A paradox understood

The call to Christianity is one of endurance, I guess that we all understand that endurance for an athlete is not just a given, it is worked for; with hours of dedication fixed on a particular practice, day in and out with months on end of repetition as stamina is drilled into ones muscle memory preparing the individual and giving them the title, “a person of endurance”. On the other hand it is obvious that salvation is a gift from God, it cannot be worked for or earned; “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)  - And with both those thoughts infiltrating our mind at the same time we find a paradox that is in conflict. But only if we leave it there and we do not explore a little deeper. God has equipped the believer with a resolve to find the “good works” prepare for them to walk in; “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)   

If misunderstood it is in these areas where Satan likes to use doubt against babes or those living in rebellion as our minds are impregnated with thoughts of “free grace” running riot; allowing the deceived to live a lifestyle in blatant contradiction to Christian practices believing that the grace of God will cover you. If the understanding of the grace of God is twisted just a tweak you will end up with a perverted result and there are those who have been taken by that was of thinking, I too was once amongst that number. However we will be turned from that type of deception if our conversion was implemented by God. The Lord Jesus is the great Shepherd; bless His name now and forever more.

God will get ever “true” born again believer home, of this I am persuaded; He has initiated a covenant with those individuals which He will never default on. Desertion belongs to us because we are naturally sinful but God is perfect in righteousness and therefore it is impossible for God to lie. The work of Calvary is a finished work, it is done, it is sealed and the book of life was penned prior to the foundations of the worlds. A skilled potter will always arrive at their desire result and once the artefact is complete it will serve its intended purpose, we too need to serve our purpose as Christians and end up in the position that God has intended. Life is full of challenges and just like a fruit tree in a garden, it needs tender loving care; if left to its own devises, its fruit will eventually end up being marred or full of worms and unpalatable. This is where the Father-son relationship of God becomes marvellously evident to the one who is living in rebellion. God disciplines the ones he loves. The child caught up in mutiny will be turned and repentance will follow; if not then our son ship is questionable. God’s warnings are very precise and not to be taken lightly, do that at you own peril. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrew 10:31)   

Let me make it clear that not everyone who claims to be a Christian will make it to heaven. These were the words of our great Saviour; “"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) - There will be those we come across that claim to be Christian but in fact are nothing more than workers of lawlessness (free to live in sin and call it grace) – here is the teaching; “Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”

                                                      

Heaven will be filled with righteousness not lawlessness; our life on earth is a training ground to prepare us for heaven; “Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy." "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” (Revelation 22:11-15) 

Lord willing and with that in mind we will travel with the next post into the book of Revelation and the instruction it has for the churches; with an intent to examine ourselves in light of the Lord Jesus’ direction, remembering that if the shoe fits we need to act quickly seeking out the grace of God that is available to His children. Repentance if needed and then to find endurance to overcome.

Signing off

Tyrone

The truth told continued for the believer...

Before we move into the coaching to the churches in the book of Revelation I believe there are some principles that need to be highlighted for us to be armed in dealing with its instruction with grander intent.

There is a key that unlocks the forgiveness of God, which by now should be very obvious to all; He is the Lord Jesus Christ. However there is correct manner in which we will enter true son-ship with our names penned in the book of life. REPENTANCE for our sinful actions is the pivot in Christ; it is what will separate the goats from the sheep, the figs from thistles and the grapes from the thornbushes. "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:13-20) - A Christian’s conduct will prove their substance.  

The trials and the failures through our lives have a purpose which is to teach us our dependency upon God and the finished work of the cross. The law is a schoolmaster which exposes our frailties in the flesh and clarifies that we are incapable of attaining to God’s standards. This we have already established through varying posts and by the Word of God. We need the injection of the Holy Spirit into our lives to be amongst the number who bring about fruit worthy of son-ship. As children of God we can loose our way along our journey, it’s imperative that we be shown the errors of our way and we find repentant when God’s shines His light into those areas of our lives. This is what proves true son-ship; “… How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:2) – Christ has broken the bondage of sin for every true believer when we walk in the spirit and not the flesh.

If the shoe fits then we must consciously slip into it, if we are clear on all matters we will have peace with God and then it is our responsibility to press on as good stewards. Our intention must be to live a life of holiness. Here is a great encouragement and yet it has a warning attached to it; “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness.” (2Peter 3:9-11)

Observe I. “That what men count slackness is truly long-suffering, and that to us-ward; it is giving more time to his own people, whom he has chosen before the foundation of the world, many of whom are not as yet converted; and those who are in a state of grace and favour with God are to advance in knowledge and holiness, and in the exercise of faith and patience, to abound in good works, doing and suffering what they are called to, that they may bring glory to God, and improve in a meetness for heaven; for God is not willing that any of these should perish, but that all of them should come to repentance. Here observe, 1. Repentance is absolutely necessary in order to salvation. Except we repent, we shall perish.

The apostle, having instructed them in the doctrine of Christ's second coming,

Takes occasion thence to exhort them to purity and godliness in their whole conversation: all the truths which are revealed in scripture should be improved for our advancement in practical godliness: this is the effect that knowledge must produce, or we are never the better for it. If you know these things, happy are you if you do them. Seeing all these things must be dissolved, how holy should we be, that are assured of it, departing from and dying to sin, that has so corrupted and defiled all the visible creation that there is an absolute need of its dissolution! All that was made for man's use is subject to vanity by man's sin: and if the sin of man has brought the visible heavens, and the elements and earth, under a curse, from which they cannot be freed without being dissolved, what an abominable evil is sin, and how much to be hated by us!” (Matthew Henry)

There was a time in my Christian life that these truths eluded me and all because I was looking to accommodate sin in my life with the excuse that I was but a man. God has mercifully begun to repair those tares to my life and I am forever thankful that He was willing to show me the wood from the trees. Did you know that one of the fruits of repentance is “revenge”? We are call to find grace and take revenge on those sinful traits that once dominated our lives prior to salvation. This is the call for the Christian.

“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” (2Corinthians 7:10-11) – We need to ask ourselves are we amongst the numbers who are clear in these matters? If not then there is work to be done and repentance is on the cards. Work through them one by one and ask God to pour out His mercy with a resolve of seeking out His grace to appropriate the above and it will be well with our souls. We have all been called to a life of holiness.

Signing off

Tyrone

The truth told continued...

Why is the call to repentance of utmost importance to the inhabitants of the world? Just before the Lord Jesus made his arrival and entered his ministry a forerunner was sent to prepare the way; John the Baptist paved the manner with this as his predominant message; “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."” (Matthew 3:1-2) – He then went on to make an amazing statement to those who had hidden agendas and wanted to continue in their sinful states and still hopefully find forgiveness and avoid the wrath of God. The Pharisees loved to be notice by others with their so-called righteous practices and yet their hearts were deceitfully wicked. This was John’s statement to them; “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 3:7-10)   

  

There are some important observations we need to pay special attention too with his delivery…

Observe 1. To whom he applied it; to the Pharisees and Sadducees he found it necessary to explain himself, and deal more closely with their intent as they were proud individuals because they were of the seed of Abraham and therefore believed that they were automatically entitled to John’s baptism of repentance, when in fact they were all about the public affairs of the times, they liked the power of office, being stooped in tradition of the elders and not the will of God. His message was a lot harsher with them; “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ; They understood that the wrath of God was coming and yet they were self indulged. His message to them was; “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance”; they presumed that they would find repentance regardless of the way they lived. Whilst other understood their sin and found forgiveness through John’s baptism and he thought it enough to instruct them in this fashion; "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

“It is the great concern of every one of us to flee from this wrath. (3.) It is wonderful mercy that we are fairly warned to flee from this wrath; think - Who has warned us? God has warned us, who delights not in our ruin; he warns by the written word, by ministers, by conscience. (4.) These warnings sometime startle those who seemed to have been very much hardened in their security and good opinion of themselves.

II. Here is a word of exhortation and direction (Mat-3:8); “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance. Therefore, because you are warned to flee from the wrath to come, let the terrors of the Lord persuade you to a holy life.” Or, “Therefore, because you profess repentance, and attend upon the doctrine and baptism of repentance, evidence that you are true penitents.” Repentance is seated in the heart.”” (Matthew Henry)

The wrath of God will eventually play itself out and it is critical that we are aware of His judgements in order for us to understand the mercy on offer. Wherever you find yourselves, in either camp it is vital for us to find repentance in and through the finished work of the cross and then to bear fruit in keeping with repentance; if this is not our stimulus the supposition is clear; “Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

We must prove our election in the way we conduct ourselves; “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure...” (2 Peter 1:10)

Here is the final judgment I mentions in my prior post that is just over the horizon; “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15)

What must we do to ensure that we are penned in the book of life? Firstly we need to acknowledge our sin and then confess our sins to God seeking out His forgiveness in the Lord Jesus Christ, no other way will suffice. There is no other door besides the finished work of the cross that will free us from the wrath of God which will at the appointed time be concluded. God has spoken!

As for the Christian it is imperative to sit up and take note of our lives and see were we are falling short and then to repentant and seek out a positive change to our lives; we may be truly saved but still neglect certain areas of our lives that tarnish our conducts as Christians. The apostle John penned the words of the Lord Jesus in the book of Revelation’s and some of Christ’s followers had some things against them whilst others were warned of what they would have to endure for the sake of their faith. We will examine this in the upcoming days.

Signing off

Tyrone

A wise person buils upon the Rock

When we begin to unpack the holiness of God’s character it is obvious that it is a perfection of such purity that our intellects are unable to comprehend the magnitude of it all. God’s brilliance is filled with such an awesome presence that He veils it for the sake of our existence. Carnality is unable to enter His presence. That would apply to both the mental and the physical realms. It is possible to pour oil and water into the same bowl; they will occupy the same space but never mix. So is it with the flesh and the spirit, two completely different realms, with the spiritual realm surpassing the natural in every area when it comes to behaviour.

We know that angels exist because the Bible is full of references about their roles in God’s global production. How many of us in today’s day and age have actually seen an angel? They are not seen by us but we can be seen by them, they intertwine in our world in a physical state and not the other way around. They can be transformed into men; we cannot be transformed into angels. None of us have wittingly entertained angels, but some may well of entertained strangers, men who in fact are angels; “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (Hebrews 13:2)

As Christians we live our lives in the natural realm, we nurture the flesh in order to stay alive but after salvation something miraculous happens to us, our spirits are quickened. Our souls have been made alive by the Spirit of God; we now have the Spirit of God who indwells us, He has house Himself in our bodies; “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11) - This is not a natural observation and if and when our consideration remains bodily these truths will elude us; it must be observed through the eyes of the Spirit, which we now have. This is the realm in which faith in the finished work of the cross works, without the Spirits role in our lives we would remain faithless.

Once we have been saved we are aware that something has happened but not quite sure of the workings of it all. One day we swore like a trooper and the next day our vile tongues miraculously vanished. Demonstrating the power of God’s Spirit in a subtle and yet a very real way; these types of changes in a believers life help us understand the gravity of being made alive in the Spirit.

The honorable call God places on individuals lives is the greatest of honours; their can be no greater tribute place on a single individual than the call of God on their lives. Why do some remain faithful whilst others fall by the wayside? Without being too super spiritual there is a simple way we can remain true to that call; “So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:12-14) – Transformation must be portrayed in believer’s life. The Spirit of God will bring about the change and this is a given. How do the cogs of the Spirit bring about this change in a believer life? God knows the intricacies of it all and we know enough to confidently understand the teachings of Paul; “if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live”.

How do I live out this truth as an active gesture in my life? Place a magnet on the table and then take a metal paper clip and place it on the opposite side of the table and you will notice nothing of value but move it closer and you will soon obverse the magnets current beginning to draw it towards itself; even closer still and the two become one. In type this is how we secure the call of God upon our lives, we need to live as close to the magnet as possible. If we begin to drift away from the magnet (the Spirit) we once again find ourselves walking in the flesh and danger lurks. The further we move from Him the worse off we become. The closer our lives revolve around the Word of God and His Spirit the holier our lives are.

A marksman once said, “Aim small and you will miss small”. This is good advice when it comes to our application with our conduct in understand that we “have been saved by grace through faith”. Grace was never intended as a licence for us to sin rebelliously; “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2)

This truth must be understood if we are to walk as victorious Christians in a world filled with sin. It is the way we are commanded to build upon the Rock. Judgement is just over the horizon and we have been excluded from the wrath of God and all because the Lord Jesus paid the price for our sin; this then is our tuition; “Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:12-14) – Let us not be fooled into believing that we can live like we once did and still expect rescue.

 “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.”

Signing off

Tyrone

The truth told part 1

Democratic Justice Systems throughout the world are setup in such a way that before a person is tried or a witness testifies they are ask under oath if what they are about to declare “is the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me God.” With the intent of securing justice for all; as if the threats of an unbelievers hand on a book, the Bible would somehow swing the person’s conscience into action if they were determined to lie. The intent may be a noble one but impossible to implement righteously. Court cases are manipulated, twisted and defence attorneys do what they can to lighten their clients blow whilst the state prosecutor goes for the jugular. The truth is often manipulated by both parties in order to find a favourable outcome. If and when a new piece of evidence comes to light by either party they will expose or conceal the evidence depending on its merits for the case.

With regards to our eternal predicaments righteousness demands the whole truth which must includes the judgments of God or else we will only see one side of the account. I feel it would be fitting to give both side of the truth if we are to be jolted into gear of effective service. Much has been spoken on the forgiveness of God but very little on the wrath which is to come. It is essential to bring the truth of God’s judgement to light, not that it is something new as it were but not often preached in today's day and age; it will not be attractive but is will certainly bare the banner of truth without any hidden agenda and those who have ears to hear will respond favourably, whilst the deaf may discard it as dribble but I have hope that it may kindle a call on the believers of God to repair their old “gearboxes of complacency” with their walks with the Lord. Spark us into righteous action. I believe I have arrived at a place where the truth needs to be told concerning a topic that is very seldom spoken about in Christian circles and that is the pending judgments of God just over the horizon.

The ruling of God is coming and it will be brought into fruition at His appointed time. If we are even given a slither of understanding on what the Apostle John witnessed when he observed what God permitted him to view penned throughout the book of Revelation; peradventure we might just be a tad more serious with the subject. It has been penned for our benefits and to warn those who may have strayed from the path with the opportunity to find repentance in their lives. The churches mentioned in Revelation had their commendation as well as their rebukes highlighted and there are times in our lives when both sides need to be travelled and today is the day where I am being led to consider God’s judgment and some truths attached.

The notion that God is love which He obviously is but to twist that thought to your own demise as if there is no judgment in Him which is false and a lie; that perception comes from the pit of hell. All of God’s love has been confined to one place and outside of that sanctuary the wrath of God will be reveal with great display. Understanding that it is in Christ alone where the love of God abides; reject Him and you castoff the love of God and you will be subjected to His wrath. I cannot put it any plainer than that. Scripture is clear on this and any true expositor will agree with that statement.   

As a kids I’m sure you can recall playing “hiding go seek” where you would give the person searching for the item clues as to how hot or cold they where in finding the hidden article by calling out “hot” or “cold”. There is no middle road with God’s love; it is all encapsulated in his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, my beloved Saviour, praise His name and I am blow away by His consideration for dying for a wretch like me. Whilst I was yet an enemy of God, oblivious to my sinful lusts, with them dominating my life, not giving any thought to the will of God, God still sent His Son to die in my stead. This is love personified! However if and when we reject that offer the wrath of God will be our lot in the life to come. There will also be those who witness His wrath here on earth if their time falls within the parameters of His reckoning. Historically the Jews have been subjected to those allotted times. But all must been seen under the banner of God’s righteousness and His love if we are to benefit. It is easy to love the loveable but not so easy to love the villain; “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Reject His love offering at your own peril…

This is what is just over the horizon; “And he said with a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water."” (Revelation 14:7) – His judgment will be explicit and anyone whose name is not found written in the book of life will be privy to His decrees. Hell will be your final destiny. With that truth voiced I must warn against the pending findings that await those on the earth who reject His teachings.

Today is the day of salvation, the offer of God’s grace is still on offer but I can assure you on the authority of the penned Word of God that tough times are just over the horizon. There is much to be said about this and so to be unbiased to the topic I have decided to break this up over the upcoming weeks. God willing we will see the truths unfold and come out on the other side with a clearer understanding fit for our Masters service; “The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” (Revelation 21:7)    

Signing off

Tyrone

We are at war part 2

Part 2 of 2

There is something else that drives us; we also have an instinct and a determination to survive. “Fight or flight” is the common term used to describe how we handle dangerous situations. It is an inherent reaction that kicks into gear when a situation demands engagement and yet we do the exact same thing with our thoughts. We may not be aware of how our brain functions but God knows; however we are knowledgeable enough to know that we either run towards a temptation or run from it and if the attraction offers us reward we tend to succumb to it. This is how the natural person behaves.

We then get saved by the blood of the Lamb, we are born again and then something else kicks into gear igniting an ability to overcome the strongholds of our minds which once dominated our characters. It is a miraculous intervention that the Spirit of God empowers the Christian with but for this to be realised and acted upon there must be a shift in our understanding as we mature as Christians.

Go back in time and revisit the time of your conversion and you will soon understand how miraculous your rendition actually was; as for me, the day before was filled with wine woman and song, which then dissipated into something totally different with the Word of God as my most prized possession. I somehow couldn’t get enough of the Bible and engulfed myself in it. It was a marvellous time in my life; as a babe in Christ we are protected rather miraculously by God. He places a hedge around us protecting us from evil, praise God! We understand very little about the wiles of the devil but we know enough to appreciate that we have been saved by the blood of the Lamb. 

We then grow as Christians no differently to a child through the stages of their lives. There comes a time when we need to take our first step as the temptations of life become more severe. It is through these types of processes that we now begin to face the challenges of Christianity, our faith is tested. The difference between the pull of the flesh and the spirit becomes more pressing. We are constantly called upon to make spot decisions which will either glorify Christ or not. 

This is the our call; “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” (2Corinthians 10:3-4)

In order to walk victoriously we must understand the gravity of Paul’s statement. Our conducts will begin to change but only when we walk in the Spirit, believing and trusting God for our transformation; “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (Galatians 5:16-18)

The day I fell to my knees and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive me for my sin and thanked Him for dying for me, a miraculous thing happened, my foul mouth disappeared. Swearing was a thing of the past, however as life progressed and I made mistakes as a Christian I noticed that the temptation to swear reappeared. Why? The answer is rather obvious; I once again starting favouring the flesh, there was an itch that needed to be scratched. This is how the war rages in our minds and our lives must be filled with an engagement of the mind of Christ if we are to have any success as Christians. But while we are in these flesh and blood bodies we will be constantly at war with our new found call. We must learn to eliminate all the bad habits in our lives that feeds the flesh and nonchalantly keeps us plodding alone as we did the day before we were saved.

Hardships work in our favour and we will begin to flourish when this is realised. Remove someone from the comforts of their home and watch them kick into another gear. This must be understood if we want a revival in our lives. Situations and circumstances will place us it trying predicaments where this will be put to the test. This is the life of the Christian, old things have passed away, behold all things are now new. This then is the overarching instruction; “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

Christianity has never been a call to a cushier lifestyle but we have been separated unto God to put to death the deeds of the flesh. We are at war and the greatest of our enemies are our old natures. God give us the resolve to walk as new creatures in Christ and to excises godliness as our driving motivation throughout the day.

Signing off

Tyrone   

We are at war part 1

Part 1 of 2

There is a common word that describes who we are as people, “me”! Regardless on our geographical location and cultural upbringing all of mankind is dominated by the flesh and their desires. So much of any given day is all about what can “I” get out of it. Everything about our days from the minute we wake up to the time we shut our eyes is driven by the intent to nourish our bodies; we wash, eat, brush our teeth, take supplements to nurture our energy levels, and the list goes on, which can get rather tedious; nevertheless we are creatures of habit and do what needs to be done. But above all we have the need to please, not others but ourselves. This is a part of our natural makeups and this is rather unappealing when we see ourselves for who we are. To allow someone to have something at our expense is extremely foreign to our natures. However, the Lord Jesus broke the shackles of this vicious cycle. The Christian now has the ability to arm themselves with the mind of Christ as it is freely available to the believer, and there is a storeroom of grace freely available for the humble from which we are able to draw from.  

A man coverts his neighbours goods, it begins with a thought, but when that idea is allowed to germinate it has the potential of death. In other words if it is fed and it then becomes an intention this is where sin is most destructive. Not only does the man injury his own soul but it has an effect on those around him and sometimes it can have a very serious blowout. In fact this is what sent Jesus to the cross, the breach of mankind’s sin against God.

A man robs a bank with a loaded gun, he panics shooting a bystander who was minding her own business, who that morning had just pack three lunchboxes for her darlings which she did habitually and always with a smile on her face imagining her youngest daughters smile when she saw her surprized that was tucked inside her sandwich wrapper. A lively connection shared only by mother and daughter. Would tomorrow share a similar grin, for she now lay on her back with blood gashing from her side where the bullet had pierced the lower side of her left lung? The bystanders witnessed her fighting for life with a distinctive gargling sound that no one could miss as blood began to fill her lungs and then once the fight subsided with a single kick she was gone. There would be no surprize nor a smile on Rachel's face tomorrow and all because a man had a covetous thought that grew into an intention.

Sin affects all and it cannot be ignored. Only the blind and the fool cannot see the gravity of a thought that spirals out of control into an intention and when it is fully grown it brings forth death, not only in this life but the one to come. Did you know that we are unable to differentiate between thoughts and intentions in ourselves because we are so engulf with “self”. Our sinful nature has taken care of that; “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7:15) - It is only the Spirit of God that has this ability to arrest a thought so without His direction in our lives we will never be able to bring our thoughts captive. Paul later goes on to say; “Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” (Romans 7:20)

The struggle we have is to accept our realities and then to seek out God’s forgiveness and get on with “His Production”. Without owning our sin and finding repentance because of it we will only ever be swallowed up by it; amazingly once that realisation has kicked into gear our minds will be filled with faith which then kicks into another gear, helping us realise the power of the Spirit of God and this is not observed from a distance but we see Him as One who sticks closer than a brother. The goodness of God who can fathom it!    

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:12-13)

Why is there so much devastation in our world today, for that exact reason; peoples thoughts are driven to intentions which has raped so many parts of the world. Poverty is on the up and there are people starving. Examine the timeline by traveling back in history and it will be obvious that someone somewhere decided to act on a thought which would leave a wave of destruction in its path. But before we begin to excuse ourselves we need to understand that we were amongst that number, sinful individuals who gave no thought to God and His purposes; self preservation dominating by a life of covetousness prior to salvation. We are not exempt for our sinful actions, we all far short of the glory of God. Even though individuals like Job, Noah and Daniel put the world to shame with their righteous conduct, God has concluded all under sin; so before we start playing “the I am good card” we must understand this truth; “as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."” (Romans 3:10-12) 

With this understood and now numbered amongst the Children of God we now have His Spirit who guides us throughout the day, but we still face a day filled with unwelcomed thoughts, considerations that often repulses us, I know that I have many of those thoughts on a daily basis but its what we do with each and every individual thought that is important. We have one of two options; resist the temptation or act upon the thought, driving it into an intention that cannot be stopped when fully grown which will bring forth death if repentance is not actualised. It is part of sins power and its curse.   

In the Garden of Gethsemane the man Jesus resisted unto the point of sweating droplets of blood, striving against sin as it waged war on his soul; whatever thoughts travelled through his mind, I can of a certainty say none of them where driven to intent, praise God for that.      

Here is how I have come to understand the psyche of the way we are captivated by our own sinful natures and how it is impossible for God to be privy to that deception for He is righteousness personified. It is who He is. And yet whilst we were still sinners (in a state of hopelessness) Christ died for the ungodly, wow! I hope the gravity of this merciful act is understood by all. It is needful for us to understand the depths of what God was willing to do in silencing Satan and freeing the sinner. “Jesus in my place”, what mercy on display!

Signing off

Tyrone 

Make your calling and election sure

(2Peter 1:10)  “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.”

A patent originates with an idea that someone somewhere comes up with and if it has any market value investors back the idea hoping to make a profit on their investment. Once that idea comes to fruition and the public embraces it then it begins to become an item that is desired. The “pirates” soon latch onto the same idea and fabricate a look alike at a fraction of the cost. It looks like the real deal but anyone accomplished will soon be able to tell the difference.

Christianity has been tarred with the same brush in many circles. A false gospel is rife in our society today, and it has been gaining momentum for some time now. Pirate Christianity ensnares those looking for gain in this life. The money preacher traps the novice with the idea that wealth and prosperity will follow the new convert and many are drawn by these lies. True Christianity is about forgiveness of our sins and a turn about in the way we once behaved; the knowledge of sins forgiven, “mercy on display” and a turning from it towards holiness; “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14)

The “Pirate Gospel” leads a person to believe that sin is not an issue in a believer’s life. That is a lie! The message of forgiveness must be encapsulated with repentance and a turning from our sin and not towards a message that God is gracious and he understands my weakness and therefore He will tolerate my sin, GOD HATES SIN! So much so that He turn his own back on His Son when He paid the penalty of mankind’s sin causing the Lord Jesus to cry out, “my God why have you forsaken me.” The false preacher multiplies these types of messages on the back of a wealth and prosperity despatch, which enslaves the simple.

“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. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.” (2Timothy 3:1-7)              

There are many other warnings in scripture, the book of Revelation warns the church at Laodicea of their state before God, which in a way is tied to prosperity; "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. "'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.” (Revelation 3:14-20)

Wherever we find ourselves within in our walks with the Lord we must be willing to accept the mistakes we have made or the presumptions we once held dear if and when the Word of God corrects us. God only disciplines the ones He loves! I am so grateful for that, I cannot express the depths of my gratitude, to know that I have a Father, the ruler of the universe who is willing to take time out of his day and correct me, wow! When I understand that my immediate reaction will be to be bold and I will repent because I will want to please my heavenly Father. Sin is what kept me from a relationship with God but now that I have been washed by the blood of the Lamb, sin will no longer have any dominion over me. I will not be ruled by it like I once was, praise God for His mercy!

However if and when I continue to knowing live in sin and discipline eludes me, then I am a bastard and not a son; “It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” (Hebrews 12:7-8)  

I may claim to be a Christian but I have been hoodwinked into believing a lie. I have been trapped by a false gospel, no differently to that fabricated pirate item and I need salvation. If in doubt fall to your knees, cry out unto Jesus and ask Him to open your eyes and then turn from your sin and it will be well with your soul. Peace will be your companion, but if you have been truly saved and you continue in sin believing that grace will abound, restlessness will accompany your throughout the day.

There must come a time in a believer’s life where it will become evident to the world that they are not of this world. Without that evidence as our reality we may talk and dress like Christians but in fact be nothing more than a knock-off. The devil has infiltrated so many into believing his lies, let us not be amongst that number.

The “prodigal son” was a son indeed and he was loved by his father, but until he learnt his lesson and turn from the error of his way he was left to wallow with the pigs. Some of us need extreme discipline in our lives to be taught very valuable lessons, thank God for that. Whilst others may feel that they are balance in their conduct and yet they are just as blind as the prodigal once was.

The Lord Jesus made it very clear to his disciples and the bystanders that followed and this was the lesson; "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.” (Matthew 12:33) – Its no use claiming to be a Christian if the fruit to your life depicts another story altogether. Rebuke from God is often what is needed to get us back on track. Do not resist discipline but rather welcome it for God is for His children and not against them. God please open our eyes to see the error of our ways wherever we may have deviated from your instruction. I am persuaded that all of His children will be brought to a place of repentance.

Signing off

Tyrone     

    

      

Cherishing the WORD

My late father was a professional soccer player and so from an early age we would always be kicking the ball about in the back garden, playing two-touches with miniature goals made from tomato boxes and orange sacks. These are fond memories but the reason I mention it is the lesson I learnt when I was forced to kick the ball continuously with my left foot to help advance my soccer skills as I was naturally right footed. My dad would say that any good footballer had to have two good feet. And so repetition became the order of the day in my back garden. Today I am as competent with either foot.

Over time as a Christian throughout my highs and lows of life I have by the good graces of my heavenly Father eventually come to a place of a deeper understanding of what the most valued treasure of the Bible is, it is the WORD OF GOD! And John the Apostle understood this better than most. He must have! Look how he starts his Gospel; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…” (John 1)

Everything in creation is obedient to the “Word of God”, in fact this verse teaches that all things were created by the Word of God. The sun rises and sets as it has been commanded to do, the seasons change as they do and we could carry on through all of creation and it would soon become very obvious that this is undisputable. Scientists and evolutionists may oppose the Word of God, but I tell you like I have in the past woe to the one who opposes the Word of God, their days are numbered. The time of God’s wrath is just over the horizon and it is the Word which they reject that will ultimately condemn them.  

It amazes me how the world is seeking out love and their fairy tale ending, with a goal to find their soul mate. The hope of love is what motivates and drives their hunger for it. And yet John was known as the beloved disciple, I wonder if it was because he understood the value of God’s Word as his most valued treasure? He found His absolute gratification in the Lord Jesus (the Word) and he needed nothing else. My prayer is that all of God’s children will come to the same realisation.

In order for us to become skilled with the Word of God directing our lives we must learn to trust it as we ort. The only way this will ever become our reality is through the trial of life which in turn will present many differing opportunities for our dependency to trust it, or should I rather more pertinently say “TRUST HIM” – the WORD of GOD is the LORD JESUS CHRIST!

Suffering or the trial of life if you prefer will bring about its desired result for the child of God. What it does is bring us to a point where a choice needs to be made, choose sin as the easy out or trust the WORD OF GOD. It is a painful process and it is meant to be; “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” (1Peter 4:1-2) – It serves a very valuable purpose, it conforms us into the image of Christ, praise His name now and forever more, Amen!

Without effort in this error of our lives we will remain unskilled and just as I needed to have the soccer ball present to my left foot so too do I need the trial of life to present itself so that I too may become trained by the Word of God to trust and obey it come what may.

Sadly for most this truth will elude them and the only reason for it is that they are obstinate to the Word of God. They rebel against it, they have not learnt to value it as they ort. Praise God for opening the eyes of all those of whom He has chosen. Without God’s intervention in our lives we would still be dead in our trespasses and our sin. Oblivious to this truth! But we need to travel deeper with our dependency upon the nay and yay of the Lord if we are to be given the privilege of placing our head on our Saviours chest. A place reserved for John, the beloved disciple.   

The book of Hebrews is a book written with that intent and it tutors us not to rebel against His commandments. Sadly many were saved out of slavery from the captivity of the Egyptians way back in the days of Moses, with all partaking of the same blessing and yet only two of the original exiles hung onto the Word of God, understanding that their lives depended upon it. Joshua and Caleb entered the Promised Land, whilst all the others fell in the Wilderness.

Here is the reason for their fall; “And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” (Hebrews 3:18-19) – They simply sinned and moaned throughout the entire journey not valuing the Word of God as they should have, may God open our eyes to this reality and help us depend upon His instruction that is found throughout the Bible’s teachings, for if and when His voice becomes our most valued treasure it will be well with our souls and the love of God will overcome all. There is a day coming when we shall enter His rest, but for now we are at war and we must understand that the onslaught is fierce.

Signing off

Tyrone

"Delusion"

A watchman guards his post from an elevated position in order to warn against any onslaught from its enemy. He is the first to observe the enemies attack if and when he isn’t asleep at his post. In fact the enemy seemed so callous in his approach that I have concluded that “delusion” is at play…

Delusion always achieves its objective and hoodwinks a person into believing a lie. The irony of it all; even sin demands acceptance of an actual condition before any rescue is achievable. This is where the strength of sin lies; even when an individual seems to be on track, sin still dominates their being whilst remaining oblivious to it. Alcoholics need to own their disease before they can successfully conquer their ailment and so on and even though that beast may eventually be conquered the condition of their hearts remain enslaved to sin. Patch work may plug the hole but unless we get a new heart we will always be tricked by its delicacies. Sin will always delude us into accepting foreign comportment as the norm. On the one hand our hidden agendas that we want no one to see hidden in plain view, God sees everything! And on the other somethings that obviously don’t fit, made to fit and then for society to accept it as natural, when in fact is anything but natural. Same sex marriages are a very good example; not so long ago this would have been frowned upon by many self-righteous individuals. They would have not been wrong in their judgments but sadly that is were it stopped for most when it came to heeding scripture; “hobby horses” quick to be pointed out error whilst the exclusion of their own sin is overlooked. Unless the shackle of sin is broken by repentance in Christ there remains no hope for an individual even though they may not be aware of this reality. Delusion camouflaged but very much alive and well!

True repentance will bring change and expose the wood from the trees. Not a change from the outside in, which will only ever harvest self righteousness but from the inside out; “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26) – Resulting with the evidence of your conviction and this then will be its fruit; “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame."” (Romans 10:9-11)  

Most of mankind have their pet subjects that they are passionate about and are quick to voice their opinions when those topics come up. As for me I have learnt by the good graces of my Heavenly Father that anything contrary to His instruction is a trap waiting to be triggered. So without studying scripture and lending an ear to His voice how will we ever know what is being said? Foreign voices which ignite varying topics may trigger our minds into a mistake which occurs instantaneous but mostly those traps have been wired with a slow release mechanism. The deeper one gravitates the slipperier the slide. Why would we so willingly accept certain criteria as the norm? The answer is an obvious one, “the sin that so easily besets”. It is the way mankind has been wired, however without deception running a mock we would not be so easily mislead. And this is why we need rescue, “Jesus in my place” – Bless His name, Amen!

Here are some of the brutal facts concerning mankind’s existence according to the Bible teachings, which I view higher than any other and am willing to place the existence of my future on its instruction as I believe it is the written Words of the only true God that hold the keys to heaven and hell in His hands. In eternal lyrics my infinity hinges on its training. Rather important when understood wouldn’t you say? It is a treasure map filled with searchable directives for this life and the life to come. Disregard its instruction at your own peril. But again I say! Without true repentance is Christ, these words will have no real substance to your life. This is why a person needs to be “born again”; they need their spiritual eyes to be opened, without that event in their lives, nothing but dead works and self- righteousness will encapsulate their interventions. You needn’t look far to see this at play whilst people point and jeer as they commend their colleges and peers and yet they have been hoodwinked by the deception of the devil; a smokescreen of delusion has tricked them into believing lies with Satan in his chair with the unquenchable pleasures of sin running a mock.  

Without the mind of Christ it is an impossible task to make head or tails of the real issues that will play out in eternity. As for the Christian there is a war which continues to rage, the spirit and the flesh, the “old man” and the mind of Christ contending for leadership. The sooner we accept the fact that the “old man” is dead the freer we will be to serve our great God and Father; “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11)   

Thankfully God hasn’t left us there with our own interventions running riot; he has given gifts unto men to unpack the Bibles instructions which teaches us the way of the Master; "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." (Ephesians 4:8) – We must always learn to the best of our God given capabilities and stick to the text of scripture. Another “red flag” that is contrary to scripture and which certain Christian circles are throwing out their with woman teachers demanding to be heard. In today’s day and age, women are demanding to be heard and are being received. However when we accept this as the norm which is contrary to scripture, delusion is at play. God never changes - He is constant; “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:7-8) – These are the types of examples that will help us test our hearts and where we stand with regard to God’s instruction. If and when we see resistance, delusion is at play! There are many other examples I could single out but I mention this as it is extremely topical in today’s day and age.

So my beloved sisters in Christ do not be fooled by the fads of the day; we have the mind of Christ.   

Scripture is very clear on certain topics and the sooner we align ourselves with God’s instruction the sweeter our existences will be. Shirk the Bibles instruction and you can be sure of a downward spiral that will end badly with damage running a mock. Scripture is filled with warnings that go against its instructions. We must never forget to glean from the warnings of scripture; they have been penned for our admonition. Praise the name of Jesus now and forever more, Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone