and it’s a true reflection of where we actually stand as believers. A very sobering thought but extremely needful for our growth in the good graces of our Lord.

God is sovereign and each and every one of us without exception is exactly where we need to be as believers. True lessons of our growth as Christians will always come at a cost, the denial of self. The greatest example of this is the life of our blessed Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, with many other great examples both recorded and unrecorded that have followed suite. Will we be amongst that number? Time will eventually reveal all! Lets us remember to separate the chaff (the opinionated expressions of this world) which contradicts scripture. God help us to grasp these realities with our whole being and to bring Him glory with our obedience to that heavenly call.

Signing off

Tyrone       

    

     

Bitter-sweet

The human race, without exception and with all of its individuals has a priority list that they value and adhere too. “One man’s passion is another man’s poison”, is a very accurate analogy of where we all stand in our carnal comprehensions of life in general. Even with the hidden agendas we conceal there are always articulated signs which can be seen if looked for. Sin has done such a work on the world’s inhabitants that even the most moral individual will suffer from the same disease. The problem we all have, from the greatest to the least, is that we always look to excuse ourselves and accuse others. It is a human flaw and sin is the offender. Did you know that those whose names are not found written in the Book of Life will be sent to hell by the exact thing they condemn others by, their own sin and not the sin of another. This is the way of the world. But for the Christian we are instructed to be aware of this certainty; "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:1-3)  

However even the Christian if honest with themselves find a war that rages in this ethos of their lives. We all in our own ways look to become masters of disguise and conceal what we are ashamed of, this is a common attribute of our sinful natures; however we are no longer slaves to sin, if we have the Spirit of Christ in us. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2Corinthians 5:17)

The fact is that the new has come, the believer is now covered by the Second Covenant which is far greater than the first. Jesus Christ has paid the price for our sin past, present, and future. God has reckoned this to be so and nothing can change this truth. The Lord Jesus Christ, God in the flesh paid the penalty for the repentant believer’s sin. However if we continue in sin looking for grace to abound, then we probably still live with a deceived heart and this is probably one of the most twisted truths within the Christian faith, not that the truth is twisted, how could it ever be? But the wrestling within man’s soul is what can almost drive him to despair. We must never find ourselves excusing sinful behaviour; whether it’s lustful sin or any one of the other commandments of God as it will eventually be brought out into the open if we do not wrestle against it seeking out God’s forgiveness. For the scripture is very clear on the matter; “Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'” (Matthew 7:20-23) – As Christians we have a responsibility to recognize the areas in our lives that rob us of our victories in Christ and to repent of those types of practises. It is a daily struggle that we all have to take seriously; it’s not about our brother’s sin per say but rather a reflection of ourselves that we need to address.

Creation has begun to rumble with far more intensity of late and that day draws even nearer. Time is something we all take for granted growing up, but as our end draws to its close we are often filled with regret. I saw this with my late father. Not the regret of Christ’s sacrifice on the believer’s behalf but of the time wasted with the gifts He gives us. Just as his life ended so shall it be for all of us, that great day will eventually arrive. Consciously I am becoming a lot more aware of that reality. God help us to use our time wisely…    

     

The time for childish behaviour, whatever that may be for you and me, must now end as our time on earth is very short. The message we need to get out to the world is that it is Jesus who has died for my sin and I need to let others know that this is all I live for. The Apostle Paul put it like this; “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1Corinthians 2:2) – Therefore let us encourage each other towards good works; “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people."” (Hebrews 10:23-30)

God help us to use our time wisely from here on in and not to take the sacrifice of our great Saviour lightly, as we only get one crack at this wonderful free gift of having our sins covered by His marvellous ransom. “Jesus in my place” must be our motto from here on in and not the accusing of others while we look to excuse ourselves; it is only the Lord Jesus who perfectly accomplished this feat and in ourselves we will never accomplish that quest.

Signing off

Tyrone

Remembering the poor

Of late my son and I have been constructing our way through the book of proverbs for the second time with the intent of deepening our understanding of God’s wisdom and His knowledge; I am fascinated that King Solomon, David’s son was probably the richest man of his time and how he would make so many references to the poor. It is an undeniable truth that we must sit up and take note of these references if we are to grow in the good graces of our Lord. I came across this post from Charles Spurgeon which would be good for us to take note of…

“Remember the poor.”

- Gal_2:10

“Why does God allow so many of his children to be poor? He could make them all rich if he pleased; he could lay bags of gold at their doors; he could send them a large annual income; or he could scatter round their houses abundance of provisions, as once he made the quails lie in heaps round the camp of Israel, and rained bread out of heaven to feed them. There is no necessity that they should be poor, except that he sees it to be best. “The cattle upon a thousand hills are his”-he could supply them; he could make the richest, the greatest, and the mightiest bring all their power and riches to the feet of his children, for the hearts of all men are in his control. But he does not choose to do so; he allows them to suffer want, he allows them to pine in penury and obscurity. Why is this? There are many reasons: one is, to give us, who are favoured with enough, an opportunity of showing our love to Jesus. We show our love to Christ when we sing of him and when we pray to him; but if there were no sons of need in the world we should lose the sweet privilege of evidencing our love, by ministering in alms-giving to his poorer brethren; he has ordained that thus we should prove that our love standeth not in word only, but in deed and in truth. If we truly love Christ, we shall care for those who are loved by him. Those who are dear to him will be dear to us. Let us then look upon it not as a duty but as a privilege to relieve the poor of the Lord’s flock-remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Surely this assurance is sweet enough, and this motive strong enough to lead us to help others with a willing hand and a loving heart-recollecting that all we do for his people is graciously accepted by Christ as done to himself.” (Charles Spurgeon)

Signing off

Tyrone

The Resurrection - Fact or Fiction?

With some intense points of views pressing home as I rolled out of bed this morning and with a single thought eventually silencing the other contenders let me endeavour to unpack that particular impression and do the subject justice as it is crucial for the Christians existence.

The topic; the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, is it fact or fiction?

There is the cry from so many opinionated sources throughout the world that Christ’s resurrection is in fact a fairly tale; but for the Christian without the resurrection as an actual fact could only ever imply one thing that our faith is futile. Without Christ’s resurrection as an actual datum we would be no different to any other religious niceties that can only ever tickle ones conscience as many find whatever suits them to falsely hedge their bets for the life to come. Some believe that they will be reincarnated, how they arrive at that conclusion can only proved that Satan’s trickery is at play. Has there even been any proof to their claims? Has a cow ever spoken to a grandson claiming to be their grandfather? Whilst others worship carved images which neither move nor speak. Superstition personified! So what of the Christian, what makes our belief any different from others?

We will eventually arrive at a marvellous conclusion…

We are not called to apply faith to any novel idea but rather asked to believe God at his Word, however in His mercy He has gone to great lengths to prove that what we cling to is genuine. How so? The bible is filled with irrefutable proof, like prophecy (a man foretelling the future and penning actual events still to happen). At large the world is fascinated by prophecies from Nostradamus and yet they shun the bible’s truth which records zero errors pertaining to its foretelling of the future.

The gainsayer is often the man who has done zip study of the Bible, fascinating! Comments like, “I’ve read the bible” after reading a line or two, it is obvious that Satan has twisted their minds and they love darkness rather than light. Unless those in question cry out for help, sadly they will remain in darkness for all eternity. However while a person has breath there is still hope, but their sinful state must be recognized if they are to have any hope of salvation. For those closest to us who apply such reasoning to their lives we must continue to shine Christs light out into the darkness of this world. Be zealous for the truth and be bold with it. Our God is gracious and we must never forget where we once were in consideration of our understanding. But let us never confuse truth with tolerance for error. Compromise is not one of God’s attributes, its how Satan deceives.

The brilliance of God on display through the apparent mundane existence of the world’s population is often missed by the masses. The simple lessons in life often highlight the most marvellous complexities of spiritual truth if only we would pay attention to it. But the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not open to any such revelation, it is factual and binding. Even the unbeliever in a court of law would be unable to dispute that fact.

The man Jesus had died; they buried him in a tomb and covered its entrance with a large rock posting sentinels to guard it. Who in their right mind would ever protect a grave? That alone should get your attention as it assuredly highlights value. Those who insisted that Christ be crucified had paid off men to see their plan come to fruition. But there was one more hurdle the gainsayer had to overcome, the claim from Christs believers that he would be raise from the dead and they couldn’t have that so they took great precaution to keep that from happening, but to no avail! Who can stop Gods intentions? HIS WILL ALWAYS COME TO PASS! Just because a man or an angel should endeavour to thwart God’s plan does not mean that they shall be successful, unless that was always part of God’s overarching plan to unravel a deeper truth highlighting His brilliance.

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is the ultimate manifestation of the cleverness of God; even creation as majestic as it must have been in my humble opinion does not compare to the mastermind behind Christ and his gospel. – Satan believed he had defeated God but was outsmarted by him, Amen and Amen! The Apostle Paul unravels this hidden truth like this; “Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1Corinthians 2:6-8) – And then to think of what God has in store for His faithful is too much for my puny brain; “But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him". (1Corinthians 2:9) – Wow what a hope we have in our great Saviour…     

On the third day after the death of Jesus and just as it was predicted, here is one of the recorded accounts of two eye-witnesses and the unfolding of this event; “Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you." So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me."” (Matthew 28:1-10)

Imagine the excitement; the experience must have been so exhilaration for both women. Not only was the teaching of the Lord Jesus unfolding before their eyes, they were part of it and had their quota to play. It is the same for every born again believer, we all have our portion to accomplish in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. And just like they received mixed reactions to the “Good News” we shall experience similar reactions, therefore let us not be put off by such trivia. Be bold and share the gospel, it may just change a life.

These women were filled with fear and great joy, and ran to tell the disciples the good news. It’s their reaction that I wish to highlight; “Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.” (Mark 16:9-11) – Because some had not personally witnessed the Lord Jesus resurrection, they struggle to believe it. This however did not change the truth as it had already happen.

As this truth was now already in play, the enemy was also plotting their deceit; “While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, "Tell people, 'His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.' And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.” (Matthew 28:11-15)

Sadly there was even doubt within the Christian camp but not for long; “As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, "Peace to you!" But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.” (Luke 24:36-40) – And just like the Lord Jesus had raise Lazarus from the dead, God the Father had now raised Him from the dead. It was not a spirit whom the disciples now witnessed but Jesus in body.

Mission accomplished, the Lord Jesus had now completed his stint as a man and re-opened the bridge that Satan thru Eve in the Garden had shut due to his deception and her sin.

There were now eye witnesses of his resurrection…

Imagine a man charged of murder placed on trial. His defence attorney has a responsibility to do exactly that, defend him. But as soon as there are eye witnesses that come forward stating under oath that they witnessed him murdering the deceased his chances of acquittal rapidly diminishes.

We have a recorded account of those who actually saw the Lord Jesus after his death; in fact the evidence is so compelling that in court of law it would be impossible to deny the truth of his resurrection. He was seen by many witnesses; “He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.” (Act 1:3) - How many people actually saw him alive and well after his burial? The figure is staggering, both the woman at the grave and at least all of the disciples save Judas his betrayer could all under oath swear that they had seen him in the flesh after his burial. They had all witnessed him alive and well.

So once again I pose the question is the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ fact or fiction? The answer is obvious! This is why I can also echo Paul’s sentiments; “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16) – The door has now been opened for the truth saving power of the gospel to reach men and woman throughout the globe, for all those who believe in His resurrection.

As for the Christian we serve a God who has it in His power to save all those who come to this realisation, praise the name of Jesus now and forever more, Amen!

Signing off, or let me rather more aptly say, singing off

Tyrone           

     

  

          

    

The Journey

Having been driven to the banks of anxiety, my journey of late has been a worrying one, no matter how hard I have tried to ignore my reality and looked to apply the Word of God to my situation. It is one thing to say you believe the words of God but quite another to drink from them. We have all heard that “we can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink”. If it isn’t thirsty it’s never going to drink, even if there is a long stretch ahead where the wells will be scarce. Unless we are as wise as the camel we won’t withstand the journey. Lest we take in enough water to replenish all of our organs the passage would become an impossible quest.

We will face those types of journeys in our lifetimes. It is unavoidable if we are to reach the Promised Land and there is no skirting the toughest tests of life. It is true that everyone’s expedition must and will vary depending upon differing factors. A man cannot take fire to his bosom and not be burned and yet men like Job were blameless and look what God required from Him. So there are many differing influences that determine a person’s flight, but one thing is certain, all will have to travel the road to the Promised Land if we are to reach our final destination. Wisdom drives us to the Word of God (the Bible) if we are to eventually arrive. It is our lifeline in trying times and even our arch-enemy knows that and he will try to infiltrate the Word just as he did way back in the beginning as he uses wolves dressed as sheep to twist the truth of God’s Word. Therefore be diligent and on guard, just because a person may offer you water in your time of need does not mean that it hasn’t been doctored with poison. There must come a time in a believer’s life where he will have to understand the difference and make his stand.

Sadly for a long time now, even in my lifetime I have seen the “money preacher” preying on the weak; “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.” (2Timothy 3:1-5) - God will have the final say; praise His name now and forever more, Amen and Amen!       

If you have been lead to believe that Christians should always be blessed, which we are, but not in the way the wolves present it. They say a person should never be sick for if they are they lack faith or if we suffer material want we also lack faith, this is not true in accordance of God’s Word as he is preparing his people for a far greater existence, a life of utopia and an eternity of son-ship where we will finally arrive. God the Father, the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit and heaven with all its glory has been reserved for the faithful. This means that our pilgrimage on earth will and must be filled with many testing times to prepare us for what awaits. These times will hone us into the image of our great Saviour, glorifying our great God as it silences the enemy. Job’s is the ultimate example, obviously after what our great Saviour needed to endure to set us apart. Therefore let us not shirk the trials of life but rather let us embrace them as an opportunity to grow in the grace and knowledge of our blessed Redeemer.

When the waters of life are on offer let us be quick to drink from them as it will sustain us through our desert expedition as we remember that there are many resting points along the way where life will be blissful. So wherever we are along that journey let us remember to hold fast onto the hem of our Saviours garment, the Word of God as it will sustains us, come what may.

Signing off

Tyrone