God meant it for good!

(Genesis 50:20)  “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”

Just as Joseph’s brothers meant to destroy him by selling him into slavery and how Satan meant to destroy mankind by getting them to eat from the forbidden tree, God always has a perfect plan.  

Have you ever considered why God chose to allow mankind to fall? Well obviously His intellect is brilliantly above ours, for Him to be able to take the simple and to confine the wise is no mean feat and yet He does it to perfection. Everything God does is perfect; it may have to run its course but ultimately all that God has instituted will prove perfect when it is place under scrutiny at the Great Judgment of God. Sin with all its evil desire will be proved as a perfect facilitator proving righteousness; it will highlight the Goodness of God and His perfect persona. Utopia is a pleasant word and I like the sound of it; it is a goal we as individuals are afforded an opportunity to shoot for. Sinful man who is far from any form of perfection in comparison to that which is perfect, Jehovah God! Now through our lives, because of a conscious awareness of sin and it destructive potential to get us to do what we know we shouldn’t do in any given situation and yet we do it anyway now becomes our teacher causing us to cry out for help. It is only when we understand our state as sinners, will we ever call on the name of the Lord to be saved.

However without the “knowledge of good and evil” how would we learn to differentiate between the two? Why did God let Eve eat the fruit in the Garden of Eden and not step in and stop her? It was just a page in a chapter of God’s perfect plan. It is when we think we are smarted than this perfect God, the only true God that we flirt with eternal damnation. How can a God of love allow child abuse is the reasoning of some? The fullness of time will reveal all and manifest God’s perfection. Without the conception of that which is evil how would we value that which is good? Hence the perfect work of Calvary, the greatest event of all time, without any equal.

Without the knowledge of that which is evil, sin with its incriminatory hold on our lives, why would we ever look for a Saviour? There would have been no need. Does a man drink water if he is not thirsty? The law of God (concepts of that which is good and evil) then a teacher to help us understand, that we in ourselves are far from the perfection of God and in despairing trouble. So then the realization of sin in our own lives then brings us to a comprehension that we need a Saviour or hell will be our final destination. Without understanding that which is evil, why would we ever look for a Saviour? We wouldn’t!

Without Eve yielding to the devils temptation which led to her biting into the fruit of the “knowledge of good and evil”, there would have been no need for the law and then no need for Christ to die on our behalf. But this would have also left us without any choice in our actions. As soon as they knew they were naked in the Garden what did they do? They sewed fig leaves together and clothed their nakedness. They were consciously aware of it, but not before they had eaten from the forbidden tree.

Could God have chosen to unroll his perfect plan in a different way? He didn’t! The audacity of some and yet I was once amongst that number! It is the goodness of God that leads a man to repentance, let us never forget it! Those so foolish to challenge God and His plan! The definition of foolishness; (Lacking or exhibiting a lack of good sense or judgment; silly: foolish remarks. Resulting from stupidity or misinformation): - When has the clay ever had power over the potter? It is a beautiful thing to get these glimpses from God into His plan and character. Did you know? “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.” (Romans 8:7): - However would this verse have had the sane meaning if our consciousness had not been awaked to the “knowledge of good and evil”? I think not!

Our eyes have been opened to the righteousness of God, if we have His Spirit, we now belong to Him; “But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” (Romans 8:10)

Without understanding the wickedness of sin there would be no need for seeking out that which is good. God is good! How do we know this on a personal level? This is a question that is easy to answer; "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. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:16-18)   

    

The laws of God then a reflection of His own character and a reflection of how short we fall from it. It is the “knowledge of good and evil” which helps us understand that we are in desperate need of help. Hence, this is why God intervened on our behalf by sending His Son to die in our place so that we could go free; “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

“What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—“ (Romans 9:22-23)

I trust we understand the need for our awakening to that which is both good and evil before we can really understand that which is good. God is good!

“But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1Corinthians 1:23-25) 

Signing off

Tyrone

Pay earnest heed!

(1Corinthians 1:18) “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

“Lift up your voices salvation is calling”; it’s not those that are hopeful, without calling out on the name of the Lord, who has any true hope. And the more one fixates on ones hope the more one will call upon the name of the Lord. But there is an enemy and he is ferocious; if faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, then time must be given to it. It will be impossible to ignite our hope will any real vigour without spending time in the Word. One could compare it to a world class athlete who never trains but expects to win Olympic gold and then when they don’t, they seem somewhat disappointed.

Propaganda is an interesting concept; it is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group. This word is often use in a negative sense, but if we want to have the faith of a mustard seed we need to be engrossed in the Bible. Our minds need to be renewed with the Holy Scriptures. I am realizing the less time I spend contemplating God’s Word the less fruitful I become and visa-versa. It is all linked to our mental and verbal connection to our Lord and Saviour. The older I get the harder it is to spool some of my thoughts and the only way I am able to combat them is to spend time reading and praying around God’s Word and obviously, with the help of God the Holy Spirit.

I have quantified the obvious, but it is only palpable if we make it our own, so if we are not spending time with the Lord and in His Word we will be more susceptible to the enemy; Satan as well as the lusts of our own flesh. One cannot tell oneself that I must arm my mind with the “mind of Christ” and then sit back and in faith hope I change, we must be proactive and feed on the nourishment from God’s Word and it will be marrow to our bones. Although we have been created with a memory, we also have a “forgettory” if you like and this is why we must be diligent, or at least learn to be assiduous when it comes to spending time feeding the Spirit. The lie that often presents itself is that it is not that important, but in fact it is so important our life depends on it.

The concept is not foreign to us, if we want to lose weight we go on a diet and exercise and before long we witness positive results. God help us to put more time aside for Him than the day before and it won’t be long and we will see positive results. The fruits of the Spirit will become evident in our lives. The more we bath in the fountain of life the more our ongoing sanctification process will begin to make inroads into holy living and the meeker we will become. I have been found wanting and I need to change my attention to seek out God’s Word with a lot more diligence.

The Word of God is designed to equip the believer in combat against all that which is evil, when we chose to put it aside or give no thought to it we are found wanting. The Word of God is aimed and designed to influence our mindsets, it is a help to lead us in a particular direction, it is a form of “propaganda” and it leads to life eternal and there is nothing negative about it. If you believe that your flesh is inherently good and you within yourself have something positive in the eyes of God to offer this world, then you will look to avoid this counsel as it is designed to keep the body under. It helps the body and all our preconceived ideas about how great we are, die a slow death. In fact it actually exposes the exact opposite; it proves how far I am from God’s holiness and it leaves me rather deflated at times. It leaves me with a great dependency on my great God and Saviour to get me home. I realize that without my great King, the Lord Jesus, I will never attain to the resurrection. And by spending time in the Word of God I am so reminded; thank you Father God for your perfect plan. Many may frown upon it, but they live with a false sense of security, help me remember the importance of it, I pray!

Help all of your children across the globe pay more earnest heed to this discipline, which is to spend more time on our knees and more time reading the inspired Word of God, Amen!

May we remember that no man ever served God by doing something tomorrow, today is the day of salvation, we must act today and not put it off until tomorrow. This then must become our mindset and resolve.

Signing off

Tyrone   

Wisdom has an ear!

(Proverbs 1:5)  “Let the wise hear and increase in learning…”

The knowledge of what the wise man would look like; a common drive in most human beings, after all who wants to be known as a fool? And yet it often takes becoming a fool before we begin to understand wisdom. King Solomon had 1000 wives (300 wives, 700 concubines), which could not have been easy! Imagine the strife it must have caused and yet he is classed amongst the wisest of men. How did he arrive with that title? May we remember it is a title given to him by the inspired Word of God, the Bible! 

Was not the trial of life his teacher!

Let us look at the mindset of King Solomon; “And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?" It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. And God said to him, "Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.” (1Kings 3:7-12)  

The Apostle James reiterates the importance of seeking out wisdom in our lives; “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5): - But remember when we ask, it will come with its own price, it must teach us to die.

King Solomon lived in a dispensation when the law was the schoolmaster for the household of the Jewish faith. Animal sacrifices for sins committed, a way of life. Hard for us in the 21^st Century to relate to this type of lifestyle, there are activist that would sooner hang a person for animal cruelty than a person murdering a thug.

Yet on further thought it is only by experience that we are able to sympathise with others in times of difficulty. It was up to the high priest to enter a chamber known as the holy of holies, to present himself before God for the sins of the people. Sometimes his sacrifice was accepted but there were times when they had to pull him out by the rope tire to his leg. His sacrifice not accepted and he then died where he stood. Imagine the turmoil in that man’s mind, a proxy for others and it could have cost him his life.

The Lord Jesus now steps in; His time is at hand; except for Him there was no possibility of survival. Die He must! The bible coins this phrase; “therefore I have set my face like a flint”. The Lord Jesus knew what needed to be done and He never flinched. In fact they tried their utmost to get Him to copout on His commitment to His Father and yet He went the extra mile; “I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.” (Isaiah 50:6): - The Lord Jesus did more than accept His fate, He freely offered it! Why? So that sinners like you and me could find forgiveness through repentance and go free. No longer would we have to stand trial for our sin.

But what did this teach the Lord Jesus if anything and what can we learn from His example? The Apostle Peter gives us insight to this question; “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” (1Peter 4:1)

We must arm our minds to suffer in the flesh, why? So that we may learn to stop yielding to sin and it rule. What does this have to do with wisdom? Everything! The world and its principles teach us this attitude, an eye for an eye. But love trains us to turn the other cheek. And the only way we will learn to love one another as ourselves, is to die. How will we die? By suffering! It is not a complicated concept to understand, where it becomes tricky is our willingness to die.

May God help us become more like our great and glorious Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone    

     

Tender Mercies!

This morning I woke up to a message on my iPhone, “Software Update” is available and it will fix bugs affecting battery life. If you have an iPhone then you will know that their battery life is not their strongest feature, so obviously this message was appealing. I will download the new software without delay; my phone is already plugged in awaiting its upgrade. My question is do we act as efficiently when it comes to the Word of God and its instruction for our lives? It will have much more effectual benefit to our lives if we live but its rule and we learn to instinctively to walk in the Spirit.

I have had a glimpse into why the psalmist got so excited about the Lords loving kindness and why I also get excited when I consider the magnitude of almighty God’s tender compassion. A God, the only true God to be more accurate, has it in His power to speak creation into existence; the mountains, a dead lump of rock trembles when He speaks. A single command, “be gone” and it will no longer remain, fascinating if you believe my reasoning, nevertheless very much the truth! God spoke creation into existence!

The concept of reading God’s Word and then processing it with our own minds, seems to be common to all who read God’s Word, the Bible. But it is only once the words we read become a personal living experience; it will only then have any lasting substance to our lives.

We are clearly taught that God resist the proud and gives grace to the humble and it seems that the more zealous of the disciples, when it came to the importance of action over words, are in fact the ones that taught us this. Both Peter and James taught that God requires His sons to be of a humble spirit and that He would and will resist the proud. If one is right in their understanding on any given topic will this excuse them in God’s eyes if they laud it over those who lack understanding? I think not, the statement does not have a proviso attached to it, it simple states; “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6)

So it is not until we are in a state of humility will we be able to echo the words of the psalmist; thy lovingkindness in better than life itself. Christianity is an experiential experience; it is not enough to say we believe and to say we relate if we have not related to our God in person. How many times have I felt like a failure, more than I would care to remember, I do not speak about failure as a man in a material world, although I have also suffered there, but the reference I make is the times I have failed God in my life. Disappointment after disappointment and yet the lovingkindness of my Great God and Father never disappoints, praise His glorious name.

It saddens my heart to confess that it normally always takes a fall for me to realise the wonderful position of humility, it is a place where we have absolutely no boast within ourselves, and we are solely dependent on the mercies of God. Do you remember the story of the good father and the prodigal son? "But when he came to himself (his senses), he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."' (Luke 15:17-19)

It was in this state that the father poured out and abundance of mercy on his undeserving son, and yet because of his humility, he was given that which he did not deserve. Why? Because the father had it in His power to give!

I suppose the harder we fall the humbler we become, or should I say, should become as it is part of the learning process. We are now back to yesterday’s blog, will we fall on Christ our Rock or will he fall on us?

It is through this experience I am also able to echo the psalmist sentiments, that my God’s love is tangible and I do not only believe it because David pens similar words but because I have personally experienced the tender touch of God my Father and for this I am truly thankful.

You may be feeling low, all you need to do is come to God the Father, just as you are without one plead of self-justification, call out to the Lord Jesus from that place of brokenness and you will be heard. You may say, but I have been here numerous times, ah I will say, what of it, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and watch him work. And you too will be able to share in psalmist sentiments; “Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!” (Psalms 117:1-2)

Father God I thank you from the very bottom of my heart for you tender mercies and for the bottomless fountain of your loving kindness; with that in mind I pray make me, make us your children more like our glorious Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone    

       

As it is written!

(Romans 9:33)  “As it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."”

I am old enough to remember the Vinyl records my parents used to play, Elvis amongst the number. Even my bed time stories where played over a record player documented on vinyl. One thing about those records was when they were scratched, there was very little one could do with them. Lots of care went into their preservation and one needed to handle them delicately. A deep scratch caused a rut in the plastic and the needle would remain in it with horrible results. Something sweet had now become hard on the ears. Life is like that at times, as Christians we should not leave those scratches in our lives unattended. The longer we ignore them the deeper the rut and the harder the repair. Thankfully no matter how bruised we may be or how deep the scratch may go, God will never discard one of His own. But we must pay watchful attention to the warnings in scripture.

It is one thing to fall upon the rock the Lord Jesus as we confess our sin and our fault before Him, but it is another magnitude if He falls on us. When we stumble onto a rock, the Rock (Christ) we will be left with a few scratches and grazes which are needful in our lives. But it will be a different story if the Rock falls on us, intensive care our looming destination and no one enjoys that type of attention; we must learn to walk by faith!

“But that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." (Romans 9:31-33) 

Remember Samson’s outcome, he lost both his eyes and was left for dead. God will never desert one of His own; men will flee men when times get tough but not the great Shepherd. He will leave the ninety nine to seek out the one lost sheep. But did you know that history teaches us, when a lamb had a tendency to constantly wonder off away from the protection of the flock the shepherd boy would break it’s leg and the carry it on his shoulders to teach it not to wonder. An act of compassion and yet some would view it as an act of cruelty. How do you view it? The irony of this example is I broke my right femur because of my wondering, so how do I view it? I am thankful to my God and King from the bottom of my heart and yet I still make mistakes. It is these mistakes that eat away at my soul!

With that said, we could avoid so much heart-ache in our lives if we were to pay careful attention to all those tiny scratches in our lives and cast them on the Lord Jesus rather sooner than later. The longer we leave sin the deeper it roots itself. If we try to combat it in ourselves outside of faith we will never reach our destination. We must learn to fall upon our Rock the Lord Jesus, wherever we find ourselves, it must become a way of life and not only in the areas we are willing to relinquish but in every area of our lives. If we ignore this warning it will be at our own peril. May God help us to surrender all!

When I look into the dark areas (my many mistakes) of my life over the years, I can’t help but begin to wonder about what the Apostle Peter has to say on this topic; “So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do." (1Peter 2:7-8)

The Apostle Paul reminds us; “For I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play." We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” (1Corinthians 10:1-12)

Paul has called us in this portion of scripture to take stock of our lives, to examine it against our father’s example. Is God please with every area of your life? I know I am found wanting, forgive me Father God! The concern I have is what Peter understood; “They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do." Have I been destined to stumble in the same areas of my life? What is a man to do? While we have the breath of life and while God gives us the wherewithal to call out to Him, I will by the grace of God continue to call out to Him. And so should you!

What we cannot do is ignore the areas of our lives that we know we are found wanting. Faith is required and we must believe in our great Saviour ability to get us home come what may.

God give us the strength to call out to you, help us to fall upon our Rock, Jesus Christ our Lord as we should all fear to have it the other way around, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

  

Reconciliation!

(2Corinthians 5:17) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation…”

Of all the perfect and beautiful gifts we have received from God, which would you say is most helpful? Which of the five senses is the most needful? I have often thought about this and yet never really concluded my reasoning. But this morning I am persuaded that the greatest ability is the tongue, our voice, the ability to speak. Without an audible command from God creation would not exists, neither would we.

“And God said… let there be light; let us created man in our own image and it was so!” God spoke the creation into existence. It was his voice (the Word) that started the ball rolling. I have no doubt that God in His brilliance would have thought everything through, He would have mapped out his plan if you like, prior to the actual unfolding of it. There was obviously some form of planning, but it wasn’t until God said “let there be light” that light appeared. His voice ever powerful, praise the name of Jesus! What came first the chicken or the egg? That is a no brainer the chicken and yet people ask the question as if it deserves some amount of reasoning; God spoke the animals into being and so they appeared; “And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds--livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so.” (Genesis 1:24)

It was only after creation that God used His sight to look upon His creation and only then was He able to enjoy what He saw; “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:31)

So what then is the greatest gift God has given us? It is obviously His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour! But now that we have Him, it is our voice that will be most helpful to those who are lost and dying; in other words to preach life to a lost and dying generation is what we have been given; we hold the keys to eternal life in the smallest of members, our tongues. It is important we understand the significance of this. It is only God who has the ability to create new life and yet we have the words to eternal life on the tips of our tongues.

Do we understand the gravity, this now our responsibility to preach Christ and Him crucified. I am not sure we do! But God has chosen to use us as vessels to save others, what a privilege. How does this actual work. Those who have Christ Spirit, those who are born again, the sons and daughters of God have if you like an extra ability to that of the world and that is the ministry of reconciliation; “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;” (2Corinthians 5:17-18)

The world does not have this new found ability if you like; you will not hear an unbeliever speaking about life in and through the person of Jesus Christ. It is foreign to their understanding as they are still dead in their trespasses and sins. But to all who have His Spirit, we all have a measure of the “ministry of reconciliation”. This is a wonderful privilege; think about the power we now wield in our hand, or rather with our tongue. Our voice could trigger God the Holy Spirit to bring life into someone who was dead. We cannot save, it is God who saves! And yet God has chosen through the foolishness of preaching, the use of our tongues, to save some. It is imperative we understand the gravity of our responsibility, to speak about Christ and Him Crucified. It may just be that your words could be chosen by God to save someone from the clutches of hell and it may get then believing in their hearts that God raised Christ from the dead and then with their mouths they will begin to confess Jesus Christ as Lord.

Here then the scripture to back up my understanding; “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.": - (But here is the call for our role in reconciliation). How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" (Romans 10:9-15)

So then before we are capable of enjoying the beauty of creation, just as God spoke the creation into being, may we also follow His example and open our mouths and preach Christ and Him crucified. It is the Word of God that brings forth life and we have a measure of that life in the gift He has given us, the gift of reconciliation. What will we do with it I wonder? God give us new found strength to preach Christ and Him crucified. When we are used by God to bring forth new life, it is beautiful to behold and just as He look upon His creation and concluded that it was “very good”. We also may look upon those we were involved with who now confess Jesus Christ as Lord and also say it is “very good”.

However, let me be very clear, so that I am not misunderstood; it is God and God alone who gives life, we cannot in ourselves now manipulate or wield His hand, but He has chosen by the foolishness of preaching to save some. If we are the ones then preaching, Christ and Him crucified and nothing else, God may very well chose our words to lead a man to repentance. Think on this and the privilege He has afforded us. It is the only true God, the creator of heaven and earth, allowing us a portion in the creation of new life. We know that once a person is save they become new creatures; “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2Corinthians 5:17)

Father God, help us to understand our measure and the importance of the ministry of reconciliation. Praise and honour belongs to our King, the Lord Jesus Christ, now and forever more, Amen!

But always remember to keep the message about Christ and Him Crucified and nothing else. It has always been about the Lord Jesus from the beginning and it will also end with Him. He is the alpha and the Omega, move away from Him and we move away from the power of God.   

  

Signing off

Tyrone 

   

   

   

The end will come!

(Matthew 24:14) “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

We have been called to serve and to lay down our lives for one another; to put the needs of other before ourselves; not to sit in the seat of the scornful because bad morals corrupts good company. How will we appropriated Christ’s example in our lives if we hang out with the enemy on a social level? It is obvious that we have not been called to withdraw in a cultish fashion, but we must pick our relationships with Christ in the forefront of our minds. Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers! That is on a collective level.

We have all been given a measure of reconciliation; we must declare the gospel to all and sundry. Examine your heart, if you find you send a lot of time with the enemies of the cross and the reason for it is to present the gospel and the second coming of our Lord and Saviour, then all is well but if not...

Most if not all have heard the gospel in one form or another, one would have to venture very far from civilization to possibly find those who have not heard about the Lord Jesus Christ. If we still hanker after our old lives and their patterns, it will hinder us in our objection and that is to become more Christ minded.

Think of someone on a diet and yet they eat a slab of chocolate every night, all the good work done throughout the day, brought to nothing by a single bad choice. Time is short and we have a responsibility to preach Christ and Him crucified. I personally do not know anyone who has not heard the gospel in one form or another. Everyone I know has made a decision about Christ’s sacrifice. They are either for Him or against Him, the fence sitter are against Him! They say they are neutral but when the war breaks out they will not stand in the trenches with the true believer.

This then is my concern this morning; the time of the Lord’s second return to redeem His church is at hand, or at least the hour is eminent. How do we know this and what should we be on the lookout for? This is what the Lord taught on the subject and this is how the Apostle Matthew recorded it; “And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”” (Matthew 24:4-13)

Ask yourself this question, has the Gospel been preach throughout the whole world? Are there any unreached parts of the World where the gospel has not been preached? I personally doubt it! I may be wrong! But even the primitive bushman have been reached and some even confess Jesus as Lord. I know this to be true as I was part of a group that travelled to Botswana to present the gospel to them. I am thankful to my Lord and Saviour for opportunities like these. I miss them! Time wasted with the mundane chores of life, what a tragedy! But when we move from the realm of “with food and raiment therewith be content” into a realm of loving money with the intent of becoming rich as our goal, beware! This type of reasoning will be our demise!

“Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1Timothy 6:6-12)

Whatever our predicament, wherever we find ourselves, whatever our struggle may be, let us put aside the weight of sin that so easily beset us, let us remember that our God cares for us. Call out to Him even if you situation seems hopeless, Christ has overcome! Call on Him and find life!

Last night my Siberian husky at around 1 am was howling and making such a noise that she woke me up, and possibly half of the neighbourhood. I was up and out of bed with the intention to scold her, only to find that she had somehow ended up with a hindquarter in the pool and she was unable to free herself. She knew that her only chance of escape was to call out with urgency. It was her call that assisted in her being freed. So too must we call out with urgency to our Lord and saviour, but call we must! Remain silent and we will remain trapped.

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)

 Time is short; how serious do we take these warning?

Wherever you may find yourself today, God is able to free you; there is nothing or no one the Lord Jesus has not defeated.

Signing off

Tyrone

   

To walk by Faith!

(2Corinthians 5:7) “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

How many times do I say to myself it is time to get meritorious for the Lord, it is time for the rubber to hit the road and the tires on my life to grip into the tar. But how does one actually get serious for the Lord? There are many opinionated opinions on how to achieve that. I do not wish to be added to the number but I am desperate to lay my life down for my Saviour’s sake. And yet to be truthful my sake also plays its part, with the hope of heaven and to be in the presents of God almighty forever and ever.

How do I become more obedient to God’s call in my life is my question?

I am the kind of guy that loves the option of black or white, not grey! And I assume that is where God has exactly left each of us as believers. We are no longer under the law as we once were with the "dos and don’ts" ruling our lives. We have been free from that type of slavery; “We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:9-14)   

If we are struggling with the application to these truths, where then do we go wrong is my next question? What would cause a man to leave his life behind, without any plan for the future, to be so captivated by the voice of God and His instruction that this is what the scripture records and requires; “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:8-10)

I am convinced or rather settled on this one fact we have not understood “faith”! Or at least I haven’t as I should have, some 24 years into my Christian journey. What hinders my understanding on faith, is it not unbelief? This in turn leads to disobedience!

This is a massive consideration, in today’s consumer packed way of life. “Instant”, a constant on life’s menu! “Instant” - coffee, internet, porridge, cash withdrawals, electricity and water on tap; life has become a lot easier, yet it has come with a cost and that price is detrimental to our faith. Self-sufficiency keeps us from living under the banner of faith, this is where I have gone wrong and there are so many others that seem to have followed suit. May God help us realise this!

Let me look to prove this from God’s Word. It is typology, or the pattern of scripture that must speak to us. But first let us ask ourselves the question, how had God chosen to manifest Himself and who has He used, and final how has He chosen to use them to proclaim His message, the message of the gospel and to glorify His own name?

God has chosen to manifest Himself to the earth’s population in this fashion; “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." (1Corinthians 1:26-31)

The Lord Jesus Christ chose twelve men to start the most prominent movement of all time and only one of them had a serious qualification and that was Dr Luke, the rest were simple men, fishermen were singled out and even a tax collector. No scientists or Albert Einstein’s were amongst the number. This was God’s choice! Paul gives us inkling into God’s reasoning; “so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” There can be no confusion on who is responsible for the salvation of mankind; the Lord Jesus is the only answer! And yet “without faith it is impossible to please God!” Faith is then the pivot between man and God.

But for us to act in faith, we must have a need. If we are self-sufficient why will we ever call out to God in faith? Here is a great example to illustrate my point; the Egyptian army bearing down on the children of Israel with a blockade hindering their escape, the Red Sea! A hopeless situation outside of the realms of faith! Death imminent!

BUT GOD…

“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.” (Exodus 14:21-22): - This great manifestation of God miraculously saving His people left then singing a song; “Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, "I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.” (Exodus 15:1)

It will take actual events of God’s intervention in our lives to walk in faith. If we have Christ’s Spirit living within us then we have had a similar experience.

The concern I have is that we look to avoid such experiences when we should actually be looking out for them. How so? Self-sufficiency an enemy!

What instruction did the Lord Jesus give his disciples to confirm this truth? “And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. And he said to them, "Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them."” (Luke 9:1-5)

This no doubt would have taught the Apostles to walk by faith and not a self-sufficient type of mentality (sight). There need would have been great and it was God who would assist them. Faith in practice! Although this may not be the call for all, the principle must be applicable to all! We must then look for more of these types of experiences if we are to find obedience in our lives, without them we will be no more than clanging cymbals without any melody. God be merciful to all His children and help us in our actions to walk by faith and not by sight. Forgive me Father God for my lack of faith.

Signing off

Tyrone

Gifts and Calling!

(Romans 11:29) “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

Life is full of gifts from God, our senses; taste, touch, sight, hearing and smell. Most of society has received these gifts from God. We also have the ability to reason, the list could go on and on, but let’s call these communal or common gifts. The world as a rule has received the same God given abilities with slightly different measures as we move from person to person. Line up a bunch of children and ask them to kick a soccer ball and some will be more prominent than others, all had no problem kicking the ball, but it will be clear that some would never make it professionally, while others if nurtured and if they begin to exercise their gift, can go far. Life then is about finding out what we do best and then pursuing it, or as adults helping our children discover their gifts, then to lead and encourage them in that direction.

Let me hone in on the concept of gifts; do we give gifts to reward? Sometime that is what we use to motivate the individual to achieve. Receiving a gift then can be performance based. I remember for passing my final matric year my mom gave me a car, that was the deal. Does God reason like this? I believe we must conclude that He does? But let me be careful to explain my reasoning on this subject.

We understand that we can never earn salvation, or do we? The gift of God, that is eternal life cannot be bought with money, it cannot be earned! The Apostle Paul is clear on the subject and teachers this without any wiggle room; “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:4-9)   

It is then very clear that salvation is a gift that can never be earned; God gives it as an act of mercy. We are born we sight, we had nothing to do with earning it. In like manner salvation is a gift of God. However not all find salvation, but that is another topic for another day. But once we have realized our gift what do we then do with it? Does a blind man who receives his sight, run into a dark room and remain there or does he run around shouting, “I can see, I can see”? If we disobey God does He remove our sight? We know he disciplines those who he loves. How does he do that? “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.” (1Corinthians 11:28-31)

So then, self-examination is an intricate part to our lives and God does reward those who seek out His will in faith; “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)   

Although we can never earn salvation, we must live out our lives in faith believing God for every provision He promises us in His word and that He will reward those who live by this rule.

Back to the gift we received at salvation; this then is not a common gift but a special gift that the world cannot receive. When we were born again God gave me and you a particular talent of gift if you like. Now we are responsible for what we do with it, we will have to account for it. Do you remember the parable of the talents? Those who receive them and where faithful with them receive even more but the one who buried his talent had a dismal end; “He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'” (Matthew 25:24-30)

We all received some special gift at salvation and it is up to the individual to seek out God’s face in faith so that we may nurture that which we have received and it is for the sake of the church, the body of Christ, with the intention of finding unity in love. It is up to us to supply and not only to receive. How then should we supply?

“But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.

Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men."  (In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” (Ephesians 4:7-14)

One may say, but that specifically relates to ministering brethren and not everyone. Let me then use another scripture to remove any wiggle room; "For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” (Romans 12:4-10)

Although we can never earn salvation as it is a gift from God, the gift we receive at salvation, whatever that may be, we will have to account for. This is a serious consideration!

“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (permanent).” Or as the "KJV" Bible puts it; “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”

Therefore this gift could never be earned, but it is imperative that we nurture it for we will give an account of what we have done with it!

Signing off

Tyrone

The Canon of Scripture!

This morning would be time to real in my own thoughts and to consider some history.

The Cannon of scripture is complete and we have it at our fingertips, but that was not always the case. Back in the days of King Henry the VIII, it was a time where priests, cardinals and the pope dictated the supposed truths of God to men. Yet what they had to say and teach was full of lies. Obviously we owe all our thanks to God our Father and Jesus Christ our Saviour; yet, men like John Wycliffe were well-known throughout Europe for his opposition to the teaching of the organized Church, which he believed to be contrary to the Bible, which it was! With the help of his followers, called the Lollards, and his assistant Purvey, and many other faithful scribes, back in 1380 Wycliffe began his endeavour to produce dozens of English language manuscript copies of the scriptures.

“Johann Gutenburg invented the printing press in 1450 and the first Bible ever printed was in Latin. Then the man William Tyndale was the Captain of the Army of Reformers, and was their spiritual leader. Tyndale holds the distinction of being the first man to ever print the New Testament in the English language. “Tyndale was a true scholar and a genius, so fluent in eight languages that it was said one would think any one of them to be his native tongue. He is frequently referred to as the “Architect of the English Language”, (even more so than William Shakespeare) as so many of the phrases Tyndale coined are still in our language today.”

“Martin Luther had a small head-start on Tyndale, as Luther declared his intolerance for the Roman Church’s corruption on Halloween in 1517, by nailing his 95 Theses of Contention to the Wittenberg Church door. Luther, who would be exiled in the months following the Diet of Worms Council in 1521 that was designed to martyr him, would translate the New Testament into German for the first time from the 1516 Greek-Latin New Testament of Erasmus, and publish it in September of 1522. Luther also published a German Pentateuch in 1523, and another edition of the German New Testament in 1529. In the 1530’s he would go on to publish the entire Bible in German.”

“William Tyndale wanted to use the same 1516 Erasmus text as a source to translate and print the New Testament in English for the first time in history. Tyndale showed up on Luther's doorstep in Germany in 1525, and by year's end had translated the New Testament into English. Tyndale had been forced to flee England, because of the wide-spread rumour that his English New Testament project was underway, causing inquisitors and bounty hunters to be constantly on Tyndale's trail to arrest him and prevent his project. God foiled their plans, and in 1525-1526 the Tyndale New Testament became the first printed edition of the scripture in the English language. Subsequent printings of the Tyndale New Testament in the 1530's were often elaborately illustrated.” (www.greatsite.com)

It was at this time in history that men once again began to seek out the truth of God’s Word for themselves. No longer could cultish organisations like the Roman Catholic Church dictate to the masses as the spokesmen of God, God had heard the cries of some but now all had an opportunity to seek out God’s truth for themselves. This was a time of much opposition and many Martyrs died because of their voice and stand for Christ. They are in heaven even now waiting for Christ’s return for the second time, eagerly awaiting their glorified bodies; “If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.” (Revelation 13:10): - It happened back then and it may well happen in our life time once again, God knows the outcome for all!  

It is an easy objective to walk into any book shop and buy a bible, in most democratic countries anyway. Last weekend I went with my 14 year old nephew to buy him a bible. We have the Word of God at our fingertips, but let us never take this for granted as it cost many their lives.

The warfare now has the same objective and that is to keep us from the truth, which is; “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”” (John 14:6)   

Now that we have the bible in front of us what the enemy now seeks to do is to raise up false teachers, those who misrepresent the truth of God’s Word. Those who use what we have in front of us and to twist the truth so that we would believe a lie. However those who have been truly born again and who have received Christ’s Spirit, even if they are hoodwinked for a time, will once again find the true road to the Celestial City. God had set up watchmen to expose those who preach and teach lies. Men like Charles Spurgeon, Matthew Henry, John mac Arthur and John Piper. Then there are blogs like Pyromaniacs that capably challenge the error. There are many more that stand for the truth and it is these voices we must seek out.

We must be like the early Berean Church and examine what is taught. If we look to God the Holy Spirit with a pure motive, “God’s will be done” and not our own agenda’s we will be kept on the right path. God is for us and not against us! What a hope we have in Him!

I will leave us with this thought; “("Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!")”

God help us to take this consideration seriously! All honour, praise, power and dominion belongs to our great King, Jehovah God, now and forever more, Amen.

Signing off

Tyrone

Forgetting what lies behind!

(Philippians 3:13) “…forgetting what lies behind…”

There is much talk in today’s society amongst the general population about the importance of counseling, a therapist or psychiatrist is thought by many to be an important part of one’s life, especially when times are tough. They have had some amazing results or so it would seem. I will not look to debate whether or not we as Christians should seek out the world's counsel, the answer should be rather obvious. If we are new creatures in Christ, then we need to seek those things which come from above. We need to find direction from like-minded people.

Let us go back in time; would the Zulu king, “Shaka” have gone to the white man when seeking counsel knowing that they were the enemy? Never! They were at war!  I have realized that true Christianity opposed to nominal Christianity is worlds apart. This is where the war will be most ferocious. Close quarter battle in the dark of night with some uncertainty of who is in front of us. Tough times are on their way. So then let us be sure to use God’s armory and not the worlds.

When we seek out counsel on any given subject, let us make sure we go to those of the household of God and not to the world’s counselors. Why Not? Their agenda is for the here and now, but we seek a heavenly kingdom, an eternity in the presence of the only true God. Ultimately all counsel from the enemy will never be advantageous but detrimental. That may sound a little cultish or extreme, but here is the principle left us by the Apostle Paul; “When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?” (1Corinthians 6:1-7)

I am aware that this portion of scripture specifically pertains to disputes amongst one another, but it is the principle I look to establish and I hope that is seen. If we make any decisions in life and we do it without God’s counsel, no matter how wise we may seem in our own eyes, we will suffer loss!

Why do people seek out trained counsellors? They obviously have a need and want it secured. No one likes unnecessary hardship! But because of client therapist privileges, for these sessions to be successful, there has to be brutal honesty. This is then my thought and concern this morning; am I openly honest with my Father in every area of my life or do I look to pull one over? Is there some form of denial in my life to accommodate my sin? God forbid I settle here if that be the case; this then a very serious consideration. Paul tells us; “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.” (Philippians 3:13-15)

I am instructed to forget my blunders as I have already suffered loss though many bad choices in life. I must now press on and do the right thing; I must find obedience to God’s Word for my life as time is short. But do I pretend that all is well when I still harbour parts of my old life? You see, we can say we have forgotten those things behind us only if they are truly behind us. If not we lie to ourselves!

Here then is my question; are we brutally honest with our God even if it hurts us to think about certain parts in our lives that are so far from God’s character that we harbour it, pretending to ourselves? We can hide nothing from our heavenly Father, in fact He know what we think before we even think it. Let us therefore resolve from this day forth to be totally honest about every though and every intention. God help us to be more like Jesus Christ our Lord in every area of our lives. Only then will we be able with Paul to say, “forgetting what lies behind”, then only will we be free to press forward to what lies ahead with true vigour.

This then is the encouragement; “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1Peter 5:6-11) 

   

Signing off

Tyrone