Time with Jesus - 1 Dec 2013
Hi all,
Attached herewith, please find a copy of my latest Daily Light
Meditation in rhyme and metre.
Today’s meditation looks at “heaven”. What it is or is
not like, is beside the point. For me, anywhere with Jesus would be heaven. The
question we must ask is whether or not heaven is our ultimate destination. Many
years ago, Dr A W Tozer wrote an article called, “The Way of Christ is still Narrow” Reading what he wrote over 60 years ago and looking at what we see in that
which claims to be “born again Christianity”, it seems nothing has changed.
We who follow Christ in
these perilous times are engaged in a war that has many fronts. Action ebbs in
one sector only to flare up in another or two or ten others. The enemy is everywhere,
assuming many forms and taking at any given time whatever shape best serves his
evil purposes, and he is for that reason often mistaken for a friend.
Traditionally fighting men
have proudly worn the uniform of their country, and could be identified as far
as they could be seen. In World War II the Nazis sometimes donned the uniforms
of Allied soldiers and thus managed to destroy some who would otherwise have
been on the defensive against them. But this trick was no Nazi invention. It
dates back to that hour when the, devil in the guise of a friend won the
confidence of Mother Eve and brought about the downfall of the race.
Deception has always been an
effective weapon and is deadliest when used in the field of religion. Our Lord
warned against this when He said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you
in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves”. These words have
been turned into a proverb known around the world, and still we continue to be
taken in by the wolves.
There was a time, no longer
ago than the 1920’s & 30’s, when a Christian knew, or at least could know,
where he stood. The words of Christ were taken seriously. A man either was, or
was not a believer in New Testament doctrine. Clear, sharp categories existed.
Black stood in sharp contrast to white; light was separated from darkness; it
was possible to distinguish right from wrong, truth from error, a true believer
from an unbeliever. Christians knew that they must forsake the world; and there
was for the most part remarkable agreement about what was meant by the world.
It was that simple.
But over the last 30 years a
quiet revolution has taken place. The whole religious picture has changed.
Without denying a single doctrine of the faith, multitudes of Christians have
nevertheless, forsaken the faith and are as far astray as the Modernists, who
were at least honest enough to repudiate the Scriptures before they began to
violate them.
Many of our best-known
preachers and teachers have developed ventriloquist type tongues and can now
make their voices come from any direction. They have surrendered the
traditional categories of religious thought. For them there is no black or
white, there is only grey. Anyone who makes a claim to having “accepted Christ”
is admitted at once into the goodly fellowship of the prophets and the glorious
company of the apostles regardless of the worldliness of his life or the
vagueness of his doctrinal beliefs.
I have listened to certain
speakers and have recognized the ingredients that went to make up their
teachings. A bit of Freud; a dash of Emile Coué; a lot of watered-down
humanism; tender chunks of Emersonian transcendentalism, auto-suggestion a la
Dale Carnegie; plenty of hopefulness and religious sentimentality, but nothing
hard and sharp and specific. Nothing of the either/or of Christ and Peter and
Paul. None of the “Who is on the Lord’s side” of
Moses, or the “Choose you this day whom ye will serve”
of Joshua: just tender pleading to “take Jesus and let Him solve your problems”.
If such as I here describe
were cultists or liberals of one stripe or another, I would say nothing more
about it; but many of them are professed Evangelicals. Press them and they will
insist that they believe the Scriptures and accept every tenet of the historic
Christian faith; but listen to them teach and you are left wondering. They are
building upon sand; the rock of sound theology is not under them.
The notion is now pretty well
disseminated throughout the ranks of current evangelicalism, that love is
really all that matters and for that reason, we ought to receive everyone whose
intention is right, regardless of his doctrinal position; granted of course
that he is ready to read the Scriptures, trust Jesus and pray. The unregenerate
sympathies of the fallen human heart adopt this foggy creed eagerly. The
trouble is Holy Scriptures teach nothing of the kind.
The apostle Paul warned
against what he called “profane and vain babblings” as for instance that of
Hymenaeus and Philetus, stating that their words would “eat as doth a canker and overthrow the faith of some”. And what
was their error? They merely taught a spiritual resurrection instead of a
physical one.
“If a man hath
the mind to get the start of other sinners and be in hell before them,” said an old divine, “he need do no more than open his sails to the winds of
heretical doctrine, and he is like to make a short voyage to hell; for these
bring upon their maintainers a swift destruction.”
This is nearer to Paul’s
view than is that of the new evangelical latitudinarians. The way of the cross is still narrow.
Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – 1 Dec 2013
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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©
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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
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©
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INTRODUCTION
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DAILY
LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
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HEAVEN
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Some incidents in life are “welded” into memory.
Those of us who were alive at the time, can tell you exactly where we were
when President Kennedy was assassinated. I was in the Drawing School in my
employers offices. Everything seemed to stop. It was as though the incident
was frozen in time. I could hardly believe what I was hearing. Things have
never been quite the same again.
The next time there was a similar experience was in
July 1969. I was at home watching TV. We had just heard the voice of Neil
Armstrong saying, “Tranquillity Base” here. “The eagle has landed”. Shortly
afterwards the TV was receiving pictures relayed from the moon. We could see
Armstrong climbing down the steps. Then those famous and unforgettable words,
“One short step for a man. One giant leap for mankind”. For me it was a
surreal experience. I wasn’t there; probably never would go there. But
somehow it came across as if it was something of a personal achievement.
Almost as though I was standing there myself. I understand many people
experienced something similar.
When the three astronauts arrived back in USA, they
were bombarded with questions. Everyone wanted to know what it was like
walking on the moon! We’d seen Armstrong and Aldrin doing a sort of kangaroo
hop as they walked on the moon. Even so, everyone wanted to hear from them
exactly what happened and what it was like. There were three men who
travelled to the moon back then. Two men walked on it. I’ve always tried to
spare a thought for Michael Collins. He remained behind orbiting the moon
while the other two were doing their kangaroo hops. He was as much a part of
the expedition as the others. But he had to stay behind and watch. So near
and yet so far! Another and similar expression would be, “Always the
bridesmaid but never the bride!”
Most of us look up at the moon occasionally and
wonder what it was really like up there on 20th July 1969. All we
really know is what we have been told by those who have been there and from
video’s taken while men were there. In many ways it’s much the same with our
knowledge of heaven. We know Jesus knows all about it. We can only say what
we’ve heard. He is the only person we know of who has had personal knowledge
of what it is like. Some claim that they have been on a conducted tour with
Jesus or an angel. Have they really had such an experience? I can’t say. They
claim to have been there. I’ve no reason to believe or disbelieve them. I’d
like to think they are being truthful. Some of their comments have been a tad
unscriptural. But they may well be sharing with us an aspect of a deeply held
belief. There are times when faith and expectations are difficult to distinguish
from each other. One thing we all need to remember is that God intends
creating new heavens and a new earth. He has also given us a hint of what it
will be like. The last two chapters of the Book of Revelation lift the “lid”
enough for us to begin to anticipate what is in store. A city big enough to
fit into our moon! The men of Apollo 11 didn’t think of that one. Gates of
pearl. Foundations of precious stones which “shimmer” in polarised light.
Trees which bear fruit 12 times per year and with leaves with healing
properties. Yes, it will be magnificent. But for me the crowning glory of
heaven will be the undiluted presence of the Living God!
Jim &
Phyllida
Strickland
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17 "Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.
Isaiah 65:17 NLT
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What do we know of heaven? There isn’t
very much.
Lots of speculation and lots is double
Dutch!
Some say they’ve been taken there and
have been shown around.
I can’t contradict them. They say it’s
what they found.
Is it really genuine? We truly cannot
say.
I trust that they are accurate, or
they’ll have led astray,
Many trusting Christians, who’d like
to know some more,
About the truth of heaven and what
they’re looking for.
There’s problems with our visions, our
concepts and our dreams.
All of them are filtered through our
own religious schemes.
We think it should be that way!
There’d be a great concern,
If it were any other. And so folk
quickly learn,
Not to make an error in some miniscule
detail!
Please do not reject it. Admit you too
can fail.
And though you’ve no intentions of
leading folk astray;
Perhaps what you have mentioned did
not occur that way.
But heaven will be wonderful. Far
better than we guess.
The presence of the Master. His love!
His holiness!
Perhaps a little sadness about those
we do not see?
And lots of real thanksgiving the
Lord’s admitted me!
There’s an existing heaven. But it
will pass away.
There’s going to be a new one when God
decides one day.
He says He’ll be creating a new heaven
and new earth.
And frankly, I can hardly wait to see
it come to birth.
This earth of ours is plundered,
polluted and defaced!
It’s been the home of sinners, who’ve
utterly disgraced
This planet God created. He will
incinerate,
Anything and everything which we have
known to date.
Then we’ll see the new one. The one He
has prepared.
And we will be so thankful the old one
wasn’t spared.
It will be very different. The sea
will disappear.
The sun and moon not needed. God’s
light constantly near.
There’ll be no need for crying; and
tears will pass away.
There’ll be no more sickness and pain
won’t come to stay.
Death will be defeated! Swallowed up
by life!
The bride of Christ assembled will be
The Master’s “wife”.
For this we are all waiting. But
something’s still in store.
The Father said He’ll dwell with us
until forevermore.
He’ll dwell among His people; and by
His special grace,
We will have the privilege of looking
at His face.
It will be truly heaven. It’s not just
an address.
It’s living with the Father in truth
and holiness.
This is what we’re waiting for. This
is His great reward.
With Father, Son and Spirit! Forever
with the Lord!
Jim Strickland
Written
1st
December 2012
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22 "As surely as My new heavens and earth will remain, so will you always be My people, with a name that will never disappear," says the LORD.
Isaiah 66:22 NLT
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13 But we look forward to what God has promised-a new heaven and a new earth-a place where everything that has God's approval lives.
2 Peter 3:13 GW
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1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
Revelation 21:1-5 ESV
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