Time with Jesus - Friday, 01 March 2013
 |
| Jim & Phyllida Strickland at home in Johannesburg |
Hi all,
Over the past few weeks, the word, “choices” has come up on several occasions.
In today’s meditation, this is examined in further detail.
There are few better Biblical examples of making the right choice than the
one we find in Joshua. 15 But if you refuse
to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you
will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors
served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose
land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD." Jos 24:15 NLT Today you and I are confronted with
the same question. Will we serve the Lord or some other god? It’s not possible
to vacillate. It’s a question of Jesus Christ, or one of the myriad of false
gods this world offers. Our eternal destiny depends on making the right choice.
Joshua made his choice. Phyllida and I have made our choice. What about you?
Shalom,
Jim
& Phyllida Strickland
|
Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Friday, 01 March 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
|
A Dying Shame
|
||||
|
Have you ever stood on
one side of a partition and heard something awful happening on the other
side? You don’t have to be physically standing there, to know what is going
to happen next. Instinctively you know the final outcome and can do nothing
about it. You’d like to, but it’s not possible. It’s a bit like watching a
program on TV. You see it all happening and have no ability to change the outcome.
This sort of thing is
seen regularly on the “goggle box”. There’s a fork in the road. A choice must
be made. One road leads to safety. However, you can see that it is bumpy and
goes through difficult situations. The other looks easy. It’s wide, well made
with a good tar surface. There are lots of attractions on both sides for you
to have fun. One of the roads leads to heaven. The other one leads to hell.
You have to decide which way to go.
I’ve deliberately
simplified the scenario. But the real life situation is much the same. Each
one of us must choose the way to go. Sadly, those on the road to heaven can’t
force people to go their way. You cannot make other people’s choices for
them. As an additional complication, people won’t listen to what you want to
say. They think you are a religious fanatic. Remember, the definition of a
religious fanatic, is anyone who is more enthusiastic about Jesus than you
are. It follows that no matter what you say is greeted with howls of
derision. It’s heart-breaking! You have the one solution to their sickness.
They are sick and dying from sin. There is no cure and no hope. There is only
one way. The way is in and through Jesus Christ.
Many folk don’t believe
you anyway. They see us as representatives of the church that is thoroughly
discredited. Open a newspaper, listen to the radio, or watch TV and you find
the integrity of Christians to be grossly suspicious. They hear of another
minister who has vanished with the church funds. Frequently the minister has
run away with the organist or the leader of the women’s auxiliary. Then there
are the tales of sexual impropriety between the vicar and the youngsters in
the church. It seems to be worse among our Roman Catholic brothers and
sisters, brought about partly as a result of priests and nuns not being
permitted to marry. So, it seems the
priesthood has become a convenient hideaway for people of questionable
morals.
Tragically, many people will
die without ever knowing Jesus. A number of nonbelievers are so set in their
own ways that they would rather die than admit they have a problem. A few
would rather die than believe you! Today’s meditation takes us down this
road. It’s a shame. It’s a crying shame. Worse than that, it’s a dying shame.
Jim & Phyllida
Strickland
|
13 As a
result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle. 14 After
the victory, the LORD instructed Moses, "Write this down on a scroll as
a permanent reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of
Amalek from under heaven." 15 Moses
built an altar there and named it Yahweh-nissi (which means "the LORD is
my banner"). 16 He said, "They have raised their
fist against the LORD's throne, so now the LORD will be at war with Amalek
generation after generation."
Exodus 17:13-16 NLT
31
What can we say about all of this? If God is for
us, who can be against us?
Rom. 8:31 GW
5 In my
distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and set me free. 6
The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What
can mere people do to me?
Psalm 118:5-6 NLT
4 But you
lead into battle those who have respect for you.
You give them a flag to wave against the enemy's weapons. Selah
Psalm 60:4 NIrV
A Psalm of David. 1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I
fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? 2
When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my
enemies, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though
a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against
me, In spite of this I shall be confident.
Psalm 27:1-3 NASB
12 God is with us. He's our leader. His priests
will blow their trumpets. They will sound the battle cry (of Judah) against
you. Men of Israel, don't fight against the LORD. He's the God of your people
who lived long ago. You can't possibly succeed."
2 Chronicles 13:12 NIrV
7 The LORD who rules over all is with us. The God of
Jacob is like a fort to us. Selah
Psalm 46:7 NIrV
14 They will go to war against the Lamb but the Lamb will
defeat them, proof that he is Lord over all lords, King over all
kings, and those with him will be the called, chosen, and faithful."
Rev 17:14 MSG
1 Why do the nations gather together? Why do their people
devise useless plots? 2 Kings take their stands. Rulers
make plans together against the LORD and against his Messiah by saying,
3 "Let's break apart their chains and shake off their ropes."
4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs.
The Lord makes fun of them.
Psalm 2:1-4 GW
10 Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose
your plan, it will not stand, for God is with us.
Isaiah 8:10 TNIV
|
Why is it that all things come right, for those who serve the Lord?
It isn’t just a lucky plan, or what we can afford.
The secret isn’t hidden. It’s there for all to see.
When God raises His banner, His enemies all flee!
We think it might not happen. Perhaps we feel afraid?
But those who fight against the Lord will never make the grade.
They do not seem to listen; they miss the starter’s gun.
It seems they are so terrified, they turn around and run.
God has a mighty banner and when it’s held aloft,
The people of the world bow down, and every hat is doffed!
It started out with Joshua when he fought Amalek.
The mighty banner of the Lord held His foe in check.
And from that very moment, Amalek was doomed!
Every time they raised their heads and battle was resumed,
The outcome was a certainty. They couldn’t win the day.
For those who fight against the Lord, all simply melt away.
You can’t fight God Almighty, so do not even start!
For when He fights against you, your army falls apart.
His people were all chosen, before all time began.
We don’t know how He does it. It makes no sense to man!
We know He has no favourites; but it is not by chance.
He knows the ones who’ll follow Him in His Divine Romance.
He doesn’t hate the others. He’d love them to join in;
But knew they wouldn’t bow the knee; they love it in their sin!
He didn’t make them that way. He’d like them by His side.
But they refuse to come to Him. They simply won’t abide,
The fact that they should follow Him and not the devil’s bunch.
So Satan rubs his hands with glee and has them all for lunch.
They do not have a stronghold; a fort or other shield.
In their battle with the Lord, they have no choice but yield.
And in their stubborn fight with God, it seems they’d rather die,
Than serve the risen Lamb of God, Who reigns supreme on high!
They look at us and giggle. “Extremists!” they all state;
And carry on with serving their lord of sin and hate.
The Lord God longs to free them and break apart their chains.
Their ears are deaf; their eyes are blind and little else remains,
For them to find repentance. “Forgive them Lord!” we cry.
But even so, they love their sin. In shame, they’ll surely die.
Jim Strickland
Written
1st
March 2012
|
||||
