Faith believes God!

(Matthew 13:58)  “And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.”

“Faith” and “unbelief” are both substances, in other words they are made up of ingredient, and we could say two extreme opposites, so far apart that east and west comes to mind. Faith very powerful believes in the invisible realm where God lives and breathes and takes God at His Word, whilst unbelief very negatively impacts a life with pessimism as doubt rules the day. Do we as Christians live in both camps? Are we the glass is half empty or half full kind of people? We should be neither as both these attitudes relies on our on carnal perceptions, but it is the principle I look to reason out.

Once again you alone can examine were you stand on this subject and as it is my thought at 3am on a Monday morning, let me examine my own heart on the matter. I do fluctuate between two opinions at times and this is clearly evident in the way I act out my verdicts throughout life and it is evident by my daily choices.

It is important to understand what it is that we need to believe, in other words we need to understand the instruction in order to act upon it with precision. Have you ever heard someone say, “But I thought you meant that”? In order to act on an instruction we must understand the command from the instructor. Get it wrong and we may think we are in compliance to the instruction but when tested we will fail dismally.

Let us look to the father of faith and learn from him. Abraham believed God and for this God accounted righteousness too him. What did he believe? He believed that he would receive an inheritance from God. How did he act upon what he had heard God say? He obeyed! Obeyed how? He pack up his life and went on a journey but he had absolutely no clue where he was going all he knew is that God had promised him an inheritance and he believed God to come good on that promise. How do we know that he believe, well obviously the final authority, the Word of God tells us he did but history also proves that he believed by his actions.

Now with that mindset let us examine where we stand in relation to faith toward God in our own lives. But before we do that let us consider “unbelief” {faithlessness, which is (negatively) disbelief (want of Christian faith), or (positively) unfaithfulness (disobedience): - unbelief}. Let me use some of the daily decisions I choose as it will help me examine where I actually stand on this comparison. Money is a concern; I think about it more than once a day, why do I do this? If I am spending more than I am making, obviously common-sense sends off alarm signals. But to what extent do I let this affect me? If I find I move into the realm of doubting God to provide then I obviously walk in unbelief. As the Word of God is very clear on the subject; "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:25-30)   

My life is so full of self-preservation that it is difficult to move from the realm of self-sufficiency into the realm of the unseen in this area of my life. But I tell you that I walk in unbelief when I reason like this. And so I can examine every other area of my life to see if I am found wanting. Abraham never doubted God and so too should we never doubt God! We must find grace in every area of our lives to obey the Word of God, this then will prove our faith in action. But we must understand the instruction clearly and in order to do this we must study the manual, the Bible!

Once again Abraham proves that doubt is not from God but it comes from our own rational where we question the Word of God with our own opinionated views. This is unbelief! It is a ploy from Satan and it has always been a major weapon of his to try and unseat the believer, do not give him a foothold. If God has said it then we must believe it, even when it appears that the outcome will be inevitably futile to our common coherent thought process.

With this consideration in mind, how will we ever know our heart in a matter unless we are tested? Testing is therefore needed in our lives to prove where we stand. Welcome the test as it will fashions us to become more dependent on our God and it will teach us to walk by faith and not with a carnal mind-set; if we therefore doubt God and His Word we make ourselves his enemy, this is a serious indictment!

I suppose everything hinges on faith, look at our text; “And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.”

“It did for the present (to speak with reverence), in effect, tie his hands: He did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. Note, Unbelief is the great obstruction to Christ's favours. All things are in general possible to God (Mat_19:26), but then it is to him that believes as to the particulars, Mar_9:23. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation, but then it is to every one that believes, Rom_1:16. So that if mighty works be not wrought in us, it is not for want of power or grace in Christ, but for want of faith in us. By grace ye are saved, and that is a mighty work, but it is through faith, Eph_2:8.” (Matthew Henry)

Let us conclude with an illustration from the Holy Scriptures. The promise of God was at hand and the children of Israel were about to receive their inheritance, the promise to Abraham was about to come into fruition. Moses sent out spies to spy out the land, but some doubted the promise; “And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, "We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan." But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, "Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it." (Numbers 13:26-30): - Why was Caleb able to talk like this? He believed God at His promise, do we? We must if we are to walk as victorious Christians in this barren land whatever the burden, as it is no match for our God! Praise the name of Jesus!

Signing off

Tyrone

     

Reasoning Right!

(Psalms 34:10) “The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.”

The Bible is a book full of wonderful truths, simple fact and if only we had ears to hear, with hands ready to act upon what we are taught, in faith, life would be a lot less painful. This assumption is no longer an opinion but I have settled on it as fact. Through trial and error; experientially I have proved this to be true in so many areas of my life. And yet in so many other areas of my life I am unpeeling the first’s layers to what the bible teachers on certain subjects. This is some indictment and rather sad, no wonder on reflection on my life there are so many battered and bruised chapters to it. Nevertheless these chapters have played there part in helping me learn very valuable lessons and sometimes I had to repeat the semester more than a few times. Whenever we lose sight on where God is taking us we often need a reminder and a refresher course is thrown at us. This may or may not have to do with sin in our lives. Job was a righteous man one who eschewed evil and he was blameless and yet he had lessons to learn. Samson on the other hand took what he had received at times for granted and was taught a very valuable lesson even though he lost both his eyes he still came out on the other side as a victor. So will it be for all of God’s children and yet why do some endure a lot more than is apparently needed, it is simple they resist the simple truth of God’s instruction. Our journey here on earth would be a lot less painful if we learn to obey! Nevertheless whatever the outcome in our lives, it is always for our own good, even if we cannot see it at the time. Another fact! This then is the lesson; we must learn to trust and obey the Word of God!

Take yesterday’s blog for instance the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil and yet so many churches preach a message of “naming and claiming” blessings to one’s life, this is a doctrine of devils and it is not sound instruction form God’s Word.

The bible clearly teachers; the reason we should be faithful to a job and look to support ourselves and our families is so that we would not be a burden to others. And yet it goes much further, it is never about self and our own wants, this type of mentality is a trap to keep us in bondage to money, which in turn opens a can of worms to other sins that takes our eyes of the cross. The reason we work is so that we can help others in need, this then is now sound counsel from God’s Word; “for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” (1Timothy 6:7-8) – A simple statement but will we settle on it? I have ignored this teaching throughout life but it is now time to start looking for grace to make it part of my life. “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” (1Timothy 6:17-19)

It should be clearly evident to see the difference in mind-sets. One speaks of giving so that we can get more to spend on our own wants as the other clearly teachers an attitude of sharing so that we can store up treasures in heaven, it has nothing to do with wealth here on earth. We are clearly taught that with food and raiment we are to be content! This is what the Apostle Paul learnt to accept while he was here on earth and remember this was a statement of fact and not simply an opinion; “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” (Philippians 4:11-12)   

There are many other areas of our lives that this principle needs to take root and if nurtured will eventually flourish and it will bring forth its fruit in due season. For I am persuaded, that when we heed the counsel of God’s Word it will be beneficial to our lives. How will we then benefit? God will bless us with the fruit of His Spirit, which is; “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:22-24)   

Now for all of us who look to hoard what we have this is what will become of us; “The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.” (Psalms 34:10) And we have just learnt that the good things in life are the fruits of the Spirit! 

Signing off

Tyrone

True Life!

(Luke 12:23) “For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.”

Life is where it is at for all of us that still have “the breath of life” as we go about our daily routines! Every fiber in our bodies has been designed to fight for life! This is a point not many would disagree with, obviously there comes a time in a desperate person’s life where they no longer fight for life but throw in the towel as it were. Suicide a case in point! But someone would need to be worn down to such an extent that they see no other alternative. I wonder how often the “love of money” plays its part! God Knows! Even for the distressed, the urge to live would need to be subdued somehow; it is an emotion they would need to fight against to achieve their goal, death by their own hand!

But as the norm, life is a goal for the masses and yet we realize that death is eminent. The facts are on the table, one day we will all die! In this body anyway! Why is it that we as Christians look to live in the wrong areas of our lives is it because we have sinful natures still looking to dominate our daily lives? It shouldn’t be the case! As we are new creatures in Christ and we have His Spirit old things have passes away and behold all things have become new.

Obviously my statement is a generalization and not all walk as some who consider food and clothing high on their daily agenda. This consideration will not leave me and it continues to call me out as it asks me to examine my life. Life is about peace here on earth and yet we go after the things that make us anxious. Why? I suppose we have been so conditioned! Everything is geared for children growing up to become successful achievers. A nice house and a nice car with a job that pays well so that we can educate our children in the best schools where possible and then send them to expensive universities giving them the start we think they need for their lives. And only then do we feel we have arrived and done what any parent should do. I am not sure that the scripture or God for that matter would be well please with our efforts.

What then would please God? These are the type of questions we need to ask ourselves. We know that with food and raiment we should find ourselves content, anything outside of that is idolatry! Do we have a skewed view on life; if this is our type of reasoning then the answer would be yes! Now before I get lambasted for sounding anti education, that is not my point at all, I am all for education as long as it teaches us about life. True life, life eternal! “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

I believe this is exactly why we have so many warnings in scripture about chasing money as it leads us down a path of anxiety. Be warned! It may appear as if all is well, but the core of this desire is futile and very destructive; “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.” (Timothy 6:10-11) – Note, here we have a verse that teaches us that the love of money, leads us down all the wrong roads, so instead of instilling these values into our minds and that of our children we should rather be propagating life, which is to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.” This then would be the true definition of life. Beware of the subtle deceptions life throws at us.

The witter of Hebrew has this to say on the subject; “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) 

   

Now there will be many questions springing to mind on how we should appropriate this truth to our lives, which is between you and your God. All I have done is to bring the seriousness of this topic to our attention. I know that if we seek God’s face in this area of our lives with an honest and open heart, He will gives us wisdom in this area of our lives.

Signing off

Tyrone

Why speak?

(Psalms 60:6)  “God has spoken in his holiness:”

Yesterday’s post seemed to create some stirs and it may have appeared to some that my blog is purely based on academia and not a personal living relationship with my great Saviour the Lord Jesus. As I have said many times in the past, if it had not been for my great Saviour’s patience with me throughout my life, I would be in some gutter begging bread. My life has been filled with so many foolish choices and yet He has never given up on me. Having said that, there is a time when we as Christians need to put off childish things and become men in Christ; “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.” (Corinthians 13:11)   

What are my reasons for writing this blog, it was never about standing up to get noticed? I use to pen to a dairy on a daily basis or there about. But looking down at the pages was a little scary, as I am rather untidy and my spelling is not up to scratch, so even I battle to make out what I had just penned. Then I came across BlogSpot with grammar and spell check, what was I to do? It was a no brainer!

What and why then do I blog?

The what! Is whatever question I need an answer for, I either think on something or I see someone making a comment about biblical truths, I either agree or disagree and then I make it my business to search out the scriptures? Why do I do this? Because I need to find the answers for my life! We are dealing with eternal issues and if we get it wrong it will be tragic. And yes sometimes it gets very personal, it could never be any other way, as relationships are personal. Christianity is intimate; it is the greatest of love affairs. Our daily lives are filled with mystery, jubilation and even heartache at times, we have a great High Priest that is not only capable but willingly sympathizes with all of God’s children, praise His name!  

I then post these blogs in the hope that others may also find answers to their lives and deepen their relationship with the Lord Jesus. At times even my own emotions look to fight the answers I find in the Holy Scriptures, but I have learnt and am still learning that when I ignore those findings they are to my own detriment. Therefore emotions are vital but if they second guess the word of God, we need to seek out grace so that they may be trained in alignment to the Word of God.

It is all about locking hands as Christians so that we can by God’s Spirit and through God’s Word extinguish the fiery darts of the devil, he is a roaring lion that goes about seeking to devour those who stand upon the truth of God’s Word and he does this by challenging God’s Word.

I hope this helps you understand what and why I post these blogs.

Finally it must never be about our opinions if they are contrary to God’s Word. How will that ever help us? It won’t! We need to be fashioned and skilled by it! What then is my greatest concern in these last days? I would have to say the warning that the Apostle Paul give Timothy; “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (2Timothy 4:3-4) - I believe this verse has begun to gain momentum. How would we have known to be on the lookout for this error if we did not go to the Holy Scripture to help us understand? We have been told! It is now up to us to put on the armour of God to help us stand in defence against this error, pay attention to it and it will be well with our souls; ignore its warning at our own peril. It is all about holding and clinging to the never changing Word as our lives do depend upon it.

I leave you with this encouragement; “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” (Titus 1:9)

This then is why I blog and consider so many voice in our world today that comes against God’s Holy Word.

Signing off

Tyrone

  

Jesus wept!

(John 11:35)  “Jesus wept.”

It interests me to compare my emotional state this morning to how I felt yesterday. Yesterday as I sat typing out my blog I was at peace but today I feel a little more apprehensive. Why the difference? Today I would like to tackle the emotional state of a Christian and whether or not we should be sensitive to it or not? Should we act upon our emotions? It would be impossible to ignore them as if we were programmed with robot tendencies, so when we pretend to disregard our feeling as unimportant are we walking in obedience to Gods Word. At the end of the day it is about our obedience to God and His Word. Obedience is then our goal, on the other hand does emotion play any part in finding obedience?

Why this topic? - Amongst some reformed theologians I often tend to get the feeling that they like to go out of their way to make as if emotion plays no part in a Christians life, or at least shouldn’t. Comments like, “if you want a warm and fuzzy feeling get a dog”, or something similar. The implication means that we must never be led by our emotions as a Christian. In principle I do not share the same sentiment. Let me explain, but before I do, let me first lay a foundation as it is the correct balance I seek.

We know the Word of God is the final authority as God will never deny himself; He is the same yesterday, today and forever. We would all agree upon that truth! Regardless of how we would dissect different portions of scripture, every Christian would agree that the Bible is the final authority as it has been inspired by God the Holy Spirit and although men were used to pen its context, it could as well of being God penning the Words himself.

Why does the writer of Hebrews tell us that the Lord Jesus is touched with the feelings of our infirmities? “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize {identify or be touch with the similar feelings} with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)

I would suggest that the Lords Jesus’ life here on earth was filled with emotion. It is part of a man’s makeup and no! it was not only after the fall that emotions played their part in actuality. How do we know this, the answer is obvious, the Lord Jesus was a man who knew no sin and yet he had emotional experiences.

Let us consider one of those recorded emotional experiences…

Lazarus was now dead and his family wept for him and then Jesus arrives on the scene and this is how it played out; “Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus wept.” (John 11:32-35) – Note; although Mary was extremely respectful as she approached the Lord Jesus (she fell at his feet, she bow to Him acknowledging his authority) it was her tears that the Lord noticed; her emotion had caught His attention. It so gripped Him that he also began to cry. Some have suggested that he cried because she lacked faith and there may be some truth to this but I believe it goes a lot deeper than this. He felt her pain! We see the compassion of our great Saviour towards those in misery and yet He was never overthrown by His emotion.

His sentiment did not get him to lose focus on the issues at hand, He had come to do the will of His Father and that was to lay down his life for sinners. However along the way His life was filled with passion. What can we learn from His great example? Our lives should be filled with compassion for one another, we are instructed to weep with those that weep and to laugh with those that laugh etc. But we are never to lose focus on our task at hand and that is to present the gospel of our great Saviour to a lost and this dying generation.

My conclusion then is that God has given us emotion to emphasis with others for His name sake. Emotions help us to understand our need to call upon our great High Priest in time of need, it would be one thing if we were left alone to struggle with our fears but we now have a High Priest who has in all points been tempted as we are tempted and yet without sin. He has personally experienced everything we go through and on an emotional level, let us never forget His great sacrifice!

But beware of any emotion that looks to take you away from His counsel and His Word; they are traps and lures to deceive.

I say welcome emotion and let them lead us to Him as we seek to be succoured by our great King as He is touched with the feelings of our infirmities.

Signing off

Tyrone

    

The new has come!

(2Corinthians 5:17) “The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

It is that time again and spring is in the air, the clock has just barely passed 4am and I hear the birds twittering in the distance, a pleasant sound echoing through the still of the night. If I was asked to describe it in a word, what word would I cherry-pick? Tranquility, serenity or peacefulness, which all has similar meanings, would be high on the list. Apart from Senora’s (my Siberian husky) heavy breathing which in itself confirms life although death is prominent as she is nearing 15 and even with that noise included I am at peace, thank you Father God for moments like these.

The bible encourages us to exhort one another while it is call today; “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Hebrews 3:13)

It is important for us to take a stroll along the banks of God’s river, or to wade in the shallows of the stream, to sit still and listen to the sounds that filter through the Holy Scriptures. If we listen carefully we may just pick up a new fresh note, not that there is anything new to Scripture, but it may be new for us, it may help us find grace in time of need. It may give us sustenance just for “today” and so we have been encouraged to find strength to pursue our heavenly calling, chew off more than a day at a time and before long you will be caught up with the deceitfulness of sin. It has a way of impregnating our carnal natures. But we are no longer under its master, if we indeed have been born again and have Christ Spirit guiding us along the way; “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6) - Therefore we need to remind one another that we must set time aside to commune with our Lord and Saviour, without this fellowship we once again begin to walk as we once did when we groped in the dark.

The truth of the matter is that if we are new creatures in Christ then all things old have passed away whether we want to believe it or not. We have a new standing in Christ and this is what the Apostle Paul teachers; “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2Corinthians 5:17) – What I find intriguing is that he needed to teach this truth to the Corinthian Church, those who seem to struggle the most with their old carnal natures. Those who seemed to want to use grace as a licence to sin! I also once erred on that side of their error in understanding. It seemed too hard to have to walk as a sinless man, or so I was tricked to believe. Now if we say we are without sin we deceive ourselves. This is not what I am claiming, but now because of Christ’s perfect sacrifice and because of what He was able to utter while still nailed to the cross, “it is finished”, we all now are no longer viewed as sinners in that sense but saints, and children of God! The new has come and we must remind each other of this truth, we must exhort one another and so I now reassure you of this truth…

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2Corinthians 5:17-21)

Because of what He achieved on our behalf we have now been covered by His righteousness, let us therefore remember to find the joy of the Lord, to be thankful in all our trials and tribulations as they are working together for our own good. Let us be slow with anger as our God is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, praise His glorious name! We all deserved death but instead of what should have been our punishment, hell and all its eternal torment, we have find life in and through our great risen King, the Lord Jesus Christ has saved our souls.

I would encourage you today to draw aside and to thank Him for all things that are now new. When we learn to focus on Him the trials of life will disappear into the distance, not that we shouldn’t be hard pressed any longer by the trials of life as they are very needful for our training up in righteousness but they will not have such a hold on us. We will eventually learn to be content wherever we find ourselves. I pray Father God that you would write these truths deep within our hearts and help us to walk as new creatures in Christ, for to this we have been called, if we indeed have Your Spirit.

Set time aside to wade in the streams of righteousness and it will be well with our souls!

Signing off

Tyrone

  

The call of God!

(2Timothy 1:9) “Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”

The call of God is a mighty and special specific call; there can be no greater call!

I remember as a young boy sitting huddled in a group after soccer and cricket trails waiting for my name to be called out, and when I heard it I remember feeling the well of emotion stir as I thought, yep I’ve made it! All the hard work kicking the ball with my dad in the back garden had paid off. I was now reaping the rewards as I had been selected for the side. My name had been called! There was tenacity in the way I went about making sure that my name would be called.

In my final year at Greenside High, I recall my coach calling me over and saying to me that I would not be going to Craven Week trials (The Craven Week is an annual rugby tournament organised for the school boys of South Africa) as they had already picked their 8^th Man. I was not happy with the news and made it my goal to prove the selectors wrong. I think that was my coach’s intention from the outset. My opportunity eventually arrive, Sandown high was the opposition and all the Craven week selectors where line side, now was my chance, I took it with both arms and play arguably the best game of my life. I outplayed my opposite number and he was the selector’s choice, in fact he had made the side a year earlier. My name was call and I was invited to Craven Week trials.

Forgive me for the apparent self-pat on the back, but my point will be evident. All I longed for all my life was to have my name called, to be recognised and be noticed. I am not sure that I was different to any other young boy, we all have a similar drives and that is to achieve. We all long to have our name called!

But could there ever be a higher call than that from almighty God, the only true God, the creator of the heavens and the earth? Never ever! The Apostle Paul embraced this call with all his might; “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, “called” (invited, that is more accurately appointed, specifically called by name) to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.” (Romans 1:1) – How did this happen? An audible voice boomed from heaven, this is all he needed to hear, to have his name called, meant the world to him. Here was a man that seemed to be possessed with bringing down the Christian faith with all his might and vigour, he seemed oblivious to the error of his ways, until God called him by name. Look at his life and then one understands what it meant to him; “Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.” (2Corinthians 11:24-28)   

I want us to ponder our lives and the call that we too have received if in fact we have indeed been called by Jehovah God. Have our eyes been open to the kingdom of heaven, are we born again, do we have the Spirit of God living within us? If this is true, then your name has been called by the great I AM, wow what a thought! Nevertheless it is true! Am I even more excited to hear His call than I was as a young boy waiting to have my name called after trials. At first many year ago, twenty two back I recollect the excitement that grip my soul, I may not have understood it like I now understand it but my zeal was far more real back then, forgive me Father! When the light switch was triggered and I finally had come to my senses, life now made perfect sense, heaven was real and I was going to let people know about it. The Lord Jesus Christ had died for my sins and He had forgiven me, wow! How was I to remain silent? It was not possible! I had heard my name called, not just by my soccer coach, but by God Himself, I weep even now as this reality resonates.

Where did I go wrong is my next question? I look at all the scars that I bear in my body from so many bad choices. There are so many false hopes and lies in this world with snares and traps on every corner just waiting to trip up the believer. And yes they do play their part in our lives along the way, but God who is rich in mercy is faithful to His call and will remain faithful to the very end, praise His majestic name! The Lord Jesus is the great Shepherd and He will not lose even one of his sheep, do you believe this? – “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." (John 6:39-40) – Therefore I am persuaded that if God has called you by name, I do not speak about a general call, what I mean by this, is the Lord Jesus has died for the whosoever and the call has gone out to all, but only those who repent and believe and have be specifically called, they will never be lost!

And if you disagree with me then you do not believe the text quoted above. We serve a great God and the gates of hell will never prevail against Him, which would be impossible, it will never happen! Do not believe the lie if it be that you doubt His ability to get you home. Now with that in mind let us never forget what it cost our Lord and Saviour, He was crucified so that we could hear this awesome call from God, without His sacrifice there would be no call and because of it He is now not only own God but also our Father. No greater privileged is available to those who have been called, so the next time we think to complain, may we remember what it cost our King so that we could go free.

I am thankful Lord Jesus my Lord and Saviour for what you accomplished on Calvary and so long as you give me voice, I will declare this truth when and wherever the opportunity presents itself. I pray that the zeal I once had would be rekindled so that your name would be praise, that you would be high and lifted up, for you alone are worthy of all praise! Father God thank you for calling out my name, I could never repay you, except that I now no longer belong to myself, help me understand this with even more clarity than before.

Signing off

Tyrone  

  

Faith comes from hearing!

(Romans 10:13-17) “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

Christianity is not a surreal (dreamlike) reality but rather actuality; we are pressed daily by various considerations that need to be acted upon. Our minds cannot remain neutral on the more serious issues we face on a daily basis. In South Africa we have an informative TV show and for the most part it is an informative news show that exposes us to some cruel realities, crime in South Africa and the like are often wonderfully exposed. However last night “Carte Blanche” aggressively put in a punt for the evolution polls and those weak in faith would be rocked by it. If fact I love the fact that questions like these present themselves with such aggression, it helps us question where we stand and what we really believe.

Last night they endeavored to persuade their viewers that they had have found another missing link to mankind’s evolution. This find came from the Human Cradle of Mankind and now with modern technology they are able to backdate it to almost 2 million years ago, or so they say! Now the bible on the other hand teachers that we all come from Adam and that is roughly about 6000 years ago. Historically through the genealogy of the bible this has been documented. Now which one is true? Are we descendants of the ape family which can be traced back some two million years or are we the dependence of Adam and Eve; more accurately we are from the lineage of Ham, Sham or Japheth, the sons of Noah. Those who survived the great flood!

Two days ago I addressed the never changing Word of God and how it would stand the test of time. These other voices oppose the Word of God trying to disprove the Bible. Once again we see that God is never caught off guard and this is what the Apostle Paul teachers; “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1Corinthians 1:18-25)

What then has God chosen to use as His pivotal trigger to help mankind have their eyes opened to His wisdom? It is nothing other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, without His Spirit we remain as men that grope in the dark and we clutch at straws. Here again is proof on display, we see the scientists of the world making radical claims about our origin and the world as a rule says, wow! Everything about wisdom and life hinges on the work of the cross. Without this understanding we remain blind to the truth of God and our origin.

We can often enter a debate about many things that captivate our minds as men, but unless we preach the cross we will continue to beat our chests in vain. Always look to preach the cross when encountering any consideration no matter what that topic may be. If not we have missed the mark and we will not help those who grope in the dark as they clutch  straws. Paul puts it like this; “For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness," and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile." (1Corinthians 3:19-20)

Last night after much deliberation one of the scientists said something like this; this new find now proves that evolution is a little more complicated than we first thought. Go figure! But before we begin to gloat may we remember that there was a time that we also groped in the dark and if it had not been for the message of the gospel and the grace of God we would still be blind men leading one another into a ditch.

It is now our responsibility to declare the truth about Christ sacrifice to all and sundry. This now needs to be the banner of truth that we carry with us and on a daily basis;  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16) – Therefore let us remember the responsibility that has now been placed on each of us; “For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:13-17)

The only way someone will be saved is if they respond to the audible message of the gospel, therefore we need to preach this message of hope. “So faith come from hearing, and hearing from the word of Christ.” Let us not lose focus of this truth because many voices try their best to get us to forget the importance of this simple instruction to preach Christ and Him crucified!

Signing off

Tyrone   

   

But the righteous shall live by his faith!

(Habakkuk 2:4) “… but the righteous shall live by his faith.”

We must always remember to take consolation in the fact that God is not like us, He never changes, and He is not volatile! At times we flippantly promise to do something only to go back on our word. God has none of these characteristics as He is perfect. We must learn that the universe is at His pleasure or disposal where and when He chooses. Both the natural and the spiritual realm are subject to His rule. If only we could see the warfare in the heavens, if our eyes could be opened to the spiritual realm as a natural man, it would solidify the reality of how serious a topic this is. “Fear God and keep His commandments.”

And yet lives through the existence of mankind have proved this impossible. Outside of the Lord Jesus Christ all have failed, He alone was free from sin, praise His name! Mahatma Gandhi, the Dali lama, Mohammed, all of the popes and anyone else you would chose to include in the list have all fallen short of my Saviour achievements, they all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. They will be found guilty of sin on judgment day, unless along the way, they fell to their knees denouncing their false faith and repented of their sin by acknowledged that it was the Lord Jesus Christ who died on their behalf and paid the price they should have paid; He was judged by His holy Father, the only true living God, on our behalf not for His sin as He knew no sin, He never succumbed to sins temptation and yet He died for our sin, may this truth resonate deep within our understanding; the love of God on display for all to see, reject this open invitation at your own peril.

But when and if embraced it is like the sweetest honey in the desert rock, the realization that this almighty God who has it in His power to summon fire from the heavens or to flood the earth as He did in the days of Noah, the very same God I am now  able to address as my Father. This is one awesome privilege! And only because of my great Saviour Obedience, bless His majestic name now and forever more! All hail King Jesus!

Why where those in Hebrew chapter 11 prepared to lose their lives and live in the desert or in caves without any of the leeks and garlic of Egypt. The answer is obvious, they believed in our risen King although they could not see heaven with their natural eyes, it was by faith they believe the promises of God. It was so real to their understanding that they proved it by the way they lived. Look to any of the examples penned in this chapter, as they all speak of sincere faith by their actions. It is not merely lip service. What then can we learn from them? There is much we could and should learn from these valiant warriors of God. They all have an overshadowing common denominator, “Faith”! They believed God! Will we believe God? We must not rely on our circumstance, whether we are rich or poor has no bearing on our eternal outcome, all must believe the Word of God and in faith embrace its teaching as there is nothing else that will stand the test of time.

Some were vertically sawn in half, while others excluded themselves from the fashions of the world and wondered the desert sheepskins and I am persuaded that their attire was not branded “Armani” or the like. Just common people saved by an awesome God who was thankful for the call upon their lives, are we? Can we share the sentiments of the Apostle Paul; have we learnt to be content wherever we find ourselves. Does it really matter what comforts we have in this life? Paul reassures us that this should have no bearing on our daily living. In fact it hinders our growth in the Lord. How so one may ask? If we look for anything above food and raiment, then we walk straight into the trap of “the love of money” and it will lead us down a slippery road.

But in order for us to embrace this glorious hope, heaven with all of God’s blessings we must firstly understand that God Himself has called us, then saved us and that He will lead us home. Once this is truly understood, the rest will take care of itself. This is what all those in Hebrews 11 believed. That does not mean that at times they lacked faith, we know that Abraham tried to speed up the promise of God under Sarah’s unction and had a child with Hagar, who was not the seed that would be blessed by God.

Yet no mention is made of this in this stanza; “By faith even Sarah herself received power to conceive seed when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised.” (Hebrews 11:11) – In spite of our mistakes alone the way God is faithful to His call, praise His name. It has nothing to do the self-righteous. Rahab the harlot, Samson the womaniser had their faults, nevertheless these people are mentioned. In fact their faith was of such strength and character, that God the Holy Spirit chose to mention them by name.

Regardless how you may have fallen in the past, if God has saved you and you have His Spirit, you are covered by the blood of the lamb and you indeed are a son of God, Know this that He will never leave nor forsake you even if you have been unruly at times. He is the greatest of all Fathers and His love can be measured, just look at the length He went too to get you confessing Him as the only true God. He sent His only begotten Son to die in your place, my place! Rahab and Samson understood this, do you? Do we? Faith believes God and the frailty of sin and the flesh is no match for true faith.

We now as sons have this privilege, we can cry “Abba Father”, the Lord Jesus has opened this door for us and let no one lie to you and convince you otherwise as they look to appropriate legalism as a form of justification, we will never be justified within ourselves by what we do or do not do. We are justified by what Christ achieved on Calvary and nothing else, praise His name! We must believe God for this truth; “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) 

We believe that He exists and we know that our reward will be an eternity in heaven with Him. What then if we find we struggle so often with the issues of life? Should we let them rob us of our hope in Him? Absolutely not! Even if we are battered by the wind and the trials of life leave us feeling rather bruised, we must cling to our hope by faith. This is then our consolation if we skirt with borderline decisions on what we should be doing as a child of God, know this that God our Father will address those issues in our lives; always remember this encouragement as I speak from a platform of experience and I hope it will encourage you to press on regardless of your struggles;-

“In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” (Hebrews 12:4-8)

Signing off

Tyrone

The never-changing Word of God!

(Matthew 24:35) “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

This morning I was asked by a pop up on my computer if I wanted to update my anti-virus software, we all know this needs doing if we are to keep unwanted bugs at bay. Technology is a slippery customer and it is almost impossible to keep ones finger on the pulse. But ignore its progression at your own peril. We clearly see that the ways of this world are not like the ways of our God. This is what the bible teachers; “For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness." (1Corinthians 3:19) 

Here we see a continuous attempt by the anti-virus companies to update their software so that they may keep the hackers at bay; it always has to change. There is no constant safe-guard. It is not so with God! He is the same yesterday, today and forever! He has no need to upgrade his character or His Word, He is who He is and He is perfect, praise His name!

His Word will endure forever, apparent Christian movement feel they need to progressively change with the times, they are wrong! All this proves is that they are carnally minded. Even and earth will pass away but there is one constant rule that our great God will abide by; “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” It is not subject to the craftiness of men or for the matter the ploy of the devil. It is undefeatable and it needs no upgrade. It is nothing like the wisdom of this world.

Having said that, this is exactly where the battle rages. There has and will always be an attack on God’s Word but it is the only constant that will stand the test of time. We need to cling to its instruction with all our might. We need to stick to its plain sense. There is no need to confuse our understanding, believe it we must, as our life does depend upon it.

The Lord Jesus is the Word of life and no other deceit or ploy from man will ever change this truth. No other religion or philosophy has any part in God’s reckoning when it comes to His beloved Son, our great saviour. It is a simple truth but an imperative fact we need to cling to with both hands and more. Let us never forget what it cost the Lord to take away our sin. Praise the name of Jesus now and forever more! We owe Him at the very least our loyalty to His Word! And let us remember that is never changes, it is our safe-guard for this life and the life to come!

With this mind-set we need to embrace the Word of God, we need to lay hold of the Lord Jesus who is the gift of life…

“And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.”

- Mark_3:13

“Here was sovereignty. Impatient spirits may fret and fume, because they are not called to the highest places in the ministry; but reader be it thine to rejoice that Jesus calleth whom he wills. If he shall leave me to be a doorkeeper in his house, I will cheerfully bless him for his grace in permitting me to do anything in his service. The call of Christ’s servants comes from above. Jesus stands on the mountain, evermore above the world in holiness, earnestness, love and power. Those whom he calls must go up the mountain to him, they must seek to rise to his level by living in constant communion with him. They may not be able to mount to classic honours, or attain scholastic eminence, but they must like Moses go up into the mount of God and have familiar intercourse with the unseen God, or they will never be fitted to proclaim the gospel of peace. Jesus went apart to hold high fellowship with the Father, and we must enter into the same divine companionship if we would bless our fellowmen. No wonder that the apostles were clothed with power when they came down fresh from the mountain where Jesus was. This morning we must endeavour to ascend the mount of communion, that there we may be ordained to the lifework for which we are set apart. Let us not see the face of man to-day till we have seen Jesus. Time spent with him is laid out at blessed interest. We too shall cast out devils and work wonders if we go down into the world girded with that divine energy which Christ alone can give. It is of no use going to the Lord’s battle till we are armed with heavenly weapons. We must see Jesus, this is essential. At the mercy-seat we will linger till he shall manifest himself unto us as he doth not unto the world, and until we can truthfully say, “We were with him in the Holy Mount.”” (C.H.Spurgeon)

Signing off

Tyrone

My Conclusion!

(Romans 9:21)  “Has the potter no right over the clay.”

What then is the conclusion to my understanding on what we have considered over the last three days? On the surface it seems confusing at first glance and many seemed to have battled to come to grips with its truth as I believe many still do. However it is not complicated when thoroughly examined. Having said all of that, everything about our actuality hinges on the grace of God. We breathe fresh air that keeps our lungs functioning as they should, and it is God who has given us both the air to breathe as well as the mechanics wherewith to accomplish the task.

Some see the kingdom of God while others do not, some see and are yet are suborn and selfish (me) as sin has left its mark. We need to be broken down more severely than others. But it is God who is rich in mercy who decided (wills) on how things play out. He is nevertheless righteous and we see clearly from scripture that He has chosen to abide by his character and His rules and by that I mean if we end up “dull of hearing” then our hearing will be stifled, we will suffer loss. Remember Samson he lost both his eyes and David lost the son he fasted for. For every action there is a reaction, never forget that it is God who is in control and in effect determines the outcome. Think on it like this, a man sits with a clump of clay in his hand and as he kneads it preparing it for it purpose, along the way he finds a lump, what does he do with the unwanted contamination? He removes it and then begins to knead it again and then once it is free of lumps he may find air bubbles and so the process continues, until eventually the clump of clay is ready for use. Ultimately the clay is now ready but it is still the potter who decides its fate. A vessel of honour or dishonor! Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? (Romans 9:21) – God has the final say and not man!

But Paul also teachers us this truth; “Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” (2Timothy 2:20-21) – The responsibility nevertheless remains with us to walk in obedience!

All I am saying is yes, we are responsible for all of our actions, these decisions remain with us and even the common law teaches us this principle; break the law and we will be subject to the governing authorities. But because we cannot physically see the spiritual world, when we reason, we often purpose our outcome with the carnal mind because this is where we live and breathe. But this type of reasoning is now no longer part of our arsenal, our spiritual armour. All it does is gets us into trouble as it endeavors to mislead us. Look at Samson and David! If and when someone continues in their habitual way contrary to scripture and struggle in an area we do not or visa-versa, where does this leave us and our understanding on how we should view what we now witness in others? Do we become conceited and accuse them and excuse ourselves? If so we have misunderstood the instruction from the Holy Scripture. I believe the Lord teaches us the answer to this question in His teaching prayer; “Father forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We must never forget this truth; “And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.” (2Timothy 2:24-26) – Here we see it is God who has the final say!

The only way a person will change their error is if God has mercy on them. We say obviously He has already had mercy on us, well said! However life is a process and is there to teach us obedience. We are to pray for one another in sincerity, there must be a boast-less type of mentality when we see others erring from the text of scripture. With this rational we now apply this verse to our understanding and it makes perfect sense; “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Boasting is never allowed in a Christian’s life unless our boast is in Christ and His achievements, any other boast will get us into trouble and our fall will be just around the corner. Remember this verse; “God resist the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Now with this understanding and with an attitude fueled by the grace of God, we now must look for those good works that God has prepared for us to walk in. Grace is an empowering tool to help us overcome! I do not suggest that we now draw a treasure map and place it under our arms as we look to conquer no matter who gets in our way. Daily living in our locate assembly will achieve this goal. It is part of our Great God’s design. Nevertheless we must learn to be sensitive to the leading of God’s Spirit; we must look for opportunities to give to those in need.

A friend will encourage us to entertain strangers as they may be angels. But I say what of those we choose to ignore, it is clear from scripture, it is often those people when ignore is exactly the people we shouldn’t discount because if we do we have turned our back on the Lord Jesus himself. How so one may ask? – “Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:45)

In effect when we extend our hand to others in the name of the Lord, we lengthen our hand to the Lord Himself; this is what He taught us. Will we give it the attention it deserves? If not, then we are all mouth and no action as James concludes; “But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:18)

I pray that God will continue to have mercy on all His children in this area of our lives.

Signing off

Tyrone