Time with Jesus - Friday, 20 April
2012
Hi all,
Wow! Thanks a million. The
general consensus is that the new three column “Time with Jesus” is a winner.
Thanks to everyone who has commented. So I’ll stick to this format. I particularly
like having the Scriptures central. His Word is central in the lives of His
followers so having them central makes good sense to me. This will definitely simplify
the book next year; always assuming that we are all here next year. I would
raise no objection if He decides to return before then!
Blessings
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
INTRODUCTION
|
Do you have a testimony? Many of us have one of some
sort. Some are dramatic. Rather like Paul, they can point to a time and
place. “This is how I was”, they say. “This is what He has done in my life”.
I can say that too, although nothing quite as dramatic as Paul’s was.
Some years ago I heard a story that helped me with
this difficulty. It seems that a lady evangelist was visiting a church. (Lady
evangelists are out there somewhere!) Another lady had been asked to chauffer
her around. Accordingly, these two women spent several hours together. At one
of the meeting, the evangelist gave her testimony. She spoke of where she had
been. Drugs, prostitution, alcohol. You name it and she had been there. Then
very dramatically she heard about Jesus Christ and what He could do in her
life. She was converted “on the spot”. Jesus broke all her addictions,
cleaned her up and called her into His service. The outcome was like night
and day.
Later that afternoon driving the evangelist to her
next appointment, the “chauffer” broke down in tears. She turned and said to
the woman, “I don’t have a testimony at all. I was brought up in a Christian
home. I committed my life to Jesus when I was a young girl. I’ve always known
Him. Nothing like what has happened to you has happened to me.
At that the evangelist herself started crying. “You’ve
got a much better testimony than I have”, she mumbled through eyes awash with
tears. “I can only speak of His saving power. You can speak of His keeping
power”. They stopped at the nearest safe stopping place and embraced.
The power of what Jesus Christ can do in the lives
of His people is limitless. We hear of testimonies, “From the gutter-most to
the uttermost”. At times they are dramatic. Mine was fairly typical of your
average teenage male in the 1960’s, along with one or two other things I
prefer not to remember.
Then Jesus came into my life. I’d like to say that
I’ve been as faithful to Him as He has been to me. I haven’t. But on the
occasions when I’ve returned to Him, something like the prodigal son, all
that “stuff” didn’t seem to matter. He made me welcome and enabled me to pick
up where I’d left off. That was the greatest surprise. He found me 52 years ago.
I didn’t find Him. I wasn’t even looking for Him. But He found me! That’s the
really unbelievable part.
For the past 32 years He’s walked with me. Through
the ups and downs of life He has never let me down. He’s said He never will!
|
DAILY
LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
|
15 "'Who are You, lord?' I
asked. "And the Lord replied, 'I am Jesus,
the One you are persecuting.
Act 26:15
NLT
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."
Matthew
14:27 ESV
2 When you go through deep waters, I will
be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the
flames will not consume you. 3 For
I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour. I gave
Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
Isaiah
43:2-3 NLT
4 Even though I walk through the valley of
the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and
your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4
ESV
23 "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they
shall call his name Immanuel" (Meaning,
God with us).
Matthew1:23
ESV
21 She will bear a son, and you shall call
his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."
Matthew 1:20-21 ESV
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may
not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
1 John 2:1
ESV
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the
one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of
God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger,
or sword?
|
Romans 8:34-35 ESV
FROM
SAUL TO PAUL
|
The first
Damascus visit that was carried out by Saul,
Transformed
his life forever; and so they called him Paul.
He set out
breathing curses against “Christians” who’d been Jews.
He wanted
to arrest them so they could be accused,
Of
following a man Saul considered was a cheat;
A Rabbi
whom they’d crucified. This ‘sect’ he had to beat.
As he
neared Damascus, Saul saw a blinding light.
He heard a
voice Who spoke to him and gave him such a fright
He fell
upon the pathway his face against the floor.
“Saul,
what is the reason you persecute Me for?”
“Who are
you Lord?” Saul answered. “I’m Jesus!” He replied.
“It’s Me
you’re persecuting! From now, you’re on My side!
So Saul
became a Christian. We know the story well.
And Paul
went to the Gentiles, to save their souls from Hell.
This story
of the impact that Jesus has on men,
We find
has been repeated, time and time again.
He brings
with Him the savour of His delightful peace.
He proclaims
His presence and all our worries cease.
If we are
in deep waters, He said He’d calm us down.
Soothing
every worry and banishing our frown.
Even in
the furnace, we will not be consumed.
It’s only
Jesus’ enemies who’ll find that they are doomed.
Walking in
the valley, when death is all around;
Evil can’t
befall us, if in Him we abound.
His rod
and staff protect us. His comfort calms us so.
We call
His Name Emmanuel, God with us where we go.
He came
here as a miracle. A virgin girl conceived,
And gave
birth to the Son of God. That’s what we all believe.
They gave
Him the Name “Jesus”. He saved us from our sin.
He is our
Righteous Advocate and he is bound to win.
And though
we often stumble and sin comes in to call.
We know
that by His precious blood, we do not have to fall!
Repentance
and forgiveness are ours throughout the land.
And He in
His unending grace will help us all to stand.
No one can
condemn us. Although they all may try
His Holy
Spirit’s with us and He is God Most High
So
everything that happened to the apostle Paul
Can happen
to believers who make Christ Lord of all!
Jim Strickland – Written 20th April 2012
|
