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     

No shadow of turning

(James 1:17) “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

Here is a glorious thought; “but since God cannot know the shadow of a turning, his ways will abide everlastingly the same”. Here is doctrine which will confirm that; “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17) – Therefore God will never change his mind and his love will be everlasting and so too will His judgement be an everlasting one. We often make a decision and often it is soon forgotten as we contradict what we once held in stone; like chaff in the wind, blowing about with the changes of life; pressure from peers and the like often squeeze us until we buckle and end up sinning against God. It is not always someone else’s fault!

Remember how Adam was quick to turn and accuse Eve in the garden; “The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate."” (Genesis 3:12) - Although she had her part to play in the equation that did not excuse Adam. It is the Apostle John who helps us understand; our hearts have been severely tainted by sin; “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.” (1John 2:16) - Sure all these influences have been designed by the arch enemy to take our eyes off the cross and fill them with false assurances and how effect they can be at times. BUT GOD cannot change He is who He is; He is the great I AM! His eternal decisions do not change on the whim of a mood swing.

He is not double minded and He supposes nothing, all things that God wills come to pass. The Apostle James teaches us that we must strive to have similar attributes. Not that we would or should ever believe that we are like God and whatever we determine will come to pass because we are great within ourselves. Try as one may but who has ever; “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”

(Luke12:25) – I see many enter a false sense of security, believing something to be true when in fact it is not! False prophets a dime a dozen offering healing when in fact there is no curative. And some people run to them like a moth to a flame. This reasoning is not what we look for but rather let us strive to be like Jesus, the man who had no shadow of turning in His character, even when He was hard pressed and the walls of life look to close in, He never gave in to sin. What an amazing man! Jesus Christ the Lord both man and God. Yet as a man He laid down His powers and subjected Himself to the laws of aging and all that came with the natural frailty of the flesh, He nevertheless lived without sin, what an amazing accomplishment!

We have an instructing book to follow; the Bible is all we need to find the answers to life; the traps of life that so easily beset, the life giving water that quenches our soul and how in the midst of the storm we find peace. We must come to Jesus Christ the Lord and search Him out if we are to find the true answers to life. It is not enough to say we believe and when we see Him we just nod our head in acknowledgement. We must fall at His feet and honour him as the King of kings. It is not enough to put up our Christmas trees and place Santa Claus on the same pedestal as if he had anything to do with Christ’s sacrifice. In that sense God will never share His glory with another; “(for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God)” (Exodus 34:14) – So then it is also wrong according to the Bibles teaching to tolerate other gods in any form whatsoever. Like I said there are many traps that seem to stir a response out of our persona’s but they are often nothing more than that, traps and we often think that they aren’t.

Nevertheless our God is an Awesome God; He is not subject to our folly and the devils ploys which look to keep mankind living in sin. There is no shadow of turning in Him! He has now made a way for sinful man to find forgiveness for their sin; Jesus Christ the man has conquered sin by overcoming sin as a man.

A musician, Jim Croce sings a song that I think is very apt for this season, here are some of the song’s lyrics; “You say you love the baby but you crucify the man”. Many household worldwide celebrate Christmas and is willing to except baby Jesus but that will certainly not cut the mustard. For the following day the same person will use God’s name in vain. In other words they crucify the man and all he stands for. Let us be quick to make up our minds and repent if need be. Jesus Christ the man was crucified for our sins so that all those who turn to Him, confessing Him as Lord, believing in His resurrection from the dead, them and them alone will be saved. And for those who now belong to Him, He will not lose one of us. For in Him is not shadow of turning, praise His glorious name, Amen!

There will be gifts a plenty, but there is only one gift that will bring peace in the storms, praise the glorious name of our Saviour, Jesus Christ the Lord, the Son of the only true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Signing off

Tyrone

    

The rights of the poor...

“A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.” (Proverbs 29:7)

For a man to give provision to the poor (those in need) in high up on God’s agenda when it comes to “good works” when done with the right spirit. Obviously much of that kind of open sacrifice is displayed throughout the world for all to see and is so acknowledged by many while society places them on very high pedestals. However this type of offering is what is known as a “dead work” and has very little effect on getting God’s attention. As Christians we have been called out from such reasoning; “Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God…” (Hebrews 6:1)

In other words the writer of Hebrews now instructs his readers and by implication informs us that we must repent from this type of reasoning. The Lord Jesus confirms this for us and explains why; “"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”” (Matthew 6:1-4)

Now think of the motion of a pendulum how it swings within its arc; let us not now “throw the baby out with the bath water” and withhold our hand from the needy. Although there are those that give to be seen as “do-gooders” we must still understand God’s heart in the matter and act accordingly because with the correct application comes great blessing not only for the needy but for the giver. In fact when we understand, this verse rings very true to our ear, as we make it our own; “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"(Act 20:35) – this verse obviously implies a lot more than the giving of food and raiment, our time and our lives are most certainly in question, but because we are naturally selfish we tend to excuse ourselves… which looks something like this; “it is better to give of my time and my prayers”. The Apostle James has this to say; “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:15-17) 

Now our minds conclude if that be the case then we must feed fellow believers where and when needed, which is obviously true, but it does not exclude our participation with those outside! “Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.” (Proverbs 21:13)

Having said that we must still be cautious no to be caught up with dead works and find a healthy balance of less of self and more for others…

(Joe 2:13) “Rend your heart, and not your garments.”

“GARMENT-RENDING and other outward signs of religious emotion, are easily manifested and are frequently hypocritical; but to feel true repentance is far more difficult, and consequently far less common. Men will attend to the most multiplied and minute ceremonial regulations-for such things are pleasing to the flesh-but true religion is too humbling, too heart-searching, too thorough for the tastes of the carnal men; they prefer something more ostentatious, flimsy, and worldly. Outward observances are temporarily comfortable; eye and ear are pleased; self-conceit is fed, and self-righteousness is puffed up: but they are ultimately delusive, for in the article of death, and at the day of judgment, the soul needs something more substantial than ceremonies and rituals to lean upon. Apart from vital godliness all religion is utterly vain; offered without a sincere heart, every form of worship is a solemn sham and an impudent mockery of the majesty of heaven.

HEART-RENDING is divinely wrought and solemnly felt. It is a secret grief which is personally experienced, not in mere form, but as a deep, soul-moving work of the Holy Spirit upon the inmost heart of each believer. It is not a matter to be merely talked of and believed in, but keenly and sensitively felt in every living child of the living God. It is powerfully humiliating, and completely sin-purging; but then it is sweetly preparative for those gracious consolations which proud unhumbled spirits are unable to receive; and it is distinctly discriminating, for it belongs to the elect of God, and to them alone.

The text commands us to rend our hearts, but they are naturally hard as marble: how, then, can this be done? We must take them to Calvary: a dying Saviour’s voice rent the rocks once, and it is as powerful now. O blessed Spirit, let us hear the death-cries of Jesus, and our hearts shall be rent even as men rend their vestures in the day of lamentation.” (C.H.Spurgeon)

Some other verse to back up this thought…

“Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.” (Proverbs 14:21)

“The poor person pleads for mercy, but the wealthy man responds harshly.” (Proverbs 18:23) (ISV) 

“Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.” (Proverbs 28:27) 

Signing off

Tyrone

Rolling with the punches

(1Peter 2:9) “…that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you…”

To roll with the punches, to take it on the chin and the like is something we are all forced to do from time to time. However, it is how we react that defines us. Some cleave to “worldly sorrow” (the woe is me syndrome) while others look at it as God’s sovereignty and often His correction, which in turn teaches us valuable lessons as life unfolds. The Apostle Peter clarifies some truths in relation to this subject; “and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1Peter 2:8-9) – All will fall into one of two camps, those who stumble at this teaching, in other words reject God’s Word and in fact are destined to do so. While there are others who have been destined to embrace come what may and through their lifetime will bring glory to their almighty gracious merciful God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

What then of this call? I could speak for many as I looked to excuse myself of the sin that so easily besets but that would be foolish on my part. From day to day there is more than enough I need to contend with and in my lifetime I will never arrive by my example quite like the Lord so majestically conquered by defeating sin, hell and the grave; Christ our perfect sacrifice. This truth however should not keep me from wrestling to put off the nature of the old man and yes as some of my brethren so aptly put it; after twenty five years I am still doing a lot of the same things in my life and in fact I am worse in some areas. I still struggle in many of the same areas, but does this mean I now throw in the towel as some onlookers would suggest as they see a bloody and battered face with my knees buckling just about to collapse, NO is the cry! While I have puff, while we all have breathe we most certainly are alive to hope.

Mediocrity is not an option; excellence must be our objective; “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

It is not what the individual does that makes us acceptable in the beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ is the one who justifies and we are sanctified by what He achieved on Calvary. Nevertheless because we have now been freed from the power of sin we now need to start living as those who have been freed. This truth is often overlooked in my life and for this I ask for forgiveness my Merciful Father. A forgetful hearer is what I become and it should not be so. However, today a good day, your grace has peeled away the hindering wax of life from my ears and the sound of your sweet small voice is pleasant on the ear. Your grace is most certainly sufficient, thank you Father God for your tenderness; “The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” (Psalms 145:8)

How do I know this to be true? If it wasn’t so I would no longer be alive or be rolled up in some desolate corner begging bread. So, yes even for those who are not model Christians, we most certainly have a hope, NO! Rather cheerful hopes in Him, our glorious Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ, bless and praise His glorious name. My voice goes out to those whose hope seems somewhat clouded; the clutches of death once again gape at your throat looking to choke the life from you. Fear not, our great Saviour has overcome, call out to Him with sincerity and He will be quick to send His ministering angels to bring relief. Do not let the cares of this life, or even the voices of friends discourage you, call out and you will be heard, you WILL be saved; “For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."” (Romans 10:13) – But call you must!

In conclusion, no matter where we are as Christians we most certainly have a high priest who is touched with the feelings of our infirmities. When the bible says, that our God cares for us, this is not a suggestion but a fact; “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1Peter 5:7)

These are just some of the attributes of my great God, the God of all true Christians; I will exalt His name, praise must go to Jesus the One who has made the way for so many wayward sinners, all glory belongs to Him and to no other, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

  

  

An endurance race...

(Hebrews 12:1) “…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

Deception is an astute, problematic and a very devious anomaly. However it is not that irregular, as life, with all its tricksters continue to confuse and ultimately deceive. But before the finger is so easily pointed let us remember that we are all originally cut from the same cloth, the fabric of sin! Our innovative minds are programmed to run with “sin” as our underlying operating system. This is why the Christian is warned of sin and its persistent onslaught against our conscience. It relentlessly looks to weaken our resolve in many different areas of our lives. And sadly it has many victories along life’s passage. But before I run away with its power, we must also understand that it will never win the battle. As Christ has conquered sin by His sinless sacrifice. God in the flesh, laid down His life, became a man and then lived a sinless life. He upheld every one of God’s laws never giving-in to deception or the temptation of sin. Some tried to insinuate that He was this or that, every one of them a false accusation; they even called Him a winebibber and every trap they laid failed! God proved His Son’s innocence to sin by raising Him from the dead, and there are witnesses that if called to a stand to testify would readily do so; “but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.” (Act 10:40-41) 

Our ultimate victory in Christ is no longer in question. We as Christians are justified by what He achieved and not by what we achieve. It is all about Him, God’s grace (goodness) and He who has begun a good work in every one of His elected believers will certainly complete it; “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6) – And yet we nevertheless have clear instruction on how to combat the enemy and this is where “deception” looks to rob us of our victory as we begin to hang our heads instead of wearing “the posture” of our victory in Him.

This then is the warning; “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us”. (Hebrews 12:1) – It is sin that clouds our judgement; it is deception that keeps us believing a lie but faith that believes in Christ’s finished work, it is that faith, which is counted for righteousness sake; “And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.” (Romans 4:5)

Therefore it is imperative to believe and trust in God’s ability to complete our salvation and yes even if we find ourselves struggling with so many issues in life, even if we are not living as model Christians, it is faith in our God that will in turn bring about correction in our lives where and when needed. It has to be about the “Christ in you, the hope of glory”, praise His glorious name!

Having said that we are still under instruction, we must all work out those good works that have been prepared for us as individuals; “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

“Deception” is what looks to confuse the issue, so what will align our thinking properly? It is not difficult, all one need do is pray this prayer; “God how can I be of service to you today?” And not “God give me goodies today!” Deception keeps us looking at our pitiful state, but faith looks to see how we can be of service glorifying our great God.

Signing off

Tyrone

Life and its struggles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone  

God is truth

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone

The good and gracious taste of God

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone

  

   

Hypothesis of Shift

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

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

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone    

Suffering for doing well...

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

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

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

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

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone

Gone Fishing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone

          

Stewards

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

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

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

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

Signing off

Tyrone