A Reminder...

 

Do not be conformed but transformed in the way we process information through our minds, with the aim of being converted into the image of Christ and it all begins with our understanding on faith, which is a affluence on the things we hope for. So long as that hinges on the ultimate will of our heavenly Father, no matter what is thrown at us we will find grace to overcome, its only when we get in the way of our transformation that we have extra heartache. Which earthly father doesn’t want to give good gift to their children, how much more then will our heavenly Father look out for His children. Once the lesson is learnt a blessing follows. Sadly the same lesson can take a lifetime for some.   

 

The secret is aligning our perceptions and our understanding on the will of God for our lives. This journey lasts a lifetime. How often do we pray and yet we do not receive? Why is that? Because we ask amiss. Our minds get in the way of our Fathers will for our lives. This is how we need to process information, trust God for our lives, even when everything around us screams “RUN!” Abraham the Father of faith is a perfect example, he was willing to sacrifice Isaac the son of promise, because he believed God. I wonder what was going through his mind once he had tied up his son and placed him on the altar, try and allow you mind to comprehend, there he stood knife in hand and ready to strike. Was there doubt in his mind? The writer of Hebrews doesn’t give us any, absolute commitment in faith towards His God.  “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

 

It’s easy to trust when we have enough money on hand to buy a loaf of bread but something altogether when our pockets are empty. I know, for most, this experience would remain a distant thought and not a reality, so I say, find something that’s specific to your situation and apply yourself in faith through your mind’s eye and then see that chink in your life as an opportunity to glorify our heavenly Father. Its easy to run with the though, why me? This in itself goes far deeper than the surface, of this I am convinced. Nevertheless, it would be good to at least land on this conclusion; why not me! We often end up reaping what we have sowed, however God is gracious and when we have learnt the lesson he will bring reprieve. And even if it doesn't come, will we stand firm on the finished work of the cross? Its at these times in our lives that we need to tap into the hope that we as Christians have. Unbelieve thrives in uncertainty.   

The world looks to highjack us with a "victim" type mentality. And Satan feeds the lust of our flesh, that which cries out within our minds, an itch that needs scratching, nothing more than us looking to quench our sinful activities. An action of reflex... Then we have the lust of our eyes, when we see something that we want and are so driven by that thought that we will do whatever it takes to possess it. And finally the pride of life, “how dare someone wrong me, who do they think they are?” and revenge kicks in. These are the attributes our beloved brothers John and Paul warns us to be on the lookout for when it comes to the worlds influence. “Do not be conformed” is Paul's warning, “put off" that way of thinking and replace it with Abraham’s way of thinking, in faith, trusting our God through the trial and not buckling under the pressure. Theory is a wonderful gift from God to us, but does it really count if we understand a truth but lack applying its effect into our lives. As I look into the review mirror, my life has been filled with hypocrisy, not understanding a truth and then applying myself to it in error. Only because I wanted to indulge in a sinful habit and excuse my behaviour as acceptable. I used grace as a license to sin for a time. Its obvious to conclude such a thought when we obviously walk in rebellion to the call of God upon our lives. It is easier to repent from such a position. But what of our standing when we believe we are more or less towing the line? If we are honest and call on the grace of God to strip us bare and understand our own minds, its these areas, the little foxes that spoils the vines that we must not ignore. And this is how it sometimes plays out; understanding a truth but lacking the commitment to it. Let us not make this mistake, when we “put off” the ways of the world, we must “put on” the way of our heavenly Father. When temptation arises, how do I handle the trial? Do I grit my teeth and bare it for a while and then say enough and yield? It’s only once we come through the trial without yielding that we succeed. Theory is never enough to glorify God, we must be practical in application. So how do I succeed? When the temptation arises, I purposefully run to the cross. In that exact trial I stop what I am doing and open the bible and begin to read. This is how we “put off” and “put on”. We shift our focus from the temptation onto the finished work of the cross, we take our eyes off our struggle and remember what it cost the Lord to die in our place. This is transformation as opposed to conformation of the world’s way of thinking.

 “To the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.”

 

Signing off

 

Tyrone

 

David's Example

 

If we are looking for a blessing from God it would be a good idea to flip through the pages of history. The Book of Psalms is a great place to start. David the shepherd boy, giant slayer and king was a man after God’s own heart. If its wisdom you want to study David. A well-rounded man who understood copious amounts of the everyday struggle of life that we ourselves face. If I allow my mind to tap into the imagery of his life and view it through a Director's lens, I see men, obviously Israeli, scrambling around a large battlefield table perfectly positioned in the middle of a tent considering their upcoming alternatives with a panicked emphasis on how to defeat Goliath, an almost impossible task. Here I see I clear indication of a shepherd boy, barely a man understanding a principle that the Apostle Paul teaches many years later, in fact thousands. The Option we face on a daily basis, do we put on the mind of Christ or do we look to our carnal abilities to overcome the day? “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.” (Romans 8:6-7)    

 

Who would dare to tackle the mission, the terms had been thrown down, and whoever was left standing would be the victor. Goliath the giant man representing the Philistines a mighty man of Valour with innumerable notches carved into his belt which in itself told many a story. A freaked Israel looking to King Saul for the solution, on one hand hoping he would be man enough to take up the challenge, whilst on the other doubting he had the ability to tackle the giant. Whilst the faithful few tucked away in the corners held their peace trusting their God for victory. “Faith without works is dead…” God will never deny himself. David then enters the scene on a completely different errand. Summoned by his father Jesse to deliver food to his brothers who had followed Saul and where now with him on the frontline awaiting the upcoming battle against the Philistines. It what David then witnesses that seems to floor him, a giant, a man from Gath standing over ten feet tall defying the God of Israel, as he arrogantly took up his position on his side of the battlefield and bellowed these words; “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.”  A parley between two men to decide their nation’s fate, to be enslaved or the end up being served by slaves. This went on for 40 days, Goliath took his stand morning and evening and each day his challenge left the Israeli leadership cowering. The mood of the camp was one of great fear.       

 

It’s at this point that God introduces a man of faith, almost accidentally sandwiched into the scene, but we know better, the providence of God now on display. David a man after Gods own heart on a mission to deliver bread to his brothers now witnesses the commotion. Let us stop and think for a minute, why was David referred to as “a man after Gods own heart”? As the story unfolds we see David is not filled with fear, because he, just like Abraham believes God. Who amongst us can honestly say we believe God when the trial of life presses in? Currently there is no greater strain that I face than the finical pressures of life. The burden of being an encumbrance to others drives me to a place of despair and unbelief pounds viciously at the door. This is why I love the Word of God and the examples we are able to glean from the Bible, it realigns the rudder and nourishes our souls. It feeds us, empowering us to get through another season. The test of faith must come for all, I believe it is a key fundamental for the Christians' walk, without it we will never truly learn to depend upon the grace of God. When we stay the course, the reward always far outweighs the trial. The greater the blessing the harder the struggle, seems to be a no-brainer for me. I may be wrong, but I do not think so!

 

We should all know how the story ends, if not let me not influence the lessons you can take from it, the account is to be found 1Samuel 17, read it and glean from it as there is a fortune of nourishment for the soul.

 

Father God give me the strength to humbly sit at the feet of my glorious Saviour and to wait for his Instruction, whatever that may be and not to always try to force his hand so that my flesh may benefit. Teach me your ways my God, Hallowed be they name, all hail King Jesus now and forever more, amen and amen!

 

Signing out

 

Tyrone 

Choose your Weapon

 

The greatest commanders of all time will all have a similar mantra that they lived by, to win a battle one must understand their enemy. For an undercover agent to be successful they need to become one with those whom they look to infiltrate. When it comes to war, humans with their hunger for power, have always searched out preferred weapons of choice. The Spartans use defence as a strength, A Hoplon Shield was “made from wood and the outer part was covered with bronze, they weighed around 30 pounds and measured 3 feet in diameter. One of the unique features of the shield was the way it was held. The handle was at the edge of the shield supported by a leather strap in the center. It was this technique that allowed the soldiers to freely move their arms during battle. The size of the shield also acted as a floating device. The hoplon shield could be used for bludgeoning and killing due to its weight and blunt nature. The shield was primarily for defensive purposes but was used by the Spartans to gain an element of surprise.”

 

I could spend a lot more effort here, but time does not permit, so here is the conclusion; “Weapons from the ancient world were nasty, brutal, and ruthless. They were not only unique, but also displayed high levels of analytical and critical skill from the past. Their uniqueness and the material they were made from could be enough to startle and then eventually slaughter the enemy. The weapon choice was often a crucial part of the battle strategy, for example, the Spartans used their big hoplon shields alongside other weapons to march forward and disarm the opponent.”

 

In order to neutralise ones opponent we need a weapon of choice that will have every chance of success. Today all the major powers have nuclear missiles to threaten their enemies and keep them in line. Have you ever really considered what Satan’s preferred weapon of choice is? We are well aware that he uses our weakness, our default abilities of buckling to the pressures of sin as a means to an end, but this is not his preferred weapon of excellent. He uses trickery as his number one form of attack. His ability to twist the Word of God to mean what it doesn’t is what works best for him. His endgame is to get individuals to believe a lie as fact; “And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.”  (Revelation 19:6) - He is so skilled with this ability that he even got one third of the angels to defy God. He deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden, and he has deceived ever religious organization throughout the ages up until now, who do not believe that Jesus Christ is the “way, the truth and the life”, that He is God and the only way to heaven. And I must remind you why deception is so powerful, as it results with the one who has been deceived into believing a lie to be true.

 

Why would he approach his quest in such a manner, I believe it is because God’s weapon of choice is His Word. He spoke creation into being. Did you know that all it takes for God to create or destroy something is for Him to speak and it happens. It’s not as if He has to forge a weapon to achieve His objective. We know that “God said, let there be light” and the light appeared, period! And in that great battle where the nations of the world will gather and look to defeat God, it will be a one-sided matter. God will just say the Word and victory will be His.

 

“(“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”) And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.” (Revelation 16:15-21) – In this account God commands, “It is done” and mayhem breaks out upon the earth. He speaks and it happens. Satan and all his followers will be defeated. All those factions who have been sucked into his web of deception will fall and face the judgment of God and then down the track the final sentence will follow.

 

Do not be fooled into believing the lie that this day will not happen…

 

The only question left for us to answer is do we believe God at His word or not?

 

“O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you.”

(1Timothy 6:20-21)  

 

Signing off

 

Tyrone

Rejig

 

Understanding the authors intent when unpacking what has been penned, seems critical to me. If we get it wrong it may just send us down the wrong hole. Thankfully God has not left us to our own devices and we have the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us into all truth. However it is obvious that professing Christians often gets things wrong, especially when it comes to the unpacking of scripture. On the other hand we find those so stuck on formula that they often miss out on a deeper spiritual understanding. Head knowledge must transform our beings into the image of Christ, if not, we have become like hollow clanging cymbals with no harmonious beat. Trees with very little fruit… Did not the Lord say that “you shall know a tree by its fruit”? The measure of one’s obedience is often reflected in the nourishing effects their fruit has one others. Notwithstanding the four season as we know them and then there is a time for pruning. All necessary for a tree to be exceedingly fruitful. Then we have the soil to consider, the amount of exposer to the sun and so on. With all factors considered we should be fruit bearers, if not it may just be time to reconsider the first principles of the doctrines of Christ. Where am I lacking and how can I rectify my predicament? Faith, hope and love must drive me at all times, if not I have lost my way.

 

Back to basics and it always starts with sitting at the feet of Jesus. Find a quiet place, preferably before the sun is up and there is no disruption, make your intention clear through prayer and then wait for direction. For those who journal do that. For others, make sure your bible is open and then bear your heart to our Saviour, He will attend the meet. He is faithful to his own, even when we remain faithless, for he cannot deny himself. He is our head and he understands our weakness, praise his holy name. Remember the butterflies of our first encounter that warn fuzzy feeling, which we could not get enough of. It’s that which needs rekindling. Oh Lord Jesus how I pray for that. A time in my life where everything instinctively was meted with scriptura. Even though, as a babe I got so much wrong when it came to application. To know that you know that whilst sitting at the feet of Jesus he always has your back. I want to live there without distraction, but whilst we have breath we need to endure the hardships of life, it is part of our journey and it shapes and moulds us. But what relationship ever lasts if quality time isn’t set aside for our partner without any distraction? Our Saviour never lets us down, but we must be specific with our engagement if we want the fullness of his blessing.          

 

Now back to my original thought and digging a little deeper into the authors of the Bible, it is apparent to see the struggles they were dealing with no differently to us. Don’t misunderstand me, not many of us fit into the same category when it comes to commitment, far from it. However, The Apostle John was obsessed with the love of God and what a perfect obsession to have. We know that the Christian should have three obvious traits; “faith, hope and love”. Without faith it is impossible to please God, without hope we will fall by the wayside and without love everything will become an uncomfortable grind. Peter was a man that expressed his emotions, an impulsive man, a leader and his commitment unequivocally undeniable. In fact he was the first to see Jesus as Christ (God in the flesh). It’s God the Father who honoured Him with that privilege. Picture the moment, wow! God felt that it was Peter who would be the first to see Jesus for who he really was.

 

I want us to look into Peter’s writings and then glean from them as I too have ended up weeping over failure. But Lord willing that we will do in the near future.

 

I would once again encourage you to sit at the feet of Jesus and be blessed by HIM.

 

Signing out

 

Tyrone

Can God Change?

There is another question that needs answering? But this topic is not milk, but meat and needs a skilled preacher to expound its truth. Spurgeon has helped me understand the Immutability of God.

Can God change? The scripture we will look at is Malachi 3:6 I the Lord do not change; therefore you sons of Jacob; are not consumed. lets face it, how often do we can Our minds on any given day?

Most, if not all penned, is either a direct quote or reference made from his sermon on January 7^th 1855. I will mention my thoughts

Firstly there needs to be a proper study of the great true God, before we can truly bask in His love. Many other topics may make us feel good about ourselves and even leave us feeling as if our ego’s have been tickled, which is not a good thing - if and when we receive even a glimmer of the glory due to our input or application to a certain topic, this is not a good thing, as it set us up for a fall if not checked. (my thought) 

The subject of the divinity is so vast that all our thoughts are lost in its immensity. It is so deep that our pride is drowned in its infinity. There is no subject that will humble the mind like thoughts of God. How infinite are you great God? What worthless worms are we! Although all these thoughts of God humble the mind, it will also expand it, it must! A man may study geology or even extinct animals and profess himself to be wiser than his neighbour. I dare say it will leave him wiser. But, there is no study greater than the science of Christ crucified and knowledge of the Godhead in the divine Trinity. Nothing will so enlarge the intellect as the investigation of the deity. I love the way Spurgeon uses words... In the study of Christ there is a balm for every wound. In the influence of God the Holy Spirit there is a balsam for every sore.

If one wants to drown his sorrows, it is not to be found in a bottle or a similar lie. Rather plunge yourself in the Godheads deepest sea. You will come forth with rest, the soul will find comfort, you will calm the billowing grief of sorrow and you will mute the voice of trail.

Spurgeon felt this text should read... I am Jehovah or so it should have been translated, I change not. Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Three points to address;

1.  An unchanging God.

2.  The persons that derive benefit, the sons of Jacob.

3.  The benefit, they are not consumed.

Spurgeon’s hermeneutic (the interpretation and explanation of something) of proving scripture would be to expound the doctrine and then expand on the thought and then he would look at a few arguments to prove its truth.

He admits that he does not know what substance the Godhead is. It is a being; He changes not in His essence. God is Jehovah and does not change. So that essence never changes. All creatures change, man changes his atomic state on a daily basis. Nature is always changing; God on the other hand is Spirit and is not composed of any material that changes. Therefore He is immutable, He remains everlasting the same. He sees ages pass but with Him it is ever now! He is the great I am. Now Christ when he took on flesh, the essence of His divinity did not change. Flesh did not become God nor did God become flesh by real actual change of nature. The two were united in hypostatical union but the Godhead was still the same. Even when Christ was a babe in a manger, He has not ever changed in His essence not even in his carnation did His essence change. He remains the everlasting, eternally never changing God. There is not even a shadow of change. His attributes are the same in the beginning as they are now. He knows as neither much now as He always new, neither more nor less. He is unchanged, blessed be His name in His justice. He is unchanged in his promise and He brings it to pass. This thought is very encouraging to me... for he who has begun a good work will complete it on the day of salvation. Once we have the spirit God the Holy Ghost indwelling us. He will forever be with us. There are many other scriptures proving eternal security to all those elected by God. The crux behind this truth is who is it that has been elected, obviously the sons of Jacob. However we also know that many will say on that day, "Lord Lord" and they will be turned away.(my thought). He does not vary in His love, He cannot, He will not, for He is love. His essence is full of compassion, love and long suffering is who He is. A quote from Spurgeon, “His strong love stands like a granite rock, unmoved by the hurricanes of our iniquity.” He is unchanged in His love, when He first wrote the covenant how much affection His heart had for his people. Yet He knew that Christ would have to die for sin. Yet he signed the covenant willingly and full of affection. (my thought) It is hard to comprehend these thoughts without a tear of joy showing itself. One attribute of God you may think about He will forever be the same. “I am Jehovah and I change not.”

In the content of God and His unchangeable attribute, how can we not trust Him? He is our God, He is our Father, and He is for us and not against us. What a beautiful thought.

Spurgeon now looks at some potential objections; a question he puts out there; some may say that God does not have a plan. Do you think God is more foolish than you o man, every man has his own plan and so God has a plan too. God in His Gigantic intellect arranged everything with His mastermind before He did it. But, once having settled it, He never alters it. That is so encouraging the iron hand of destiny marks it down and it is brought to pass. Neither Earth nor hell can alter it. If we consider God as almighty why should He alter His plan? He is all wise and therefore cannot have planned wrongly, even if we hold a different opinion to the tragedies in life (my thought).What are we but worthless Adam’s of existence, we change our plans often. But God’s plan is to save me, how safe am I. Praise God I know in whom I trust! I want immutable things and with God I find immutable things. For by two immutable things I see that it is impossible for God to lie, and He has signed and sealed every promise of His. So when I look to God’s word and its promises and it no longer seem sweet to me does that mean that the promise has changed? Absolutely not, I have changed. Let me look out for the stubble wooden hut I may have built. It is that which has been shaken not God’s promises. For His promises cannot change. Spurgeon then uses this example to illustrate his point. A man says to a Negro (a poor man- my thought) I can’t imagine why you are always so happy in the Lord and I am often downcast. “Why master” he says “I have often thrown myself down on the Lord and there I lie on his promises. You stand on the promise, you have little to do with it and then when the wind comes down you go. I go down flat on the promise at once. Therefore I fear no fall. Remember every promise is a rock and unchangeable thing. Every threatening as well as every promise will be fulfilled by God.

Lets now talk of decree’s, he that believeth not shall be damned. That will never change. Be as upright as you will, be as honest as you will but there stands a threatening - He that believeth not shall be damned. It does not say he who does not live a holy life, that may be true but it does not say so... It says he who does not believe will be damned. So then we must believe or be damned. After 1000 years of torment you will look up and see words burning with fire, “he that believes not shall be damned.” So if you do not believe you will be damned but nevertheless it says you shall be damned still. “How dare I speak like this, but I must” says Spurgeon, “ye must be warned sir; lest you come into this torment you must be told rough things. Woe to the watchman who does not warn the ungodly. Beware o sinner it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But before we leave this thought we must see that God is unchanging in the objects of His love. Not only in His love does God not change, but in the objects of it. If one dear sheep of God should perish, then might all perish? If I could believe that ever a saint of God could fall finally, then what love is this? If I believe that God could have loved me once and then stopped loving me, what love is this? Spurgeon then concludes if that be the case then the bible is a lie. If God has loved me once then He will forever love me. Did Jesus once upon me shine, and then Jesus is forever mine. Those whom God has called he will justify, those whom He has justified He will sanctify and those whom He has sanctified He will glorify.

All that has been discussed up until now is just the thought of God and His immutability.

Spurgeon then moves on to prove that God is unchangeable. He goes as far as to say that it is even unconceivable to conceive a God that changes. (My thought) I agree otherwise God would be manlike and not Godlike, for man is always changing. I often change with the simplest of decisions. Yet when I use the word, God, my mind must conclude unchanging- an unchanging God. If God is a perfect being, which He is, then He cannot change. How can something that is perfect change? Only that which is imperfect can be altered and changed. If something is perfect it requires no change. But more than that, it cannot change as it is perfect. If God is perfect He cannot be altered without becoming imperfect. It is an easy thought to process (my thought) perfect means unchangeable; yesterday, today and forever the same! If we look to the passed (history) can we not see whatever God has said has come to pass? Where are the nations that God said He would destroy? Where is Babel or Nivenah, has He not uprooted them and cast them from remembrance. Has He ever broken His covenant or promise? Never! You cannot point to History and show in one instance that God has changed. God has been immutable in His purposes.

Spurgeon then turns his attention to his congregation; He thinks he hears someone say, I can think of one scripture where God has changed and so did He think the same once. The account of Hezekiah; Isaiah came in and said to Hezekiah you must die as your disease is incurable, so set your house in order. Hezekiah began to pray and before Isaiah got to the outer court he was told to go back and tell Him he would live for another 15 years. You may say that this account proves that God changes, but there is not the slightest proof in the world that this proves that God changes. How can you say God did not know this, of course He knew it. For if He knew that then He did not change because He knew that... Did you Know in this story that Hezekiah’s son Manasseh was not yet born and if Hezekiah had died there would of been no Manasseh and no Josiah and no Christ, because Christ came from that very line. Manasseh was twelve years old when his father died, so then he must have been born three years after this encounter with Isaiah. So God spoke to Hezekiah to stir him up for prayer. (My thought) this opens a chapter to look into the power of prayer. The prayer of a righteous man avails much. God leaves us cryptic clues throughout scripture that only those those who have eyes to see can see, if only we would spend the time investigating. The brilliance of God intertwined throughout the pages of the BIBLE! 

2. Let’s look at the benefit and who will benefit from this unchanging God. The text, I am God and I change not, therefore you son’s of Jacob are not consumed. Who are the sons of Jacob and who will rejoice in God? They are the sons of election, for it is written Jacob have I loved an Esau have I hated. The children having yet not been born; neither has either done neither good nor evil. It is written the older shall serve the younger. The sons of Jacob are the sons of God by election of a sovereign God; by eternal destination they receive grace and glory. The second point of benefit is those that enjoy peculiar rights and titles. Jacob had no rights at birth but he changed them when he gave his brother a pot of stew and then gained his brothers birthright. Spurgeon make a point not to condone the manner in which he obtained his birthright. Yet Jacob also obtained the blessing and so acquired peculiar rights. (my thought) And yet the point is this that whatever it takes to please my heavenly Father must be my objective, period! So this text means to tell us that the sons of Jacob are those who have the rights and titles. Unto them that believe gave Him the right to those who believe to become sons of the living God. They have an interest in the blood of Christ. They have a right to enter through the gate and into the city. They have a title to eternal honours. They have a promise to everlasting glory. They have a right to call themselves sons of God. There are peculiar rights and privileges belonging to the sons of Jacob. Jacob also had peculiar manifestations from God and was therefore highly honoured. So too are the sons of Jacob highly honoured. Jacob laid down one night and slept with the hedges as his curtains, the sky as his canopy, a stone for a pillow and the earth for a bed. It was then that he had a peculiar manifestation. He saw a ladder which reaches from earth to heaven with angels ascending and descending to bring us mercies. Christ representing the ladder, a bridge between man and God. Another encounter He had when he wrestled with God at Peniel. These were account of peculiar manifestations. This passage refers to those like Jacob who has had peculiar manifestations. Now then Spurgeon asks, “How many of you have had personal manifestations? O you say that is enthusiasm, that is fanaticism, well it is a blessed enthusiasm.” For the sons of Jacob have had peculiar manifestations, they have talked to God as a man talks to a friend. God the Holy Ghost has so shone into their lives that they would not be able to doubt about their special manifestations. The sons of Jacob are the men who enjoy these manifestations. But then again they are men of peculiar trials. Spurgeon says he will not choose Jacobs lot if he did not have the prospect of Jacobs blessing. (My thought) does our hope in our resurrections burn right, if not we must understand our predicament for without hope the people perish! Faith feeds our hope as hope feeds our faith. For a hard lot it was! He had to run away from his father’s house to Laban’s house. Laban treated him roughly, he cheated him all the years he was there. He cheated him of his wife, of his wages and of his herds. He had to bye and bye run away from Laban, who eventually pursued him and overtook him. Next Esau came with 400 men to cut him up. Then there was a season of prayer and he wrestled with and angel and the angel put his thigh out of joint and so it stayed for the rest of his life. (my thought) I see the tenacity of Jacob pleasing to our heavenly Father, at all cost I must be blessed by the One true God. A little further on his beloved wife Rachel died and then his daughter Dinah is lead astray and his sons murder the Sechemites. Then Joseph is sold into Egypt and a famine comes. Ruben commits incest with his Daughter-in-law. All his sons become a plague o him. At last Benjamin is taken away. The old man almost broken of heart has this to say, “Joseph is not and Simeon is not and you will take Benjamin away.” Never was a man more tried than Jacob. (my thought) Not sure that Job was not as tried . Although his sin was to cheat his brother, all through his life God chastised him. Spurgeon reckons that many would be able to sympathise with Jacob. Many have had to suffer for the wrong they have done, and rightly so! Yet we are not consumed due to the unchanging nature of our God. But remember no one was ever afflicted like Jesus. We do not understand what trouble means. We have hardly sipped the cup of troubles, maybe a drop or two. But, Jesus drank the whole cup, even the dregs. Fear not says the Lord I change not. Therefore you sons of Jacob, men of peculiar trails are not consumed. One more thought to consider, who are the sons of Jacob? Spurgeon then puts it out there and wants to get you to consider if you are a son of Jacob. There are some things in Jacobs’s character that we cannot commend (Spurgeon’s thought). There are one or two things that God commends.

Jacob’s faith is highly commendable and he is mentioned amongst those of faith in Hebrews 11 the great faith chapter. Are you a man of faith beloved, do you know what it is to walk by faith? Do you get your temporal food to sustain the body, by faith? Do you live on spiritual manner from heaven? Is faith a rule of your life? If so then are you the sons of Jacob. (my thought) Without understanding this point; that the just will live by faith and not be cushioned by the luxuries of life, if so, it will always leave us with this challenge - do I truly believe. Then Jacob was a man of prayer, a man who wrestled and groaned with prayer. Spurgeon then again put it to his audience; there was a man this morning that came to the house of God without prayer. “You poor heathen don’t you pray”, he asks. No says the man I never even thought of such a thing. For years I have not prayed. Spurgeon then put it to him like this; I hope you pray before you die. Live and die without payer and you will pray long and well in hell. He uses another example; there was a woman this morning to busy sending her kids to Sunday school, that she had no time to pray. No time to pray! Did you have time to dress? There is time given for every purpose under heaven. If you had a purpose to pray you would pray. Sons of God cannot live without prayer, they are wrestling Jacob’s, and they are sons of God in whom the God the Holy Ghost works. They cannot live without prayer as much as I cannot live without breathing. They must pray sir mark you, if you are living without prayer, then you are living without Christ. To die like that will be your portion, and that portion will burn in the Lake of Fire, may God have mercy on you and redeem you from such a lot.

But you who are the sons of Jacob take comfort, for God is immutable.

Thirdly, the benefit for the sons of Jacob; you sons of Jacob are not consumed. What? How can man be consumed? Well according to Spurgeon there are two ways, if God had been a changing God then the sons of God of old may have ended up in hell. There is such a thing as being alive but dead. (my thought) Imagine if God left us to our own devises, I know where I would be in some gutter somewhere and yet there is a responsibility attached to our actions, another gem of scripture! I have personally gone to a place of terror, a place where sin held both my arms as I stood on the precipice of hell looking in. What a frightful sight it was. I quivered on the brink of ruin. But my unchanging God did not change in His love for me. How thankful I am and forever indebted, not that I could ever even begin to pay back the debt, the Lord Jesus has accomplished that. How thankful I am as a strong arm did save me. I wonder how I could have gone so far and yet come back again. Yes I am here unconsumed because the Lord changes not. We should all be consumed by ourselves, after all Mr. Self is the worst enemy of a Christian. We call God our father, but there is not a father in the world that would not have killed us all by now, so provoked would he have been with us. God has the most troublesome family in the world. They are unbelieving, ungrateful, disobedient, forgetful, murmurs’ and stiff-necked. Just as well God is long suffering. Not only would he have taken the rod but the sword to some of us long ago. There was nothing in us to love at first (we need to digest this point - my thought) so there cannot be less now. John Newton uses a story to prove election... A woman said, “God must have loved me before I was born, for there is nothing to love in me after I was born.” If God did not choose his elect before they were born, He would have found no reason to love them after they were born. (My thought) - a very interesting thought and it make perfect sense when reason out correctly. For since He loved them, without works, He loves them still without works. Since their good works did not win his affection, then there bad works cannot sever His affection. Since their righteousness did not bind there love to Him, so there wickedness cannot snap the golden links! He loved them out of a pure sovereign grace and He will love them still. We should have been consumed by the devil, our enemies and a hundred other ways if God ever changed. Spurgeon concluded as only having touched on the subject, but now hands it to me and I now hand it to you. You sons of Jacob may this portion of meat be digested well. Remember God remains the same whatever is removed.

Signing off

Tyrone

 

Self Gratification

 

Let’s face it we do things to help ourselves and yet we are taught to help others. We are self-centred individuals, do not be fooled into believing anything else, its God who has been merciful and often comes to our rescue and the salvage of others on the back of our prayers. But it always starts with our own well-being, strip it down and you will have to agree. Even those secret acts preformed behind what we believe to be the "hidden curtain" highlights the “self” in us; when seeking out God’s forgiveness for a particular sin that we struggle with, it’s about us; firstly we scratch the itch and then we seek out forgiveness, we are the ones that need work. If and when will give clothes or food to the poor, it’s only after we have taken care of ourselves; us first and then others. This is human nature personified. Warren Buffet may have given away billions to charity, but he made sure he had a buffer of billions before acting out. What about Bill Gates? On the other hand, the Lord Jesus had this to say; “foxes have holes and birds have nest by I have nowhere to lay my head.” His agenda obviously different; His overarching purpose was to fulfil his Fathers will, which was to die a death he never deserved so that the sinner may have a way to escape the looming judgment just over the horizon. The offer through repentance has gone out to all who will cry out to HIM for help… And until I learn this truth and it becomes my reality that Jesus died in my place, he died for me and paid the price for my sin, until then, God’s mercy will pass us by like a gust of wind that gushes by, it come when we least expect it, the grace of God is not something we can plan for, but we most certainly all have the potential to respond to it. How often have you heard that Jesus saves? None of you haven’t! I wonder how you treasure that truth?

 

The older we get the more predominant we begin to reflect, regret and sorrow fills our days with selfish thoughts, if only? Even through the turmoil we always have the need to be in control, power the last of the sinful beasts that has to be heard, “I told you so” or “without me you would be nothing” and so on. No matter how you slice it, or how old you are we are self-satisfying creatures that always put the needs of ourselves before others. The Lord Jesus was the complete opposite…

 

“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.” (2Timothy 3:1-5) 

 

We must be aware of these truths and cry out unto God seeking out His will for our lives, as He ushers in the changes needed in our lives to be helpful to other bringing a proclamation that will glorify Him.

 

Have you ever contemplated why words such as these may have troubled you over time? “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (James 4:2-3)

 

The more I study the authors intent, God’s intention throughout the Bible, the clearer in becomes… Righteousness must be what drives us and not “food and raiment”, we must seek out God’s righteousness for our lives and the rest will be taken care of. Where we often make the mistake is when we get our priorities off beam, which the Apostle James pegs for us; “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”  I then ask myself the question does this apply to all; another subject for another day. However for the Christian it is imperative that the sooner we learn this lesson the quicker we will find the peace of God in our lives. Sure we have all experience His peace, you cannot be a Christian without the peace of God playing its part in your life, however I am looking for a constant rather than an exception, how about you?

 

It has and always will be about Gods righteousness, Jesus is the King of kings and His Father, our Father instructions where followed to the tee; “For when he received honour and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."” (2Peter 1:17) – Do not! for one minute think that our call has a different emphasis placed upon it, it may differ in stature, but we have all been asked to carry the flag of our God, which reads – “seek first the kingdom of God and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS and all …” This I believe is one of the most important lessons of life and yet everything about our flesh drives us in the opposite direction and for some of us we have been called to a life of knocks and bruises; praise God for His endurance with us, I thank you Father God for your forbearance’s with me, forgive me for my sins as I forgive others of theirs against me. I pray, continue to lead me to the waters of righteousness, which in turn will transform me into the image of your beloved son, my beloved SAVIOUR. Even the slightest transformation will display the abundance of your Grace in my life. I love you Father God and I thank you for Jesus.

 

 

Signing off

 

 

Tyrone