OUR HERITAGE

Time with Jesus - 23 Sept. 2013

Hi all,

The story goes about a preacher who was visiting a church in one of the larger mid-western towns of the USA. The preacher was known as a man who had a way of communicating with children. 

He could talk to a large audience in a way that the kids loved. As for parents, usually they found that when he had finished speaking, they felt that they too had been touched in a special way. 

I suppose he had a gift something similar to the one Jesus demonstrated so clearly during His own ministry; a gift that almost every preacher on earth “covets”!

The preacher knew that the children would be waiting to hear his message. He also knew that in the congregation there was a professor of Mathematics from the local University. They knew each other informally from their “Varsity days”. Back then, the professor had a tendency to be a bit stiff and formal. Nevertheless, the preacher and professor appreciated humour, even when it was directed toward them personally.

The preacher commenced his sermon in the usual way by getting everyone settled down and feeling comfortable. He then greeted one or two old friends from the pulpit, including the professor. Then he started with his sermon. He was speaking about the way Jesus used numbers, particularly when speaking to children. 

He mentioned the 5 wise and the 5 foolish bridesmaids. He coupled it together with the servants who were given 5, 2 and 1 talents respectively. That’s when he really touched the hearts of the children and they started getting involved in his sermon. So much so he was able to ask questions to the children and the members of the congregation.

Suddenly, he paused and looking at the professor said, “What’s two and two?” The professor rose to his feet and looked nervously round. “Please will you repeat the question?” he asked. “Yes!” said the preacher. “What is two and two?” 

The professor was stunned that he would be asked something so elementary. “There has to be a trick here somewhere” he thought to himself. So his mind started racing through the various possibilities that might be lying just beneath the surface. Accustomed to “stalling” the questions of his undergraduates, he tried to stall the preacher with a couple of inane coughs and splutters. Then he heard the question from the preacher once more. 

“What’s two plus two?” He was stumped. “How could this preacher ask him such an elementary question?” Then he spluttered out an answer. His “I’m not sure!” echoed round the church like the sound of a gun. Then the professor sat down very embarrassed.

The preacher turned to the youngest member of the congregation he could see. “Young man”, he said to him. “What’s two plus two?” Almost instantly he received the answer back. It’s four, sir!” “That’s right” he said to the young man. “Two plus two is four.” The congregation gasped. The professor was livid and was on the point of getting up and walking out when the preacher spoke again in a most reconciliatory tone.

“Thank you professor”, he said. “Thank you for helping me illustrate one of the most important points in Christianity. Very often in life we miss the obvious, not because we don’t know the answer, but because we think it’s a trick question. 

Thank you for being patient with me. Now we all know what Nicodemus felt like when he met Jesus that dark night. You’ll see it in John’s Gospel. ¹ There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. ² After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. "Rabbi," he said, "we all know that God has sent You to teach us. 

Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with You." ³ Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God." ⁴ "What do You mean?" exclaimed Nicodemus. "How can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born again?" John 3:1-4 NLT

“My friend, Nicodemus was the local professor of Religious Studies in Jerusalem. Look at verse 10: "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things?” John 3:10 TNIV Nicodemus knew all right. He knew far more than he said. 

 Look how he coughed and spluttered his comments to Jesus! Once again, thank you for helping me show how men like you and me can misunderstand the essential simplicity of God’s truth.

The preacher then continued, “The Gospel of Jesus Christ is so simple. So simple, a little child can understand. It doesn’t require a professor of Divinity to look for tricks. As Jesus said to Nicodemus in verse 16”: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life John 3:16 TNIV.

“It’s simple enough for everyone here today to understand, without looking for tricks. There are no tricks. He loves everyone. No one is excluded; the young, the old, the children; you, me, men, women, boys, girls, babies; black; white, coloured, Arabs, Asians, Jews.

I am a “whosoever” You are a “whosoever”. He came for you! Will you come to Him? Jesus Christ, He is our everything!”

The preacher then gave an altar call. The response continues to be felt!

That’s the story. My prayer is that it will touch you as deeply as it touched me.

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – 23 Sept. 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	OUR HERITAGE
My mother told a great story about me from way back in 1948. We were living in Durban at the time in the Esau Hotel. It was quite close to the Durban beach. The hotel has probably gone by now. I was about 6 and was taken to a little school fairly close to where we were staying. She said that after my third or fourth day at school, I came home and told her that it was not necessary to go back. I had learned all I needed to know! Of course it was a preposterous thought. But it does have a parallel with today’s Scripture. 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him." 10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by His Spirit. For His Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets.1 Cor. 2:9-10 NLT We can and do laugh at a child who says he knows everything, when he knows nothing. We know that the child is speaking in ignorance but is expressing his perception of knowledge. At the same time, we forget that when it comes to the things of God, we are all just as ignorant. We have our concepts of what is good and beautiful. Most of it is. But when it comes to what God has prepared for His children, it is beyond our limited imagination. I have great sympathy for the prophet Ezekiel at the Kebar river. He had been greatly blessed by God. He experienced a “touch” from God and saw something indescribable. Read Ezekiel chapter 1 and see what the Prophet tries to depict. How do you describe the indescribable? How do you write it down? How do you begin to grasp what you have seen? As I read this chapter, I sense a huge “frustration” in the man. How can such a vision be explained? What do you write in such circumstances? It’s reasonable to assume that his personal knowledge of God was not grossly different from ours. What did he know about God? What do we know about God? A truthful answer would be, “precious little”. We can’t even imagine The God Who “contains” the universe and everything inside it! But Ezekiel sees something. It’s so far beyond his understanding that he can hardly put it in writing. We know that the Bible contains all the information God has chosen to make available to us. How much is that? We have no idea. For example we know that most of an iceberg is under water. We also know that a polished diamond has many facets. How many can we see? We can’t see them all because we can only see the portions facing us. To know more, we would need to be able to handle it to make a thorough examination. It’s impossible for us to “pick up God” The little He has revealed to us tells us something about Him. He is infinite. But what does infinity look like? We have no idea unless the Spirit of God reveals it to us. We can’t begin to imagine the future without God’s Spirit. Occasionally, for example in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, we are given a number of hints. Hints that whet our appetite to know more. Will we be shown more? I suppose that if it was in His interests He would do so. He does give us the overall dimensions. Whether it’s a cube or a pyramid, we cannot be sure. Rev. 21:10-27 gives us an idea of the appearance of the New Jerusalem. The Spirit revealed it to John. Read it and be astonished! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. Revelation 21:7 ESV	The Hebrews and the Gentiles both have a heritage. One which they all have to share and not get as a wage. No one knows exactly what it is they will see. All they know for sure is that each beneficiary, Will be with God Almighty when Jesus Christ comes back. All those who’re ready, will never suffer lack. It’s been like this since Abraham first saw the Promised Land. A little bit of real estate; that God said He had planned, To give to Abraham’s offspring. Exactly where or when, Was something that they didn’t know, at least not way back then. We know that under Joshua, they took the land by force. But it was not their heritage. Such thoughts are way off course. For sure, the land was fruitful. The Bible makes that plain. But it was not the paradise they thought they should obtain. They seemed to be quite satisfied, when it had been inspected. But it was not the place their holy men had all expected. It wasn’t such a bad place and they could settle down; Until the Lord provided them a city or a town. The centuries rolled by them. The people came and went. They didn’t get the city and settled for a tent. The towns they had were beautiful but how do you compare, The promised Holy City with the tents they had back there? So what is it we’re waiting for? This City from on High, Where all the streets are paved with gold and people do not die? No one has ever seen it; at least not in this life. But many people think they know and man’s opinion’s rife! The only thing we know for sure, the architect is God. We know about the gates and walls but what is very odd. Is when we talk about the size. We’re told there’s lots of room; And looking at its size, it would fit right into the moon! It has a tree-lined river flowing from the Father’s throne. No one ever dies there and no one is alone. The tree of life is growing and there is no more night. The Trinity abides therein and they provide the light. We truly can’t imagine it. No human mind has known, The things Almighty God has made for those who are His own. And here is what’s exciting. The saints who’ve gone before, Are waiting for us all to come; They can’t wait any more. And so they stand and clap their hands, they ululate and cheer. For God has said we’ll all receive, when all of us are here! So hang in there and overcome. For they who say and do, Will all receive their crown of life. I cannot wait, Can you? Jim Strickland Written 23rd September 2012
			19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. 1 Corinthians 15:19 NLT
			16 But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:16 NLT
			4 We have been born into a new life which has an inheritance that can't be destroyed or corrupted and can't fade away. That inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 1 Peter 1:4 GW
			21 So don't brag about people. Everything belongs to you. 22 Whether it is Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life or death, present or future things, everything belongs to you. 1 Corinthians 3:21-22 GW
			9 It is written, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has known what God has prepared for those who love him." (Isaiah 64:4) 10 But God has shown it to us through his Spirit. The Spirit understands all things. He understands even the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NIrV
			4 No one's ears have ever heard of a God like you. No one's eyes have ever seen a God who is greater than you. No God but you acts for the good of those who trust in him. Isaiah 64:4 NIrV
			8 Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. 2 John 1:8 ESV
			1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1 NLT