FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT

Time with Jesus - Monday, 05 March 2012

Hi all,

Christianity or being a follower of Christ is not for wimps. This is another of those things we aren't told when we decide to follow Him. Maybe it’s just as well. I suspect that if we could have seen the future at that time, we would have wondered if we could possibly cope.

As a child in primary school I remember singing “Onward Christian Soldiers, Marching as to war; with the cross of Jesus going on before”. An easy song to sing with easily remembered lyrics. I had no idea how accurately the hymn depicted our walk in Jesus!

Paul told Timothy to fight the good fight of faith. Paul knew what he was talking about. He’d been there! All of his life after his dramatic conversion to Jesus Christ on the Damascus Road was one succession of confrontations after the other. “Fight the good fight of faith is what he wrote to Timothy.

But Paul also indicated that God has equipped everyone to fight this fight. In his letter to the Ephesians he wrote: ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. Eph 6:13-18 ESV

There’s little doubt in my mind that Paul was sharing with the people of Ephesus his own experience and method in prayer. As far as he was concerned, this was warfare. These “Prayer tips” may not be in 21^st century language. But guess what? They are more up to date than tomorrow’s newspaper. This is his recipe for fruitful Christianity.

Today’s meditation looks at fighting the good fight in more detail.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Fight the Good Fight

The moment you’re a Christian, you’re fighting in a war.

You cannot see the enemy, and you’re a little raw.

You haven’t had experience in battling this way.

But there’s no way of quitting no matter what folk say.

The opposition’s sneaky; they operate through friends!

They listen to your comments and focus on your trends.

Their purpose is to stop you from what you may achieve.

If you continue standing in the faith which you believe.

Their tactics are deception, to push you to the side,

Where they can make you stumble into any form of pride.

Their army looks intimidating, powerful and huge.

But it is just a method of evil subterfuge.

They usually begin them by attacking from the front.

They threaten they are powerful and call on every stunt,

To keep you from resisting and make you fall away.

Anything that they can do to keep the Lord at bay!

Their techniques are so tricky; they’ll fight you from the rear.

Anything that they can do to fill your heart with fear.

They know that if you’re terrified, you’ll turn around and run;

Then all of your resistance will be surely overcome.

But you have a weapon that cannot be dismissed.

The Word of God to fight with and they cannot resist,

Its double edged action as it sweeps them all away.

You also have a helmet to wear into the fray.

A breastplate of God’s righteousness the enemy can’t pierce.

A shield of faith to stop the barbs that seem to be so fierce.

A belt of truth to recognise the devil’s wicked lies;

With sandals on your feet resisting your demise.

We have all of this armour. At first we do not know.

But as you gain experience, your confidence will grow.

For you have one more weapon to keep away despair.

That weapon is invincible and it’s the power of prayer.

Even if you’re naked and all your armour’s gone,

It’s prayer that gives ability to keep on keeping on.

You have the blood of Jesus. It’s God’s atomic power.

To bring His people victory each day and any hour.

So Christian, take courage. Defeat will not take place.

Not while you are looking into the Master’s face.

Ask for just a little glimpse of how the chips are stacked.

There’s many more with Jesus and Satan’s seat is smacked.

You can’t be defeated and you must surely win,

Against the devil’s army and the crushing power of sin.

Jim Strickland – Written 05 March 2012

STRANGE FIRE!

Time with Jesus – Sunday 4^th March 2012

Hi all,

God is inscrutable. He is unfathomable. Isaiah expressed it as follows: ⁸ "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. ⁹ For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT

Why God does the things He does, often defies all human understanding. A classic example is the fact that what looked to us like an overwhelming defeat; a “man” dying on a cross; was actually the greatest victory this world has even seen or known. This is our inscrutable God in action. It has always been so.

There is one thing we can say about God with a reasonable degree of certainty. If He says something, it must be believed and acted upon. “Do not eat of the fruit” illustrates this. Adam disobeyed. We know the outcome.

Moving on down the centuries, we come upon an extraordinary statement by God to Moses. ⁸ "Have the people of Israel build Me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them. ⁹ You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you. Exodus 25:8-9 NLT

This is what Moses and his people did. Men have tried to describe the magnificence of the tabernacle - the tent in the wilderness. No doubt they have done their very best. But it’s doubtful if anyone can do so adequately.

God required many things from His people; too many to go into in this short message. There were two I’d like to draw to our attention. The light shining from the menorah was never to go out. Another was associated with the consecration of the tabernacle and furnishings. The details are recorded for us in Leviticus. ²³ Then Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle, and when they came back out, they blessed the people again, and the glory of the LORD appeared to the whole community. ²⁴ Fire blazed forth from the LORD's presence and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When the people saw this, they shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground. Lev 9:23-24 NLT

We are told that the fire on this altar was never to be extinguished. It also follows that fire generated by any other method would be “strange fire”. In this morning’s Scripture we are informed that Nadab and Abihu were consumed by fire from the Lord for using fire obtained by another method. It was “strange fire”.

Nadab and Abihu disobeyed a direct instruction from God. The result was their death. Why the Lord did this is not for me to question. All we know is that they had violated a pattern He had laid down. We may not touch God’s Holiness. If we do, we could be proclaiming our own death sentence.

In today’s Meditation we look at “strange fire” in further detail.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Strange Fire!

We have to do things properly, so we can do them right.

The Lord is most particular; and so He shines His light,

On each and everyone of us, to make sure what we do,

Conforms to what’s expected from the likes of me and you.

We see this very clearly in the Scriptures for today.

His priests were consecrated in a very special way.

They’d been through all the ritual for them to be a priest.

Their ministry was starting. At death it would be ceased.

They’d heard all God’s instructions; The lamps must not go out.

They had to keep them burning; of that there was no doubt.

The offering was burned up by fire from on High.

That flame upon the altar; they mustn’t let it die.

It had to be kept burning. seven-twenty four.

Any other fire was acceptable no more.

But Nadab and Abihu; they failed to do it right.

Their incense burner’s fire was “strange” within God’s sight.

It wasn’t from the altar; so they were both consumed,

By fire from the Lord; “it doesn’t matter” they presumed.

Moses told Aaron, the reason they had died.

The holiness of God by their “strange fire” was put aside.

We have to be particular in everything we do.

To violate His holiness means death for me and you!

Much the same thing happened when Uzzah touched the ark. (2 Sam 6:7)

It must not be transported on an ordinary cart!

On the Levite’s shoulders was the place where it should be,

Covered and not visible, for everyone to see.

Perhaps it may be argued that these victims didn’t know,

That what they had been doing would offend the Master so.

But He is God Almighty. We know He does what’s right.

Your or my opinion doesn’t matter in His sight.

We must never violate the “pattern” He has shown;

Even accidentally; such things must not be known.

God is not an ogre. But sometimes He must act,

In ways we find disquieting and very short of tact.

Know that these things happen for reasons in His mind;

Seldom understandable, the cause is hard to find.

But Jesus and His Holiness we never may downgrade.

And it will never happen if He’s constantly obeyed.

Jim Strickland – Written 4^th March 2012