Breastplate of righteouness

(Ephesians 6:14)  “… put on the breastplate of righteousness.”

Putting on the breast plate of righteousness (it originates from the Greek word which sounds like “dik-ah-yos-oo’-nay” equity - of character or act; specifically for the Christian it means to be justified = righteousness). There is another danger many are lured to when reasoning with the old mind; we often feel justified in what we do and how we conduct ourselves; this does not mean I am now excused from finding obedience to the call God has placed on my life; we all have a responsibility and will be judged on our obedience; but not to mistake that with Christ’s accomplishments; it is not what I do that justifies me, allowing me to put on the breastplate of righteousness, that merit belongs to another, praise the mighty name of Jesus. He alone conquered death, hell and the grave. He has allowed all that find repentance in and through Him to wear His righteousness. Why? He alone paid the price for our sins; we could never repay that debt. Why then once we have been saved do we at times forget this truth? We go back to our own “self-worth” as we look for acceptance from God. It will and can never happen, history has taught us that… (Read the Old Testament and the introduction of the law and follow the pattern of men)

For those who have never truly repented but like the idea of morality the Christian and the Bible holds to; they will always play in this field and their lives will be full of accusing or excusing. Why? They use their own works to justify themselves before God and excuse others and visa-versa, whereby the Christian understands that we can never justify ourselves before God. Why? Because of our own sin, we all deserved judgment and hell should be our eternal punishment. BUT GOD… who is rich in mercy, and was not only able to free some of His enemies, but had it in his power and chose to do exactly that. What a merciful God!

It nevertheless cost Him dearly in order to free so many sinners, His only begotten Son came to earth, leaving all the pomp He was entitled too in heaven, became a man and live as a nomad, a man with no home and yet He did it for his Father, as it was his will. He bled and died to relinquish the punishment required by the only true and righteous God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Sin is no light issue and will always be judged, it therefore needed to be enormously dealt with; in fact it was such a heart wrenching experience we could almost conclude that God the Father caught his Son Jesus of guard; “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?"” – Do you hear surprise in his cry? I most certainly do! Yet we know that God will never forsake those who belong to Him. We all know the end of the story; “Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you." (Matthew 28:1-7)

So then the breast plate of righteousness has nothing to do with us per say (our achievements) and all to do with what Christ achieved on our behalf. We must always be ready to give an answer to the gainsayer but be careful not to get caught up with “straw men” topics; our own justification in what we do as opposed to what Christ actually did do. For those who repent and call upon the name of Jesus, all these individuals are entitled to put on the breast plate of righteousness. No, rather had been trained to put on the breast plate of righteousness, it is a more of a command than a request.

Signing off

Tyrone

  

The Belt of Truth...

(Ephesians 6:14) “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth…”

When I used to ride my motorbike it was judicious to consider not only some of the protective clothing, but all. So too would it be prudent for us to give thought to the entire arsenal of God’s armour. Obviously wearing some protection is better than nothing, but who in their right mind would dress sluggishly when going into an area full of hazards. I am yet to witness a “motor-crosser” riding with boots, shoulder pads, elbow and knee guards but then deciding not to wear his helmet. All it takes for a serious injury is just one exposed body part. My helmet has most certainly saved my life. Protective clothing has been carefully thought out and does exactly what it should do, and that is to protect! With that in mind and with the minds of men behind its design imagine how well thought out Gods armour is, not designed by men but God through the Apostle Paul designed it for men and women. Let us therefore not take this portion of scripture lightly…

Let us diligently dress for battle; our instruction is to take up the “whole armour of God”, and once dressed, our instruction is not to aggressively run into battle, but rather to stand. Nothing else is needed; think on this if our armour is in place there is no weapon that could possibly penetrate our defense, our Saviour the Lord Jesus has tested the very armour we are now instructed to wear.  However, if slipshod when dressing, we will be an easy target and never be able to stand as the blows strike us on our unprotected areas. A verse that springs to mind, probably because it has been so real in my life is the following; “for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.” (Proverbs 24:16) – There is two sides to this verse and both ring true; a righteous man falls and rises again, why? Because of the Lord Jesus’ work on Calvary, he is covered by the blood of the Lamb. The wicked stumble when the pressure is on and embrace an attitude of worldly sorrow, why me! But to be fair and honest even the Christian falls, no in fact he falls every time if not dressed for battle. The only difference is that the grace of God allows him to stand up again. Are you not tired of the yo-yo experience? I know I am! Let us then learn to dress for battle!

I suppose we will need to see the advantages of each piece of God’s armour before we rush off to dress. When the knights were protecting their king and country they would dress with metal armour; “cumbersome” is a word that under describes what a hindrance it was for them to not only dress for battle and accompanied many difficulties, it was time consuming, but to then have to fight like that was tough. Nimbleness was not a word we could use to describe their agility in battle and yet they all dressed for battle. Why? It was that heavy cumbersome armour that would save some of their lives. “Armour up or die” may well of been the slogan.

God uses an example about the advantage of well thought out armour when addressing his faithful servant Job about one of His creations, Leviathan a dragon type beast; this is the question He poses to Job; “Can you fill his skin with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?” (Job 41:7) – Who in their right mind will take a knife to a gun battle? Who in the right mind will look to take on demonic forces while being naked and exposed and yet we do it all the time. REMEMBER TO DRESS FOR BATTLE!

The Lord Jesus as a man has tested each piece of God’s armour and He has conquered. His instruction is for us is to follow His example, for when we chart it to the letter; we will also savour the sweet taste of victory.

Here then is the armour we have been called to use; “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel.” (Ephesians 6:14-19)

We must firstly learn to stand on the truth (belt of truth); what help will a liar aid in us winning the battle? It won’t! Therefore as we stand, the first item we must attend to is the “belt of truth”, why? It was a lie that caused separation between God and man; the Garden of Eden; “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die.” (Genesis 3:1-4)

Is Adam alive today in the flesh? We must learn and yes with gentleness to never tolerate any lie that takes our eyes off our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Deception will always lead us down a rocky road. It is the “belt of truth” that keeps us looking for the truth. Tolerance to a lie is simple foolishness and nothing more. Here then is an example of truth; “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”” There is no other way to get to heaven but in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Neither Buddha, Mohammed nor any other idle will get you to the Father and heaven. Why? It was only the Lord Jesus, who is God and yet He lived as a man without sin, conquering sin once and for all so that all those who truly repent for their own sin may now have access to the Father and the hope of heaven now becomes a reality. Anything outside of this truth is a lie and has nothing to do with the “belt of truth”! Now when I am found wanting with my Christian walk, which certainly happens for time to time, I may well be accused by some as a hypocrite, and there may well be justification by the accusation, but one thing I cannot be accused of when dressed with the “belt of truth” is that I am a liar. Jesus is the only way, the only truth pertaining to us as mankind finding a way into heaven and into the “afterlife”. Every other idea or notion that excludes sinners needing to repent in and through Him is a lie and will send you straight to hell.

As we stand let us remember the first item for dress is the “BELT OF TRUTH”. Do you see the importance of the item of clothing as it leaves no wiggle room; a decision is forced from the reader/listener.

Signing off

Tyrone    

 

     

God's Armour part 2

Part 2

I must take what I am now about to say a lot more seriously than I have over time, I think we all should. Why? Our design fills our minds with so much of today’s appetites that we have to dig deep in order to appropriate the truth of eternity as our reality. We live for today with possibly some thought for eternity. We give a lot of thought about tomorrow, but for the wrong reasons; "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34) – Our concern should then be for today and how we will combat the trouble of the day, tomorrow will arrive when it arrives and then we must learn to combat its troubles. The KJV translation of the bible is a lot more specific with what we need to battle; “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” – So then it must be about each and every one of us learning to combat the evil we will all face today, tomorrow will come for some and it may come for others but we will address that tomorrow.

What must I do today? “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:10-11) - I will confess this is not part of my daily routine, most days I will give some thought to the work of the Lord Jesus in my life, but I am certainly not vigilant when it comes to the wearing of God’s armour. I ask all who read this and have it upon their hearts to pray for me about seriously dressing for battle; I certainly need your prayers. As Christians we are all part of the same army, God’s army, we all wear His coat of arms, with Jesus Christ as the Admiral. We are our “brother’s keeper” and we must look out for one another. I am weak in this regard and I pray that the Lord would reignite a new spirit in me, I once was a watchmen but have now become somewhat complacent, which is simply unacceptable, please pray for me to once again be more than vigilant in this area of my life.

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16) – it is the work of your prayers that I seek out, not that I may spend their powers on my lusts but rather it would cause the name of our great God to be praise and exalted.

So it should be clear by now that we are influenced by the evil forces in the unseen realm; “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) 

To combat them efficiently we must follow the Apostle Paul’s instruction to the letter, which is; “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:13-20)

There is much to discuss with regards to the specific apparel mentioned here in this portion of scripture. To give it the attention needed to help us with the effectual working of each part I think it would be prudent to spend more time studying the value of each and every part; “the belt of truth”, “breastplate of righteousness”, “as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace”, “shield of faith”, “helmet of salvation”, and “the sword of the Spirit”, “praying at all times in the Spirit”, this will keep us alert and we will not be like the foolish virgin that fell asleep and if we have fallen asleep, we will wake up.

Until the next time,

Signing off

Tyrone

   

    

Our Armour

Part 1 of 2

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11)   

Following on from yesterday’s thoughts it would be prudent to look at the amour of God in detail as to how we should use it profitably. Firstly what is the amour of God? It is the provision given to every believer to equip them for battle. It is obvious that if we have been instructed to put on the whole amour of God as we are at war. Let no one fool you into believing that we are not in a fierce battle. Who then is the enemy? We have enemies within as well as without; “Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.” (James 1:13-17) – A recognizable reality in the lives of all, both young and old, rich and poor; there is no exception! A continuous barrage of fierce struggles that we all face on a daily basis; the Apostle John explains it like this; “For all that is in the world--the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions--is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1John 2:16-17)

So it is then clear why we need the “amour of God”; it is a help that allows us, when used to its fullest potential to do the will of God. Self with all its pitiful will is placed on the backburner while God is glorified in and through our example. We place Him first and ourselves second. Look no further than our great Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ and see His example and we will soon get the idea. To what extent should we take this seriously? We must all make up our own minds before God our Father. However this was the extent whereby the Lord Jesus laid down His life for us in obedience to the will of His Father; “And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."” (Luke 9:58)

Not only are we our greatest enemies; let me explain; the way our lust looks to lure us in the oppose direction to the call that God has placed on us. And there is also an external force, a fierce enemy that has but one objective to get the child of God to walk in disobedience. To undermine their God and Fathers will and ultimately curse God; before the creation of mankind there was a conflict in heaven, Satan opposed God and convinced one third of the angels to side with him. Their punishment, they were banished from the presence of God. So then what do they do now? Here is some insight to Satan’s objective; “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." (Job 1:6-11) – Note: Satan is seen on the earth, going to and fro and walking up and down on it. Why? It is obvious that he looks for those whom God has favoured and then looks for permission to bring trial against them which in turn will hopefully get them to “curse God”.

There is a fierce enemy that patrols the earth looking to trip all those who walk by faith. Do not be deceived, this then is our reality; “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)

With this understanding we must conclude that we are in a fierce battle, there seems to be so much against us, and realistically what chance do we have? Nay, let the truth be told, we have victory in and through the One who has already overcome, praise the wonderful name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

Who then is entitled to God’s armoury and all the wonderful equipment available for battle? Those who are born of the Spirit, those born again, those who believe in their hearts that God rose Jesus from the dead and confess Him as Lord with their mouths. Where so many of us go wrong is we only look to put on some of the amour at any given time, instead of putting on the whole armour of God; “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11)

Until next time then...

Signing off

Tyrone  

   

Reconciliation

(2Corinthians 5: 18) “…who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…”

We all need to have our say on most topics; I suppose that is the way we are. A very good friend of mine has recently been diagnosed with cancer and he has notice, although people have good intentions while knowing very little on the subject, his summation is that everyone is a doctor, or at least thinks it. I cogitate it is because we care when we see someone withering away. We all have a tendency to want to save those who need saving. We want to do our little bit, which in itself has its place when guided with precision. Take a marksman as an example, he may well buy the best telescopic sights for his rifle, but he does not simply bolt it into place prior to a competition. He carefully works with it and once he is satisfied, only then can he confidentially go about his business.

Did you know that as Christian we have all been given the responsibility from God to share the gospel with this dying generation; “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 5:18-21)

Why is it then that most of us, would rather look for reasons to hold our peace on these eternal issues but on the advice about life, where we actually know very little, we will have a lot to say? I include myself amongst the number of having an opinion when it really doesn’t hold water and then when the opportunity arises to declare my Lord’s faithfulness I hold my peace. This is not the pattern we have been called to follow. “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us.”

It is obvious for some why we hold our peace, for once we publically declare our allegiance to our great God, in and through His Son our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ we expose all our flaws to those watching, Hypocrite is often the accusation and yes we are often found wanting, need I say more! Then it is the sin in our lives that the Lord Jesus has already conquered that entangles us in our ability to be the example we have been called to be. But before we run away with ourselves and give too much place to the devil and his hold on the world, let us rather focus on our Saviour’s achievements and what it took for Him to overcome its power so that we could go free.

Buckle up…

“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) – How can that be one may ask? We see so much sin in the world today. He is the one who conquered sin, how? He live a life in a world full of sinners who had one simple objective, knowingly to some and unknowingly to other, to get him to nosedive just once, to sin just once and he would have failed. He lived on earth for 33 years and experience everything we experienced and yet He overcame, He never ever sinned, for if He had we, every Christian would be without hope and separated from God for all eternity. Hell would have been our final destination. But no, it is heaven and all its glory that is where every believing Christian will end up. You may say then, why do so many Christians sin? The Lord Jesus’ sacrifice allows men and women to be washed by his blood when true confession is made seeking out the forgiveness of their sin.

“This ground of hope we have - Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God. [1.] He takes away sin. He, being Mediator between God and man, takes away that which is, above any thing, offensive to the holiness of God, and destructive to the happiness of man. He came, First, To take away the guilt of sin by the merit of his death, to vacate the judgment, and reverse the attainder, which mankind lay under, by an act of indemnity, of which all penitent obedient believers may claim the benefit. Secondly, To take away the power of sin by the Spirit of his grace, so that it shall not have dominion, Rom_6:14. Christ, as the Lamb of God, washes us from our sins in his own blood; that is, he both justifies and sanctifies us: he takes away sin. He is ho airōn - he is taking away the sin of the world, which denotes it not a single but a continued act; it is his constant work and office to take away sin, which is such a work of time that it will never be completed till time shall be no more. He is always taking away sin, by the continual intercession of his blood in heaven, and the continual influence of his grace on earth. [2.] He takes away the sin of the world; purchases pardon for all those that repent, and believe the gospel, of what country, nation, or language, soever they be. The legal sacrifices had reference only to the sins of Israel, to make atonement for them; but the Lamb of God was offered to be a propitiation for the sin of the whole world; see 1Jo_2:2. This is encouraging to our faith; if Christ takes away the sin of the world, then why not my sin? Christ levelled his force at the main body of sin's army, struck at the root, and aimed at the overthrow, of that wickedness which the whole world lay in. God was in him reconciling the world to himself. [3.] He does this by taking it upon himself. He is the Lamb of God, that bears the sin of the world; so the margin reads it. He bore sin for us, and so bears it from us; he bore the sin of many, as the scape-goat had the sins of Israel put upon his head, Lev_16:21. God could have taken away the sin by taking away the sinner, as he took away the sin of the old world; but he has found out a way of abolishing the sin, and yet sparing the sinner, by making his Son sin for us.” (Matthew Henry)

What a God we serve, if He has done so much for us and if we reject His offer, what chance do you really think we will have when the Day of Judgment finally arrives, and be sure it shall arrive. We all have a responsibility to gently share our hope with those who are perishing. If it is our own sin that is keeping us silent, then let us seek out God’s provision to combat whatever we need to walk as victorious Christians. We have an enemy that seeks to stop us from sharing with others, he cannot bite only roar, but God has given us amour for the battle and just like a trained marksman depends on his sights, so too let us learn to use Gods amour skilfully; we must practise with it if we are to be effectual witnesses.

Signing off

Tyrone

         

Pearl of great price

(Matthew 13:46)  “Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”

This is probably one of the better parables we can use to truly examine our hearts and see exactly when we stand in our relationship with our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ; how we view Him, will be easily seen in our commitment to Him. To what extent have we sold all we have to win Him? Throughout life we have all experienced some form of sacrifice when love has knocked. But the greatest love of all was our Saviour’s love for us, those who have realised His sacrifice, the way He sold all, how He left heaven and became a man, laying aside His powers as God and committing them to another, His Father. If that is not the greatest example of “selling all”, then I don’t know what is. Laying down His life for a people who had lost their view of God; Dying on a cruel Roman cross to free so many from the clutches of hell; how many is many? “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9-10) – His sacrifice will in turn save more people (sinners) than can be numbered by a man. And here is another reason for His sacrifice; “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” (Revelation 21:2)

When one makes a sacrifice it always has an objective behind it. Don’t most work hard through life so when the time arrives for retirement they can withdraw without to many financial worries? Don’t people take out life insurance policies which would force certain sacrifices throughout life as those monies are put aside into a policy for those left behind when death eventually knocks.

The Lord Jesus did not make His sacrifice without an objective, although He suffered more than any other man, it was worth it all, and if He didn’t believe that He would never have done it. His Father’s plan is an ingenious plan and is shut from those who chose to reject His sacrifice. This was why the Lord Jesus spoke to the multitudes in parables; they who could understand would and those who couldn’t wouldn’t.  Without understanding the parable, they would never be able to understand the greater truths of God’s kingdom; “And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?”

Our Husband the lord Jesus has proved His love to us, for Him who knew no sin to free those full of sin is almost an unbelievable concept and yet it holds true. This is how He chose to seek out his bride and there will be a wedding feast in heaven in the not too distant future. Will I be part of that ceremony, will you? Time will tell! However today is the day of salvation, call out to Him and you will be heard, do not wait until tomorrow, as tomorrow may elude you.

Back to our parable; to what extent have we sold all to convince our Saviour of our dedication and love for Him? Have we obtained the “pearl of great price”? I know I am way off the mark when it comes to my example, I also know that there is a lot more “selling off” that needs to take place in my life but by the grace of God I shall endeavour to pursue Him as I search out the pearl of great price, whatever the cost.

Today is the day of salvation, what will you do with Him?

Signing off

Tyrone Arthur   

  

Which well will we drink from?

(John 7:38) “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

If any man thirst let Him come unto the one who has the capacity to quench our thirst. All of us at some point in our lives have been thirsty; most should be able to relate on how, way back when, they longed for something to drink. I know what it means to desperately need water, the marines helped with that lesson. Another year has passed, which seemed but a fleeting moment and it is now time of reflection; seated in front of my computer, I feel somewhat disappointed with my achievements throughout this past year. Although I have had my own challenges with regards to daily provisions, I have not had the best spiritual year of my life, in fact far from it, why? I have not come to the source of living water often enough, to have my thirst satisfied and we all need water to survive, from which well do we drink, the “well of lusts” or “the well of everlasting life”? The tricky part is that both wells sit side by side and they are freely available to all wherever one may be throughout the world. As Christians we know which well we should drink from, but how often do we comply? Tonight is the biggest celebration the world over, people will drink in abundance from the “well of lusts”, not paying much mind to God and His well, the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are told from the Holy Scriptures that the Lord will come like a thief in the night to call those who belong to Him home. What better time to come, if wanting to catch many off guard, than to come on a night like tonight. Mind altering substances, both legal and illegal freely available for all who would dare venture there. I hate so much about my own weaknesses. How is it that I still struggle with so many things that I had once by the grace of God laid aside? The answer is in my own question, the grace of God! If we are not in the place we should be in our relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord, we then have neglected to find His grace in time of need. But without a craving for spiritual water, we will unfortunately always drink from the wrong well. Jesus Christ not only has the capability, to quench our thirst, but has sent out a decree; “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” (John 7:37)

Tonight is an opportunity for us all; it is a time of reflection, to be rid of the negative influences in our lives; my guess for the most quoted statement of the day, worldwide, will be “My new year’s resolution is…” We all have a willingness to be better. What “well” will I drink from tonight? I wonder! Will I go with the flow or will I seek out God’s grace in time of need?

God has been very patient with so many of us, I wonder at times how He as the capability of being so merciful? We know the answer to that, but my mind boggles in considering His abundant love for us. “Patience had her perfect work in the Lord Jesus, and until the last day of the feast he pleaded with the Jews, even as on this last day of the year he pleads with us, and waits to be gracious to us. Admirable indeed is the longsuffering of the Saviour in bearing with some of us year after year, notwithstanding our provocations, rebellions, and resistance of his Holy Spirit. Wonder of wonders that we are still in the land of mercy!” (C.H.Spurgeon)

This is a fact; “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” If this is not true for you, then it is time for a change, let us all start to drink more frequently from the well of living water.

Signing off

Tyrone

    

God's Call

(Exodus 3:4) “…God called to him out of the bush…”

Regardless of race, colour or creed we all have our quirks. Different traditions for different nationalities, the Greeks break plates when celebrating; Italians could never live without olive oil, Cuba makes arguably the best Cigars and the Turkish are known for Turkish delight. But the Apostle Paul sums us up in two categories, Jews and Gentiles. Jews would fall under the offspring of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. While the Gentiles would be the rest of us, in other words the Greeks would by implication also mean Gentiles and these words where often interchanged when the Apostle would want to highlight two different nationalities in view of God’s perspective. The Greeks/Gentiles were never classed amongst God’s people as a nation. Nevertheless, provision for the individual has always been available, even as far back as Abraham God made provision for the Gentile to be counted amongst the number; “He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant.

Traditionally the Jews have always had the Torah (the five books of Moses- the first books in the Old Testament). Historically God had a relationship with Adam and Eve, but once sin became a way of life for them he withdrew His hand of fellowship. He separated Himself from them as an intimate Fatherly figure as they were no longer friends but enemies. Yes the power of sin is the catalyst which separates us from God! Hence why the law was firstly introduced and then the reason for Christ dying in our stead, to pay the ultimate once and for all time sacrifice as He conquered sin.

However after Adam as time progressed God connected with men on a deeper level once again; “Enoch walked with God…” (Genesis 5:22) – But it wasn’t until the covenant with Abraham, where God introduce His plan to single out a nation whom He could call His own and visa-versa, the Jewish Nation as God’s people at long last established; “No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God."” (Genesis 17:5-8)

The Jews have always believed in the only true God but rejected God’s Son, their true Messiah. If this had not happened we as the Gentile race would not of have had any chance in finding salvation and escaping God’s Judgment for our sin. Some individuals yes, but never as a nation; “That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.” (Romans 11:20) - We see it today, some Jews are being saved but as a Nation they reject the Lord Jesus as their Messiah. But the day is soon approaching when God’s mercy will once again open the eyes of Israel and as a country they will look upon the One their forefathers rejected and weep, and through it they will find Repentance.

When will these events happen may be in the forefront of our minds? Here then is the answer; “And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.” (Zechariah 12:9-10)   

What is it that the Gentiles/Greeks are in search of? Proof is needed to prove that God exist. They seek wisdom, the Jews do not doubt His existence but they seek a sign.

Here is God’s answer to this apparent dilemma; God has chosen the foolishness of preaching to save those who have been called…

“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.” (1Corinthians 1:18-24)   

Here is the good news regardless of where you find yourself, you are either in the Jewish or the Gentile camp; to those who have been called Jesus Christ the Lord is both the power of God and the wisdom of God, ONLY BELIEVE!

Signing off

Tyrone

  

   

The spotless bride

(The song of Solomon 4:7) “There is no spot in thee.”

For those who have a relationship with the Lord Jesus the way He chooses to view us in the light of whom we are in Him is often hard for us to accept. But for those who stand on the outside looking in, will most certainly grapple to understand His undying love for His own; let us remember that God’s way are most certainly not our ways; “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." (Corinthians 1:27-31)

My boast this morning is most certainly in Him…   

All are familiar with the concept of marriage; some are married, others divorced and some dream about marriage. The story of Cinderella and the like have weathered the test of time; the idea of romantically living “ever after” is a dream for many and let’s faces it who in their right mind wouldn’t want a happy life? Whether we fall in to the category of those requiring tender affection or those that pretend it isn’t that important; when we strip away all our very own complexities we all arrive at the same conclusion and we all want to live “happily ever after”, this is most certainly a priority for all.

Why then are we surrounded by so much of the opposite? Heartache, conflict, divorce and sadness; The underlying answer is an obvious one, sin taking control and working itself out can only produce death. Just as the serpent deceived Eve in the garden, so too, does he and his band of reprobates, although unseen, look to fill our lives with misery. Satan wilfully looks for permission to do harm. (See the story of Job…) This I understand and have no problem with the concepts of his objective and the mayhem I witness in the world because of sin; all are effect by it, but what about the Christian? Look at my life, divorced twice with what I thought was an apparent understanding of the responsibility of marriage. No matter how I look to slice my very own cake with the “knife of justification” I always come to the same conclusion, FAILED! How then was it that I failed? Although there is an enemy that goes around like a roaring lion seeking to devour those in the faith, it does not now totally excuse me. Here are the facts, I did not love my spouse as I should; I did not lay my life down for her; I was selfish and quick to highlight her blemishes while excusing my own. I did not heed God’s instruction in and through His Word, which is, “husbands love your wife like Christ loves the church”, in other words lay your life down for your spouse.

An impossible task if one is always finding fault!

However there is still very good news for all those who call upon the Lord Jesus…

Realistically we all have a lot more than spots and blemishes and yet the Lord Jesus sees none of them in the negative per say; let me explain… Even though His spouse often wanders from Him; grieves His Holy Spirit and the like, He never quarrels with her and He never lets her faults influence His love for her. He may even reprimand at times but always with tender affection and with the kindest of intentions. Amazingly even in our darkest times it is even then that He whispers, “my love”. There is no repeated remembrance in the future of our follies, which are many, innumerable for some (guilty as charged). He does not apprize ill thoughts of us, although He created the elephant; often referring to them and we quote, “he has a memory like an elephant”. He does not hold onto retentions that tarnish. He pardons us with His love after as well as before the transgression, an amazing husband with no comparison! Imagine if the Lord Jesus was as mindful of our offenses as we are with our partners, how could He ever commune with some of us? And yet even with my many felonies He still loves me. What a wonderful God I serve. NO! Rather, what a gracious, merciful, stupendous, loving and wonderful God I serve.

Many a time we often convince ourselves that we are unworthy, and realistically on face of it we most certainly are, with hypocrisy having its way in our lives, but even this does not hinder our husband, our Saviour, our God the Lord Jesus Christ from loving us with pureness and with no quarrel. Even our silly hearts are no match for His love. When He looks at His bride, even though we look at each other and see many spots, He sees neither spot nor blemish. He pronounces His Church full of beauty. Moles and beauty spots are often surgically removed to enhance ones beauty. What of the deadly ulcers and the cancerous sin that captivates so many of us? The Lord does not even venture there; He sees no spot or even the slightest blemish. Who then wouldn’t want a husband like that, praise His glorious name.

True love will always win the victory; come what may…

Signing off

Tyrone

The unseen war... part 2

Part 2 of 2

(Ephesians 6:12) “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood…”

Moving on, the closer we nestle to the bosom of God the more vigorous the attacks become. And yet the more we consent to sin in our lives the easier we buckle when tried by the enemy. Now before our minds want to lure us into the “blame game” let us be sure according to scripture that all influences in our lives, even if they seem detrimental to our walk with the Lord, serves a purpose and only ever takes place by permission. However most of our suffering is because we are unwilling to let go of so many things in life. Even with these unyielding strongholds of our minds, God will continue to be gracious with His children, if this were not true then how could we ever appropriate such a verse into our lives; “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) – Let us not however confuse the suffering we face throughout life when we have personally wronged God as opposed when He allows suffering to take place when we take one for the team. But I will repeat myself for the sake of clarity, both types of suffering will work out for the eventual good of the Christian and God will ultimately receive the glory.

Let us look at how this unseen war takes place in the lives of believers…

Do you remember the story of Job? He was a man who feared God and shunned evil.

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.” (Job 1:6) - Here we see Satan among the sons of God as an enemy to God, to men, to all good: he forces himself into an assembly of the sons of God that came to present themselves before the Lord. And then “the LORD said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." (Job 1:7) – “His examination, how he came thither (Job_1:7): The Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? He knew very well whence he came, and with what design he came thither, that as the good angels came to do good he came for a permission to do hurt; but he would, by calling him to an account, show him that he was under check and control. Whence comest thou? He asks this, 1. As wondering what brought him thither. Is Saul among the prophets? Satan among the sons of God? Yes, for he transforms himself into an angel of light (2Co_11:13, 2Co_11:14), and would seem one of them. Note, It is possible that a man may be a child of the devil and yet be found in the assemblies of the sons of God in this world, and there may pass undiscovered by men, and yet be challenged by the all-seeing God. Friend, how camest thou in hither? Or, 2. As enquiring what he had been doing before he came thither. The same question was perhaps put to the rest of those that presented themselves before the Lord, “Whence came you?” We are accountable to God for all our haunts and all the ways we traverse.” (Matthew Henry)

“And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.” (Job 1:8-12)

“The question God puts to him concerning Job (Job_1:8): Hast thou considered my servant Job? As when we meet with one that has been in a distant place, where we have a friend we dearly love, we are ready to ask, “You have been in such a place; pray did you see my friend there?” Observe, 1. How honourably God speaks of Job: He is my servant. “Yonder is my servant Job; there is none like him, none I value like him, of all the princes and potentates of the earth; one such saint as he is worth them all: none like him for uprightness and serious piety; many do well, but he excelleth them all; there is not to be found such great faith, no, not in Israel.” Thus Christ, long after, commended the centurion and the woman of Canaan, who were both of them, like Job, strangers to that commonwealth. The saints glory in God - Who is like thee among the gods? and he is pleased to glory in them. How closely he gives to Satan this good character of Job: Hast thou set thy heart to my servant Job? Designing hereby, (1.) To aggravate the apostasy and misery of that wicked spirit: “How unlike him are thou!” Note, The holiness and happiness of the saints are the shame and torment of the devil and the devil's children. (2.) To answer the devil's seeming boast of the interest he had in this earth. “I have been walking to and fro in it,” says he, “and it is all my own; all flesh have corrupted their way; they all sit still, and are at rest in their sins,” Zec_1:10, Zec_1:11. “Nay, hold,” saith God, “Job is my faithful servant.” Satan may boast, but he shall not triumph. (3.) To anticipate his accusations, as if he had said, “Satan, I know thy errand; thou hast come to inform against Job; but hast thou considered him? Does not his unquestionable character give thee the lie?” Note, God knows all the malice of the devil and his instruments against his servants; and we have an advocate ready to appear for us, even before we are accused.

V. The devil's base insinuation against Job, in answer to God's encomium of him. He could not deny but that Job feared God, but suggested that he was a mercenary in his religion, and therefore a hypocrite (Job_1:9): Doth Job fear God for nought? Observe, 1. How impatient the devil was of hearing Job praised, though it was God himself that praised him. Those are like the devil who cannot endure that anybody should be praised but themselves, but grudge the just share of reputation others have, as Saul (1Sa_18:5, etc.) and the Pharisees, Mat_21:15. 2. How much at a loss he was for something to object against him; he could not accuse him of any thing that was bad, and therefore charged him with by-ends in doing good. Had the one half of that been true which his angry friends, in the heat of dispute, charged him with (Job_15:4, Job_22:5), Satan would no doubt have brought against him now; but no such thing could be alleged, and therefore, 3. See how slyly he censured him as a hypocrite, not asserting that he was so, but only asking, “Is he not so?” This is the common way of slanderers, whisperers, backbiters, to suggest that by way of query which yet they have no reason to think is true. Note, It is not strange if those that are approved and accepted of God be unjustly censured by the devil and his instruments; if they are otherwise unexceptionable, it is easy to charge them with hypocrisy, as Satan charged Job, and they have no way to clear themselves, but patiently to wait for the judgment of God. As there is nothing we should dread more than being hypocrites, so there is nothing we need dread less that being called and counted so without cause. 4. How unjustly he accused him as mercenary, to prove him a hypocrite. It was a great truth that Job did not fear God for nought; he got much by it, for godliness is great gain: but it was a falsehood that he would not have feared God if he had not got this by it, as the event proved. Job's friends charged him with hypocrisy because he was greatly afflicted, Satan because he greatly prospered. It is no hard matter for those to calumniate that seek an occasion. It is not mercenary to look at the eternal recompence in our obedience; but to aim at temporal advantages in our religion, and to make it subservient to them, is spiritual idolatry, worshipping the creature more than the Creator, and is likely to end in a fatal apostasy. Men cannot long serve God and mammon.” (Matthew Hendry)

There is much more that could be said on this topic, but I trust some imperative truths have been highlighted, enough for us to understand that this war, although unseen, is very real and should be handled as such.

My conclusion would then be; the more we accommodate sin in our lives the more we play into the hands of the devil. May God help me in the way I process the little foxes in my life (some not so little) which in turn soil the vine! I pray that I learn to hate sin as it was sin that crucified our Saviour.

Signing off

Tyrone

Our view of Christmas

Part 1 of 2

(Ephesians 6:12) “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood…”

How often we overlook this truth in our lives, because something is not physically visible it is often overlooked. Take a trained government agent and see how they are trained to process as much information surrounding them at any given time, why? So that they would have the upper hand at any given moment, we could learn from them, the more we see and understand the better equipped we will be to handle the wrestling that takes place in the inner man. The struggles of life often leave us feeling dejected and we often fall prey to the same traps. Which in turn condemn us as we yield to the strongholds of sin!

Take today as an example, now this would now be a very prickly subject, as the day Christmas is probably the most anticipated holiday for all, especially children. I have vivid memories as a child of the nights in which I woke up long before the sun showed itself; only to find the foot of the Christmas tree bare. Restless and disappointed I would toss and turn unable to sleep and then I would eventually hear my parent’s door open and see my father lugging presents down the passage. So much for Father Christmas! The conditioning we and others teach our children is nothing more than a wicked trap; it is not cute and cuddly to place the Lord Jesus on the backburner while Father Christmas gets all the glory! What on earth did he ever have to do with Christmas? No, rather he seems to have everything to do with Christmas, another lie another lure and the greatest of all acceptable traps. Let us not taint our glorious Saviours birth by accepting the appendage of another. Did you know that our great God will not share His glory with another and why should He? God forbid we ever accommodate that thought.

“For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” (Deuteronomy 4:24)

Let me roll-play this to highlight the point… The world is at war and on the brink of destruction, but our leaders have worked out a plan to save millions and keep our hopes alive. However the only way to do this is to find a hero that will infiltrate the enemies lair but it will cost him his life, there is no other way! Someone’s son then volunteers and dies to obtain the objective, life for so many! With much celebration we as a people will now continue to live, but that hero is soon forgotten, no, even worse another gets the glory for his accomplishment. What if that was your son, how would you feel? Need I say more? If it is Christmas we choose to celebrate, let us make sure we honour Him and not another.  

I have highlighted but one of these traps that we must become aware of. We must learn although at times it may be somewhat heavy and cumbersome to speak out against these types of traps, but then again what about our hero’s sacrifice? Was that easy? No greater sacrifice can a man give than to lay down his life for another; “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

In today’s day and age with technology as advanced as it is, our “deception detector” can be lugged around with ease. Back in the 16^th hundreds bibles were an unseen commodity in the lives of the common man. Today we need not even carry a paperback; we can readily glimpse at any particular verse at any given time with the touch of a button. My phone has four different bible translations stored on it. We are without excuse! We must learn to use God’s Word with skill. There is an unseen element that is as real as the sun, demonic forces are the enemies of the cross and their sole objective is to get us to sin and today to forget Christ’s achievement as we replace it with the likes of Santa Claus and the giving of gifts, shrouded with love one for another as families come together is a slap in the face for our Saviour if we forget Him.

(Isaiah 7:14) “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

“Let us to-day go down to Bethlehem, and in company with wondering shepherds and adoring Magi, let us see him who was born King of the Jews, for we by faith can claim an interest in him, and can sing, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.” Jesus is Jehovah incarnate, our Lord and our God, and yet our brother and friend; let us adore and admire. Let us notice at the very first glance his miraculous conception. It was a thing unheard of before, and unparalleled since, that a virgin should conceive and bear a Son. The first promise ran thus, “The seed of the woman,” not the offspring of the man. Since venturous woman led the way in the sin which brought forth Paradise lost, she, and she alone, ushers in the Regainer of Paradise. Our Saviour, although truly man, was as to his human nature the Holy One of God. Let us reverently bow before the holy Child whose innocence restores to manhood its ancient glory; and let us pray that he may be formed in us, the hope of glory. Fail not to note his humble parentage. His mother has been described simply as “a virgin,” not a princess, or prophetess, nor a matron of large estate. True the blood of kings ran in her veins; nor was her mind a weak and untaught one, for she could sing most sweetly a song of praise; but yet how humble her position, how poor the man to whom she stood affianced, and how miserable the accommodation afforded to the new-born King!

Immanuel, God with us in our nature, in our sorrow, in our lifework, in our punishment, in our grave, and now with us, or rather we with him, in resurrection, ascension, triumph, and Second Advent splendour.” (C.H.Spurgeon)

Signing off

Tyrone

The Caring God

(1 Peter 5:7) …because he cares for you.

No matter where we may find ourselves in this life; no matter how hard the struggle when we strip down all of life’s paraphernalia as Christians we can and must above everything else remember that our God most certainly cares for us. His compassion is not but a fleeting moment where when we see someone in need; I see a homeless child living off the streets and then feel empathy rise up within me. I know I often feel pity for them as I drive-by but sadly that emotion is soon forgotten as the day progresses.

Our God is not like that, “He cares for you”! This is a continuous caring, not just a fleeting moment. It is not dependent upon us and what we do; sure all the “must do’s” according to the Holy Scriptures have their place; we are commanded to seek, knock and then we shall find; we are told to ask and then we shall receive. We have been instructed to come to the throne of grace with boldness and so on. But what of the times when we are weak as the walls of this life close in on us and we find it difficult to breathe, let alone speak. The times when we are unable to cry out and be bold in character, when zeal is no longer our companion, when thoughts about wanting to end our own lives, now a reality, where it once was a weak and ridiculous thought and anyone who thought like that was pitiful. It is especially in these times that our God most certainly cares for us.

Obviously God is so brilliant he is able to process the happenings of life with all its intricacies simultaneously. Why then if we are in such a hopeless place and seem to be so pathetic to others, why does God care for us? We all have heard, “God helps those who help themselves” – Rubbish! That is a misrepresentation of what the Bible teaches and is a lot of poppycock. It is especially in the weakest state of a Christian’s life that God gives special attention to his adopted son (child). This truth really excites me and it should also motivate you. This is the God I serve, He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and He is my God.

Can I back this up from scripture? Isn't the Lord Jesus the good shepherded? He most certainly is! Here is a parable He Himself uses to explain the extent of His own faithfulness to all those who have truly believed in Him and found forgiveness for their sins; “So he told them this parable: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”” (Luke 15:3-7) 

If you’re sole intention when coming to Christ was to find an easier path for your existence, then I would strongly suggest that what you have is a false conversion and you are not born of the Spirit. Salvation must start with us acknowledging that we are sinners and that the Lord Jesus Christ is the One in whom we need to find refuge, for He alone paid the price for our sins. Does a healthy person frequent a doctor? It is the sick that need the physician and not the healthy; so too did Christ not come for the righteous (those who class themselves as good) He came to save sinners. Are you a sinner then call out to Him, if you have no strength to call then pray for the forte; if this then is not possible ask for the fortitude from God through His beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ that He would have mercy on you and give you the strength to call out to Him, and so on… there is always hope for those who still breathe.

Now for those who truly belong to Him I will leave you with these thoughts…

“God often DELAYS IN ANSWERING PRAYER. We have several instances of this in sacred Scripture. Jacob did not get the blessing from the angel until near the dawn of day-he had to wrestle all night for it. The poor woman of Syrophenicia was answered not a word for a long while. Paul besought the Lord thrice that “the thorn in the flesh” might be taken from him, and he received no assurance that it should be taken away, but instead thereof a promise that God’s grace should be sufficient for him. If thou hast been knocking at the gate of mercy, and hast received no answer, shall I tell thee why the mighty Maker hath not opened the door and let thee in? Our Father has reasons peculiar to himself for thus keeping us waiting. Sometimes it is to show his power and his sovereignty, that men may know that Jehovah has a right to give or to withhold. More frequently the delay is for our profit. Thou art perhaps kept waiting in order that thy desires may be more fervent. God knows that delay will quicken and increase desire, and that if he keeps thee waiting thou wilt see thy necessity more clearly, and wilt seek more earnestly; and that thou wilt prize the mercy all the more for its long tarrying. There may also be something wrong in thee which has need to be removed, before the joy of the Lord is given. Perhaps thy views of the Gospel plan are confused, or thou mayest be placing some little reliance on thyself, instead of trusting simply and entirely to the Lord Jesus. Or, God makes thee tarry awhile that he may the more fully display the riches of his grace to thee at last. Thy prayers are all filed in heaven, and if not immediately answered they are certainly not forgotten, but in a little while shall be fulfilled to thy delight and satisfaction. Let not despair make thee silent, but continue instant in earnest supplication.” (C.H.Spurgeon)

May we never forget to callout in time of need, “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1Peter 5:7) 

Signing off

Tyrone