Testing

It’s not a light thing to pick up a pen and scribble your thoughts, especially when it centres on the Lord's will for it. Much of it is a process, learning right from wrong, testing what is that good, acceptable and perfect will of God. It begins with a thought but has to end with an action to prove that a lesson has been learnt. It is not good enough to have a particular theory waxed if it lacks application.

Image you are on holiday, a beautiful white sandy beach and the full sun baking down on the crashing surf with seagulls speckling the skies above. It is day one and you have forgotten the sun screens, no umbrella nor any lotion. The theory is obvious avoid any rigorous time unclothed in the beautiful but brutal conditions or else. Either that or turn around and get the necessary protective gear needed to handle the brutal suns gamma rays.

Even with this knowledge almost tattooed into our skulls, how many have disregarded the theory suffering the consequence later?

The beautiful God inspired book that we have at out fingertips. The bible is truly filled with theory, all the information we need to keep us on the straight and narrow. However it is one thing to have the brilliance of God illuminated through the text of the pages, especially when it’s is a God given revelation, when a truth jumps out at you and you know that God the Holy Spirit has revealed something extremely precious. Once absorbed and processed it is written upon our hearts and we know it to be true, just the nourishment needed in that exact moment.

However for a truth to be cemented into our characters, it must first be verified. A law student needs to first pass the Bar Exam before they can call themselves a lawyer.

Abraham is the father of faith. He denounced the foreign gods of the time, he understood a truth about the great “I AM” and heeded the voice of God. When he was tested, he passed with flying colour, but his faith was tried, we have to face similar investigation to see who we are and where our loyalties lie, period! If we can keep this understanding in the forefront of our minds whilst enduring hardship it will be well with our soul, disengage and we will find the pressure unbearable.

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. (Hebrews 11:17-19)

We can and will never know more than our heavenly Father, He is in our corner and the trial of life has its purpose, to teach us obedience. We all need to treasure his Word, the Bible and hold it dear to our hearts. I heard someone say on a radio station yesterday; “I’m a Christian but I don’t believe in the man-woman authorities in the church.” Proof that what comes out of her mouth contradicts what she claims to be. The talk not reflecting the walk.

There is so much hate for the authority of God, my mind is spinning from what it needs to process on so many fronts. Many of those considerations I am unable to pen lest I sign my death warrant. But when the time is right God give me the strength to be bold and glorify His name, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

In the beginning

If and when we look for answers it is always good to go back to the beginning. A regiment needed in order to find the truth or any hidden clues we must start as far back as possible to be precise. Now there are those whose look to go beyond, apparently speaking as authorities about billions of years ago, really! Well be that as it may, for the Christian it is not as complicated, it’s rather simple, and the clues have been penned. The Bible is the final authority and we know it to be true. Today in most countries the bible is freely available for all to explore. Let me rephrase with the likes of the internet, all have access to the bible. Some cherish it as I do whilst others disregard it completely, why? Well that is the answer I need to search out and where better to start than in the beginning…

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) 

In order for anyone to start their journey correctly they must begin on the correct tile. Most have played monopoly, to do decide to join the game start on a tile you have been eyeing out, which is forbidden, we all start on the tile that says “start”! Miss the truth about “God the Creator” and you will always be chasing the rabbit down the hole and remain in darkness. However, because there was a time that we were blind doesn’t mean we won’t receive sight. However, there is a particular process that needs following in order for it to happen. Unless a person is “born again”, regardless of race, religion, colour or creed they haven’t even begun the quest of eternal understanding. Many may believe that they are on track but are sadly mistaken. It is never too late to begin correctly, whilst we have breath we have hope. However some will never yield to the voice of God, whilst still under their own sway or should I rather say, under the sway of the devil. That’s really where we are, one or the other, no in-betweens. That is what deception was designed to do, get people to believe in lies as truth. A conman may sell you a fake Rolex and you buy it believing it to be authentic. You believe the lie and remained conned into the purchase. Miss the truth behind that it was God who created the heavens and the earth and you will never arrive with any meaningful conjecture, it will always be surrounded by deception. Give God His rightful place as the Creator or beware, judgment is looming. Save as many dolphins or whales as you must but be sure to acknowledge God as their Creator, and voice that very clearly within the struggle. Leave no doubt behind, it’s time to stand up and be counted.

The question I have for myself is why do I believe that with all my heart and others do not? Why have I received revelation? It is obvious, the goodness of God, there is nothing within me that somehow got God to sway His hand toward me as if I had earned His favour. If anyone actually believes that, they must be delusional. “It’s the goodness of God that leads a man towards repentance”. Therefore the bible is a tool to help mankind get to a place of precise understanding; God is the Creator of all things. I will say it again, question this at your own peril.

Now if one is capable of saying Amen to that truth, without any but’s attached to the equation, the game have begun and it is now time to roll the dice. However the beauty of this game is that it is “finished”, Jesus has overcome. Faith now drives us to believe God, regardless of the obstacles we face. It’s now our chance to learn many valuable lessons along the way. The book Pilgrims Progress is a wonderful illustration of a Christian’s journey from start to end. It encapsulates the entire experience in one form or another, it is a far better account that any fictional novel as it places you slap bang in the centre and able to glean from his experience as our own, the journey is fierce and although there are many treacherous scary creatures to overcome, we are the ones who need conquering the most. It’s the “I” that needs to die.

Why have we been born and what is the sole purpose of mankind? Pay very careful attention to my response; to learn to honour God and to pay Him due benevolence as the Creator of all things, the final authority! The rest of our lives will then be modelled slightly differently but will all have the same objective; to be about the will of God, and this will take a lifetime to work out. Thank God for His patience! All praise and honour belongs to Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour, bless His name now and forever more, Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

My Testimony

This then is my testimony; I sat in my living room at home with many unanswered questions and it wasn’t until I found myself accepting what the bible taught on face value that I was able to see; in other words only after I confessed my sin and thanked God for dying in my place was my understanding quicken to believe in the finished work of Calvary, my prayer went something like this; “Father God I have many doubts and unanswered question, people tell me I am saved yet I am not fully persuaded, however the one thing I am thankful for, I believe that Jesus is the way the truth and the life and that He paid the price for my sin.” I most certainly hadn’t understood the measure of what that meant but I at least had now caught a glimpse of that truth. The floodgates then opened as tears of joy flowed freely down my cheeks and I cried uncontrollably with tears of joy. I was blind to the purposes of life but now could see. It was such a tangible experience that I was compelled by this new unmerited favour to share it with someone else. I ran into the study and flipped through the Teledex, found Greg’s number and called him; we had travelled Europe together and almost lost our lives in Greece, I had to give him the good news, No! The greatest news I had every come to know; “Sledge (Greg) I have found the answer to life”, I bellowed into the phone, expecting a similar response from him, but to no avail but instead I only to hear, huh! What are you on about was the tone of his sigh. Not the same response to the glorious news of the Gospel, but Greg still lives, so there is yet hope. Be merciful to Greg Father I pray, save His soul, not because he deserves it but because you have it in your power to be merciful. There are many other I also pray for Bandit (Brett), Richard, Paul, Trevor, Robbie as he is closing in on his last days, what of Dosh, my sisters and there are many others that have come across my path through life, whether friend of foe all are in need of salvation as nothing else really matters.

Who can fathom the mercies of God, who can measure the depths of His love? I implore you Father God be ever so merciful, while we have breathe there is hope.

Signing off

Tyrone

Delighting in Truth

(Psalms 51:6)  Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

Pay attention to the words of David, as it is a clue to true happiness. Just as a math formulae followed results in a correct answer, so too is the entirety of God’s words truth, and not only that but His genius in the way so much of it is hidden in plain sight. Oppose, ridicule or reject any of the above at your own peril. God has purposes so much seasonally which is but an end to a means. So much conjecture from those who live in darkness, so much to say, and yet clueless about the end. Questions they need answers but because of their blindness the truth has been withheld.

Why did the Lord Jesus speak in parables? “This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” (Matthew 13:13)  

If only they could fall to their knees and cry out to Jesus. Sadly so many reject his mercy, but it’s not for the hard-hearted but rather the hope behind the mercies of God that I pen these precision moment with my Saviour, the hope that someone will be sparked into gear to cry out to Jesus. How do we even begin to scratch the surface when it comes to God, His character and brilliance? We are only capable of going as far has HE has allowed, but what is seen brings such delight. In order to get to know someone, time is of the essence, fellowship, uninterrupted time with Him brings forte, intimacy of the highest order. All I can say is look to Jesus and live…     

Now what of the so many unanswered questions? What of them. After all is said and done and our puny brains still cannot arrive at a supporting conclusion, what is our response? We believe God for he has declared it, He is in control, period! My friend if you choose to kick against the goads, so be it, unless you find repentance you will eventually suffer a fate unthinkable but as tangible as the keys I punch. If its liberty you seek then this must become part of your core; “let God be true and every man a liar”. Do not be swayed by gender or history, if God has said and allowed something, accept it, find concord and move on. This is when you will find the peace of God that surpasses all logical understanding. It is such a beautiful place to live. Attached must be an honesty about who we really are, no fronts with a smokescreen hiding our faults from others, God sees all. It’s all about aligning our minds with God and being honest about it. There is so much inside that I am at war with, but if I am to live in denial how on earth is that going to help? It won’t.

Truths on two fronts; who we are in secret and owning that and aligning our understanding with the Word of God…

I have notice that the battle is fierce, not that the enemies objective has ever changed, but of late it has shifted gears, the Word of God is being challenged on so many fronts that it sickens me to my core. But more than that it truly saddens me, with so many voices against the Word of God I am persuaded that I must speak out in truth against the declarations looking to beguile the masses. Even sitcom television pre primetime hour took on the book of Ephesians as if the one challenging the Word of God had more wisdom than the creator of the universe, WOW! Think it through don’t be so naive, God has purpose everything extremely meticulously and in order, does not a seed fall to the ground, died and then only germinate to repeat its cycle? An end to a means and there you have it a clue to eternity hidden in plain sight.

The enemy has gained traction so who will stand against His onslaught? Jesus said it is “finished” it truth the battle has been won. All that is left is to be played out and our part will eventually become obvious, pieces on a chess board, it’s just the colour we choose through the throes of life that will determine our fate. White is right and I have lacked onto the mercies of my God, Jesus has made it so, bless His name now and forever more, Amen! There has to be those that are willing to stand up for truth and declare it, come what may. Ask yourself this question; is life about the here and now or is eternity of more importance? It will soon become obvious when the pressure is on, it’s easy to march up the incline at the beginning of the day but what about the same predispose at the end of it? Yesterday was such a day, I confess the cares of this life way hard on a man and yet what is he to do? Look to Jesus and live, it's only through suffering that we learn obedience, there is obviously much learning still in store for me.

Now back to TV, what was the verse challenged? “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.” (Ephesians 5:22-23) – So to the wives that confess Jesus as Lord what to do should be obvious, submit and find peace, it’s not conditionally to you understanding the full merit of the instruction, just trust and obey, find harmony in your God and be blessed beyond comprehension. Our faith can be seen by all in the way we conduct ourselves when the pressure is on, it goes beyond logic but is rewarded by the peace of God. 

The same emphasis on all of God’s Word must be believe and obeyed, sure there is breech where forgiveness is needed, and this is part of the journey. However, we are never to challenge the Word as if God has it wrong; that can only ever amount to a hurt of pain. Sure there is certain instructions that carry with them slightly different interpretations, this is not what I wish to address, it’s the obvious instructions that the world is now twisting as if it is gospel. Same sex marriages, a complete and utter rebuke against the Word of God. The cloning of human life from the cells of skin in the next push. What of the world going mad, looking to save a planet at the expense of worshiping it and denying the One who created it?

The answer for all, save and the unsaved is the Lord Jesus Christ, but as a believer do not claim His covering if your value on His words carries very little weight in your lives. You are playing into the hands of the enemy. God is never mocked, and He is in perfect control, we need His grace to align ourselves with the full counsel of God’s Word, not just that which is easily conformable to our fleshly desires. The entirety of God’s plan is for His glory and namesake, but for those who obey it will be for our eternal benefit, the profit shall be ours. We will be co heirs with Christ and God will proclaim us as sons of God and the angels will look on in awe. Our lives down here is but a means to an end…

Do yourself a favour, I throw you a challenge, look to see the clues that the enemy is now propagating to derail so many into believing his lies, and once it becomes obvious share it with a loved one, it will keep your sail trimmed to weather the storm… it is coming.

However never forget to get lost in translation; we must remember that it is the Lord Jesus who is altogether perfect and lovely and our focus must always pivot around His accomplishments, it is our job to point people to Him.

Signing off

Tyrone

Re-position

On every corner there seems to be such a rally for position, this is driven by human nature and it is not the work of the Spirit of God. God never rallies, HE IS! We on the other hand are always striving for a station, we want recognition. Such misguided drive and yet very much part of our temperament. It’s only once we become alive to Christ, understanding what he has done for us and not on a “religious” or habitual practice but a personal one. 

With the administration of the Spirit we now have the ability to re-channel that drive. However we must count the cost to the best of our ability. It’s one thing to prepare but quite another to formulate into the realm of the unseen. The Word of God is so crucial for our lives, we cannot for a moment disregard its instruction, for when it is ignored we will suffer loss, both in this life and the one to come. I have said it before and will say it again, “do not be fool” there is life after death, which shall be eternal. So much off God’s instruction is non-negotiable. Yes we have been saved by grace, but we are not to mistake that for license, which can easily happen if we revert back to our old habits. It’s only when we walk in the Spirit that we put to death that man of old. This is a daily battle that will have to be faced and the more we yield the duller we become, I thank God for His Grace in my life. I know where I would be without the Comforters influence in my life. Here I stand but by the grace of God, thank you Jesus.

Here then is the instruction   

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16) – Listen, I have certain not arrived, nor am I suggesting that my race is run, far from it, but I will press on by the grace of God to trim my sail and re-align the rudder to my life looking to Jesus the author and finisher of my faith. It when we blink and drop our guard that we end up asking ourselves, how did I end up here? But we know the answer to that, it’s in the quoted verse.

As Christians there is a very easy way for us to examine ourselves against the will of God. Methodically work through the prayer “Our Father”, personalizing it and we will soon see where our sail needs trimming. God has open my eyes to the importance of that brilliant insight that the Lord Jesus gave to his disciples and all those looking to pay careful consideration to his instruction.

We have our teaching, will we pay careful attention to it? Remembering this whatever I pen is as much an instruction to myself as well as the reader. I am being spoken too from within. The Spirit realigning my perceptions on a daily basis, helping me to cry out to Jesus.   

   

Position in Christ is crucial if it is to end well, nothing else we help in eternity. There is much to say on this, but let me leave that open ended for now. If we continue to insist on finding a posting in Christ we must be prepared to go the way of the Master or else we may find ourselves counterfeit. The trial of life we soon test if what we declare is real. It’s easy to talk, but what about the walk?  

Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life and our example, period! To find solace we must lose our lives. Every other proposition will eventually lead us down the wrong road. Here then is the model to find a position in God’s kingdom which will please our heavenly Father, we must learn to rely on the finished work of Calvary; looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. It’s not about our abilities but rather His finished work. We must learn to walk circumspectly before a Holy God. We may still be working so many areas of our lives, we may have lost many battles, just so long as we don’t lose the war, once again CHRIST HAS OVERCOME! It’s when our eyes shift that we all revert back to the weakness of our flesh, it ort not to be, but sadly at times that is our reality.

God has provided a way for all to find His forgiveness and that is through the finished work of the cross. There can be no exception, in fact many believe that they will make it to heaven some other way and sadly they will be wrong. There is only ONE who has overcome and paved the way for all to rely on. He will get us home. One thing is for sure, it will never be about me and my position, the work is FINISHED, Jesus has conquered. He conquer through death. The Christian needs to arrive at a place of complete commitment, letting go and relying on our unseen Saviour through the eyes of faith, for the same power that rose Jesus from the dead will also raise us up. Do you believe this? Then let Jesus have his way and find grace in time of need, beyond the mirages of time nothing else will every over shadow the work of Calvary. Praise the mighty name of Jesus now and forever more, Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

Justification

Justification is something we all yearn for, from a very early age we all look to be justified. We wanted to stand up and be recognised. The higher the office the greater the reward. This then brings me to God’s mercy, the uppermost office of all, no one above His authority, He has the final say on all things, period! 

He will determine where we will all end up and there is no skirting this truth, absolutely no wiggle room. But you better believe we will all end up somewhere and it will be eternal. You see, although we are made up of flesh, blood and bone we also have a hidden spirit within us, commonly known as our soul. It’s this part of us that is intertwined with our consciousness that will forever continue beyond the borders of time. However, it's the voices of the enemy of God that look to thwart that this idea is ludicrous. They know it to be true, they are spirit beings that cannot deny the fact, and they are already living out their existence within that realm. As for those who have gone on, they understand this truth. Paul Moore, James Small and now Johnny Clegg all seemed to die before their allotted time, all within two weeks of each other. Who truly knows when our allocated time will end?

It’s never the point whether we truly agree or disagree with the laws of the land, sure we can voice our disapproval, but breech that countries laws and see what happens. You will stand before a judge who will then pass on a sentence. You don’t need higher education to understand this. Break a law, get caught and pay the penalty. We are all guilty of sin and deserve to be punished in accordance with the breach of God’s laws.

How can I find justification in the eyes of God? I know who I am, I know what I have done and I confess that I am a sinner by nature. I am certainly not someone who can claim favour from God because of my behaviour and I am aware of that. This is where the brilliance of God blows my mind into orbit.

Its faith that now justifies me through Christ and brings with it the peace of God into my life. Can you claim that? If not you are just a cry away. Repent, turn to Jesus, call out to HIM, believe in His resurrection from the dead and then simply confess Him as Lord. 

Why is this important?

We are ungodly individuals by nature prior to salvation, call it our default if you like. But for some it’s the trickery of our own minds that subterfuges us into believing that we are not that tarnished, therefore our good will outweigh our bad and God will accept us into heaven, wrong! That is a lie and will never happen. If that is your persuasion you need to have it thwarted fast. For as long as that dominates your understanding it will keep you from true freedom in Christ.

This is what God did for mankind after being continuously stabbed in the back and the Apostle Paul breaks it down for us. Although its past tense, this door is still open, but for how long who can actually say?

“For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:7-8)

Here is the contention, some would possibly die if presented with the right scenario. A parent dying for their child, a soldier dying for their country, but let’s face it, who would ever put their life of the line for their enemy, make a conscious decision to die for them? This is exactly what God did for us; “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Now if that doesn’t blow our minds I am not sure what could. 

A sinner is really someone who opposes God’s authority and then acts out in defiance. For many it is never an actual conscious premeditated decision to vindictively defy God. However it ends up being our reality. It’s this very dilemma, because we are sinners and because of the trickery way back in the garden, that induced Gods love to act out and give mankind a lifeline; “ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” Who can actually speak on behalf of God and His thoughts, we all need to tread lightly, just read the book of Job and you will have your answers. All I know is God is full of love and wants all to repent everywhere. 

God sent His only begotten Son to die in our place, the only man to ever live without ever defying God. In his moments of weakness, he never crossed over and therefore because of his life and death on a cruel Roman cross he procured the ability to forgive sinners of their sin. But unless we see ourselves as such (sinners) we will never be saved.

You see the self-righteous do not believe they need a Savior, it’s only the sinner that looks for forgiveness. It’s only the sick that seeks out the doctor.

This then is the heart of the ONE who has it in HIS power to save; “And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” The call has gone out and it is crystal clear that the sinner has been called.

How does one then get saved? Acknowledge your state before God, do not cover up your sin, God sees all, confess you need to be saved and seek out God’s forgiveness for all of it. It’s up to you to find salvation for yourself in and through the finished work of the cross. What do I mean by that? It’s personal, forget what others tell you, you will know when you have been touched by the hand of God. It was the greatest day of my life.

Once it happens and after some wrestling this is where you will find yourself; “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)

Are you a sinner that needs a Saviour or not? 

Signing off

Tyrone

Reality

The brilliance of God who can fathom it; really! We are so far from even scratching the surface of God and His brilliance. He is perfect in every way and is full or divine power. Think about that… perfect in righteousness, both a heaven and a hell, which will have eternal inhabitants; those blessed and co heirs with Christ reaping and enjoying the benefits of God’s glory as sons of the living God, whilst others on the end of His wrath for all eternity. Just think about the way we reason things out. How often do we look to condemn the criminal and sentence them to the punishment we think they deserve and often conclude that their sentence is far too light. So why then do we arrive at a summation that if God is love He could never send someone to hell? The only and obvious answer is deception, for some the thought of hell is just too scary and if they ignore the truth behind its existence all will be well, they are wrong! Millions will end up there, but God has made a way for all to escape in and through his beloved son, the Lord Jesus Christ, it’s in HIM alone that we will forgo that looming judgment. The only way to find forgiveness is though repentance. “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” – The answer is obvious cry out to Jesus, call out unto HIM and once acquaintance has truly been established all those nagging question about life will aligned.

My mind then takes me on a journey, or is it the Spirit of God, I cannot say. When we consider life and in particular, our lives and the lessons we could and should be gleaning from to lead us in the direction of God and His brilliance, ending up on the side of His mercy and love is really all we need ever achieve in this life, the rest of our journey is but fill in. Let the truth resonate, picture your life from birth to death in the context of eternity and when plotted on a graph how much would acutely resonate, this is our reality. Has the penny dropped? As they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Examine, explore and dissect your lives and see whether you are truly in the faith. Are we making every concerted effort to grab hold onto eternity? I know that I am lacking in this area of my life, but by the grace of God I will not become complacent. I will pay careful attention to those who have gone before me and glean from their understanding through the trial of life and in particular, those whom God chose to pen the bible, as they have by far the most to teach us. God give us the eyes to see and the ears to understand what the Spirit of God is teaching at any given time. It must cut through the strongholds of the mind, and it will if given its rightful place, praise God for His love. He has given us the ability to walk in the Spirit and to put on the mind of Christ, which is mammoth!  So where to from here? It’s Jacob who comes to mind, I have a limp, a car accident many years ago, part of a process, somewhat like having our ears syringed; you see I had become dull of hearing, thank God for his discipline. Jacob on the other hand had his limp form wrestling an angel, he was so determined that he did not let go until he received a blessing. It’s time to wrestle in a sense, make quality time to sit at the feet of Jesus without any distractions and make your requests known to God your Father, because He cares for you. Just don’t make the mistake of asking for the wrong things, mundane worldly trivia, but rather life giving strength to put the old man down.     

I resolve to look for reasons why I can instead of why I can’t.

To God be the glory now and forever more…

Signing off

Tyrone