Has God called?

What does it mean to be an effectual Christian and to walk circumspectly? Well, obviously God must equip us and enable us to achieve this Goal. However, it is by grace through faith. God is sovereign and His will, will be achieved. Remember, “Jacob has He loved and Esau has he hated.” This manifestation of God was before either was born, nor had they done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God might stand according to election, not of works, but on Him that calls.

Everything to a Christian’s success must hinge on His call.

1. You must be loved before you are born; this has all to do with God and nothing to do with you, it can have nothing to do with you because you have not yet been born, so the truth is easy to understand or so it should be!

2. Therefore God in His Sovereign will choose individuals to love regardless of their participation. So, He elects individuals, in the same manner in which He chose to love Jacob and hate Esau before they were born, we fit into the same category, are we loved or are we hated? This is where I see the brilliance of God shining just a pittance of His ingenious intellect and wisdom into this world. Are you elect, have you been called? Are you one of those loved by God? Can you hear his voice calling your name? I’ve heard the call, have you? The call has been made, here it come now, are you ready for it, it is clear and precise, what will you do with it? “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” Some points to highlight, Jacob was loved and Esau was hated.

Firstly, let’s look at Gods love. For God so loved the world... we now find God loving the world, yet the text is in a past tense, so loved. Nevertheless, the love of God to the world is not in any vain imaginations, any opinions or warm fuzzy feelings but can only be found in the Lord Jesus... “That whoever believes on Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) will not perish but have eternal life.” God’s love also then entitle all who believe to eternal life. So then the love of God is only found in the Lord Jesus, nowhere else, no other religion, no other program and no other way will get anyone to be covered by God’s love. I trust that is clear for all to see! Have you personally been called? Well has the call gone out, of course it has, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, the same message for you as for me. The message is not a different one for you and then another one for me. “Whoever will believe will not perish but have eternal life.” The question is do you believe? Believe what you may ask? That is a vast topic, but just to mention a few points; that God became a man, lived on earth without sin, then died to pay the price for sin (your sin) on a cross, on the third day he rose again from the dead, thus making a way for man once again to have a relationship with the Eternal God.

Lets now look at “Esau have I hated.” Let us look at God’s call... “This manifestation of God was before either was born, nor had they done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God might stand according to election, not of works, but on Him that calls.” So let us now look at God’s call, this is important, the purpose of God in an individual’s life will depend on whether he has been called or not. Jacob was called Esau was not, although He was entitled to the birthright, he sold it for a plate of porridge. You too are entitled to God’s love, “for God so loved the world that he gave”... if you now respond to that message, repent, believe in your heart God raised Jesus from the dead, and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, the bible tells us you will be saved. If you do not believe this message then just like Esau you are hated of God, although he was entitled to the birthright (God’s promises) he rejected them and sold them to his brother Jacob. Likewise you too now have a decision to make, have you been called?

Lets some it up in a nutshell, God’s love can and will only ever be found in His Son, the one and only redeemer Jesus Christ the Lord. So if you are found in Him then are you loved of God, if not, then you are hated by God and will be subjected to His wrath, eternal damnation for all eternity. That however does not mean an end for you now; because you still breathe there is still hope for you. How you may ask? Repent and believe and you shall be saved, you shall be covered by the love of God!

O may God have mercy on your soul and call out your name.

Signing off

Tyrone

Can God Change?

There is another question that needs answering? But this topic is not milk, but meat and needs a skilled preacher to expound its truth. Spurgeon has helped me understand the Immutability of God.

Can God change? The scripture we will look at is Malachi 3:6 I the Lord do not change; therefore you sons of Jacob; are not consumed. lets face it, how often do we can Our minds on any given day?

Most, if not all penned, is either a direct quote or reference made from his sermon on January 7^th 1855. I will mention my thoughts

Firstly there needs to be a proper study of the great true God, before we can truly bask in His love. Many other topics may make us feel good about ourselves and even leave us feeling as if our ego’s have been tickled, which is not a good thing - if and when we receive even a glimmer of the glory due to our input or application to a certain topic, this is not a good thing, as it set us up for a fall if not checked. (my thought) 

The subject of the divinity is so vast that all our thoughts are lost in its immensity. It is so deep that our pride is drowned in its infinity. There is no subject that will humble the mind like thoughts of God. How infinite are you great God? What worthless worms are we! Although all these thoughts of God humble the mind, it will also expand it, it must! A man may study geology or even extinct animals and profess himself to be wiser than his neighbour. I dare say it will leave him wiser. But, there is no study greater than the science of Christ crucified and knowledge of the Godhead in the divine Trinity. Nothing will so enlarge the intellect as the investigation of the deity. I love the way Spurgeon uses words... In the study of Christ there is a balm for every wound. In the influence of God the Holy Spirit there is a balsam for every sore.

If one wants to drown his sorrows, it is not to be found in a bottle or a similar lie. Rather plunge yourself in the Godheads deepest sea. You will come forth with rest, the soul will find comfort, you will calm the billowing grief of sorrow and you will mute the voice of trail.

Spurgeon felt this text should read... I am Jehovah or so it should have been translated, I change not. Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Three points to address;

1. An unchanging God.
2. The persons that derive benefit, the sons of Jacob.
3. The benefit, they are not consumed.

Spurgeon’s hermeneutic (the interpretation and explanation of something) of proving scripture would be to expound the doctrine and then expand on the thought and then he would look at a few arguments to prove its truth.

He admits that he does not know what substance the Godhead is. It is a being; He changes not in His essence. God is Jehovah and does not change. So that essence never changes. All creatures change, man changes his atomic state on a daily basis. Nature is always changing; God on the other hand is Spirit and is not composed of any material that changes. Therefore He is immutable, He remains everlasting the same. He sees ages pass but with Him it is ever now! He is the great I am. Now Christ when he took on flesh, the essence of His divinity did not change. Flesh did not become God nor did God become flesh by real actual change of nature. The two were united in hypostatical union but the Godhead was still the same. Even when Christ was a babe in a manger, He has not ever changed in His essence not even in his carnation did His essence change. He remains the everlasting, eternally never changing God. There is not even a shadow of change. His attributes are the same in the beginning as they are now. He knows as neither much now as He always new, neither more nor less. He is unchanged, blessed be His name in His justice. He is unchanged in his promise and He brings it to pass. This thought is very encouraging to me... for he who has begun a good work will complete it on the day of salvation. Once we have the spirit God the Holy Ghost indwelling us. He will forever be with us. There are many other scriptures proving eternal security to all those elected by God. The crux behind this truth is who is it that has been elected, obviously the sons of Jacob. However we also know that many will say on that day, "Lord Lord" and they will be turned away.(my thought). He does not vary in His love, He cannot, He will not, for He is love. His essence is full of compassion, love and long suffering is who He is. A quote from Spurgeon, “His strong love stands like a granite rock, unmoved by the hurricanes of our iniquity.” He is unchanged in His love, when He first wrote the covenant how much affection His heart had for his people. Yet He knew that Christ would have to die for sin. Yet he signed the covenant willingly and full of affection. (my thought) It is hard to comprehend these thoughts without a tear of joy showing itself. One attribute of God you may think about He will forever be the same. “I am Jehovah and I change not.”

In the content of God and His unchangeable attribute, how can we not trust Him? He is our God, He is our Father, and He is for us and not against us. What a beautiful thought.

Spurgeon now looks at some potential objections; a question he puts out there; some may say that God does not have a plan. Do you think God is more foolish than you o man, every man has his own plan and so God has a plan too. God in His Gigantic intellect arranged everything with His mastermind before He did it. But, once having settled it, He never alters it. That is so encouraging the iron hand of destiny marks it down and it is brought to pass. Neither Earth nor hell can alter it. If we consider God as almighty why should He alter His plan? He is all wise and therefore cannot have planned wrongly, even if we hold a different opinion to the tragedies in life (my thought).What are we but worthless Adam’s of existence, we change our plans often. But God’s plan is to save me, how safe am I. Praise God I know in whom I trust! I want immutable things and with God I find immutable things. For by two immutable things I see that it is impossible for God to lie, and He has signed and sealed every promise of His. So when I look to God’s word and its promises and it no longer seem sweet to me does that mean that the promise has changed? Absolutely not, I have changed. Let me look out for the stubble wooden hut I may have built. It is that which has been shaken not God’s promises. For His promises cannot change. Spurgeon then uses this example to illustrate his point. A man says to a Negro (a poor man- my thought) I can’t imagine why you are always so happy in the Lord and I am often downcast. “Why master” he says “I have often thrown myself down on the Lord and there I lie on his promises. You stand on the promise, you have little to do with it and then when the wind comes down you go. I go down flat on the promise at once. Therefore I fear no fall. Remember every promise is a rock and unchangeable thing. Every threatening as well as every promise will be fulfilled by God.

Lets now talk of decree’s, he that believeth not shall be damned. That will never change. Be as upright as you will, be as honest as you will but there stands a threatening - He that believeth not shall be damned. It does not say he who does not live a holy life, that may be true but it does not say so... It says he who does not believe will be damned. So then we must believe or be damned. After 1000 years of torment you will look up and see words burning with fire, “he that believes not shall be damned.” So if you do not believe you will be damned but nevertheless it says you shall be damned still. “How dare I speak like this, but I must” says Spurgeon, “ye must be warned sir; lest you come into this torment you must be told rough things. Woe to the watchman who does not warn the ungodly. Beware o sinner it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But before we leave this thought we must see that God is unchanging in the objects of His love. Not only in His love does God not change, but in the objects of it. If one dear sheep of God should perish, then might all perish? If I could believe that ever a saint of God could fall finally, then what love is this? If I believe that God could have loved me once and then stopped loving me, what love is this? Spurgeon then concludes if that be the case then the bible is a lie. If God has loved me once then He will forever love me. Did Jesus once upon me shine, and then Jesus is forever mine. Those whom God has called he will justify, those whom He has justified He will sanctify and those whom He has sanctified He will glorify.

All that has been discussed up until now is just the thought of God and His immutability.

Spurgeon then moves on to prove that God is unchangeable. He goes as far as to say that it is even unconceivable to conceive a God that changes. (My thought) I agree otherwise God would be manlike and not Godlike, for man is always changing. I often change with the simplest of decisions. Yet when I use the word, God, my mind must conclude unchanging- an unchanging God. If God is a perfect being, which He is, then He cannot change. How can something that is perfect change? Only that which is imperfect can be altered and changed. If something is perfect it requires no change. But more than that, it cannot change as it is perfect. If God is perfect He cannot be altered without becoming imperfect. It is an easy thought to process (my thought) perfect means unchangeable; yesterday, today and forever the same! If we look to the passed (history) can we not see whatever God has said has come to pass? Where are the nations that God said He would destroy? Where is Babel or Nivenah, has He not uprooted them and cast them from remembrance. Has He ever broken His covenant or promise? Never! You cannot point to History and show in one instance that God has changed. God has been immutable in His purposes.

Spurgeon then turns his attention to his congregation; He thinks he hears someone say, I can think of one scripture where God has changed and so did He think the same once. The account of Hezekiah; Isaiah came in and said to Hezekiah you must die as your disease is incurable, so set your house in order. Hezekiah began to pray and before Isaiah got to the outer court he was told to go back and tell Him he would live for another 15 years. You may say that this account proves that God changes, but there is not the slightest proof in the world that this proves that God changes. How can you say God did not know this, of course He knew it. For if He knew that then He did not change because He knew that... Did you Know in this story that Hezekiah’s son Manasseh was not yet born and if Hezekiah had died there would of been no Manasseh and no Josiah and no Christ, because Christ came from that very line. Manasseh was twelve years old when his father died, so then he must have been born three years after this encounter with Isaiah. So God spoke to Hezekiah to stir him up for prayer. (My thought) this opens a chapter to look into the power of prayer. The prayer of a righteous man avails much. God leaves us cryptic clues throughout scripture that only those those who have eyes to see can see, if only we would spend the time investigating. The brilliance of God intertwined throughout the pages of the BIBLE! 

2. Let’s look at the benefit and who will benefit from this unchanging God. The text, I am God and I change not, therefore you son’s of Jacob are not consumed. Who are the sons of Jacob and who will rejoice in God? They are the sons of election, for it is written Jacob have I loved an Esau have I hated. The children having yet not been born; neither has either done neither good nor evil. It is written the older shall serve the younger. The sons of Jacob are the sons of God by election of a sovereign God; by eternal destination they receive grace and glory. The second point of benefit is those that enjoy peculiar rights and titles. Jacob had no rights at birth but he changed them when he gave his brother a pot of stew and then gained his brothers birthright. Spurgeon make a point not to condone the manner in which he obtained his birthright. Yet Jacob also obtained the blessing and so acquired peculiar rights. (my thought) And yet the point is this that whatever it takes to please my heavenly Father must be my objective, period! So this text means to tell us that the sons of Jacob are those who have the rights and titles. Unto them that believe gave Him the right to those who believe to become sons of the living God. They have an interest in the blood of Christ. They have a right to enter through the gate and into the city. They have a title to eternal honours. They have a promise to everlasting glory. They have a right to call themselves sons of God. There are peculiar rights and privileges belonging to the sons of Jacob. Jacob also had peculiar manifestations from God and was therefore highly honoured. So too are the sons of Jacob highly honoured. Jacob laid down one night and slept with the hedges as his curtains, the sky as his canopy, a stone for a pillow and the earth for a bed. It was then that he had a peculiar manifestation. He saw a ladder which reaches from earth to heaven with angels ascending and descending to bring us mercies. Christ representing the ladder, a bridge between man and God. Another encounter He had when he wrestled with God at Peniel. These were account of peculiar manifestations. This passage refers to those like Jacob who has had peculiar manifestations. Now then Spurgeon asks, “How many of you have had personal manifestations? O you say that is enthusiasm, that is fanaticism, well it is a blessed enthusiasm.” For the sons of Jacob have had peculiar manifestations, they have talked to God as a man talks to a friend. God the Holy Ghost has so shone into their lives that they would not be able to doubt about their special manifestations. The sons of Jacob are the men who enjoy these manifestations. But then again they are men of peculiar trials. Spurgeon says he will not choose Jacobs lot if he did not have the prospect of Jacobs blessing. (My thought) does our hope in our resurrections burn right, if not we must understand our predicament for without hope the people perish! Faith feeds our hope as hope feeds our faith. For a hard lot it was! He had to run away from his father’s house to Laban’s house. Laban treated him roughly, he cheated him all the years he was there. He cheated him of his wife, of his wages and of his herds. He had to bye and bye run away from Laban, who eventually pursued him and overtook him. Next Esau came with 400 men to cut him up. Then there was a season of prayer and he wrestled with and angel and the angel put his thigh out of joint and so it stayed for the rest of his life. (my thought) I see the tenacity of Jacob pleasing to our heavenly Father, at all cost I must be blessed by the One true God. A little further on his beloved wife Rachel died and then his daughter Dinah is lead astray and his sons murder the Sechemites. Then Joseph is sold into Egypt and a famine comes. Ruben commits incest with his Daughter-in-law. All his sons become a plague o him. At last Benjamin is taken away. The old man almost broken of heart has this to say, “Joseph is not and Simeon is not and you will take Benjamin away.” Never was a man more tried than Jacob. (my thought) Not sure that Job was not as tried . Although his sin was to cheat his brother, all through his life God chastised him. Spurgeon reckons that many would be able to sympathise with Jacob. Many have had to suffer for the wrong they have done, and rightly so! Yet we are not consumed due to the unchanging nature of our God. But remember no one was ever afflicted like Jesus. We do not understand what trouble means. We have hardly sipped the cup of troubles, maybe a drop or two. But, Jesus drank the whole cup, even the dregs. Fear not says the Lord I change not. Therefore you sons of Jacob, men of peculiar trails are not consumed. One more thought to consider, who are the sons of Jacob? Spurgeon then puts it out there and wants to get you to consider if you are a son of Jacob. There are some things in Jacobs’s character that we cannot commend (Spurgeon’s thought). There are one or two things that God commends.

Jacob’s faith is highly commendable and he is mentioned amongst those of faith in Hebrews 11 the great faith chapter. Are you a man of faith beloved, do you know what it is to walk by faith? Do you get your temporal food to sustain the body, by faith? Do you live on spiritual manner from heaven? Is faith a rule of your life? If so then are you the sons of Jacob. (my thought) Without understanding this point; that the just will live by faith and not be cushioned by the luxuries of life, if so, it will always leave us with this challenge - do I truly believe. Then Jacob was a man of prayer, a man who wrestled and groaned with prayer. Spurgeon then again put it to his audience; there was a man this morning that came to the house of God without prayer. “You poor heathen don’t you pray”, he asks. No says the man I never even thought of such a thing. For years I have not prayed. Spurgeon then put it to him like this; I hope you pray before you die. Live and die without payer and you will pray long and well in hell. He uses another example; there was a woman this morning to busy sending her kids to Sunday school, that she had no time to pray. No time to pray! Did you have time to dress? There is time given for every purpose under heaven. If you had a purpose to pray you would pray. Sons of God cannot live without prayer, they are wrestling Jacob’s, and they are sons of God in whom the God the Holy Ghost works. They cannot live without prayer as much as I cannot live without breathing. They must pray sir mark you, if you are living without prayer, then you are living without Christ. To die like that will be your portion, and that portion will burn in the Lake of Fire, may God have mercy on you and redeem you from such a lot.

But you who are the sons of Jacob take comfort, for God is immutable.

Thirdly, the benefit for the sons of Jacob; you sons of Jacob are not consumed. What? How can man be consumed? Well according to Spurgeon there are two ways, if God had been a changing God then the sons of God of old may have ended up in hell. There is such a thing as being alive but dead. (my thought) Imagine if God left us to our own devises, I know where I would be in some gutter somewhere and yet there is a responsibility attached to our actions, another gem of scripture! I have personally gone to a place of terror, a place where sin held both my arms as I stood on the precipice of hell looking in. What a frightful sight it was. I quivered on the brink of ruin. But my unchanging God did not change in His love for me. How thankful I am and forever indebted, not that I could ever even begin to pay back the debt, the Lord Jesus has accomplished that. How thankful I am as a strong arm did save me. I wonder how I could have gone so far and yet come back again. Yes I am here unconsumed because the Lord changes not. We should all be consumed by ourselves, after all Mr. Self is the worst enemy of a Christian. We call God our father, but there is not a father in the world that would not have killed us all by now, so provoked would he have been with us. God has the most troublesome family in the world. They are unbelieving, ungrateful, disobedient, forgetful, murmurs’ and stiff-necked. Just as well God is long suffering. Not only would he have taken the rod but the sword to some of us long ago. There was nothing in us to love at first (we need to digest this point - my thought) so there cannot be less now. John Newton uses a story to prove election... A woman said, “God must have loved me before I was born, for there is nothing to love in me after I was born.” If God did not choose his elect before they were born, He would have found no reason to love them after they were born. (My thought) - a very interesting thought and it make perfect sense when reason out correctly. For since He loved them, without works, He loves them still without works. Since their good works did not win his affection, then there bad works cannot sever His affection. Since their righteousness did not bind there love to Him, so there wickedness cannot snap the golden links! He loved them out of a pure sovereign grace and He will love them still. We should have been consumed by the devil, our enemies and a hundred other ways if God ever changed. Spurgeon concluded as only having touched on the subject, but now hands it to me and I now hand it to you. You sons of Jacob may this portion of meat be digested well. Remember God remains the same whatever is removed.

Signing off

Tyrone

What is one to do?

“If a thing is right, though you lose by it, it must be done.” C.H. Spurgeon

With this thought in mind let me pen where I find myself. There are so many voices in the world today. We have a voice that cries out for human rights, another that speaks for the dolphin and yet another which bellows gay rights. The list goes on and would have no end if I had to give it an in-depth study. Yet with all of these voices and their messages, when broken down, all one would see is “self”. That may need an explanation! The voice of human rights speaks, and trumpets that what is fair in a democracy should benefit all. Yet who benefit? Take abortion and the call to legalise it. The law is passed and mothers can now abort. The mother may gain by it, only on the surface as a judgement is coming, but that is another topic for another day. The mother relinquishes her responsibility to rear a child, but the child is put to death. This they call justice.

Let’s look at what they call “hate speech”, if a man/woman believes in Jesus Christ as the only true messiah and publicly declares that to someone who has a deferent belief pragmatic then he/she has a right to bring a case against that individual. Lets unpack it in more detail; I believe that Jesus Christ is who He said he was, He is God incarnate, He lived as a man for about 33 years, He never broke God’s law not even once. He was then judge and tried by man, where He was found guilty of a crime He never committed. He then was crucified and died and on the third day He rose from the dead. He alone accomplished the opportunity for mankind to be reconciled back to God. In other words without His sacrifice I would not be able to commune with God at all, but now I am able, all because of His selfless act on Calvary. So therefore when the Lord Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life no man comes unto the Father but by me.” We must then conclude that ever other religion is a lie and will not get people to heaven; the flipside of heaven is almost unthinkable yet very real... HELL. A place, full of people who would not, repent and believe, a place of continual torment. Forever is immeasurable in the realm of time, it never ends. Imagine a million years if you can and then when it has passed those who reject this message will still forever be in torment. That thought should rock you to the core; it shakes me and makes me ever thankful for my Saviour’s love for me and by making a way of escape for me. Therefore, I believe and align myself with the truth of the bible.

I am now compelled to declare the truth as I have found the truth. It was the man Jesus Christ who alone paid the price for sin, therefore it is impossible to get to heaven and God any other way. No other cult, no other religion, nor any other way shall keep mankind out of the furnace of hell. Jesus Christ and Him crucified is the message and every other message is a lie. So to those who hear this message and repent and believe will find life. Yet those who are offended by it are dead and cannot see, although all I have told you is true, a charge may be brought against me, so what am I to do?

I have no option by am compelled to declare the truth, even if I lose by it!

Signing off

Tyrone

Holy Ghost

John 14:16-17

- True and Proper personality of the Holy Ghost

- United trinity of the 3 persons in our salvation

- The indwelling of the doctrine of the Holy Ghost

- Why the carnal mind rejects the Holy Ghost

4 questions that C.H.Spurgeon answers...

Some observations on what Spurgeon’s persuasion was on this topic.

1. We tend to miss the point that the Holy Ghost is actually a person, we take the Holy Ghost as an animation flowing from the Father and the Son, and not an actual person. The reason for this is the Father is associated with all we see in creation and therefore our minds are able to process Him as a person. It is the same for the Son as He is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. He walked the face of the earth as a man. But the Holy Ghost acts are secretive, but a person He is. Let’s look at the doctrine to back this point. We must be a Trinitarian and believe in the three persons of the trinity. When we baptise a believer it is done in the Name, not names of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. If the Holy Ghost was merely an influence he would not be mentioned as a person. When the Lord Jesus was baptised He showed Himself as a bright light and in the form of a dove. He came from Heaven to show that he is from Heaven. He also in the book of acts appeared in a manifestation of cloven tongues.

A power of Knowledge 1 Corinthians chapter 2 is ascribe to the Holy Ghost. Spurgeon concludes that any rational man will conclude that if anything is spoken of as having understanding it must be in existence and He is mentioned in conjunction with the Father and the Son who are actual persons. The Spirit has a will, He has a will of His own and power is also ascribe to Him. Whenever you find will, power and understanding it must be an existence or person. Spurgeon also ascribes creation to the Holy Ghost. Holy men of old spoke when they were moved upon by the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost still deals with his saints. Some examples used acts and the separation and when Phillip was carried away by the spirit. He uses his own spoken ministry under the influence of the Holy Ghost and how it captivates the audience as if their life depended upon it. The person of the Holy Ghost gets us to repent and believe. He points out that the Holy Ghost can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30) and vexed (Isaiah 63:10). He has feelings (acts 7:51) you can also resist the Holy Ghost.

2. 3 persons of the Godhead doing something for our salvation. The Lord (Son) prays, the Father sends and the Holy Ghost will comfort. In Genesis it mentions that man will be created by us, this speaks of unity and that they are united

3. The indwelling of the Holy ghost... He uses an example of the senses with relation to pain... you cannot see, touch, smell or taste pain but you surely can feel it. So is it with the Holy Ghost, you can’t see, touch, smell or taste Him but you most definitely can feel Him. We are the temple of the Holy Ghost for He dwells in you. He then says, if a person is full of studies and all knowledge and he does not know if the Holy Ghost dwells within him. This is where I find his point very interesting. Whenever Spurgeon found a brother filled with the Holy Ghost the spirit within him would leap. He would have a witness. The spirit witnessing with the spirit. An act of God, not mans intellect, because it is of God and not of man (my summation). We must however know if the Spirit is in us. Why? Well he uses an example of a man being shocked by electricity to illustrate the awareness of reality. Likewise if the Holy Ghost indwells a man’s body it must be obvious. When Spurgeon has difficulty in his life he looked to the Holy Ghost for direction. When he did not understand a portion of scripture he asked God the Holy Ghost to illuminate truth to him. In this sermon, he emphasis, that the Person of the Holy Ghost reveals truth and not commentaries. He held the revelation of the Holy Ghost in high regard. (That is my opinion). He also saw the point of people playing the fanaticism card and had to deal with those objections. It is at this point that he says despise not the Holy Ghost as it the unpardonable sin. He then speaks to unbelievers and how they should rather tremble than speak out against the Holy Ghost. He then Challenges the Armenian and draws on the word “forever”. The text says He will abide with you forever. The Armenian point of defence will eventually be the translation and it is wrong. Which it is not!

4. The unregenerate world cannot receive the spirit, all those who God passed over when He elected those who would be saved. We feel the Holy Ghost but the world rejects Him because they cannot see Him. Once you have felt the influence of the Holy Ghost it is impossible to deny. Even though it is beyond our senses. The Holy Ghost dwells in all believers. The Holy Ghost must own our labourers. The answer to Hebrews 6... Spurgeon said, “I do not know what the unpardonable sin is, I do not think any man understands it! But it is something like this, he who speaks a word against the Holy Ghost; it will never be forgiven him. I do not know what that means but tread carefully. There is a danger, there is strife, go to the ale house, I do not say you will be resisting the Holy Ghost and committing the unpardonable sin, but it is somewhere there, be very careful. There is no crime on earth as bad as blaspheming the Holy Ghost as you can never be forgiven. Neither in this world or the world to come.” He does not professing to understand it or to tell us what it is. But there it is, what he does say, “stop, stop man stop if thy has despised the Holy Ghost. If you scorn what Christians call His influence, stop, I beseech you stop.” “Let us not trifle with words or the acts of the Holy Ghost.”

January 21^st 1855

The Need to Succeed

A Life often does not pan out the way we plan. I did say I would be writing a daily blog, but many days have passed and nothing penned. I will confess that I have a weakness to sticking to my guns; however my computer did crash and was down for a while.

I also said that I would look at what the gospel means, instead of trying to teach like so many in a better position than myself to teach. There are so many who have been gifted with teaching, so let me leave it to them. I think it would be better to shift gears and concentrate on life and what it has taught me and what I am still learning.

I have so often chased the dream of success and the want to find acceptance that I have often lost my way. I think of the time when I way eighteen and was told by my rugby coach that it had already been decided that the Transvaal 8^th man had already been decided on - even before Craven week trails. Vaughan Botha was his name and he was the 8^th man for Sandringham High School. Without making too much noise about our game against Sandringham, all I will say is that I was so driven in that game to achieve and prove to all the selectors watching that game that they had made a mistake and forgotten about me. It was probably my best game of the season. I was so driven I can clearly remember it as if it was yesterday. After crunching him in a tackle I ran to my coach on the sideline where he stood with all the other selectors and with arrogance and confidence saying, “He is nothing Vis (my coach’s nickname)” and then running back onto the field. We won that game 6-3.

I was then called up for the Transvaal’s Craven week trails and I remember clearly thinking that if I make the side my holiday in Plettenberg Bay would elude me. So driven on the one hand and yet scared I may lose out on the pleasure of life. I never made the actual trails as I was on crutches. Angry on the one hand but relieved that Plett and my holiday was back on the cards with all my mates.

There are many other incidents I could refer to however let me use the most recent. I have been trading on the JSE (stock market). A volatile monetary system that is as unstable as the tossing sea. Once again driven by my need to achieve and turn a million into millions. Believing that I would succeed - desperate to succeed - yet listening to many voices, looking at the fundamentals, studying technical analysis and making bullish moves - needless to say not achieving my objective. Once again I was driven by my need to find approval of family, and even possibly friends. This hunger to achieve was larger than life itself, yet just another decoy, to take my eyes off the ball. The answer to my dilemma is once again the ever wise, true and faithful saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ and his word. He says with food and raiment be content and come to the river of life and drink and you will find life.

You see, in the scenarios above - the same type of mistake yet with different consequences. How long will it take me to learn life’s lessons? I suppose it will take just as long as I take to learn them.

Signing off

Tyrone

For all who have read this blog and those who are still to read it, I’m convinced that most, if not all, have already made up their mind on what they think the gospel is. I understand my own heart and therefore would love nothing more than to place God and all His requirements into my way of life. But what if I am wrong? The consequences could be catastrophic. Therefore I needed to be sure that I understood what the true gospel meant. So let me take care and slowly look to the scriptures to find the truth. Let every point I make be from the Bible regardless of my own thoughts. For this to be accomplished my thoughts must be backed up by scripture and therefore scripture verses will be quoted for all to see.
Where in the Bible do we go to find these answers?
I suppose I could do a word search on the word ‘gospel’. In the ASV I find the word 90 times, and all in the New Testament. This makes sense as this is where the Lord Jesus made His entry into the world. Born of a virgin (Mary) - she was impregnated by God the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1: 18). It was a supernatural occurrence. But the writers of the New Testament do not always use the word ‘gospel’. Peter address 3000 people in the Book of Acts where he preachers the good news of Christianity and never mentions the word ‘gospel’.
I then felt I needed to look beyond the word ‘gospel’. I obviously needed to look at the word in great depth and also look to all those people who had encounters with Him and got to experience Him in person and then glean from their experience in God’s word. I needed to consider God’s character and realised that it is most beautifully seen in the Lord Jesus – He never lied (Titus 1: 2); He is righteous; He judged the world by dying on a cruel Roman cross on a hill called ‘Golgotha’ (John 3: 18); He demonstrated His love by His willingness to die to save all those who would repent and believe (Matthew 20: 28); The creator (John 1: 3).
Tomorrow I will look at the beginning and the creation of man and his downfall.
Signing off...
Tyrone

So then the gospel, or rather the true gospel is available for all to find. The question that needs an answer is do we want to be like a wise man who builds his house on the rock and when the storms came his house was left standing. Or do we rather like the defence strategy the ostrich uses. It sticks its head in the sand thinking that if it cannot see whatever is hunting it, it must be safe. I have made my choice.

Now all that is left is to get to grips with the gospel...

What is the gospel and why did God give mankind the gospel? This may take some time but like a son once asked his father, how was the great city of Rome built, he simply replied “one brick at a time my son.” Therefore we will need to carefully unpack this wonderful truth.

But for now I would like to summarise and then we can break it down one section at a time. If you would like to responded or challenge what I pen. Feel free to drop me a note and we ought to discuss it. But remember that our point of reference must be the infallible word of god, the Bible.

A good place to start would be with the character of God; God has neither beginning nor end. He is constant. It is impossible for him to lie. He is perfect and because he is perfect whatever He requires from man must therefore also be perfect. We may question that but we have imperfections and therefore we must all conclude that our opinion carries very little weight as we are imperfect. He is righteous and therefore is always right. He is love and therefore manifests His love toward mankind by sending his Son (Jesus Christ) to pay the price for sin. He is a judge and will judge all things. He is the creator. Jesus Christ understands life and its hardships because He lived as a man and yet without sin. There is more, but enough said.

Then we will consider creation and the entrance of man. Then sin, its judgement and the penalty sinners will pay. Then finally the way of escape that God has afforded all those that will repent and believe.

Signing off...

Tyrone

With so many voices out there it is sometimes confusing to know which voice to pay attention to. Politicians tell us one thing while parents have their own opinion; teachers teach subjects and friends endeavour to influence us according to their understanding of life. Everywhere you turn there is something or someone that wants to have influence over our lives. Even the marketing world is designed to influence our shopping habits. The truth be told, all these voices have and are still playing a role in our lives. But, there is another voice that we often overlook and that is the voice of our creator. Why is this important?

Let us pretend that we knew the beginning form the end. Let’s say I knew a certain stock on the JSE would, after one week of trading, end up 20% higher than what I could initially bought if for. This was not a maybe, but a certainty. The reason I was able to predict this - I could see into the future. What would I do with this information? Obviously it is a no brainer and I would find as much money as I could, buy the share and make an easy profit. Yet in reality, when I look back on my life I realise how often I chose to ignore information as good as that. How foolish I have been!

Surely we should all use this wonderful wealth of information that God has left for us to find? The Bible is the inerrant truth of the beginning and the end and how we as individuals fit into the history of time. I obviously am not referring to a stock but rather something far greater and with eternal consequences. It has taken a lifetime to conclude that there is no greater purpose than to endeavour to understand God and His plan for mankind. This is where it begins, but I found another problem. Just as everyone has an opinion about life, so do preachers and different Christian denominations. So which voice do I listen to? I have often wanted to go with whatever fits into my lifestyle. So some preachers preach what is known as a seeker friendly gospel. Just believe and continue with your life in the same old way - Jesus the add-on. Others say - give your money and you will be blessed a hundred fold. In other words tithe R10 and you will get R1 000 back - Jesus the answer to all my financial turmoil. Others say - be good to others and then one day my good deeds will outweigh the bad ones and you will get to heaven. I could go on and on. What is the gospel, the real true gospel and how will I find it?

We need to go to the source, the place without error, the final authority. Not my opinion or yours but rather what does God have to say. The One, who designed, created and used His own Son to execute it.

What is the true Gospel?

The bible, the final authority...

Signing Off

Tyrone

Renew our covenant with God

My First Entry 24-04-2010

Considering life and my journey, it has had many highs as well as lows. How do we as individuals value its worth? I cannot speak for you but let me endeavour to tell my story as I have come to understand it. Life is full of choices and not only are decisions made instinctively on a daily basis but minute by minute our brains process information and take action. Often I have made terrible choices and bare the marks in my body to prove it. I once thought that life was about achievement on the sport field and as a young boy I lived for it. It was the place I could receive recognition. Later on in life the world seemed to be my oyster, I thought wine, woman and song was where it was at. Yet deep down there seemed to be an empty place I could not fill. Then the day came along when my eyes were opened to life and its purpose, what a glorious day that was. I can still remember it with clarity, how tears of joy rolled down my cheeks and I needed to tell the world. I came face to face with the Lord of all creation, the only true and living God, the great I Am, Jesus Christ Himself. This would be hard to understand if you have not had a similar experience. At last life made sense, it had real purpose. I now had substance to live for, heaven and all its glory, but not only the fruits of heaven (joy, peace, love and the like) but the prospect of seeing this perfect God in person and to live with Him for eternity. Wow what opportunity!

It is at this point in my life I choose to share my journey with you... This is where true joy and absolute misery has played it role. This is where all my decisions begin to outplay themselves some good but with many shocking choices and to my detriment, not only in this life but in the life to come. But, you see once your eyes have been opened, no matter where you look or where you turn, life and its truth will look you sternly in the eye and leave you questioning all your bad decisions. I have in times gone by tried to escape from God’s truth and pretended to be somebody else. Something like an actor playing a different role for different productions. Going with the flow of whomever I was with at the time. “Birds of a feather flock together” rings true.

You see, once you know the truth you cannot pretend not to. And so through my life I have blown hot and cold on many occasions. At times because of my understanding of God’s word I would serve Him and forsake sin and all its pleasures. Then at other time I would serve God and justify sin. Or forsake God and live a life of sin. Yet wherever I found myself I could never pretend even as an actor in whatever role to not know the truth or the call on my life.

You see, God is the same yesterday, today and will be forever. He is perfect and cannot change. When something is perfect it means there is no room for improvement. His rule for David is the same rule for me and you. He is light and in Him is no darkness. It is impossible for Him to sin. He cannot and will not justify sin. This is why He sent His Son to live on earth as a man, without sin and yet to pay the price for sin, making a way for all whom would call upon Him as Lord and Saviour. This is such a remarkable act of mercy and grace it is almost unbelievable. But, if you can believe it then this blog may have some insight for your life. No matter where you may find yourself, no matter what part you are acting out in whatever feature that now surrounds your life. The way back is just a call away. Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10: 13).

You may say I have done that and look at my life now, it is full of sin and I have tried it and I have failed miserably. All I have to say to you is what the Lord Jesus said to me. It was not a mystical voice from heaven but a man (C.H. Spurgeon) repeating His words from scripture in one of His sermons. A bruised reed shall he not break, And smoking flax shall he not quench, until he send forth judgment unto victory (Matthew 12: 20). I recall the day I stood on the abyss of hell looking into all its filth and crying out to my Saviour and when I should have been discarded and throw to the dogs for them to tear my flesh to pieces God in His tender mercy extended yet again His mercy to me and I must believe He is willing to extend it to all His children as there is no partiality with God. If you have been called, if you have been chosen there is an adversary who goes around like a roaring lion seeking to devour all who have wandered from the sheep fold. BUT Jesus Christ Gods only Son has conquered death, hell and the Grave. Call and believe on Him, there is no valley too deep for Him so wherever you find yourself, while you have breath you have hope, let no-one tell you anything different.

Signing off,

May you find grace...

Tyrone, a brother with many regrets, yet now with hope.