Time with Jesus - Wed. 28 November 2012
Hi all,
John’s letters reveal to us things which, if they were
not in the Bible, I wouldn’t believe. For example, 2 Dear friends, now we are God's children. What we will be
isn't completely clear yet. We do know that when
Christ appears we will be like him because
we will see him as he is. 1 John 3:2 GW The
expression, “We will be like Him” is extraordinary. Can we say that we will
have resurrection bodies like His that will be able to do the same as we record
in Scripture? Personally, I believe we will! What will it be like? Today’s
meditation, “Supercharged” looks at this and describes what we may be able to
do in the resurrection. Decide for yourselves if the theology is good. In any
event enjoy my interpretation of what it will be like under such conditions.
It’s called “super-charged, because that’s how I’ve imagined the difference between
our present bodies, and the one He has designed for us! It’s super-charged!
Blessings,
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Wednesday, 28 November 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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SUPERCHARGED
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My
grandson and his father are motor car racing “crazy” They attend every local
meeting that’s within driving distance from their home in Pretoria. They are
aficionados of Motor Sport. In some respect I admire them. But I’ve never
really taken much interest in people driving at high speed round and round a
race track. Something happened in the late 1950’s that put me off forever. A
friend and I decided we’d hitch-hike from Port Elizabeth to East London for
the SA Grand Prix. The big attraction was to see Sterling Moss driving in
competition.
Two
things spoiled it for me. The first was we got a lift with a couple who had a
baby in the car. One too young to control his inner workings. Not a problem
except that the soiled nappies were put in a bag immediately behind our heads
on the rear window shelf. So my friend and I travelled all the way
accompanied by “enchanted pheromones”! We said nothing. We needed the lift
and were fighting for fresh air.
The
second disappointment was the race itself. We couldn’t afford the fancy price
of tickets close to the start and finish line. So we sat out somewhere in
“left field” as the Americans put it. We saw cars going round the circuit.
But who was driving which car and who was winning? We had no idea at all. My
friend was more enthusiastic than I was, so he wasn’t badly put off. But it
was my first and only grand prix. After watching all the different cars going
round and not knowing who was who put a real damper on the occasion. We knew
Sterling Moss was somewhere there. But where he was and which car he was driving
remains a mystery to this day. I don’t even remember who won. But we did
manage to hitch a ride back to Port Elizabeth later that day. Funnily enough,
I can’t remember if our respective parents even knew where we were. Signs of
a misspent youth!
To
this day I’m not much of a car enthusiast. All the models look just about the
same. But the resurrection life model body the Lord has promised us is
something else! Watch what Jesus could do in His! It was supercharged! Walk
through walls. Rise from the grave! Ascend into heaven. Now He can even live
in all of us at the same time! Travel faster than the speed of light (If He
made it He must be able to exceed it!) Now that really is neat. There’s a
whole bunch of space, stars and planets out there. I’d rather like to spend
about 100 million years just loving and worshipping Him. Then I’d like to
take a tour of the universe. I’d like to visit the Crab nebula. How about a
face to face meeting with Orion! His belt is fine, but what about the rest of
him? I’d like to make the tour with people I’ve met and loved here. My wife
Phyllida would be my first choice. How could that work in eternity? I’ve no
idea.
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
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14 Because God's children are human beings--made of flesh
and blood--the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human
being could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil,
who had the power of death. 15 Only in
this way could He set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear
of dying
Hebrews 2:14-15 NLT.
55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your
sting? " 56 For sin is the sting that results in death,
and the law gives sin its power. 57 But
thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus
Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 NLT
16 That
is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being
renewed every day.
2 Corinthians 4:16 NLT
1 For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is
taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a
house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God Himself and not by
human hands.
2 Corinthians 5:1 NLT
6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as
long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7
For we live by believing and not by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be
away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 NLT
1 "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God,
and trust also in Me. 2 There
is more than enough room in My Father's home. If this were not so, would I
have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so
that you will always be with Me where I am.
John 14:1-3 NLT
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He had to make Him human. Yes, Jesus Christ the Lord,
Had to be a human to wield His Father’s sword.
Some fancy little robot could never ever do.
He had to be in every way the same as me and you.
A twenty foot gorilla, with teeth and jaws of steel,
Couldn’t fight the devil. The difference too unreal.
Satan took on Adam and beat him with one bite!
It follows that our Master must beat him in a fight,
Where there was no advantage, in favour of each side.
The only way for Christ to win, was to be crucified.
He had to see the contest through; let Satan think he’d won.
There wasn’t an alternative ‘til everything was done.
Satan was ecstatic when Jesus passed away.
“I’ve beaten God Almighty” was all that he could say!
He sounded like a donkey. Like that and nothing more.
He hadn’t seen his error; his one gigantic flaw!
The Jesus dying on the cross was really me and you.
And Satan looking at Him just didn’t have a clue!
His hold on death was slipping and he didn’t even know.
The fact is Jesus has the keys, so death will have to go.
We’re not sure when it happens. It will be in His time.
From then on Satan’s tactics will not be worth a dime.
The earthly tent we live in will shortly be antique.
When Jesus gives us new ones, then Satan’s going to freak!
We’ll have eternal bodies, not made by human hands.
God Himself is making them inimitably grand.
Until the day it happens, we’ll keep on keeping on.
Believing without seeing is how we get along.
So let us all be confident, in spite of our abode.
Our bodies may be aging and our reactions slowed.
But God is making new ones; the prototype He’s tried;
And we can hardly wait to have our spirit man inside;
The turbo-charged edition that simply walks through walls,
Travels at the speed of light and never ever stalls;
Runs on “Holy Spirit” and not on gasoline,
Proving just how generous the Lord our God has been!
Never mind a “Cadillac”, a “Lexus” or a “Rolls”.
Don’t let your heart be troubled; new bodies for
our souls!
Jim Strickland
Written
28th November
2012
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