Time
with Jesus - 8 Dec 2013
Hi all,
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THE MAMAS & THE PAPAS
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Go Where You Wanna Go (1965)
California Dreamin' (1965)
Dancing in the Street (1966)
I Saw Her Again (1966)
Look Through My Window (1966)
Monday, Monday (1966)
Words of Love (1966)
Creeque Alley (1967)
Dedicated to the One I Love (1967)
Glad to Be Unhappy (1967)
Twelve Thirty (1967)
Do You Wanna Dance (1968)
Dream a Little Dream of Me (1968)
For the Love of Ivy (1968)
Safe in My Garden (1968)
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CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'
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All the leaves are brown
And the sky is grey.
I've been for a walk
On a winter's day.
I'd be safe and warm
if I was in L.A.
California dreamin'
on such a winter's day.
Stopped in to a church
I passed along the way.
Well I got down on my knees
And I pretend to pray.
You know the preacher
lights the coals.
He knows I'm gonna stay.
California dreamin'
on such a winter's day.
All the leaves are brown – etc.
If I didn't tell her
I could leave today.
California dreamin'
on such a winter's day. |
Anyone
remember the expression the “Rat Pack”?
The name was
first used to refer to a group of friends in New York.. According to one
version, the group's original "Den Mother," Lauren Bacall, after seeing her husband Humphry Bogart and his friends return
from a night in Las Vegas, said words to the
effect of "You look like a XXXXXXX rat pack. 
"Rat Pack" may also
be a shortened version of "Holmby Hills Rat Pack", a reference
to the home of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacal which served as a regular
hangout.
The 1960s version of the
group, included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, and, for a brief stint, Norman Fell.
Marilyn Monroe, Angie Dickinson, Juliet Prowse and Shirley MacLaine were often
referred to as the "Rat Pack Mascots". The post-Bogart version of the
group (Bogart died in 1957) was reportedly never called that name by any of its
members – they called it the Summit or the Clan. "The Rat Pack" was a
term used by journalists and outsiders, although it remains the lasting name
for the group. (Information from
Wikipedia)
Growing up in the 1950’s meant going to the movies and
listening to radio and records. So, excluding the “mascots”, the names Frank Sinatra,
Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. were very familiar. The acting and singing
ability of these men was extraordinary. Sammy Davis Jr. was also an outstanding
tap dancer. (Mr Bo-jangles?) Frank Sinatra probably was the best known singer
of the “pack”. 
However, Dean Martin, once he had broken with Jerry Lewis, was
hugely popular. His best known song is probably “Memories are Made of This”. 
It
wasn’t exactly Christian music (whatever that is). But the words, “one man, one wife, one love through life”
are as pertinent today as they were in the mid 1950’s. Furthermore, it reminded
many of us that the marriage vows should never be broken. 
If I remember my matric
class of 1959, we left school with a starry-eyed confidence that life in front
of us would be “a bowl of cherries”. That’s when another aspect of Dean Martin’s
song struck home. We found, experimentally, the cherries were green and the
pips could break your teeth.
The 1960’s was a time of training for future careers, meeting
and getting married. They were fun years. We learned that the proverb, “marry
in haste, repent at leisure” was not intended as a joke. It was absolutely
true.
It’s a terrible thing when dreams are shattered. You find that
the “memories that are made of this” consist of dreams and nightmares! We start
dreaming of what might have been under different circumstances.
In the middle of the 1960’s “The Mamas and the Papas” burst
onto the singing scene. It was a group of 4 people. The group comprised John
Phillips (1935–2001), Canadian Denny Doherty (1940–2007), Cass Elliot
(1941–1974), and Michelle Phillips née Gilliam (b. 1944). Cass Elliot, better
known as Mama Cass, later went on to be very popular as a solo artist.
On the left are the lyrics for their song, California Dreamin’,
along with a list of some of their hit songs from way back then, some 40+ years
ago.
There is something poignant about the song California
Dreamin’. Read the lyrics and you would think they could be the cry of a lonely
Christian man or woman. Certainly they reflect the way I was feeling back then
and still do at times.
Looking again at California Dreamin’, it’s easy to spot the
difference between the cold winter weather of say New York and the warm balmy
air of California.
For a young man, the cold weather of this life can hardly be
compared with the glories of heaven. Under such circumstances, we should do
what the song tells us. “Get down on our knees and pray”. The last four lines
of the song summarise the feeling. “I didn’t have to tell her I could leave today”.
Our commitment to Jesus is like that. We really don’t want to
be with this world’s “rat pack”.
We used to sing, “This
world is not my home, we’re just passing through. Our treasures are laid up
somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heavens open door. And I
can’t feel at home in this world anymore”. We want to be with Jesus. But
are there also exciting things to do where we are living? So we start Dreamin’
of the wonders of being with Him in heaven.
Paul in his letter to the Philippians
stated. 23 I'm torn between two desires:
I long to go and be with Christ, which would be
far better for me. 24 But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. 25 Knowing
this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of
you grow and experience the joy of your faith. Philippians
1:23-25 NLT
How do we keep this in balance? We can’t. The Lord’s will for
us is to be here until He calls us home. But we can still be “California
Dreamin’” of being with Jesus. For Phyllida and me, our remaining time here
gets shorter every day. Don’t blame us if this thought gets us enthusiastic
about being with Him in heaven!
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – 8 Dec. 2013
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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©
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These
devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright
protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it
is for non-commercial Christian purposes
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©
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INTRODUCTION
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DAILY
LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
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SWEET
DREAMS
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What
is probably best remembered is the song, “The Impossible Dream”. In this
regard, there is no question that Don Quixote’s impossible dream and
imagination, made excellent reading. Likewise, Peter O’Toole’s portrayal of
the man from Lamancha was very good. But for me the words of “The Impossible
Dream” still live in my heart. It may sound vaguely heretical, but I’ve
always regarded the Christian life in this light. The fact is the Christian
life is impossible! No man or woman will ever succeed in their self-effort to
attain it. And yet Jesus Christ, by His Holy Spirit, holds it out for us as a
goal.
At
the same time, reading these lyrics, we are confronted with the fact it is
exactly what He did. True, He was 100% God and 100% man. This made the
impossible, possible. But He achieved this as a man and not as God. For man,
the dream of being free from Satan and sin is impossible. Steeped in the sin
nature, holiness and reconciliation are unattainable. I can’t speak for you,
but I confess that I “wore out” my re-dedicator so regularly that I started
to feel embarrassed; returning to the Lord and asking for His forgiveness.
“I’ll do better this time!” was my “vow”. In my mind, I scratched a line in
the sand, deep enough to reach China. But no matter how hard I tried, I
failed to keep it up. Even as a Christian I couldn’t do it! In the end I
became so disillusioned with my own frailty that I quit. What else do you do
when you realise you can’t succeed? It should have driven me to my knees. But
if you are a man in the full bloom of youth, how do you cope with your own
hypocrisy?
I
felt too ashamed to ask to be forgiven once more. But the life of a back-slider
is the most miserable existence imaginable. You know Him. You’ve walked and
talked with Him. Without Him, all the baubles of human success are insipid.
The words of King Solomon rang in my ears like the cries of the Man from
Lamancha. 2 Vanity of vanities, says
the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is
vanity. Eccl.
1:2 ESV I spent 17 years in this lunacy. Then, when my need for Him
exceeded my revulsion for my own hypocrisy, He rescued and restored me! This
proved one thing. Success in the Christian life is founded on personal
failure!
Jim &
Phyllida
Strickland
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27 Israel then mustered its army, set up supply lines, and marched out
for battle. But the Israelite army looked like
two little flocks of goats in comparison to the vast Aramean forces that
filled the countryside!
1 Kings
20:27 NLT
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Things are not as simple as what at first they seem.
Rather like what passes through our heads each time we dream.
Dreams are so indefinite and hard to call to mind.
Things may look quite definite, but when we wake we find,
They were imaginations; sometimes so very odd.
Occasionally we find they are messages from God.
How can we tell the difference? I’m not sure that we can.
But we can ask the Lord to show, if they’re from Him, or man.
Experience suggests to me, that if they’re very weird,
They originate in me and shouldn’t then be feared.
If you dream you’re naked and standing on the bus.
Be assured you’re “normal” and therefore needn’t fuss,
About what you were dreaming. Forget it! Let it go!
Visit your Psychiatrist and he will let you know,
You are not going crazy; you haven’t “flipped your lid”
He’ll tell you it’s meanderings, from deep within your id!
But if what you are dreaming, appears to make good sense.
It may be God Who’s speaking, so get down off your fence!
This sort of thing was “normal”, back in the days of old.
People they called “seers”; sometimes could unfold,
The dreams that people told them and spelled out in detail.
They would be interpreted in ways that that didn’t fail.
A dream could be a vision, that’s seen when wide awake.
The seer or the prophet did not make a mistake.
They predicted truthfully, the things that would take place,
For they were listening to God and always sought His face.
Sometimes it was good news and sometimes it was bad.
Mostly it was something, to make the heart be glad.
Looking at our Scripture, we see the way it went.
The prophet went to see the King and told him God’s intent.
The Aramean army filled the countryside.
The army of the Israelites, looked miniscule beside,
The army they were fighting. They didn’t stand a chance.
But God said He would beat them, without a second glance.
We know it is what happened. The Arameans smashed.
One hundred thousand soldiers by Israel were trashed!
The Lord above had spoken. The prophet understood.
And Israel succeeded, the way God said they would.
Jim Strickland
Written
8th
December 2012
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28 Then the man of God went to the king of Israel and said, "This is what the LORD says: The Arameans have said,
'The LORD is a god of the hills and not of the plains.' So I will defeat this
vast army for you. Then you will know that I am the LORD." 29
The two armies camped opposite each other for
seven days, and on the seventh day the battle began. The Israelites killed
100,000 Aramean foot soldiers in one day.
1 Kings
20:28-29 NLT
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4 My dear children, you come from God and
belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers,
for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world.
1 John 4:4
MSG
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10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not
be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will
uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah
41:10 TNIV
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19 They will fight against you but will not
overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.
Jeremiah
1:19 TNIV
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