Life and its struggles

(1 Peter 4:1) “…for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin…”

Life is full of its struggles… and all; both the Christian and the unbeliever looks for peace in life’s storms. As certain as we have learnt that the rain will come, we see the clouds developing in the sky and we say to ourselves “today it will rain” and yet God stays his hand. But we have all learnt that there is most certainly a season when the rain will fall. So too is it with “life’s storms” they will also have their season in our lifetime. This is then a fact of life but even through this is a reality we must nevertheless be on guard against our very own hearts; “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick (wicked); who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) – As our hearts often look for the easy outs as they wrestle for liberty; often at the exclusion of sound doctrine and many of our hearts respond to the name Pliable as readily as we would to our own names.

If one sets out on a journey, the only way to find ones destination with any accuracy is to have a detailed map. Guess work is never a good idea! Our hearts if left to their own devises will lead us down a road of destruction; we may even come across, Obnoxious, Rage, Self-willed and Proud streets as they are all in the same vicinity. It is only the accurate map to life, “the Word of God” that will keep us out of those dangerous hazards. Guess work is never a good idea; all that will do will certainly lead us into the “slough of despond”. So let us keep that warning in the forefront of our minds as we confront “life and it struggles”.

We have all learnt to all cope in different ways when it comes to life and its struggles and yet some never seem to overcome life’s difficulties, why? The greatest of all confusions in and through life’s storms is that meticulous question, why me? And most settle on the answer, “that is just life, it is the way the cookie crumbles”. Without understanding the deeper meaning of life how will we ever get a true grasp of the great things that are yet to come, heaven and all its benefits?

However, as for the Christian, we no longer need ask that question, WHY? We are clearly taught the reason for our struggles; “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” (1Peter 4:12-13) – Please take note that these trials are “fiery” and have been designed not to ruin us but to try us, to test our sincerity, strength, patience, and trust in God. The word “fiery” speaks of a smelting furnace. When metal is unearthed it goes through a smelting process in order to get rid of the dross and the more it is placed through that process the purer the metal becomes.

Just as through life we go through a series of tests to achieve; education needs testing in order to qualify the individual, so too God requires testing in the believer’s life to prove their obedience to this high call in their life. However the beauty of God’s requirement for the believer is not unreasonable, God the Father, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob sent his only begotten Son the Lord Jesus Christ to be the forerunner as our example, in other words He has led by example. He did a sterling job; in fact it was so perfect that it met every one of God’s requirements, this is how God proved his love and commitment, not that God has to prove anything, “HE IS THE GREAT I AM” and yet He chose a gruesome death for his Son so that some may go free; "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) – “Not perish but have eternal life?” Simply put the Lord Jesus, God in the flesh lived a perfect life without sin and then paid the price for our sin so that we could go free (All those who sincerely call upon him). Our very own sin will send us all to hell if we have not been covered by His blood that is what is meant by the word “perish”!

What then of these tests in our lives? I now address the Christian. They have been specially orchestrated, tailor-made by God for each of His children. Yes they vary in type from individual to individual but they all have the same goal, which is to progressively change us into the glorious image of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. “Life’s struggles” will help us put off the old nature and if appropriated properly will cause us to put off sin in our lives. Now many of us have been saved for many years and yet we struggle with the same issues in our lives, why? We have failed the test! It needs to be re-written; many are giddy from our merry-go-round experience of life. It is now time to understand and seek out God’s fructifying grace, and this wonderful aid is free for all those who believe.

The unbeliever does not have this privilege; “common grace” is theirs (the air they breathe and the like) but not “overcoming grace” that belongs to the believer. We can find joy in the most difficult of struggles but in order to “bubble over” we must seek out God’s righteousness with exactly the same technique the Lord Jesus used. We must learn to drink that cup of suffering; it is for our benefit and we must not only drink part of the cup but all of it! We all have a cup with our names on it; God’s ways are far higher than the ways of men, in fact this is how His plan unfolds; “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 1:24-25)     

There is another gospel that propagates this message; come to Christ and all your troubles will dissipate… HERESY! That is not the true message of the gospel! This then is the assurance for the Christian; “Christ in you the hope of glory”! We look for a day when every tear will dry up, where there will be no more pain and we will be in eternal glory where God will be our Father and we will be his sons, but until then, life with its storms must and will be part of our lives.

Let us therefore no longer ask the question “WHY”, but rather vigilantly seek out God’s grace in time of need, Our God is perfect and full of love, and nothing He does is to our detriment. With that said if He is for us who then can be against us, we need only believe!

Signing off

Tyrone  

God is truth

(Romans 3:4) “…Let God be true though every one were a liar…”

We have been programmed to lookout for self even at the expense of others…

“Let God be true and every man a liar”, is probably one of the sweetest quotes to my ear. But I also realize that as a man I too can be found amongst the liars. So often we twist truth out of lies and visa-versa; always looking for the best outcomes for our current predicament; selfishness high up on the agenda of life. So contrary to how the Lord Jesus lived while here on earth.

This world and its system are rotten to the core! Satan has wormed his way into the current monetary system and rules it with lies, as he is the “father of lies”. It all began in the Garden of Eden, where and when he introduced the very first lie to mankind. And from there he has only become more skilled with distorting the truth.

However, without financial stability life is tougher than it ort to be. This is where I now live and I wonder how I will ultimately react. I have lost many battles living in instability, but I am not overly concerned about that, when we fall to the dust, we can by the grace of God call out to Him and once again get up and dust the dirt from our knees. It is reasonably the war that unsettles me. Will I learn to trust my God and Father as I ort? He has overcome and the victory is already His. I now need to believe in His victory and prove it by the way I walk or will I look for lies and selfishness to fill my life; will I look to help others when I myself am in need of help? Time will tell! The true instruction is clear; “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.” (Proverbs 11:24) - And above all else; “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.” (1Corinthians 2:12) – Freely we have received; it is now imperative that we learn to give to those in need with heart felt sincerity. If we give begrudgingly then it would be better not to give.

Thank you for all that I have, help me Father God I pray to be less selfish with what I have and to be more giving to those in need. Help me to not embrace the spirit of this world, which is full of lies but to clinch with all my might onto the Spirit which is from God. It is your Spirit that will guide me into all truth and keep me from believing so many lies and traps that Satan and this world has cast in stone.

There is a day coming when all of God’s children will receive their inheritances. God our Father will institute a wedding feast for His Son with the church as His bride, what a day that will be, but until then let us learn what needs to be learnt, let us seek out His grace in time of need.

Open our eyes that we may see and open our ears so that we may hear your small still voice. Why do I ask for this privilege? So that I may deeper understand your grace and truth which in turn will bring honour to your name, for you alone are worthy of all honour and praise. All hail King Jesus our Saviour, my Saviour, your Son, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

The good and gracious taste of God

(1Peter 2:3) “If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious (good).”

What is it that after having “tasted that the Lord is gracious” that truth, which was cast in stone somewhere along the way, seems somehow to be forgotten by the pressures of life? The longing for devouring the “milk of the word” (reading/studying the Bible) no longer burns as bright as it once did. Have I really “tasted that the Lord is Gracious”? I know there is but one answer to that question. Yes is the cry! That cannot be questioned. However we will all have to probe ourselves to find our own answer.

It is now that I recall a time in my life that feeds my hope in Him. It was not about bells and whistles, but a gentle reassurance from God my Father that He was in control and He proved it to me only once I totally relied on His help when there seemed to be not help on the horizon. I had just come through one of the many rough times in my life. I was living in Cape Town and working as a press photographer for Business Day (a local newspaper) where my health was now so depleted that work had become very difficult. I would go through as much as five shirts a night due to night sweats. My immune system was so weak is it was on the verge of final collapse. However just before that happened I was bordered by my company Business Day; in other words I was declare unfit for normal working duties and excused from having to perform any form of my original duties. I was given leave of absence for two years; it was called “permanent disability”, what this meant was that I would be paid 75% of my basic salary and not be entitled to seek any external work to supplement my income.

After a lengthy hospital stint, by the grace of God I pulled through, even to the dismay of one of the doctors. I was now once again involved with a group of believers (church) and actively involved; “in whom the whole body is united and held together by every ligament with which it is supplied. As each individual part does its job, the body builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:16) – Sometime during this period one of the leaders asked me to pen my story, hence the birth of my biography “Destroy and Deliver”. It was while recovering from Aids that I use my Apple Mac laptop to pen my story. About two thirds of the way through my laptop crashed. It seemed as if all my work would be lost. After a quotation I was told what it would cost to fix and recover my work. I did not have the money. It was in this place that I recollect crying out to God my Father for His assistance. Shortly after that prayerful time I got a call from someone from Business Day informing me that that have raised funds for some cause and had been left with a surplus and they felt that I should collect the balance. This in itself may seem somewhat trivial to some but at the time it was mammoth. I was able to use that money to fix my “Mac” and finish the book.

Why is it that I have used this example to illustrate God’s grace in my life? There is obviously salvation which was far greater, the day I realised that I had been forgiven for my sin, the day I received Christ’s Spirit through adoption; the day I was now named amongst God’s children and all because of what Christ achieved on Calvary. The day my eye’s where opened to heavenly things, the day I was born again; “Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."” (John 3:3) – For those who are yet blind to this truth it will be impossible to comprehend. I address those who have eyes to see; unfortunately the cares of this life tend to help us forget that great day, which should never happen, but sadly it does, however only for a time. It is once again the grace of God that mercifully presents itself to us in time of need and it is these times that we need to call upon our memories as we remember that we have indeed “tasted that the Lord is Gracious”.

I am once again in a place of financial need in my life and so if my God has helped me before and He has shown His grace to me in this exact same area of my life, how could I ever doubt His ability to once again supply my need. The horizon is full of fog and the cloud are dense but I know beyond that is a blue shy and a bright sun; I accept the fact that though many bad choice I now find myself in this position, nevertheless I believe once I have learnt whatever I need to learn God will once again be gracious. To God belongs the glory both now and forever more, Amen!

I (we) know in whom I (we) believe, yes there may be lots of grey in my life at present but that will not keep me from my hope in Him. Days may be dark, bad choices may seem to win the day but they will never win the battle, so long as we cry out to Him. The God of Jacob, even our God, praise be to our great gracious God.

Signing off

Tyrone

  

   

Hypothesis of Shift

The “hypothesis of shift” in a man’s mind is an imperative to life, no differently for the need to breathe air, in order that he may live. These shifts take place daily; in fact one’s mind from a twinkling to moment will need to make choices as the day progresses. All, not only the Christian is subjected to this reality. A man may lose his job and now be faced with a reality that he never before needed to face; where will my family’s next meal come from? Or he may be diagnosed with cancer and thoughts like what about my family, will I see my children grow up? Then the “sin that so easily besets” may lure the individual into the wrong lifestyle which will have consequences. HIV a reality for some! Whatever the reality in a person’s life at the time, he will be forced to make a decision.

As Christians we can either be thankful, or we could ask “why me”? I seek my heavenly Father’s forgiveness of late for this “Hypothesis of shift”; although I understand why I am in the place that I am there was still a “strain of disdain” in my attitude. We have such a big God; so big that He is omnipresent, the universe cannot escape His presence. Not a corner of the unseen galaxies can ever dare to escape His illustriousness. Let that thought filter deep within the recesses of one’s mind if possible. He is so majestic that if He had to appear in person, the brightness of His glory would be too much for a man to endure; His beauty would cause our flesh and blood bodies to disintegrate as if we were chaff in the wind. This beautiful majestic ever-knowing awesome God withholds His glory from us for we are unable to take it in in its fullness. We have of course sampled his Glory in and through His Son, our Glorious Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; nevertheless that is by grace through faith.

How often have we gone out of our way to seek out a glorious sunrise or sunset? Its beauty often leaves us breathless as even the amateur reaches for a camera; a necessity to capture a facet of God’s creation, and to share it with others. God’s beauty is so superior to the most glorious sunset, in fact when God reveals His beauty in its fullness this is what will happen to the moon and the sun; “The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.” (Isaiah 60:19) – In fact God’s glory is so majestic that the sun will be forced to flee from its position in the universe as it witnesses such exquisiteness. What a glorious day that shall be, how I long to witness such splendour. There will be no need for sunscreen to filter the ultraviolet rays; every child of God will bask in His Glory; “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:23)

Now with that “hypnosis of shift” in the forefront of our minds may we conquer the day, seeking out God’s grace with boldness as we continually seek out His brilliance and the grandiose glory of our God. Praise the name of Jesus, the One who has made the way for all who have been touched by God the Holy Spirit and had their eyes opened to a glimpse of the glory of God, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone    

Suffering for doing well...

(1 Peter 3:17) “For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.”

As Christian we have been subjected to a new set of “rules” (we are not under law but under grace); it is clear from scripture that we are to behave in a new fashion not as we formally did prior to salvation; obviously our old characters fight this truth with all fibre and might. It is foreign to our understanding and logic, with principals that operate outside of the realm of sin. Even the Old Testament writings teach us that an “eye for an eye” is the acceptable action when wronged. However since the greatest man that ever lived, the Lord Jesus Christ sacrificially gave himself so that sinners could go free, that old set of “rules” has been done away with; “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) 

Just as Christ turned the other cheek when stricken, we too have now been commissioned to follow His pattern.  No longer is an “eye for an eye” acceptable. Why then do we still battle to accept this truth? We are not willing to die like our Saviour died. But all this will do is send us in circles; I speak as one who has not conquered this principle in my life, on the contrary my life has been so full of disappointment and all because I have not taken this truth and made it my own.

I remember as a kid playing at the park not far from my house; there was a merry-go-round that we would spin as fast as we could, before long we would be dizzy from the roundabout motion. Christianity can have a similar effect; we must emolument careful attention to our Fathers instruction in and through his Word, the Bible. We all must eventually come to an understanding of what is expected from us as Children. We all have experienced in one form or another, suffering for our own stupidity, but how often have we shared in Christ’s sufferings; how often has our heavenly Father glanced down from heaven with admiration as we suffer for His name sake?

I know that I am so caught up with my own pity party at times that I lose sight of this wonderful truth; “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” (1Peter 4:12-13)

God has perfectly structured His plan, we must learn to accept it in faith and seek out obedience for our lives; obviously we will never achieve this in the natural, but by grace through faith this possibility can become our reality as Christians. My prayer Father God is that you help us recognise your hand in our lives, so that when wronged, we may understand that it is your will for our lives as you train us to become more and more like our Glorious Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, help us I pray to find grace to turn the other cheek, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

Gone Fishing

We all study to show ourselves approved in one area of industry or another. This is the way of life, without this motivating drive in our lives where would we be? Probably on some street corner begging bread! We go to school from a young age to prepare us with basic skills that will empower us later on in life. Education is important for our survival. There are those that study a trade, while others seek out degrees, diplomas or doctorates. There are many differing avenues that life has presented for us to pursue in order to survive. This morning my thoughts go to some Jewish fisherman that live more than two thousand years ago; those who lived, walked and talk with another Jew, our Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

These men where skilled fisherman, men who made a living from fishing, they would have supported their families with their knowledge and skill in catching fish. There were no “fish finders” (sonar devises) helping them to locate schools of fish. They would have had to apply themselves cunningly using all they had been taught to fill their nets. And obviously they would of filled their nets regularly, or why else continue with fishing, begging no doubt would of been more lucrative, it wasn’t, hence their dedication to their trade. It is important to understand who they were and what they understood, they were fishermen.

How often have I toiled in what I have known in order to get ahead? It is not as if I would put on a doctors clock and venture into sick homes trying to heal the sick, this would be fruitless as I wouldn’t have a clue where to begin. But put a camera in my hand and I would be comfortable and confident going up against the best. But how often are we taught from God’s word to trust Him? The bible is full of this mindset; we are called to have faith not in our own abilities but rather faith toward God. Before anyone gets ahead of themselves, I am not for one minute implying that a man shouldn’t work as he siesta’s all day under some tree waiting for bread to fall from the sky. The Apostle Paul’s teaching is clear; “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” (2Thessalonians 3:10) – However we often err on the side of independence, “I did it my way”!

Here we have Simon Peter a man who had was now discouraged, his teacher and friend Jesus was no longer with Him, He had been crucified and he had seen Him die. When challenged, he denied that he knew the lord Jesus, not once, but three times. I think I am able to relate with some degree to where his head was; after all he had come to understand; he had been taught by the world’s greatest teacher what life was all about. A man once full of hope, now hopelessness had engulfed him, what else could he do but go back to what he knew; “Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.” (John 21:3)

You see once a man has come face to face with this Jewish man the Lord Jesus, it is a futile exercise to pretend that life can carry on like it once did. Nothing can or will ever be the same. Simon Peter worked all night with James and John with all their knowledge about fishing and caught nothing. It was not as if they had chosen to sit under some tree hoping for fish to fall from the sky, they had applied themselves diligently and yet their nets remained empty. Was there now a lack of fish in the sea, certainly not! We know that there where fish for once there master came and they followed His instruction the net burst with fish.

What then is the lesson? Everything we now do as Christians must spring from our dependency upon our God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and we must look to our Saviour the true Messiah the Lord Jesus as our first port of call and not as an afterthought. Seek first His will in our lives and not the other way around.

We see that our God did not disregard these fishermen’s ability to catch fish; in fact He used their boat and their net as well as their understanding of how to haul in the net to bring about a miraculous feat, as their net burst at the seams with fish. You see no matter how skilled we are without Him we can do nothing and there are times in our lives, when we forget this valuable lesson and need to be reminded. But with Christ we can do all things...     

This morning I commit this day to you my God, I pray for an ability to seek out His righteousness in my life, forgetting that which has past, seeking out grace in order to lay hold of the gift of eternal life, bringing glory to my God and my King, Praise the glorious name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Signing off

Tyrone

          

Stewards

With the truth there will always be a skewed slant brought by some. Why? We war not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers that are unseen to the naked eye, in other words there is a spiritual realm that is on a higher level than our natural echelon. Nevertheless, although it is unseen, this does not mean we aren’t influenced by it. We know we are; the Word of God, the Bible has so declared it; “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) - Not only are we competing with this reality but we are fallen beings and are dictated to by the influence of our own and surrounding sin.

With that in mind, what is our purpose as Christians? Well that is an open ended question that has many answers to it. This morning I would like to bring a simple truth to our attention as I know I have overlooked it in my life. I get so caught up at times with “straw men” (decoys) that take ones eye off the truth. Our eyes are shifted off what is really important and leaves us clutching at straws instead of eating milk and meat from God’s Word. Here it is; “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” (1Corinthians 4:2) – The little things in life are often overlooked... whatever we have we have been given and that which we have we are accountable to God for, that which we do not have is not our concern. This is how I believe God will differentiate with the rewards that His children will receive once in heaven. Here is a verse to back up my reasoning; “So the last will be first, and the first last." (Matthew 20:16)

There is not much we can do about our pasts, but we certainly can seek out God’s grace to influence the future.

We are part of His church, we are members in particular and we need to find our place in the body of Christ, which is the church, enough of the “straw men” and there excuses.

Signing off

Tyrone 

Training

What is it about the minds memory, how it likes to hand on hope, even if certain factors are a little skewed. I look at my journey as a Christian here on earth and obviously I have many fond memories but also many regrets. I suppose each and every one of us have our misgivings. And in and through those uncertainties I find myself clutching at hope and I am sure I am not alone. Life is so full of “self”, its staggering.

I find myself with some others, classified as outcasts by the apparent elect. Rebels and unruly and yet we would not be the first. However there is no need to linger here, what is God’s instruction to me?

It would be a good thing if we first learnt to put others first. Until then we will never move away from our own little worlds. How do I know this? Not that I have moved from “self” to others by any means, but God has lead the way in and through His beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ…

God is the highest authority in the Universe and He chose to created mankind in His image, we resemble him in form. The bible tells us we will be co-heirs with Him in heaven. But firstly we need training, like any other qualification. Would a soldier be sent to the front lines of battle without any form of preparation? Parents have often coined the phrase “do what I say and not what I do”. God is not like this, He has led from the front. The Lord Jesus is the perfect example. For us to comfort those in need we first have to experience our own need! We must learn the ways of our Saviour, of course we will never attaint to His immaculate achievements but that does not excuse us from mimicking His example. We have been summoned to do exactly that.

What then is that example?

If the first will be last and visa-versa, this means that we must lose all forms of our reputation and learn to serve others even if we go without. In fact it goes even further than that; “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:19-21)

The Lord Jesus the catalyst in and through creation, the One who fashioned foxes and birds had this to say; “And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."” (Luke 9:58)

He had it in His power to destroy those arresting and crucifying Him; “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53) – The Lord knew that His hour had come and He was about to face the most horrific humiliation and torrid death, but if those angels had come every single one of us would now be without hope and awaiting a lost eternity. Our Saviour willing subjected Himself to those in authority and placed other before Himself. Do we, will we? He has left us His example to follow and follow we must…

Signing off

Tyrone  

   

   

Jesus Christ has made me His own...

(Philippians 3:12) “…because Christ Jesus has made me his own.”

This is where Christianity hangs its hat; it is about our relationship with Him and His with us. It is about where we see ourselves in God’s economy, do we belong to Him or not? How can a man claim the promises of faith, and there are many, if he is not sure whether Christ has made him His own. It will be evident for all to see if someone truly believes that Christ has made them His own…

What of my life and an honest answer to this question, has Christ made me His own? The answer must obviously be yes, for without that truth I beat the air hopelessly and am someone who has a hope that does not exist. What a tragedy that would be. If I cannot answer positively to that question then I would be of all men most miserable. Imagine a life without hope. Our lives are full of hope; hope is alive from day to day and in fact minute to minute. Without it we would find no will to live. Even the atheist has hope; not of heaven to come but he hopes for a better existence here on earth; a child asks his parents for ice-cream, in hope that he will receive some. Would he ask if there was zero chance? No! So too is it with each of us, fill in the blanks and all must come to agree.

However with the knowledge of Christ making me His own, what would prove I understood this with certainty? Let us look at the Apostle Paul’s example; it is obvious he believed this truth with all his heart; when others look at our lives is it that obvious? I am not convinced, forgive me Father God and once again help me with my resolve to find the grace to change.

There where times in my life where this truth was undeniable. I would venture, some would say foolishly, into Hillbrow alone and share the Gospel with those who would listen. Sure I was young and full of zeal even though it was without knowledge. But in hindsight which is better some zeal or no zeal? Zeal speaks of assurance. Paul had both zeal and knowledge. Let us now unpack some of his life, the proof of his assurance and then we can examine our own lives as a comparison, not so we place ourselves on the coals as one without hope, but rather be stirred by his great example to become better believing Christians and to spark the zeal in our lives that once burnt bright and clear. If Christ truly saved you, zeal in some form has to be evident.

This then was Pauls journey here on earth once he realised that Christ had made him “His own”; He was beaten for the sake of the gospel countless times, beatings became a way of life for Paul and yet he continued to preach this glorious message of hope, that Jesus came to save the lost, that He had paid the price for sin and that he was truly the Messiah. That whoever would confess their sins, repent and turn to Him seeking out His forgiveness would be saved. A very unpopular message and so those in authorities who took umbrage to his message would strip Paul down and beat him; the bible teachers us that this took place countless times. Three times he was beaten with rods, once he was stoned; three times he was shipwrecked and spent a day and night adrift at sea. He was constantly on the move with all the dangers that went with that, robbers and the like. He was constantly in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, was cold from the elements and often went hungry. And yet probably his greatest concern was the wellbeing of the churches he had fathered. The anxiety seemed to hit him hard as there were wolves (false teachers and apostles) that lurked trying to destroy what he had started with false teachings. And the list goes on…

History tells us that he was eventually martyred; could there be any doubt to him understanding that Jesus had made him His own? No doubt! His life proves this, I wonder where I stand. I know that the Lord Jesus has made me “His own”, but when I look at my life and its example I am left wanting. Help all of us imitated Pauls great example, not that we could ever be him, there was only one Paul, but to learn from him would be beneficial and to think with any other mind-set would be detrimental. It is grace we need Father God to once again ignite zeal in our lives to lay down our lives for you and our great Saviour. Hear my cry I pray.

Signing off

Tyrone

A time of Reflection

How lax I have become in holy duties, dull in hearing and sad for the experience. This morning I reflect on the times in my life where life was bubbling over and it felt as if I was turbo charged. What has changed? The cares of this life have pressed in and looked to suffocate the joy of my salvation. However as dull as I have felt of late, what God has begun in my life may have seemed to lose its flame, and yet the flax still smokes. Although the fig tree did not blossom and there was no fruit on the vine, yet will I rejoice in my Lord! What is the reason for this? “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)

The beauty of salvation rest on God’s ability to get us home and not our fickle volatility as men as we at times stumble in the dark when there is no need to be there. We have been transferred into the kingdom of light. The Apostle Paul constantly reminds us of this truth. It is obvious that our wrestling at times looks to doubt this. But there can be no doubt, just as the Lord Jesus overcame on our behalf for the price that sin required; it cost Him His life. As great as that achievement was so too will we stand in awe as we see Him getting everyone that truly believes in Him, home. No true believer will be left behind. It must hinge on our faith in God to get us home and not our faith in what this life can give us. Do we serve God for wealth and an easier lifestyle or do we bow to Him in gratitude for His forgiveness for our sins? It is not about being first in this life, on the contrary, those who are first will be last and those who are last will be first. “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” (Matthew 19:30)

What then is His promise to all those who believe? Believe what must be our first question? Or rather let’s deal with it secondly and let us look firstly at what we must not believe. It is clear from scripture that there will be those who say they believe but will not make it to heaven. This is then a warning from the Lord Jesus; “"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'” (Matthew 7:21-23)

Could I be amongst that number, the possibility is real as there will be those numbered with the workers of lawlessness? What are the warning here? Those who claim signs and wonders as there proof for salvation; prophesy, casting out of devils and any other mighty work claims. That must not be our assurance. Those who make it to heaven must be about the will of the Father. We must not serve God for the sake of our bellies; “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. (Philippians 3:18-19)

How I love the Bible, Gods Word for our lives; if we become cocky we are quickly brought to our knees and when we are almost without hope we are revitalized. How great is our God? Praise the name of Jesus.

To excuse our sin as if it didn’t matter would be a grave mistake; we must constantly strive to put our flesh down. I am so weak in this area, forgive me Father, but help me find the grace to become better with my resolve. We must not be overly concerned with material wealth and the goodies this life has to offer. With food and raiment we must be content.

This then is where we find comfort and nowhere else; “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” (Philippians 3:20-21)

 

We must have faith towards God and yet we must reflect soberly on where we stand. We must address the areas on want and find grace to achieve obedience where we lack it. Our hope and drive must be in the life to come and not this life…

Signing off

Tyrone

Acceptable in the Beloved

(Ephesians 1:6)  “… accepted in the beloved.”

What it means to be acceptable in the beloved… this then is a privilege that no one but God Himself can ever refute, in fact because of the work of Calvary He will not refute it. But He rather disciplines the wayward child if need be. What a God we serve! Praise the glorious name of Jesus! His perfect work has taken the severity of God’s judgment that all of mankind deserves because of their sin and He now is able to focus in that sense on His beloved Son’s victory, which was a once and for all time sacrifice never to be repeated. God had this to say about our glorious Saviour and His beloved Son; “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

Regardless of whether we find ourselves in the place of judging ourselves because we are not quite living up to what we believe to be a good Christian example or whether we are secretly patting ourselves on the back because we are. It is not about us, but rather the Lord Jesus. If we reason with any other mind-set, we just as well might go back to the law and begin once again to sacrifice. This could never be accepted as this would then undermine the work of Calvary. But Christ’s work will stand for eternity, how thankful I am for God’s provision to me and all who belong to Him. In other word regardless of sin, (not that God would ever tolerate sin, He has proved His hate for it; He sent His only Son to the cross and even turned His face from the Lord Jesus when He paid the price for sin. He judged His own Son); “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)

But because of what Christ achieved God the Fathers focus is on the conquering of sin in and through the Lord Jesus’ perfect work and not our failing where the shedding of bulls and goat blood would once again be needed to find forgiveness. The Lord Jesus has paid the ultimate sacrifice and there are no ifs and buts.

This then is the only reason we are acceptable in the beloved. It is crucial we understand this. We are no longer viewed as sinners even though we do still sin. The price has been paid in full, for all our sins, past, present and future. This is how brilliant Christ’s achievement was; God no longer looks upon the sin of man and has this to say; “And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.” (Genesis 6:6-7) – As He looks down from heaven and even though men’s hearts are continually evil and all about sin, He sees amongst them those covered by the blood of His beloved Son and they are acceptable to Him. Praise and glorify the bravura of what Christ has achieved.

                                                                                                        

This is why the Apostle Paul makes this statement; “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1:6) - What a place of honour! “It includes our justification before God, but the term “acceptance” in the Greek means more than that. It signifies that we are the objects of divine complacence, nay, even of divine delight.” (C.H.Spurgeon)

I pray that we would all learn to find grace before we so easily succumb to the sin that so easily besets.

“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.” (Romans 10:9) – You are accepted in the beloved…

This is where every true Christian must begin their journey; if you have lost your ways go back to this place and God will bring about change in your lives when and where needed.

Signing off

Tyrone    

The Cup of Suffering...

Whenever or wherever we seek out results, one thing is for certain, it will have its price. If an athlete wants to achieve, it will take many hours of grueling hardship. The harder one trains the more probable their success will be. However with that training one must make sacrifices; friendships, relationships and even academic achievement may take strain… I remember very clearly at the age of eighteen and as a rugby player I was fortunate enough to make Craven week (provincial schoolboy trials) final selection week, but I knew if I made the side my end of the year holiday in Plettenberg Bay would suffer and deep down I was conflicted. The week before the trials I had a motorbike accident and was now left without a choice. Part of me felt relieved for the sake of my upcoming holiday while another part of me felt hard done by.

It is no different for the Christian; once they have been quickened in the spirit and are now alive to God, one thing is for certain; they will face hardships. Alone life’s journey choices will need to be made. We will either give into the drive from the wants of our lusts fuelled by our natural tendencies, but it will be at the expense of our obedience to God, or visa-versa.

God has a plan for our lives and we need to learn what that blueprint is. Now whether we choose to submit humbly or at times think we know better; the end of the matter will and must result with same conclusion, God will have His way. And for this I am forever grateful, praise the name of Jesus.

We often as Christians make the wrong choice, but God lovingly with His longsuffering character train’s us up in the ways of righteousness. He does not cast us to the wolves if we don’t perform like our brother Joe. Many of us, me included have become giddy from life’s merry-go-round experience. Nevertheless every Christian has the same path set out for them and that is to come the way of God the Father in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot be excluded from His pattern if we truly belong to Him. There is no other way.

This then is the words of our Saviour to His disciples while here on earth. He makes a categorical statement; these then are His words; “… And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:” (Mark 10:39)

What cup was it that the Lord Jesus had to drink? It was the cup of suffering; “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:39)

Even the Lord Jesus was looking to avoid this cup but not at the expense of the will of His Father; “nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” Just as He had a cup to drink, so too His disciples and so do we have to drink a cup of suffering. There is no escaping this truth…

But let me end off with this great truth; we are not alone and we have the storerooms of grace from which all of God’s children are entitled to pull from. And our great Saviour, through His own experience has a living compassion for all of God’s children with their struggles whatever they may be. So remember… “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16)

Signing off

Tyrone   

Death or Life?

(Ecclesiastes 12:7) “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”

We all understand our appointment with death, no one in their right mind believes they will never die; I speak in the carnal sense. From as far back as we are capable of remembering we have been introduced to dead; a loved one, a family friend and so on. For an individual to eventually die is an acceptable truth. Sure, we will at all cost do our utmost to prolong that event; if we have it within our means plastic surgery is often a means to an end. Diets become the be all and end all for some. Most has an opinionated idea on how to prolong one’s life. And then there are some who just couldn’t give a dam or so it would seem. No matter how we cut it, at the end of the day death is inevitable and we will all die; except for those raptured at the coming of the Lord, but let us rather stay on topic.

Dead is a card we have all been dealt. So when King Solomon makes the statement in the book of Ecclesiastes, “then shall the dust return to the earth as it was” it is easily understood and accepted by most. But what about the other half of that verse; “and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” We now enter the realm of that which is unseen; no one has visually seen a spirit leave the body and makes it way to heaven. That now is the realm of the spiritual and not the physical. Why then do some believe while others not? A very easy question to answer; some have been quicken spiritually while other not. It all hinges on the word we often hear “faith”. What is faith? In the context of Christianity let’s put it like this; belief in and devotion to God without any doubt even if we find ourselves in an apparent impossible predicament. Why was the Apostle Peter willing to be crucified upside down for his involvement in the gospel? His faith towards God!

There are many even apparent Christians that will confess the Lord Jesus when the going is easy, but I wonder how many will hold to their faith when it will cost them or their children their lives? Will I? Time will tell! I pray that the grace of God would abound to all His children.

The Bible has made it very clear; yes we shall die but just as importantly our spirits shall return to God, either to a life of absolute bliss, where pain and suffering will no longer rule the day while others will never escape an eternal existence of torment.

Today is the day of salvation; while we have breath we have hope. If you still sit on the fence, cry out even now to Jesus Christ the Lord, the One who paid the price for sin, and He will in no wise cast you out. Our Saviour has such a heart for the lost, that He cannot ignore a sincere cry. Praise His glorious name, all hail King Jesus!

The day will come just as our bodies return to the dust so will our spirits return to the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Bible has declared it…

Signing off

Tyrone

BUT GOD...

We all are what we are… I was once asked can a leopard change its spots. Or in the same vain will you see the wolf lying down with the lamb? Or can a lion eat straw like an ox? There are obvious criteria’s in life that are fixed in stone, or are they? Any person with half a brain and some common sense would happily accept these truths… BUT GOD!

Once we come to understand the brilliance of our God, only then will we begin to think with a spiritual mind. What then qualifies the individual to think beyond the realm of the natural and apparent? We need to be quickened in the soul by the Spirit of God, this then is known as the born again experience. Only then are our eyes opened to heavenly things; “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) – Only then will our eyes/minds be now open to heavenly things in the true sense; there are many spiritual people, with many alternatives to Christianity but they do not serve the only true God, they may be spiritual but have not come the way of the Bible. They think they see heaven but they are mistaken; one may now ask the question, who do I think I am to make such a dogmatic statement? Remember the point of reference? It is the Bible! I do not wield any authority from my own intellect. The Bible makes it very clear and without any wiggling room on how to correctly enter the realm of the spiritual. This then is what the BIBLE teaches; “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

So then we need to be born again and that experience must take place through the Lord Jesus and know other. Why? It’s the bibles instruction; nevertheless there is always a valid reason for the bibles training. We are all sinners, in other word we have all somewhere in life broken God’s law, the Ten Commandments. It is by our own sin that now classes us as sinners. We are the guilty party and not another so as to excuse us from our predicament. Without forgiveness for our sin we cannot be forgiven and ultimately escape hell and separation from God for eternity.

The Lord Jesus, God’s own Son was born through a virgin named Mary. He then lived a life, through childhood, into his teens, eventually becoming a man and yet throughout His life here on earth He never once broke one of God’s commandments. He is referred to as the “spotless Lamb”; this sinless man then paid the price for sin by dying a cruel death on a hill called Golgotha, where He was crucified. This is the only sacrifice God has and will ever accept for the price of mankind’s sin. Hence the dogmatic statements Christians throughout the world tend to make, that is why they could never ever entertain and form of spirituality that does not pivot on the Lord Jesus Christ.

The magnificence of what the Lord Jesus did is beyond belief, if our eyes have not been open to His achievement on Calvary it will remain unobtainable, God needs to open our spiritual eyes; it is the work of God and not man’s intervention. One would need to cry out to Him asking for forgiveness of our many sins. That then is where we need to start and then we need to acknowledge that it was the Lord Jesus who paid the price for our sin.

I hope it is clear why Christian seem to be so dogmatic at times, it is the Bible that teachers us this plain truth. One is entitled to their opinion if it differs from what the Bible teachers, but do not blame the Christian for what He says about His Saviour, blame God if you must. Nevertheless the truth will stand the test of time.

BUT GOD! Did you know that there is a day coming where the wolf will lay down with the lamb? “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 65:25)

There is also another day of judgement coming upon all who reject the Bibles teaching and those who choose to ignore the work of Calvary and the perfect sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ as the provision for their sin; “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” This event will happen, the Bible has declared it.

Signing off

Tyrone

Families and what they mean to us...

Families and what they mean to us…

Life with its entire agenda and its challenges; I guess, all would agree in some measure that we are conditioned by society to end up as a model citizen. That would be the hope of all our parents, hopeful that we would achieve and finish better than the “Jones”. Who then would not be proud of their own? As parents some are harder on their children than others, but outside of just plain simple abuse, the reason for it would be to get the most one could from their child. We push them so that they achieve. And to say that there is no selfish attachment as we persistently coach would not be utterly true. They are a reflection of us. The better they do, the better we feel and around the school fields one can always notice the rooster (father) by the way he cocks his head while cheering from the sideline.

Every sane parent holds a special place in their hearts for their children. Italians, Portuguese and many other ethnic groups outshine much of the western civilization when it comes to family bonds. It would not be a strange thing to see the entire family living on the same property; from Nona (grandmother) to grandchildren and everything between is never frowned upon; for some families the highest of all objectives when tackling life, family first  

With that said, what of our new family as Christians; if saved do we not all belong to our Father because of the finished work of Calvary? We have all been baptized into one body. Meaning this; that at salvation we all become members of God’s family. We are part of the universal body of Christ. However we are not left there, once our spirits have been quicken we must look for a local church where we can take up our place as a functioning member. We are commanded not only to receive but also to supply; “For the body is not one member, but many.” (1Corinthians 12:14) – In other words we need one another, but more than that we are family and to think that we do not need each another is a delusional thought; would we ever by choice cut off our hands or feet?

“If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body. And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members each one of them in the body, even as it pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now they are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee: or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary:” (1Corinthians 12:15-22)

Why do so many of us not feel the same way when it comes to God’s family as we feel about our own children? Again we lack understanding! Does a parent throw his child to the wolves if they are in disagreement? Never! And yet some churches choose to discipline where necessary and rightly so, but as soon as there is a difference in doctrine then they are no longer welcome. Why? They feel threaten, but my question is this, would they throw their own children to the wolves?

We all have a lot to give and account for, this is why the Apostle James is very clear when he says “let not many of you become teachers”.

Some hold to the message that if you are truly a child of God, that you may lose your salvation; what would it take to disown you own child? For me I could not even entertain that thought and my son is adopted.

What chance would your son have if you kept telling him, that if he didn’t behave or if he disagreed with your reasoning you would disown him?

Our Saviour has this to say about the subject; “Be ye free from the love of money; content with such things as ye have: for himself hath said, I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee. So that with good courage we say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear: What shall man do unto me? (Hebrews 13:5-6)    

Signing off

Tyrone