Time with Jesus - Monday, 13
February 2012
Hi all,
How
many of us remember the chorus, “life is wonderful”? Sure it’s a bit old. Old
fashioned even. But it’s very accurate and descriptive.
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LIFE IS WONDERFUL
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Life is wonderful; yes it’s wonderful
Life is wonderful now for me.
I let Jesus in. He changed everything.
Life is wonderful now.
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Since His blessing came into my heart;
Joy unspeakable fills every part.
Now I want to live for my Lord.
Life is wonderful now.
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I first heard and sang the
chorus back in 1962 at the Easter convention at Cliff College in UK. “Cliff” as
it was affectionately called was a Methodist Evangelistic College, fairly close
to Sheffield. Its history went back to the middle of the 1800’s. Many
evangelists had trained at Cliff. In those days, part of their training was to
take the gospel all over UK. In many instances, they would pull an old
hand-cart from place to place and preach wherever they could. It was always
seen as a “team event” and from the point of view of the number of converts
they were moderately successful.
But Cliff was more than that.
It was an excellent training ground in basic theology. The focus was primarily
on Bible exposition and teaching. Methodists came from all over the world for
training. Phyllida and I met one of them in Worcester in the Western Cape. He
had trained there in 1935 and had many memories of those days.
As far as Cliff visitors and
students were concerned, Cliff was taking “life” to the people of UK. The
Easter convention was much loved and well attended. I was 20 and life was a
“blast”! I revelled in the environment and enjoyed the different quality of
“life” that was experienced there.
As a young Christian I was
taught that we should be in the world but not of the world. This is easier said
than done when you are a young apprentice mixing with people who are no more
Christian than an egg-beater. Trying to keep “pure” was an exercise in self-effort.
If you advocated a “Christian” lifestyle, you were accused of being a pompous,
religious misfit. That was my problem. If you joined in with the things going
on, you were called a hypocrite. To find the “happy medium” was just about
impossible. The people knew what the “life” of a Christian was supposed to look
like. Their standards were all different, so it was impossible to win. If I
tell you that my nickname was “Elmer Gantry” you’ll get some idea of how I
appeared to the casual onlooker. It wasn’t good! To be honest, as I look back
on those days, I don’t blame them!
The balance between the two
perceived lifestyles was hard to find. For me, it was impossible. I did my best
to discover what “life” meant. It eluded me for years. Finally, it occurred
that the best plan was to live life as simply and as normally as possible and
leave the difference to the Holy Spirit.
Did it work? Only the Lord
knows. On the one hand I’ve become less concerned with what other folk think of
me. Instead I’ve tried to live consistently in the way I think Jesus would
like. This has made “life” far less complicated.
Today’s meditation looks at
“life” in more detail.
Blessings
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
The story of Life
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There is a special something,
we can’t identify.
A quality inside us, that’s not there when we die.
We say that living creatures,
have got a quality,
That mankind cannot copy and looks for desperately!
We say that it is living. Vibrant
it moves and breathes.
It vanishes the moment, this aspect “up’s and leaves”.
But what exactly is it? How is
it best described?
How can it be transmitted? To what is it ascribed?
We say that something’s
“living”; but what is it we mean?
We know when it is present; yet it remains unseen.
We’d rather like to catch it
and keep it in a jar.
So if and when we need it, we needn’t look too far.
But science has no answer. They
know when it is there.
But when it has departed – they grope out in despair.
We know that Jesus had it. “I
am the Life” said He.
And it is only given, by His authority.
It’s never artificial. We think
it aught to stay.
We’d like to keep it going, forever and a day.
But it has been subjected by
sin to certain death.
For life is surely ended, after our final breath.
We know where it has come from.
God gave it sovereignly;
When He created Adam, way back in history.
He made a man-like “dummy”,
from bits of mud and clay.
It looked just like a dolly, with which our children play.
Then after it was fashioned, He
blew into its “nose”;
And at that very instant, a human being arose!
I don’t know how He did it. I
do not really care.
For life was now pulsating, through what was hand-made there.
He called that first man
“Adam”; he was a living soul.
A model of perfection; in every aspect, whole.
We all know what then happened.
We know he sinned and fell.
For death had taken captive, mankind’s first sentinel.
It looked like a disaster. It
was in many ways.
But it had not defeated the Ancient of all Days!
He knew that it would happen
and had devised a plan.
That through the Second Adam; that He would rescue man.
And though for generations,
mankind would all be “dead”,
He knew the crucifixion would give “life-giving bread”!
This was not accidental. It had
to be this way.
God couldn’t make a “robot” who loved Him every day.
That’s why He sent the Saviour.
The One Who made it all.
So Life could be imparted, to subjects of the fall.
Now they could be obedient; and
it could be for life;
No longer terminated, through wickedness and strife.
Once more God’s Holy purpose,
by man could be attained.
Not by what man accomplished, but by what Christ ordained.
Jim Strickland – Written Monday 13th February 2012
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