Make your calling and election sure

(2Peter 1:10)  “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.”

A patent originates with an idea that someone somewhere comes up with and if it has any market value investors back the idea hoping to make a profit on their investment. Once that idea comes to fruition and the public embraces it then it begins to become an item that is desired. The “pirates” soon latch onto the same idea and fabricate a look alike at a fraction of the cost. It looks like the real deal but anyone accomplished will soon be able to tell the difference.

Christianity has been tarred with the same brush in many circles. A false gospel is rife in our society today, and it has been gaining momentum for some time now. Pirate Christianity ensnares those looking for gain in this life. The money preacher traps the novice with the idea that wealth and prosperity will follow the new convert and many are drawn by these lies. True Christianity is about forgiveness of our sins and a turn about in the way we once behaved; the knowledge of sins forgiven, “mercy on display” and a turning from it towards holiness; “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14)

The “Pirate Gospel” leads a person to believe that sin is not an issue in a believer’s life. That is a lie! The message of forgiveness must be encapsulated with repentance and a turning from our sin and not towards a message that God is gracious and he understands my weakness and therefore He will tolerate my sin, GOD HATES SIN! So much so that He turn his own back on His Son when He paid the penalty of mankind’s sin causing the Lord Jesus to cry out, “my God why have you forsaken me.” The false preacher multiplies these types of messages on the back of a wealth and prosperity despatch, which enslaves the simple.

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.” (2Timothy 3:1-7)              

There are many other warnings in scripture, the book of Revelation warns the church at Laodicea of their state before God, which in a way is tied to prosperity; "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. "'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.” (Revelation 3:14-20)

Wherever we find ourselves within in our walks with the Lord we must be willing to accept the mistakes we have made or the presumptions we once held dear if and when the Word of God corrects us. God only disciplines the ones He loves! I am so grateful for that, I cannot express the depths of my gratitude, to know that I have a Father, the ruler of the universe who is willing to take time out of his day and correct me, wow! When I understand that my immediate reaction will be to be bold and I will repent because I will want to please my heavenly Father. Sin is what kept me from a relationship with God but now that I have been washed by the blood of the Lamb, sin will no longer have any dominion over me. I will not be ruled by it like I once was, praise God for His mercy!

However if and when I continue to knowing live in sin and discipline eludes me, then I am a bastard and not a son; “It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” (Hebrews 12:7-8)  

I may claim to be a Christian but I have been hoodwinked into believing a lie. I have been trapped by a false gospel, no differently to that fabricated pirate item and I need salvation. If in doubt fall to your knees, cry out unto Jesus and ask Him to open your eyes and then turn from your sin and it will be well with your soul. Peace will be your companion, but if you have been truly saved and you continue in sin believing that grace will abound, restlessness will accompany your throughout the day.

There must come a time in a believer’s life where it will become evident to the world that they are not of this world. Without that evidence as our reality we may talk and dress like Christians but in fact be nothing more than a knock-off. The devil has infiltrated so many into believing his lies, let us not be amongst that number.

The “prodigal son” was a son indeed and he was loved by his father, but until he learnt his lesson and turn from the error of his way he was left to wallow with the pigs. Some of us need extreme discipline in our lives to be taught very valuable lessons, thank God for that. Whilst others may feel that they are balance in their conduct and yet they are just as blind as the prodigal once was.

The Lord Jesus made it very clear to his disciples and the bystanders that followed and this was the lesson; "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.” (Matthew 12:33) – Its no use claiming to be a Christian if the fruit to your life depicts another story altogether. Rebuke from God is often what is needed to get us back on track. Do not resist discipline but rather welcome it for God is for His children and not against them. God please open our eyes to see the error of our ways wherever we may have deviated from your instruction. I am persuaded that all of His children will be brought to a place of repentance.

Signing off

Tyrone     

    

      

Cherishing the WORD

My late father was a professional soccer player and so from an early age we would always be kicking the ball about in the back garden, playing two-touches with miniature goals made from tomato boxes and orange sacks. These are fond memories but the reason I mention it is the lesson I learnt when I was forced to kick the ball continuously with my left foot to help advance my soccer skills as I was naturally right footed. My dad would say that any good footballer had to have two good feet. And so repetition became the order of the day in my back garden. Today I am as competent with either foot.

Over time as a Christian throughout my highs and lows of life I have by the good graces of my heavenly Father eventually come to a place of a deeper understanding of what the most valued treasure of the Bible is, it is the WORD OF GOD! And John the Apostle understood this better than most. He must have! Look how he starts his Gospel; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…” (John 1)

Everything in creation is obedient to the “Word of God”, in fact this verse teaches that all things were created by the Word of God. The sun rises and sets as it has been commanded to do, the seasons change as they do and we could carry on through all of creation and it would soon become very obvious that this is undisputable. Scientists and evolutionists may oppose the Word of God, but I tell you like I have in the past woe to the one who opposes the Word of God, their days are numbered. The time of God’s wrath is just over the horizon and it is the Word which they reject that will ultimately condemn them.  

It amazes me how the world is seeking out love and their fairy tale ending, with a goal to find their soul mate. The hope of love is what motivates and drives their hunger for it. And yet John was known as the beloved disciple, I wonder if it was because he understood the value of God’s Word as his most valued treasure? He found His absolute gratification in the Lord Jesus (the Word) and he needed nothing else. My prayer is that all of God’s children will come to the same realisation.

In order for us to become skilled with the Word of God directing our lives we must learn to trust it as we ort. The only way this will ever become our reality is through the trial of life which in turn will present many differing opportunities for our dependency to trust it, or should I rather more pertinently say “TRUST HIM” – the WORD of GOD is the LORD JESUS CHRIST!

Suffering or the trial of life if you prefer will bring about its desired result for the child of God. What it does is bring us to a point where a choice needs to be made, choose sin as the easy out or trust the WORD OF GOD. It is a painful process and it is meant to be; “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” (1Peter 4:1-2) – It serves a very valuable purpose, it conforms us into the image of Christ, praise His name now and forever more, Amen!

Without effort in this error of our lives we will remain unskilled and just as I needed to have the soccer ball present to my left foot so too do I need the trial of life to present itself so that I too may become trained by the Word of God to trust and obey it come what may.

Sadly for most this truth will elude them and the only reason for it is that they are obstinate to the Word of God. They rebel against it, they have not learnt to value it as they ort. Praise God for opening the eyes of all those of whom He has chosen. Without God’s intervention in our lives we would still be dead in our trespasses and our sin. Oblivious to this truth! But we need to travel deeper with our dependency upon the nay and yay of the Lord if we are to be given the privilege of placing our head on our Saviours chest. A place reserved for John, the beloved disciple.   

The book of Hebrews is a book written with that intent and it tutors us not to rebel against His commandments. Sadly many were saved out of slavery from the captivity of the Egyptians way back in the days of Moses, with all partaking of the same blessing and yet only two of the original exiles hung onto the Word of God, understanding that their lives depended upon it. Joshua and Caleb entered the Promised Land, whilst all the others fell in the Wilderness.

Here is the reason for their fall; “And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” (Hebrews 3:18-19) – They simply sinned and moaned throughout the entire journey not valuing the Word of God as they should have, may God open our eyes to this reality and help us depend upon His instruction that is found throughout the Bible’s teachings, for if and when His voice becomes our most valued treasure it will be well with our souls and the love of God will overcome all. There is a day coming when we shall enter His rest, but for now we are at war and we must understand that the onslaught is fierce.

Signing off

Tyrone

"Delusion"

A watchman guards his post from an elevated position in order to warn against any onslaught from its enemy. He is the first to observe the enemies attack if and when he isn’t asleep at his post. In fact the enemy seemed so callous in his approach that I have concluded that “delusion” is at play…

Delusion always achieves its objective and hoodwinks a person into believing a lie. The irony of it all; even sin demands acceptance of an actual condition before any rescue is achievable. This is where the strength of sin lies; even when an individual seems to be on track, sin still dominates their being whilst remaining oblivious to it. Alcoholics need to own their disease before they can successfully conquer their ailment and so on and even though that beast may eventually be conquered the condition of their hearts remain enslaved to sin. Patch work may plug the hole but unless we get a new heart we will always be tricked by its delicacies. Sin will always delude us into accepting foreign comportment as the norm. On the one hand our hidden agendas that we want no one to see hidden in plain view, God sees everything! And on the other somethings that obviously don’t fit, made to fit and then for society to accept it as natural, when in fact is anything but natural. Same sex marriages are a very good example; not so long ago this would have been frowned upon by many self-righteous individuals. They would have not been wrong in their judgments but sadly that is were it stopped for most when it came to heeding scripture; “hobby horses” quick to be pointed out error whilst the exclusion of their own sin is overlooked. Unless the shackle of sin is broken by repentance in Christ there remains no hope for an individual even though they may not be aware of this reality. Delusion camouflaged but very much alive and well!

True repentance will bring change and expose the wood from the trees. Not a change from the outside in, which will only ever harvest self righteousness but from the inside out; “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26) – Resulting with the evidence of your conviction and this then will be its fruit; “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. For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame."” (Romans 10:9-11)  

Most of mankind have their pet subjects that they are passionate about and are quick to voice their opinions when those topics come up. As for me I have learnt by the good graces of my Heavenly Father that anything contrary to His instruction is a trap waiting to be triggered. So without studying scripture and lending an ear to His voice how will we ever know what is being said? Foreign voices which ignite varying topics may trigger our minds into a mistake which occurs instantaneous but mostly those traps have been wired with a slow release mechanism. The deeper one gravitates the slipperier the slide. Why would we so willingly accept certain criteria as the norm? The answer is an obvious one, “the sin that so easily besets”. It is the way mankind has been wired, however without deception running a mock we would not be so easily mislead. And this is why we need rescue, “Jesus in my place” – Bless His name, Amen!

Here are some of the brutal facts concerning mankind’s existence according to the Bible teachings, which I view higher than any other and am willing to place the existence of my future on its instruction as I believe it is the written Words of the only true God that hold the keys to heaven and hell in His hands. In eternal lyrics my infinity hinges on its training. Rather important when understood wouldn’t you say? It is a treasure map filled with searchable directives for this life and the life to come. Disregard its instruction at your own peril. But again I say! Without true repentance is Christ, these words will have no real substance to your life. This is why a person needs to be “born again”; they need their spiritual eyes to be opened, without that event in their lives, nothing but dead works and self- righteousness will encapsulate their interventions. You needn’t look far to see this at play whilst people point and jeer as they commend their colleges and peers and yet they have been hoodwinked by the deception of the devil; a smokescreen of delusion has tricked them into believing lies with Satan in his chair with the unquenchable pleasures of sin running a mock.  

Without the mind of Christ it is an impossible task to make head or tails of the real issues that will play out in eternity. As for the Christian there is a war which continues to rage, the spirit and the flesh, the “old man” and the mind of Christ contending for leadership. The sooner we accept the fact that the “old man” is dead the freer we will be to serve our great God and Father; “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11)   

Thankfully God hasn’t left us there with our own interventions running riot; he has given gifts unto men to unpack the Bibles instructions which teaches us the way of the Master; "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." (Ephesians 4:8) – We must always learn to the best of our God given capabilities and stick to the text of scripture. Another “red flag” that is contrary to scripture and which certain Christian circles are throwing out their with woman teachers demanding to be heard. In today’s day and age, women are demanding to be heard and are being received. However when we accept this as the norm which is contrary to scripture, delusion is at play. God never changes - He is constant; “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:7-8) – These are the types of examples that will help us test our hearts and where we stand with regard to God’s instruction. If and when we see resistance, delusion is at play! There are many other examples I could single out but I mention this as it is extremely topical in today’s day and age.

So my beloved sisters in Christ do not be fooled by the fads of the day; we have the mind of Christ.   

Scripture is very clear on certain topics and the sooner we align ourselves with God’s instruction the sweeter our existences will be. Shirk the Bibles instruction and you can be sure of a downward spiral that will end badly with damage running a mock. Scripture is filled with warnings that go against its instructions. We must never forget to glean from the warnings of scripture; they have been penned for our admonition. Praise the name of Jesus now and forever more, Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

Rescue!

(Revelation 7:10) …"Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

Salvation (redemption, deliverance, rescue, escape) belongs to our God alone and no one else. The masses throughout history have always conjured up some new thing that people have gravitated towards just so long as it was fashionable. And as time has gone on with the Digital Age in full flight, marketing has never been easier. But every fad runs its course, except for the Word of God which never changes; it has stood the test of time, with the only true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the One who sits upon His throne and the Lamb seated to His right has secured the rescue for all who call upon Him. Both Jew and Gentile will of a certainty find their rescue in Him, so long as they call out unto Him, the only true Messiah, praise His name, Jesus Christ the Lord who is, was and lives forever more, Amen! Miss this truth and devastation awaits the gainsayer, your days are numbered.

This morning my thoughts are with all those who have found deliverance in Christ; the Lamb of God who has given them His mind and not allowed them to be swayed by the voices they needed to navigate though history; nevertheless they live with victory as their monumental banner to life. Every one of these individuals has had their own trials that they needed to face. Trials are tailor made, one size does not fit all, praise the name of Jesus. However the beauty of God’s provision and His rescue has always resulted in them having the final say. Will you be amongst that number? Will I? As long as I have breath and I am covered by the good graces of my Lord and Saviour I can with a certainty cry, Amen!

When I consider the greats of faith, Job, Noah and Daniel but to name a few. It is beautiful to see how their journeys ended. We serve a great God, even though the trial of life looks to suffocate us at times it will ultimately be well with our souls when we have learnt our lessons in and through it all, we must all find a tenacity to press through the probationary periods of these times in our lives for it will be worth it all; eternity will be filled with unspeakable blessing for God’s faithful.

Today I stand amazed when I consider the fortitude God provides the struggling saint, the ones who has failed dismally and yet God has not cut them off, wow! The one who is initially dull of hearing with a little more nurturing needed than most; they can be compared to a struggling tree in a farmers field  but with a little foster when that particular tree eventually brings forth its fruit in its season, how sweet the fruit! I was certainly amongst the number of what I would call a “slow learner”, never oblivious to the love of God through it all but hoodwinked by my sin as I looked to twist it and skirt as close to the borders of the Promised Land. Thankfully by the good graces of my God, those days are behind me. It is time to march on with perseverance and face the new challenges that God has for me as I hope to bring Him glory through it all. I cannot claim to have conquered like our beloved brother Paul, in fact my testimony has been diabolical in comparison, of which, I at times was almost cast to the wolves and yet by the grace of God I am still able to testify that "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" He has remained faithful even whilst I was ensnared by so many traps along life’s journey. My Christian exploits have been somewhat extreme, with amazing highs and destructive lows attached to my excursion. At times I lost my way but Jesus my beloved Saviour permitted those times in my life to play out for me to learn many vital lessons; sin in any form promises the world but it all ends in the same way with destruction and devastation running riot.

Sin in any form will never be tolerated as the norm. It is beyond the reach of God’s character, HE IS RIGHTEOUS! If you believe that God will tolerate your sin as the norm you have been deceived. Sadly and yet thankfully some of us have to learn the hard way with destruction apart of our lives in order to find deliverance. I thank God for His mercy! If we have strayed from the Shepherds green pastures just a fraction, we will all need to arrive at the place of repentance and just like the prodigal son come to our senses if we are to be welcomed into our Fathers loving arms without to much discipline attached. He is merciful and patient with all His children. Having come to that realisation and having that play out in my life is too marvellous for me to express with words and the appreciation which He has ignited in my soul. I suppose the best way I can describe the way I feel is to quote a verse of scripture that in principle I understand; “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven--for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." – Father God I do not take lightly the forgiveness that you have bestowed upon me, thank you! And for all those times in my life were I took you forgiveness for granted and made light of it I am truly sorrow.   

Youthful lusts and passions most certainly war against the soul and it is those passions that bring with them a wave of havoc into a believer’s life. Paul warns against such passions; “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.” (2Timothy 2:22-26)  

I thank God for His forgiveness and I will always be indebted to him for His love. I am humbled by the mistakes I have encountered along the path of life, but forever thankful. My testimony has not been above reproach, but God who is rich in mercy has restored that which the canker-worm has devoured and I am in the processes of God now restoring a right spirit in me. Who else would offer such mercy? We could look across the universe and beyond and never find such kindness. I love you Father God because you first loved me; you sent you’re only begotten Son the Lord Jesus to die for me, even with the foreknowledge of all my blunders, and yet you have been willing to discipline me along the way for me to learn your precepts, thank you my God and King; the love of God who can fathom the depths of it?   

God is able to save from the uttermost to the utmost, trust and believe in Him and it will be well with your soul.

Peace and grace to all abroad who call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

"your faith"

(1Corinthians 2:5) “That your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

Although this is a quote from Paul I want us to consider Peter’s commitment to Christ in the background and he is often the first to act when we study the gospels. He was a man of action with his faith in Christ. We see his hope in the Lord Jesus Christ and the finished work of Calvary; which in turn feed his faith in God and when we apply a similar type of reasoning it will feed our faith in God. Although faith is a gift from God it is still often accredited to the individual as “your faith”; “that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1Corinthians 2:5) - Any gift starts out as a gift form the individual who supplies it; it is not earned or worked for. But once it is in someone’s possession they are now the rightful owner, it is theirs. The outcome of an individual’s faith results in the saving of their souls when executed correctly. But we must never forget that we in ourselves had nothing to do with our salvation, for it is a gift from God; “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10) – Everything about our salvation hinges upon that fact, it defines us. However we must never neglect our responsibility in applying ourselves to the “good works” that have been created in Jesus Christ for us to walk in. We need to find them out and then commit. The question than needs to be uncovered is how do we fittingly benefit from the gift of faith which God has imparted in some measure to every believer? We simply need to obey His voice and I have just been reminded about Peter and his fishing expedition, bless the name of Jesus now and forever more, Amen!

“After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 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. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Children, do you have any fish?" They answered him, "No." He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.” (John 21:1-7)   

The Lord Jesus often makes his entry on the back of faith, it is a marvellous revelation; in other words He is most glorified when we as Christians are in our deepest need and He come to our rescue with a display of grandeur. Here we see that they simple obey His commandment "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." When applying human reasoning to this request it could be viewed as ridiculous, but faith in Christ drove them to obey Him, which resulted in an act of mercy that left absolutely no doubt that He alone had come to their aid. I see no boast in their fishing ability even though they were skilled fishermen but the abundance supply was all the Lords, He knew were their nets needed to be. God is sovereign and all knowing, we are not!  

It is a terrible thing for a man to become dependent upon others when it could be avoided, it destroys his self-esteem. Needless to say pride is never welcome in the Christians survival; it will always be resisted by God. However we have a responsibility to work in order to eat, this has been the sentenced past down as a consequence of sin from the beginning. The question I need answered with a clearer understanding is how I reconcile the need to work as a man and my application of faith in this area of my life. How do I correctly marry the two?

I desperately need to understand the difference between trusting God for my provision and my responsibility as a man to work in order to provide. The Lord Jesus taught his followers who seemed to be going through rough times a very valuable lesson; “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:31-34) – I was once a gentile (my old mans nature) and I am instructed to rather stop thinking with that mind and to put on the mind of Christ with an emphasis place on “the kingdom of God and his righteousness”. Therefore is it enough just to live by faith in my application to that commitment and wait for God to lead the way regarding work coming across my path or is there still a need for me to strive for employment? This is my dilemma!

Obviously an easy blanket conclusion can be arrived at when viewing the topic with the mind of Christ; “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:8)   

I am convinced about some truths that we receive from the Bibles teachings, which need to be worked into the equation in order to find the correct solution. The love of money is the root of all evil and therefore it should have very little bearing in what motivates us; it is obvious that we mustn’t be driven to store up treasures in this life, but we must work in order to eat. We must also be content with what we have and not covet another mans goods. I am also instructed to apply faith into the provision that will be mine when I trust and obey my God. But when I see a potential lack of the necessities required for daily survival the lines get blurred and this is where I need to find grace to be strengthened. Just like the disciples toiled all night to be blessed with a net of fish, I too have toiled in differing areas of my life to be blessed and have struggled, but I realise that my faith in God my Father is all I need to be victorious. And yet this is the trial that I now face. Please help me understand the difference between my needs and my wants for I am at a loss in this area of my life, I need your help, I cry out unto you. Opened my ears so that I may obey the commands of your voice, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone   

The suffering Christian

(1Peter 4:16)  “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.”

If a man is found blameless and righteous in his own standings what profit would calamity bring to his life? Job was such a man.

Lawbreakers when caught face the penalty for their crimes with time spent in jail as their sentence or worse, death by execution. Therefore when we view hardships in people’s lives around us, when we become privy to them we often conclude whether the sentence is deserved or not. We demand justice! It is a default switch that cannot be avoided, at least in some measure.

Very few of us like to accept injustice as we understand it. But the view of calamity in the paths of Christians has a far greater purpose than that type of understanding. It serves a far greater resolve, and that is to silence the arch-enemy, the devil. I suppose if I was to be truthful, there are not many accounts where this is in plain view. However the story of Job depicts such a wonderful illustration when viewed correctly, when witnessed with the mind of Christ.

We must understand God’s role in these events in our lives to reap the required prize. If not we will continue to grumble and show that in fact we prove only one truth, that we lack faith towards our God. Wherever He leads will we follow? I understand that growth in Christ happens over time no differently to the growth of a child into adulthood. Maturity in Christ is never instantaneous; it is the trial of life that brings it about.

People (Christians) have concluded that God brings no evil upon a person as they use these verses to justify their thoughts; “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.” (James 1:12-16) – Note, look at the context in which this verse is unpacked; it begins with a believer remaining steadfast under trial. God can never be blame for us falling into sin for he is not privy to such temptations; they have no bearing on His existence. It is impossible for God to be tempted, it is beyond Him. The Lord Jesus felt the pressure of this when he was a man, finding himself in a body of flesh we see the way temptation played out in his life; “And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will."” (Matthew 26:39) – Although the Lord Jesus’ directive was very clear, the pressure he faced in the Garden of Gethsemane brought about a request to avoid the cup that he was required to drink, but only up to a point.

God did not bring the temptation upon Job or His Son but He most certainly allowed it. Why? Well we know the end of Jobs life; he was doubly blessed once he came through the trial on the other side; “And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. He had also seven sons and three daughters.” (Job 42:12-13) – As for the Lord Jesus what he endured for our sake entitled Him to not only be our Saviour but also our high priest; “And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you"; as he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek." In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 5:4-10)

Therefore it cannot be any different for the believer; every struggle we face throughout our life times serves a purpose and the sooner we accept our realities the sooner I believe God will allow us to go onto perfection.

In conclusion, Job’s examples eventually silenced the devil and revealed God’s brilliance in showing up the Satan as inferior; God is not subject to anything evil but allows calamity to cross a believer’s life so that His name would be glorified through it all.

The Bible is clear on the subject and even the trials that befell Job are penned in this way; “Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold.” (Job 42:11) – Note; we see that the evil that Job had to face was accounted to the Lord and yet we know the way in which this played out, Satan requesting the hardships to befall Jobs life and only once permission was given by God did that actually materialise. – See Job chapter 2…

We must not be so focus on this life and the trial of it all to cloud our judgments but rather look to eternity where we will receive our reward if and when we have been found faithful to the call God has placed upon our lives, for that epoch for the Christian will engulf infinity.

Signing off

Tyrone

   

God is in control

(Romans 8:31) “… If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Idolatry (excessive admiration shown to someone or something) is a word we like to bracket in the category of extremes. At least this is often the way I have view it. But I believe the trap of it goes a lot deeper than that as it proves a lack of faith when anything is substituted in any measure above the Word of God. When or where there is a shift from sound doctrine and God’s clear instruction towards any other application I believe it must be categorized as Idolatry. My conduct in any given situation will soon prove where I stand at any given point in my life. It’s only once I’m standing on the edge of the cliff that it will truly become apparent where my loyalties lie. Tests of our faith must come across our paths, to help us understand the necessity we have with our God and Fathers call upon our lives. Instinctively in our natural capacity we view it as something foreign, when in fact it should just be understood as another opportunity to help build up our faith towards God.

Throughout our schooling careers how many dreaded exams? It normal was the one who was not prepared, but for the one who has studied and applied themselves to the task at hand normally where the ones that reaped the reward of a good result; however without the test you never really new the measure of your ability.

Life is filled with these types of endurance tests, an athlete trains for an event and it soon becomes apparent how hard they have trained when put to the trial. Of course gifting has its part to play and not everyone can be a great athlete and this is why we are not all tarred with the same brush. And yet every born again believer has receive this gift, a measure of the mind of Christ. Paul the Apostle pens these truths; “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. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.” (1Corinthians 2:12-16)

Not all will have to endure tortured for the sake of the gospel, but some have and some will still be required to travel this road, whilst others will be tested in other arenas but all of us are required to live by faith in some measure. As it is part of our passages in this life.

There was the outcome of those save out of the land of Egypt and sadly most of them fell in the Wilderness not overcoming the required obstacles. Lots wife was another who hankered after the pleasures of this life and although she was freed from the dangers of Sodom and Gomorrah she look back and was turned into a pillar of salt. The sooner we learn to leave our old lives behind the better off we will be. It’s not about how close we can skirt to the borders of what we have been saved from but rather our mind-sets should be freed from that rational as we look to the Word of God to escape entrapment.

“And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:30-31)

Anything and everything that overshadows this truth is an entrapment to the throes of idolatry. God is just in character and will never leave any of his children to the voracity of the wolves when they put their trust in Him. He has an eye for His children of this I am persuaded. Although at times we may be hard pressed by the trial of life He will never leave nor forsake us. Everything we face in life has its purpose. Believe it we must!

The Apostle peter was a founding pillar of the Christian faith and the Lord Jesus made this statement to Him; “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."” (Matthew 16:18-19) - “Peter, in the name of the church, had confessed Christ, and to him therefore the promise intended for the church is directed. Note, There is nothing lost by being forward to confess Christ; for those who honour him, he will honour.” (Matthew Henry)

There is a time coming where the goats and the sheep will be separated by God. They look similar in design but when examine it is easy to tell the difference. The trial of life will soon separate the true believer from the false and without it we will never know where we stand. God help us to find grace in time of need; He will supply all our needs and not our carnal wants.

We must all arrive at this place in our lives and share the sentiment of our beloved brother Paul; “Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” (1Timothy 6:6-8) – Anything above this truth hinges on Idolatry and it will lure us into entrapment.  

Signing off

Tyrone

   

     

         

Maturity

(1Corinthians 13:11) “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”

“God is good”, which is obviously true but the phrase seems to lack intensity on how brilliant God actually is; His character, is filled with goodness, Wow! Sadly mankind knows so little about Him and are often quick to arrive at many differing false conclusions. Satan and sin has taken care of that and yet our abilities to still find repentance was not completely removed, God had a plan that has come into fruition, Jesus Christ the Messiah dying in my stead. It was always apart of His plan, He was never caught off guard. He allowed his only begotten Son to be captured by wicked hands and then to be crucified so that sinners could go free and escape the penalty of the second death, where the judgement of God will sentence the guilty parties for all eternity.

Can you not see, do you not understand the measure and the depths of Gods grace that He has offered all and which still stands today? Currently the cry goes out “Clemency” for all the perpetrators, with no conditions attached, save the acknowledgment of ones sins. Admitting that we are in breech of God’s law and unable to live by it, no matter how hard we have tried.

This was the Apostle Pauls conclusion regarding his efforts in trying to live under the strain of it all; “For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.” (Romans 7:11) – We all need to arrive at the same conclusion that sin is the killer and seeing that we all have fallen victim to it, the sooner we relinquish our part in it the sooner we can face our realities and then it will be plain to see HOW GOOD GOD IS!

Satan and sin looks to keep a person in denial when it comes to their sin. It is part of their design. On the other hand God’s goodness leads a man to repentance; “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4) – This is what we all need in our lives to receive our pardons from God for our own sin and not the sins of another.”   

Therefore whilst I am still under the power of sins spell, this will always be my outcome; “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.” (Romans 7:18-21)

The goodness of God sent His son to die in my place and to free me from that bondage. But for that to materialise I needed to be born again. There is a requisite to be freed from the burden of the weight of my sin. God has afford me this privilege and I am not alone, there are many who have apprehended this; in fact the Apostle John saw the number whilst imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos as he was teleported into the future; “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"” (Revelation 7:9-10)

This is where our spiritual journey BEGINS; our new birth experience is where our eyes are opened to this truth. Please note that there is an emphasis place on “begins”, it is where we realise the merits that we thought we once had outside of God’s forgiveness was nothing but a lie. Trickery and deceit enslaving us to the hope that one day we would escape God’s judgments on our own virtues. Jesus has paid that price and no one else, bless His name now and forever more Amen!  

As babes in Christ we are protected by God and when I revisit that time in my life I am astounded by the change that God afforded me. My life did an about turn. The things that once drove me to my sinful behaviour miraculously vanished and it soon became apparent that I had been changed by the goodness of God. But like a child I began to grow and it was then that I needed to begin to learn the lessons every Christian needs to learn, which is to learn to stand on their feet and begin to walk as men in Christ. Blows taken and which I am still taking through life is preparing me for eternity. In hindsight I have now begun to understand the importance of it all. Without the trial of life pressing in upon me I will never arrive at my vocation. Which is, to be armed with the mind of Christ; “But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.” (Hebrews 2:9-10)

We must all learn this vital lesson; “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” (1Peter 4:1-2) – Without suffering playing it roles in our lives we will never learn to obey the voice of our Father as we ort. It is part of His design; “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.” (Hebrews 5:8-9)   

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.” (1Corinthians 13:11)

Repentance is where our journey begins, but as we travel through life it will become apparent that without obedience we will never see our God as his children. We must learn to obey His voice in spite of the trials of life. This is the way for the Christian.

Our sufferings through life are not randomly selected but carefully designated events that draw us closer to our God and make us more like our Saviour, praise the name of Jesus and His brilliant design and this is why God is GOOD! His ingenuity is far beyond the understanding of those who reject his goodness.

Bless his name now and forever more Amen and Amen!

    

Signing off

Tyrone  

  

    

      

Our inheritance

The hope the Christian has in Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour… one day it will come into fruition and what a day that will be…

“Him hath God exalted.”

- Act_5:31

“Jesus, our Lord, once crucified, dead and buried, now sits upon the throne of glory. The highest place that heaven affords is his by undisputed right. It is sweet to remember that the exaltation of Christ in heaven is a representative exaltation. He is exalted at the Father’s right hand, and though as Jehovah he had eminent glories, in which finite creatures cannot share, yet as the Mediator, the honours which Jesus wears in heaven are the heritage of all the saints. It is delightful to reflect how close is Christ’s union with his people. We are actually one with him; we are members of his body; and his exaltation is our exaltation. He will give us to sit upon his throne, even as he has overcome, and is set down with his Father on his throne; he has a crown, and he gives us crowns too; he has a throne, but he is not content with having a throne to himself, on his right hand there must be his queen, arrayed in “gold of Ophir.” He cannot be glorified without his bride. Look up, believer, to Jesus now; let the eye of your faith behold him with many crowns upon his head; and remember that you will one day be like him, when you shall see him as he is; you shall not be so great as he is, you shall not be so divine, but still you shall, in a measure, share the same honours, and enjoy the same happiness and the same dignity which he possesses. Be content to live unknown for a little while, and to walk your weary way through the fields of poverty, or up the hills of affliction; for by-and-by you shall reign with Christ, for he has “made us kings and priests unto God, and we shall reign for ever and ever.” Oh!, wonderful thought for the children of God! We have Christ for our glorious representative in heaven’s courts now, and soon he will come and receive us to himself, to be with him there, to behold his glory, and to share his joy.” (Charles Spurgeon)

True knowledge that saves

Folly is filled with many misconstrued perceptions, when evaluated it is easy to see this with certainty. It is all about a skewed perception of what in fact is an accurate analogy of righteousness. Proverbs is a book filled with snippets that helps with our skewed perceptions on what is actual righteousness in action. It is a book that unearths many precious gems and it is life-changing when applied into our lives. There is something for everyone and once one truth is realised another soon follows – It is a book filled with inexhaustible trinkets of wisdom…

However it is crucial that we do not look to the First Covenant as the final authority in our lives, as the Second Covenant is alive and well and in fact nullified the first and it calls us to service in a more excellent way; “But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.” (Hebrews 8:6-7) 

If the work of the cross, “Jesus in my place” is the hinge pin on where I actually stand before a Holy God then I need to find my rest in that reality. This in itself is an unnatural response that I look by default to resist; surely there is something I can do to add to the equation continual flickers through my mind. That type of reasoning nullifies the complete work of the cross and I then find myself looking for reward just as the children of Israel expected their remuneration once they sacrificed an animal as part of the First Covenant’s commandment.

They were taught that if they sacrificed a particular animal they would be forgiven for their sin. It was a perpetual lifestyle of continual sacrifice, the sinner always had to live by the Law of Moses to find acceptance from God as well as society (those chosen by God). It was up to the individual to work for their salvation. However with Christs sacrifice there now remains no more need for any other sacrifice, the penalty for sin has finally been paid for in full; “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10) – The Fist Covenant was filled with instructions which exposed mankind’s sinful nature and highlighted that they needed a Saviour; “So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” Galatians (3:22-26)   

Understanding this, the first building blocks that needs to be recognised and established in our lives is “repentance from dead works and faith towards God”. However, this can be easily forgotten when life and its challenges present themselves. Nothing changes for Joe Soap, but for the true born again Christian a new set of laws are now in play; “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) – These are the basic fundamentals to the Christian faith, however the more I delve into this truth with it playing out in my life and those around me the more concerned I become. How many actually understand this as the pillar to our existence? There is much work to be accomplished.

If a designer finds a flaw in his invention will he not rectify whatever needs remedying in order to accomplish the desire result? Likewise it may be time to re-examine our commitment as Christians. I believe the book of Hebrews was written with that in mind. It is a book filled with many warnings to those saved out of the Land of Egypt; the reality for those saved out of slavery results with a sobering and an obvious conclusion; “Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, 'They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.' As I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter my rest.'" Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” (Hebrews 3:10-19) – How so? Did they not continually offer up sacrifices as the law commanded? And yet the majority of them never entered the Promised Land. There is much to be learnt from their grumblings.    

The wisdom found in the book of Proverbs is truly filled with wonderful insight to any given situation, but if we disregard the work of the cross as foundational it will never produce the intended fruit required. A potter may mould a wonderful piece of pottery but without a keel it wont last very long when handled or expose to the elements. It needs heat to cure it, no differently to the Christian needing trials to produce the desired result. In other words without faith mingled together with God’s instruction into our lives we will miss the mark. This is very important for us to understand. It’s all about applying ourselves to the promises the Christian has in the finished work of the cross.       

It would be impossible to lose something you never had. These are very sobering thoughts but needful for us understand. Examine yourselves, is the instruction. Have we armed ourselves with this understanding; “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” (1Peter 4:1-2)

Peace to all who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb  

Signing off

Tyrone