THE MEANING OF LIFE

Time with Jesus -  13 February 2013

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Hi all,

The book of Ecclesiastes is considered to be one of the strangest books of the Bible. Tradition tells us that it was written by Solomon in his old age. It contains the sort of expressions that we would expect from someone who has “been through” it. It’s very sombre and a bit intimidating. But on reflection it seems to fit with this understanding. As the years pass by, the closer our individual end comes. So what would be the thoughts of a man who has had everything, tried everything and done everything? This book is typical of what we might expect from such a person. Solomon had nothing to look forward to. Nothing about living for him to get excited about! Even so, Solomon didn’t really want to die. In that respect, he was much like all of us. He may no longer have been enjoying life but the alternative was not exciting! So he wrote; “⁴ There is hope only for the living. As they say, "It's better to be a live dog than a dead lion!" Ecclesiastes 9:4 NLT

Cicero (106BC to 43BC) the Roman author is reported to have stated, “While there's life, there's hope”. It may not be fully Scriptural. However, I wonder if Cicero had read Ecclesiastes?

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Wednesday, 13 February 2013			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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INTRODUCTION			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	The Meaning of Life
How many of us remember the chorus, “life is wonderful”? Sure it’s a bit old. It’s old fashioned, accurate and descriptive. LIFE IS WONDERFUL Life is wonderful; yes it’s wonderful / Life is wonderful now for me. I let Jesus in. He changed everything. / Life is wonderful now. Since His blessing came into my heart; / Joy unspeakable fills every part. Now I want to live for my Lord. / Life is wonderful now. I first heard and sang the chorus back in 1962 at the Easter convention at Cliff College in UK. “Cliff” as it was affectionately called was a Methodist Evangelistic College, fairly close to Sheffield. Its history went back to the middle of the 1800’s. Many evangelists had trained at Cliff. In those days, part of their training was to take the gospel all over UK. In many instances, they would pull an old hand-cart from place to place and preach wherever they could. It was always seen as a “team event” and from the point of view of the number of converts they were moderately successful. But Cliff was more than that. It was an excellent training ground in basic theology. The focus was primarily on Bible exposition and teaching. Methodists came from all over the world for training. Phyllida and I met one of them in Worcester in the Western Cape. He had trained there in 1935 and had many memories of those days. As far as Cliff visitors and students were concerned, Cliff was taking “life” to the people of UK. The Easter convention was much loved and well attended. I was 20 and life was a “blast”! I revelled in the environment and enjoyed the different quality of “life” that was experienced there. As a young Christian I was taught that we should be in the world but not of the world. This is easier said than done when you are a young apprentice mixing with people who are no more Christian than an egg-beater. Trying to keep “pure” was an exercise in self-effort. If you advocated a “Christian” lifestyle, you were accused of being a pompous, religious misfit. That was my problem. If you joined in with the things going on, you were called a hypocrite. To find the “happy medium” was just about impossible. The people knew what the “life” of a Christian was supposed to look like. Their standards were all different, so it was impossible to win. If I tell you that my nickname was “Elmer Gantry” you’ll get some idea of how I appeared to the casual onlooker. It wasn’t good! To be honest, as I look back on those days, I don’t blame them! The balance between the two perceived lifestyles was hard to find. For me, it was impossible. I did my best to discover what “life” meant. It eluded me for years. Finally, it occurred that the best plan was to live life as simply and as normally as possible and leave the difference to the Holy Spirit. Did it work? Only the Lord knows. On the one hand I’ve become less concerned with what other folk think of me. Instead I’ve tried to live consistently in the way I think Jesus would like. This has made “life” far less complicated. As well as much more satisfying. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			ZAYIN. 49 Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. 50 My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. 51 The arrogant mock me unmercifully, but I do not turn from your law. Psalm 119:49-51 TNIV 45 The Scriptures tell us, "The first man, Adam, became a living person." (Genesis 2:7) But the last Adam--that is, Christ--is a life-giving Spirit. 46 What comes first is the natural body; then the spiritual body comes later. 1 Cor 15:45-46 NLT 26 The Father has life in Himself, and He has granted that same life-giving power to His Son. 27 And He has given Him authority to judge everyone because He is the Son of Man. John 5:26-27 NLT 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even if he dies. 26 And those who live and believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?" John 5 11:25-26 NIrV 3 God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:3-5 NLT 12 Some people did accept him. They believed in his name. He gave them the right to become children of God. 13 To be a child of God has nothing to do with human parents. Children of God are not born because of human choice or because a husband wants them to be born. They are born because of what God does. John 1:12-13 NIrV 63 The Holy Spirit gives life. The body means nothing at all. The words I have spoken to you are from the Spirit. They give life. John 6:63 NIrV 12 God's word is living and active. It is sharper than any two-edged sword and cuts as deep as the place where soul and spirit meet, the place where joints and marrow meet. God's word judges a person's thoughts and intentions. Heb 4:12 GW	There is a special something, we can’t identify. A quality inside us, that’s not there when we die. We say that living creatures, have got a quality, That mankind cannot copy and looks for desperately! We say that it is living. Vibrant it moves and breathes. It vanishes the moment, this aspect “up’s and leaves”. But what exactly is it? How is it best described? How can it be transmitted? To what is it ascribed? We say that something’s “living”; but what is it we mean? We know when it is present; yet it remains unseen. We’d rather like to catch it and keep it in a jar. So if and when we need it, we needn’t look too far. But science has no answer. They know when it is there. But when it has departed – they grope out in despair. We know that Jesus had it. “I am the Life” said He. And it is only given, by His authority. It’s never artificial. We think it aught to stay. We’d like to keep it going, forever and a day. But it has been subjected by sin to certain death. For life is surely ended, after our final breath. We know where it has come from. God gave it sovereignly; When He created Adam, way back in history. He made a man-like “dummy”, from bits of mud and clay. It looked just like a dolly, with which our children play. Then after it was fashioned, He blew into its “nose”; And at that very instant, a human being arose! I don’t know how He did it. I do not really care. For life was now pulsating, through what was hand-made there. He called that first man “Adam”; he was a living soul. A model of perfection; in every aspect, whole. We all know what then happened. We know he sinned and fell. For death had taken captive, mankind’s first sentinel. It looked like a disaster. It was in many ways. But it had not defeated the Ancient of all Days! He knew that it would happen and had devised a plan. That through the Second Adam; that He would rescue man. And though for generations, mankind would all be “dead”, He knew the crucifixion would give “life-giving bread”! This was not accidental. It had to be this way. God couldn’t make a “robot” who loved Him every day. That’s why He sent the Saviour. The One Who made it all. So Life could be imparted, to subjects of the fall. Now they could be obedient; and it could be for life; No longer terminated, through wickedness and strife. Once more God’s Holy purpose, by man could be attained. Not by what man accomplished, but by what Christ ordained. Jim Strickland  Written 13th February 2012