Commitment!

I could look to many forerunners through the ages to draw on as a model example to follow, I suppose this is one of the reasons the Bible has been penned, to help the Christian through their first transition stage; a life on earth and having to contend with a flesh and blood body that by default has been riddled with a sinful nature. Sadly our own deceit often wins the day as it looks for justification and places us in the category of “the good person”. This is why it is easier for a wicket man to find repentance that a self-righteous individual. It’s only the sick that seek out medical aid. This is what the Lord Jesus had to say on the topic; “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:32)  

With that now clearly understood and as I have journeyed through life with rebellion as a companion, it is easy for me to understand my need for a Saviour and even with Him mercifully saving my soul 30 years ago, I have been somewhat of a troubled child, but praise God for His commitment as I can honestly confess that transformation has and is still a process that by the good graces of God my Father keeps me focused. Sure there are still some battles that I end up losing, however although the independent skirmish may be lost the war has already been won. God accepted the Lord Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice when he hung and died on that cruel Roman cross two thousand years ago. The door to heaven is now open to all those who cry out to Jesus asking for His forgiveness for their sins, it really is as simple as that! Heaven is my eternal home and once I breathe my last here on earth my eyes to the spiritual world will be opened and I will see my Father and Saviour face to face, praise their names. How a part of me longs for that day, even so come quickly Lord Jesus, Amen and Amen!

As for the self righteous individual, the one who is better that the rest, the one who believes they deserves more than their neighbour, they are in trouble, they do not see their sin for what it is and sadly have no need to be saved. We are all on the same journey, birth, life, death and then eternity where time will liquefy as we have come to understand it and no one will escape that reality, the only question we need to ask ourselves, “is where do we fit in?” It is only repentance and a cry out to the Lord Jesus Christ that opens our eyes to the truth of it all. Even a sincere cry to help our unbelief is better than no cry at all.

I have heard testimony of individuals who have been at their wits ends and believed that their destiny was hell, behind closed doors they confessed their particular dilemma hoping to be heard but unsure of it all, and today I personally know some of these people who confidently confess Jesus as Lord, God mercifully took pity on their souls and open their eyes to a reality of heaven and His rule, praise God for His compassion. There are others I know who once confessed believing in the gospel but the pressures of life and the “now” has left them in a very dangerous place with eternity a very distant after thought. Father God, even now, I pray for these individuals, if it pleases you and the plea I have for them, please bring them to their senses.

Jacob is a man that teaches us many things about the blessings of life and that they can never be without their own struggles. It is God who allows these difficulties to befall us so that we may appreciate Him. His ingenious characteristics working beyond the reason of our limited understanding as He works out all things for our good. And yes, even the atrocities of life and all the terror we witness that we cannot quite reconcile with a loving God, he is in control of it all. Its only when we believe that we are on His level that we find difficulty with it all.   

Jacob was a help for his uncle Laban, he was a shepherd and he toiled night and day to win his wife. It took twenty years of what must have been years filled with its own challenges. Imagine the frostbite at night or the wild beasts looking to ravage his flock. What of the thieves, the serve sun beating down on him and the lack of water affecting his parched throat. Did he ever throw in the towel? We have the answer, he was eventually rewarded with the love of his life and Rachel became his wife. The ends will always justify the means when we remain faithful to that holy call God has place upon the believer’s life. Just like Jacob who was given a new name, Israel fed and toiled for his sheep, so too does our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ intercede for His flock, He does not rest and all who rely on His finished work will reap their reward. We too will receive our new names when we get home and what a day that shall be!

Signing off

Tyrone

Why Faith?

Historically we know that in the beginning God created Adam and Eve, they fell from His grace and were banished from the Garden of Eden; Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel and we also know that Cain killed Abel. God then witnesses the constant sinful nature of mankind begin to spiral out of control as they put the creator on the back-burner and so God eventually decides to destroys his creation and all inhabiting it, and only eight souls are saved. Noah builds an Ark which in turn saves his family and the animals selected by God He wanted saving. Once Noah completes the task at hand God commands the heavens to open their bellies and they drop rain. The great flood ensures what God commissions it to do, destruction of all outside the Ark. All of creation obeys the voice of God except the rebellious. 

We then move down the genealogy of mankind and we will pick it up with Abram, who God gives a new name, Abraham, known and recorded as the father of faith. God singles out a man to begin a relationship built on a completely different fundamental that Adam and Eve faced, faith and not sight was now the playing field for mankind, Wow! I hope that thought grips you as much as it has me. Not to say that visually the heavens where open to them, but they certainly understood that God was real. Adam interacted with God and there can be no doubt that that was a completely different time and somewhat foreign to the world thereafter.   

Adam and Eve walked in the cool of the day and interacted with God, there was no questioning His existence. Today everyone is opinionated about God and what that is for them on an independent level, simple put they place him into a box that suits their sins and their desires. However a new precept was introduced down the line, faith the glue for true believers to engage with the creator of the universe. Lucifer and a third of the fallen angels never needed faith to believe. They once cohabited heaven with God, Abraham on the other hand wrestled with the concept of Idols (dead gods) which his father and the land he lived in at the time where obsessed with. Historically we learn that he smashed all his fathers’ idols and was hunted to be killed (the book of Jasher). God then sends him to a far away land and he packs up and leaves without hesitation; ABRAHAM THE FATHER OF FAITH! Noah was also a man of faith and he came before Abraham, but it was only with Abraham that God makes a covenant with a sect of people, the Jews and promises him to look out for them. Throughout the ages many of his descendants also disappoint the great I AM. Thankfully God’s promises are not dependent on our ability to uphold our part of the deal, where we are found wanting God remains faithful, He cannot deny himself.

An individual cannot realise salvation without faith. However, untried faith may be true faith, but it is sure to be little faith, and it is likely to remain weak so long as it is without trials. Who else was tested like Abraham, there are no doubt many men and woman of faith penned throughout the scriptures, but none of them where asked to sacrifice their son, the son of promise. Abraham the father of faith! Do not think for a single iota that if we want to prove our love to our Father, the God of the universe that we will be without trials and the deeper we look to take that relationship the harder the trial. Can the olive produce its oil without the pressure of two stones grinding down on it?

Faith does not require logical reason as some may imply, all it is, is a dependency on God’s ability to steer the ship and be content with the His ability to keep us safe, especially through the storms of life. As the beating waves smash into the hull of our lives, with the creaking mask under the pressure of the torrid wind tearing into our main sail, the quandary of life and death tugging away at our minds; do we cry, “drop the sail” of do we push through to safety trusting in our God? It’s only the trials of life that proves who we all are when it comes to faith.

If even the winds and the seas obey the voice of our great Saviour, why do we worry? Sadly we have a fallen fleshy body that always looks to pull us towards independence. The greater our faith the harder it must be tested so that we may be sure of its substance; the louder the call, the greater the need for a fuller measure of faith.

“Let not this, however, discourage those who are young in faith. You will have trials enough without seeking them: the full portion will be measured out to you in due season. Meanwhile, if you cannot yet claim the result of long experience, thank God for what grace you have; praise him for that degree of holy confidence whereunto you have attained: walk according to that rule, and you shall yet have more and more of the blessing of God, till your faith shall remove mountains and conquer impossibilities.” (Charles Spurgeon)

Signing off

Tyrone

Realignment

Regardless of the arena where our voices are heard and where we stand up to be counted; to be fashionably “current” is important. Imagine a businessman in the eighteen hundreds dressed to the hilt with his fancy attire looking to strike up an agreement with a computer geek of the twenty first century, a casually dressed millionaire in his slops and t-shirt. The deal would have had immense strain placed upon it before negotiations even began. Perceptions and preconceived ideological conditions establish who we are as individuals. As diverse as we all are, God remains the same yesterday, today and forever, He is constant, praise His name!

For us to handle scripture in a day like today we too must look for the clues that are relevant. The Word of God is not bound by time, whereas style is linked to time. Fashion must never dictate, the Word (Bible) must always take pre-eminence if we are to survive and end up on the right side of God’s judgments. Let me be clear, scripture in its entirety is relevant if we dissect the words within the verses that are on the pages with precision no differently to a homicide detective searching out clues within a crime scene; carefully paying attention to the obvious as well as the hidden detail. Some will be better than others in reading and interpreting scripture, no differently to the varying measures of talents across every other area of our lives. It is also obvious that we will play different roles within the body of Christ (the church, and on a local and universal scale). Therefore it would be impossible to continuously walk on our hands as feet where given to us by God for walking and yet hands are also crucial for our realities. The Apostle James says it like this; “let not many of your become teachers as you will receive a stricter judgement.” All where never meant to be teachers, but all are capable of an intermit relationship with God, that is, if we are born again and new creatures in Christ. Then and only then will we have eyes to see spiritual truths.

The voice of reasoning, which on the surface is exactly that, reasonable. Logic and common sense teach us to live in a certain manner. However when we strip it down it is the opposite of faith, which God requires from His children; “but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him." (Hebrew 10:38)  - “reasoning” in that sense is in direct opposition to the voice of God and is driven by the devil and his followers. When the Lord Jesus sent out his disciples to proclaim the gospel what was his instruction in spite of their initial obvious understanding of planning for their trip? Thoughts like; food, a weapon for self defence, a change of clothing and money for the trip…

This was the instruction; “These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, nor two tunics nor sandals nor a staff, for the laborer deserves his food.”” In that sense God does not need help from men to do His bidding , He is the great “I AM”, this is were I believe so many of us get it wrong, we bring God down to our level instead of the other way around. True faith allows us to operate in the correct realm, GODS DOMAIN!

It is imperative to trim our sails and to check our bearing if we are to make it to our final destination, heaven with all its glory!

Let us all remember that if we believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord of our lives, we most certainly belong to the household of God and we shall be saved on that day, and yet when we flip the coin we see that God is not happy with those who draw back…

”Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, "Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.” (Hebrews 10:35-39)

Are we numbered amongst the latter or have we fallen asleep? Is it time to trim your sails, I have made up my mind, my sails need constant trimming. Give me strength Father God in the mighty name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour to see the wood from the trees and to discern your will for my life and not to over emphasis the carnal wants in my life. Teach me to live by faith, Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

Palatable

More often than not when a person takes something to their mouths it is with an anticipation of experiencing something pleasant. Say you roll out of bed in the early hours of the morning, the sun is just breaking the horizon and there is busy stillness in the air, a perceptiveness of serenity is obvious and yet the pleasant sounds of chattering birds and insects interfering as they compete amongst themselves endeavouring to outdo one another. However, they too have their routines and we have ours; as for me it’s about a swig of mouthwash and then straight to the chicken to fix a pot of espresso. I then move across to my desk and envisage the thoughts that are vibrant in my mind, which often are from dreams or my stirring thoughts that saturate my mind throughout the night. It is somewhat of a wrestle as I contemplate the why and the how? My objective for the day would be to seek out the righteousness of God and how I may achieve my goal, to put on the mind of Christ and combat all the evil thoughts that press home. This is a constant struggle and to lie to ourselves that we are beyond these types of struggles, whatever yours maybe would be foolish. - “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” (Romans 7:19-20)

Although we are new creatures in Christ and praise God for that; He has paid our debt and the payment has been paid in full, we owe nothing. However, we will continue to have this struggle until we breathe our last or we are change, in that moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when the trump of God sounds and we that remain are caught up into the air and given new bodies, glorified bodies, Wow! Even so come quickly Lord Jesus!

However as true as Paul’s teaching may be, this does not give us licence to live in sin so that grace may abound. Or at the very least we should not concede to that type of mind-set.

Our reliance is now upon the finished work of the cross, if not we have a long way to go in reaching maturity. Faith demands a shift from independence to a dependency upon that which is unseen and yet it is filled with an abundance of evidence. This is where I have another ongoing struggle, food and raiment is more often than not a concern, but then I am reminded to be content where I find myself in this area of my life, with this thought, “if God is for me who can be against me, praise His glorious name.” However without part of my routine being honoured, when something else gets in the way of it, it’s as if I forget to dress for battle and then the potential of my wayward thoughts running riots is far more likely.  

At times I am afforded the privilege of penning words about my walk with God, hence my blog. As the morning unfolds I move from my desk and to the kitchen topping up my espresso cup. I am very found of coffee and as I instinctively tap away at the keyboard I obviously reach for my fix, sipping away and then it happens, my cup has been standing for a time and my coffee is now lukewarm and my pleasant experience is now hindered and an unpleasant shock to my taste buds drives home. I had hope for a pleasant fix but now what I had expected to be enjoyable was the opposite, hostile. Instinctively I spew out what I hoped would be satisfying. With this experience the Lord Jesus gives me a great underlying principle that teaches me what he expects from me (us). “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:16)

It is imperative that every morning, and not only at night that we set time aside to spend in the Word of God. Why? Because the day is just beginning and we must approach our lives a day at a time, and no more, or else our life in Christ will be so burdensome so that we will often crack under the strain. There is a song “One day at a time sweet Jesus is all I ask from you” and this song must become impregnated into our minds. It is during our meditation that we must deliberate where we stand with our God and Father, not to question if we are saved, if that be our standing, but rather examine our hearts and what it is that drives and excites us. If there is something more pressing than what God has done for us we are entering a state of metamorphism and “Luke warmness” could be where we find ourselves. If that be so, beware that you are not spewed out of the mouth of the Lord Jesus. The Bible is filled with many encouragements and praise God for that! But we must not overlook the warnings, which have been penned for our benefit. If the shoe fits then it fits.

These are the types of thoughts that drive me each and every day, am I always victorious, absolutely not, but that will never keep me from trying to reach that blissful state of righteousness that if found in the person of our great God, praise His name now and forever more, Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

The right or wrong side of history

Of late I have heard references referring to finding ourselves on the right side of history…

Here is an allegory that should help us understand the intention I wish to highlight…

A group of people gathered with eager anticipation as a young woman deep in the throes of labour, works her way painfully through the process of her brutal birth spasms, in spite of the anguish she now faced and with a clad-iron resolve she was determined to follow through with a natural birth. Whilst her parents linger in the cold dull passageway of the Maternity Ward in the deep south of Johannesburg, and as her father had lived through the Second World War a thought flashes vividly through his mind, “hospitals always have death written all over their walls”, and then the reality of what was happening kicked in, “but not this time!” his thoughts had now become vocal causing his wife to turned to him, “What”? “Never mind” he muttered, how could he bring up death when they expected life? As this was a very happy juncture. There were endless opportunities for this new bundle of joy. The man was filled with glee and was to soon be a granddad! But not yet for there were still many uncertainties, would his daughter and the unborn child come through without any complication? Therefore he continued to pace up and down with great intent hoping that all would be well with the apple of his eye for she was but a young lass, barely seventeen. It was an anxious moment and yet it was compressed by excitement. “Is it a boy or a girl”? An exciting thought all had already considered, wanting to be the one who could gloat and say I told you it would be a boy.

Then it happened, they heard it, a babies cry. It was rather comical as they simultaneously look at each other and laying aside the hospital policies, instantaneously they all rushed into the room to examine the miracle. Maybe this baby boy would be the next president or the next greatest prodigy with a golf club in his hand. The potential endless and full of promise! Words like “cute” and “he is beautiful, he looks just like you” travelled from person to person filling the room with chatter, the overtones of joy fanned across the room bringing smiles to all. And then something outside of the norm happened God allowed them to see into the future as He commanded time to travel forward. Their joy suddenly turns to shattered heartache; a horror filled vision now became their reality and they were all privy to it; death, misery and total darkness engulfed with unquenchable flames potentially awaited not only this little newborn baby but all of mankind and God in His mercy had shown it to them.

The reality of it was that all of mankind has been condemned already. We all stand guilty before a Holy God and Hell with all its fury is our destination. It is mankind’s lot in life. Try as we may to build Arks like in the movie 2012 or the series Salvation as we rally together as one united nation, trying with paramount resolve to avoid the inevitable, the destruction of this planet as we know it, which will eventually happen. The same fate awaits us all. An eternity of horror personified! They had seen it and there was no denying it for God had shown it to them.  

The joy that filled that delivery room was now filled with regret and the remorse of this accidental conception, conceived outside of the bounds of wedlock was now forgotten. Although they were practicing Catholics and they had done everything in their power to conceal their sin removing the ridicule that would come upon the family if it became public knowledge had now dissipated as there were far more pressing issues on hand. If only this little boy had never been born was the thought of consensus and then it dawned on then, but what about us? Doomed for eternity! It was no longer an idea that some jarhead had shouted from a street corner; “repent for the end is near”! God had revealed the truth to them and they had seen the end, they now understood the ramifications! They had grasped it for God had shown it to them! As they limply made their way back to the vehicles they had arrived in. The drive back to their homes was filled with silence and remorse for they were all devastated by the reality of it all, once so oblivious to the secrets of hell but now “eyes wide open” to what was just over the horizon. “Stop the car”, the father demanded on the fringe on the highway, it was a perfect position, the car had come to rest in a blind spot, and he thought that they might be lucky enough to be taken out of their misery and be steamrolled by a passing truck. What was a man to do? What is a father to do? Climbing out of the car the man began to frantically pace up and down with strides of hopelessness; he then looked up and saw a humongous clump of sand that had been sifted from a gold mine shaft and with his gaze locked onto it he called out to it, “KILL ME”! He had finally understood that he was “condemned already” and there was nothing he could do to save himself or his family nor his newborn grandson. It was a hopeless situation!

“CONDEMNED ALREADY” was and is the state of mankind and will remain their lot in life if they do not respond to the only lifeline available…

Pay very careful attention as it may just help you understand the magnitude of your predicament and rescue you from it. The Apostle John a spokesperson on behalf of God; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob penned these words a long time ago; “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:18) 

How on earth did mankind arrive here? Here was a man who had now understood his fate, he was in total despair, crying to a hill to fall on him and snuff the life from him. And then it happen, God mercifully took pity on him and took him back to the beginning to help him understand…

He now stood in the midst of a beautiful garden surrounded by absolute tranquility, a vast contrast to his previous vision, perfection personified with harmonic melody from all its wildlife wafting on the back of a gentle breeze bringing great comfort to him and those in the garden. “Is this how it all started” he thought? He knew it to be true. At first he grappled with the contrasting visions and if this is how it began why does it end with such destruction? Walking through paradise he passed a lion lying down next to a lamb, they seemed extremely content with their surrounding and there was no aggression evident. His stride then came to an abrupt halt and he saw a woman conversing with a serpent, a creature that he was unfamiliar with, it looked like a snake but it stood upright on its legs, it hissed with a choral lyric to its voice, he could now hear what was being said, “Did God actually say?” the serpent whispered.  And then it dawned on him what was about to happen. “Stop he shouted, get away from him”! But she was oblivious to his cries and continued to peer deeper into his trickery unaware of the deception that was about to take place. If only she knew what she was actually doing, dooming my new born grandson to an eternity of total hopelessness, “wake up you foolish woman”, he shouted even louder this time, but to no avail, the lure had worked and she was now lapping up every word. Satan had ensnared her and there was no escape, he had won and defied God! That day he won a fight but he will never win the battle, praise God!

Mr. Harry Casual (the man) finally understood that it was because of this event that all of mankind has been doomed. Our great grandmother to the power of who knows the actual number, God Knows, I most certainly don’t! It was all her doing! But what of our great grandfather, he wasn’t deceived and yet he followed in the sin of his wife. As selfish as his decision may well have been the reality of it all is the pair of them doomed all of mankind to fall under Gods condemnation. Happy-go-lucky (the man) then saw God commission two cherubim’s, angels like creature with flaming swords commanding them to guard the tree of life, forbidding sinful intent to eat from it. Death had now been their sentence, their foolishness had eternal consequences and their eternity with God had been snatched from them; resulting in God banishing them from paradise as they knew it. The penalties were dismal! For the first time they saw thorns sprout out amongst the flower eventuating their folly.

As he stood at the foot of that mound of that Sand Hill just off the highway the man having seen the end and the beginning of time finally understood why all of mankind had been doomed. The prize of God’s creation, mankind had rejected Him and yielded to the voice of another created being, the serpent that is the devil. It finally made sense! The sin of one man had blinded all to the realities of life and the bigger picture with the warriors of hell keeping us all from the truth. Driving us to be engulfed with daily activities and giving very little thought to the hereafter! Sending us into a spiral filled with our own opinions and with zero recognition for the creator of the heavens and the earth. Flip, dissect, analyze, or do what you want with the reality of the truth and we must all eventually arrive at the same conclusion; we all justly deserve what is coming, JUDGEMENT! Some will still cry, “That is unfair”, but it is what it is! He knew it to be true for God had shown it to him!

It was then that the man contemplated running into the oncoming traffic, for what else was a man to do? But before he could actioned that thought a voice from heaven shouted, “STOP!” God then took him into a time of Roman rule and he saw a man crucified to a cross with the onlookers jeering at him, “if you are God save yourself” they mocked; whilst others cursed insults at him and spat upon him. It was here that the love of God became apparent to Mr. Potentially Hopeful (the man); God’s love had compelled Him to provide a lifeline for mankind; "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) – A love inconceivable to our characters and yet God punished His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ the Lord was disciplined on behalf of sinners, WOW! In other words Mr. Thankful (the man) finally understood that although he was the sinner, someone who was without sin had paid the price for his sin. His mind now flashed to all the other religions of the world and the little he knew of them helped him finally understand that they could not help him as God hates sin and will deal with it and no one outside of the covering of Christs sacrifice will escape His judgement. If we are tried for our sin and found guilty of breaching even one of the smallest of God laws we will face His punishment. Hell will be our eternal destination.

Why do we need to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? Because he alone paid the penalty for sinners and forgives all who repent of their sin and believe on His finished work; He paid the fine and that now frees us of our sin. The fine has been paid and it has satisfied God. “Jesus in my Place”! But never forget that Jesus Christ the Lord spilt his own blood so that we could go free and escape the looming devastation that awaits the devil and his angels.

Therefore reject the offer on hand and you will end up in that devastating place it is as simple as that. This is the end for those who reject God’s free grace offer, please pay very careful attention to it and do not be swayed by the foolish opinions that those professing to be wise present with no factual evidence. Some say that we are part of the cycle of evolution and that our genealogy started with the ape-man; think it through it, use your God given brain, if that be true, why have we not found millions if not billions of those fossils? The answer is obvious, it is a LIE! Here is the end of the story for those who reject this glorious God given offer; “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) – Therefore it is clear that there is a book with registered names in it known as the “book of life” and the only way any individual can avoid the upcoming fate is if their name is recorded in it and the only way for this to happen is by repenting and accepting the Lord Jesus’ sacrifice on behalf of your sin. It is as simple as that!

What will you do with the mercy that God has offered you?

“For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13)

I beg you call upon Him and repent if not you will end up on the wrong side of history.

Signing off

Tyrone

Be perfect

As I sit in front of my computer screen in the very early hours of the morning with sleep eluding me and with e-Sword (Bible) open. I wonder about the Lord Jesus’ request in the Garden; “And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will."” (Matthew 26:39) – There must have been a deep understanding of the gravity which he faced. It could never have had been having to deal with thoughts of evil intent, for the man Jesus was born untainted by sin and he had lived his life in obedience to God’s righteousness. Whereas mankind is not made like he was and we struggle with sin in a different way. I know the struggles I have on a daily basis. Nor would I want to presume that I understand his deliberation and his willingness for the temptation to pass. We all know the outcome of that encounter, he overcame, but the cost was an intense anguish, so much so that he factually sweated blood. The pressure he endured to overcome the temptation of sin is something very few, if any, have any grasp on. The flesh is weak and it has been tainted by sin from birth. We have a natural tendency to capitulation to the pleasures of sin and the more we feed a particular area of sin in our lives the more addictive it becomes and the harder it is to put it away. However the call is to be perfect, just like our Father in heaven is perfect. Wow! We all understand that we will never attain to His perfection until we reach heaven and our bodies and minds are transformed into the Lord Jesus’ beauty and brilliance. However that does not mean we must not shoot for perfection. Perfection must be our ultimate goal.

The world teaches us to have goals and to put things in place that will allow us to achieve them. Once that goal is reached we are then rewarded. Sin is the enemy; our own sin is the greatest hindrance that keeps us from our objective, which is; “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) – Our mind-sets must be one of deliberate intent and our goal must be to put off our old natures; we must watch and pray; “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:41) – Interestingly enough this was the Lord Jesus instruction to some of his disciples at the very time he was tested. He understood and he understands our weaknesses. He is our High Priest as well as our Saviour.

There are two opposing forces, the spirit which is willing to pursue God’s perfection whereas the flesh is extremely weak and more often than not succumbs to temptation. What should we do on a practical level to achieve our goal?    

I have of late found a practical solicitation that must always be driven by the spirit and not the flesh, if driven the wrong way around it leaves us feeling somewhat self-contented, which in itself is dangerous territory, a place where pride is bred and we all know what happens to the proud; God resits them! It’s only the humble who find His grace to endure. So what would I like to share with others struggling in differing areas of their lives; it is a simple request but it is having profound benefits. Instead of praying to overcome the temptation and the thoughts that just pop into ones mind. Rather pray to have our minds changed so that we no longer have such thoughts. A subtle teak in our prayer, may just fine tune our receivers.

If peradventure God gives us our request, where does it then leave us, changed by His Spirit and not our own determination and fortitude that will leave us having to fend off pride! Praise God for His brilliance!

In conclusion let no one bewitch you in this regard, I was a man who once believe that lusciousness was not such a bad thing, only because somewhere deep down in the recesses of my mind I wanted to satisfy the lusts of my flesh. Perfection is contrary to our human natures. However with the Spirit of Christ now living within us the world is our oyster, perfection is attainable in principle and it must be the goal we search out. All this really means is that we must seek out God’s righteousness and daily put on the whole armour of God if we are to have any chance. Sin has and will always be the enemy of God and the sooner we realise that as our reality the faster we will be able to address our failures.

God my Father give us strength I pray to appropriate these truths to our lives, help us all to understand the areas we are weak in and bring us to a point of confession. I ask you to change our minds and help us put on the mind of Christ. Aid us all in pursuing your righteousness on our daily to-do lists. Not only impregnate that as a daily reflex but help us prioritise this as our most responsible priority.

I am persuaded Father God that by faith you will grant me my request, thank you for your love and the grace we receive on a daily basis. The road ahead is treacherous and it is filled with many twist and turns, however if God is for us who can be against us. There is a day coming when we will see our God face to face, but until then let us fight the good fight of faith.

Signing off

Tyrone    

A serious consideration

Let’s face it we do things to help ourselves and yet we are taught to help others. We are self-centered individuals, do not be fooled into believing anything else, its God who has been merciful and often comes to our rescue and the rescue of others on the back of our prayers. But it always starts with our own well-being, strip it down and you will have to agree. Even those secret deeds done in the closest are not without “self” first, even if it is only seeking out God’s forgiveness for a particular sin that we struggle with, it’s about us; we are the ones that need work. If and when will give clothes or food to the poor, it’s only after we are taken care of ourselves; us first and then others. This is our human natures personified. Warren Buffet may have given away billions to charity, but he made sure he had a buffer of billions before acting out. The Lord Jesus on the other hand had this to say; “foxes have holes and birds have nest by I have nowhere to lay my head.” He had another agenda; He came to do the will of His Father, which was to offer a lifeline to sinner, opening an everlasting door for sinner, those who once opposed the will of God to bring about true repentance in Him; a perfect sacrifice! And until we learn this truth and it becomes our reality that Jesus died in my place, he died for me and paid the price for my sin, until then, God’s mercy will pass us by…

The further we move along into the future the more predominant “self” will become…

“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.” (2Timothy 3:1-5) - I suppose this circle of life has its part to play throughout history, study the history books and it will soon become apparent.

We must be aware of these truths and cry out unto God seeking out His will for our lives, as He ushers in the changes needed in our lives to be helpful to other bringing a proclamation that will glorify Him.

Have you ever contemplated why words such as these may have troubled you over time? “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (James 4:2-3)

The more I study the authors intent, God’s intention throughout the Bible the clearer in becomes… Righteousness must be what drives us and not “food and raiment”, we must seek out God’s righteousness for our lives and the rest will be taken care of. Where we often make the mistake is when we get our priorities off beam, which the Apostle James pegs for us; “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”  I then ask myself the question does this apply to all; another subject for another day. However for the Christian it is imperative that the sooner we learn this lesson the quicker we will find the peace of God in our lives. Sure we have all experience His peace, you cannot be a Christian without the peace of God playing its part in your life, however I am looking for a constant rather than an exception, how about you?

It has and always will be about Gods righteousness, Jesus is the king of kings and His Father, our Father gave Him and instruction and this was His response to that order; “For when he received honour and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."” (2Peter 1:17) – Do not for one minute think that our call has a different emphasis placed upon it, it may differ in stature, but we have all been asked to carry the flag of our God, which reads – “seek first the kingdom of God and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS and all …” This I believe is one of the most important lessons of life and yet everything about our flesh drives us in the opposite direction and for some of us we have been called to a life of knocks and bruises; praise God for His endurance with us, I thank you Father God for your forbearance’s with me, continue, I pray, to lead me to the waters of righteousness which will in turn transform me into the image of your beloved son, my beloved Saviour, Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

We should all have an Objective

My Objective

        

(Revelation 21:7) “The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”

Counting the cost to the Christian calling is something we all need to consider if we are to become effective for Christ. For us to become operational in the building of God’s Kingdom we must see our eternal reward as the ultimate goal of our existence. We must learn to appropriate this verse to our daily gaits; “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8)

The summons from the only true and living God must dictate the way we live from here on in. I realize that this will only ever become apparent when we understand that call; when we are persuaded that it is God who has called; regardless of our blunders throughout our lives, if and when God calls will we obediently respond to His voice. For when we understand that this is the reason we were born, then it will be well with our soul. Society teaches us to believe in ourselves but God commissions all to believe in Him; “For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." (Romans 10:11) – This obviously refers to eternity and not a life based on time, sadly death seems to be the end for so many and it is hard for them to think beyond the grave. This is high on Satan’s agenda, to get people to overlook eternity.   

The world has been duped into believing so many lies that we think, to be smart is to be covered for retirement at the expense of eternity. Life cover and policies for our loved ones that we leave behind, how does that help us when we all get our chance to stand before the Almighty Creator and have to give an account of what we did for Him with the forgiveness we received in Christ? The essence of this example was the only man to never concede to the pressure of sin in his life, that man Jesus, died on a cruel Roman cross, he was put to open shame. But now, he has a place in heaven which will stretch throughout eternity and his position secure because of his obedience, his seat reserved at the right of the Father, Amen! Praise his glorious name

When an athlete trains it is a painful process but they endure their training so that they may be crowned champion. Their goal is very specific and it is no different for the Christian we must learn to lay our lives down so that we too may one day reap our reward, which is to hear Gods approval when we enter the gates of the New Jerusalem. There is a grand event coming known to us in scripture as the “marriage feast of the Lamb”, a wedding ceremony. It is very dress specific and only those adorned with the correct garments will be allowed to partake. It is a celebration reserved for the bride of Christ and only those who have their names written in the Book of Life will be allowed to attend. The invitations have been carefully selected and have not been penned with ink but with a quill dipped in the blood of the Lamb. Those selected for this great event must make Him their prized possession. In order for this to happen we must learn to walk by faith and place all our dependency upon the Words of God, THE BIBLE! As it is the treasure map to that beautiful occasion in a glorious land. Study and then study some more. Be sure of that which has been charted out and leave nothing to chance. If you have doubts to whether you will eventually arrive in that magnificent land, do not rest until you hear the voice of God speaking clearly to you! It is one thing to know that God exists but quite another to be personally known by Him. Are you convinced that you are on that guest register? Are you at liberty to converse with Him? Are you sure that you have been invited? These are questions that you need to be answered with total assurance.

Examine your own hearts…   

What is it that drives you? Money, lust, the pride of life, power; the list is endless or is it the hope that one day you will hear God speak these words directly to you? “The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” If this is not your motivation to life then I would suggest that you rally around those who have that as their ultimate goal and spend as much time with them as humanly possible. This is where we will be able to buy the oil for our lanterns that will be needed when our bridegroom returns to take us home. Without oil in our lanterns we will miss out and that is something we can all ill afford for it will have eternal consequences. After now establishing that as imperatively important; what must ring the loudest is that we’ve been saved from a place of total devastation, we were doomed for destruction from the time we took our first breath. “BUT GOD”!

Signing off

Tyrone

Renew a right spirit in me...

(Psalm 51:10) “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

Is it possible to hope beyond the point of no return? The obvious answer would have to be, “while we have breath we have hope.” But once that door closes we will have no more play with the outcome of our souls. Judgment awaits all those who have passed on, some will be promoted to an everlasting bliss with the only ONE TRUE GOD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as their Father. Whilst the rest will stand before the judgement seat of God; For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14)  - And that judgment will find them wanting, with their final sentence, the Lake of Fire! This is the truth in accordance with the Holy Scriptures; it’s not a figment of my imagination and unseen forces are doing their utmost to keep this truth from you. As strong as that denial is from the unbeliever, I will stand up with a voice and be counted and announce that there is no escape outside the finished work of the cross.  

There is only one possible escape from an eternity of torment, bend the knee to Jesus Christ and confess Him as Lord. Repent of your denial toward Him; ask for forgiveness with your whole heart and it will be given to you; “For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."” (Romans 10:13)  

The further we move along in history the more predominant “self” will become…

“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.” (2Timothy 3:1-5)

We must be aware of these truths examining ourselves in that mirror and if found wanting to seek out forgiveness, restoration and His will for our lives as He ushers in the changes needed. At the end of the day it’s all about decreasing so that our great Saviour may increase, bringing about a proclamation that will glorify His Father and our God.

Signing off

Tyrone

Destroy and deliver

Preface

                                        

Not for a minute did I ever dream that I would be penning the words of my story.  However, by the grace of God and by the unction of the Holy Spirit I will endeavour to do it justice. Like I stated in the past, this is not the first stab but my third, the last and final attempt I will to hopefully help some glean from repeated mistakes that always leave a person deprived in a particular area of their lives, until true repentance is achieved.

Having tasted of the Lord's mercy and His wonderful grace I find myself in a place where what the Lord has completed in my life is miraculous. Soon after the very run on this first edition was done and dusted I thought that my journey had run its course in specific areas of my life. I had hoped that the lessons I needed to learn had worked their way into my life to bring about perpetual change, I was sadly mistaken! Allocations of much more pruning was required. With a lot more destruction on the cards! All those who have come to know and experience the power of God through the gospel have their own story. This is mine over a thirty year period…

"My Story"... bears witness to the wonderful manifestation of grace which has been and is still being applied to me by the mercy of God my Father, through Jesus Christ, His Son, who is my Saviour and cementing His position as the love of my life. I would love to claim my position in this regard as completely settled, but the Lord is clear; “if we say we love Him then we will keep His commandments”. How His love still covers me is a marvellous thing and I will be forever thankful for his endurance in my life and continuously undergo to love Him with my whole heart. 

The reason for a further refurbish to this original copy is that I felt that only half “My Story” had been told and I wanted to highlight the stamina of my great God and His commitment to the work He does in even the most stuborn individuals whom He has chosen to lavish with His grace. Many make shake their heads in dismay as this account unfolds, with questions like, will he never learn? Even though your summations may be well founded the purpose for this final edition is to highlight the unmeasurable forgiveness of this God of such immense love. If I am capable in portraying that regardless of the blows I need to receive on my chin from those who would choose to write me off as a complete failure, if only it would bring liberation to one individual who would repent and call on the name of Jesus then I have achieved my objective. God alone is the one capable of turning disastrous situations into something of beauty. Eternity will reveal this in amazement!    

Because of His wonderful mercy and grace, God brought me to a place where my flesh (my will) needed to go through a process of destruction, and only by that process was I able to experience deliverance. It is not enough to will something into ones life, we must cross the raging river to get to the other side, and there is no shortcut!  It is a phenomenal reflection that I find myself facing, even now as I put pen to paper. God is in the business of eternity and not the now we so often get caught up with, nevertheless we must come to our senses whilst we still breathe, if not we will end up on the wrong side of heaven. He is not looking for sprinters but marathon runners. All our flesh needs destroying, that which is carnal will always be carnal and the sooner we learn to understand this is no more than a tool used to see the wood from the trees; “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:7-8)  - The subtle nuances often lead us to believe that we need only destroy the obvious. My flesh needed to be destroyed and continues to require it to make way for the will of God in my life but do not be fooled, it is the same for all and the sooner we learn this, the better. As this book unfolds you will realise that often the choices I made in my life, and certain incidences, had and are still having severe consequences. However, God has the whole world in the palm of His hand and nothing can happen or will happen without Him allowing it to happen. Even Satan operates by the permission of God. Therefore, without destruction in my life there could be no deliverance and it is the same for all whether they are aware of it or not. However it is important not to blur the line in the sand when it comes to consequence as opposed to forgiveness. God’s forgiveness is immediate, Christ offered a once and for all time sacrifice. It is done and dusted; God has accepted His sacrifice and all those who call upon the name of Jesus will be saved.  

To those who find themselves being a part of this account... "MY STORY", the message is this; things are not always the way they seem. There is a deeper underlying truth that we need to uncover which many will sadly miss. 

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And the base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and the things which are not, to bring to nought the things that are:"

(1 Corinthians 1:27- 28)

Signing off

Tyrone

Introduction

Introduction

This is a travel story, highlighting many twist and turns along the way. It’s about the struggle of a particular individual making his way to the Celestial city. His main objective, to learn the lessons that will equip him to reach his final destination, heaven! It will expose many of his weaknesses along the way, but this is not the thrust and detailed accounts will not be indulged. It is not an allegory and I will bear a brunt of my folly unto this end, that I have a hope in my God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Whilst many individuals may have a tendency to disregard the weak or the stubborn child, God is not of this World.

It is the year 2017 and I have decided to put pen to paper in a final attempt to analyse my life and its journey over the last thirty years. It is a reflection on “MY STORY” and how I have dull of hearing in so many areas of my life. Having realised some of the lessons to come out of it all is the motivation behind it entirely. I cannot claim to have arrived, antiquity has found me out. But what I will attempt is to highlight the lessons learnt in the hope that it may free some who have had similar struggles in their Christian walks. There are model Christians and I am not one of them, and yet my great Saviour has not cast me to the wolves, and here I now sit by the grace of God, proclaiming that Jesus is Lord. Not for one second will I condone sin as acceptable before a Holy God. Sin cost the Lord Jesus a cruel death on a Roman cross and it is the vice used to disqualify the Christian by so many. However, it can bring about an adverse effect when the pomp and the filth of sin is stripped clean, when the satisfaction that sin promises is exposed for what it is, a misguiding lie that can never be quenched. It’s our sin which originally directed us to Christ, helping us understand that we needed a Saviour and as Christian’s repentance is part of who we have become, praise His name! Confession is a way of life for the Christian.  

If this is my reality there must be others who have also struggled in their Christian walks and therefore I have a responsibility to put pen to paper. When soldiers go into battle, all are not numbered amongst the heroes but all must fight and as a coalition we have a responsibility to one another. The biggest battle of all is just around the corner and we must ready ourselves. Some of us may be those singled out and made an example of by the enemy, God Knows! It is imperative that we know where we stand with our Saviour, for He will always have our backs, praise His name! However once we are grovelling in the dirt because of our sin, we tend to make it about ourselves and not Him as we indulged in the lies of sin, to escape what it is we have been called to face, we all have our crosses to bare and the sooner we learn this lesson well, the earlier we will begin to glorify our Father in heaven. However whilst we are undergoing this transformation, He is just a plea away, call upon the name of Jesus and you shall be saved, Amen and Amen!

I was saved (converted) in the year of 1987, and prior to that event it was a year filled with its fill of debauchery and then an awe inspiring awakening to a far deeper understanding of life and the purpose of it all; this is when my Christian journey began. Initially I was the one full of zeal, the first to open and close in prayer whenever I got the chance. Sharing the gospel with others was high on my agenda and then when it really counted as the lure of sin came a knocking, I was dull of hearing with my old nature screaming to be heard; sin is a very crafty infiltrator and if not check it will result in destruction. This may happen repeatedly as in my case, until the lesson is learnt and even then it looks for other avenues to infiltrate. Thankfully we have a high priest who is touched with our weaknesses and my hearing wasn’t completely removed. I started my journey sprinting out of the blocks, but little did I know that the life of a Christian is a marathon race and not a sprint; initially I fond myself way ahead of the pack but before long I was being overtaken. Therefore I must be classed as a straggler. Although my folly is often highlighted, that is not why I am writing this autobiography I trust the grace of God will become evident to all and His name will ultimately be glorified. I accept that some may not see it as such, however some will be freed from their slavery to serve the living God of this I am persuaded.

Confession must be in the forefront of all who understand their weaknesses, without it there can be no change in character. It is the key to finding God’s grace in our lives. Regardless of the amount of times you may have fallen, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble”, praise His name! Endurance in Christ must be our banner for life. Why do some who are called live model Christian lives while other struggle immensely? God knows! My appeal to all is that in reading this account, “MY STORY” I may help you see some of yourselves in me and spring you into action for Jesus’ sake.

Signing off

Tyrone

One last push to get it right

Who of you do not carry regrets? I certainly have too many to count and I am in the process of working a few things out. Life is a journey and the truth of it all is that we only get one stab at it, we must make it count. Some may achieve great heights in the business arena, which is not what I refer too as a good score; the hidden treasures that will never rot or perish and carry us through eternity is the ultimate goal for humanity, nothing more and nothing less will suffice and stand the trial of fire that is coming for all. Do not be deceived; “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw-- each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” (1Corinthians 3:11-15)   

I’m tired of the hero being praised, especially if and when they mislead the pilgrim into believing so many lies. I once believed myself to be amongst that number as subtle as that deception may have been it was the truth in my own cognizance, only to be placed on a pedestal to come tumbling down. Sin taking it’s strangle hold on my life and disqualifying me throughout my lifetime. There where times of great rejoicing, where God, my heavenly Father took me to some amazing height that are hard to articulate. But even with these experiences close to my heart I sadly stumbled time and again. Thankfully it’s not about my achievements per say but rather its all about my glorious Saviours achievements and the shackles he has broken for the believer. It is up to the individual to work this great mystery out for themselves. This is what I am endeavouring to do with the grace of God as my comrade.   

Reincarnation is just one of the many lies that teach the world that we better ourselves and come back as someone or something else in our next life. God could have done it this way, but He hasn’t. This is the truth! “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:27-28)

With that in mind I have decided or rather feel a strong urge to put pen to paper as I revisit my life and flip through the pages as I analyse the folly of so much wasted time and endeavour with one last push to set the record straight pleasing my heavenly Father. My prayer is to end well and help other to do the same.

Signing off

Tyrone