HE IS GOD’S SON

Time with Jesus - Monday, 24 September 2012

Hi all,

Today’s meditation looks at Jesus Christ and what He has done for you and me. It also gives some information about Charles Wesley and his extraordinary hymn writing gift. John and his brother Charles have been two of my heroes since 1960. Our meditation explains this in more detail.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Monday, 24 September 2012			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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	INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	HE IS GOD’S SON
Let earth and Heaven combine, Angels and men agree, To praise in songs divine The incarnate Deity, Our God contracted to a span, Incomprehensibly made Man. He laid His glory by, He wrapped Him in our clay; Unmarked by human eye, The latent Godhead lay; Infant of days He here became, And bore the mild Immanuel’s Name Charles Wesley I make no apologies for the fact that two of my Christian heroes are John and his brother Charles Wesley. God used these two men to begin a revival in England that has not been seen since then. Charles was born on 18th Dec 1707 in Epworth, England and died on 29th March 1788 in London. (80 years) Charles was a gifted hymn writer. It is said he composed 6000 hymns. One of his better known hymns included the words, “Our God contracted to a span. / Incomprehensibly made Man”. The second line of today’s poem borrows from this statement. At the 6:15 Special (18h15) on Sunday 9th October 1960, at Bainbridge Memorial Methodist Church, in Heaton, Newcastle on Tyne, UK, I heard the gospel for the first time. To use the expression of John Wesley, “my heart was strangely warmed”. That was nearly 52 years ago! This place, date and time, my testimony if you like, is something I’ll never forget even if I live for another thousand years! Since that date, apart from several years in a wilderness of my own making, God has allowed me the privilege of walking with my Saviour and Lord. Thinking back over the years, I’m still inclined to weep over the fact that He came to save me! Yes, others as well. But to die for me is still astonishing. The change in my heart very quickly changed my taste in music and by the end of 1960, my favourite hymn was one of Charles Wesley’s hymns, “And can it be that I should gain and interest in my Saviour’s blood”. The verse concludes with the words, “Amazing love, how can it be that Thou my God would die for me!” All these years later, it still amazes me. Some have told me that I’ve been given a similar gift to the one the Lord gave Charles. To be spoken of in the same breath with a man of his unique God given ability, is to elevate my “doggerel” to heights above anything I can imagine. It’s a bit like comparing Beethoven with Ringo Starr’s “We all live in a yellow submarine”. Forever I’ll be in awe of the writings of Charles Wesley. His hymns are still alive 250 years later. If my verse and rhyme are still remembered 50 years from now, I’ll be astonished. Jim Strickland			9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9 ESV 14 The Word became a human being. He made his home with us. We have seen his glory. It is the glory of the one and only Son. He came from the Father. And he was full of grace and truth. John 1:14 NIrV 2 You are the most handsome of the sons of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever. Psalms 45:2 ESV 22 All the people spoke well of him. They were amazed to hear the gracious words flowing from his lips. They said, "Isn't this Joseph's son?" Luke 4:22 GW 3 You can do it now that you have tasted how good the Lord is. 1 Peter 2:3 NIrV 10 Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony of God in them. Those who don't believe God have made God a liar. They haven't believed the testimony that God has given about his Son. 1 John 5:10 GW 11 I can guarantee this truth: We know what we're talking about, and we confirm what we've seen. Yet, you don't accept our message. John 3:11 GW 8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Psalms 34:8 NIV 3 As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. Song of Solomon 2:3 ESV 9 But he said to me, "My grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak." So I am very happy to brag about how weak I am. Then Christ's power can rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIrV 7 But each one of us has received a gift of grace, just as Christ wanted us to have it. Ephesians 4:7 NIrV 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 1 Peter 4:10 ESV	It really is amazing. The one who owned it all. Infinity personified, compressed Himself so small, That He could fit with comfort into a human frame. To leave behind His riches and never once complain! The wealth of the creation; He owned it all by right. But He did not hang on to it, He put it out of sight, And lived among His creatures, in abject poverty, So each and every follower may know prosperity. Not so much in money. That was a bagatelle. But so that those who loved Him would not end up in hell. He came to take our sicknesses, iniquities and sin. To fight against the devil; to take him on and win! We saw Him in His glory, Mount Hermon was the place, Where He was transfigured and light shone from His face. We also saw His glory when He was crucified. The whole earth seemed to tremble the instant that He died. We saw Him in His glory when He walked out of the tomb. We saw Him in His glory; in that quiet upper room We saw Him in His glory; He was lifted up on high. And taken back to heaven, His home up in the sky. He didn’t look much different from any other man. By He was rather handsome and far more gracious than, The people He encountered. He personified the truth; And got along with those who were ill-mannered and uncouth. We knew that God had blessed Him above all of His peers. Some thought He was Messiah for two and forty years. He had a joy filled lifestyle, of great variety, Mingled with an attitude of utmost piety. We “tasted” of His goodness. The gracious words He said, Had God’s very power to raise men from the dead. He fed men by the thousand from a little schoolboy’s lunch. He said the Scribes and Pharisees, were mostly just a bunch, Of self-promoting hypocrites whose god was mainly greed. Giving an impression of their warped and misplaced creed. The Jesus Christ Whom we all loved was not like that at all. He healed the ones who came to Him; all people great or small. We sat within His shadow; His “fruit” was sweet to taste. And when they crucified Him, we all said, “What a waste” But now we know that He is God, and all that He has done, We bow our heads and worship Him. Indeed He is God’s son. Jim Strickland – Written 24th September 2012