CALVARY FOR YOU AND ME.

Time with Jesus - Sunday, 24 February 2013

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Hi all,

Those of us who have taken time to look at church history and how it has intersected with British history, know something of King Henry VIII. We know that he had six wives. He wanted to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. The Pope wouldn’t give him permission. So Henry broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and began the Church of England. He declared himself head. Henry wanted a son. His wife, Catherine, did not give him one. They had a daughter called Mary. Catherine remained an ardent Roman Catholic and brought up her daughter the same way. Her upbringing and the influence of her mother, molded Mary into the cruel queen she became.

It’s not my place to list this king’s marriages and offspring. We do know that Anne Boleyn gave birth to his “second” daughter, Elizabeth. Jane Seymour, his third wife gave birth to Edward. She died shortly thereafter. The crux of the matter, the line of succession was Edward VI, then  Mary I, then by Elizabeth I.

Edward VI died at the age of 16. After a nine day rule by Lady Jane Grey, the throne was taken by Mary I. Mary was a devout Catholic and determined to end the Protestantism of her father and Edward. She became known as “Bloody Mary” because of the terrible bloodshed of Protestants during her reign. She was only Queen for five years and died during a ‘flu epidemic. During her reign, she married King Philip of Spain. (Was this perhaps not the chief reason for the subsequent Spanish armada?)

The persecution of Protestants during her reign was terrible; very much a “Tribulation” of the 1550”s. Among those she had burned at the stake, were the Anglican bishops, Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley and Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Further details of what transpired during the reign of Mary I, can be found in “Foxes’ Book of Martyrs”. English Protestants of those days would be forgiven for saying it was the time of the “Great Tribulation”. The Huguenots and the Spanish Inquisition are but two other examples. There are many more. It is interesting to note that the USA Founding Fathers sprang out of the persecution of Christian Puritans. In South Africa we are grateful for the French Huguenots to our history and culture. The RSA and USA have benefited from it!

Perhaps one of the greatest times of persecution inflicted on the Jewish people, was during the Crusades. In this regard, the Christian “Church” has little to be proud of. In many ways the Crusades are responsible for the mistrust of Jews and Islam toward Christians in general. Some of those wounds are with us today.

Will any of these times of persecution be exceeded by Christians during the Great Tribulation? It’s just about impossible to give a categorical “Yes!” All down the centuries since the days of Jesus and earlier, persecution of Jews and subsequently, of Christians and Jews, has been consistently horrible. Will the great tribulation be worse? It’s hard to imagine what could be worse than what we have already seen in history. How can that be “cranked up” and made worse? It’s hard to imagine.

Today’s meditation looks at tribulation. Can it possibly be crueler? You tell me!

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland 

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Sunday, 24 February 2013			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
©	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					©
INTRODUCTION			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	Calvary for You and Me.
The great tribulation! Will the church of Jesus Christ be here when it happens, or will they have been “raptured” out of the way? Called the “pre-tribulation rapture”, this is the popular opinion today. Of course God is not subject to popular opinion. So this continues to be argued by Christians internationally. My opinion is irrelevant. What is clear is that what has happened to Christians since the birth of the Church, is liable to happen again. Furthermore, it follows that if it starts again in western “Christian Nations”, it need not be part of the great tribulation. I say this advisedly, because the persecution and martyrdom of Christians today is a reality in many countries. In other words, persecution is merely part of everyday life. It is reality for those who are committed to Jesus Christ in the 21st century. It may not have been experienced by many of us. But this does not make it any less real. There is also evidence, that persecution of Christians, in one form or another, has been on-going since the days of the early church. I’m not in a position to comment on the nature or severity of persecution of Christians during the great tribulation. Frankly, the severity being currently experienced is bad enough to intimidate many. Certainly the prospect of this breaking out in my locality is not something I relish! What I can say, is that in those places considered strongholds of Islam, Christians are being murdered for no reason, other than they have rejected Islam in favour of Christ. To the North of us in Somalia, Northern Nigeria, Northern Mali, Northern Kenya and Uganda, gangs of Muslim fanatics kill, torture and burn Christians. The only reason is, the victims are Christians. It is a similar story in India, Pakistan, and Malaysia and throughout the Middle East. As far as I am aware, the Lord has allowed His church to be persecuted for the past ±2000 years. So if it calls for us in South Africa, we should not be surprised. Nor should we jump to the conclusion that such persecution is part of the great tribulation. Our attitude should be, it is our turn to experience what much of the world has known for ±2000 years! Those of us who are serious about serving Jesus Christ, would be well advised to stop worrying about the great tribulation. We should focus on what could take place anywhere and at any time where you and I live. This tribulation is more than enough for me. My own personal Calvary may not be part of the great tribulation. But it will certainly be more than enough tribulation for me! In any case, persecution and tribulation is not something you can measure and say it is or isn’t the “great” one. Any amount is too much! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			9 His wife said to him (Job), "Are you still continuing to be faithful to the LORD? Speak evil things against him and die!" 10 Job replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. We accept good things from God. So we should also accept trouble when he sends it." In spite of everything, Job didn't say anything that was sinful. Job 2:9-10 NIrV 74 Those who fear you will see me and rejoice, because my hope is based on your word. 75 I know that your regulations are fair, O LORD, and that you were right to make me suffer. Psalm 119:74-75 GW 8 But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand Isaiah 64:9 ESV 18 So Samuel told him (Eli) everything and hid nothing from him. And he (Eli) said, "It is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him." 19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 1 Samuel 3:18-19 ESV 1 O LORD, even if I would argue my case with you, you would always be right. Yet, I want to talk to you about your justice. Why do wicked people succeed? Why do treacherous people have peace and quiet? Jer 12:1 GW 3 He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the LORD. Malachi 3:3 NLT 6 The Lord disciplines everyone he loves. He severely disciplines everyone he accepts as his child." 7 Endure your discipline. God corrects you as a father corrects his children. All children are disciplined by their fathers. 8 If you aren't disciplined like the other children, you aren't part of the family. Heb 12:6-8 GW 25 Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of My household will be called by even worse names! Mat 10:25 NLT 8 Though he was God's Son, he learned trusting-obedience by what he suffered, just as we do. Heb 5:8 MSG 13 Instead, be very glad--for these trials make you partners with Christ in His suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the world. 1 Peter 4:13 NLT 14 And I said to him, "Sir, you are the one who knows." Then he said to me, "These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white. Rev 7:14 NLT	There’s things about the Master, I do not understand. Things that have been taught to me, that do not seem too grand. We limit God the Father and “stick Him in a box”, Through things we only cling to if our head is full of rocks. So let us take a look at things which people have believed, To see if they are likely, or if we’ve been deceived. First we must acknowledge that without the Lord above, Nothing would exist and everyone could not know love. Everything created is the product of His hand; And this is true in heaven, the sea and on the land. There’s nothing we can ever do and no where we can go, That Jesus cannot look at, or hear, or see, or know. He knows when we are suffering. He knows when we are well. There’s nothing in existence, we can think about or tell. He doesn’t know the circumstance; the tiniest detail, Cannot be concealed from Him; He knows it without fail. Indeed He is the potter; and we are just the clay, And all that we have ever done, He knows in every way. There’s nothing which He cannot do. We must accept this fact. He always does what’s righteous, regardless how we act. He sits as a refiner, of silver and of gold; And purifies the people to do what He has told. He disciplines severely, each and every child, So we can be more like Him; pure and undefiled. We know He is the healer; He wants to see us well. But if we practise wickedness, He’ll send us off to Hell! He may allow the devil to put us to the test; But every time it happens, it happens for our best. He doesn’t bring us sickness, but it is also true, The trial of Job by Satan can happen unto you. And even when we’re hurting more than anything we’ve seen, He sometimes will allow it, for that is where He’s been. It happened to the Master. Why not to you and me? We have to learn obedience, to gain the victory! Our comfort’s not important and Christians have died, By facing up to torture and being crucified. Some have died in agony; by burning at the stake. Some have faced a cruelty far more than we can take. Millions have died this way; and if God’s word is true, The things that they experienced are ripe for me and you. Can it be avoided? O Lord I pray it could. But it appears the Father sees our martyrdom as good! It really makes me tremble. I’m not a masochist. But if it happens to me. Lord, help me not resist, The martyrdom you’ve chosen and allotted unto me. That I may follow faithfully and know my Calvary. Jim Strickland Written 24 February 2012