Forgiveness!

(Matthew 26:28)  “For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Forgiveness is a word that carries an amazing amount of freedom in its bosom. It’s like fresh sweet water to the parched throat in a barren land. And yet how could I ever understand it if I never needed it, if I never found myself walking in a dusty desert, with thirst nagging away at me, while my thirst cried out to be satisfied. Water, water would be my minds cry; it would captivate all my attention as life now depended on it. There would be an urgency to seek it out like never before. It is the same with forgiveness, and to find it as the ultimate prize we would need to want to be forgiven, we would search out repentance as if our life depended on it and I assure you it is an imperative in life that if we do not seek it out, we will regret it forever and ever. Hell will be our final destination!

South Africa is a land filled with the need of forgiveness; no different to the rest of the world; however it is steeped with hate, Apartheid its major player, as the minority of a country suppressed the majority into a form of slavery. Sin has had the exact same effect on all of mankind, without exception, as we are all slaves to sin, that at least until we find forgiveness in and through the precious blood of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ; “For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

I recall as a press photographer witnessing a white man charged with murder as he search out asylum for what he claim was an act of war, the government of the time the National Party was at war with the African National Party, their leader Nelson Mandela.

He claimed that he was acting on orders, but as he confessed on what he had done, he acknowledged his fault with sincerity as tears rolled down his cheeks while the widow of the deceased peered across the room at Him without even a blink of the eye. To witness this grown man crying, that in itself was a special moment but the real jaw stopper happened a little after, the widow walked over to this murderer and embraced him with forgiveness in her heart, which brought a tear to my eye. It was a very special moment for all.

These proceedings where known as the time of the “Truth Commission Hearings”, it was setup to bring reconciliation. The intention was to expose all the corruption that went with that treacherous time and to free those enslave by it. I am not sure they totally achieved their objective, but the intent was a good one. Be sure of one thing when God calls for His judgment, there will be no stone left unturned; “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14): - Unless of course we find forgiveness for our sin; if we are forgiven, that then means the debt has been paid in full. We are no longer accountable to settle the imbursement as another has settled it on our behalf. And it came at great expense, the Lord Jesus bleed and died upon a cruel Roman cross. It cost Him his life and yet He was guiltless. For whom then did He die for one may ask? For all who would understand that they are sinners and are incapable of settling their own debt before God, to all who would cry out through repentance to God seeking out His forgiveness.   

Forgiveness is available as it is still now a dispensation of God’s grace for all who diligently seek it out, but there is a day coming when this door will close. Search it out with persistence, like the thirsty traveler in a dry parched desert. Therefore this then is the instruction; “For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."” (Romans 10:13)

Call is a word we use quite offhandedly, “plea” carries with it far more urgency. We must call (make our plea) with urgency, for when we do, we will be heard and we will be saved.   

But I am sure of this one fact if you feel you do not need forgiveness, this great offer will escape you and that will be tragic. But for those who have searched out forgiveness with seriousness and by God’s grace found it, this then will be our hope…

“There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.”

- 2Ti_4:8

“Doubting one! thou hast often said, “I fear I shall never enter heaven.” Fear not! all the people of God shall enter there. I love the quaint saying of a dying man, who exclaimed, “I have no fear of going home; I have sent all before me; God’s finger is on the latch of my door, and I am ready for him to enter.” “But,” said one, “are you not afraid lest you should miss your inheritance?” “Nay,” said he, “nay; there is one crown in heaven which the angel Gabriel could not wear, it will fit no head but mine. There is one throne in heaven which Paul the apostle could not fill; it was made for me, and I shall have it.” O Christian, what a joyous thought! thy portion is secure; “there remaineth a rest.” “But cannot I forfeit it?” No, it is entailed. If I be a child of God I shall not lose it. It is mine as securely as if I were there. Come with me, believer, and let us sit upon the top of Nebo, and view the goodly land, even Canaan. Seest thou that little river of death glistening in the sunlight, and across it dost thou see the pinnacles of the eternal city? Dost thou mark the pleasant country, and all its joyous inhabitants? Know, then, that if thou couldst fly across thou wouldst see written upon one of its many mansions, “This remaineth for such a one; preserved for him only. He shall be caught up to dwell for ever with God.” Poor doubting one, see the fair inheritance; it is thine. If thou believest in the Lord Jesus, if thou hast repented of sin, if thou hast been renewed in heart, thou art one of the Lord’s people, and there is a place reserved for thee, a crown laid up for thee, a harp specially provided for thee. No one else shall have thy portion, it is reserved in heaven for thee, and thou shalt have it ere long, for there shall be no vacant thrones in glory when all the chosen are gathered in.” (C.H.Spurgeon)

Signing off

Tyrone

Daily Manna!

(Hebrews 13:5) “…be content with what you have…”

There has been much deliberation throughout my life and my own thoughts about making provisions for the future and to be fair to all those who have been diligent in this area of their lives, I commend them, but that most certainly comes with a proviso; has it been at the expense of daily living, and daily sanctification! If so they have understood very little.

What is meant by what I say? Let us first ask ourselves the question, what is God’s requirement from us on the exact subject? In order for us to get an answer we need to examine the mind of Christ, look for His reasons and teaching. I love to start with typology and then look for sound doctrine to confirm the pattern. God is the same yesterday, today and forever and therefore uses the same trainings throughout time to teach different generations the same lessons.

Let us start with the children of Israel in the Wilderness; firstly they were living a treacherous life of slavery, the Egyptians were hard on them; we no differently were slaves to sin, and it was hard on us. There was much they needed to leave behind (leeks and the garlic) and there is much we needed to repent from. They needed a miracle to escape Pharaoh’s army; the Rea Sea swallowed them up and allowed the Israelites to pass through on dry ground. We too needed a miracle to escape the hold sin once had on our lives. It took an actual life changing event to open our eyes to our new life in Christ, we were born again, not that we crawled back into our mother’s womb but now our spiritual journey had truly begun. We received Spiritual sight! We now had hope, where there once was no hope. We are now on a road that leads to the Celestial City, heaven our final destination. The Promised Land was their final destination. They had there challenges along the way and we now have ours. What can they teach us? Sadly with many of them God was not please; “Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.” (1Corinthians 10:5)

Let us now look at a particular incidence that they received on a daily basis and then finally draw our parallel on how we should live. The Wilderness was a barren Land and there were many that needed to be fed. A miracle was required for this to happen, God sent them manna from heaven, and the provision was His. With that said, it was up to a representative/s from each family to venture out and gather the yield so that they could be sustained and gather strength for their journey toward the Promised Land. Without this nourishment they would die, but before long they got tired of the same food and their pallets required new taste. They now began to grumble against God. They did not have the luxury of making a plan and becoming independent in that sense as they were stuck in a desert. It was not as if they could begin to barter and trade and establish themselves as prominent businessmen. That option was not on the table, but for us living in the 21^st century it is a strong draw card to mislead us from the paths of righteousness. Same result just a slightly different lure.

I will remind you of Paul’s teaching to Timothy; “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.” (1Timothy 6:10)

Do we see the similarity; they craved meat as some today hanker after wealth. Why do I say we need to pay careful attention to this, especially in today’s environment? For many reasons but here is just one; remember the “mark of the beast” and the hold it will have on the masses; “so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.” (Revelation 13:17): - The more one has the more they have to lose!

Some suggest that we as Christians will be gone and therefore have no need to deal with this dilemma. I think not! “Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.” (2Thessolonians 2:3)   

What then does the scripture teach us concerning this very lesson? Remember how the Lord taught us to pray… “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11) – Note: Daily bread is specified and no more. The children of Israel needed to gather on a daily basis and only enough for the day, if more was gathered it would rot and be rendered useless.  Why? Anything more than that would now begin to operate outside of the realm of faith, self-sufficiency would begin to rear its head. It is now time for us to pay careful attention to their example. It is not new, God hasn’t changed; we have!

How is it we will ever learn to walk by faith if there is no need placed upon us to call out to God for His provision? I personally fear having seen this truth as I know that I have now been placed in the firing line. However, with that said, as hard as it may get, if it teachers me to walk by faith, then it shall be worth it all.

This then is doctrine to establish my train of thought; “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)

Signing off

Tyrone

Praying in the Spirit!

(Ephesians 6:18)  “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”

We all have many prayer requests and as the days progress into the New Year many more shall rear their heads. Prayer is a part of the warriors armour and needed for daily battle. Without it what would the life of a Christian look like? Independence would be their motto with a resolve of self-determination as their drive. The only question I have for those individuals is this, are you sure you wear God’s coat of arms, does the blood of Christ avail as your covering, are you dressed by his blood? We know that wolves will always try and infiltrate God’s flock; it has been like that from the beginning.

One may ask this question, how do I know that I am really saved? Prayer will be a good barometer in measuring the seasons for the Christian. If we consider the forefathers of faith, Isaac prayed on behalf of his wife and he was heard; “And the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived.” What had Isaac understood? He understood the will of God for his life, which was a promise to Abraham his father that in his seed a covenant had been established with God. Isaac was aware of God’s promise to his father and knew that if Rebekah did not conceive the covenant would be broken. He understood this that it is “impossible for God to lie.” (Hebrews 6:18)

He had learnt to pray in accordance with God’s will and so too must we learn this valuable lesson. He knew in whom he had believed. This is why I think that the Lord Jesus upon the cross seemed surprised when His Father forsook Him as He took on the sin of the world. These were His words; “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"” (Matthew 27:46)

The Lord Jesus’ life was full of assurance that His Father was with Him along His earthly journey, until He paid the price for our sin. It was only then that God judged Him on our behalf so that we could go free, praise His name!

If the Lord Jesus who is God chose to lay down His own life and live as a man and place his dependence in His Father who remained in heaven, how much more is it needful for us to shadow his example?   

Our lives must be filled with need in order for us to cry out unto God in Prayer. It teaches us to walk by faith; it removes self from the equation and places a dependency on our God, which in turn brings glory to Him, as He alone is worthy.

There is much false teaching on prayer and miracles that is bandied around in supposed Christian circles. This is no more than the enemies of the cross preying on weak individuals, looking to bleed them of the little wealth they have for the sake of their own bellies. They claim to be Christian; they fly the banner of prayer but their prayer falls on deaf ears no differently to that of the prophets of Baal when they challenged a true man of God, Elijah!

If and when God choses to act in answering a prayer there will be no doubt that his hand has been in the mix. Words like “maybe” or “possibly” could never feature, for when God said let there be light, light burst forth! It did not gently ooze its way into the darkness and eventual appear; “And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3) – Can you picture it? Let your mind’s eye try and visualize this glorious event; BANG and there was light, darkness fleeing like a scared rabbit chased down by a hungry jackal. However it happened it was brilliance personified! To God be the Glory, hallowed be thy name! 

This is the same God the true Christian serves! Spies, false prophets and false teachers only pretend that God has healed so that that may manipulate the masses, the masses flock to them so that they too may find substance for their own bellies; “birds of a feather flock together”! Look at this verse; “Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” (Matthew 24:28)   

So, how do we know if we are really saved?

Is the “fruit of the Spirit” evident in our lives? It is a simple question but needful for us to examine…

Do we carry the marks of Christ’s nail piercings in our bodies? Are we suffering as He also suffered in some form or another? Are we dying on a daily basis? And probably the greatest of all tests would be are we solely dependent upon the mercy and grace of our heavenly Father?

If we have Christ’s Spirit it will compel us to “present our bodies as a living sacrifice”, no if’s and buts! Prayer will be a part of everyday life as we become more conscious of the fact that our dependency lies with God and His grace and not on our own abilities as men and women. It is prayer that teachers us whom it is we should rely on and without needs there would be no necessity to pray. Elijah understood the power of prayer; he also understood that if God was for Him who could be against Him. 850 of the enemies elect came up against him as they prayed to their god to no avail. Elijah knew in whom he believed and as he prayed the enemy was comprehensively defeated, praise be to the only true God now and forever more, Amen!

Do we know in whom we believe? It is God our Father, one and the same! But only if we have received Christ’s Spirit and only if we realise that it is all of God and has nothing to do with who we are in ourselves. Salvation is a gift from God! The proof of this gift is true repentance from self. “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:17) 

These money preachers who pretend to pray for miracles and for healings are dead, they do not place God before their own needs and this is why the Lord Jesus makes these statements in the book of Matthew; “"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.””

God help us to be people of prayer and as we pray may we remember to place the needs of others before our own, Amen! Let us remember that all that is asked from us is to contend for today as tomorrow will bring with it its own trouble. “One day at a time sweet Jesus all I ask is for one day at a time.”

Signing off

Tyrone

Dead Works!

(Hebrews 6:1) “Repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.”

With a little bit of effort, one step at a stretch and simply one day at a time is what is required. Where it could become confusing, is the “little bit of effort”? As Christians we are very clearly taught from scripture that salvation is a gift of God and that it can never be earned. For if it could be earned or worked for then the individual would have something to say about his achievement, he would be entitled to boast and yet boasting has been excluded; “Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded.” (Romans 3:27)

Although we are conscious about the law, the old set of rules that governed us, by constant failure in achieving its requirement, prior to receiving Christ’s Spirit, before we began our spiritual journey as true believers and not nominal Christians, when we were born again, and where life began in the Spirit. We still think on the law as good, for it is a representative of who God is. But we now no longer look to it to find justification, our validation is now complete in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. He has completed the objective, God is satisfied and that happened once, never to be repeated as Christ defeated sin and all the evil that goes with it. Sin has been irradiated when it comes to the justification of the believer. This also includes our daily living as believers. It is a gift from God!

Angels never received grace as their portion and when Lucifer, the devil who was perfect in beauty and full of wisdom, a creature that God had created became conceited and wanted to become like God, he was cast from heaven and took one third of the angels in heaven with him. Why? He was full of wisdom and perfect in beauty and those fallen angels chose the creature over the creator. They were cast into eternal damnation never to be afforded the opportunity to find forgiveness. They are not covered by the grace of God! God has reserved a place of torment for them; “Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41)

It is faith we must now apply to the equation and not works. But we sin every day is my thought? If I was an angel I would already be condemned to the lake of fire but while I have breath I have hope so do we all. Nevertheless if we were yet sinner God would have nothing to do with us, as He is holy. And yet when we ask He gives and when we seek we find and when we knock the door is opened. Why? Because we are covered by the blood of the Lamb, He sees his own Son’s sacrifice and not the individual’s sin. God has so reckoned it! Let God be true and every man a liar is what comes to mind. Did He not say? “As it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one;” (Romans 3:10): - Obviously that was prior to Christ’s perfect work on Calvary! But now that God the Father has placed His own seal of approval on His Son’s walk here on earth by raising Him from the dead, we are now justified by faith and not works.

This point is a basic fundamental, but I see so many moving from it, looking to justify themselves, in fact I do it all the time. We need to be reminded of this truth constantly!

With that said how do I then put in a little effort? I apply faith to the equation and I believe God and it will be accounted for righteousness sake. I no longer look for justification or condemnation when I achieve or fail (sin). Every time I move into that domain I look to nullify the perfect work of my great Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ, not that I ever could as God has approved His work once and for all.

I see a pattern amongst believers, it may be an undertone and not that obvious, yet we must be on guard against our own hearts. The Apostle Paul deals with the potential of those who now enter into sin as if it didn’t matter. I battled as a young believer to come to terms with this on-going conflict in my life. We have been sanctified by the Lord Jesus; we cannot find favour in our own merits of failures. This is true! He teachers us very clearly, that we must not continue in sin that grace may abound. That does not mean that when we sin we are no longer covered by grace, in fact it proves the opposite and if we do sin we are still covered by the grace of God. Why? Salvation is a gift and it cannot be earned! Let’s stick to the facts. But I see another error creeping in, those who look for justification in what they do, too qualify them as believers.

This is the principle we must all embrace with effort, for when we do, then the determination we walk in is a humbleness and it will in its season bring forth its fruit; Our constant application on a daily basis to “repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.” (Hebrews 6:1)

This will always remind us that it is all about Christ’s achievements and we will then believe Him and rely on His ability to get us home. When we are mindful of these things boasting will have no part to play regardless of whether we are in the valley or on the mountain top. We will remember that we have been sanctified by the Lord Jesus and that we have been justified by faith and not the works of the law. We will give our blessed Redeemer preeminence in all we do and that will then please our heavenly Father. If we fall along the way we have a high priest who is touched with our weakness and will be quick to forgive us, so long as we seek out His forgiveness through repentance.

God no longer views us as sinners; we are now saints and all because of Jesus Christ our Lord’s obedience.

But beware if you chose to ignore the grace of God as a light thing, we must remember that our God is also a consuming fire. All who play with fire will eventually be burnt.

What a perfect plan, how great our God is; bless His holy name now and forever more, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone 

Full of thought!

(Philippians 4:8) “If there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

As I sit in the silence of which still appears to be night and then I glance down at my wrist-watch which informs me that it is well into the early hours of the morning, it is rather mystical, as the birds are very vocal and yet remove their chirps and one would hear a pin drop. I cannot recall when I have ever experience such obvious contrast, and there it is gone, the sound of motor vehicles on the highway now filtering through. It was nice while it lasted.

Christianity can have similar fleeting moments of shear brilliance and then it is vanishes as the cares of this world rob us as they remind us of so many triviums. Today is a day I wish to recall some of these precious moments to memory and then to pen them.

Let me go back to the beginning; Prior to salvation, or the awareness of it, I was seeking out the truth or so I believed, I was abroad in London, yet aware that there were many back home praying for me. With that as a backdrop life began to take on a new face. I heard blasphemy a lot clearer than before, I always heard the flippant use of my great Lord and King as people used it to curse instead of bless, but now it somehow cut a little deeper. My flesh, this “body of death” had run into ministers of light (angels had been summoned) and things began to change. In hindsight to claim that I had anything to do with the change would be rather conceited. Sure I needed to respond to the changes as they happened, but what choice did I actually have? Have you ever seen a man running into a tornado, or toward a fire instead of away from it? Once God decides to favour any sinner and reveal His beloved Son to them it is just a matter of time before the light switch is flipped. We that were once dead now find that we have received the greatest of gifts, we see God for who He really is. It was here for the first time that I understood true love; "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

For us to remember and relish this selfless sacrifice we must sit in silence and remove the clutter of life. How often, what noises in life do we give ear too, and how much time have we wasted? Let us remember that Christianity is an ongoing lifestyle as we are all now new creatures in Christ, old things have passed away! However we need to be constantly reminded. The best way for this to take effect in our lives is to remember, remember what? All those times Christ has saved us from the miry clay, every time God our glorious Father has given ear to our prayers, and then the times when God has sent His ministering angels to sucker us in time of need. The list goes on and on, but it is needful to constantly think on the goodness of God as it will fuel our hope in Him. Faith is full of substance, yet it must be the tangible evidence in our own lives that we cling too and not that of another. We must be people full of thought; “if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

It is the personal rescue that I now wish to consider…

For God so love me that while I was yet a sinner, a dead man, unable to commune with God, in fact I had no inkling to really search Him out and yet He saved me. There was absolutely no merit in me to find this favour and yet I somehow found the answer to life in and through my precious Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. My eyes were open to the truth of salvation by the precious blood of Christ, subsequently through life I have made many foolish choices and yet God in His mercy has been patient with me. I know what is meant by these words as I am able to relate; “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble.” (Psalms 107:1-2)

Or what of the times where I disguised myself as one who was not saved as I ventured into their domain and ate my fill of their debauchery; “Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!” (Psalms 107:17-21)  

 

I suppose on the surface I would wish to claim the testament of the Apostle Paul, but I am not Paul, in fact I am amongst the worst of examples and yet for me to lie about it would be sin. I am who I am and if it was not for the abundant grace of God working in my life I would be dead and without hope, but now I am able to confess Jesus as Lord of my life, in spite of my rebellion, thank you Father God for your unfeigned love, I will always be indebted to you, not that I will ever be able to repay the debt. I am nevertheless forever grateful and thankful, praise your holy name!

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalms 8:3-4)

I cannot leave it at that, this is a general statement but when I personalize it, when I make it my own what can I say, my mouth is silenced. If the angels of heaven had to say, “Be done with him casts him to the dogs”, they would have just cause, who could blame them as they would have witness my life and yet they remain silent. Thank you Lord Jesus for dying for me!

What great love is this that God sent His son to die for me!

Wherever you may find yourself, if God has saved you in spite of yourself, remember this; “a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory;” (Matthew 12:20) 

We must now learn to trust and obey…

 

Signing off

Tyrone

      

Eye salve is what is needed!

(Matthew 25:5) “As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.”

We all need sleep; so long as when we snooze we carry with us the oil needed for our lanterns to light the way for our Saviours return. The Armenian will say this parable helps prove that we can lose our salvation as all where virgins and the Hyper Calvinist will say that the foolish virgins where never truly saved. I have settled on this understanding; whatever the scriptures tells us to pay attention to, that is exactly what we all must do, heed the warning. We must take any form of rebuke seriously, especially as God’s children. If we become arrogant and believe we are “untouchable” because we have Christ’s Spirit and chose to ignore the warnings from scripture we will be subjected to the consequence of it. This is proved time and time again throughout the bible and the pattern is clear to see, remember the children of Israel and their journey through the wilderness; “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” (Hebrews 2:1) -And- “how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard.” (Hebrews 2:3)

    

A child, who loves and trusts his father, will always look to please him. They will always look to follow his instruction! We have many enemies that will keep us from obedience, our “bodies of death”, our carnal natures the greatest of enemies and then of course we “war not against flesh and blood”, in other words our battle is not against man but spiritual forces. Things that are not seen have a tremendous influence on how life plays out.

If a father instructs his child not to put their finger in a plug socket when it is switched on and the youngster ignores the warning what will happen? The probability of there being consequences is extremely high, and in a severe case death would be probable. Every effort by the father will be put in place to limit this actually happening. A true child will learn to heed the warning, even if they make many mistakes along the way. God will see to it and all because of Christ’s achievements on Calvary praise His name!

Scripture is given so that we do not make the mistakes of those who chose to ignore its warnings. It is primarily an instruction manual for the household of God. Take this rebuke from the Lord as an example; "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. "'I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. (Revelation 3:1-5)

“Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.” (Proverbs 19:15) -- Of late I have had much free time on my hands and the concern I have is that if idle, this “body of death” if given half the chance will run to darkness instead of light and we are all the same, do not be fooled, we all originate from the same substance, sin our initial foundation. It is also clear from scripture that we have a new beginning and if we walk in the Spirit the flesh that once had its hold on us will no longer wield its original power. But do not be hoodwinked, it is the Spirit that gives us the victory and only Christ Spirit will suffice! Anything outside of this will lead us down a slippery slope. We must constantly look to our God and King for sustenance throughout the day; we have been commanded to provide for our households, we must work in order to feed our families, but if we chose to use this as a license to set aside time that does not involve walking in the Spirit we have been deceived! Every minute of every day must be captivated by our God, probably easier said than done, but this is nevertheless what we must fight for. God has given us the throne room of grace to accomplish it and we must learn to approach it with boldness (confidence). Whatever looks to rob us of this instruction must be recognized and then sufficiently dealt with through the Spirit .

I heard someone once say that their grandfather would at times be sitting with his family and while watching a movie would suddenly get up and leave the room. Why one may ask? Had he possibly learnt this lesson, I would suggest that is exactly what he had learnt. Anything that takes our eyes off Christ must be dealt with accordingly. When he was asked why he did not watch the end of the film, his reply went something like this; I was taken from the thoughts of my God and King! A little extreme some may suggest, is it!

I still have so much dying to do, help me Father God to learn to present my body as a living sacrifice, as I know you shall, Amen!

Let us remember that the devil goes around like a roaring lion seeking out those who are not walking in the Spirit; “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25): - for when we walk in the Spirit and we resist him he must flee from us; “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)   

Signing off

Tyrone

The Light as opposed to the darkness!

(1John 1:5) “…that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

Light and darkness both have their own attractions. I have heard reports that some say that they were declared dead and then brought back to life but during that transition some have explain a tunnel with a light at the end of it. Whether this is fact or fictional is not that relevant, my thought this morning is how everything in life somehow relates to light or darkness. It obviously could never be any other way. Why? In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth without form and it was void. Actually quite convoluted to picture with the mind’s eye, but that is what is recorded. It was surrounded by darkness and waters, quite a scary sight, horror movie directors would love to recreate such a scene for dramatic effect. But until the next event took place it would have remain a dreary place full of darkness, a place most would consciously look to avoid. “Darkness” is the domain of Satan, where he rules and he wields his power; it is what keeps people from finding forgiveness and this is why the Lord Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice as He laid down His life to set sinners free from the realm of darkness and enable them to live in the light; “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power Satan to of God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” (Act 26:18)   

I remember at times as a child being scared of the night, why? It was filled with shapes and many unseen objects that tricked me into believing they could possibly be something they were not. But soon as the light switch was flipped it settled my uncertainty. This is what the bible teachers on darkness; it blinds us from the light, it keeps us from the truth, it hinders a relationship with the only true God, and whatever is done in private is a form of darkness, we hide those secrets as we think we get away with acts of darkness, yet only for a time, for all will eventually be exposed as God who lives in the light will uncover them and He will use His light to do it; “Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” (Luke 12:3)

Darkness symbolizes a hidden agenda which we all have as sin has taken all captive, but God now introduces the light, praise His name!

What keeps people from turning to the Lord Jesus and seeking out His forgiveness? The Apostle John understood it and so records the reason; “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” (John 3:18-19)   

Let us now go back to the beginning; “And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.” (Genesis 1:3-4)

Light is good and therefore needed to be separated from that which was poor, the darkness!

The objective now for every living creature is to search out this Good light (the Lord Jesus), who will open our eyes to see clearly; “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1John 1:5)

“And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.”

- Gen_1:4

Light might well be good since it sprang from that fiat of goodness, “Let there be light.” We who enjoy it should be more grateful for it than we are, and see more of God in it and by it. Light physical is said by Solomon to be sweet, but gospel light is infinitely more precious, for it reveals eternal things, and ministers to our immortal natures. When the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual light, and opens our eyes to behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, we behold sin in its true colours, and ourselves in our real position; we see the Most Holy God as he reveals himself, the plan of mercy as he propounds it, and the world to come as the Word describes it. Spiritual light has many beams and prismatic colours, but whether they be knowledge, joy, holiness, or life, all are divinely good. If the light received be thus good, what must the essential light be, and how glorious must be the place where he reveals himself. O Lord, since light is so good, give us more of it, and more of thyself, the true light.

No sooner is there a good thing in the world, than a division is necessary. Light and darkness have no communion; God has divided them, let us not confound them. Sons of light must not have fellowship with deeds, doctrines, or deceits of darkness. The children of the day must be sober, honest, and bold in their Lord’s work, leaving the works of darkness to those who shall dwell in it for ever. Our Churches should by discipline divide the light from the darkness, and we should by our distinct separation from the world do the same. In judgment, in action, in hearing, in teaching, in association, we must discern between the precious and the vile, and maintain the great distinction which the Lord made upon the world’s first day. O Lord Jesus, be thou our light throughout the whole of this day, for thy light is the light of men. (C.H.Spurgeon)

Signing off

Tyrone

   

    

  

Peace and Security!

(1Thessolonians 5:3) “While people are saying, "There is peace and security,”…”

It would appear that my thoughts and the direction they are taking as I blog is somewhat constant of late. My mind this morning is filled with preparation for the coming of the Lord and what we as Christians must be on the lookout for prior to that event taking place. And yes I do believe that God the Holy Spirit is directing my judgments, but I also understand that the enemy loves to throw in doubt along the way, that is why we must stick to the text as we explore it. Let us forget supposition!

But before we get there, I would like us to consider this unavoidable fact; we will never be able to remain neutral when asked to make a decision about whom we will serve. Please understand this very clearly! I am convinced even the heathen has heard about the "mark of the beast", he may not believe it as the Christian presents their case, but he certainly understand what warning comes with it; “Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.” (Revelation 13:16-18)  

Think on this; if you are force to choose whether or not you family will survive, “so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark.” If one chooses the well-being of their survival over that of eternal damnation, the bible is very clear that whoever receives the mark will end up on the wrong side of God and hell will be their final destination. I am not looking to debate what that will actually look like, whether we will have an actual number or an electronic chip under our skin, which in itself is another consideration. All I am looking to do is bring certain scriptures to our attention; “And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name." (Revelation 14:9-11)

Therefore all that still live on earth at this time will be force to make a decision, neutral bystanders will not exist. Knowledge is helpful if used correctly but woe to all who ignore it.

When will this happen and when will the Lord return to earth to receive His followers? This is a question that should concern every Christian. Paul the Apostle gives us insight into to both these considerations.

“Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” (1Thessolonians 5:1-2)   

And yet Paul as well as the Apostle Peter gives us inkling to what will transpire before this event materialises; “While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” (1Thessolonians 5:3)

What now is the message of so many? “Peace and Security” is the fag that is now flying, it is beginning to gain momentum, but will we take note! I will remind us all that while it is still day we have an opportunity to call upon the name of the Lord; “I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.” (Psalms 18:3)

I leave you with one question will you call upon the name of the Lord to escape the enemy?

Father God I pray have mercy on all of your children, wherever they may be across the globe and wake us up if we have begun to grow weary. Save those who are yet to be saved as I know you shall, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

False prophets!

(Matthew 24:11) “And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.”

In light of yesterday’s blog and the many challenges which came with it, a three car pileup on the N1 highway which cause a delay and forced me to find another route home and this left me without a signal to post my blog at the usual hour. My apologies!

With that said this year is of particular interest to many skeptics and conspiracy thrill seekers; could it be the end as we know it is their question? Life infiltrated with supposition, opinions and everybody seems to be an expert. Have you every watched a group of men stand around a braai (barbeque) as each give their view on how it should be done. Even a simple fire can cause confusion. What fascinated me is the vigor in which this is done with no one willing to give way until they are heard without at least a little fight. What then of the false prophets of this world, how determined will they be? I suggest fierceness and commitment will be their resolve.

We must understand that there is a warfare which is rather fierce and it happens within a realm we cannot physically see. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)   

It is a spiritual conflict which in turn affects us as individuals in the natural realm. Many are blind to it, but that does not mean that it is any less real. There are ultimately two forces at war; God with His ministering spirits (angels) who are for God’s elect, while Satan and his forces (fallen angels) are against all who call upon the name of the Lord. 

Those who think they remain neutral have all been brought under the devils power and may not even know it. They belong to him and he is recognized as their leader, in fact they are his children. “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)

 

Sin has blinded them to believe many lies, which takes them captive at will.

What then of these false prophets who will lead many astray?

“The deceivers would pretend to divine inspiration, an immediate mission, and a spirit of prophecy, when it was all a lie. Such they had been formerly (Jer_23:16; Eze_13:6), as was foretold, Deu_13:3. Some think, the seducers here pointed to were such as had been settled teachers in the church, and had gained reputation as such, but afterward betrayed the truth they had taught, and revolted to error; and from such the danger is the greater, because least suspected. One false traitor in the garrison may do more mischief than a thousand avowed enemies without.

[2.] There should appear false Christs, coming in Christ's name (Mat_24:5), assuming to themselves the name peculiar to him, and saying, I am Christ, pseudo-christs, Mat_24:24. There was at that time a general expectation of the appearing of the Messiah; they spoke of him; as he that should come; but when he did come, the body of the nation rejected him; which those who were ambitious of making themselves a name, took advantage of, and set up for Christ. Josephus speaks of several such impostors between this and the destruction of Jerusalem; one Theudas, that was defeated by Cospius Fadus; another by Felix, another by Festus. Dosetheus said he was the Christ foretold by Moses. Origen adversus Celsum. See Act_5:36, Act_5:37. Simon Magus pretended to be the great power of God, Act_8:10. In after-ages there have been such pretenders; one about a hundred years after Christ, that called himself Baṙcochobas - The son of a star, but proved Baṙcosba - The son of a lie. About fifty years ago Sabbati-Levi set up for a Messiah in the Turkish empire, and was greatly caressed by the Jews; but in a short time his folly was made manifest. See Sir Paul Rycaut's History. The popish religion doth, in effect, set up a false Christ; the Pope comes, in Christ's name, as his vicar, but invades and usurps all his offices, and so is a rival with him, and, as such, an enemy to him, a deceiver, and an antichrist.

[3.] These false Christs and false prophets would have their agents and emissaries busy in all places to draw people in to them, Mat_24:23. Then when public troubles are great and threatening, and people will be catching at any thing that looks like deliverance, then Satan will take the advantage of imposing on them; they will say, Lo, here is a Christ, or there is one; but do not mind them: the true Christ did not strive, nor cry; nor was it said of him, Lo, here! or Lo, there! (Luk_17:21), therefore if any man say so concerning him, look upon it as a temptation. The hermits, who place religion in a monastical life, say, He is in the desert; the priests, who made the consecrated wafer to be Christ, say, “He is en tois tameiois - in the cupboards, in the secret chambers: lo, he is in this shrine, in that image.” Thus some appropriate Christ's spiritual presence to one party or persuasion, as if they had the monopoly of Christ and Christianity; and the kingdom of Christ must stand and fall, must live and die, with them; “Lo, he is in this church, in that council:” whereas Christ is All in all, not here or there, but meets his people with a blessing in every place where he records his name.

(2.) The proof they should offer for the making good of these pretences; They shall show great signs and wonders (Mat_24:24), not true miracles, those are a divine seal, and with those the doctrine of Christ stands confirmed; and therefore if any offer to draw us from that by signs and wonders, we must have recourse to that rule given of old (Deu_13:1-3), If the sign or wonder come to pass, yet follow not him that would draw you to serve other gods, or believe in other Christs, for the Lord your God proveth you. But these were lying wonders (2Th_2:9), wrought by Satan (God permitting him), who is the prince of the power of the air. It is not said, They shall work miracles, but, They shall show great signs; they are but a show; either they impose upon men's credulity by false narratives, or deceive their senses by tricks of legerdemain, or arts of divination, as the magicians of Egypt by their enchantments.

(3.) The success they should have in these attempts,

[1.] They shall deceive many (Mat_24:5), and again, Mat_24:11. Note, The devil and his instruments may prevail far in deceiving poor souls; few find the strait gate, but many are drawn into the broad way; many will be imposed upon by their signs and wonders, and many drawn in by the hopes of deliverance from their oppressions. Note, Neither miracles nor multitudes are certain signs of a true church; for all the world wonders after the beast, Rev_13:3. (Matthew Henry - 1662-1714)

The Bible as well as faithful men has warned us of what will happen, but what will we do with this warning?

Signing off

Tyrone

Prophecy!

(Matthew 13:14) “Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: "'You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”

There have been many varying predictions over time about many different things. Prophecy has its part to play throughout the Bible; in fact it is what is used to prove the Bible.

Isaiah the prophet predicted how the Lord would suffer long before Christ was born and his prediction was exact. Every “t” was crossed and every “i” dotted.

“Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:1-13) 

There is a current prediction that many are now talking about and this is what it entails; a NASA scientist had this to say about it;

“PUBLIC CONCERN ABOUT DOOMSDAY IN December 2012 has blossomed into a major new presence on the Internet. This fear has begun to invade cable TV and Hollywood, and it is rapidly spreading internationally. The hoax originally concerned a return of the fictitious planet Nibiru in 2012, but it received a big boost when conspiracy theory websites began to link it to the end of the Mayan calendar long count at the winter solstice (December 21) of 2012. Over the past year, many unrelated groups have joined the doomsday chorus, including Nostradamus advocates, a wide variety of eschatological Christian, Native American, and spiritualist sects, and those who fear comet and asteroid impacts or violent solar storms. At the time of this writing there are more than 175 books listed on Amazon.com dealing with the 2012 doomsday. The most popular topics are the Mayan calendar and spiritual predictions that the disaster in 2012 will usher in a new age of happiness and spiritual growth. Quite a few authors are cashing in with manuals on how to survive 2012.

As this hoax spreads, many more doomsday scenarios are being suggested, mostly unrelated to Nibiru. These include a reversal of the Earth’s magnetic field, severe solar storms associated with the 11-year solar cycle (which may peak in 2012), a reversal of Earth’s rotation axis, a 90- degree flip of the rotation axis, bombardment by large comets or asteroids, bombardment by gamma rays, or various unspecified lethal rays coming from the center of the Milky Way Galaxy or the “dark rift” seen in a nearby galactic spiral arm. A major theme has become celestial alignments: supposedly the Sun will align with the galactic center (or maybe with the Milky Way Dark Rift) on December 21, 2012, subjecting us to mysterious and potentially deadly forces.” (skeptic.com)

I trust it is plain to see the difference in both predictions, the one is full of factual evidence without any supposition and interference while the other is full of opinionated ideas of what will happen. What will you believe? Whether this prediction will come to pass is of very little importance to me, it is contrary to scripture and carries no weight. The Lord Jesus has spoken clearly on His “second coming” and this is what He had to say about the day and the hour; “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” (Mathew 24:35-36)

What then is our lesson? Trust and believe nothing that is contrary to scripture as God has spoken in and through His Word, His Son! Bless His name now and forever more, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

 

New years Day!

(Psalms 40:4) “Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!”

We are through another year and into a new one, the cycle continues to role on as it always has. Yet in the not too distant future it will take on another perspective where a great lie will be the order of the day. What day will that be one may ask? It will be the reign of the anti-christ, when a man claims to be the true God in the flesh. When the world flocks together as one in unity worshiping him as God, and it will be the allotted time for Satan to have his reign. Peace will be his war cry!

“Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!" (Revelations 12:12): - it will be a time of absolute mayhem, there will come a time of absolute chaos and he will destroy as he is the great destroyer. But for the Christian he will be powerless! We may need to loose our lives but our souls remain save. And yet the bible is full of warnings; The Lord Jesus will come as a thief in the night, He will catch those who do not love the consideration of His appearing off guard and what better day to spring His surprise than on New Year’s Eve. The night where the whole world celebrates in unison as if all is well. It may be well now but very soon all will change, will we be ready is my question? I pray we will take His warning seriously!

 “As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, 'Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' But he answered, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Matthew 25:5-13)

When the devil speaks he speaks out of his own character and just as he started with a lie when be deceived Eve so too will he end with a lie as he claims to be God. Then his reign will end and he will be chained in the bottomless pit for a thousand years. And yes I do see it as a literal place as the Word declares. Praise to our great King as He has defeated the devil once and for all as He hung on that cruel roman cross. How I truly long for that day when I will be able to embrace my Saviour in person, even so come quickly Lord Jesus! Whatever challenges lie ahead in the New Year let us remember to put our trust in our great Lord and Saviour and nothing else!

I have just driven through Plettenburg bay and the New Years is at hand and there is absolute pandemonium as people gather in crowds partying with alcohol in hand, and fireworks thundering, with awesome flashes in the night sky as if all is well and yet the judgment looms. How blind are the blind, and yet I was amongst the number, I did nothing to deserve my sight and yet I see! Please have mercy Father as you usher in the remaining number of your elect. Tarry I pray for the sake of those who are yet to respond. On the one hand I long for your soon return but on the other I dread the end for those who reject this glorious gospel. So many we know who refuse to bend their knees. Why is my cry? God knows! There is a sadness mingled with joy in my heart, if that be possible.

Help us Father God to be even more diligent than before, help us glorify your holy name. Help us to come out and to be separate.

Signing off

Tyrone