Birthday Wish

As another birthday arrives and the years whiz by, it gets me thinking about so much wasted time; how much of my time spent here on earth has been fruitless? Involved with trivia that has eaten away at the call God has placed on my life. We only get three score and ten (70 years) as a rule and then whatever we have accomplished here on earth whether good or bad, will be judged. We will be rewarded according to our actions. “Those who are first will be last and those who are last will be first.”

We get one run at life and then the judgment! Our diligence involved with the secular world may prove our commitment to a task but it will not profit us one iota if it is to the exclusion of God’s will for our lives, it would be better to suffer loss and live a life of a humble existence remembering others before ourselves if we are to end up on the faithful side of God once we get to heaven. Our works will be tried by fire and whatever endures the test of God’s fire will stay with us into eternity, but the rest will be burnt up no differently to dross that disappears and will vanish as if it was never there.

Our careers, as we look to make money, our number one priority, will end up biting us in the butt. Fame or fortune will end badly! Technology can be useful, I am now able to search viva a computer which gives me information at the simple click of a button. But not only is that which aids in my obedience to God available, what about all the filth that is as easily obtainable? All the temptation that looks to drive me from the truth instead of towards the light; consider a man like Charles Spurgeon, he lived in the latter half of the eighteen hundreds, a man used mightily by God; a gifted man with a handle on the English language second to none. A man who understood spiritual truths that still teach us today. A man that I hold in very high regard! What of this man? He was a special individual no different to many of us in character; he even smoked cigars which many even today find distasteful. Amazing how we accuse or excuse on the basis of what we are and what we do. This in itself is a terrible trait we fight with daily. “O wretched man of death who will deliver me from this body of death?” Thank God for Jesus’ sacrifice! With that said, he had no television, or internet and all he did was read and write, no wonder he enjoyed cigars. A man totally dedicated to the study of God’s Word; a man who even today encourages me when I am at my wits end, I thank God for men like Charles Spurgeon.

It is easy for us to praise men like Charles Spurgeon, but when we use that type of reasoning to exclude ourselves from our part in God’s script, we have missed the boat. We all have a role to play in bringing glory to God, there is no exception! The question that needs answering is this, how faithful am I to God’s call upon my life? I am persuaded that if only I could strip so much from my life that occupies my time to the expense of my relationship with my blessed God and Father, my life would be far more fruitful. Here are some considerations; on the list would be TV! How much time has been spent in front of that box robbing me of blessed joyous moments and encounter with my God? This is an easy answer, why then do I still watch TV instead of embracing that which is profitable? I am not as convinced as I should be with life after dead in eternity! God change my understanding and get me to act in accordance with your will for my life, wasting less valuable time, as time is short and the work is plentiful.

I would far rather live in a shack without any comforts that drive me from God. My consideration on my birthday is what must be removed from my life to help me engage in an even deeper relationship with my heavenly Father. This must be done on an individual level; we must all look inwardly and not be overly concerned with our brothers and what they do. It must begin with self as we remember that we will all have to give an account to God on what we have done with the talents He has given us.

God help us to be diligent and honest in this area of our lives. This then is my birthday wish, to deepen in my understanding of my awesome God and Father and my beloved Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ.

Signing off

Tyrone.

The test of our struggles

We often get so caught up in our own worlds that we tend to overlook the struggles of others, well I do anyway! It is good to look at the lives of others when we find depression looking to make inroads into our current predicament. Even now I find the thought of “enough is enough” looking to steal my joy in the Lord. When is anything enough and who determines when something has run its course, is it not the Lord? God is sovereign and He determines the outcome of all things, of this I am convinced. We may prolong the inevitable with our dull ears as they look to shut out the lessons of life. Existence is a journey filled with lessons of obedience and yet I find that disobedience looks to always rob me of valuable time wasted. I do not think I am alone on this. However when things begin to become tiresome and hope begins to dwindle into the back ground of our daily envelopments I often find myself wrestling with the question, “why?” But before I get so engrossed with self-pity let me be swift with the concern of others who have had similar familiarities and in many cases had to endure far more than I ever will. We must wrestle in bringing remembrance of our hope in Christ.  The Apostle Peter reminds us of these truths; “Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2Peter 1:1-10)

It is the cares of this life that tend to blur our vision and get us to lose hope and in turn leave us vulnerable to the sin that once enslaved us. When this happens we have lost sight of our hope, when in fact these tests are there to brighten our hope in Him. We must learn to analyse our predicament correctly. This then is the lesson, to view things correctly. It is all about our confidence in God our Father in and through the finished work of His son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We must grow in strength, in faith, trusting Him to provide all our needs and not only a selected few. Affliction should teach us to depend upon Him, but in reality when we lose sight our flesh drags us down and we find sin taking hold of our lives and this shouldn’t happen.  

It is easy to see where we stand on this point! Are hardships causing us to cry out with more vigour or are we slipping back into our old natures? This then is a true test of our standing in Christ!

Here is Spurgeon’s take; “Our heavenly Father sends us frequent troubles to try our faith. If our faith be worth anything, it will stand the test. Gilt is afraid of fire, but gold is not: the paste gem dreads to be touched by the diamond, but the true jewel fears no test. It is a poor faith which can only trust God when friends are true, the body full of health, and the business profitable; but that is true faith which holds by the Lord’s faithfulness when friends are gone, when the body is sick, when spirits are depressed, and the light of our Father’s countenance is hidden. A faith which can say, in the direst trouble, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him,” is heaven-born faith. The Lord afflicts his servants to glorify himself, for he is greatly glorified in the graces of his people, which are his own handiwork. When “tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope,” the Lord is honoured by these growing virtues. We should never know the music of the harp if the strings were left untouched; nor enjoy the juice of the grape if it were not trodden in the winepress; nor discover the sweet perfume of cinnamon if it were not pressed and beaten; nor feel the warmth of fire if the coals were not utterly consumed. The wisdom and power of the great Workman are discovered by the trials through which his vessels of mercy are permitted to pass. Present afflictions tend also to heighten future joy. There must be shades in the picture to bring out the beauty of the lights. Could we be so supremely blessed in heaven, if we had not known the curse of sin and the sorrow of earth? Will not peace be sweeter after conflict, and rest more welcome after toil? Will not the recollection of past sufferings enhance the bliss of the glorified? There are many other comfortable answers to the question with which we opened our brief meditation, let us muse upon it all day long.” (Charles Spurgeon)

Signing off

Tyrone

  

The true measuring rod...

When using the law of God as a yardstick, it is good to understand the truth of why we behave the way we do from day to day. Obviously sin taking advantage of the flesh causes us to do the things we do not by choice want to do and vice-versa; we often know to do something that is good but end up not doing it. Sadly that actually happens a lot in my life and I am not alone.

But just in case it appears like I sucked this philosophy from my thumb, which seems to be the trend for many opinions out there, here then is the proof; “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7:14-15) – It is the Apostle Paul’s understanding that we are rotten to the core and all because of sin, which is the enemy of the cross, in fact it needed God to send the Lord Jesus Christ His Son to die for sin and then by the power of the resurrection the shackles of sins power were broken; someone righteous (a sinless person) had to pay the price for the breach of man’s disobedience.

The problem society has is they believe they are good; they compare themselves against more hardened criminals, justifying themselves, overlooking their breach to God’s law. That is our mistake and this is where the power of sin lies and deceives billions! “For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.” (Romans 7:11) – Simply put, it was sin that introduced mankind to death; prior to the first couple (Adam and Eve) sinning there was no death. But once Eve broke God’s law and ate of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, death swallowed them up and also now waits to engulf all of us who still breathe. There is no escape, all will die! Our bodies of flesh will die!

The miraculous achievement of Calvary now allows some; those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ’s finished work will live forever, obviously our flesh will return to the dust but our new bodies, glorified bodies (spiritual bodies) will animate in the presence of God forever; it will no longer be bound by the power of sin. The things we intend to do for the glory of God will happen as they were meant too. We will make a decision to bring Him glory and it will transpire. What a day that will be! But for now the war rages on because we have a flesh and blood body, this continual conflict will run with us until death.

Nevertheless we have been sanctified by the blood of the Lamb and only because of His obedience; Christians can now claim victory in Him even when we fail God by our actions. Why? Because the bible teaches us that The Lord Jesus’ sacrifice covers our past, present and future sins; God has been satisfied with Christ’s sacrifice. This is what we have been taught about that sacrifice; “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:12-14) – An offer which would appear too good to be true and yet this is God’s offer for all those who would believe in Him, what grace, what mercy. God is GOOD!

Here then is my conclusion, as Christians we still battle to do the right thing, some suggest that as Christians the bonds of sin have been broken, which Christ has obviously achieved, for He lived a life of sinless perfection but does that mean we now are no longer subjected to the argument that Paul presents in 1 Corinthians chapter 7? Some scholars have the view that he is addressing the unsaved individual and not the Christian. Test it for yourself as a Christian do you always do the right thing? We would all agree that we as Christians need to pursue holiness on a daily basis; we must seek out God’s grace to become more like our Saviour in Character. It is our failures that drive us to embrace our unseen hope, that one day we shall be like Him.

I tread with caution; please do not misunderstand my point, I am not giving licence for sin, remembering that Christ died for our sins. What I am saying is: once we get to heaven sin with its clutches will have no more bearing on our lives. This is the hope we have in God’s promises for the faithful. But until then the battle rages on, may we be determined to wrestle with God’s law as our yardstick and seek His grace to overcome each obstacle as it presents itself in opposition to His will and character.

Signing off

Tyrone

 

Fearing God!

(Proverbs 14:27)  “The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.”

Sin deceives us to not fear the Lord and keeps us far from His righteousness, but the end thereof is most certainly death. Even our conscience bears witness to that truth until we are so damaged by sin that we no longer have a conscience, it get seared, no differently to a hot iron burning one’s skin and deadening the nerves. You needn’t go back too far in your life; recall any one of your childhood memories, the first time you stole a sweet from a café, do you remember the turmoil when walking out, dreading that you would get caught. Or the first time you explored pornography, I was sick to my stomach. Or the first time I recall telling a lie, it felt as if my heart would burst. But sadly as time moved along the debaucheries that once sickened us have now become a way of life for so many. This is why the spiral of sin has no end; it can never satisfy but most certainly wreaks havoc with those taken by it. Without the mercies of God we would all end up like those in Sodom and Gomorrah, or those taken by the great flood in Noah’s day. There was no fear of God in their minds until the flood came and then there was great panic, but then it was too late! Death loomed and swallowed them up!

When it comes to sin in our lives it would in my opinion be good for us to fear God, even though we are covered by the blood of the Lamb. When it comes to communing with God, we are at liberty to approach Him with boldness, no differently to a son approaching his father. But I believe I have crossed the lines with my understanding, which is probably why I shattered my femur, am HIV positive and failed marriages and these are just some of the scars I bear in my body. Having said that, God is far greater than my lack of understanding and I love Him even more because of that. He has never given up on me and for this I am forever thankful, praise His name!

Now with that penned we bring so many necessary hardships upon ourselves through life, if only we would capitalize upon this verse; “The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.” Remember Solomon’s conclusion after exploring every possible avenue that life and sin tempts us with great promises; he came to this conclusion; “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 12:8) – All the lures that life tempts us with are nothing more than a smokescreen of empty promises; here then was his advice to all who would sit up and take note;  “My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:12-14)   

Signing off

Tyrone

The error of Independance

We are a needy people and yet we are so self-sufficient and love to find our independence from an early age. Parents driving independence into their children with such vigour, what chance do they have of learning to depend upon another? It is only the slothful and the ones with the “failure to launch” syndrome that may seem to accept their dependence upon someone else. “Easy come-easy go” mentality, but wherever we find ourselves on this topic it all falls under the same banner; a fruit of the flesh rebelling against God. Man looking to build an empire of self-worth as he establishes his own value to those around him, while others may look to feed off others no differently to a plecostomus (sucker fish) leaching off their next victim; both equally as destructive when looking to apply the principle of faith to our lives as instructed.

My understanding is deepening; anything that is to the exclusion of God first is grave error on our part, period! There are no ifs and buts. We were created to worship God and to commune with him, independence was never part of the original equation. It was through the fall of man that independence began to take root; “Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.” (Genesis 4:17) – In the beginning God created the Garden of Eden and placed man in it, it was His creation; now after Cain had killed his brother he went and built a city, his own creation, independence!

Most of us try and instil these values deep within our children’s hearts from a very early age, we have erred and must take them back to what is of utmost importance and that is to honour God. How do we do that? Surely we must all work and feed our family after all, doesn’t the Bible teach that if a man doesn’t work he doesn’t deserve to eat. Yes it does! However let me remind you that this (“working by the sweat of our brow”) was a judgement because of the fall. We must obviously work to feed our families but this is where Satan has made great inroads into deceiving billions. Working to feed our families was never about houses, fast cars or degrees and power to manipulate; it was to remind us of our disobedience and the consequence of disobeying God. It was meant as a punishment and not a blessing; “And to Adam he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return." (Genesis 3:17-19) 

If you haven’t read the book of Ecclesiastes I would encourage you to do exactly that. After Solomon’s entire test on life, where he first hand literally tried and tested everything he could think to test, he came to this one conclusion; “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

Once we now get saved, “born again”, there is a new start to our lives, and we must learn to change the way we once thought. Now it is obvious without the help of God the Holy Spirit this change would be impossible, however because we now have eyes that are able to perceive spiritual things and been instructed to walk by faith, believing God to supply all our needs, which in turn feeds the hope we have in Him. This application is totally contrary to what we were once taught and what society now teaches others. Therefore let us not fall into the trap of walking like we once did. Here then is a great example where the father of faith, Abraham has this to teach us; “And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together.” (Genesis 22:7-8) - Abraham did not sit around doing nothing, he responded to God’s instruction and he knew that God would supply what was needed, the sacrifice! But he put God first and so we too must learn to put God first in everything we do and then we need to believe that he will supply what is needed; no questions asked! I too am persuaded of that truth! My God shall supply all my need, not only do I believe it but have experienced it, praise the magnificent name of Jesus Christ my Lord and King.

“If the evidence we have already received of our Lord's grace and power is not enough, when will our doubts be ended?” (Charles Spurgeon)

If we are troubled and the trial of our faith is being tested for whatever reason, all we need to do is recall some of our past experiences and it will be well with our soul. Trials and tests will come; they must, for it is God’s way of teaching us to trust Him. Bless His name now and forever more, Amen! Even so come quickly Lord Jesus…

Signing off

Tyrone 

True justice

In light of the Oscar Pistorius court case I have been reminded from whence I have fallen and what a miracle my salvation actually is. My mind goes to the woman caught in adultery, with the masses looking for retribution, crying “stoner her, stone her” and yet the Lord Jesus simple turned to them as said “he who is without sin cast the first stone”. His wisdom is always the greatest equalizer, it forgives the downcast and humbles the proud; I love my Saviour so! Thank you for dying for me Lord Jesus.

With that considered, it may be a good thing to reserve our judgments as if we should be excused as perfect and without our own flaws. I am not for one minute suggestion that justice should not prevail, it must! It is the speculation outside of the actual facts that triggers my thoughts. Everyone has their own opinion as if they are the final authority, may God help us understand that He is the final authority and what he chooses to accomplish will come to pass. He is in perfect control of even the governing authorities, even if they are not aware of that truth.

This then is the point of consideration: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:19-21) – As Christians we have been instructed to always err on the side of grace, even if wronged. With that said let us be quick to remember that we have all offended God in one form or another with our sins and yet He sent His Son, who had no sin, to die in our place. There is a day coming when all will be judged in righteousness by the one who is perfect in righteousness. That means justice will prevail as it should.

While we have breath we have a hope to find forgiveness regardless of how rotten we actually are. What a great forgiving God I serve, bless His name now and forever more. Once death takes its toll on our lives the chance to find forgiveness is gone, no more ventures to right our wrongs in and through the finished work of Calvary. But while we live we have hope. All have the potential to find forgiveness while we still breathe God’s given oxygen. However the door has closed on some of our loved ones who have breathed their last, they either acted with wisdom by repenting and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work or they didn’t, and now await their judgment. That is an unbearable thought after having understood God’s love, now what about His wrath? How fierce that shall be! I beg you all to act wisely by calling out unto Jesus asking Him to reveal Himself to you. It is imperative that you find forgiveness from Him and Him alone, as He alone has the power to forgive. Without His forgiveness your end will be the Lake of Fire! To my friends who do not publicly confess the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord, I do not warn you to frighten you although you should be frightened, but rather in love declare the truth according to the holy scriptures; the unseen powers of this world looks to keep this truth from you, But by the grace of God I will not be silent; repent and believe of the Lord Jesus Christ and your eyes shall be open to the purpose of life, it will all make sense. But until then you shall continue to grope in the dark clutching at the straws of folly.

I ask myself this, “if a wretched sinner like me can find forgiveness and then still make so many mistake after salvation who then am I not to forgive others their trespass.” In fact the Lord Jesus taught us this principle in the “Our Father Prayer”; “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12) – Although salvation is a free gift which could never be earned, there are certain conditions attached to redemption; we must confess Jesus as Lord, and it must be done publicly. We must believe in Christ’s resurrection and we must find grace to forgive our debtors. We are now new trees that need to bear palatable fruit that is sweet to the taste. Every branch in our lives that does not bear fruit must then be pruned and in some cases hacked to the bear minimum because of our stubbornness which holds onto our old natures as if we will lose out; sin looking to continually deceive us. God forgive our folly, if that be our standing before you.

Thank God for His patience with me, how I long to finally please Him in every area of my life and yet I seem to be so far-off this goal in so many areas of my life. “While we have breath we have hope!” Today is a new day and God will treat it as such for all who confess their faults to Him. We may remember our sins of the past but God who is rich in mercy has the ability not only to forgive but to forget them, WOW! Who is this God I serve, His ways are far above my puny minds reasoning and yet the glimpses I get blows my appreciation. I have this hope that one day I shall see Him for who He actually is, in His total splendour, what a day that will be and then to finally hear words like this; “The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”

- Even so come quickly Lord Jesus, I long to be with you where moth and rust can no longer taint that which decays, this flesh is of mine is my enemy but thank you Father for the Spirit of your Son who now lives within me.

The war rages on but I am convinced of this one fact that you have overcome every obstacle placed in front of you Lord Jesus and yet without sin. You are phenomenal; you are mine and I am yours. What a hope I have, what a hope the Christian has, bless your holy name now and forever more, Amen!

Many Christians have stumbled and fallen but let us remember to be quick to err on the side of forgiveness, for we have all been forgiven a debt we could never have paid.

Signing off

Tyrone 

 

As a consideration

As a consideration, I have noticed how common courtesy and respect seems to be a tradition that is fading into the distance at a rapid rate. Now before I begin to sound like a “when-we” (someone with a gripe on how good or hard it was in times past). Sin taking hold of the weakness of the flesh now begins to dig its claws deep prior to the ripping and eating of big chunks of flesh. Sin is similar in type to the HIV virus, it deceives the body into thinking that it is working for it instead of against it and when the good cells of the body work out that it is in trouble it is too late, death eminent! Hence the pharmaceutical company coming up with an Anti-retroviral to combat the disease. In type, sin in general will always have the upper hand with us all and this is why God then introduced the “Ten Commandments” and patiently through time has shown us that every generation from the inception of His law has blotched it. In fact the reason for the law is to teach us that we are fallen beings and as good as we think we are, in fact when we examine ourselves against the law and if honest we soon understand that we are law-breakers and not law-keepers! The law exposes our weakness and in fact helps us understand that we are indeed full of sin and in trouble.

Sin on the other hand tricks us into believing that we are not as bad as Joe Soap and therefore we find justification in ourselves, when in fact we are rotten to the core when compared with the righteousness of God. It is easy for most to be commended when compared with a hardened criminal but impossible to find commendation when compared with a Holy God. This is why we needed God to instigate our rescue, which He thankfully did! God sent His Son to die in our place, praise the name of Jesus!

What then was the real purpose of God’s law if because of the curse of one man’s sin we would never be capable of keeping it? The answer is simple but profound; it is our tutor that teaches us that we need a Saviour. Hence the introduction of the Gospel message and over time that message has been skewed, with quotes like, “you’ve tried everything else why not try Jesus?”, Satan twisting the real need of why we should respond to the gospel, which is this simple fact that we are sinners and need to be saved from our sin. No program or psychologist will ever truly save; they may aptly do some patch work but before long more patch work will be needed and so on.

Jesus Christ has paid the debt of sin once and for all! End of story, nothing now is needed to satisfy God’s wrath for those who deliberately went out to break His laws and became his enemy. Now whether you understand that outside of Jesus Christ you are in fact the enemy of God or not, does not change this truth that all those not enlisted in Jesus Christ’s army are God’s enemies. There is no such thing as a neutral. However where this now becomes somewhat more destructive is within the ranks of Christian establishments. The simple Gospel message has been distorted, Christianity has never been about wealth and prosperity and where that message is preached damage has been done to the unadulterated message of the gospel, if you are part of such an establishment, get out fast and seek a bible based church that is big on sound doctrine. False doctrine is a door that has long been opened, flee from it. Many religious establishments are big on tradition but not sound doctrine, they will preach the law but not the saving grace found in Christ, I too was brought up in such an establishment, the Roman Catholic faith still teaches that we need penances to achieve salvation, it is a lie, flee from it! We will never attain to a level that God requires, only His beloved Son, my beloved Saviour has obtained that position, not mother Mary, nor any of the other Apostles or saints, only Jesus Christ the Lord. We must believe in Him and Him alone! It is time to get rid of all the dross as the time of the trumpet call is near approaching.

This then is the simple uncomplicated message of the gospel; understand that you are incapable of keeping God’s law, acknowledge your sin against God, repent of your unbelief in God’s provision, which is to accept that Jesus Christ paid the price for your sin and then call out to God asking for His unmerited favour to forgive you of your sins and the scales will then fall from your eyes and you will then be like the blind beggar who way back then ran out into the street calling out; “I was once blind but now I can see”.

Signing off

Tyrone   

Grace and Mercy

(Galatians 2:16) “Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ”

With that established by the Apostle Paul we can therefore conclude, that regardless of how some blotch their claim to be Christians by the way they live, it will never retract from what Christ accomplished on behalf of His Father's request by laying down His life for the sins of many. The question we need to work out is this, does God love everyone? What Father would ever send those whom He loves to hell for all eternity? God has declared His love to the world in and through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ; “for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever would believe on Him would never perish but have eternal life.” There is a condition attached to His love; one must believe in the finished work of Calvary; one must believe that they are sinners and in need of a Saviour, without the acknowledgement of one's sins and a need to be save from them you will never be covered by the love of God. Outside of that you will not be loved by God but remain His enemy. The question again, “does God love everyone?” The answer is no! I trust that is clearly understood!

Repent from your unbelief is the cry that now goes out as it has always gone out, it hasn’t changed. Time has moved on but the message remains constant. Many even now look to skew the message of the gospel, thieves look to distort the truth, believe no other messages as they are nothing but lies. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life and there shall be no other way whereby a person will be saved from themselves. The problem we face as humans is some think that they are good, when in fact we are all full of sin in one form or another; BUT GOD who has been rich in mercy has given all a way out. But we must come the way of the cross; no other way will cut the mustard! Praise the perfectly finished work of the Lord Jesus!

Without the extension of God’s arm which is full of grace and mercy we would never be privy to escape His judgement. We can dodge His wrath which is just over the horizon, can you feel the earth shake and see the seas rage; it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God. Those days are coming which you better believe, for it isn’t far off. “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” (Matthew 24:37) – Once the door of grace has been shut it will be a treacherous time for those left behind, in fact; “And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.” (Matthew 24:22)  

    

With that said, today is still a day full of grace and mercy and if you still have breath it is not too late to turn and call upon the name of Jesus. But call you must! I pray even now that, the “maybe tomorrow syndrome” will elude those who surmise that tomorrow is another day as you cannot be certain that all will be well for you. We cannot see into the future!

Let me then leave you with this thought; treat today as if it is your last and make sure of your outlook on what really counts by calling out unto Jesus and you shall be assure of eternal life. The bible is very clear on this; “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)  

Signing off

Tyrone. 

God's Brilliant Mind

Trying to understand the workings of a great God and Father can be very trying for me and yet very refreshing. To be like God in righteousness is my longing desire, to be able to execute judgments with perfect execution in every circumstance is mind boggling and yet it is exactly what God is capable of and for the Apostle Paul to make this statement; As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." (Romans 9:13)  And these words God got Paul to pen did not hinge as some may suggest on their actions, but rather on God’s decision, here is the proof; “though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad--in order that God's purpose of election might continue.” (Romans 9:11)

Now the consideration I face on the flip side of that thought is this; God can and will never be tempted by evil, His persona is above that! Praise God for this reality, without that reassurance our faith would be founded on an unstable foundation, holding our breath for the first great storm to come and upset us, leaving us without hope. But for the Christian hope is as real as the rising of the sun and only because of our God’s great stability, it is His unwavering commitment that keeps us locked onto our hope, which is to ever be with Him in heaven with all its trimmings. In fact we have seen enough through the eyes of faith to get very excited about heaven, nevertheless we have but barely scratched the surface in our understanding of its magnitude. What a day that shall be for every believer! Now if there was any doubt about God’s commitment to any one of His promises we would have no more than a wavering faith and only the possibility of hope. However we have the greatest of hopes because of who He is, unchanging and constant in His character. Did you know that when God makes a promise He makes it in His own name for there is no one or anything greater whereby He is able to affirm His commitment. He reigns supreme! “Your promise is well tried, and your servant loves it.” (Psalms 119:140) - Can you claim this verse as part of your reality?

This will be the end for all of God’s enemies; they will end up in a hopeless eternal existence, the Lake of Fire that burns with sulphur with no possibility of any pardon. Thank God that this reality does not affect the Christian for we have a hope that can never be quenched in and through the finished work of Calvary, praise the magnificent name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Although our God requires perfection in judgment and attitude outside of anything that defiles; however because of Eve’s sin it is an impossible task for all of mankind from Adam until now and into whatever future remains for this world before it is folded up by God and throw into the oven. But God has extended his arm in and through His beloved Son Jesus Christ who dwelt amongst us as a man and was tempted in every point as we are and yet without sin. Now that is what I call leading from the front! He was and is the greatest of all leaders. He alone has met God’s requirements! Praise His name now and forever more!

Here are the facts we are able to derive from the scriptures, people hated by God will end up in the Lake of fire and persons loved by Him will end up in heaven. A true judgement can nor ever will falsely condemn an individual. God is truth and therefore could never falsely condemn someone for something they didn’t justly deserve. The Apostle James establishes this truth; “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.” (James 1:13) It will be the actions of mankind that will ultimately condemn them.

Here then is my crunch thought; can anyone or anything resists God’s will? The obvious undisputed answer would be NO! God is Supreme and whatever He decides to do will come to pass. So if He loved Jacob and hated Esau before they had done any good or evil and if it is impossible to resist His will how then is there fairness in this? As a human with our limited understanding it goes beyond our comprehension, this is the thought that has gripped my mind. How great in fact is this God, I know He is righteous and just and yet it would appear to my limited mind that this would appear as injustice. I only conclude that to prove a point, for God is just! Gods ways are far above our ways. His substance allows Him to act in such a manner with a perfectly clear conscience that He has acted righteously, because He is governed by who He is and that is righteousness. How is that for an awesome thought? Wow and this is the God I serve, no longer am I left questioning His decision as if I ever had the right to question, but I now conclude His brilliance as He has allowed me to understand it within my limited capability, this is mind blowing, praise His name!

We only see in part, but the little I have seen excites my soul, what other brilliant complexities rest with His persona? Time will reveal all and I long for that day when I shall see Him face to face and we shall see Him for who He is. Even so come Lord Jesus, may the trumpet of God below through the heavens as you call us home.

Signing off

Tyrone      

 

Reflections

Reflections on both old and new fruits are fresh on my mind this morning. The store room of grace is full of tender fruits that we sometimes tend to overlook, look unto Jesus and see how gracious He has been. It is easy to forget where we have been saved from. A lifetime full of aimless wandering in the dark clouds of uncertainty, with so many unanswered questions; “what is life all about” used to ring loudly in my imaginations. We are born without choice, live for a limited time and then we die, surely there was more to life was my question. Wine, woman and song seemed to captivate my heart as a teenager into early manhood, with the motivation to achieve on the sports field thrown into the mix. But yet still such an empty void filled my life. Maybe travelling abroad would negate the desperate need for answers, but to no avail, however it was through my travels that I heard the call from this awesome God and by the end of it my heart began to soften to that appeal. Our God is an awesome God, even in my blindness I vividly recall His gentle voice coaxing me towards the true glorious life changing message of the Gospel and then it happened, praise God, I would never be the same. No longer the anxiety of that nagging question, “what is life all about?” I now know the meaning of life! There is only one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and He had called me by name, what joy, what glee, filled my soul.

Sure, there have been many bad choices since that time and I have any scars to prove my folly, however the question about my existence never again to be questioned, praise the name of Jesus! Life and all its challenges are there to teach us to depend on His unending graces. At times we make the wrong choice and often pay the price for it. Nevertheless our God is a God of unfading love and He deals with us as sons and not bastards. He is a Father who cares for our wellbeing. We may put our hands to the plough and then for certain reasons remove them and return to our vomit, But God who is rich in mercy uses the circumstances of life to remind us of what is of importance, “to fear God and to keep His commandments!” My God is an awesome God and He reigns within my heart, thank you Lord Jesus for you ultimate sacrifice, without you unwavering commitment I would still be dead in my trespasses and my sin, I once was blind but now I see! The price for my sight was immense, it cost you your life and in consideration for a wretched sinner like me. I am forever grateful, thank you Father God for sending your Son to die so that I could go free, the most unworthy of candidates and yet you chose to save me, what grace, what love, THANK YOU!

 Signing off

Tyrone

Not why but how?

“Not why but how?” The test of our faith must come, it will be part of the Christians life, and it has to happen to prove our legitimacy for all who belong in God’s army.

When I was a boy I thought like a boy, but when I became a man I was forced to think like a man. Now much of what I do is still full of childlike attributes, some of the slang I used back then I still use today. Words like; guf (to swim), wally or lemon (someone who acts without thinking) and the like are still very much a part of who I am today. I suppose that keeps my mind young in a sense, I may be wrong. But that is not my point! The reality of having to be responsible for others is now a factor of life I now face. Necessity has become part of my life, God has so ordained it! If I do not work I will not eat, and those whom have been placed under my care will suffer. Both the Christian and the heathen have this responsibility as adults. The sin of one man has forced us to face this actuality with death as our end; “And to Adam he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."” (Genesis 3:17-19)

However once we are contractually bound to Christ through salvation, we are called to wear a specific hat, the hat of the Christian. The rules of engagement now differ from our lives prior to our commitment to Christ and visa-versa. Christ now looks out for us as His sheep. He will never falter with His responsibilities, that He has already proved by dying on a cruel Roman cross for all those whom the Father has given Him; “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” (John 17:9-11) – With that established and our great Saviour looking out for us, we have a new set of rules that we must now understand and make our own. We have been contractually bought with a price of God dying in our place, not for His sin as he had no sin, but for our sin. The price could not have been higher; nevertheless it has been paid, once and for all. We now belong to God and we are enrolled in the book of life. With that said, we now need to understand the rules of engagement!

Here then are some of those directions; “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. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” (Peter 4:12-14) - The Christian will and must be tested, it is part of the script that God has orchestrated. Therefore be encouraged when we face the tests life throws at us, especially when we are persecuted for our faith. The absence of that type of test must make us question our standing in Christ. Our existence must not now be based on our emotions per say but rather on sound doctrine from the teachings of the Bible.

There are other tests we also face, the trial of our faith! Those tests that force us to trust God regardless of what we face when in need and which causes us to worry. These tests root out all our hedging as self-sufficient individuals. The deeper we pursue these avenues of faith the stronger our dependency becomes on our God. Abraham is the father of faith and this is why he has been given that title and not by men but by God; “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:8-10)

Our lives in eternity will be based on the faith we learn to apply to our daily lives here on earth. We tend to lose sight of this from time to time, but it needn’t happen, this is why I love these times of reflection as it helps us to trim our sails. God give us the strength to fight the good fight of faith in Him. We have a store room that we as Christians have the privilege of approaching with confidence so that when the test is severe we know that He will make a way of escape and supply the grace needed to get us through the trial, refining our faith, strengthening our weak faith and bringing glory to Him. Without this reality in our lives we will remain but babes in Christ!

Signing off

Tyrone   

      

    

   

     

Mongi's question

My son asked me a question yesterday after having understood these truths, which are these; “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:19-20) – Having understood that those who can see creation are without excuse concerning the authenticity of God, because creation itself teaches us that God through creation has proved that He is alive and well. Secondly, when we come under the spoken word, when the Gospel is preached he has also understood that this is how God has chosen to save sinners; the Gospel is preached, people hear the message and then some respond favourably to it and they are saved; our eyes and ears playing a vital role in the equation in finding salvation in and through the finished message of the cross.

This was his question, “what about those who are born mute, deaf and blind?” His enquiring mind looking for a valid answer. When we confront these types of questions how should we answer? Avoid being wrapped up in these kind of debates as they are nothing but ploys of our evil minds to avoid the real question, what have we done with the message of the gospel? Charles Spurgeon has this to say; “Leave all curious inquiry about election alone. Go straight to Christ and hide in His wounds, and you shall know your election.” We must point people to Christ and get them to look at themselves and in so doing it will force them to make a decision about themselves and not others. Always come back to the good news of the gospel on a personal level and I believe we would have sown the seed correctly.

Remember Paul’s encouragement; “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 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.” (1Corinthians 1:17-18) – Why then bother with trivia when those looking for reasons not to believe keep looking to justify their unbelief. We must preach Christ and Him crucified as it will carry with it power to save those who are being saved.

One of the main reasons I stress this point is that we must learn to trust scripture with a greater assurance; in fact “faith is the substance of things hoped for”; we hope when talking with others that they will be saved, for the most part of it our sharing of the gospel is honourable; we have freely received salvation through the gospel and when the opportunity arrives we want to freely give back. However, when application is to be effective it must be applied to the letter. Our presentation often lacks clarity and when side-tracked so much time is wasted on trivia that only ever takes our eyes off the truth. We must drive the Gospel home; this is where God has invested all His power in the salvation message. Why then do we sometimes think we can do a better job than God with clever arguments? We must learn and ask God the Holy Spirit to drive this truth deep within our minds and so when people look to side-track the gospel message with objections we can gently bring them back to what really counts, their need of a Saviour, because of their sin. Christ came to die for sinners, not the gainsayer! Gently prove to them that they are sinners, remembering we too have been saved from our sin and once that is realised the message of the gospel shall reveal its power, “forgiveness for all their sins”! Salvation outside of that message is an idea of a better life, goodies and things instead of true saving power and that kind of message will eventually run its course and before long those who once claimed to be saved will be denouncing Christianity. “But there are some of you who do not believe." (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father." After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. (John 6:64-66)

The essence of the Gospel message is that Christ came to die for sinners and He paid the price for our sins on a personal level, this then must be our focus; God help us understand the gravity of this truth when sharing the gospel with others.

Signing off

Tyrone   

      

Do not be surprised

(1Peter 4:12) “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you…”

I suppose in being fair to this text, the Apostle Peter’s trial was harsh in comparison to the trials I face and most of us will ever have to endure. Not many of us will end up crucified on a cross for our faith. However in type we have all be called to endure affliction for the sake of the cross; we have been called to die to self and at times this can be very testing. One thing we must never do is be surprised by the assessment. We have been told that this will be the life for the Christian. When we keep asking the question, “why”? All that proves is that we haven’t counted the cost of what it means to be a Christian.

Unless we die with Christ we can never live with Him! As hard as it is for us to die the Apostle Paul irrevocably makes this statement; “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) – When we accept that dying to self is for our benefit; through the trial we learn to comprehend the magnitude of what it meant for Christ to suffer on our behalf, we get small glimpses of what He went through and when proven, we come through refined on the other side bringing glory to God. Irrespective of what we suffer, if we can learn to accept whatever God places in front of us it will teach us valuable lessons even if we do not quite understand the degree of it at the time, be sure of this one fact it will smooth out some of the rough edges in our lives, bringing glory to God. However when we shirk the test and do our best to avoid what is placed in front of us, we learn very little and remain stagnant in growth. God help us to understand the value of these tests in our lives!

God is sovereign over all! Nothing will or can ever happen to the Christian outside the will of God. Our paths have been carefully mapped out ultimately to bring God the glory. Thankfully He is patient and longsuffering with His children. Some obviously need a lot more discipline in learning these valuable lessons and I am amongst that number. Nevertheless I am thankful for His correction, without it I would be lost. To God be the glory now and forever more, Amen!

As hard as the reality of life may seem at times our great God and Father is moulding us into the beautiful image of Jesus Christ our Saviour.

We have an enemy that goes around like a roaring lion, who has made it his duty to prevent this growth. In faith let us learn to trust God through it all as He is for us and not against us, His ways are far higher than our carnal understanding at times but be assured of this truth, He is in perfect control. Let us then learn to rest in His perfectly orchestrated plan. To God be the glory now and forever more, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone      

       

An everlasting love

(Jeremiah 31:3) “…I have loved you with an everlasting love;”

If God has said, that He will love with an everlasting love it must mean exactly that, everlasting (never coming to an end). It could never mean a love that will eventually run its course; that could never be! He is not like a man who at a time will say his vows, “for better or worse” and then if things do not pan out as previously thought he will be quick to throw in the towel. Divorce rife even amongst the church, once so many mistakes are realised by believers its leaves so many with such heavy burdens; the “strong” frowning upon what they have never been privy too, somehow feeling justified by what they haven’t done. If that be the case their perception are most certainly cockeyed. As Christians somewhere along our journey we fall prey to mistakes, entertain so many wicked thoughts and carry out such dreadful actions. The actions of some are more pronounce than others. I know as I am guilty as charged! However when we stumble our God does not hold that to our charge. This is the most phenomenal thought when actually realised and I don’t mean on an intellectual level but when it resonate deep within our hearts it is so liberating. Praise the name of Jesus! You see salvation is a gift of God, it can never be earned! The only reason we will ever be accepted by God is because of what the Lord Jesus achieved on Calvary and not by what we think we have earned and deserve, that is religion and it is dead!

Satan gets us to question our position in God by challenging us on our own merit, when we think we do well we have liberty but when we fail, and haven’t quite cut the mustard then we are not worthy, this is a lie from the pit of hell! We are always worthy because we have been sanctified by the blood of the Lamb, period! God will always encourage and correct us from a position of son-ship, when we need discipline He will bring it about but our position in Him will never be in question. If it could be any other way there would be a place for boasting, which is sadly at times evident amongst Christian; boasting has been excluded! “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) – Where we can be tempted to make the mistake is once we have been saved we now think we need to prove ourselves and earn our salvation; The Apostle Paul addresses this; “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:1-3)

Our love for God must spring from our hearts and not our minds as a form of duty but rather we love because He first loved us. This understanding will free us to embrace our heavenly Father not out of duty but out of love. If we can grasp this truth it will be well with our souls. The banner we fly with absolute assurance is this; “if God be for me who can be against me?” Praise the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, for He has freed us into this relationship with His Father who is now our Father. We now cry “ABBA FATHER” and are treated as sons by the God of the universe, hallelujah!  

With that said; when God has decided to do something and He has sealed it with the promise of His Word it will never be undone, for neither height nor depth, nor will any created thing be able to undo those who have been sealed by that promise. For someone to suggest that God‘s promise is subject to our actions is ludicrous; as if we could get God to break His Word, as if His creation wield such power. What His love will do is melt a person’s heart and with it bring about a change of recuperating love if sin has somehow damaged our faith along the way. Do not yield to the voices contrary to God’s Word, they are nothing but lies! His love has saved us and His love will get us home. Think it through! Even if the recipient did not want to be covered by that love what chance would they actually have? Who can resist God’s will? In fact this point can be proved; but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)  - This commitment is not about men but about God! He initiated everything pertaining to that love; He has so chosen to “love with an everlasting love”. We now only love God because He first loved us, period!

The question now that needs answering is who will be covered by His love, for not all will make it to heaven? "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) – all that is now left to do is to call out to the One who has the power to save us from our sin, all hail King Jesus! “For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."” (Romans 10:13)   

Signing off

Tyrone