Time with Jesus - Sunday, 29 April
2012
Hi all,
For a change, a couple of “Jimmets”;
my style sonnets. They follow the same
style as Shakespeare. Not in his league but fun to write.
Blessings
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
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Time with Jesus – Sunday, 29 April 2012
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INTRODUCTION
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DAILY
LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
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HOPE FOR ALL
CREATION!
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The Scriptures today focus on hope. Have you heard
anyone preach on the subject of hope? I think that I can count the number of
times on the fingers of one hand. But what exactly is hope? My first “Jimmet”
looks at this.
For most of us :”hope” is nothing more than a vague
possibility for the future. “I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow”. Is a good
example. There is a 99.9% certainty that tomorrow is sure to come. What the
weather will be like tomorrow is a bit of a guess. I’d like it to be fine and
sunny. Not too hot and not too cold. We plan on visiting friends for a braai.
So we say we hope it doesn’t rain. It’s a nice “wish” for tomorrow. But we
have no control whatsoever over the weather. There is no certainty in the
wish. The weather will do what it wants and we submit to whatever happens.
In most ways “hope” is regarded as little more than wishful
thinking. There is no measure of certainty at all. We say we hope to win the
Lotto. That’s a possibility. Phyllida and I don’t buy Lotto tickets, so for
us to say we hope to win the Lotto is nonsense!
Biblical hope is not like that at all. Hope in Scripture
has a predicted outcome. The only question is when it will take place. Paul’s
letter to Titus in the God’s Word Translation shows this clearly.13
At the same time we
can expect what we hope for-the appearance of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Titus 2:13 GW. We know He is coming back.
The only question is when?
We can all truthfully say that we “hope” to die. It’s
not something we look forward too, so it sounds a bit negative. But it’s the
truth. To say I hope I won’t die is nonsense. It is a certainty. The only
question is the date.
The second “Jimmet” speaks of a hope of a different
kind. This one looks at the fall of man from creation’s point of view. We
forget that Adam’s sin didn’t just affect him and Eve. It had a “Tsunami”
effect that rolled over all of creation. It distorted the plants and animals
and has given us a world which thrives on death. To think of a world without
death is almost impossible.
Scripture tells us that the groans of creation
resemble the groans of a woman in labour. Our ears are not attuned to the “voice”
of creation so we, as a rule, don’t hear its sounds. The closest we get is listening
to the noises geologists detect as the tectonic plates rub against each
other. Most of us never hear them.
What is certain is the appearing of Jesus Christ
when He returns. It’s described as our “blessed hope” It’s an absolute
certainty.
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
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13 Waiting for
our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of
our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself
for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people
for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
Titus 2:13-14 ESV
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Have we every realised the fact,
Christianity
is based on hope?
Faith
is pointless if it isn’t backed,
By
a certainty. We do not grope,
For
that which we really can’t believe!
Hope
can’t be just possibility!
It’s
assurance that we will receive,
That
which we are certain we will see.
Hope’s
an anchor, not a lucky draw;
Never
a mere rolling of the dice.
If
it’s only that and nothing more,
All
of it could vanish in a trice!
Hope
is never something which might be;
But
assurance it is what we’ll see!
Written
29th April 2012
Waiting
For the coming of the Lord!
Listen
and you’ll hear it as it moans,
Longing
for what was, to be restored.
Adams’s
fall affected everything.
Death
impacted more than human life.
All
the evil Satan chose to bring,
Ushered
in this time of sin and strife.
Adam
was the one we all should blame;
But
Creation was under his control.
Nothing
therefore, could remain the same.
Touching
one would also touch the whole!
But
a new Creation we will see!
Jesus will return and set all free!
Written
29th April 2012
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19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our
souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary. 20
Jesus has already gone in there for us. He
has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:19-20 NLT
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19 Now repent
of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. 20
Then times of refreshment will come from the presence
of the Lord, and He will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah.
21 For He must remain in heaven until
the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long
ago through His holy prophets.
Acts 3:19-21 NLT
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10 This will
happen on that day when he comes to be honoured
among all his holy people and admired by all who have believed in him. This
includes you because you believed the testimony we gave you.
2 Thessalonians 1:10 GW
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22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in
the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the
Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our
bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope
for the day when God will give us our full rights as His adopted children,
including the new bodies He has promised us.
Romans 8:22-23 NLT
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2 Dear friends, we are already God's children, but He has
not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know
that we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He really is.
1 John 3:2 NLT
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4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also
will appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:4 ESV
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20 He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I
am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
Revelation 22:20 ESV
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