Time with Jesus - Saturday, 29 December 2012
Hi all,
Christians and non-Christians alike appear to have
forgotten that our distance from God varies in accordance with our belief in
Him. If we don’t believe, He is “far away”. If we believe, we draw nearer. In
turn, He reciprocates. We need to make it very clear that God doesn’t move. He
neither moves nor changes. What happens is that as we decide to draw nearer to
Him, the distance between us decreases. In other words, we determine His
proximity. Today’s Scriptures show this clearly. Our meditation today examines
this.
Blessings,
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Saturday, 29 December 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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IT’S
YOUR MOVE
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In the early 1960’s in South Africa, national service had not been introduced.
There were one or two young men who were called up to undergo some form of
army training. In those days, we talked about a ballot system. It was
probably something like drawing names out of a hat. If your name was drawn
out, you were in. If your name remained in, you were out! All very easy. I
suspect. Fortunately, for me, I was never called up. So presumably, I was out.
Not that I’m particularly bothered about it. It was something I was privileged
not to be a part of. On my return to South Africa in 1974, there was no
question of my being called up. It might have happened, but I like to think I
was permanently overlooked. In 1988 the State caught up with me and I was
called up to serve for a week in Dad’s Army in Ermelo. That week was one of
the coldest ever experienced in Ermelo! It was cold, wet and windy. I was given
a rifle and told to guard it with my life. On one occasion, we went to the
rifle range to learn to shoot. It wasn’t exactly a memorable occasion. What I
did find was, the safest place to be when I was shooting, was in front of the
target! After the camp we all had to take our rifles home for safe keeping. I
didn’t have a gun-safe at home, so the power station did me a favour. They
kept it in their arms locker! Several months later, I applied to be
classified as a conscientious objector. Having been reclassified, I had to
take my kit and rifle back. I was a bit sorry to part with the gun. Thank God
I never had to use it!
As we read the Old Testament, it soon becomes apparent that the
religious life of the Children of Israel was a measure of their rise or fall
in their secular life. When they drew close to God, they were successful;
particularly with regard to their enemies. I’m not sure it can be quantified,
but it seemed that nearness to God determined their security among the
nations. We see this very clearly in the book of Judges. When they lapsed
into idolatry, their enemies defeated them. When they returned to God, they
defeated their enemies. It was so abundantly obvious; it’s hard to believe
how quickly the nation could apostatise. We see a similar trend in the UK
today. In only 67 years, the people appear to have forgotten their
deliverance from the forces of darkness in WW2. Fairly recently, England was
placed second as the least God fearing nation internationally. Japan won this
dubious honour. There is presently very little Christian influence in UK. The
same can be said for USA. RSA seems to be on the same slippery slope. Few
realise that if we move away from God, He will move away from us. Dr AW Tozer
wrote over fifty years ago, “We are as full of the Spirit of God as we want
to be” Many of us aren’t interested in Him. Why should He be interested in
us?
Jim
& Phyllida Strickland
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8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you.
Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided
between God and the world.
James 4:8 NLT
3 Can two people walk together without agreeing on
the direction?
Amos 3:3 NLT
28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I
have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the
wonderful things You do.
Psalms 73:28 NLT
2 and
he went out to meet King Asa as he was returning from the battle.
"Listen to me, Asa!" he shouted. "Listen, all you people of
Judah and Benjamin! The LORD will stay with you
as long as you stay with Him! Whenever you seek Him, you will find Him. But
if you abandon Him, He will abandon you. 3 For a long time
Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach them, and without
the Law to instruct them. 4 But whenever
they were in trouble and turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought
Him out, they found Him.
2 Chronicles 15:2-4 NLT
11 For I know the plans I have for you," says the
LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a
future and a hope. 12 In those
days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me.
Jeremiah 29:11-13 NLT
19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter
heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By His death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way
through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over
God's house, 22 let us go right
into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting Him. For
our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us
clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10:19-22 NLT
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If I’m sitting near you; perhaps six
feet apart.
The distance in between us, will
noticeably start,
Getting somewhat smaller if I’m moving
toward you. James 4:8
Unless you move away from me. This
always will be true,
The gap that is between us will
visibly decrease.
We will get much closer; and this will
never cease.
It’s just the same with Jesus; unless
we start to sin,
We have His approval to draw near and
enter in.
Surely that’s the object? But if we disagree,
It will be impossible for Him to walk
with me. Amos 3:3
If we aren’t agreeing about which way
to go,
We can’t walk together and each other
we can’t know!
But I’ve learned a lesson. It’s good
if we draw near.
He becomes my shelter and I am free from
fear. Psalm 73:28
I can tell my neighbours, about what
has been done.
Jesus came and saved me. I’m God’s
adopted son!
How wonderful this feeling. It makes
me want to share,
The news about salvation, with sinners
everywhere.
Perhaps you are a youngster? Perhaps
you’re very old?
If you don’t have Jesus, you’re left
out in the cold.
Think of Azariah, the offspring of
Obed.
The Spirit came upon him and here is
what he said.
“Listen to me Asa”, the current reigning King. 2 Chron. 15:2-4
“Listen O ye people. A
word from God I bring.
The Lord God will be with you; He will
not depart.
You won’t be abandoned, if you serve
Him from the heart.
But if you abandon Him, His presence
will be gone.
Without His assistance, you’ll have to
carry on.
But if you will turn to Him and seek
Him constantly,
You will surely find Him and He will
be with thee.”
God has planned our future. His plan is
very good. Jer. 29:11-13
There’ll be no disasters, the way, no
doubt, there could.
When you seek, you’ll find Him; He
will hear you pray.
You’ll have right of access to His new
and living way. Heb. 10:19-22
Jesus, our High Priest, is at His
Father’s side.
He has washed and cleansed you. You’re
invited to abide,
Without a guilty conscience; no matter
where you’ve been.
Sprinkled by His blood, you are
untainted, pure and clean.
Jim
Strickland
Written
29th December 2012
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