Thursday, May 9, 2013

ABSOLUTELY POINTLESS?


Absolutely Useless

Time with Jesus - 10 May 2013

Hi all,
What is meant by saying that the Bible is the Word of God? At one time I was firmly of the opinion that He had written it Himself. In the literal sense that couldn't be true. God does not do that sort of thing. Instead He prompts men and women to express what He desires stated, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter expressed it beautifully: 20 The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion. 21 And why? Because it's not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to speak God's Word. 2 Peter 1:20-21 MSG 
A Hearing and Writing Prophet!
Bear in mind that when Peter refers to “prophecy” he was referring to all the Old Testament Scriptures. He was not referring to a Prophet standing up and speaking. This may be true in some instances. However, when the Jewish people spoke of “prophecy” they were referring to the Old Testament. He couldn't be referring to the New Testament. Some of it was still being written as he wrote his epistle.
She says
"Let Him Kiss me with the
Kisses of His Mouth"
Song of Solomon 1:2
The problem for me was that I was under the mistaken impression, if it was in the Bible, it was God’s opinion. That’s when I got bogged down in Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes. Leviticus also bothered me. It was too full of what I saw as “old wives tales”! Look at the test for marital unfaithfulness in Numbers 5. That really is a problem.
Of course the David and Bathsheba incident takes a bit of understanding. I've heard people say, “God approved of David’s unfaithfulness and permitted the incident. See! There it is in the Bible!” Another questionable incident is when Ezra ordered the men to divorce their foreign wives. (See Ezra 9)
700ives and
300 concubines
That’s when I began to realise, that included in God’s Book, are things of which He approves and things of which he disapproves. They are written, because God wants His people to see the Biblical characters as they were. He doesn’t dress them up and make them look innocent. He tells it as it really was.
Brain Surgeon 
It took me a long time to come to this realisation. Then, when I understood, I began to realise that He does, this because when anyone stands before Him, the whole truth will be laid bare. That’s what concerns me most. He will reveal everything about me; the good things and the bad things. I've done things, even as a Christian, which I would rather people didn't know. He will not spare my feelings. He will tell it all! He will tell the good, the bad and the ugly. Then I’ll be declared guilty. That’s when Jesus’ blood will cover me and because of what He has done, I’ll be forgiven and pardoned.
Will God reveal everything about me and you? I think so. You cannot be pardoned unless you've been found guilty! Furthermore, by forgiving me and pardoning me, it will reveal more of His glory!
47 "I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown Me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love." Luke 7:47 NLT  The Lord has forgiven me for much! If He chooses to expose it all to the world, that’s fine by me. How about you?
Shalom,
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give
Time with Jesus – Friday, 10 May 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
ABSOLUTELY POINTLESS?
During my first few months of being a Christian I had a number of questions. What had I let myself into? How do I know that it’s true? How can I be sure of Jesus Christ and His salvation?
My biggest problem was that every time I had a question; someone would open the Bible and read. It was rather frustrating. I felt like interrupting and saying, “So what?” To me they were reading words from an old book that had little relevance for an eighteen year old male.
It took me about six months to find out that the Bible was God’s Word. But that didn’t provide the complete answer. I quickly found the Bible contained God’s Word. But which were written by men and which by Him?
It took me about a year to realise that It was all God’s Word. Then I started struggling with some of the things in His Word. Why were they there? What purpose were they there for? In particular, what about Ecclesiastes (Ecc) and Song of Solomon (SoS)? Ecc sounded like the moans and groans of an old and disappointed man. As for SoS, I thought it a bit too “racey” to be there anyway. How does a young man deal with such questions? I assumed that these books were included for reasons that would be apparent as I grew in my walk with God.
As a complication, back in those days, many Christians were into what I termed, “Shotgun Theology” Texts would be referred to that didn’t seem consistent with the overall content. For example Paul wrote, 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 KJV
Then a rather crazy thought occurred to me. I can’t fall pregnant. Men can’t do that. So here was something that didn’t apply. Then I found out that nothing can change the past. Also, I’m not a brain surgeon. I can’t do brain surgery tomorrow! So what was this passage all about? So I read the entire passage and found that Paul was talking about financial matters. Suddenly the verse made sense.
These thoughts took me back to SoS. By then I’d grown a bit and found that it was a delightful love story about a man and a woman. An allegory on the relationship between Jesus and His Bride. I hadn’t realised that the Lord can love me physically and passionately.
Then I looked again at Ecc; I was bit older and started to see the tragedy of an old man, who had been sufficiently wealthy to have been able to afford whatever he wanted. He tried them all. Sex, Power and Wisdom. None of them brought contentment. Solomon was the wealthiest King who had ever lived. He tried to find satisfaction in life, in the pursuit of women. 3 He had 700 wives who were princesses and 300 wives who were concubines.1 Kings 11:3 GW  As far as wisdom is concerned: 29 God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore.1 Kings 4:29 NLT King Solomon concludes Ecc with the following: 13 That's the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey His commands, for this is everyone's duty. Ecclesiastes 12:13 NLT Now I’m convinced that God’s Word is the inerrant truth. Read and understand. You will never go wrong!
Jim & Phyllida
Strickland
1 The words of the spokesman, the son of David and the king in Jerusalem. 2 "Absolutely pointless!" says the spokesman. "Absolutely pointless! Everything is pointless."
Ecclesiastes 1:1-2 GW
Absolutely pointless; It isn’t worth a dime!
It isn’t going anywhere; and all of space and time,
Are nothing but a journey from the cradle to the grave.
It makes so little difference if you spend, or if you save.
Life is filled with nothing. We may live eighty years.
They’re over in an instant and filled with grief and tears.
No sooner have we started than we are dead and gone,
And wonder if there’s purpose for us to carry on?
This is the normal attitude of those outside of Christ.
For them life is a lottery, that’s far too highly priced.
They’re never going to win it and even if they did,
They’d squander it, or waste it and rapidly get rid,
Of every cent of winnings until they’d lost the lot;
And brood about what might have been if only they had not!
But those who’ve come to Jesus and made Him Lord of all,
Find things not so pointless and life can be a ball.
They’ll still have lots of trouble, for they are not exempt,
To that which Satan’s demons would bring to them; to tempt
And push them into foolishness and knock them off their feet.
But if they stick with Jesus, then Satan will be beat.
We have to change our attitude and also, redefine,
The way we look at money in the light of Christ Divine.
We have to see we’re citizens of heaven, not the earth.
We have to know the glory of the Christian’s second birth.
The city we are living in, while we are still down here,
Will ultimately crumble and then will disappear.
Our city is not permanent. We look for one to come.
The lovely New Jerusalem, without a single slum!
To be with Him Who’s changeless and be conformed to Him;
To see Creation deathless; not subject to the whim,
Of some religious monster who hates what God has made.
To live in an environment where no one is afraid.
Free from interference by the devil and his crew.
To worship God forever with everything made new;
To join the living creatures and sing “Holy is the Lord”
To be alive in Jesus and never once feel bored.
It never will be pointless to give the Master praise;
For He gives inspiration, in so many different ways.
Jim Strickland
Written 10th May 2012





9 You have been angry with us all of our days. We groan as we come to the end of our lives. 10 We live to be about 70. Or we may live to be 80, if we stay healthy. But all that time is filled with trouble and sorrow. The years quickly pass, and we are gone.
Psalms 90:9-10 NIrV
19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all others.
1 Corinthians 15:19 TNIV
14 We don't have a permanent city here on earth, but we are looking for the city that we will have in the future.
Hebrews 13:14 GW
6 "I am the LORD, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed.
Malachi 3:6 NLT
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Philippians 3:20-21 ESV
20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope
Romans 8:20 TNIV
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews 13:8 GW
8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and were covered with eyes, inside and out. Without stopping day or night they were singing, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is coming." 9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, to the one who lives forever and ever, 10 the 24 leaders bow in front of the one who sits on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever. They place their crowns in front of the throne and say, 11 "Our Lord and God, you deserve to receive glory, honour, and power because you created everything. Everything came into existence and was created because of your will."
Revelation 4:8-11 GW

No comments:

Post a Comment