Saved in Hope

Hope is a very powerful word used to describe the state of an individual’s volatility, it is never based on actuality but the potential of something coming into fruition, unless it hinges on true faith. The Christian is “Saved in Hope”. It is an unseen gift imparted to the believer through faith. Although invisible it is as real as these keyboard keys I punch. It isn’t a blind stab hoping for the best possible outcome. If it were we would be no different from the masses; where people take the little they have and bet on the lotto, hoping for an almost impossible payday and answer to all their financial woes. If only, is what drives their decision. The Christians hope is most certainly not cut from the same cloth and I thank God for that! We are saved in a hope that can never fail; God will never fail! It’s the Spirit of God working in us that drives our hope. It’s only when uncertainty creeps into our lives that hope begins to dwindle. Unbelief the enemy of faith which when seen for what it is, disobedience to the Word of God becomes evident in a person’s life. Tests will and must come, in fact this is what cements the Christians hope and causes it to shine. It’s these very examinations that separate the tares for the wheat and the goats from the sheep.  

An eternity with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the hope that will captivate the hearts of every true Christian, every born again believe who has been call into the light, those who have begun to grasp the difference between light and darkness and the different effect it has on ones well-being.

The beloved disciple has this to say; “Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.” (2 John 1:8) – There is a lot on the line, in fact it is so massive that eternity (time without end) depends on the outcome of our understanding and commitment to the call that God has place upon our lives. If you believe, been called by name, and now continue to walk in the light as an individual snatch out of the fire, what is our responsibility? Hopefully we are not like the man who buried his talent, or has the gift of God, the Lord Jesus Christ sparked us into action? Is our hope so obvious to all that it is undeniable? Regardless of what people may think or say. Are we in the process responding to God’s call to the best of our abilities? I know that I am lacking in areas where I could be far more diligent, not from a carnal perspective, this is where we are often trapped into giving ourselves a pass. The call is a simple one, less of self and more of God and however that needs to be cut into our lives is what we will be judge on. To what degree has our commitment and gratitude sparked us into action…

We must make it our goal to end well and so with that in mind let’s pray for one another. This is an obvious truth; actions in our lives speak louder that the words that come out of our mouths. But never forget that it is the WORD OF GOD that must drive our actions and not the opinions of individuals.  

Help us feed the hope which drives us to be about your will in our lives Father God. Lord Jesus keep our eyes locked on the cross where it all happened, the anguish you faced so that the Christian could be set free, thank you my selfless King for that brutal sacrifice that has set me free. I need my mind renewed, that part of my brain that says know to my selfish will and yes to God, whatever that may look like.

It’s HOPE in that which is to come that helps realign my reality, there is an era coming where I will see my God face to face and a time where I receive my glorified body. Where I will be able to fall done and praise my heaven Father and personally thank Him for his patience with me. The day when I can embrace my glorious Saviour, thanking him for what He has done for me. These truths will come to pass and probably the time I look forward to most, is the day when every knee shall bow and confess Jesus as Lord or will it be when God the Father looks me in the eye acknowledging me as his son? The truth of it is this, that no eye has seen nor ear heard that which God has in store for those who love him. It is because we are saved in hope that we are reminded about these trues, praise God now and forever more, Amen and Amen!      

Signing off

Tyrone

Why we are

A thought springs to life and then the mind begins to gain traction as the intent launches and it begins to grow. It’s not the thought that cause the destruction but rather the commitment to it. The working of the brain and its function is rather fascinating; enemy or ally, friend or foe? Once God enlightens our understanding to the way entrapment works and we start to recognize and understand it, it not very difficult to appreciate the way our minds are painted with hypocrisy. The fall of Adam and the sin of Eve took care of that. What Now? How does a man get the upper hand on such a curse? The answer is an obvious one, the Lord Jesus Christ and His victory on Calvary. Thank God that this was a once and for all time sacrifice, never to be repeated. It was far better than the First Covenant, Which was a continuous sacrifice for sin with other rituals thrown into the mix for other offenses. No! It is now finished, Jesus Christ the King of Glory has overcome, and He has conquered all. But where does that leave us? The call is this, DRESS FOR BATTLE!  

We needn’t wait for the “rains of life” to stop and then sing “I see clearly now” and then be willing to “put on the mind of Christ”; on the contrary; the harder the times the more the urgency. The harder the struggle the sweeter the victor, this is a truth that we must make own. Look at the accomplishments of our great Saviour and it will soon become very apparent. We must fly the flag of struggle with absolute confidence in our God and Father We are entering a very difficult time for the Christian; but in observation as I flip through the pages of history, I uncover men crucified for their faith and I see women enduring hardships that seem to be unheard of today. Yes, we must all have our struggles as it is part of the design. Therefore we need to take this instruction seriously and remember to dress for battle!

All do not have the opportunity to dress with battle fortitude which will keep the enemy at bay. It is an obvious fact that the struggle of life distresses everyone but is only God’s enlisted soldiers that have an armoury open them, those individuals who truly believer in the finished work of Calvary, those who have been born of the Spirit (God’s Spirit), and those who believe in their hearts that on the third day after his son’s death that God raised HIM from the dead. And for those who are willing to confess Him as Lord, not silently but publically with their mouths; these then are the ones who are entitled to enter the armoury at any given time and to freely dress for battle…

There is a universal key that opens this lock; He is the Lamb of God and His name is Jesus Christ the Lord; He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, the great “I AM” and every knee will bow to Him and every tongue shall confess Him as Lord. If you are already counted amongst God’s number, if your name is called at roll-call then you need to get on with the business at hand, but for those who aren’t sure where they fit, or if they think that their name is called but cannot be certain, It would be far more prudent to err on the side of safety than chance. Which means, if there is doubt to whether you will be saved or not, whether you will end up in heaven or hell, if this thought eats at you, rather be safe than sorry. Remember that we are all guaranteed death (outside of those involved with the rapture), but death in the flesh is only the first leg of our existence. It is imperative we lockdown what is needed to hold us in good stead for our second leg and this happens when we shed our flesh and blood bodies. Do not be fooled into thinking that there is no afterlife; just because that may be your opinion does not mean it is a fact. Opinions will never change the laws of gravity, they are set in stone as it where, why? God has so ordained it. So too will our spiritual bodies live or die forever! Life for those found in Christ, true believers in what God the Father did for us, sending his Son to take our punishment; sinners who obtained mercy when we deserved no mercy.

For those of us who found grace, not because of who we are in ourselves, but because our God is a merciful God and somewhere along our life cycle we encountered the living God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who opened our eyes to the truth of life and death. He showed us our pitiful states, sinners destined to a Godless eternity and all because of our sin. Just imagine if He left us wallowing in the mire without any hope. The expression, “you’ve made your bed now lie in it” rings true. As a sinner and a hater of God, I was doomed to an eternal existence without God and yet God chose to make a way… Praise the glorious name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour; He sent His only Son to die in my place. If I had not come to understand this truth I would never believe it possible, and yet the only true living God chose to give me hope and so to free me from what I deserve, hell and all its filth, He chose rather to kill His Son so that I could go free. What a gracious God we serve, if in fact we serve Him.

Here is the good news, no rather the greatest news for now; if you still have breath and you still live in this world, this means you still have an opportunity to embrace the hope of the gospel, you can at this point in your life fall to your knees and cry out to this merciful God and ask Him to open your eyes to His truths so that they may become your accuracies and save your soul, adding you to His playing field, which is to be number amongst the saints. There is no greater privilege. Call then on the name of Jesus with heart felt sincerity and I can assure you He will respond to that plea; on what authority do I make such a brash statement? Most certainly not because of my own personal experience which was and is obviously very real to me but rather on the authority of God’s Word; “For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."” (Romans 10:13)

Signing off

Tyrone

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