Time with Jesus - Friday, 10 August
2012
Hi all,
Two “Jimmets” today: The inspiration for the first one comes from the First Scripture. In turn, this gave rise to the second one. About our incomparable God!
Blessings
Jim
& Phyllida Strickland
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Friday, 10 August 2012
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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©
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These
devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright
protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it
is for non-commercial Christian purposes
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©
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INTRODUCTION
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DAILY
LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
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JIMMETS -
SAFETY AND COMPARE
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Memories
from childhood seem to come and go. Surely this is a “carry-over” from before
Adam fell? Some of the things which happened to me years ago are as vivid as
the events of yesterday. Two things spring to mind during this Olympic year
and Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth. In 1952, the Games were held in
Helsinki and I vaguely remember crowding round a radio listening to what was
happening. During the previous year I remember crowding round the radio
listening to the Vic Toweel boxing with Jimmy Carruthers for the world bantamweight
title. (Carruthers won easily!)
For
most “Brits” 1952 was memorable because that was the year Queen Elizabeth
ascended the throne. Even in South Africa, this was considered a major event.
The following year, the schoolchildren in Port Elizabeth were asked to go to
St Georges Park stadium to celebrate the coronation. We walked from our
school to the stadium.
These
events will soon be outside living memory. But what did they mean to a
schoolboy back then? On reflection it seems to me that they were just flashes
from the passing parade. They were important to the men and women of those
days, but now are little more than footnotes in history. These comments may
be unfair. I admit they have been “tinged” with my passion for Jesus Christ
and His Word.
The crowning
of the Queen is almost nothing compared with crowning of Jesus Christ. She
wore a crown of exquisite beauty; priceless in financial terms. Jesus was
crowned with a simple crown of thorns. Queen Elizabeth was crowned with the
crown of the UK, her Dominions and Commonwealth. Jesus was crowned with the
crown of creation. Queen Elizabeth will continue to grow old and will die.
Her crown will then be passed to her successor. Jesus lives forever. No other
man or woman will succeed Him. He is unique. He does not grow old. He is the
same yesterday, today and forever.
Someday,
Queen Elizabeth, from the comfort of her own bed, will utter her final words.
The world will say, “The Queen is dead. Long live the King!” Like all her
predecessors, she will be committed to the grave and crowned with the dirt of
the earth. Jesus’ final speech, from the cross on Calvary, was very simple.
“It is finished!”
Things
are now completely different. Jesus Christ is crowned “King of Kings and Lord
of Lords”. His crown is all of creation. He has no successor because He is
eternal. It will never be possible to say of Him, “The King is dead - Long
live the King”. Instead we can say, “Jesus Christ is alive forevermore”!
Jim and Phyllida Strickland
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25 If
you are afraid of people, it will trap you. But
if you trust in the LORD, he will keep you safe.
Proverbs 29:25 NIrV
5
Though the LORD is very great and lives in heaven,
He will make Jerusalem His home of justice and righteousness.
Isaiah 33:5 NLT
4 For the LORD is high above the nations; His glory is
higher than the heavens. 5 Who can be compared with the
LORD our God, who is enthroned on high? 6 He stoops to look down
on heaven and on earth. 7 He lifts the
poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. 8 He sets them among princes, even the princes of His own
people!
Psalms 113:4-8 NLT
4 But God loves us deeply. He is full of mercy. 5
So he gave us new life because of what Christ has
done. He gave us life even when we were dead in sin. God's grace has saved
you. 6 God raised us up with
Christ. He has seated us with him in his heavenly kingdom because we belong
to Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:4-6 NIrV
32 Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up
for us all, won't He also give us everything else?
Romans 8:32 NLT
37 No,
despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who
loved us. 38 And I am convinced that
nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither
angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about
tomorrow--not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love.
39 No power in the sky above or in the
earth below--indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us
from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:37-39 NLT
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SAFE IN GOD
Safety comes from trusting in the Lord.
But you’re sure to fail if you trust man.
Jesus Christ wields an almighty sword;
With an overwhelming battle plan.
Nothing can resist the word He says.
Everything He states is a command.
Going on and on for endless days,
Irresistible in every land!
Man does not have this ability.
Everything he says, is merely bluff.
Who can match Divine authority?
Instantly all men will cry, “Enough!”
But He is as gentle as a dove,
With the ones who turn to Him in Love.
Jim Strickland –
Written 10th August 2012
WHO COMPARES
WITH GOD?
Who can be compared with God Most High?
He looks down from heaven on this earth.
No one can demand that He will die.
Womankind can never give Him birth.
How can we contract into a span,
Him Whom we are sure is infinite?
How can the Creator be made man?
How can darkness ever clothe the light?
Looking at this from man’s point of view,
We all say, “Impossibility”!
This is something none of us can do.
It’s beyond mankind’s ability.
That which is impossible to man
Is “a piece of cake” in Jesus’ plan!
Jim Strickland
Written 10th August 2012 |
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