THE OLD CROSS OR THE NEW

Time with Jesus - Saturday, 01 September 2012

Hi all,

The old cross and the new require a bit of thought. Our meditation today looks at “Cross-less Christianity” It is the figment of the imagination of those who propagate it. The Christian lifestyle has very little to do with comfort and worldly success. To win is to die. To become the greatest is to become the least. It is the life of a bond-slave who will gladly embrace crucifixion and death at the whim of his master/owner.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Saturday, 01 September 2012			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
©	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					©
	INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	THE OLD CROSS OR THE NEW
For many years, Phyllida and I have been convinced that the Word of God – the Bible - is inerrant. No mistakes in it whatsoever. Of course this applies to the original version in the original language. It may be that over the centuries; scribes have made errors in copying. Although scrupulous attention was paid to detail, errors of transcription may have taken place. Furthermore, the original has been translated into a variety of languages. So what we read in the English version of our choice may not be 100% accurate. One only has to compare translations with each other to realise that there are differences. For us to establish now what was written in the original is difficult. Textual critics do not agree. We do know that the King James Version was compiled by exceptionally highly qualified Scholars based on the received text, sometimes called the Byzantine text, of which there are some 1800 ancient documents extant which roughly correspond with each other. Translations that have been made since 1920 or thereabouts have made use of older manuscripts which some regard as corrupt. (I’m one of them). My approach to these devotionals has been to look at the KJV; then find a translation which best reflects the KJV in more understandable English. The reason I make this point is because it is essential we understand what the author intended us to understand; not something filtered through the minds of many of today’s preachers. I have found that many preachers today preach a “feel good” and “prosperity” gospel that is not in harmony with Jesus’ teaching. Luke tells us; 23 Then Jesus said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow Me. Luke 9:23 NLT. This Scripture makes it very clear. To follow Jesus means to put aside your own selfish desires. Then to pick up the cross on which you will be crucified and go to your own Calvary. You are supposed to do this every day until it actually happens. I can find no evidence of Mercedes Benz, big fancy luxurious homes in the best part of town with millions in your bank account. I find the complete opposite. Historically, the genuine Christian lifestyle for some 1900 years after Jesus was crucified, was to lay aside your own life and obey Him even unto death. The early Christians did this. Satan tried everything he could do to smash the fledgling church. He failed because people would rather be tortured to death than deny Jesus. They perished in their thousands; crucified; fed to the lions; covered with pitch and used to light the gardens of the Caesar. Read Foxes Book of Martyrs. It gives the details of the suffering and death of Christians up to the middle of the 1650’s. At one time it was regarded as a “must read”. Only the Bible was more widely read. Over the last hundred years or so, the “flavour” of Christianity has changed. The cross has been velvet padded. We have seen the influx of “cross-less Christianity” An attitude that says, “Come to Jesus” He will bless you and give you all you need to enjoy life here. A sort of heaven on earth in which you can do anything you wish, confident His grace is more than enough. Sadly, that’s a lie. To follow Him we still have to die to ourselves. Then, each day, take up our cross and make our way to our place of execution. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			23 Then He said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow Me. Luke 9:23 NLT 8 We serve God whether people honour us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. 2 Corinthians 6:8 NLT 12 Those who try to live a godly life because they believe in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 2 Timothy 3:12 GW 11 Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. Galatians 5:11 TNIV 10 Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant. Galatians 1:10 NLT 14 Suppose people make fun of you because you believe in Christ. Then you are blessed, because God's Spirit rests on you. He is the Spirit of glory. 15 Suppose you suffer. Then it shouldn't be because you are a murderer or a thief. It shouldn't be because you do evil things. It shouldn't be because you poke your nose into other people's business. 16 But suppose you suffer for being a Christian. Then don't be ashamed. Instead, praise God because you are known by that name. 1 Peter 4:14-16 NIrV 29 There's far more to this life than trusting in Christ. There's also suffering for him. And the suffering is as much a gift as the trusting. Philippians 1:29 MSG 14 Either way, Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NLT 12 If we endure hardship, we will reign with Him. If we deny Him, He will deny us. 2 Timothy 2:12 NLT	The strangest thing has happened in the past one hundred years. Something so deplorable, we all should be in tears. It seems the very nature of the cross is not the same, As that which Christians looked at, back then when Jesus came. An instrument of torture, of agony and pain. The instant that you picked it up, you set out to be slain. No more opportunity to tell the folk “good bye” It was a one way journey to the place where you would die. The cross was unforgiving and made no compromise When you were nailed upon it and lifted to the skies Your life on earth was over. This was your final act; And death in monstrous agony would soon become a fact. It may be that you’d linger on perhaps for several days. But death by suffocation and exhaustion were the ways, You would be defeated and your candle be snuffed out. The cross was going to murder you. Of that there was no doubt. The victim picked his cross up and took it to the place, Where all of the above was something which he had to face. How long that it would take him before he would arrive, Was all the time available for him to be alive. Everybody knew this and Jesus showed the way. That is what His followers expected every day. They were on a journey, the cross upon their back. Without the opportunity of finding time to pack. They all knew the outcome; that they would surely die. But every day they picked theirs up it didn’t matter why. You couldn’t be His follower, unless you had agreed, To pick your cross up daily and go where He would lead. But this longer happens. A velvet padded cross, Speaks about prosperity, where you won’t suffer loss. The cross has been downgraded. It’s comfortable and clean. Grace has been interpreted in ways God didn’t mean. Living will be painless and God will pay your bills. Off you go and live it up; enjoy as many thrills You’ll find along the journey. The fact is, you’ve been saved. Therefore it doesn’t matter how badly you’ve behaved! But that is not the gospel and Christians are tricked. They follow in a lifestyle which Jesus never picked. Sadly they’re deluded. The cross has never changed. If you think sin’s acceptable, you’re mentally deranged. And all that you believe in, will crumble and will fall. Instead, pick up the old cross and make Him Lord of all. Jim Strickland – Written 1st September 2012

MY FATHER’S BUSINESS

Time with Jesus - Friday, 31 August 2012

Hi all,

The story of Joseph, Mary and Jesus going to the temple in Jerusalem has puzzled people for many years. For today’s meditation, I’ve put the entire story into perspective and explained the circumstances surrounding this. Jesus the boy went to Jerusalem for His Bar Mitzvah where He would officially change from boyhood into manhood. It’s a fascinating story.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Friday, 31 August 2012			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
©	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					©
	INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	MY FATHER’S BUSINESS
Apart from His birth in Bethlehem, we know almost nothing about Jesus as a child and growing up. The one incident we know was the trip to Jerusalem He took with Mary and Joseph. The occasion was, in all probability, for His Bar Mitzvah. After this ceremony a boy was considered a man. The man would automatically become a part of his father’s business. I can think of no other reason why they would all have gone from Nazareth to Jerusalem. Which means Jesus was ±12 years old and was about to become a man! It was a long journey of about 150km; about 3 or 4 days on foot. In those days, the custom was for the women and children to leave first. They would get to the place where they would spend the night. There, the women would pitch the tents and get everything ready for the evening meal. The men would arrive in time for supper with them all. Until His Bar Mitzvah, Jesus would have been regarded as a child and would have travelled with the women.  After His Bar mitzvah the same thing would be repeated on the return to Nazareth. Mary must have left with the women and children, leaving Jesus to return with Joseph. When it was time for the men to leave, Joseph would assume that, since Jesus was not there, He must have been with Mary! It would be late in the day before they realised He was not with either of them! They would have to go back to Jerusalem to find Him. But where would they look? When in Jerusalem, they hunted everywhere without success. Finally, they went to the temple. There they found Jesus! He was talking to the priests. The Priests would not chat with a child, so they were talking to Him as a man. In their discussions with Jesus, they were astonished at His knowledge. It would have been normal back then for every young boy to memorise the Torah! (Genesis to end of Deuteronomy) So Jesus must have known far more than that to astonish the priests. But Jesus had more or less “written” all of it before coming to earth. So it’s not surprising He had all the answers to their questions. The apostle Peter put it this way: 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21 TNIV The amazing part of all of this was that His parents couldn’t find Him. After all, He was about His Father’s business! Since His real Father was God, where else should they have been looking for Him? Note, Jesus stated God was His Father at this young age! I’ve often wondered at what age He knew for certain who He was. Did He know it when He was born? You tell me! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			13 Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, 'Invest this for me while I am gone.' Luke 19:13 NLT 34 "The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return. Mark 13:34 NLT 15 He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another and one bag of silver to the last--dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. Matthew 25:15 NLT 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. John 9:4 TNIV 49 Jesus said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Didn't you realize that I had to be in my Father's house?" Luke 2:49 GW 21 This is the kind of life you've been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step. 1 Peter 2:21 MSG 2 Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favourable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. 2 Timothy 4:2 NLT 13 But each person's work will be shown for what it is. On judgment day it will be brought to light. It will be put through fire. The fire will test how good everyone's work is. 1 Corinthians 3:13 NIrV 58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. 1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT	For every Jewish boy, before gets to be a man, There is a ceremony, which long ago began. They call it the Bar Mitzvah, where he reads from the law. He is the child no longer, he used to be before. This very special date and in a very special place, The youngster had to go and look his manhood in the face. We know when Jesus did it; we know the place He went. The temple in Jerusalem. We’ve heard of the event. They went up for this purpose. The women went ahead, To set up camp and pitch the tents and make the daily bread. Jesus went with Mary, for He was still a kid. The men arrived much later, as usually they did. There within the Temple He did what was desired. It was His “rite of passage” as Jewish law required. From this day on in history, He wasn’t just a lad, But working as “partner”, in the business of His Dad! All this was very normal, until they left for home. His mother with the women and children on their own. The menfolk followed later. Eventually they met. “Where’s Jesus?” Mary asked him. “Did you perhaps forget, That He would travel with the men; I thought He was with you? We’ll have to go and look for Him. It’s all that we can do.” They set off very early and went back to the town. Even if they had to turn the whole place upside down, They had to keep on looking and searching with their eyes. Then in the Temple precincts, they got a big surprise. There was Jesus talking, with many gathered priests, About the Jewish Torah and of their many feasts. He seemed to be so young to know so much about the Law. They wondered how He got it and what He got it for. Then Joseph said to Jesus, “Tell me please my son, Why you didn’t come with us? We’ve both been on the run. Both of us were worried. We thought you’d come to harm. But Jesus looked at both of them and with a voice so calm, He said, “Did you forget that I have now become a man? I must look and see the way His “business” has been ran. Surely this is what My Father’s wanting now of Me. For in My Father’s business is where I have to be.” Jim Strickland Written 31st August 2012

WHAT “MANNA” OF MAN?

Time with Jesus - Thursday, 30 August 2012

Hi all,

Today we have a look at “Manna”. I like the word. Apparently in Hebrew it means “what is it”. An excellent description of what really we don’t know! I’ve been fascinated to read that it always tasted exactly what you would like to taste; a sort of multi-flavour food all in one. I can’t vouch for this but I like the idea. It has a “Divine” touch that people would not state if they hadn’t experienced it personally!

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Thursday, 30 August 2012			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
©	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					©
	INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	WHAT “MANNA” OF MAN?
It was 1957. I was in boarding school and the time had come for the youngsters to be confirmed in the Anglican Church; a bus ride from the school. It seemed a good idea to me at the time. It meant that once per week I could leave the school grounds legitimately and take the bus to the Church. There we would go through a Catechism of some sort in order to better understand what Holy Communion was all about. It’s now 2012 and I still don’t pretend to know everything about it. But it was fun. It seems to me that way back in 1957, the Lord was beginning to stir up things in my heart which would lead to what is taking place in Phyllida’s and my life today. I loved those classes. The final lesson was taken by the Bishop of Grahamstown. Why it had to be him, to this day I have no idea. Then, a couple of weeks later, I was confirmed into the Anglican Church. I can’t say that I was particularly excited by this. But from then on I would get up early on Sunday mornings and walk to the nearest Anglican Church to take communion. In some respects this was the highlight of the week. For some reason there was a feeling of being cleansed at these services. If I was to take a guess I would say that in some way I still don’t understand, these were occasions when I felt close to Jesus. Don’t ask me how or why. It was an impression. No more; no less. It was a sensation I would not experience again until October 1960 in England when I gave my life to Jesus. I remember some of the words from the Anglican Prayer Book which spoke something along the following lines: - “Feed on Him in your heart by faith”. Quickly I was able to associate the communion with Jesus as the bread of life! “Even now, all these years later I remember the expression, “The body of Christ, broken for you. Take and eat.” The words may not be the exact words from the prayer book. But they we exciting and life-giving. From then on and all through our “Charismatic” years, these words have rung in Phyllida’s and my heart. She made her commitment to Jesus in 1951. When we read the Old Testament about the Israelites eating “Manna” in the wilderness, it resonated with our experience. How do you “fall in love” with a person you don’t know and certainly don’t understand? Neither of us knew. But it happened to both of us, For Phyllida it was at a CSSM camp in Ceres. For me it was in Newcastle on Tyne in England. Since then we have followed Him to the best of our ability. Not always willingly or steadfastly. But He is our “manna”. The bread of heaven who came to earth for our salvation. Thank You Lord! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			15 When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. 16 This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer; according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.'" 17 And the people of Israel did so. They gathered some more, some less. 18 But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. 19 And Moses said to them, "Let no one leave any of it over till the morning." 20 But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 21 Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted. Exodus 16:15-21 ESV 16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. 1 Timothy 3:16 ESV 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." John 6:33 ESV 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 ----- 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." John 6:49-51 ESV 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. John 6:54-55 ESV 31 "So don't worry. Don't say, 'What will we eat?' Or, 'What will we drink?' Or, 'What will we wear?' 32 People who are ungodly run after all of those things. Your Father who is in heaven knows that you need them. 33 "But put God's kingdom first. Do what he wants you to do. Then all of those things will also be given to you. Matthew 6:31-33 NIrV	The people called it “Manna” and it was “heaven’s bread”. The food the Israelites all ate, while they were being led; Round and round the wilderness, by Moses and the Lord. For forty years they ate it and some of them were bored. Although Jewish historians, said that it tasted grand, They all had to collect it, each day as God had planned. They say that it would taste like whatever was desired. Boiled, or baked, cooked or raw, they shouldn’t have got tired. Whatever flavour that they liked was given them each day. I know it all sounds very strange, but that is what they say. They had to eat it quickly. It perished overnight. They said that it got full of worms; they couldn’t chew nor bite, Except upon the Sabbath. Then it would not go bad. And they would have to eat up all the “Manna” which they had. It’s very clear that this was something, only God can do. And if you didn’t like it. “I’m sorry friend for you”. They tell us that they lived on it, for almost 40 years. And only when in Canaan, the manna disappears. That’s more or less the end of it, as far as we all know. There is no further evidence of this nutritious “snow”. And that’s how it continued for fifteen hundred years. And then the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ appears. He didn’t look like manna. He looked like flesh and blood. A similar creation, to that made out of mud. He didn’t have a flavour; not one that you could eat. But when it came to “heaven’s bread”, He sure had manna beat. No, He would live forever. He was our promised food. You couldn’t have Him boiled, or baked, or fried, or even stewed. But even so, He told us, He is the bread of life. What kind of person could that be? Not even someone’s wife, Could ever be our Saviour! But first He had to die. He couldn’t be our living bread; and here’s the reason why. You cannot eat His body until His Spirit’s gone! He had to first be crucified, for us to feast upon. He is the “Bread of Heaven”, on which we can depend. He’s not some sort of “manna” that must come to an end. So when we take communion, a Christian can know, Forever He will feed us, no matter where we go. Jim Strickland – Written 30th August 2012