Time with Jesus - Saturday, 14 July
2012
Hi all,Have you ever thought how fortunate we are not to be able to see the Spiritual dimension? I’m referring to the dimension in which God dwells. The greatest blessing is because God wants us to walk by faith and not by sight! How could we do that if we could see Him. It’s much better the way it is.
Blessings
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Saturday, 14 July 2012
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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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
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INTRODUCTION
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DAILY
LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
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HE’S
COMING BACK
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Nearly all of us have heard stories about children and their fathers.
One of my favourites is about a little girl and her dress. She had been
shopping with her mother and saw the prettiest dress. She called her mother
to show her the dress. “Mommy, please buy me that dress” she asked with all
the breathless enthusiasm that’s unique to children, Mommy also liked and
said. “Ask your father and see what he says”.
That evening the little girl was sitting looking out of the window waiting
for her dad. When she saw him, she rushed outside and jumped up into his
arms, “Daddy, Daddy, please will you buy me the dress I saw while out
shopping with Mommy. “Honey”, he said, “let me first talk it over with
Mommy”. Later, as they were having their evening meal, Daddy said to Mommy,
“What’s this about a new dress for our daughter? They all chatted about it.
Then he said to his daughter, I’ll take you shopping on Saturday and buy that
dress. The little girl yelled with delight. “Daddy’s going to buy me that
beautiful dress on Saturday” For the rest of the week, she told everyone
“Daddy’s going to buy me a new dress on Saturday”. On Saturday morning, he did!
There are more parallels to the Christian life in this story than we
could shake a stick at. Perhaps the best is the fact that the little girl
believed her father. “Saturday’s coming” she told everyone. She had
confidence in her father that he wouldn’t let her down. Her faith and hope
were “mixed” together and it happened. She couldn’t see the dress but she
knew it was hers.
We need to be like that little girl in our trust of our Heavenly
Father. Jesus has said He will return again for His people. Let’s not get
into a theological debate about the second coming of Jesus. Pre-trib,
Mid-trib or Post-trib. Is not the issue. Let’s not ‘con-trib’ to the ‘other-tribs’!
All we need is to know is that He is coming and He wants us to be expectant.
He also wants us to know that because we cannot see Him, He is more real than
Table Mountain! Our confidence must be in Him and His promises, in spite of
Him being invisible. He is bringing us our reward for being faithful and
obedient. How do we know? Because He has told us. Like the little girl, our
“Saturday’s coming”! It will come whether we believe it or not!
So let’s rejoice that the One we serve is the invisible God, not one
we have cobbled together. Such “gods” are as much use as an udder on a bull! Hand-made
gods will crumble and fall. But our God; the invisible God, won’t change one
“iota”. We don’t have to understand it scientifically. All we must do is
believe. “Saturday’s coming!”
Jim and Phyllida Strickland
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14 For I hope to see you
soon, and then we will talk face to face.
3 John 14 NLT
1 I wish you would open up your heavens and come down to us! I
wish the mountains would tremble when you show your power!
Isaiah 64:1 NIrV
For the choir director:
A psalm of the descendants of Korah. 1 As the deer longs for streams of
water, so I long for You, O God. 2 I
thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before Him?
Psalms 42:1-2 NLT
14 Make haste, my beloved,
and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.
Song of Solomon 8:14 ESV
20 But we are citizens of
heaven. And we can hardly wait for a Saviour from there. He is the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Philippians 3:20 NIrV
13 That's how we should
live as we wait for the blessed hope God has given us. We are waiting for
Jesus Christ to appear in all his glory. He is our great God & Saviour.
Titus 2:13 NIrV
1 This letter is from
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Saviour
and Christ Jesus, who gives us hope.
1 Timothy 1:1 NLT
8 You never saw him, yet
you love him. You still don't see him, yet you trust him--with
laughter and singing.
1 Peter 1:8 MSG
20 He who is the faithful
witness to all these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon!" Amen!
Come, Lord Jesus!
Revelation 22:20 NLT
9 In that day people will
proclaim, "This is our God! We trusted in Him, and He saved us! This is
the LORD, in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation He brings!"
Isaiah 25:9 NLT
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I wonder what He looks like, our Great
and Triune God.
He’s sure to be unusual, but that does
not mean odd.
I know the Lord told Philip, He looks
just like His Dad.
But Lord that can’t be features; for
you with flesh were clad.
And yet we know You came here in the
body of a man.
You worked a special miracle, the way
no other can!
So you were fully human for everyone
to see.
Yet you were also God the Son, both
simultaneously!
I do not understand it. Thank God,
there is no need.
The mystery of Godhood, The Trinity indeed,
Is so way out beyond me, I must format
my mind!
Because to everything You are, I’m
absolutely blind.
But somehow that’s exciting. Because
the things I see,
You’ve told us in the Scripture, are
not reality.
The things which we can see today will
crumble and will fall.
The size is not important; it may be
large or small.
But none if it is permanent. It’s sure
to pass away.
But that which is invisible, is always
here to stay!
And since we cannot see You, we know
that You are real.
If we could really see, or smell, or
taste, or hear, or feel,
It would be a delusion and not reality.
And so my God I thank You that You we
cannot see.
And yet we long for contact with You
in ways we know.
Hence, our human nature, desires that You
show
Your people what You’re really like.
It’s hard to truly love,
A God Who is concealed from us and
dwells on High above!
This must have been the reason, why
You Lord, said that day.
You have seen Me, Philip, My Father looks
this way!
He didn’t mean a photograph. He meant
what Philip saw,
Was God disguised in overalls. His
Father was much more,
Like Jesus in His character. In fact they
both were One.
And they will still remain the same
when sight of Him has gone.
But one day He’ll come back again. Be patient
and please wait.
Every day that passes brings us closer
to that date.
So live in expectation and live your
life this way.
Live as though you’re certain that
tomorrow is the day.
Put your “house” in order and live in
constant hope.
Trust His Holy Spirit and you will
more than cope.
Celebrate His goodness; shout praises
to the King!
“We trusted Him, He saved us!” is what
we all will sing!
Jim Strickland
Written 14th July 2012 |
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