A lesson learnt

The brain is like a sponge they both absorb whatever they encounter. A simple task like cleaning my stove top after a messy cook illustrates my point rather nicely.

Every morning I habitually make espresso and the pot I use has seen better days and because the seals are not what they once were, the overflow can be rather messy; black coffee spill out on a chrome oven top. If I then decide to instantly wipe it down, it is a simple task, but if I leave it to dry then more effort is require to remove the spillage. Similarly our brains are like sponges, the newer the turpitude, the easier it is to clean it out. However ignore sin like coffee on an oven top and before long steel wool is needed to work it free.

When the disciples and the Lord Jesus travelled the countryside their feet gathered dust and therefore needed cleaning, traditionally on arrival their host would present them with a bowl filled with water to remove the dust and the grime they had gathered on their journey. No water no relief!

Please don’t miss the lesson, God first and then appropriate action can be applied. Even the Lord Jesus washed his disciple’s feet, the danger we often face within ourselves because of our makeups is this; “Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”” Therapy outside of prayer or contact with the Lord Jesus is not the answer; that will only ever continue to mislead an individual away from God and not toward him. It is obvious that we cannot converse with Jesus the way Peter did on a physical level that sense is unavailable to us and yet my relationship on a spiritual level with my Saviour at times feels complete, as if all my senses have been engaged at once, such peace! Without that kind of relationship, we are no more that banging cymbals that clatter without any rhythmic beat. When that penny drops, when God opens our eyes to this particular truth, it is marvellously refreshing and this will be our response; “Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”” (John 13:9) – At salvation we, or at least I was filled with zeal without a great amount of knowledge, but through the trial of life comes awareness and many scars, which sadly at times attacks our zeal. All that is needed is a slight tweak to our understanding and we will by God’s grace find ourselves with washed feet or a clean oven top. No repentance no relief! Ignore the lessons of life no matter how mundane they may appear at your own peril, God speaks to us in the details with the WORD (Bible) as the anchor to it all. This is where I have been afforded a glance into His brilliance. God’s genius blows my mind.

How serious are we? Will we wrestle with sin so that our relationship with God may flourish or will we turn a blind eye to the detail that is obviously before us, whatever that may be?

I thank God for his answers to prayer, sin continuous looks to trip up the Christian, the battle may be fierce, but must never be ignore. It is rather daunting how far apart we are from who God is and obviously without His intervention I (we) would never give these types of thoughts much attention.           

The Bible and its authors have great insight not only for the scholar but for all and they often pose questions that need to be answered by all; here is such a question; The Apostle Paul concludes in this statement that he has learn through the trial of his life to be content with his current predicament; "I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content." (Philippians 4:11) – The obvious retort should be, “and so have I.” But how often can we truly say amen to similar lessons throughout scripture? This is a typical principle that can be applied to life, although this particular point is mainly about money, it’s the thrust behind it that I seek out, contentment with God and who He is and where I find myself within that equation, continuing to grow in the good graces and knowledge of the only true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is the ultimate lesson for all to work out.

Paul categorically states that he has learnt to be content, complete peace with no hidden agenda, devoid of pride and yet a simple statement pointing the Christian toward the road of peace. I want that type of harmony, complete trust in God my Father as I absolutely relinquish all that keeps me from that type of application in my life. 

I pray for fortitude in these areas of our lives Father God, help us all be more like our great Redeemer, your beloved Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.

Signing off

Tyrone

Hope

Hope has the potential to drive an individual to heights beyond belief. It when hope nose-dives that an individual begins to wither away with the depletion of his motivation disdainfully diminishing. When hope is alive and thriving it allows us to find the fortitude to press on, through the trial of life, come what may, why? Because the hope we have far outweighs whatever struggle we face. Heaven is my home, I believe it and therefore press toward the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus my Lord and therefore find myself calling out to my Saviour when the pressure is on.

How should we nurture the hope we have be afforded. The measure will vary for all, no differently to the measure of faith we receive, but the application is the same for all and sadly as the rule of thumb we have got this so wrong. The world and our lives is all about control, we plan every aspect of our lives as if we own the destiny to our own futures. However when a curve ball is introduced into the mix, the loss of a child, loss of our job, terminal illness and the like, what then? How do we handle the initial intrusion? Anger, self-pity, resentment to mention but a few emotion that would rage. We are easily derailed, even if only for a time. HOPE gives us the wherewithal to push through any given circumstance, as long as the hope we cherish outweighs the affliction we face.

How do we stay above the curve of the trial of life, ONE DAY AT A TIME!

This is key to our struggle if we want to please our heavenly Father and keep fueling our hope; “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34) – We obviously cannot insert any verse into our lives out of context, this is where so many professing Christians err. However here the Lord Jesus has already addressed the masses and concludes by singling out their worries. This chapter starts by addressing the need to have a giving heart, to help the needy. It then goes into the Lord’s Prayer, it addresses fasting and how we should go about applying ourselves correctly to that discipline. It then moves onto our drive which feeds our hope, money or heaven, is singled out and we are called to choose one or the other, but never both or we will become lopsided. Then finally once we have got to grips with the Lords teachings on this chapter, we are told not to be anxious because God is in our corner and it concludes with facing one day at a time.

It only when we handle chunks of our lives at a time that it then become unbearable. Small portions is the key, one day at a time and as the song goes;

”one day at a time sweet Jesus. is all

I’m asking of you, show

me the way just for today,

One day at a time.”

This is how we will keep our hope alive and it gives us the best chance to remain focused on that which truly counts, God’s will for our lives without having to endure too much unnecessary pain along the way. Obviously we need God’s grace to get through each day and therefore we need to daily dress for battle. Whatever the concern for the day, cry out to Jesus, He is in the Christians corner. Praise God now and forever more, Amen! Even so come quickly Lord Jesus and take us home.

Signing

Tyrone

Words come easily

Words come so easily, it rolls off the tongue without any conscious thought and it’s only when we challenge ourselves that we are taken deeper. “Sincerely” is word I often use but questionable when the layers of my actions are stripped away. Our prayers all filled with intent and yet how often are they supported by our actions?

I believe we need compassion. It must be a priority, however this does not imply that we glibly pass our sin by as acceptable, it does not give us license to accept blatant sin as conventional due to our differing makeups, we are all sinners and we all need to find repentance and there is no exception to that rule, save the Lord Jesus Christ. Society would love us to believe that we should be less ridged in our thinking, which must never take root as okay, nevertheless we must learn to be as gentle as doves and as wise as serpents; “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1) 

The Apostle James seemed to be a harsh man, but I see him as a man of action and nothing more, he proved his words by his actions. He directed his council to professing Christians, he was on their side and wanted to correct their error. Never forget the purpose of God’s Word, it provides light to a dark and rebellious world, it gives the Christian direction and always points to true north. Are we men of action? We all apply ourselves to our own level of comfort as we see fit and it is often conditional. James obviously learnt to channel his considerations when it opposed the will of God, so that his thoughts would not be acted upon when they tested God’s will. We have been instructed to follow his example; to walk in the spirit so that we will put to death the deeds of the flesh and there is no exception to that truth, no sin that will get a pass. 

Now this is a topic that has been so badly tainted in our day and age; in the mind’s eye of many professing Christians, as long as it walks and looks like a duck it must then be a duck type of mentality can often be more damaging than obvious sin. How do I know this to be true? Jesus himself proves it by singling out the religion leaders of the times, those leading the flock, whom he calls workers of the devil. It is far more dangerous to see yourselves as a righteous person than allowing the word of God to expose your sin so that repentance may follow. I am convinced that God seeks out those who have heart conversations with Him. A private unspoken conversation that is constantly ongoing, a reverent banter between God and ourselves with no hidden agenda. We are human and therefore tainted by sin so we will always to some degree be looking out for ourselves, however as we grow in grace and the longer we sit at the feet of Jesus the better off we will become in so many area of our lives.

I heard someone say that our eventful lives leads us towards defining moments. The struggle, failure and heartache is all intertwined to get us to a point where we have the ability to act in accordance with the will of God. It mind blowing, the brilliance of God! He has the aptitude to take a disastrous situation and turn it into absolute beauty. However it’s about getting us to a place where we will be a blessing to others. It’s like a polished arrow of the archer, in his quiver he hides it away, until that moment arrives.  

The Lord Jesus found himself in the Garden of Gethsemane, an event pre-orchestrated from before the foundation of the world by God. It was a trial of mammoth proportion and it had obviously been discussed, nevertheless because of the Lord Jesus’ humanity he found himself looking for an alternative. This was his prayer, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39). Without this event happening, we would all be doomed for hell, wow! That is hard to swallow and yet accurate. We must understand this!

How blind is blind, I find myself pondering, it is a thought that nags away at me. The deception of today’s day and age is cloaked with such refinements that all, male and female alike are gobbling it up. It is a topic that we dare not uncover less we be tarred with the brush of bigotry and for the Christian to expose their views on it would be like casting pearls before swine. All I will say on the matter is trust the WORD OF GOD and do not be swayed by the voices of today. God is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow and no opinionated ideas will sway who He is and what he stands for. Boycotts and the like against the Word of God ultimately will never. He is Righteous and will never bend to any whim contrary to His character. GOD is the creator of all things and every knee will bend to the Lord Jesus Christ and confess Him as Lord. Whether that be willingly or with a rod of iron, and again I will remind all that day will arrive.

Signing off

Tyrone

Dear Father

Time to regroup and focus on what really counts…

Seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, forgive me Father for the muddy waters in my life around this truth. The cares of this life are real and it would be dishonest of me if I did not confess that at times they wear me down. Faith demands loyalty, help me with my unbelief and forgive me for my sin.

We are all driven, dissect it and it will soon be obvious to all that we are determined individuals, even the sloth is driven to be lazy. Although some drives are detrimental to the end game, this does not equate to us being driver-less. In fact the opposite must be concluded, we are driven in another or opposite direction. The Christian has a new goal, “the kingdom of God and His righteousness”, period! We have been called "to put on the mind of Christ".

A beggar will do whatever he must to fill his stomach, but once it is full, no more need to rummage through the trash and such is the cycle of life irrespective of our differing arenas. This is my point as Christians we can no longer hang onto the trivia of this life and yet we find ourselves captivated by it. It’s for this type of mind-set that I pray for forgiveness. To be driven by complacency is unacceptable, especially when the majority of world is doomed for hell. Reignite a zeal that the canker-worm has feasted upon. I pray for even just a slither of the zeal that captivated my soul way back in 1987, be merciful Father, not because I deserve it but rather because you have it in your power to be merciful.

The more I analyse my predicament, the heavier I become, the cares of this life are real and yet they gain momentum outside the realm of faith. Unbelief is their playground. One of the greatest examples of faith playing out would have been Moses and the Red Sea. The enemy was bearing down with one thought in mind, to slaughter and yet Moses looked up towards the heavens and cried out to His God and the sea parted, walls of water defining the laws of gravity. Who would have believed it, Moses did! He understood and then he cried out to his God who intervened, praise God! This is the mentality we have been called to implement into our lives, anything short of it, is unbelief. Father God, Please forgive me for my unbelief!

God does not need our help in that sense but we must certainly learn to depend upon His. "Obedience is better than sacrifice". This is the objective of our existence. This is the lesson every Christian must learn if it is to be well with our souls.

Signing off

Tyrone

Prelims

God gives mankind a certain amount of time to live and we can average it out to around seventy years and yet for some a lot less time is afforded them. This morning I will be attending a funeral of one of our boys aged just seventeen that we ministered to on a Thursday night. Praise God for the opportunity He afforded Mark and me. As slight as it may have been, the privilege of playing our parts in his life may just have been the thrust he needed to respond to the glorious message of the Gospel. It is only God who saves but He has chosen the gospel message to spark individuals into action. I am confident that the Lord Jesus Christ had an influence on his life. At a tender age of seventeen he has move from this realm to the next, he is now in the spiritual realm and in one of two places, hell the holding cell awaiting his eternal judgment or heaven awaiting the Lord Jesus’ second return where he will receive his glorified body; a topic for another day. This is what the Bible teaches; there is no other in-between state; we will either died and open our eyes in heaven or hell, Period! Never assume that you will have another day to put things right, as it may never arrive. Today is the day of salvation and life is filled with ignorance, God has spoken; “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Act 17:30-31) – The Lord Jesus died for sinners and not the self-righteous and God the Father confirmed this to the world by raising Him from the dead. However without repentance heaven will allude the sinner. 

Regardless of our allotted time, it is imperative that we call upon the name of the Lord Jesus to save us from our sins and the looming horrific judgment that God has in store for those who reject his grace. As for the Christian this is our time and we have to learn the lessons God wants us to learn, no differently to a father training his son up to the best of his ability as he looks out for his well-being, which is driven by love. God’s love is far greater. The enemy on the other hand feeds us with alternatives, like qualifications, self-worth and power in whatever form that may come within our given circles and obviously gratification of our flesh, lures that promise satisfaction and yet they are so temporal and can never be totally quenched. Have you not lived long enough to understand this? It’s one thing to struggle with a particular sin but quite another thing altogether when you do not see it as such and excuse it away as the niceties’ or necessities of life.

As for Kobus I am confident as I can be, God knows! That he is now in heaven, he heard the gospel and responded favourably to it.

Let us not say tomorrow we will right our wrongs, for tomorrow may never arrive. “How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3)

Signing off

Tyrone

Sounds

The effects that sounds have on us is rather enthralling, even Hollywood worked this out some years ago. The right type of jingle can instil terror, joy or even sadness; music an extremely powerful tool in the hands of those you know how to work it.

Then we have the sounds of nature which have a calming effect on those who are fortunate enough to find themselves amongst an array of early morning bird calls. - The list is endless; God has given us an ability capable of helping us evaluate and then capture so much information through our ears. Just one of the five senses that we so often take for granted. However, these sense thrive within our earthly make up and we process everything through our human intellect and as great and brilliant as that is, it will always miss the voice of God because He is SPIRIT!

Our brains are most certainly capable of understanding that God exists, but who, how and where will always elude us. Creation proves HIS existence; but until we come face to face with our God or hear his small still voice whisper into our ear we will remain opinionated on so many different levels. To hear the voice of God we must be plugged into the source. No differently to the beginning of time when GOD spoke and creation sprung to life. Without God’s intervention in our lives we will never be saved; He is the ONE who initiates the process, without Him we will remain oblivious to His brilliance. With that established we must now seek out the truth and the Holy Bible is the platform from where He has chosen to speak. The words pen in this magnificent book is ink on paper, however it’s as good as if God’s voice penned the words. Obviously that thought is rather irrational when we view it through the eyes of common sense, but we are instructed to put on the mind of Christ, which is a spiritual discipline and then a miracle occurs, we are born again and a spiritual faculty is added to your senses. God gives us understanding, He opens our eyes and our ears to His World.

Examine those who now claim Christianity to be the whole truth and nothing but the truth, those whom you know on a personal level. How did they once view life, where they energized differently, and if the change is obvious, why? Could it just be that God has opened their eyes to His world and they now see it and because of it seem somewhat obsessed? Many who claim Christianity as a way of life have faulted in many areas of their lives, I know as I am amongst the chief of sinners, however because of my many mistakes should I now deny what I know to be true? Absolutely not! I have repented and I will by the grace of God press on to the high call of God in my life. I have understood the magnitude of the Lord Jesus’ sacrifice on my behalf. How far am I willing to take it, even death will not keep me from calling upon the name of Jesus, He is the love of my life.

Sadly there will always be the liar and the thief pretending to something they could never be, ministers of the light! Money preachers who pretend to be an ambassador for Christ, when in fact they are in it to win it, money, money and then more money. They will not escape, judgement is just over the horizon.

Obviously unless an individual is born again these wonderful truths that I am now privy too will elude the shunner. Those who consider this concept a fairy-tale will never understand what I am talking about, but for those who have stepped out in faith and called on the Lord Jesus Christ to open their spiritual eyes will understand.

What is it that keeps us from stepping out in faith, the most obvious of answers in my opinion would be that we gravitate towards a mentality that society on a whole does its utmost to keep alive in our lives, which is; “self-acceptance” a notion that we deserve so many things that in fact when examined without any emotion attached to it, I find that we live with a delusional mind-set as the norm. We live for the here and now, what will soon follow is ignored. Judgement is coming, but only for those who reject the Lord's mercy.

With a clear conscience I have voiced what I know to be truth, my prayer is that it will strike a nerve that will drive you towards repentance, calling upon the name of Jesus to quicken your understanding to these truths.

Signing off

Tyrone

Mighty to save...

As individuals we all have our crosses too bear and that in itself is no easy feat. So long as we can always remember these two points it will be well with our souls; “Jesus in my place” and “not my will but thine be done”. There is obviously a lot tied up into those two statements. However unpack them directly into your lives and you will remain in the light where no darkness will ever have total dominion over you. Sure there will be times where we will lose our way but the Spirit within us will bring us to a place of repentance, which thankfully is provided for us by the power of God the HOLY SPIRIT working in us. God has saved us in and through the perfect sacrifice of His beloved Son’s faultless sacrifice as He hung and died a brutal death upon a cruel Roman cross on the hill, Golgotha. HE is might to save…

"Mighty to save." (Isaiah 63; 1)

“By the words "to save" we understand the whole of the great work of salvation, from the first holy desire onward to complete sanctification. The words are multum in parro: indeed, here is all mercy in one word. Christ is not only "mighty to save" those who repent, but he is able to make men repent. He will carry those to heaven who believe; but he is, moreover, mighty to give men new hearts and to work faith in them. He is mighty to make the man who hates holiness love it, and to constrain the despiser of his name to bend the knee before him. Nay, this is not all the meaning, for the divine power is equally seen in the after-work. The life of a believer is a series of miracles wrought by "the Mighty God." The bush burns, but is not consumed. He is mighty to keep his people holy after he has made them so, and to preserve them in his fear and love until he consummates their spiritual existence in heaven. Christ's might doth not lie in making a believer and then leaving him to shift for himself; but he who begins the good work carries it on; he who imparts the first germ of life in the dead soul, prolongs the divine existence, and strengthens it until it bursts asunder every bond of sin, and the soul leaps from earth, perfected in glory. Believer, here is encouragement. Art thou praying for some beloved one? Oh, give not up thy prayers, for Christ is "mighty to save." You are powerless to reclaim the rebel, but your Lord is Almighty. Lay hold on that mighty arm, and rouse it to put forth its strength. Does your own case trouble you? Fear not, for his strength is sufficient for you. Whether to begin with others, or to carry on the work in you, Jesus is "mighty to save;" the best proof of which lies in the fact that he has saved you. What a thousand mercies that you have not found him mighty to destroy! (Charles Spurgeon)

Signing off

Tyrone

A loving Father

Another year has passed and the years continue to count down as the last of days begins to near. I wonder if part of my brain has released a reflection mechanism which most certain was inactive as a child growing up or at least not as noticeable.

Age most certainly has begun to take its toll on me, not to say that I haven’t had my part to play with so many reckless decisions along life’s journey. Be that as it may, God is truly wonderful! I have certainly encountered my fair share of those who have questioned God’s love, as for me I will most certainly be forever thankful… “Jesus in my place” the sweetest statement to enthral my mind. Without Him I would be of all men most miserable. For many that statement is so beyond their reach that the mere thought of it would send their mind into cartwheels. However there are many that would proclaim AMEN to this beautiful expression; “Jesus in my place”! The love of God who can fathom it? Most things can be quantified, but never the love of God. Just when you believe you have a grip on it a fresh notion arrives and you once again realise how little you know. Nevertheless I know more than enough to confess that I will forever be beholden to God’s love. For those who have tasted of the sweet forgiveness of our heavenly Father in and through the Lord Jesus’ selfless sacrifice share my sentiments, of this I am persuade. Since his journey here on earth, millions of lives have been changed in one form or another and praise God that I am amongst that number. There is no other claim that I will broadcast with such vivacity bar this, that the love of God has rescued me. 

There is a day coming where those who arrive in heaven, whose number cannot be counted will praise our God and King for all eternity; “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) - For all the saints out there, I beseech you to sing praises to our great loving heavenly Father. There is no other name under heaven or on earth where an individual will find salvation for their souls, save the name of Jesus, the only true Messiah. As for the Jews and their understanding of this the truth it will soon also arrive for them and they too will turn and repent and call upon the name of Jesus, the same Jesus that their forefather called on to be crucified; “Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!” (Matthew 27:22-23) 

The Love of God will honour his covenant with their great grandfather, the father of faith, Abraham. As a nation they will be once again grated into the vine of Christ’s salvation and understand the meaning of what I hold so dear, “Jesus in my place”!

What father has ever entertained such tolerance from so many wayward children? The power of His grace is adept in turning the most rebellious individual, that it leaves no margin of doubt, so that their transformation is nothing short of miraculous. Within our own characters we would never find righteousness, however once we make our way through the hustle and bustle of life and push throw the crowed and touch the Lord’s garment we are instantly changed and will never view life and the purpose of it all in the same tone. God gifts us with the miracle of salvation and He gives us the mind of Christ. We receive His righteousness and even when we stray from the call placed on our lives. No differently to the parable of the Prodigal son we somehow and somewhere come to our senses and find the strength to dust the dirt from our knees as we once again find the fortitude to cry out to Jesus and seek out his forgiveness.

     

What child by default through their differing personalities does not somewhere within this beautiful relationship end up pushing the boundaries? I would have to conclude that all of us err in one form or another and God lovingly disciplines us where and when it is needed, praise His name for this! He knows what is best for us! We must learn to let go and let God… we will all learn this lesson well or at least be changed by it.

To all those out there who just can’t find the strength to push through the crowd and reach out and touch the Lord Jesus, I am even now praying for you and as Nike would say, “just do it”! Only then will these types of posts truly begin to make sense.

To one day to hear the voice of God call me his friend, how sweet that will be. How much dying I still have to endure, however, be that as it may, I know it will be worth it all.

Signing off

Tyrone

Christmas time

There is a relaxing beauty trapped within the South African bushveld that cannot be easily replaced. Even though the hum of the air conditioner does its best to break the tranquillity of the soothing bustle as the birds and insects converse across the grasslands, thankfully I am able to distant that droning interference and just take in the moment. Similarly just like a cool pool is able to relieve an individual from the baking sun, so too does the bushveld calm me from all anxiety. As Christian we have all been commanded to be anxious for nothing! Easier said than done! Nevertheless a post we must aim for in Christ.

I have lived enough to understand the power of substance abuse, all it really achieves is an escape from reality, and only for a time. It is the “silly season” the Christmas holidays that affords so many individuals an excuse to indulge in a pass to excuse the flesh of some of its captivating pleasure as acceptable. And sure, the older we get, the better we become at disguising what we know to be an abomination to our heavenly Father from others. King Solomon understood this well. If it wasn’t for the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and his mind, “the mind of Christ” we would all be in serious danger of hell fire. But praise be to Him that although Christmas has been high jacked by Satan and his followers and many a Cristian has been taken by his plot to deviate from how we should conduct ourselves over this time and because we have His Spirit we are not totally fooled by the masses, praise God for this!

All I ask is that we be honest with ourselves and to all the Christian parents that still engage it the Christmas spirit with Santa Claus as a big part of the festivities, please refrain from the trickery of it all. It really helps no one in the bigger scheme of things. Especially ones children, all it achieves is to confuse them. It’s a unique idea that takes their eyes of Christ and places it onto someone else and promotes lies as acceptable.

The reason the Christian lives is to worship our glorious king, this concept may well be foreign to the masses, however, the Christian is well aware of the truth of this statement or at least should be. Jesus died so that we could be set free, there is no greater thought above or beyond the universe. Jesus paid the price for my sin, WOW! So why would I ever want to allow the decay of the Christmas festivities to deviate from that truth, I have made up my mind and I will stand firm on my persuasion. 

Although there may be many things we do that are barely acceptable to our heavenly Father and the idea of chopping down trees (mentioned in the book of Jeremiah) and decorating then with shiny things in the name of Christ could well be amongst that list, however doing it in the name of father Christmas is certainly not one of them. That in itself falls under an abomination before God. It is obvious that God is a jealous God and He will not share His glory with another, especially when his arch rival the devil is behind it all. Just so long as peoples attentions deviate from God’s intervention in sending a Saviour into the world so that individuals would recognize their sin and understand that they need to be saved from themselves and that God has afforded us all a chance to repent and call upon the name of His beloved Son our glorious Saviour to find forgiveness and be ushered into the fold of the only true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

We must make up our minds, is Christmas a day to be celebrated as the birth of Christ, which is obviously not accurate if we had to study the actual times and seasons of Christs birth. A day introduced by the Catholic Church many years ago; it is a day that appeared in our calendar somewhere along the path of history as it was smuggled into our timetables and given its place. Then interestingly enough Santa Claus appeared on the same day and not another, just to throw in another “straw-man” so that the world could shift their attention to an alternative with great success. As Christians it is up to us to set the tone, especially when it comes to our families, without the hard conversations we may never be faithful in sharing the gospel effectively with those who have shunned Christ’s sacrifice.

Make a stand for our great King, the One who bled and died so that could have our names penned into the book of life, so what if you take a little heat in the kitchen standing over a steaming pot as your sister-in-law is force to address the issues of Christmas for the sake of the gospel and the sake of her families souls.

Many years ago and after just a little study I was convince about the truth of Christmas and by the grace of God have stood my ground. Whatever your conclusion, be firm on it but above all use this time to point people to Christ!

  

May the strength of Christs Spirit persuade all of this certainty and may it help turn the corner for the fence sitters.

Signing off

Tyrone

Water

Understanding the significance of washing throughout biblical history is very relevant for us today and there is much we can glean from when examining it a little closer. Washing of old dealt with various aspect and deeper underlying principles in the lives of the elect.

From the very beginning of time travelers would be afforded small amounts of water set aside to wash their feet. A spiritual analogy we can draw from; the closer we are to the dirt as we move across the plains of life, the dusty environment, the dirtier our feet become and a greater work is needed to renew our minds with the will of God for our lives. The tighter we cling to God’s direction in our lives the fuller we will be with the peace of God as it overshadows our aura. This is why so many outside of the will of God need to be helped by "shrinks" no wonder they can charge exceptional rates and still have people flocking to their doors. Everything that does not have roots in the equation of eternity, particularly to our roles in fulfilling the will of God as we use the BIBLE, HIS WORD and nothing else as our barometers will leave us wanting.

In order for us to understand the deeper meanings of life we must lay the correct foundation to our understanding, obviously we need eyes wide open and not wide shut to apprehend and this will only ever happen if God grants us the ability to see into His realm, the spiritual world. However the application remains true for all, which is this, we must understand the correlation between the world of carnality and that of the spirit and how they should both drive us towards a position of correction as we travel through life. King Solomon, David son, teaches us much with regard to trying to gratify our flesh as a means to an end. He sums it up like this; “and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 12:7-8) – In other words, no matter what you strive for in this life if you miss the call of God it will be catastrophic.

Water and the use of it is a great clue to get us there.

Water and the Word of God correlates with one another, dirty feet need to be washed to remove the filth from them, studying the Word of God aligns our minds with Gods will for our lives and in turn renews our minds and equips us to put on the mind of Christ. Therefore, let us all be diligent when it comes to this area of our lives, for it will then result with great benefit and prepare us for the life to come which obviously has eternal concerns.

My prayer is this, Father God give us all the fortitude to be far more diligent in this area of our lives, Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

Nicodemus

(John 3:9)  Nicodemus answered and said unto him, how can these things be? 

How often do we find ourselves flabbergasted by the varying degrees of filth which impregnates our planet and our lives? Then there is the confusion of it all that leaves us asking questions like, “how can these things be?” The longer God affords me the opportunity to have breath and life here on earth, the more I begin to understand the short sightedness of mankind. Sadly we are all taken by our own agendas and live according to our rules and not the voice of the ONE who is actually in control of all things. We believe, because we are capable of choosing today, that tomorrow will be no different and so life continues until that too is taken from us, what then? Will we cry out “how can these things be?” Sadly for some with that cry will come terrible torment, however that can be avoided; you do not need to have all the answers to all your questions, all that is required, cry out unto Jesus and seek out his forgiveness for your own sin. It is really as simple as that and then you will cry out, “wow, I never realised that before. It is only then that our journeys begin and we then struggle with other issues when we see our reflection against God's brilliance. We begin to notice the gulf between our characters and yet through the Lord Jesus Christ we can now have fellowship with the creator of the universe, mind boggling, whilst being impressively beautiful. God forgiving mankind for their rebellion against him, his will and his authority. 

God has open a way for us all, He send his only beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ to bleed and die on a cruel Roman cross to set the sinner free. However, do not be fooled, reject Christ and you will suffer the consequences. Do not believe the lie that God will still love you in spite of your rejection for His Son’s sacrifice, which is a false gospel. God’s love is encapsulated in the Lord Jesus Christ and outside of that covering, the love of God will elude you.

Where do you stand?

I believe that this man Nicodemus worked it out, God opened his eyes to the truth of it all and he no longer asked questions like “how can these things be?”

Signing off

Tyrone

The Magician

Endurance training is a means which helps us understand our limitations on a natural level. Temptation is a tool which is use to drive us towards sin and the more attractive the lure the easier the entrapment. However the greatest of all dangers in my opinion would have to be deception. A deceit that is so dangerous that it will have eternal consequence for all taken by it; the ultimate objective of our enemy, to defeat his/our creator and take as many with him as possible to an eternity of torment. Why would Satan look do this? I wouldn’t be foolish enough to say I have all the answers to that question; however I will state what I know to be an obvious observation. His objective is to belittle the great God of the universe, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, my Father! He wants to appear greater than Him in stature. His pride did not spring from a root of righteousness but sin entered in and therefore the rivalry began way before the creation of mankind. In a nutshell the devil wants to defeat God and all He stands for and for us to believe that he has no power would be an error of grave magnitudes. 

Did you know that when he was found out and banished from heaven that he was able to persuade one third of the angels in heaven to side with him. It boggles the mind, to think that angels that witness God brilliance still chose Satan over God! He was able to deceive them in plain sight, how much greater his ability to deceive those that are under his influence and are not truly aware of his presence, nor are they able to see him...

Who then is influenced by the sway of the devil? All of creation! Nevertheless it is all by permission from God. Without God’s consent his hands are tied. How do I know this? The book of Job makes this very clear; God gives Satan permission to inflict his servant. Why? To eventually glorify God in Job’s life, exalt his name and then Job is eventually rewarded for his faithful obedience.

Those who do not confess Jesus as Lord are automatically under the devils influence, why? Because he is the father of sin and we are sinners by nature. You do not have to teach a child to sin; they all learn to work that out for themselves. As I look back on my childhood, it didn’t take me long to realise that lying could keep the belt away from my buttocks, if I could be convincing enough, all I needed to learn to do was be convincing enough so that my deceit was believed as fact.

This will help you understand or not, depending on which side of the fence you sit; “Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:42-44)

1.     All those who do not love the Lord Jesus does not have the Fathers protection, in that sense... obviously the world and God’s creation is covered by His "communal grace" that effects all. Satan does not have total free reign, he only works within the parameters that God has afforded him, for now! But its only God’s children that have His loving affections.

2.    It is also obvious that those who reject God’s counsel, those who refuse to believe in the only true Messiah, the One and only Lord Jesus Christ belong to their father the DEVIL and they wish to fulfill his desires which are a string of lies that only carries with it intent to deceive.

Now no one likes to find out that they have been duped, but it is one thing to be tricked and then realign your radar to learn from your mistake and avoid it happening again.

Whilst we still have breath God affords us opportunity to find repentance. However, this now is very important please pay very careful attention to it; once we breathe our last, judgment waits, therefore there are no more second chances. It’s only in this lifetime, our lives on earth that God has afforded us time to find repentance for our sin in and through the Lord Jesus’ sacrifice, the rest of the voices you hear wafting through society is nothing more than trickery. The greatest magician of all times working under the cloak of invisibility.   

Therefore Satan’s ultimate goal must be to deceive as many as he possibly can and take them to their graves under a drape of deceit.

Where do you stand and who will you side with? I have made up my mind, as for me and my household we will serve the God of creation; bless the name of Jesus now and forever more, Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone