Prioritizing

The Christian has an arsenal of quotes that freely slip off the tongue when called upon, it’s a gift from God. No different to the air we breathe. Gifting is exactly that, a gift from God. It’s just the entombing of it that petrifies me, the burying of a talent never ended well for the cautious man. We have been called to stir up our gift, get the spoon in deep and work the stodginess free. The more we blend, the freer the flow. This all sound good on the surface, but have you noticed by implication this implies the work is left up to the individual. Without the work of God the Holy Spirit in our lives it would be impossible. Because we received the Holy Spirit at salvation, does not now mean we should look to shelve Him and take over the reins per say. However, when prompted how will we respond? Or have we been so severely seared that our conscience is dead to touch no differently to the effect of a burn from a hot iron? Has the idea of church and the like, fellowship with others from the body of Christ become a distant memory, if so then we best fall to our knees and ask God to restore what the canker worm has eaten.    

There are obviously certain truths that we must never overlook if we are to bear fruit…       

Always look to Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith. Seek out God’s kingdom and his righteousness in our daily walks, in other words remember to put Him first not last. We are very restricted when it comes to so much detail in our lives; our dreams for instance are hard to control, it’s obvious, that whatever the conscious mind absorbs somehow effects the vision when asleep. 

However what we can control is our application to an action first thing in the morning, the time we stir and open our eyes. This is the time to put our Heavenly Father first. “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” and let’s face it who amongst us does not want to be acknowledged by Him? To be comforted by our heavenly Father is top of the pops, there is no greater comfort and the only way we will ever experience that is because of the grace of God. It’s because God so loves that He gives of Himself. How has He given? “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Everything hinges of this fact, the love of God pivots off His son, period! Miss this truth, or miss inform those seeking the truth and God’s comfort will elude you and them. Repentance begins and ends with the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the gateway to the Father and there is no other way that will get you there. Zero, nil, nada!

The first covenant, the law of God through Moses, demanded repentance and sacrifice and that was all up to the individual to implement. The second covenant, which is a far better pledge is a finished work, praise the name of Jesus. He has done the work. He lived a life without ever breaking a single commandment. He accomplished what we could not. One of the reasons I believe God introduce the “First Covenant” was to teach us that we needed be saved from ourselves and until that lesson is learnt we will never repent correctly. The world’s message is love yourself because you deserve it and it has been designed to keep you from God. A simple choice needs to be made. As for me, I will acknowledge my sinful nature and embrace the work of Calvary, come what may!  

There seems to be so much against me, and then I am reminded, fear not Jesus has conquered all. So how would I be reminded of that if I wasn’t kneeling at his feet? There are certain truths that are never sweep aside; “faith comes from hearing the Word of God.” The word corrects us and God the Holy Spirit aligns our rudders and trims our sails.

God will not accept any other attempt to attract His attention. Long repetitive prayers, praying to the Virgin Mary (a women blessed of God and extremely privileged to house baby Jesus) she did not die on a cruel Roman cross for your sins. Or calling on the universe to grant you your wishes, all feeble attempts, in fact man made attempts to make yourselves feel better, I suppose it’s like playing the Lotto that on the off chance you may arrive.

The only repentance (feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one's wrongdoing) God the Father will accept is this; “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” 

There is so much focus on our sin that we could miss the boat completely and overlook our application to find forgiveness. ONE MAN, ONE DEATH, ONE RESURRECTION! Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the life and it may just be time to leave all the other jargon behind as you repent and call out to Him. He alone has the power to save.

Signing off

Tyrone

Attention!

There seems to be a dearth wafting across the planet like never before, or at least in my lifetime. I cannot recall a time such as this and once again we needn’t look further than ourselves to understand the predicament. What has happen to the urgency, the will at all costs to preach the gospel? Complacency tagging alongside with so many Christian institutions buckling to the whims of society. “Changing with the times” is often quoted as if to say we have been given licence to act this way. Hollywood the biggest influence of all as it blatantly opposes the will of God and the masses cheer "Sedition! Sedition!"–"Down with him!"  

I will remind you as I have been reminded that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Perfection cannot change, if it had too it would no longer be perfect. God is the great “I AM!” He will always have the final say. Come His way or suffer the consequences is my appeal to all. While we have breath we have hope. I implore you to pay very special attention to the warnings engraved below the surface, look a little deeper and it will become obvious. It’s time to pay particular attention to the horizon. God is stirring up his watchmen to be on high alert, the enemy is gaining momentum and the coming battle will be fierce.

God give us the eyes to see and ears to hear the quivering ground before the roar. Be warned of the worlds conditioning and the voice which provoke change as the norm is not our friend but the enemy dress in sheep’s clothing and as soon as it has lured those in, it will pounce with one thought, to destroy!.

We have nothing to worry about so long as we remain centred upon the finished work of the cross. Looking to Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith. But look we must. I cannot stress the point enough, half of the proclaiming Christians will miss the wedding feast. Five out of ten of the virgins never had oil in their lamps.

Signing off

Tyrone

Reward

Everything in life revolves around recompense. Even creation was all about the prize. It seem that everything God does is for reward. This was God response to His creation; “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” It is obvious that God was pleased with the work of his hands. His reward was self-gratification, or so it would seem. Throughout history we see many amazing feats or accomplishments and even darn right abominations, but they all have a common factor – reward! We are designed with a goal in mind and we are naturally driven toward it. If we take the most horrific examples and look at the effort and the lengths those individuals were willing to travel to arrive. Take Hitler and his will to destroy the Jews, or the worst sex offender and the lengths he would go in order to keep his secret hidden. The list is endless. The question we need to resolve is this, do we believe that the Christians faithfulness will reward heaven and even better than that is the voice of the Almighty acknowledging us as his sons. A verbal confession proceeding from His mouth as He gazes into our eyes. If this truly grips our imagination there should be no hardship we cannot find the grace to face.

Reward it’s all about sonship, a glorified body, heaven and much more. In fact it’s a totally another dimension, which our carnal natures cannot fathom. Once we were born of the Spirit, we were quickened to catch a glimpse into the reward that awaits. We see through a blurred window pain, but we see enough to believe it with all our hearts. Therefore let us remember to focus on the reward, our hope must be driven by faith and overshadowed with love.

Very very soon we are going to see our King, Let us lock hands as we stand in unity with the Word of God as our guide, to God be the glory now and forever more.

Signing off

Tyrone     

Help!

Time to tack, whoever travels across the ocean without coming about and the only way that is possible is for us to subject ourselves to the Word of God. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God”. It would be foolish to believe that we can be strong in faith without subjecting ourselves to its direction. The WORDS OF GOD is what keeps us focused and it’s the Spirit that directs us. The world is filled with distraction, we don’t even have to look for it as it will always find us. Which in turn will veer us off course if we are not feeding off God’s nourishment, His voice! Look to Jesus is what I hear loud and clear this morning, but how do I look to something that is blind to the naked eye? This is where the work of the Spirit reigns supreme. With faith as the catalyst bringing about a reality larger than life. A mystery scattered with such beauty. How brilliant is our God? And there are only some who find pockets of sweet waters amongst the trials of life. Those who have learnt this crucial lesson, “Jesus in my place”.

Let us examine this, a voice there, an undertone slipped between the lines of a Hollywood script with a deliberate intention of conforming the mind into accepting sin as the norm. This shift evident and this is why we must daily be looking to Jesus for direction. Sure he is so full of love that he is willing to leave the herd under the protection of their numbers as he moves off seeking the lost sheep, the heart of God who can fully fathom it? He is just a cry away, cry out unto Jesus and live. He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, not only does he sympathize, he understands. But don’t be lulled into confusing the acceptance of sin as ok. Our saviour died to squash the power it has over us all, we need to look to him to find direction through the trial of life. This is the Christians mission, this is why we live. Forget the efforts we muster looking to ourselves as the conquerors, all that ever produces is pride, even if it lives hidden away in the closet.              

It may just be time to cry out, “Help me!” We are so conditioned to want to do it ourselves that we forget the Lord's sacrifice, we don’t really, but when broken down we overlook the magnitude of his ransom as we try and get through our issues alone. When last, if ever, have you cried out to Jesus, help? I desperate plea from the core of our being is what we should be a looking for, not just a simple thought which travels from the brain and then onto the tongue, no! An earnest plea for help, but I suppose that will only ever live once we have exhausted every other option.  

As I now sit at the feet of Jesus with one word on my lips, help!

There is a song that comes to mind; “give me oil in my lamp keep me burning burning burning give me oil in my lamp I pray”. How imperative is it for the Christian to have oil in their lamps? We should know the answer to that, the parable is clear, half miss that very special event and are forbidden to enter.

Signing

Tyrone

Transformed

“Life and then some” is a quote many of us understand, especially as we get older. The trial of life squeezes and shapes us into the people we become. Sadly billions have missed a trick and our beloved brother Paul looks to set us right, if only we would pay attention.

His life is the prime example of what we need to learn to embrace and it’s not the God given ability he had been given to teach that I seek but rather his ability to shut out the world and lock onto the prize, heaven and all it glory. To be precise, the will of the Father is all that matters, period!

It’s about learning not to be conformed but transformed. This is what I wish to explore; “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” (Romans 12:2)

We need to discover this verse in depth and so I wish to spend time here, but before I start I realise a truth needs to grip us if we have any chance of total commitment because without it we will never come to grips with the complexities of his statement. We will be left mollycoddling the heart of the instruction with kid gloves, which is, DO NOT be CONFORMED but TRANSFORMED.

Firstly we have to peel away the layer of the world’s conformity, we need to come to grips with it and then we can tackle the issue. Conform means to comply with…

It’s the arrangement we need to examine, let’s face it, it’s almost as if the pattern has been carbon copied across the globe and transversely every tribe, tongue and nation that has been colonized has education as a priority with money driving it. This is the core of our existence, when parents gloat, doesn’t it often cover education? But how often do we speak about our children growing up in the ways of the Lord like a Samuel. It’s all about money. Even sport accolades has a similar slant. Think about it, the way we judge ourselves and others. Money the catalyst behind it all. And we know that the love of money is the root of everything evil. Or at least the Christian should know that. On the news yesterday two daughter killed their mother, why? An insurance pay out, money behind a very evil deed indeed.  

With that though nagging away at our minds, let us then heed the instruction; do not be conformed but TRANSFORMED! We need to free up our minds and begin to arm it with new information, which is material that will aid me in appropriating a mind-set which will please my heavenly Father. The only way I have any chance of achieving this is if I pay careful attention to the previous verse; “present your bodies as a living sacrifice”. If that doesn’t resonate then forget it. Carry on with the routine of conformity. It’s not as if we have to go out of our way to put our bodies up for sacrifice. Each day is filled with choices we are called to make. It’s these picks that we need to examine carefully and then by the mercies of God to find grace to act differently. Remember transformed and not conformed.

I suppose I could begin to use examples to get my point across, but that would leave you a particular persuasion and that's not the point. It’s about our lives and God’s will, all I ask is that we stop lying to ourselves. God give us the grace to see ourselves for who we are and then were we need to act accordingly. Be merciful Father, it’s not as if we deserve it, but Christ most certainly does and your children are covered by His sacrifice. Help our love grow as the world begins to distort ripping away at itself.  

Signing off

Tyrone

Adrift

Being stranded at sea on a flimsy raft must be rather daunting, No matter where you gaze you see nothing but moving water. At the mercy of the currents, similarly to us and our lives, adrift and far from God, our creator. The damage is so server that our worlds are exclusively self-regulating, or so we would like to believe. Everyone opinionated on what they believe their perception to be for this life and the one to come. But only as long as we breathe oxygenated air and then we shall all see the truth for what it is, and sadly for many it will then it will be far too late. Death will have the final to say. 

Our souls (spirits) live on forever and the Father of Spirits is the same God who created us and this world we live in. It wasn’t a random Big Bang or some other fabricated concoction. We best be about His business and not only our sinful wants. Or at the very least somewhat aware of what is going on. Some are quick to pass their opinions on those around them as fact entrapping themselves and others. The Bible is the final authority and God has sanctioned it. If any persuasion twists the guidelines of what has been penned or comes with some new doctrine it has been designed to mislead, period! The enemy is fierce and we often are our own worst enemies. Everything that operates on a carnal level is toxic, why? It has been tainted by sin, passé! And the sooner we learn this lesson the better. It’s only the Spirit that is not subject to that influence. This is why we need to learn to walk in the Spirit. 

If we believe that sin may be accommodated as the norm, we are mistaken, there are many examples I could use to stress this truth. I heard someone say, “To hate is like drinking poison and expecting them to die”. It’s this type of mentality that ensnares us and we could use the logic across every walk of life. Same sex marriage, sexual immorality (decadence), woman usurping authority over men as a general rule, fits of anger, strife, jealousy, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness and the list is endless. Agape love is love of the highest order, God’s love could never accept sin as it is outside of His character, but His Son the Lord Jesus Christ did defeat it in human form. God Himself became a man and laid down His life for sinners like you and me. Reject His sacrifice at your own peril.  

  

The sooner we learn to “let go and let God” (The one who is in perfect control of even the future) it’s only at this place in our lives that the peace of God becomes a reality. Listen to the word of our beloved brother Paul; “I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” Can we echo his sentiment? To be totally at peace in every situation because we know who we have in our corner, praise the name of Jesus! There is no more hoping against hope, or willing a lie to be true, believing something for the sake of your existence because that somehow allows you to live with yourself. It’s an easy test to calibrate, but only if your believe "God to be true and every man a liar”.     

Why did God create mankind? He did it for himself; "this people have I formed for myself, they shall show forth my praise". Sadly how far is that from the truth? Save a handful of individuals along the way whom God chose to single out, all those who confronted fierce opposition from the enemy, all the hates of God. God had a purpose to create man so that they would bring Him praise, as a rule there is nothing further from the truth. There is chaos on every corner and as for the apparent church of God, there are many who are making a mockery of God’s reflection. The twisting of His Word the Bible to accommodate their lusts as if God has given them a pass. Sadly we all fail to some degree in this area of our lives, but only until God the Holy Spirit brings us to our senses. The One who leads us into all righteousness. We are continuously having to deal “with the sin that so easily besets”. But the fight must rage on if we are to please our Father. Victory at times, defeat and then repentance. Just don't excuse sin as the norm. We may never have victory in every area of our lives, but we must die trying to find the grace to overcome. The more I explore this thought the more I am floored, God’s goodness, His tolerance, such patience on display. Remembering that He has it in His power to destroy. And it’s not as if He spent months fabricating a weapon to achieve His objective, there is no need for that, He is the armament and a Word from Him is all it takes. He has that much power, and yet He allows mankind to mock, blaspheme and belittle His authority. Why, I know I obviously do not have that type of resolve? This will floor you if you see it for what it is… “For God so LOVED the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever would believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life.” It’s the Love of God that drives Him into action. Just like seasons have their time, so too will the window of the Love of God come to an end, today is the day of salvation, harden not your hearts but repent, call upon the name of Jesus and you shall be saved. Die without ever doing this and hell will be your final destination. Tar and feather me if you must, but there are so many lies out there and the truth must be declared. I could sit back in my corner and hold my tongue, with the attitude I’m ok so why endure the opposition from people who resist the gospel. The answer is an obvious one, God used someone to speak to me which in turn brought about my repentance. How then could I be so selfish to keep it to myself.   

God created mankind for a particular purpose, to bring him praise and Satan looks to overthrow the will of God. This is how it all started for us and how we ended up in this apparent calamity. I say “apparent” only because at the end of it all, the will of God will remain supreme and He will as always achieve His objective. The bride will be ready for the marriage feast of the Lamb, praise God!

Here is a verse that when digested will bring with it great comfort; “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Christian we must not lose focus as we are so near to the end of our race, remember to look to Jesus and live.

Signing off

Tyrone

By design

There is a design characteristic that will never leave us until we make it to heaven. It’s part of the design that God has allowed to sift the wheat from the chaff. Not that sin is someone thing He is privy to, per say, however He has allowed it to work in our lives to teach us valuable lessons. The brilliance of God, who can know it?

Do not be fooled, the universe behaviours exactly as God intends. He is in perfect control, we must stop trying to humanize Him, and we make this mistake far too often. As if we have the ability to destroy something that He has created, without Him allowing it to happen. The world believes it’s up to us to determine what will happen to God’s creation and it’s this mind-set that will eventually bring it crashing down. Sure we are the keepers of what He has given us, but the majority of mankind exclude Him in any decision making. Who do we think we are? The blind leading the blind and both fall into the ditch. Our focus better be on the will of our Father if it is to ends well. The world is lost and it will do everything in its power to oppose God’s will, but they will fail. We must look to Jesus and live. The day of His return is soon approaching. Remember the parable of the ten virgins.

  

How does sin play it part in our lives to learn the lessons needed to bring glory to our God? Firstly we need to understand and see ourselves for who we are. If we miss this our persuasions will always be looking for justification. We will look to our natural abilities to find favour from God. Which then means we will be operating outside the realms of grace. We have been saved by grace through faith and this must anchor our understanding. This alleviates any form of boasting, praise God for that.

We have a carnal body which houses our spiritual bodies, the Christian has a responsibly to manage that. How? It’s all about walking in the Spirit, which is unnatural.

The theory needs to be applied in daily living; we must never be surprised by our thoughts as they have been tainted by sin, the lesson is to not allow them to become actions. We will not always find victory, hence the lessons of grace. However the objective must never change, which is to glorify our God in and through the trial.

“For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” (Galatians 5:17) – If we understand the principle of something it’s half the battle won,  we know what then needs to happen. “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (Galatians 5:18)

The lesson is to learn walk in the Spirit even though we are living in the flesh. A hidden gem that only the Christian is privy too.

So how am I able to measure my performance? It plain to see; “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21) – It’s time to look in the mirror and see clearly and then we will understand whether we are governed by our flesh or the Spirit.

When we are walking in the Spirit, this is what it will look like; “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:22-25)

The last question that needs to be answered is are we instep?

Give us strength Father to dress for battle.

Thank you my blessed Redeemer for your example, perfection personified! bless your name now and forever more, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

To be sure...

There is a song sung amongst the Pentecostals that goes like this, “say will you be ready when Jesus comes, are you sure you born again and washed in Jesus blood?” The question they are asking and labouring to help the religious sectors throughout the land understand is a truth that has been overlooked, we all need to examine our birth certificates. Sunday church goers are being called out. And rightly so! It most certainly not enough to have a form of godliness and yet continuously live a life of denial. Hedging our bets, we know that there is a heaven and a hell, life after death is an obvious truth for many of us. But for those who aren’t sure, they privet religion as a tradition just in case. That old adage of wanting to have your cake and eat it. Sadly it is also no different for the born again Christian when we allow our flesh to dominate our behaviour. It’s all about dressing for battle, but what chance will we ever have if we never open the armoury door. 

The war is fierce, the attack is on all fronts and it comes in waves. A barrage of never ending filth looking to rob us of the joy of the Lord. Without that lightbulb moment, that born again experience, that memory to draw on, there will never be any true commitment and therefore you will never enter into the portals of heaven. Here is the proof of that, the Lord Jesus makes it very clear; “Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”” (John 3:5-6)

The only question that needs answering is do you believe what is penned in the Bible as fact, or is it just some man’s opinion? I know where I land on this, and those who know me understand what my mantra is. “Let God be true and every man a liar.” So then it is obvious that if you have been a church goer all your life within some religious sect it will never be enough, You need that “born again” moment, a personal moment that no one can ever take from you, a realisation of what it means to be truly be forgiven of our sin and a joy that will surpass all rational reasoning. To put it plainly, that greatest day of your life! Can you of a certainty claim that as your own? If not there will always be a question mark about your salvation. The consequences of getting it wrong will be eternal, so I implore you call upon the name of the Lord with the deepest sincerity you are capable of mustering and he will respond to that call. He has a heart to save the lost...

Surely enough efforts has come from you defending institutions, religious tradition is nothing more than a front. God is interested in the heart, the very core of who we are needs to be exposed and then we can seek forgiveness for who we are, instead of trying to find merit on who we think we are. The truth be told, “There is none righteous, not even one” and until you can say amen to that you will remain in darkness and be in danger of eternal damnation.

I leave you all with this encouragement, look to Jesus and live, there is no other way and remember to dress for battle. Simply put, what would Jesus do in any given circumstance? This is the benchmark of where our minds needs to find its direction. Obviously this may seem like an impossibility, sure if we look to our own abilities, but not if and when we walk in the Spirit. This is the key to it all; “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16) – Theory is easy to study and yet application to the concept quite another thing altogether. Let go and let God. My mind is at constant war with itself and I wouldn’t have it any other way, thank you Jesus. 

Whatever is of importance at any given time in a day, these are the times when we have the opportunities to bring glory to our God and Father or not. A day filled with so many opportunities and this is what we must learn, to see them for what they are and not self-gratification. Father I have so far to travel, fill me with your Spirit so that I may be about your will and not my wants.     

Signing off

Tyrone

Focus

Focus is something that is eluding me of late, my eyes are not as sharp as they once were. But focus is critical as we move into 2020, we need it more than ever, as if that would be possible. We have always relied on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith from inception through to the end, our complete dependence is on Him to get us home and through each day. However I can’t but help wanting to stand on the highest mountain to blow my trumpet. Every Christian has been given a measure of faith and with that comes gifting, spiritual gifting. That which we will all have to give an account of when God summons us into his presence, for the judgment of fire will reveal our faithfulness to the measure we have received. Fire will test our works; “each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.” (1Corinthians 3:13)

The rewards we receive here, we will carry with us into eternity, and my prayer is that I would become a lot more diligent in my application across the entire spectrum of obedience in my life. To have an ear fine tuned to the voice of my Fathers will. Please pray for me, the day is soon approaching when the trump of God shall sound, the rapture is coming and just as the sun rises each morning, complacency is setting in, just as the Word predicted. Whether that day arrives in our lifetime, it should have very little bearing on the way we all finish our race. It’s time to dig deep, resolve to please our God like never before and to find grace to achieve this goal.

Another year has closed in and a new one begins, the pyromaniacs have achieved their goals and the birds are starting to sing their songs, the sun isn’t quite ready to show itself, but it won’t be long now. Resolutions are intentions that never seem to actual blossom. But with God all things are possible, therefore let us remember to look to Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith in everything we do and may it always be to the glory of our heavenly Father’s will. God first and His righteousness and the rest will fall into place. Of this I am persuaded. 

May the peace of our God surpass each and every trial we may face this coming year, to Him be the glory now and forever more, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

Habits

Our resolve when it comes to habit forming has two sides to the coin. Good and bad alike both play there parts in our lives and only a fool would deny the reality of it all. However when it comes to our persuasions on a particular topic it’s hard to be swayed either way. Nevertheless the work of the Spirit in our lives can soften the rigid self-willed intent of us all, this is an attribute of His brilliance and the evidence is clear for even the doubters to see. His ability to conform the harden sinner into a loving saint. It’s the change in a person’s demeanour that becomes a drawcard to the spectator. This is where He silences the critic, praise the name of Jesus! As it was His accomplishments here on earth that has unleashed the power of the Holy Spirit, softening the hardest of sinners into repentance. A miracle of the highest order. As for the Christian we all wear our heavenly Father's coat of arms, we must just remember to dress for battle. This is the resolve I look to instil into my daily living, the perfect will of God for our lives. Needless to say as soon as there is a shift in my understanding, as I grow in the good graces of my God, obviously the work of the Spirit moulding an individual’s character. However it’s when I look to gloat with this change as a personal achievement, this is when the door to pride swings open; “God resist opens proud but give grace to the humble.” I know which umbrella I want to live under. And it’s when I dress for battle that I am remind of these truths.

You see although I am called (it's an action I have to initiate) to dress for battle, once I position my attire correctly I am forced to realise that its God in me the hope of Glory, there is now no wiggle room for the deceitfulness of my heart to want to puff me up with pride. If pride is evident then I have dressed incorrectly and need to re-examine my attire and how it has been positioned. I have misunderstood some of God's instruction, or I could still be a babe in Christ needing the milk of the word to form my understanding.

Conscious decisions need to be made on a daily basis and you know my stance on when that should happen, daybreak, at the crack of dawn, in my view is the best time to spend at the feet of Jesus. That association sets us up for the day’s challenges. 

Thank you Father God for your brilliance and I love you with all my heart. Continue to purge the chaff from my life I pray.

To God be the glory now and forever more, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

Christmas Day

It’s not the thought that causes sin to sprout but the action to that idea. In like manner today is such a day filled with festivities, from childhood we have been trained up in idolatry and simply put Christmas is a day fill with so much of it, it’s our default to accommodate the whole enchilada. We lodge everything that is thrown at us, the birth of Santa Claus; Saint Nicholas was a bishop who lived in the fourth century in Asia Minor in Myra. Today we know it as Turkey. This was a process of evolution, and he evolved into the person known as Santa Claus or Father Christmas. Subtle nuances which very much remind me of the Garden of Eden. There is no denial of Christ but the shift is clear. Just like Satan or the serpent said to Eve, “has God said”? Here we have a day which the world believes is the day that Christ was born. Masses of people across the globe paying homage to one another, giving each other gifts with their houses decorated with trinkets and pointing us in the opposite direction of our great Saviours birth. Just enough of a distraction to soften the gospel message, a strawman if you like. Today should be a day fill with opportunities in highlighting our sin and the need for a Saviour.

My prayer is that we would focus on God’s perfect gift, a son born of a VIRGIN not a queen, a precious woman and yet the focus is not on her but on Christ. There will be a constant shift throughout, driving us away from Christ. Keep your focus on why God sent him into this world and use today as an opportunity to highlight God’s purpose. God so loved! He has made a way for us to escape His Judgement, which is coming for the unbeliever and the one who refuses to repent. Remember to be accurate with your delivery, it's important!  A deliberate action is required; confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead. Once this truth resonates repentance will follow if it hasn’t already.

Signing off

Tyrone    

Forgiveness

(Matthew 6:12)  “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” 

Do we seek forgiveness within the measure of our forgiveness for others? This is a question that needs very serious consideration. If not then how will we measure up on judgment day? However with all things considered is this a thought I look to deliberate so that I can get away with a measure of my own deceitfulness, the heart looking for an excuse to find favour from God regardless of my actions just because of my willingness to forgive others.

There seems to be a fine line that needs to be negotiated correctly if we are to fall on the right side of God’s judgment. And it begins with the finished work of Calvary. “Jesus in my place” is foundational and we must never forget what was done for us, this is why we have been commanded to “Break Bread” in remembrance of Him. Nevertheless the truth behind my consideration is a valid one, do I seek to forgive individuals who have trespassed against me from the very bottom of my heart, or is it more of a superficial forgiveness? Lip service with a concealed smile that hides the root of my bitterness. The goodness of God has afforded me some understanding on the value of what has been penned in the Bible, it is a reflection of himself, it has been meticulously thought out and of great value to us if we have ears to hear. Everything has its place, even if we struggle with certain facets.

Even in the early days of the writings of the book of Leviticus, where the First Covenant is spelt out in detail. The requirements God had for his people, also known as the Law of God. Everything stipulated there is of necessity and relevant for its day. Why would it stipulated, that you will not lie with an animal if that wasn’t a consideration of the day? It must have been significant. For most that would be an unconceivable thought and yet just a few weeks back a radio station discussed it in an open forum as if it was their right. I was not privy to the hour of broadcast so I will hold my judgments, but I know it happened. Judgment is coming.

My point before I go off on one of my tangents is this, if it has been penned we need to sit up, listen carefully to the instruction, and then chew on the Word before we swallow it. This is very important… Who doesn’t know the prayer “Our Father”? And yet how many chew on its instruction with meticulous care before rattling it off as some miracle drug that is there to wash our sins away. Maybe if we repeat it many times we might find forgiveness. What rot! Deceit of our hearts looking to excuse our sin, be careful!

At the very least are we forgiving those who trespass against us as we seek out forgiveness for our sin? If not you are like the proverbs says, it’s like the blind leading the blind and both fall into the ditch. The Word is there to help us, not shackles us, but we must treat it with scrupulous care, but always from the springboard of the finished work of the Lord Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary. His death, burial and resurrection. We must confess with our mouths; an open declaration that Jesus is Lord and also believe from the very bottom of our hearts that God raised Him from the dead. Then we shall be equipped to grow in the good graces of our Heavenly Father and consider his instructions as we confront the challenges of life on a daily basis. It called maturing as Christians, or are we content in running around in nappies?

Signing off

Tyrone