BATTER SPATTER

Time with Jesus - 02 August 2013

Hi All

Fish, Chips and Peas

Being born in UK in 1942, I should be vaguely familiar with some of the WW2 incidents there. But I was only three on VE day. So my memories are not distinct. Perhaps something like a grainy, faded old photograph of something you can’t really identify. One of these is a mental impression of a bomb damaged building close to where we lived. 

Batter

Mom’s parents lived in Hull. The city was really hammered during the war. I’m told that it was one of the closest major towns in England, to the Luftwaffe aerodromes. It was ideally located for the dumping off of any bombs remaining in the bombers after a “visiting” elsewhere. 

Nazi Bomber

Mom had an anxious nature. German bombs exacerbated the problem. This anxious attitude was communicated to me. It probably accounts for my similar disposition.

The bombing of UK towns was initially intended to focus on factories and installations that produced war equipment. 

RAF Bomber

However, after the RAF bombed Berlin in the early days of the war, things changed. Bombing became indiscriminate. Anywhere people lived was fair game for the Nazi bombers.

A few years later, the Allies followed suit and began bombing German cities. It was hoped that Germany would surrender as a result. Towns like Dresden were bombed with high explosives and incendiaries. The town was all but obliterated in fire-storms produced thereby.

After the Bombing

Oddly enough, there are “rules” for warfare. Civilians were not supposed to be bombed. Bombs that missed their target and fell on the civilian population were called “collateral damage” This was classified as unintentional harm to persons or property as the result of military action. Included in this category was the death and destruction of property and equipment by mistakenly attacking troops on your own side. Friendly Fire! 

Crushing the Serpent's Head

One of the saddest tales is the death of a number of sailors. It took place on one of the convoys from Canada to UK. A merchant ship in the convoy was torpedoed and sank. A number of sailors managed to abandon ship by jumping into the water. One of the escort destroyers went to rescue them.

Grape Juice and Wine Making

Unfortunately, a submarine was detected directly below them. The destroyer was ordered to “depth charge” the submarine. That’s what happened. The sailors in the sea were killed. It was called “collateral damage”. How the captain of that destroyer slept that night is a mystery to me! Presumably he managed to cope with his gut-wrenching decision.

Eden and the Fall

In a way, you and I are the victims of collateral damage. When Adam sinned and fell, his nature and all creation was twisted and distorted by sin. You and I have no real idea of what living in the Garden of Eden was like before the fall. At that time, death was non-existent. Nothing died. Flowers, trees, animals.

The fall of man produced collateral damage on a scale incomprehensible to you and me. In Genesis, the serpent spoke to Eve. Does this mean that the animals could talk to people? No animal would be carnivorous? 

Garden of Eden?

In Isaiah 65, the prophet describing life under the Lordship of Jesus states, ²⁵ The wolf and the lamb will feed together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. But the snakes will eat dust. In those days no one will be hurt or destroyed on My holy mountain. I, the LORD, have spoken!" Isa 65:25 NLT

Lion and Lamb at peace Together

Is this what it was like in Eden? It’s possible. We won’t know until we get there. What I can say is that in terms of our war with sin and Satan, we are living with the collateral damage that went with Adam’s fall. Only Jesus Christ can stop it. He defeated Satan but “collateral damage” still continues and will do until Jesus returns.

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Judgement

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Friday, 02 August 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	BATTER SPATTER
After leaving South Africa in early 1960, I lived in England for the next 10 years. At first it was a little difficult. It’s always an adjustment moving from one country to another. The people are not being deliberately difficult to you. They are ordinary people living out their own culture in their own country. It’s always a case of “shape up or ship out”. For me it didn’t take long. The long winter nights and the cold weather were a bit much. On the other hand the long summer days more than compensated for it. The rain was another story! I enjoyed living there. It’s where I got to “fall in love” with British style fish and chips. Back then these shops were everywhere. The “Brits” had fish & chips at least once per week so it was a thriving little business. On a couple of occasions I’ve been back to UK and found that most of these shops have closed. They’ve been replaced with Chinese, Thai, Indian and various other types of take away food businesses. These taste great. But it was difficult finding a Fish and Chip shop that sold “spattered batter” on the side! On the occasions when I’ve read Isaiah 63:2-3 I’m reminded of the fish and chip shops. The picture in the Scripture is one of the Lord treading grapes in a winepress. In those days it was the way grapes were crushed as part of the grape juice and wine making process. Standing on the grapes often caused them to “pop open” and spray juice all over the clothing of the people doing the treading. It’s a vivid picture. So when God says that He’s been trampling His enemies underfoot like grapes in a winepress, we have an idea of the severity of what He depicts. There is always a problem for us when we read the Scripture, ascertaining when what has been prophesied will take place. Certainly the picture of Jesus on the cross on Mount Calvary bears little resemblance to what is recorded in Isaiah 63:2-3. There is a world of difference between trampling your enemies underfoot like grapes in a wine press and dying in agony for your “enemies” on a cruel Roman cross. Certainly reading what took place on that terrible day gives the opposite impression. As though His “enemies” were crushing Him underfoot in a Jerusalem winepress. How do we deal with these differences? It’s easy to say that these two verses refer to the Day of Judgement. Certainly His “enemies” will be dealt with severely. Perhaps the picture of Him treading His enemies underfoot on that day seems closer to reality than anything else we know. If that’s what you want to believe, I’m certainly not going to argue with you. For me there seems to be something greater than crushing enemies on Judgement Day. The fact that He describes His blood spattered clothing tends to make things appear to be far worse than that. It’s clear that this represents a time when the blood of His “enemies” has a greater impact on Him than appears on a cursory glance. Certainly He is shown as supreme over everyone and everything. If we think of the final stages of the crucifixion, we see a world at His feet. He is lifted up to draw all men to Him. We see His blood dripping down to the ground almost as though He is doing the tramping and His “enemies” are being defeated. We could say, “This was His finest hour!” Satan and sin were utterly defeated. His victory was complete! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			2 Why are Your clothes so red, as if You have been treading out grapes? 3 "I have been treading the winepress alone; no one was there to help Me. In My anger I have trampled My enemies as if they were grapes. In My fury I have trampled My foes. Their blood has stained My clothes. Isaiah 63:2-3 NLT	We called it “batter spatter”, when we ate fish and chips. The batter was the “crispy bit” that passed across our lips. It had a lovely flavour. There was no fish inside. They’d even sell it to us, if that’s what we’d decide. The batter was delicious. A special recipe, Was used by different fishmongers for tempting you and me. They’d even sell some to you, at one third of the price, And we would think it wonderful and very, very nice. Of course it was a by-product, that somehow fell away, As every fish and chip shop cooked battered fish that day, It wasn’t done deliberately. It was an accident. And reading from Isaiah, it seems what He had meant. When treading in the vine press, The grapes would somehow spatter; And stain the Master’s clothing just like the fish shop’s batter. But this was something different. His clothes were stained with blood. As though He had been stamping in a field of reddish mud. He’d done it in His anger. His enemies like grapes. And none of them could hide from Him and no one could escape. This picture of the Master, should make a sinner scared; Bringing retribution while they were unprepared. The scene is so horrendous, it even frightens me. That God would crush beneath His feet sinful humanity. But that’s just half the story. The other half is great. He gave Mankind a way they could escape this dreadful fate. Instead of trampling people, He trod upon His Son! Until His sense of justice was fully overcome. And it was far more painful than what we’d ever see. His Son was executed in frightful agony. The pain of crucifixion is what our Saviour knew. His excommunication and death, the frightful brew, That Jesus Christ experienced, was meant for you and me. Justice for all sinful man, that day on Calvary. I don’t know how He did it. I’ll never understand, How Jesus Christ my Saviour took sinners by the hand, And led them to His Father and gently said to Him. I gave my life for sinners like Phyllida and Jim. No one is excluded. They are all justified. All that’s still outstanding to be always by My side, Is if they will come to Me and if they will repent, From all their sin and wickedness, that’s when I will relent. They’re not a bit of batter that has fallen off the fish. They’re children of My Father, if that is what they wish. I’m not a fish and chip shop but with Me they may dine, Upon the bread of Heaven, beyond the end of time. Jim Strickland Written 2nd August 2012
			11 "Who is like You among the gods, O LORD--glorious in holiness, awesome in splendour, performing great wonders? Exodus 15:11 NLT
			16 He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. Isaiah 59:16 ESV
			24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24 NIV
			13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us--for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"-- Galatians 3:13 ESV
			A Psalm. 1 Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. Psalms 98:1 ESV
			15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Colossians 2:15 KJV
			11 Out of that terrible travail of soul, he'll see that it's worth it and be glad he did it. Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant, will make many "righteous ones," as he himself carries the burden of their sins. Isaiah 53:11 MSG
			21 The Kishon River swept them away--that ancient torrent, the Kishon. March on with courage, my soul! Judges 5:21 NLT
			37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:37 ESV
			11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Revelation 12:11 NIV