Time with Jesus - 11
Nov 2013
That was not
the role planned for Him by the other members of the Trinity; a role He would
have thoroughly endorsed before He was born. Every second of every day of His
life was planned down in minute detail. No opportunity would have been given to
Satan to catch Him unawares while He was young. Even the flight to Egypt was
known about. No doubt this accounts for the purpose of the gifts from the Wise
Men. You don’t flee from Bethlehem to Egypt without provision of some sort.
Flight in those days did not involve Jumbo Jets. Mind you, flight today and
flight in His days were far from cheap!
From a very young age, I’ve had a call from God. Exactly
how or what it was I had no idea. To be honest, I didn’t know I had a call.
That only happened to other deeply spiritual people and I’ve never thought I
was one of them. It’s not necessary for me to go through the details of my
finding faith, discarding it and returning, much chagrined. What I did know was
that I would have to work for a living much as my relations had all done. Thus,
the idea of dropping everything and dashing off to “Bongo-Bongo land” was not
on my radar screen. To me, the idea of struggling to survive, the way
generations of missionaries had done in the past, was a none-starter. I suppose
people would say “Jim hasn’t got the faith for that.” Instead, I became an
engineer. Not a very good one, but enough to earn a living. Then, when I might
have reconsidered the possibility, I had a wife and children to support. Now
it’s not unreasonable for someone to take a chance on his starving to death. To
expect the family to do the same was and still is a no-no. That didn’t comply
with the sense of responsibility for my family the Lord had placed in me.
After the divorce and subsequent marriage to Phyllida,
such a decision was still a non-starter. In fact, I was offered the opportunity
of starting a church in Rustenburg. Phyllida and I talked it over and agreed
that the time was not right. I was still financially responsible for the
education of my own two children plus one of Phyllida’s children. Our covenant
of marriage meant that suddenly, instead of two children to care for, we had
six. How Phyllida and I would cope with a new life in Rustenburg, as well as
starting a new church with no income! Forget it. I would actually have been
violating one of my own principles. We have always taught that you stay out of
ministry on a full time basis until the Lord grabs you and pulls you kicking
and screaming into the ministry. So I’d have to stick with engineering and
Eskom until there was no other choice.
Please don’t be under the misapprehension that I was
unhappy working for Eskom. In my day they were an excellent employer who took
care of their employees. Historically this had always been the case. It was
significantly influenced by two critical requirements; water and coal. As
surprising as it may seem, you cannot operate a conventional power station
without water. Water is the coolant. Steam drives the turbines. Coal turns
water into steam. In the interests of economy, power stations in South Africa
were been built as close to the coal face as possible. This meant employees
lived in Eskom houses in villages built close to the power stations. More often
than not, this was in the middle of nowhere. Eskom thus became a “nanny
employer”. No people = no electricity.
It was only in the 1980’s this began to change. Employees
bought their own houses in towns close to the power station and organised their
own transport to and from work. This was very good for Phyllida and me because
it meant we were able to buy our own home in Middleburg. It was our first step
to being able to leave Eskom and enter full time work for the Lord. Shortly
after moving to Middleburg, my health started to deteriorate. It got progressively
worse and Eskom decided to give me early retirement on the grounds of
ill-health.
So it was that exactly 30 years to the month after beginning my
apprenticeship, I left Eskom with a small pension. To use my own expression, I
was dragged “kicking and screaming” into full time service for the Lord. We
hadn’t planned it in any way. What actually happened was that the financial
pressure was removed and we were where we had both wanted to be when we married
in 1981. It was worth the wait.
Since then, we have known what it is like to be truly
rich. Not in the sense that we are financially wealthy. But we have been able
to follow the leading of the Lord to wherever He has directed. Worcester, Fish
Hoek, Syria and Jo’burg. Paul, in his letter to the Philippians wrote, 11
Not that I was ever in need, for I (we) have learned how to be content with whatever I (we) have.
Philip 4:11 NLT Indeed, this is true riches!
To be content in all situations.
Shalom
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus
Mon 11 Nov 2013 |
Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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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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TRUE
RICHES
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For many people, our churches focus on money rather
than on the Kingdom of God. There is a certain amount of justification in
this statement but it’s a bit like throwing the baby out with the bath-water.
What’s more, I understand that Jesus devoted a considerable amount of time
teaching about money. Jesus was not against it per se’. He was against money
having you. Many years ago, Bob Mumford said, “I’ve known being rich. I’ve
known being poor. Rich is better. One of Jesus’ best known statements was: 24
"No one can serve two masters, for either he
will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and
despise the other. You cannot serve God
and money. Matthew 6:24 ESV In
spite of this our churches appear to be obsessed with the pursuit of money.
The “prosperity gospel” has had an unfortunate effect on many. In the pursuit
of wealth, people have lost everything they possessed. The root problem was
the prosperity gospel insisted that God wanted everyone to have lots of
money. It’s a wonderful teaching. Many Christians have followed those
principles and become wealthy. Not the great majority. They remain as
impoverished as they were.
What is particularly sad is that many of these
disillusioned Christians have left the church. Many are sitting at home
licking their wounds and deeply regretting what they had done to themselves
and their family. Most of them don’t blame God. They blame those who
persuaded them to get into the message. To put it into practice without first
making certain with Jesus that it was something they should do themselves.
The real problem is establishing God’s will for them individually. People say
quite correctly that God’s will is His Word. For you and me, the question is
which words in His Word? We always assume we will enjoy being in His will.
But that’s not always true. God’s will for Joseph was to be taken and sold as
a slave in Egypt. For the best part of 400 years, God’s will for His people
was for them to be the slaves of the Egyptians. God intended that it would
not be forever. But how many children of Israel during that time knew nothing
other than slavery? That was certainly not prosperity. God’s will for
hundreds of thousands of Christians was to die during the persecution at the
hands of the Romans. Much the same has happened all down the centuries. Death
for being faithful to Jesus. Death in most cases in a cruel and horrendous
way at the hands of torturers well trained in their evil trade. Not exactly
prosperity. The accusation from the people in the faith movement today is
these things happened because those men, women and children didn’t have
faith! “Foxes book of Martyrs” shows that this is not true. These folk died
because of their faith. Nothing could turn them away from Jesus. All some of
them had to say was, “Caesar is Lord”. Then they could have walked away free.
Their faith in Jesus was such that torture and death was better than denying
Jesus! That’s the sort of faith I admire. Not the sort that is influenced by
the size of your bank account. Off the coast of South America there was an
island owned by a rich man. He hated Christianity and vowed no Christian
would ever live there. His slaves had never heard of Jesus. Because of their
love for Jesus, two young Dutchmen sold themselves as slaves to this rich
man. They went to the island having bid farewell to all they had ever known.
All this for the love of Jesus! Prosperity? Yes indeed!
Jim & Phyllida
Strickland
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11 And
that is what some of you were. But you were
washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:11 NIV
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There
was a time when all of us were, not what we are now.
When we would worship anything. We loved the golden cow.
Whose
udders gave us money, dispensed upon a plate,
Along with gross dishonesty, debauchery and hate!
I
didn’t love my brother, if he had more than me.
And we’d “max out” our credit card, on every shopping spree.
Our
debts were indescribable. How could they be repaid?
The postman was avoided, because we were afraid,
We
would get a letter, a final, last demand.
Advising, if we didn’t pay, the sheriff would command,
The
bailiffs, “take your furniture to pay that which was owed”.
We were only reaping the crop which we had sowed.
Then
we came to Jesus. We knelt down and we cried.
Confessed all our stupidity; our sins we did not hide.
He
took us in His loving arms and said, “I’m glad we met.
Now I’m going to teach you how to pay off all your debt.
Throw
away your credit cards. Cut them all in two.
They are too convenient for spend-thrifts such as you.
You
must start to budget and from this very day.
I will make suggestions, whereby you can repay,
Every
cent you’re owing. You’ll find, ‘blood sweat and tears’
Will keep your budget balanced; and in a few short years,
You’ll
find all your creditors at last are fully paid.
Be strong; be of good courage; and do not be afraid.
First
you must start walking in transparency and light.
Doing what I show you, to help you put things right.
Always
please remember, for you, debt is a sin.
You will have to pay it off, if you are going to win.
The
whip of every creditor could beat you black and blue.
You’ll be sequestrated and no one will trust you.
Go
and tell your creditors that they will be repaid.
But the last instalment is going to be delayed.
They’ll
be understanding, when they begin to see,
You’re working on “debt-mountain” and looking to be free.
Child,
I want to help you. But I won’t wave a wand.
So My first instruction is consolidate your bond.
Sell
your big Mercedes and get a smaller car.
Petrol is expensive and you’ll get just as far.
In
a smaller vehicle. Don’t go out for meals.
I will give you good Ideas for doing business deals.
Discipline
is needed. And I will show you how,
To break the evil monster, that horrible cash cow.
Do
you want to do it? My child it’s up to you.
This is just the starting point of what you need to do”.
Jim Strickland
Written
11th November 2012
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7 But
if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one
another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses
us from all sin.
1 John 1:7 ESV
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5 But
he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us
peace, and with his stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5 ESV
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25
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the
church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the
washing of water with the word, 27 so
that he might present the church to himself in splendour, without spot or
wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
Ephesians 5:25-27 ESV
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8 She was given a bridal gown of bright and shining linen.
The linen is the righteousness of the saints.
Revelation 19:8 MSG
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22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere
hearts fully trusting Him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled
with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with
pure water.
Hebrews 10:22 NLT
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33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? No
one--for God Himself has given us right standing with Himself.
Romans 8:33 NLT
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A Maskil of David. 1 Blessed
is the one whose lawless acts are forgiven. His sins have been taken away.
2 Blessed is the man whose sin the
LORD never counts against him. He doesn't want to cheat anyone.
Psalms 32:1-2 NIrV
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