IT’S YOUR DECISION

Time with Jesus - Thursday, 19 July 2012

Hi all,

Today’s meditation takes a look at the Israelites at the time of them getting ready to cross the Jordan River and take possession of the Promised Land. It speaks of their experiences in the Wilderness and some of the battles they faced. A parallel is then drawn with 21^st Century Christianity.
Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Thursday, 19 July 2012			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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	INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	IT’S YOUR DECISION
“Decision, decisions”, said the man grumpily as he lay under the bedclothes. “Hurry up my dear, it’s time to get up and go to church” said his wife. It’s Sunday you know!” she added sweetly. “I don’t want to go. I think I’ll stay in bed this morning.” he replied somewhat petulantly. “But you must” replied his wife. “You’re the minister!” Decisions are never easy, particularly when they disturb our comfort zone. No doubt this passed through the minds of many of the people who had wandered round and round in the wilderness for the past ± forty years. No doubt life was repetitive. They had worn the same shoes and clothing for the past 40 years. All they did was follow the cloud by day and the fire by night. Then, in the morning, they wandered round in the wilderness looking for the manna that would feed them for the next 24 hours. It wasn’t very exciting. The presence of Moses brought them a certain amount of comfort but so many of their parents had died en route to where they were going. The days had stretched into weeks; the weeks into months and the months into years. But those days were drawing to an end. They had just defeated the Ammonite Kings, Sihon and Og and were about to go in and take possession of the Promised Land. We are all fairly familiar with this background. What we often don’t spot is how similar this is to our own Christian experience. No matter where we are on the journey of life we have the Jordan of our own personal life to cross. The other side is beckoning us on and we have to take our courage in both hands and go across. We’ve had a number of battles with our opponents. They have been defeated in the strength and power of the Lord, while we were still wandering round in our own self contrived wilderness. Personally, I identify with this phase in an extraordinary way. After committing my life to Jesus in 1960, there were a number of personal battles in front of me. I found that the Lord had performed the miracle of deliverance from sin, but there were some battles He expected me to go through. Yes, these things would be confronted and defeated in and by His power. But the fact is He required me to play my part. By way of illustration, God provides the saving power. But we have to do the repenting. In Acts, Paul tells the Athenians, 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. Acts 17:30 ESV. The facts are clear. God provides salvation. But He commands us to repent. No repentance, no salvation! So you and I have trials and tests of the Promised Land in front of us. He is with us and He will give us the power to win. But we have to do it. We can and will if we submit to Jesus and obey His Word. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			3 It's like the dew on Mount Hermon flowing down the slopes of Zion. Yes, that's where GOD commands the blessing, ordains eternal life. Psalms 133:3 MSG 48 So Israel conquered the entire area from Aroer at the edge of the Arnon Gorge all the way to Mount Sirion, also called Mount Hermon. Deuteronomy 4:48 NLT 5 I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; Hosea 14:5 ESV 2 Let my teaching fall like rain. Let my words come down like dew. Let them be like raindrops on new grass. Let them be like rain on tender plants. Deuteronomy 32:2 NIrV 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11 TNIV 34 For He is sent by God. He speaks God's words, for God gives Him the Spirit without limit. John 3:34 NLT 16 We have all received one blessing after another. God's grace is not limited. John 1:16 NIrV A song by David for going up to worship. 1 See how good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in harmony! 2 It is like fine, scented oil on the head, running down the beard-down Aaron's beard- running over the collar of his robes. 3 It is like dew on Mount Hermon, dew which comes down on Zion's mountains. That is where the LORD promised the blessing of eternal life. Psalms 133:1-3 GW	They could never have achieved it, if they’d been all on their own. You cannot defeat a kingdom if you’re standing all alone. First of all they beat King Sihon, then moved on to trounce King Og. These two Ammonitish armies, crashed like falling off a log. They conquered it right from Aroer to Mount Hermon’s frozen peak. All along the Arnon Valley to the Salt Sea dead and bleak. From the foothills of Mt Nebo from which Moses saw the land. All of this they saw and conquered, just the way the Lord had planned. God was with them, strong and mighty and He settled like the dew; Like the Lilly of the Valley; like the cedar trees that grew. Why was this? Because they listened and His teaching fell like rain, It came down like falling raindrops, on the grasslands of the plain. Tender plants began their growing, reaching upward to the sky. Fertile and in huge abundance; giving praise to God most High. All of this was just a foretaste of what God was going to do. He would speak a word in season, doing what He wanted to. All the land would bud and flourish; Yielding seed and making bread. Not a single Word was wasted, doing just what He had said. Not a Word would come back empty; it accomplished His intent. No man ever could resist it; it achieved just what He meant. After they had crossed the Jordan, they began to take the land. Thus they entered into Canaan by the Master’s Mighty Hand. This is not an odd occurrence for the Israelites of old. Those of us who are God’s people, if we do as we are told, Also can attain the victory, everywhere we place our feet. One with God can’t be defeated. In His power we are complete! Unity must be our watchword, as we face the Master’s foes. Harmony! How good and pleasant; covers us from head to toes. Yes indeed it’s His anointing. Scented oil upon the beard; Running over robes and collar. That’s the way that it appeared! This is where He gives His blessing, when His people are all one. When all arguments are over; each and every squabble gone. Once more we have crossed the Jordan, like God’s people on that day. Will we stand as one together, or once more be Satan’s prey? Will we be a mighty army? Turned aside by Achen’s sin? Only if our God will help us, is it possible to win. You alone make the decision. You and all of those you lead. There will never be compulsion - honesty or human greed? Take your pick then you must do it. This is where you must begin, Stay with Jesus Christ forever, or forever trapped in sin? Jim Strickland Written 19th July 2012