Time with Jesus - Saturday, 08 December 2012
Hi all,
When I committed my life to Jesus in 1960, I was told
that from then on in everything would be great. It wasn’t. Today’s meditation
looks at this. It’s still an impossible dream. But Phyllida and I wouldn’t
change it for all the tea in China!
Blessings,
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Saturday, 08 December 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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SWEET
DREAMS
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In
1972, Peter O’Toole made a movie called “Man of Lamancha”. Somewhat loosely
based on the classic novel “Don Quixote de la Mancha” by Miguel de Cervantes,
it was one of those memorable movies which have become rather forgettable!
What
is probably best remembered is the song, “The Impossible Dream”. In this
regard, there is no question that Don Quixote’s impossible dream and
imagination, made excellent reading. Likewise, Peter O’Toole’s portrayal of
the man from Lamancha was very good. But for me the words of “The Impossible
Dream” still live in my heart. It may sound vaguely heretical, but I’ve
always regarded the Christian life in this light. The fact is the Christian
life is impossible! No man or woman will ever succeed in their self-effort to
attain it. And yet Jesus Christ, by His Holy Spirit, holds it out for us as a
goal.
At
the same time, reading these lyrics, we are confronted with the fact it is
exactly what He did. True, He was 100% God and 100% man. This made the
impossible, possible. But He achieved this as a man and not as God. For man,
the dream of being free from Satan and sin is impossible. Steeped in the sin
nature, holiness and reconciliation are unattainable. I can’t speak for you,
but I confess that I “wore out” my re-dedicator so regularly that I started
to feel embarrassed; returning to the Lord and asking for His forgiveness.
“I’ll do better this time!” was my “vow”. In my mind, I scratched a line in
the sand, deep enough to reach China. But no matter how hard I tried, I
failed to keep it up. Even as a Christian I couldn’t do it! In the end I
became so disillusioned with my own frailty that I quit. What else do you do
when you realise you can’t succeed? It should have driven me to my knees. But
if you are a man in the full bloom of youth, how do you cope with your own
hypocrisy?
I
felt too ashamed to ask to be forgiven once more. But the life of a
back-slider is the most miserable existence imaginable. You know Him. You’ve
walked and talked with Him. Without Him, all the baubles of human success are
insipid. The words of King Solomon rang in my ears like the cries of the Man
from Lamancha. 2 Vanity of vanities,
says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All
is vanity. Eccl.
1:2 ESV I spent 17 years in this lunacy. Then, when my need for Him
exceeded my revulsion for my own hypocrisy, He rescued and restored me! This
proved one thing. Success in the Christian life is founded on personal
failure!
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
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27 Israel then mustered its army, set up supply lines, and marched out
for battle. But the Israelite army looked like
two little flocks of goats in comparison to the vast Aramean forces that
filled the countryside!
1 Kings
20:27 NLT
28 Then the man of God went to the king of Israel and said, "This is what the LORD says: The Arameans have said,
'The LORD is a god of the hills and not of the plains.' So I will defeat this
vast army for you. Then you will know that I am the LORD." 29
The two armies camped opposite each other for
seven days, and on the seventh day the battle began. The Israelites killed
100,000 Aramean foot soldiers in one day.
1 Kings
20:28-29 NLT
4 My dear children, you come from God and
belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers,
for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world.
1 John 4:4
MSG
10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not
be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will
uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah
41:10 TNIV
19 They will fight against you but will not
overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.
Jeremiah
1:19 TNIV
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Things are not as simple as what at first they seem.
Rather like what passes through our heads each time we dream.
Dreams are so indefinite and hard to call to mind.
Things may look quite definite, but when we wake we find,
They were imaginations; sometimes so very odd.
Occasionally we find they are messages from God.
How can we tell the difference? I’m not sure that we can.
But we can ask the Lord to show, if they’re from Him, or man.
Experience suggests to me, that if they’re very weird,
They originate in me and shouldn’t then be feared.
If you dream you’re naked and standing on the bus.
Be assured you’re “normal” and therefore needn’t fuss,
About what you were dreaming. Forget it! Let it go!
Visit your Psychiatrist and he will let you know,
You are not going crazy; you haven’t “flipped your lid”
He’ll tell you it’s meanderings, from deep within your id!
But if what you are dreaming, appears to make good sense.
It may be God Who’s speaking, so get down off your fence!
This sort of thing was “normal”, back in the days of old.
People they called “seers”; sometimes could unfold,
The dreams that people told them and spelled out in detail.
They would be interpreted in ways that that didn’t fail.
A dream could be a vision, that’s seen when wide awake.
The seer or the prophet did not make a mistake.
They predicted truthfully, the things that would take place,
For they were listening to God and always sought His face.
Sometimes it was good news and sometimes it was bad.
Mostly it was something, to make the heart be glad.
Looking at our Scripture, we see the way it went.
The prophet went to see the King and told him God’s intent.
The Aramean army filled the countryside.
The army of the Israelites, looked miniscule beside,
The army they were fighting. They didn’t stand a chance.
But God said He would beat them, without a second glance.
We know it is what happened. The Arameans smashed.
One hundred thousand soldiers by Israel were trashed!
The Lord above had spoken. The prophet understood.
And Israel succeeded, the way God said they would.
Jim Strickland
Written
8th December
2012
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