IT’S UP TO YOU

Time with Jesus - 13 Dec 2013

Hi all,

“It’s up to you” and “choices” reminds me of a story about a middle aged man and his family. As the story goes, he was a bit of a womaniser in his late teens and early twenties. No one was ever in trouble as a result of a relationship with him. What can be said is that he had a capacity for dating, unmatched by anyone, with the possible exception of legendary Casanova. 

He wasn’t hard to please and found that, like most men, he could be “in love” with more than one woman at a time, depending on who he was with at the time. Of course, that was a part of his problem. He was able to be passionately in love with the beautiful Maria while he was with her. Later in the week, he was passionately in love with the lovely Louisa. 

After several months of vacillating, he realised that he would have to ask one of them to marry him. He would have liked to have them both as wives but in his society, you could only be married to one woman; this meant he would have to tell one he was getting married and break off their relationship. The problem for him was, “Which One”?

For a couple of weeks he walked round with the question buzzing in his mind; “Louise or Maria – which one?” Nothing seemed to help. He loved them both and didn’t know which one he should marry. There was no one he could talk things over with. Finally, he stumbled into a church. The door was open and no one was inside. He walked to the front with the question going through his mind. 

He knelt at the altar rail, closed his eyes and prayed . “Which one should I marry Lord? He asked. Then, he opened his eyes and looked up. Calmness swept over him. “Thank you Lord”, he said as he walked out of the church. He went home, went to Maria and asked her to be his wife. She agreed. They married and have had a wonderful married life together.

What was it he saw that day in the church? Did he have a personal visitation from heaven? When pressed for an answer, he points out that it was a Roman Catholic Church. When he looked up he saw a sign. “Ave Maria” it read.

One thing we can say about the story is that he did the right thing. He asked the Lord to tell him which one was the right one. His “leading from the Lord” may be doubtful, but he did ask the Lord in prayer.

In the Old Testament the High Priest would speak to God on behalf of the people and ask Him for direction. To do this he used what is known as the “Urim and Thummim”. Precisely what this was and how it “worked” is a matter of conjecture. In Exodus, Moses tells us ³⁰ Insert the Urim and Thummim into the sacred chest piece, so they will be carried over Aaron's heart when he goes into the LORD's presence. In this way, Aaron will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine the LORD's will for His people whenever he goes in before the LORD. Exodus 28:30 NLT

The words “Urim and Thummim” may also signify "lights and perfections" The “Urim”, which enlighten their words, and manifest the hidden things of the house of Israel, and “Thummim”, which perfect their works, by the high priest, who seeks instruction from the Lord by them. (Courtesy John Gill)

Personally, I have some sympathy for people not knowing exactly how the Urim and Thummim functioned. Today in the church, we have the Holy Spirit. He is infinitely superior to “lights and perfections” of the Urim and Thummim. He leads us and guides us. Exactly how He does so remains a mystery.

It’s interesting to note that before Pentecost, the 11 apostles believed it was necessary to select another apostle to replace Judas. In that instance they “cast lots” to choose between Joseph and Matthias. Acts tells us, ²³ So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. ²⁴ Then they all prayed, "O Lord, You know every heart. Show us which of these men You have chosen ²⁵ as an apostle to replace Judas in this ministry, for he has deserted us and gone where he belongs." ²⁶ Then they cast lots, and Matthias was selected to become an apostle with the other eleven. Act 1:23-26 NLT

Today, when you and I are confronted with choices, we must decide how to do it. The way this should be done by Christians is by prayer and trusting God for guidance.

Shalom

Jim & Phyllida Strickland 

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – 13 Dec 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	IT’S UP TO YOU
Did anyone enjoy their history at school? I found it boring. In the 1950’s, history only really began in 1652 with Jan van Riebeeck arriving at the “Cape of Storms”. We went through a hotchpotch of assorted Governors while the Brits and the Dutch argued and fought each other. Somewhere mixed up in this, the Boers wanted to keep their independence and, presumably, their slaves, so they set off to populate the hinterland via Bloemfontein. I could never find out why Bloemfontein was chosen. I’m told that when the Ox wagons reached “Bloem” there were two giant signs erected for the direction of the trekkers. One pointed straight ahead complete with a sign that said, “Transvaal”. There was another pointing in the general direction of Durban with the words “Natal”. Those who could read went in their desired direction. The others, stayed where they were. One other comment about Bloemfontein. The late Spike Milligan of Goon show fame said he had spent a lifetime in Bloemfontein one afternoon. He also said it was the only city he had visited where the cemeteries were above ground. For some inexplicable reason, Biblical History was different. I enjoyed wandering through the sands of ancient Israel. In my mind I could imagine the sand between my toes. The stories of the wanderings of the Patriarchs and the people of the Exodus were fascinating. Likewise, Jesus tramping round Judea and Paul’s missionary journeys always seemed fun. Painful for them, but fun to read. There is only one problem for me reading Biblical history now. It never changes. That is a good thing but after a while your imagination gets a tad stagnant. Rather like the little boy who came home from Sunday School. When asked what he had learned that day he told his parents about General Moses. He led his forces in a massive tank battle with the Egyptians. He attacked them with his 88mm canon and finally destroyed them with his French Mirage jets. The mopping up was by his soldiers with their AK47’s. It was a great success. The Egyptian equipment was then used to get the people to the other side of the Red Sea. “I don’t think that’s what they taught you”, commented his father. “No!” said the youngster. “But mine is a lot more believable than the story they told me”! So for this morning’s meditation, I’ve gone through the story of Jesus coming to save us from our sins. What I’ve done is try to imagine a slightly different scenario. The outcome is the same as it was for Jesus in real life. My aim was to tell the same story slightly differently and add a challenging twist at the end. It was fun composing. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. Ephesians 2:18 NLT	He stood upon a mountain and took a look around. It all looked very terrible; there was a wailing sound, Coming from the castle. The noise crashed on His ears. And as he looked upon it, His eyes were filled with tears. It was a massive prison confining all mankind. Compassion rose inside Him. These people were consigned, To spending their eternity locked tightly in their cells. It looked like a precursor to what they’d know in hell. The people were all sinners. He knew it as a fact. “I can’t let this continue. It’s time for Me to act”. He wondered how to do it; He thought of God most High. He thought about the comfort of His Home up in the Sky. “I think I have to leave it! I have to set them free. There’s no one else can do it. I guess it’s up to Me. I have to take their places. Release them from this yard. But how will I get in there and past the prison guard?” He thought about His options; He knew what He must do. His Father and The Spirit said, “Son it’s up to you. You’ll only get admission, if you are one of them. Put aside Your Godhood and join the world of men!” He nodded in agreement. “My Father’s never wrong. The Father, Son and Spirit; We three are always One”. Exactly how He did it remains a mystery. He became an infant, the likes of you and me. Somehow He compressed Himself to be a baby boy; Nurtured by a Mother. He was her “pride and joy”. Satan tried to murder Him each chance that he could get. Their final confrontation could not take place just yet! Jesus’ life was sinless. He wasn’t once deceived. And He was on a mission no one would have believed. He would take on Satan in his fortress lair. Then He’d tell the prisoners to “Go on! Get out of there!” Satan couldn’t touch Him while He was free of sin. But if He made a blunder; for sure Satan would win. He let the devil take Him and have Him crucified. But when Christ Jesus perished; the instant that He died, The gates of that old fortress were simply torn apart. Liberty for prisoners!  This is the time to start. Each of them could walk out. The choice was theirs alone. No longer did they have to kneel or cower at Satan’s throne. The gates of heaven were open. Now they could go inside. Each could be a member of Jesus’ Holy bride. The castle walls were shattered and Satan’s realm was through. You’re not compelled to stay there. The choice is up to you. Jim Strickland Written 13th December 2012
			23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. John 17:23 ESV
			13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. 15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:13-17 ESV
			4 There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call-- 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:4-6 ESV
			2 And He said to them, When you pray, say: Our Father, who is in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, as in Heaven, so also on the earth. Luke 11:2 MKJV
			19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By His death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house, 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 10:19-22 NLT