YOU BELIEVE

Time with Jesus - Thursday, 29 November 2012

Hi all,

One of the most popular teachings of the early 1980’s was the fact that the expression “seeing is believing” was not Christian. The way it should be is “Believing is seeing”. It’s the other way round. ²³ I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. ²⁴ I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours. Mark 11:23-24 NLT In other words, if you want to see it you must first believe it. In many ways this is the “essence” of the faith movement. It still is. It all boils down to what you believe and is part of our meditation for today.

Blessings,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Thursday, 29 November 2012			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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INTRODUCTION			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	YOU BELIEVE
Pastor Yongi Cho has the world’s largest church situated in South Korea. He wrote the book, “The Fourth Dimension” back in the late 1970’s. I remember that it was very popular in 1981 when I returned to the Lord from my own wilderness experience. What fascinated me was the title. “The Fourth Dimension”. At school they taught me that there are only three dimensions. So what was the “fourth one”? Many folk told me it’s the “spiritual” dimension. Yongi Cho’s book didn’t contradict this, but it helped me realise that the dimension in which God dwells is very different from ours. I scratched my head until I came across the marvellous description by Paul in Romans 8. And I ask18 you'll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Eph. 3:18 MSG I love the way Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase describes Paul’s special words. There we “see” four dimensions. We could quibble and say that depths and height are the same. But this version puts a magnificent interpretation on Paul’s words. Enjoy them. They are superb! Personally, I love this sort of thing. I like to understand what I’m reading. Very often, I find things hidden in Scripture that for me are revelatory. By this I’m not speaking about a new “revelation from God”. That would be highly unlikely. But I love asking questions as I read. Questions such as what Jesus meant when He said to the 11 apostles, “Now you believe” or “You believe at last?” To understand everything Jesus said, it’s vital we get to grips with context. We need an exegetical understanding or we will miss the point!  A good example is found in Paul’s letter to the Philippians. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Phil. 4:13 KJV People think this means anything. Then I point out that you can’t fry ice. You can’t make a square into a circle. And for the men I remind them that no matter how much faith they have, they will never fall pregnant! With this approach, I’ve tried to get my head round what Jesus meant at that time and in that place. I’ve tried to “get into His shoes” (sandals if you prefer) and try and explain it. I sense it revealed He was getting to the point of exasperation and frustration with the apostles. But this demeans Him and I’m not happy doing so. For me, Jesus is perfect and to suggest that He may have had weaknesses of this nature borders on blasphemy! But I would be untrue to Him if I don’t state what I read in His Word. So I submit this meditation to The Holy Spirit as well as my brothers and sisters in Him. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			29 His disciples said, "Now you're talking in plain words and not using examples. 30 Now we know that you know everything. You don't need to wait for questions to be asked. Because of this, we believe that you have come from God." 31 Jesus replied to them, "Now you believe”. John 16:29-31 GW 14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 17 So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. James 2:14&17 NLT 17 It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God's promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. 19 Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead. Hebrews 11:17&19 NLT 21 Don't you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. James 2:21&24 NLT 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. James 1:25 NLT 19 Every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. 21 "Not everyone who calls out to Me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of My Father in heaven will enter. Matthew 7:19-21 NLT 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the One who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them. John 13:16-17 NLT	Have you ever thought of standing in the Master’s shoes? Yes I know He is the Lord and King of all the Jews. I’ve known this from my childhood. They taught me this in school. I know He’s the Creator. For evermore He’ll rule. Now God is always perfect. In each and every way. He knows what’s going to happen. So why did Jesus say, To all of His disciples, "You believe at last!" The context is important. They’d just been walking past, The gates of Herod’s temple. They’d paused to have a talk. Jesus Christ knew perfectly, this was His final walk. In just a few brief hours, He knew that He would be, Dying on a Roman cross upon Mt Calvary. Could Jesus feel frustrated? We cannot tell for sure? Some think that His Holiness never could endure, A feeling of frustration. That would be sin indeed! A thought that’s contradictory to every Christian creed. And yet these words are written, "You believe at last!"                John 16:31 NIV The words He had been waiting for, for just about the past, Three and a half years ministry. They knew He came from God. If that is not frustration, it’s surely very odd, That Jesus Christ would say to them. They’d got there just in time. Now they knew for certain that Jesus is Divine. Of course it could be argued, He knew what they would state. He knew that it would happen in spite of the long wait. But there is an expression, the English language uses. It is used so often. It’s made when one accuses, Somebody arriving by “the skin upon their teeth”! At the final instant, they got in underneath, The final, full time whistle or adjudicator’s gun. A millisecond later, it’s over and it’s done! Was this the Master’s meaning? I really cannot say. I know from my perspective it seems to be that way. But I can’t “second guess” Him! I’m surely not that bright. So many things were happening to all of them that night! So Master, please forgive me for what is written here. I’ve shared my understanding; but Master please draw near. And bring Divine correction to anything I’ve said. And blot out any error, from every reader’s head. Jim Strickland  Written 29th November 2012