Reward

The Spirit of God has helped me see this truth a little clearer and this is what I would like to share. Sadly, self plays a vital role with regard to this topic and yet when we strip away the layers of what I will endeavour to unpack, I conclude that even God is about reward. But it is crucial we understand the different energies at play. The fundamental difference between man and God’s motivations is mammoth, God is righteous and holy and we are sinners. With similar drives and yet with polar opposite intentions. Everything we do and have ever done in life is about our own self-gratification, it is part of our makeup, and it’s who we are as human beings. In fact nothing that exists is without a similar intent. God also has a master plan that revolves around reward, but the beauty of His will is that it springs from a fountain of righteousness. A good tree will produce good fruit whereas an inferior tree will only ever continue to produce spoilt fruit.

Mankind’s existence is motivated by self-indulgences that has been marred by sin, our motivations, regardless of how pure we believe our intentions to be will always end up on the wrong side of what is right and it may even take decades to reveal its true colours but they will rear their head and eventually be seen for what and who they are. Mankind seems doomed, however praise be to God who sent His Spirit into the world to arrest the hearts and minds of some individuals, who has seen the truth for what it is and needs to pass the baton onto those willing to listen. Without Him it would be impossible! It’s God’s influence that brings about this change and not the will of an individual. Once God ignites this intent it’s then the will of the individual that must daily determine to make up their minds to walk in the light. God first and then we must learn to follow, that in itself is a choice.            

Receiving a reward, or an honorary prize is only ever handed out once, unless an alternative is specified. Receiving press photography awards happened once a year that is the way it was structured, different awards given out for different categories but only once a year. Interestingly enough a specific picture could never win an award the following year, it has reached it expiry date, unless a new set of rules were introduced. Let’s say that in 1997 I won an award in the news category, that picture was excluded from the 1998 awards, a general principle easily understood. But if they called for the best picture of the nineties this then would free up this image to be entered. You get the point…

Let’s face it we all want to be recognized in our industries. However, the calling now for the Christian is a foremost call with many other instructions interwoven, which is to strive at all cost to please our heavenly Father. Who has ever truly squirmed at a pat on the back, pride alive and well in all of us. And yet this is the very nature that gets us in to trouble with God; “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble”. It’s Satan and his allies that feeds this in our lives, he structures all his traps around pride with money as the overarching goal, then default kicks in and it is James who teaches you this truth about our hearts; “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:13-14) – Why bring this up if it wasn’t something we needed to recognize in our lives? We love to play the blame game… It is time to sit up and confessed where needed and to take responsibility for our own actions and then the probability on been shown God’s light is far more likely to spring to life. The WORD OF GOD is for us and never against us, unless we choose to blatantly disregard it, then we are playing with fire, literally!  How does a trap work? It is a device or contraption that is design to ensnare an animal, however in our case it is obscure to the naked eye and yet far more effective. Both designed to achieve their objectives, a trick or arrangement designed to catch someone or something.

Once a trap is recognized and seen for what it is, it will be avoided at all costs, or at least should be. I am forever thankful that God almighty, the maker of the universe, chose to seen His Spirit into the world and give us insight into such unseen mysteries. Born again believers have been afforded this privilege. Having said that our struggle lives on, daily we are call to put off our old natures and put on the mind of Christ. Paul teaches us how to do this in Ephesians chapter 6 with reference to putting on the amour of God. We must dress for battle, this is why I am a firm believer that one should make time in the mornings for the Lord. Your special time, an allocated stint with no other distractions, which will arm your mind with the correct perspective for the day. Evenings are a good time to reflect on the progress and hardships of the day and how we handle the challenges. Does a soldier go into battle without his armour and then just before bed decide to dress up? We have also been instructed to live one day at a time, I believe it is for this exact reason. We must end up valuing the light of God as our ultimate treasure in every area of our lives, this is the objective; “not my will Lord but thine be done” an impossible exploit without the Spirit of God and putting on the “mind of Christ”, more of Him and less of us…

Our reward will not be for a fleeting moment but it will last into eternity, it’s God’s light that teaches us this lesson well and drives us toward this objective. It’s not as if the Christian will be sitting on a cloud strumming a harp for eternity; “if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;” (2Timothy 2:12) – This is truly the only goal worth fighting for as the reward is eternal.

   

Signing off

Tyrone

Shut in

It is a good idea to single out the individual that we know God loves and learn from them as we endeavour to explore a deeper relationship with our God. It’s often the little things that can be missed, which could have considerable benefits. “Christ in us the hope of glory”, is what needs to be nurtured and when we inspect other Christian’s lifestyles, not as a judge, but rather as we seek to glean the amazing fruit of the Spirit in their lives…

God dealt with Noah in an amazing way when everything around him was about to be destroyed…

"The Lord shut him in." — Gen_7:16

“Noah was shut in away from all the world by the hand of divine love. The door of electing purpose interposes between us and the world which lieth in the wicked one. We are not of the world even as our Lord Jesus was not of the world. Into the sin, the gaiety, the pursuits of the multitude we cannot enter; we cannot play in the streets of Vanity Fair with the children of darkness, for our heavenly Father has shut us in. Noah was shut in with his God. "Come thou into the ark," was the Lord's invitation, by which he clearly showed that he himself intended to dwell in the ark with his servant and his family. Thus all the chosen dwell in God and God in them. Happy people to be enclosed in the same circle which contains God in the Trinity of his persons, Father, Son, and Spirit. Let us never be inattentive to that gracious call, "Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee, and hide thyself as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast." Noah was so shut in that no evil could reach him. Floods did but lift him heavenward, and winds did but waft him on his way. Outside of the ark all was ruin, but inside all was rest and peace. Without Christ we perish, but in Christ Jesus there is perfect safety. Noah was so shut in that he could not even desire to come out, and those who are in Christ Jesus are in him for ever. They shall go no more out for ever, for eternal faithfulness has shut them in, and infernal malice cannot drag them out. The Prince of the house of David shutteth and no man openeth; and when once in the last days as Master of the house he shall rise up and shut the door, it will be in vain for mere professors to knock, and cry Lord, Lord open unto us, for that same door which shuts in the wise virgins will shut out the foolish for ever. Lord, shut me in by thy grace.” (Charles Spurgeon)

Signing off

Tyrone

Mercy

Did you know that mercy triumphs over judgment? Here is another amazing facet from the Holy Scriptures that has my attention. The tension between how we behave towards others will impact the way God deals with us. This is what James teaches; “For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy.” (James 2:13)

As we travel along life’s journey we soon realise that it has many diverse aspects to it, we encounter countless altered phases along the way. It is jam packed with production, leaving our minds filled with so many memories; happiness, regret, gratitude and so on. However, it’s when we reach the climax of our journeys that things become clearer, in my opinion its God’s favour toward his children as He opens their eyes to see deeper into the reality of the “Bigger Picture”, existence between time and eternity where the former will have no posture. This will only ever be realise if we are securely grounded on the Rock, our Rock, the Christians Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

James and John brings up this point with a specific mention…

It’s in the context of proving that the love “Christians” speak of is tangible, it is real and has evidence. “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:14-17)  

This is where we need to take a deep hard look at ourselves asking God to strip away every obstacle that looks to rob us of a true reflection on this particular topic. Are we truly merciful towards other, do we love other as ourselves? We must! When we have it in our power to help a brother or sister in need do we run to their aid, or hide in the shadows? Or have we missed a grand prospect that God has brought across our paths but squandered the opportunity?

Now look at this teaching; “For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13) - I earnestly pray that God opens our understanding to this liberty. Thank you Father God for our beloved Saviours example, our big brothers commitment is marvellous to witness, even if we only ever get little glimpses of his beauty in this life, there is a day coming when we will see him as He is, wow! How I long for that day to arrive, all hail King Jesus, Amen and Amen! But until then we must continue towards maturity in the Spirit, this is the demand placed upon every true Christian. Our growth can be measured, it’s how we appropriate such a verse to our lives, which reveals that growth. Are we quick to find a reason to forgive others who have trespasses against us? If not all this proves is that we are still childish in nature. Babes in Christ, this however is never linked to time served as a Christian, but rather our obedience to God’s instruction. The sooner we learn to “let go and let God” the happy we will be. This is a truth that is undeniable. The test of life will become more of an assessment, the further along we travel, growing in the good graces of our redeemers accomplishments, so long as we are not regressing; the trial will become more trying, it must! Is an honour student given the same test as freshman? Obedience to the trial and our total dependency on our Lord and Saviour will gives us victory and the fiery trial that was sent to test us, when conquered will be easily overshadow by the peace of God that floods our soul.    

Claiming something as certainty without works attached to it is teeming with deception. Faith without works is dead. Period! The sooner this penny drops the freer we will be to serve our God, with peace as our prize. However I also understand that this would be a very difficult act to follow if it wasn’t God in us, working through us, in fact it would be impossible. But we are a people who have been forgiven of our sins, we now need to put on the mind of Christ, we are Children of the Most High, don’t you think it’s time we starting flying his flag with a lot more vigilance in accordance with what His Word teaches and not what the world populates as righteous. Their voices cry out for the same sort of commitment, “charity” is a word often used by those in power, however they make a grand showing of their deeds so that they can be acknowledge. This is God’s take on these types of acts; “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:1-4)  

   

All of scripture is beneficial when we wake up to it, make it our own and only then will it becomes ingrained into our lifestyles. Father please help us with this, give us 20/20 vision concerning the fundamentals of Christianity. The reason I ask is that you may receive all the glory as the world witnesses the transformation of your children.  

Signing off

Tyrone

Finding joy...

(James 1:2)  Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds… 

Finding joy in the trial of life is one of the ultimate calls for the Christian; I wonder how many have arrived or even understood this call and the reason for this particular hardship? It’s the bibles teachings that brings us the correct understanding and the necessity of these tests. Without God’s Word we would be swallowed up by the enemy and his thwarted attempt to silence the Holy Bibles teachings. It has been God’s choice and purpose to use dialog to chance the design of that which was once dead and then bring it to life. In the beginning “God said” and it happened. Then Jesus was born and he grew, using his voice to proclaim the will of his heavenly Father, obviously backing up what he said by his actions. It was his words that changed the world, confirming his authenticity by many signs and wonders. Like the mighty miracle of Lazarus, a man dead with his body already starting to turn from decay and with an audience in earshot, he cried out, “Lazarus come forth”, it is God’s voice that brings forth life. In the beginning God created all of creation by his command, the Lord Jesus used words to forgive sinners for their sins and the bible is where we find the tools and what needs to be said so that others may also be saved. “It is by the foolishness of preaching that a man is to be saved.” We must never overlook the WORD OF GOD or make light of it, it is that important!     

Everything we go through has its purpose, there is nothing in the design of our lives that cannot bring benefit when viewed correctly. This however is divergent to our natures and yet when viewed through the eyes of the Spirit we see something totally different. With God’s help in our lives we learn that the testing of our faith brings about steadfastness, endurance is critical in today’s day and age. But regardless of the historical time clock, it’s always operated under the same premise; the just shall live by faith! Without the challenging of one’s faith we will never find faithfulness to overcome when it really matters. Once steadfastness has taken full effect in a believer’s life, the Apostle James teaches that the doer will be “perfect and complete lacking nothing”, wow! What an enthralling thought. But do we believe it, really believe it?

How many people actually preach or teach such a message? That we must count it all joy when we confront the trial of life, it’s crucial for us to become better Christians and end up living a life that will please our heavenly Father and this is where the positive transformation will come from; "counting it all joy" when we fall privy to the trial of life and then finding the grace of God to endure and overcome. We needn’t look much further that the cross of Calvary, God never requires anything from us that He was not willing to do, bridging the gap between God, man and our salvation. His thoughts become my thoughts, it’s the Christ in us that will complete the task at hand. He will receive all the glory and not the one who decided to bring their own righteousness to the seamstress. This is the bridge that can be rather daunting to cross, Christ works in us and it critical that we become obedience to His voice in all areas of our lives.

However we must never overlook this lesson, nor where our strength comes from, which is easily lost if we do not pay it watchful attention.  

The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me." — (Psalm 138:8)

“Most manifestly the confidence which the Psalmist here expressed was a divine confidence. He did not say, "I have grace enough to perfect that which concerneth me-my faith is so steady that it will not stagger-my love is so warm that it will never grow cold-my resolution is so firm that nothing can move it; no, his dependence was on the Lord alone. If we indulge in any confidence which is not grounded on the Rock of ages, our confidence is worse than a dream, it will fall upon us, and cover us with its ruins, to our sorrow and confusion. All that Nature spins time will unravel, to the eternal confusion of all who are clothed therein. The Psalmist was wise, he rested upon nothing short of the Lord's work. It is the Lord who has begun the good work within us; it is he who has carried it on; and if he does not finish it, it never will be complete. If there be one stitch in the celestial garment of our righteousness which we are to insert ourselves, then we are lost; but this is our confidence, the Lord who began will perfect. He has done it all, must do it all, and will do it all. Our confidence must not be in what we have done, nor in what we have resolved to do, but entirely in what the Lord will do. Unbelief insinuates – "You will never be able to stand. Look at the evil of your heart, you can never conquer sin; remember the sinful pleasures and temptations of the world that beset you, you will be certainly allured by them and led astray." Ah! yes, we should indeed perish if left to our own strength. If we had alone to navigate our frail vessels over so rough a sea, we might well give up the voyage in despair; but, thanks be to God, he will perfect that which concerneth us, and bring us to the desired haven. We can never be too confident when we confide in him alone, and never too much concerned to have such a trust.” (Charles Spurgeon)

  

Signing off

Tyrone

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