“JIMMET” – WEAPONS AND PRAYER

Time with Jesus - Sunday, 29 July 2012

Hi all,

Today’s Meditation comprises two “Jimmets”. The first is a prayer for the unsaved. The second is a comment on Isaiah 54:17. “No weapon formed against you will prosper. “ There is no doubt that as Christians, we need the assurance that this is true.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Sunday, 29 July 2012			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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	INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	“JIMMET” – WEAPONS AND PRAYER
In the bookcase in our lounge there is a book by Jack Hayford. Jack has been called one of the most “balanced” teachers on the Charismatic circuit. I must confess that he has opened our thinking in many different ways. In particular his teaching on the “unforgiveable sin” helped us to get rid of a considerable amount of “bad thinking” The title of the book is “Prayer is Invading the Imposable”. In the light of personal experience and the words of Jesus, this is a magnificent title. There is no other way under the sun whereby you and I may achieve things we thought were impossible. For those who don’t believe in God, prayer is simply an exercise in futility; it is merely talking to yourself. They comment that, if no one is listening, what’s the point in praying? They will concede that a time of solitude is good for people to unwind. Other than that, why bother? What we find difficult to understand, is why people could ever think that way. The evidence of intelligent design is visible everywhere. To believe that all this came about as a series of random events, is surely more difficult to believe than in a Creator God. It has been established conclusively, that even the so called simple cell is so complex it should hardly be described as “simple” and could not have just evolved! The components are interconnected in such a complicated way that they depend on each other to function. How could such a “process” suddenly have taken place accidentally? They answer this by saying you and I are here. This proves that the impossible happened randomly. There’s not much logic in this. It’s like saying something is fact because you can’t find anything anywhere that says it isn’t. It’s rather like saying my name is Fred because there is no evidence to say otherwise. As Christians we see the blindness of such an attitude. For many years I’ve felt that believing in evolution is a theological decision. People don’t want to believe in God, so they reach out in desperation and embrace anything that even remotely suggests that God is not real. They don’t believe in creation, because they don’t want to believe. They know very well that if they start to believe in God, their lives will become subject to Him. It’s easier to stick with evolution than change their lifestyle. The first of today’s two “Jimmets”, looks at this from the point of that such men and women are lost. Eleven of the fourteen lines describe the attitude of many unbelievers toward a belief in God. No doubt many of us have heard comments of this nature from the mouths of sceptics. The concluding line is a very simple prayer for such folk. The second “Jimmet” looks at Isaiah 54:17. The statement by the prophet to the People of God is that the world will not be able to make a weapon that will overcome them. Whether this was intended solely for the Jewish people of Isaiah’s day, or whether it was also intended to apply to Christians in our day, is not clear. We can state is that many of the Old Testament prophets referred primarily to the people of their own day. But the prophetic word had a double application. First to the people of Isaiah’s day and later to the body of Christ. For you and me, the Sun of Righteousness has risen in our hearts and lives. No matter what may happen, the Lord is with us! Hallelujah! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			5 For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. Psalms 61:5 ESV 17 But no weapon that is used against you will succeed. People might bring charges against you. But you will prove that they are wrong. Those are the things I do for my servants. I make everything right for them," announces the LORD. Isaiah 54:17 NIrV 7 For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear Him. 8 Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him! 9 Fear the LORD, you His godly people, for those who fear Him will have all they need. 10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing. Psalms 34:7-10 NLT 6 Your boundary lines mark out pleasant places for me. Indeed, my inheritance is something beautiful. Psalms 16:6 GW 2 "But here is what will happen for you who have respect for me. The sun that brings life will rise. Its rays will bring healing to my people. You will go out and leap like calves that have just been let out of the barn. Malachi 4:2 NIrV 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32 TNIV	PRAYER FOR THE UNSAVED How many types of people on this earth, Fear the Lord and tremble at His Name? There’s only two. One group has second birth. The others do not care that Jesus came. Why should they if they think God’s a lie? A crutch to help those crippled in the mind. Raise their hands and, pointing to the sky, Ask us if we think that they are blind? Show us this Almighty Deity! Demonstrate to us that He is real. If we cannot see Him, He can’t be. Neither can we hear Him, smell or feel, Anything to prove that He is there. “Lord be merciful. We find them everywhere!”   Jim Strickland    Written 29th July 2012 -oOo-  WEAPONS CANNOT PROSPER When God is on your side, there’s naught to fear. The weapons of the wicked can’t prevail. Atom bombs and bullets won’t come near, Because the Master’s promise cannot fail. No weapon used against us will succeed; Even if they drag us off to court; None of us will even have to plead; All their prosecutions come to naught! The Sun of Righteousness will bring His rays, To reveal it is a trumped up charge. This will happen all our earthly days, To all Christians; both the small and large. This is the inheritance of those, Who, as Saviour; Jesus Christ they chose!  Jim Strickland Written 29th July 2012