The Athelete

(2Timothy 2:5) An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 

Paul writes a letter to Timothy and it is obviously that he was dear to Paul’s heart. Not that any of the other converts in Pauls life weren’t valued, but when one reads between the lines it’s obvious that this was a young man he was very excited about, someone to fly the Christian flag with similar considerations. Paul nurtures him in the faith with the result that we secure great benefit when studying the book of Timothy, especially in our day and age, where everything is starting to spiral out of control, and this is a book that will help keep the Christian grounded in their faith. It is a great guide to our rudders. DO NOT err from its teaching as if we have moved on from that type of mind-set, it’s what the enemy wants us to do.

I am persuaded that the voice of God is heard over the static of life when it comes to his children. However many, myself included, have been drawn to so much unnecessary heartache and the dullness of hearing has brought about much suffering. I do not refer to suffering for doing good, which is part of a Christian’s journey, but sadly suffering for our own folly; “For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.” (1Peter 2:20)

The brain is like a sponge and it absorbs whatever it encounters with the different receptors acting out, making us who we are. Once we feed something that we believe as enjoyment, there is a carving for more of it. The particulars of that may vary slightly from individual to individual depending on their defiance. One may have a need to skydive whilst the other may need to scuba dive. The “Bucket List” seems to be the flavour of the decade. It now has an identity, the desire to quench our passion has been around since the fall of Adam. One may ask, what is so wrong with a “bucket list” (a to-do list before we die)? Everything! If it takes us away from God and not towards Him and His glorious light. In fact anything in our lives that has a similar effect on us needs to be evaluated through the eyes of the Spirit. Without learning to put on the mind of Christ appropriately we may believe we are travelling in the right direction when in fact we are standing over a hidden metallic belt and our compasses are being affected. It reads north when in fact it should read south. This is where the Word of GOD is fundamental to the Christian. Without it as part of our daily routine, we will lose direction.  

As intricate as the brain is, it’s the pleasure receptor I wish to explore. The part of us that keeps going back for more, which is frequently driven by a sinful lust of a sort. Whatever you believe to be your fancy, do not be fool, it is no more than a smokescreen to keep you from a relationship with God. I love the “bush” and as a photographer I have spent much time admiring God’s creatures and His creation, looking for the perfect image. However as soon as I place more affection on his creation than I do upon Him, even if it’s a subtle shift, I am now feeding the receptor that the enemy Satan is looking to nourish, getting me to realign my focus, taking my eyes off my God. We have all been commanded to work it out for ourselves, we have been given this life to graft it out and then it’s over, no more chances. “Do not be conformed but be transformed” is the instruction. King David’s son Solomon was given wisdom by God and yet he put himself through so much testing, exploring the boundaries of the flesh and the frontier of knowledge. He tried to satisfy his carnal desires, whatever his mind could fathom, he explored. This was his conclusion; …Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:12-14)  

          

The voice of this world is not our comrade, God is the Christians friend and that is why He has given us His written Word. The Holy Bible must be our controls in this saturated world. It is full of beautiful clues to what is going on around us. It’s a true companion. When we do not like what jumps out at us it’s not the Word that needs changing, but rather our sentiments. Do not be fooled into thinking that there are those who cannot twist any text for selfish gain. It with a slippery tongue and our own natural tendencies to take the easy way out that causes entrapment. We all have a natural tendency in us to bargain the easy way out but this is a sure indicator that we are walking in the flesh, it’s our worldly eyes that in the driver’s seat and not the WORD OF GOD. If it’s about self-gratification then we are walking in the flesh, it’s our carnal instincts that drives us against the will of God.  

Back to the text, there is a certain way we have to live our lives if we want to be crowned, no differently to the athlete that must compete according to the rules of that particular event. If broken, they are disqualified! This is what we need to work out in our own lives. I realise that not all will have the gifting of teaching or one of the other gift ministries. However, I do believe that regardless of our measure, God’s Word is enough to feed us and get us home, it is that powerful!

Scripture and verse in context, with the author’s intention always in the forefronts of our minds and with the Lord Jesus in the Christians corner, who can ultimately come against us? We must run in accordance to the rules if we are to be crowned. The Holy Bible is that guide, it is our handbook to eternal life, therefore lets us treasure it as much for our lives do depend upon it. Father God, keep all you children from those who look to uproot the believer and their grounding upon your Holy Word, praise the name of Jesus Christ our Lord now and forever more, Amen, Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

A Virus

Let’s face it, everything in life is about education. A baby’s progress; crawling, talking and then walking. There are certain things that come naturally without any influence from us. The pumping of blood to one’s heart and all the other biological effects God has instituted. They happen and we exist. It’s only when we get sick that we look for a remedy to beat the intruder and this is where the medical profession and pharmaceutical companies gain their momentum. Without infections they wouldn’t exist and I am convinced not many would argue against my summation. But what of sin and the effect it has had on our world and all its inhabitants, Gods creation? Because of it, Christ’s salvation exists for the sinner and without sin that would not have been needed. It’s our own sin that teaches us this lesson well, if only we would pay attention to it. The sick require a doctor not the healthy, likewise the sinner requires forgiveness and not the righteous. However, examine the scriptures and you will see more often than not that apathy for healing was never drafted into the script, there was always an urgency behind the one who needed to be healed. The paralyzed man was so desperate that he somehow convinced those bearing his stretcher to hoist him onto a roof and then remove the tiles from the roof so that he could gain access to Jesus; “And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”” (Luke 5:18-20) – I trust you see the connection between healing, the forgiveness of a man’s sins and the urgency to have it dealt with.  

HIV an incredibly intelligent disease, the master of disguise until its deception was worked out. Once that happened AIDS was no longer a death sentence. But without administering the anti-retroviral medication it certainly would be. As a counsellor on the topic I saw the destruction it was able to reap within the minds of those not willing to come out into the open. Denial their enemy and there was an actual reason for this, the thought of their families disowning them was real. Which on occasion would happen. It’s almost as if the kettle was calling out the pot. The uneducated swayed by the myth of it all. The pretender also influenced by their blindness, not acknowledging their own sin. Almost a carbon copy playing out in the same community, disease and sin having the same effect on so many. How many have actual been disowned by their families because they now stand upon the truth of Christianity and acclaim the greatest news of all, that Jesus has it in his power to save the sinner. This is a glorious message, the love of God manifest with great wisdom. The brilliance of God pointing us to understand our need for forgiveness, whilst the devil twists disease as God’s influence as proof of the author of disaster. Which is obviously slanted in his favour to gain traction and take as many with him to hell as possible. He defied God and so he now looks for likeminded support. The sadness of it all is that he is a liar and a deceiver, God on the other hand has laid it out plainly. Repent find forgiveness for you sins or end up in the Lake of Fire. A message hated by our sensual desires, but nevertheless true.       

Can you see the correlation? Both sin and disease having the same effect on an individual, except the one costs an arm and a leg, whilst the other available to all, those willing to cry out to Jesus, the cost, humility! With great expense needed to heal the sick, the weak being exploited for self-gain. Only ever offering a temporary solution, whilst salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ an eternal solution.   

The question that is often asked is why would God allow such a disease to run riot at such a hectic pace? Look a little deeper and you will be amazed at what you see. I am in awe of His brilliance, the little I have been shown. A simple virus like HIV can teach us that we need to be saved not only from it but from our sin. Until we accept the fact that we are indeed infected by sin and confess that we will never need to be saved from it. Denial will keep salvation at bay and yet, just like the HIV Virus without medication will result in a person’s premature death, so too will unrepentant sinners end up in the Lake of Fire. These are the facts, and if ignored the only one who truly suffers is the inflicted. The one who never found an urgency to be healed. The one who was not willing to ignore the obstacles in life, push throw the crowd, climb a roof and remove the tiles to find forgiveness. Accept your position, see yourself for who you are and only then will forgiveness heal the broken hearted. 

God open our eyes to see the bigger picture with clarity. Please use this message to convict the one toying with the idea of repentance, the one that has been fence sitting for so long, only you are able to make that happen. Praise your name now and forever more, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

House in order

Today I have a visitor, my brother whom I have not seen since our late dad’s funeral. What is rather obvious is the rush or calm depending on a person’s personality to prepare for that visit. However there is no doubt that all that is out of place is rearranged and straighten, with the intention of leaving a good impression. As small as this point may be, it lives in all of us, which moves me onto the text I have been led to explore…

(1Timothy 4:1)  Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons --- AND --- “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.” (Matthew 7:21) 

These two points which are great indicators of what we can possibly expect in even our lives. It would be foolish to overlook such a warming on the premise of supposition. Denial a natural reflex to self-reflection.

It is God who works in His children, it is His work that will be obvious in a believer’s life. However as much as we have the greatest of allies on our side, there is an enemy that goes about like a roaring lion seeking to devour, to halt that process. How does he do it? The Apostle Paul makes a very bold statement as one in the know; … “so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” (2Corinthians 2:11) - I surmise the greater your walk is filled with God’s light, the easier his devices will be to recognize. Sadly many of us are taken at will by his trickery. However this must change in a believer’s life, we have the greater in us that leads us toward His righteousness. “If God is for us who can be against us”. This is exactly the point that we must come to grips with…

Examine the scripture above as if the author is addressing you in particular and do not let refutation entice you reckoning. Denial can be supremely destructive and the pointing of fingers does more damage than good.

We have warnings here which God has given us so that we are not caught napping…

 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times…” Here we have a prophecy of the apostasy of the latter times, and one wouldn’t need a degree to see the fruit of this statement in today’s world. The Bible has been shelved in many so called churches and humanism has taken its place, in fact I am not sure that my reckoning is accurate, mostly it was never the Word of God that attracted the masses but rather a cunning plan implemented by the devil. No different to a vaccination, just enough religion to keep one from being truly saved.

In the close of the forgoing chapter, the author sums up the mystery of godliness and in the beginning of this chapter the mystery of iniquity is summed up. It speaks of the spirit of antichrist. The question we need to be asking ourselves is whose voice are we listening too? What is shaping your life, people’s persuasions or the WORD OF GOD? It’s time for a serious reflection because the next point that the Lord Jesus Christ made himself is this; “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.” The next two verses goes on to make very bold statements, but it could just save our lives if we give it special attention. “MANY will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:22-23) – What fruit are we producing in our lives is the pressing question?

My life has been filled with so much rebellion that it actually sickens me to my stomach. Sure, there has been many wonderful times that the Lord has allowed my ministry to speak into the hearts of some, but the stints when I have served my our self-gratification, just hoping that maybe God wouldn’t mind the way I behaved because He could see my heart, denial living rampant in my life and dominating so many pathetic choices is a heavy burden I now carry, Forgive me Father God, I was wrong and sincerely seek out your forgiveness for my folly. I know I have found your forgiveness, but my race is not yet over and my prayer is that I end well, bringing glory to your holy name. There is still much work to be done. But by your grace I will not pass it by as acceptable.

What is left for us to do? We must all pursue God’s righteousness as the most important thing in our lives. These are the verses that has gripped my heart; “But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity. “Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” (2Timothy 2:19-21) – We must not be fooled into believing that we can live against God’s instructions and safely make it to heaven that would be a fool’s errand. It’s time for the Christian to take stock and examine themselves whilst seeking God’s grace to overcome whatever is needed to be fit for the Masters use.

All praise and honour belongs to our God, now and forever more, Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

Understanding faith

This is what true faith looks like; it understands that faith is encapsulated by God’s mercy and without His intervention we would remain dead in our trespasses and our sins. It is not proud nor arrogant, and it must be driven by a heart of truth so that it may stand the test of time. It is imperative not to shy away from rebuke where and when it is needed. But above all, our focal point must remain fixed on the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work. Looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. I apprehend the urgency and importance of my conviction. However, by design, it’s testing to step out of the way and allow Him to take hold of the reigns, it’s foreign to our characters because we love to be in control. How do I know that this is where we really get tested, you needn’t spend too much time reading through the beloved Word of God before that becomes rather obvious, however until we are in a similar predicament it will only ever remain theory. Consider our great Saviours example… It’s one thing to read a manual from cover to cover but quite another thing all together to do the required work needed. Until we come face to face with the tailor-made tests of faith in our lives, it will only ever remain between our ears as head knowledge.    

Unbelief the antithesis of faith. Here is the gist of it all, put off the test of faith in our lives and we will find ourselves in a hurt of pain. If in fact we have been called by name to put on the mind of Christ. This is one of the greatest lesson I would say that I am presently being taught and it would be amiss of me not to lay it on. Everything, and I mean the whole enchilada that keeps you from this objective is your enemy and not your friend. I believe the perfect will of God is found here (our total dependency upon Christ which requires true faith). “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

There may come a day when you will have to face the ultimate test, die or live on the back of what your hold dearest to your heart. Martyrdom is not a new phenomenon. Through the pages of time God has require those whom have glorified Him in this fashion. But this is a very high calling and not many will be martyred for the sake of the cross, amplifying the work of Calvary. Yet there has been that call for some, a minority whom God has handpicked. Those counted worthy enough to glorify their God in this fashion. Without true God given faith this would become an impossible feat being the ultimate test. Whatever we find grace for in this life will not be without its benefits in the next. The rewards that will be ours, those who lose their lives for Christ’s sake in each and every area of our lives.

If your faith looks something like this; a bigger house, faster cars, braided hair and costly clothing, then I am sorry to say, that this speaks of those who are lukewarm, or you may not even be saved. What does the Lord teach us about His thoughts on those who are habitually coma stated in a lukewarm condition? With a mind-set that because I believe it, it will happen, is faith of a different sort and it has been influence by the enemy. Faith is a dependency on God’s Word. If God has declared it, it will come to pass. This is where we have to learn to live. A great question we could ask ourselves to see how close we are to living with God given faith as our rudder would be living an existence of denial for the benefit of those in need. It’s only when I ask myself the tough questions do I realise how far I still have to travel.

 It’s all about the Holy Guide, when we doubt the written Word, we now walk in unbelief. Did you know that the Christian has been called to a life of suffering? “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2:3) - A good way to examine our understanding of faith, is when the pressure is on, how do we respond? But it should never be for selfish gain, that’s greed disguised by “so called faith”. With a roof over our head, clothes on our backs and a basic meal in our stomachs is where we have to find gratification. And then even that may be tested. Why? Christianity is rather like marriage, “until dead do us part, in sickness and in health, regardless of the tests, will we remain faithful to our God?  

These are just a couple of thoughts I have had when considering God’s view on the topic. It has once again realigned my understanding of what faith needs to look like in my life. It needs to remain faithful, regardless of the trial. In fact it is the actual trial that proves our loyalty to our God. Death the final test! Yet within all those test, God’s mercy often revitalizes our struggle and brings relief for our ailing flesh. There is always light at the end of the tunnel. But it’s important to comprehend our own understanding on faith. Bless His glorious name now and forever more, Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

Law

God’s law or any law for that fact has its purpose, to keep a citizen from sentence. It is a set of rules when kept that will keep us out of trouble. Therefore it is easy for us all to appreciate the benefits of the law, especially the law of the land. If you live in the United States of America, the laws of the land vary slightly depending upon the differing states. Which in turn influences the types of residents it may attract. But once the individual has made up their mind, they are subject to that governing body and it’s up to those assigned to uphold the law to keep their residents in check. We all understand the value of the law, even if we don’t agree with all of it. Nevertheless, the law is binding whether we like it or not, break it, get caught and suffer the consequences.

Christians are in a similar camp and we have aligned ourselves to the will of our Father, although we are no longer under law as the second covenant has come and the grace of God covers His children, Jesus Christ the Lord has already taken their punishment, He has paid the price for the converted Christians sins, all of them; past, present and future sins. However, we (Born again Christians) are subject to God our Fathers will and this journey down below has its purpose. It up to us as individuals to prove the will of God in our lives; “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2) – We have aligned ourselves with a new set of laws and therefore are subject to them, to be more accurate we are now children of God and no longer bastards. We must accept correction favourably as it is an aid and not a hindrance as some may suggest.    

"And all the children of Israel murmured." — (Numbers 14:2)

“There are murmurers amongst Christians now, as there were in the camp of Israel of old. There are those who, when the rod falls, cry out against the afflictive dispensation. They ask, "Why am I thus afflicted? What have I done to be chastened in this manner?" A word with thee, O murmurer! Why shouldst thou murmur against the dispensations of thy heavenly Father? Can he treat thee more hardly than thou deservest? Consider what a rebel thou wast once, but he has pardoned thee! Surely, if he in his wisdom sees fit now to chasten thee, thou shouldst not complain. After all, art thou smitten as hardly as thy sins deserve? Consider the corruption which is in thy breast, and then wilt thou wonder that there needs so much of the rod to fetch it out? Weigh thyself, and discern how much dross is mingled with thy gold; and dost thou think the fire too hot to purge away so much dross as thou hast? Does not that proud rebellious spirit of thine prove that thy heart is not thoroughly sanctified? Are not those murmuring words contrary to the holy submissive nature of God's children? Is not the correction needed? But if thou wilt murmur against the chastening, take heed, for it will go hard with murmurers. God always chastises his children twice, if they do not bear the first stroke patiently. But know one thing-"He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." All his corrections are sent in love, to purify thee, and to draw thee nearer to himself. Surely it must help thee to bear the chastening with resignation if thou art able to recognize thy Father's hand. For "whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons." "Murmur not as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer." (Charles Spurgeon)

Signing off

Tyrone

A sobering thought

How beautiful is a word in season that is brought to one’s recollection. To be reminded that regardless of where you find yourself, “if there is breath there is hope”. Today is another funeral, someone I knew well, someone I shared the gospel with, a man aged 48, dead with no more “breath” feeding his carnal organs. He has moved on and now he will stand trial and await his judgement. Oxygen no longer needed to survive, with his soul alive and his awareness of it as if he never died. The eternal phase of his existence has been realised and no more questioning of it, it is as real to him as me sipping on my espresso as it will be for each and everyone when we breath our last regardless of our take on life after death. We have no say in the matter as we are the created and we exist because of God’s will and purpose. He is the director of His production and it’s up to us to be the best we can be within our specified roles. But it is critical that we find Christ and call out to him so that we may be forgiven for our sins, so that when we move on to chapter two of our lives we will escape God’s judgement and only because Christ has already taken the punishment for it. That is if we have fallen to our knees and cried out to Him with an urgency of desperation acknowledging our sin before a holy God, in order to find His forgives and escape the ultimate eternal sentence, the Lake of Fire! But this can only ever be achieved in this phase of our existences.     

Regardless of who you are or where you fit in, you are just a cry away from the saving and healing hand of the Lord Jesus Christ. It rather remarkable, how often God is willing to come to the rescue of his children. Then again is it, or do I just feel like that because I reason with the mind of a man? If God is for his children, who can actually come against them? To catch glimpses of God’s brilliance as he allows certain weakness to play themselves out in my life is rather incredible. It is all about the lessons of life. Sadly many are driven by a different barometer, power, wealth or success which in turn brings about different results, paraphernalia for this life and not much more. Whereas those who are driven by the Fathers will, even if the attempt is pathetic at times is all about a perfect treasure that will last for eternity. It’s God’s goodness that leads an individual to the bridge of repentance and yet it’s up to the individual to act out in faith in order to cross that void. Yes, yes and yes; it’s God who gives us all a differing measure of faith. He is the one who hands out the portions, but faith remains dead without works. Sadly faith so often seems to be surrounded by delusional reasoning or even worse by the pretender.

We all only get one crack at this and then the opportunity is dead. Just like Quinton died at 48, his time ran out before it possibly should have, nevertheless none of us know when we will frantically gasp for our last breath, assumption could be catastrophically detrimental to our eternities.

Today is the day of salvation, make it count…

Signing off

Tyrone

Survival

On reflection I have realised how my drive has pushed me in certain directions to achieve different objectives through the differing stages of my life. However as life has ticked by those goalpost have shifted. When one thought died or had been ticked off my bucket list a new awareness would spring to life depending on my situation and state of mind. I surmise that we can all be tarred with the same brush as we are all made from the same matter and driven by the will to survive at the core of our being. No-one purposefully goes out of their way looking for death and yet we will all face death in one form or another, bar a few in the days of the rapture.

I often catch myself saying “I love you Lord” but of late I am questioning the severity of that statement, it is obvious that I love the Lord, or is it? I have realised that I need to prove that statement by my actions. Here is the ultimate tester; “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.” (Matthew 7:21) - True love is full of evidence...

   

Society and all those taken by her teachers us a certain way, it cries education and stashing money for old age. I must confess it is rather an appealing lure. It is the safe bet, the trap the majority are taken by. A rather large distraction that keeps us busy and away from what really counts, fearing God and keeping His commandments. Why should we realign our mental rudders? The truth off it all is that God will judge the world and all its citizens, so instead of being so caught up with our own selfish wants, whatever that may be. We need to understand and accept King Solomon’s truth and wisdom, if not we will bear the brunt of our own actions, period! Mistakes are normally habit forming and the longer they are left to run riot the more a formidable opponent they become. Sin needs to be dealt with at its core, and for this reason Christ Jesus died on behalf of the sinner, the work it complete and nothing can be added to it. You are either covered by His blood or not and there is no in-between. But what I will add, is something that I struggled with for many years, in fact for most of them and it is this; we (the Christian) have all been called to put off the old and put on the new, the areas of our lives where we have struggles must be braved head on. We must not continue to lie to ourselves about those regions that keep us from walking in the light. We are so naturally drawn to reflex reactions that we believe so many of them to be acceptable and yet so few of them are suitable to our great God. We have been called to mimic our Saviours reflection. This is the call for the Christian and that type of mind-set must never be stripped from our reckoning. If and when we err in this area of our lives, do not be fooled, we are lying to ourselves and correction or chastisement may be just around the corner.

Examine your lives and then ask yourselves, can I with a clear conscience bring every area of my life into the open for all to see. If not those then are the areas that need to be confronted and we need to seek out God’s grace to overcome? However we must not make the mistake of shelving those areas of our lives. We can never grow up into our blessed Saviours image if those rough corners of our lives are not ironed out, or rather eradicated and plundered to death. Righteous anger is a requirement that is vital for the Christian to have in their armoury.        

God wants us to realise that we have need of Him far more than we are willing to admit or allow, life’s journey must bring us to places that reminds us that it’s in our weakness that God strengthens our sense of what He is doing in our lives. Firstly our dependency on Him must be evident in our own minds and then become evident to those around us. Whilst our enemies do their utmost to slow down the process. But if God is for me who can be against me? If He is in my corner I may lose some fights, so that I may learn some very valuable lessons along the way, but never the ultimate battle, praise His glorious name.

All hail king Jesus! He is the Lord of Lords and the Lord of my life! Thank you Father God for raising Him from the dead, which in turn has brought about new life for so many and to be numbered with the believers, those who have the ability to cry Abba Father, I am truly privileged and words will never copiously illustrate my gratitude. But it is words that God has chosen to equip individuals with, so that through confession a soul may be saved. Do you believe that God raised the man Jesus from the dead? If so, then cry out that you believe that Jesus is Lord, that he is the only way to God and that there is no other way whereby a person may and must be saved.

There is no confusion with the Gospel message, it is rather a simple choice, but choose you must.

Signing off

Tyrone

Interpretation

It is good to view scripture on face value but even better to have it confirmed by other confirmations throughout scripture.

What do I mean by this?

Let’s look at a point that is very close to my heart, salvation! God making allowances for sinners to be saved. There is much which covers this particular topic, but it is the simple instruction that I want to travel around; “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” (Romans 10:13)

Let’s explore the meaning of “who calls on”; to make a plea to someone who has it in their power to change a particular outcome. Imagine you are fast asleep but suddenly awakened to a thick fog of unbreathable smoke and due to the increasing power failures throughout the land you then remember the gas lantern you left burning in the lounge. Oh no! is the cry, as the obvious must have happened and you conclude that the light must have been blown over by a gust of wind. In the confusion admitting how careless you had been, the flames in the lounge begin to gain momentum and then you realise that the only way out of the house from your bedroom is through the front door, which is via the lounge, you try your best to make your way towards the door, but to no avail, the fire is far to fierce. What to do flashing through the mind’s eye as panic begins to work its magic and before long you find yourself huddled in the furthest corner with your wet duvet cover which you managed to soak under the shower as a shield, somewhat like religion trying to appease our consciences before a holy God. Sadly you soon realise that your valid attempt is no match for the blazing inferno with death looming and with no escape.

Having exhausted every possibility your mind was able to conjure up under extreme pressure, you eventually hit a wall and you are done, the inevitable now ogling you in the face, death by fire! It’s at this point that you hear a voice on the opposite side of the inferno, “call out”, it’s a fireman, a trained professional capable of handling extreme conditions. You have been thrown a lifeline. What do you do? You obviously do not remain silent hoping to be found, nor do you put up your hand hoping to be seen through the dense smoke, how about a courteous diplomatic whisper in the hope of being heard, never! You cry out on the top of your voice, “SAVE ME!” You call out to the fireman, the person with the power to save.

In like manner you need to cry out to the Lord Jesus Christ in order to be saved. However until you realise that your life is doomed for destruction and that you are a sinner who needs saving, the absolute urgency will elude you. As a rule even those on their death bed do not find a resolve to call out unto the Lord to be saved from their looming judgment. Miss it along life’s journey, that time when you were confronted with this exact question and the probability of calling out on your death bed is highly unlikely. However if death looms for you even now you are just a call away and I will remind you; “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

We have establish that a cry depicts urgency of ultimate proportion. It’s not a whisper, or a hedging of ones bet just in case, it’s all in or nothing. That is what it means to call upon the Lord Jesus Christ for help and to be saved, period!

We have seen how I understand taking a verse on face value, believing it for what is taught and yet when we peal back its layers we get a deeper understanding of the author’s intent. Explore the pages of scriptures they are marvellous.

Now to find another verse that confirms and builds upon my initial thought. The objective for us is to be saved, right! So, what else will help me achieve my objective? Here is another thought needed to help me arrive; “And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him…” (Hebrew 5:9) – Now that I have been saved there is a responsibility placed upon me to OBEY HIM. We now are called to work it out, but work it out with God’s help we must. This verse also addresses salvation. Without obedience we will never arrive. Do not be fooled, and believe that you can live a life is in opposition to the Bibles teachings, rebellious disobedience. In other words we must conclude that rank defiance equals an exclusion to the salvation of God. Therefore this verse must be taken very seriously, if we are to arrive in heaven one day as the sons of God.

Let me leave you with these verse that we may all consider our lives seriously; “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 7:21-23) 

I trust we understand the urgency to call out unto the Lord so that we may be saved… it is imperative not to be amongst the many! Praise the name of Jesus Christ now and forever more, Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

Cryptic Clues

It takes time to wake up from our slumber in many areas of lives, but we should be climbing the cliffs of understanding the older we get, however we are often dull of hearing or maybe just rank rebellious. Needless to say it’s up to us as individuals to evaluate our own hearts and seek out God’s grace for true change. It is all about arrival in as many areas of our lives that we find honest reflection. There is a time for all things; a time to eat, sleep, live, die and then the judgement and as Solomon teaches judgement is coming and that the sole purpose of man is to fear God and keep His commandments. How many view this gem of wisdom as insightful enough as to live by it, or at the very least to endeavour to be consciously aware of our plight. Is it a priority?  

With any good spy thriller the author/ producers spends time on the hidden detail to bring their books or movies to life, so too with multipliers of brilliance behind it all, God has given us His book, the Bible. He is the director and everything will pan out in accordance with His will, in other words life as it unfolds is all part of the script. Sure, most of us would say we could do with less evil in this world, however the harder the struggle the sweeter the victory, it’s a principle we can all relate too. This brilliant tome, the Bible is filled with hidden truths, or clues if you like that open the gateway to eternity with some irony thrown in as we are reminded of the brilliance of an unseen God who is behind it all, whilst reminding us that He is in control.

Here is a verse that sprung to life for me many years ago; “For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” (1Corinthians 1:19) – The world and its wisdom asserts so many claims with its spokesmen and God laughs at much of it. How often have you heard this expression; “hindsight is the perfect science”. To know the beginning from the end is easy but to know the end from the beginning is impossible, but not for God, that is His domain and it’s well within his grasp. The question that needs answering is do we believe this to be true or not? And if so will we respond to His overarching instruction, which is to repent and believe on Him, period! Once that has happened for you, things will start falling into place.   

·         We once believed that the earth was flat, it is round (Isaiah 40:22) penned approximately 800 years before the birth of Christ

·         Atmospheric circulation (Ecclesiastes 1:6).

·         Field of Gravity (Job 26: 7)

·         Blood to life and its biological importance (mentioned in the law in the book of Leviticus)

·         Confirmation of dinosaurs (Job 40:15)

And so on…

All clues aiding to help us believe. The Bible is filled with warnings and yet we are often given insight through varying penned indications to be alert and on the lookout. Such a clue is just over the horizon and it is nearing that blast of a trumpet. It would be foolish of us not to pay special attention to the voice of our Lord. I don’t think there are too many people alive today that have not heard about the second coming of our great Lord, it is common knowledge, even if it is laugh at by most. Then there are the Apostles, men like you and me in makeup, ordinary men who have a lot to teach us, if we would only be attentive to their voices. Paul has much to say and an abundance of what he teaches is tried and tested, prior to the instruction. These instructions are priceless. To be able to make a comment like this and with a clear conscience to unload it is remarkable but liberating; “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” (Philippians 4:11) - It is one thing to accept our positions in life but quite another to be content or at peace with our position at any given time. This is the lesson and the sooner we resist that the freer in Christ we will be. Then Peter teaches us this very valuable lesson; “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” (1Peter 2:11) – Here we see Peter bringing our natural default button into question, and the need to keep it in check as it is our enemy and not our friend. And yet he further reminds us that God has designed it as such so that we may learn many valuable lessons and eventually bring Him glory by silencing the gainsayer. What about the elephant in the room, the flavour on the decade which is in complete contradiction to Paul teachings. Men claiming woman’s roles and women claiming men’s roles. Women leading and men following; “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.” (1Timothy 2:12) – Why would he make such a statement? Read the rest of the text in your own time and it will soon be obvious. I realise that this is a very hard pill for most to swallow, but that does not mean once it has been swallowed that it would not achieve the required results. We all have our own cross to bear, but accept it we must! If not it will most certainly be to our own detriment. Of that truth I am completely convince. It’s to find the grace and the strength to push through it all with smiles on our faces.     

  

These are just three of the many examples we must learn to embrace as our lives do depend upon it.

God help us to endure as we learn along the way, bless His name now and forever more, Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

Substance

(Hebrews 11:1) Faith the substance of things hoped for…

Faith has substance attached to it, it should never only ever draw strength from the mystical. Although the origin on faith is unseen to the naked eye it has evidence that proves its existence and true God given faith will be irrefutable! When God speaks opposition gets out of His way. In fact in the beginning He created the heavens and the earth; God said, “let there be light” and light appeared and it was good. He then separated the light from the darkness, hence the night and days we experience without any thought for it. Day and night a reality for all and we do not need faith to embrace that, but we do need faith to clinch God as the creator of the heavens and the earth. There are many other voices that claim another theory but regardless of how they try gain traction, it’s a time in history, which outside of the realm of faith will never be understood. Where any of us there? No but God was! Therefore we believe and trust what He has given us, the Word of God, Period! The Holy Bible is the final authority and although it is by far the most confirmed book in the world by confirmed manuscripts; to prove if the Bible is true, we don't need to look far. Hundreds of documents from different sources have proved its authenticity as well as historical, scientific, and archaeological data which also supports the Bible's credibility. Here is a verse which drive home the point; The Earth is round, not flat as once believed (Isaiah 40: 22) 

The studies for these truths are called apologetics. However without God given faith it will leave you on the wrong side of God’s teachings. As accurate as it may be without spiritual birth we will remain blind to the greater scheme of things.  

Faith is the mechanism that God has chosen to drive His truths into the minds of the created. Adam and Eve never needed faith, they walked and talked with God. It changed once they were banished from the Garden of Eden. Abel, Adam’s son was to first to make an offering on the basis of faith; “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts…” (Hebrews 11:4)

Men and women alike will only ever call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ if they find enough faith to do so. On reflection of my life and the pitiful mistake that have found me out, through it all, I thank God with all my heart that He has given me the faith to focus on what really counts, God’s existence and the plan He has for creation. Our hearts will and must be tested, our faith will be tried to see what it is made of. If God has given us a measure of His faith we will get through whatever we have too, praise God for that! As it is a reflection of His brilliance. The gainsayer will be silenced.     

Now true faith is not so easily found, however there are enemies of the cross, “money preachers” that form alliances with other charlatans who mislead the simple; those who gets paid to stand-up out of their rented wheelchairs, or those claiming various healing without any real evidence. The blind leading the blind and both will eventually fall into the ditch. When God moves it is undeniable! Although God’s voice cannot be distinctly heard by our natural ears, when He speaks it is irrefutable. Creation is evidence of His existence and yet faith is needed to believe. If and when God decides to move it will be mammoth; the parting of the Red Sea, the plagues in Egypt, a young boy named David slaying the mighty giant Goliath with a slingshot, Samson killing a thousand men in a single battle with a donkeys jawbone. And then what of the Lord Jesus’ miracles as he walked the earth, healing the lame, restoring sight to the blind and so on.  

Without faith our relationship with God is dead, this is an imperative truth that is underplayed in many lives. We see the imposter posing as a Christian with so many fake claims as he beguiles the naïve and therefore so many, as a rule, shy away from faith. Thankfully God is in the Christians corner and therefore without some measure of faith in our lives we would be totally undone, and yet we press on, thank you Father! However, I believe there is much more we could be enjoying if we only believed with greater intent. It starts in our closets, and then it will naturally be evident to those we come into contact with, our lives will be living proof of God’s existence and it will be irrefutable. We will be scorned by many, so what! The Christian has a hope that is so real and tangible and it is driven by faith that has eternal benefits.

Choose this day whom you will serve, for I have made up my mind, as for me and my household we will serve the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  

Signing off

Tyrone