Time with Jesus - Friday, 16 November 2012
Hi all,
Diplomats frequently represent their home country in
the place where they are living. Here in South Africa we have men and women
representing their homeland. The American Embassy in Pretoria employs some
local staff. But the ambassador is a recognised diplomat from USA. He is likely
to have a USA Diplomatic Passport. It so happens you and I are God’s
representatives – ambassadors - from the Kingdom of Heaven. We also have
diplomatic passport. You may not have seen them but the smile on the face of
every born again believer displays our passport to the world. Our passport is
signed by Jesus Christ. The stamp in the passport is “Grace”. Citizenship was
granted by our being “washed in the Blood of the Ram”. This encapsulates
today’s meditation.
Blessings,
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Friday, 16 November 2012
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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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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PASSPORT
TO PARADISE
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Have you ever been disappointed? Perhaps you were turned down for
going to a particular place for a reason you don’t really understand? Perhaps
the man you fell hopelessly in love with, walked off with someone else?
Perhaps that beautiful young lady you admired from afar took one look at you
and said, “No thanks!” Perhaps you had a driving ambition to go to university
and become a doctor. Then, at the end you found your marks at school didn’t
get you the place you wanted.
One of the greatest tragedies I have come across happened to my Dad’s
half-sister. In the early days of World War 2 she met a wonderful young
soldier. They married and he had 14 days embarkation leave. Then he was
shipped off to somewhere to fight in the army. He never came back. She
received a telegram from the home office advising her that her husband had
been killed in action. She would never see him again. I don’t know how she
coped with this terrible disappointment. I know that she never married again.
She lived into her 90’s
How do we cope with things of this sort? What do we do when something
we have prised so highly doesn’t happen? Hebrews
11:13 in today’s Scripture refers to the patriarchs, their wives and
children, They had been told by God that the land they were living in would
one day be theirs. In some ways the promise of this portion of land was their
inspiration for carrying on trusting in God and having faith in His promises.
They only saw it in their mind’s eye. But this enabled them to rejoice in
what The Lord had said He would do.
Hebrews 11 is often called the “Faith Chapter” because it lists the
men and women of faith who achieved great things as a result of their faith
in Him. The list is not exhaustive but highlights some of what they achieved
because of their faith in God. The chapter ends with an extraordinary
statement. 39 All these people were known
for their faith, but none of them received what God had promised. 40
God planned to give us something very special so that
we would gain eternal life with them. Heb.
11:39-40 GW If we look at these verses we are drawn to the conclusion
that all these great men and women of faith are still waiting to receive what
God had promised them. But there is a delay. The delay comes about because
God has decided that all of us will be rewarded together. Yes indeed, we do
derive much courage from the example of those who have gone before us. But
these same men and women are watching and waiting. Watching us to see our
struggle. Waiting for the time when all of us are together. Only then will
The Lord hand out the prizes. They are waiting for us! The Lord has collected
their diplomatic passports. They were returned to Him when we die. I feel
greatly humbled to think that the likes of Isaiah is waiting for and watching
me.
Jim
& Phyllida Strickland
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19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but
you are fellow citizens with the saints
and members of the household of God,
Ephesians
2:19 ESV
22 But you have come to
Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to
innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled
in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous
made perfect,
Hebrews
12:22-23 ESV
13 All these people died
having faith. They didn't receive the things that God had promised them, but
they saw these things coming in the distant future and rejoiced. They
acknowledged that they were living as strangers with no permanent home on
earth.
Hebrews
11:13 GW
20 But we are citizens of
heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him
to return as our Saviour. 21 He
will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like
His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under His
control.
Philippians
3:20-21 NLT
13 For He has rescued us
from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear
Son,
Colossians
1:13 NLT
11 Dear friends, I warn
you as "temporary residents and foreigners" to keep away from worldly
desires that wage war against your very souls.
1 Peter
2:11 NLT
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We went to visit Europe in two
thousand and ten,
It was a special visit. On the
occasion when,
The passion play was featured in
Oberammergau.
We knew we had to see it. Back then,
the time was now!
It only really happens in ten year
interludes,
And when you’re in your sixties, you
know it must be viewed,
As soon as it is possible. Who knows,
in ten years’ time,
We may have left this planet, to live
with Christ Divine?
The first thing that we needed, when
tickets had been booked,
Was getting the right passport. We
hadn’t overlooked,
These documents to get us into France
and Germany.
There had to be credentials for
Phyllida and me!
It wasn’t very difficult, for both of
us are Brits.
A European document, was what exactly
fits
In with what then was needed. And soon
were be away,
To pay a special visit to that Special
Passion Play.
It truly was magnificent. We came away
impressed,
With what we had seen featured. We
knew we had been blessed,
With something deeply moving, to
captivate the heart.
By going off to Europe, we’d both done
something smart!
Our passports made it easy. They
satisfied the guards.
It proved we were not strangers for
marked upon our cards,
Was something which identified and
proved we had the right,
To go into those countries on any day
or night.
We have another passport that anyone
can see,
A means of signifying our
Christianity.
It is the blood of Jesus that washed
us white as snow,
And anyone can see it, no matter where
we go.
My wife and I are bond-slaves. By
Jesus we are owned.
He gave His life for both of us. His
precious blood atoned,
For all the sin and evil, that both of
us had been.
He is the King of Glory and we are
both His queen.
He took our mortal bodies. He gave us
His passport.
To enter into heaven, without our
being caught,
And told we have no business, to come
into His place.
Engraved into our “passports” is
written the word “Grace”!
And that is all that’s needed. That
mark in Jesus’ name,
Says “Welcome to My Kingdom. I am so
glad you came!”
Jim Strickland
Written
16th November 2012
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