VICTORY IN JESUS!

Time with Jesus - 9 Sept. 2013

Hi all,

Life in boarding school for me was great fun. At first it was a bit strange getting accustomed to being continuously surrounded by youngsters of my own age. It was tough leaving the safety of my own home and going to live in the school. 

WW2 Spitfire

There were a variety of different rules. Don’t go here. Respond to the bell. Remain within the school boundaries. Be in the study at 17h00. Supper at 18h30; back in the study by 19h30; in bed at 20h00; Lights out at 20h30. Sure it was extremely regimented. Up at 06h00; in the study by 06h30; breakfast at 07h00; School began at 08h00. After school was sports time; cricket in summer; rugby in winter. After a couple of days, we all settled into the routine. There wasn’t a lot of time to express your own individuality.

Part of Hitler's German Army

We all quickly established what we would call “rules of fairness”. In the dining room, the tables and chairs were all assembled with 6 per table. Mostly, the meals were already divided more or less into equal portions. We were all growing boys so if I thought you had been given more food than me; there would have been a riot. 

Two things were never divided; the jam and the butter. The butter was on the table in a small round butter-dish. It had been cut in the kitchen from blocks and was about 15mm thick. In a boarding school, this tested our table manners. If we had been ordinary, civilised young men, we would have only enough to cover a slice of bread very thinly. 

Never try this with hungry 13 to 17 year old boys. The third world war would break out across the table. But we were imaginative and quickly came up with the solution. Each place at the table was “numbered” from 1 to 6. No 6 always marked the butter into what he considered equal portions. No 1 cut off a piece for himself being very careful not to depart from the lines on the butter. No 2 then followed. In this way we continued until No 6 took what was left. The method was observed by 6 pairs of eyes all determined that no one would get more than they had. 

Table for Six

The next morning, the numbering system rotated. In this way, everyone had a chance to be No1 and No 6 every six days. We regarded this as being “fair”.

I recall David Pawson pointing out a similar problem. If you have four children, how do you hand out sweets? One way would be to give them one bag of sweets and tell them to share them. The safer way was to buy four bags of sweets. The Scriptural way for perfect children would be one bag they can share. But children are not like that. They have a concept of what they consider is “fair”. If it varies by more than a tenth of a millimetre, there is a riot.

Now please note that God knows nothing about “fairness”. “Fair” is a human concept rigorously enforced by trade unions, young children and hospital patients. Jesus Himself stated ⁴⁵ Then you will be sons of your Father who is in heaven. "He causes his sun to shine on evil people and good people. He sends rain on those who do right and those who don't. Mat 5:45 NIrV

In Mark’s gospel Jesus said, ²⁹ "What I'm about to tell you is true," Jesus replied. "Has anyone left home or family or fields for me and the good news? ³⁰ They will receive 100 times as much in this world. They will have homes and families and fields. But they will also be treated badly by others. In the world to come they will live forever. ³¹ But many who are first will be last. And the last will be first." Mar 10:29-31 NIrV Where is the “fairness” in “the last being first and the first last”?

God is Never "Fair"

Furthermore, our salvation is not “fair”. You and I are the sinners. We are the “monsters of iniquity”. We deserve to be sent to hell for 1000 eternities and more for spurning the love of a perfect God. Instead, Jesus took the punishment for what you and I have done and, in many instances, enjoyed doing! It’s grossly unfair. The case would be thrown out of every court on earth you can think of. So please don’t talk to me about God’s “fairness”. 

We Deserve our Wages
Sin = Death

No man or woman, who has ever lived, with the exception of Jesus Christ, should escape hell. John Gill stated, Man has run through all, has contracted large and numerous debts, has been obliged to hide himself, has been used as a bankrupt, and turned out of house and home: Christ indeed has undertook to pay, and he has paid all the debts of his people; and has put them into a better state than Adam ever was. (John Gill’s comment on Rom 3:12)

No, God is not “fair”. He is 100% just and 100% merciful. How does this work? God alone knows. We all get a full bag of sweets and don’t have to share them. We don’t have to divide the butter into 6 equal portions. Instead, God pours out from His abundance more sweets than we could eat in a lifetime.

VICTORY IN JESUS

Furthermore, His blocks of butter are infinite. I say to Him, “Lord, I don’t deserve all this!” He says to me, “I know! But I love you and you can have it anyway!” I fall on my knees before Him and worship Him. He lifts me to my feet. “Come on, let’s have some fun together. Don’t you know you are My adopted brother?”

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Monday, 09 September 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	VICTORY IN JESUS!
The Battle of Britain during WW2 is one of the most remembered events of those long and difficult days. A handful of British and Commonwealth pilots took on the mighty German Luftwaffe. Statistically, they should have lost. The hand of God must have been with them because they won the battle. They shouldn’t have won. It appeared to be impossible and Europe, in its entirety, should have been one huge Nazi “state”. I firmly believe that it was the goodness of God that prevented this from happening. For some reason Hitler decided to forget about Britain and attack Russia. It was at this time Winston Churchill made one of the greatest speeches he ever made. “Never in the field of human conflict have so many owed so much to so few”. As we know, in the end the Allies defeated the German war machine. It was a miracle. There have been a number of battles that have shaped human history. At present there is an on-going battle which has still to be settled. The final outcome is a foregone conclusion. In the battle between good and evil, the forces of God will defeat the forces of evil. The ultimate conclusion is inevitable. Jesus Christ and His people will defeat Satan and his forces. No other alternative is possible. Good will triumph over evil. The problem you and I have is being unaware when the final battle will take place. We have been given eternal life. Death is meaningless to a committed Christian. But that does not mean that the latest battle of this war has been fought and decided. Complete victory will only be achieved when Jesus returns. In the meantime, wars and battles continue to take place! 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 TNIV During the interim the wages are the same for all. You and I are sinners. Yes, Jesus has redeemed us. But until He comes back, death is guaranteed for everyone born on this planet. Malcolm Smith pointed out that each of us has worked for and will receive payment in full. Our death sentence was decreed the instance we first sinned. We’ve worked hard for our wages during our lifetime and we will get payment in full! Not exactly good news. But it’s a fact and there is nothing we can do to change it. Jesus came to this planet. He lived a perfect, sin-free life. So death for Him was not appropriate. If a man is perfect before God, death cannot hold him. Jesus did not work for the death sentence. Instead, He gave His life in exchange for us. In a way we will never understand, we swapped. He took all our sin and gave us His righteousness. Grossly unfair! No human court would approve. But God not only approved, He made it possible! Until He returns, we will continue to grow old and die. When He comes, Christians who are still alive will not die. He has already paid that penalty. So we will all be with Him. Those who have died will be resurrected. Paul expresses it as follows: 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 TNIV I’m not in a position to say whether or not the total will be few or many. What I can say; and in this I share Churchill’s view. “Never in the field of human (spiritual) conflict have so many owed so much to one Man”. Jesus Christ! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			2 But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. Psalms 73:2 NLT	Look where you are going. Be careful not to fall. Never give the devil the smallest chance at all. Watch out for the surfaces, and don’t step in the mire. Making you fall over is Satan’s one desire. Watch what you are wearing. Take care of your shoes. Only foolish people, will ever take their cues, From what the foe is wanting. He’d like to see you dead. And he’d like nothing better than for you to bust your head! Of course the Lord protects you. This always will be true. But don’t provide the devil a chance to murder you! He wants to lift you with a fork and throw you in the air. He does his best to sift you and lead you to despair. But Jesus said He’s praying that you won’t slip or fail. His prayers are always answered in the very best detail. The Lord wants you to testify and strengthen all your friends. So do the things He telling you, for surely life depends, On making Him your Saviour, your Master and your King. This prevents the devil from doing anything That damages God’s Kingdom; on this you can rely. And He’ll continue praying for you until you die! It’s true you are not perfect. At times you won’t succeed. But if you keep on focusing upon your Christian Creed; Even if you’re brutalised and they tear limb from limb, That is an opportunity for you to worship Him! Satan wants to hurt you, but cannot touch your soul. Give a shout of triumph; scream, “Christ is in control!” He’ll declare you righteous and in a state of grace. No matter what the devil does. You’ll soon see Jesus’ face. The foe may all laugh at you; perhaps they’ll even sneer! But know that Christ the Saviour is standing very near. Perhaps they’ll have you locked up in a room as dark as night. In this situation, The Lord will be your light. Nothing you experience will ever be unique. Jesus has been through it and gives the strength you seek. Pain won’t last forever. On that you can rely. And you’ll be in the Master’s arms the instant that you die. So stand firm in disaster. Look Satan in the eyes. He cannot defeat you no matter how he tries. It’s a foregone conclusion. You’re guaranteed to win; To break the chains of Satan and the crushing power of sin. Not because you’ve done it. That never will be true. But Jesus is the victory in everything you do. Jim Strickland Written 9th Sept. 2012
			18 I cried out, "I am slipping!" but Your unfailing love, O LORD, supported me. Psalms 94:18 NLT
			31 "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. 32 But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to Me again, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:31-32 NLT
			16 A righteous person may fall seven times, but he gets up again. However, in a disaster wicked people fall. Proverbs 24:16 GW
			24 Even if the man trips, he won't fall. The LORD'S hand takes good care of him. Psalms 37:24 NIrV
			8 The people of Jerusalem say, "Don't laugh when we suffer, you enemies of ours! We have fallen. But we'll get up. Even though we sit in the dark, the LORD will give us light. Micah 7:8 NIrV
			19 From six disasters He will rescue you; even in the seventh, He will keep you from evil. Job 5:19 NLT
			1 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the One who is truly righteous. 1 John 2:1 NLT
			25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Hebrews 7:25 TNIV