Time with Jesus - Saturday, 09 March 2013
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| Jim & Phyllida Strickland - Trevi Fountain Rome |
Hi all,
For the vast majority of us, the Kingdom of God is a paradox. For example,
we are told, that there is nothing we can do, no work we can undertake, no
lineage that we can look to, that gives us entrance into God’s Kingdom. Even if
you give yourself to working for; and looking after, the sick and dying, with
the loving determination of Mother Theresa; that we are not assured access into
His Kingdom. We are told that we are saved by grace through faith. Faith in the
finished work of Jesus Christ, is the only way. There is no way we can earn a
place with Him.
Now this is a paradox. We find that we are not saved by good works, but for
good works. But salvation is a process and not a once off “thing” we get and
have until the end of eternity; if there is such a time and place. This being
the case, what must we do after, we have committed our lives to Jesus? How do
we comply with the regulations and requirements for entrance and residence in
the Kingdom? Strangely enough, it’s by working out our salvation. 12
My dear friends, you have always obeyed God. You
obeyed while I was with you. And you have obeyed even more while I am not with
you. So continue to work out your own salvation.
Do it with fear and trembling. Philip 2:12 NIrV In other words, we demonstrate
our love for Jesus Christ by “working” for Him and His glory! How do we put all
this together, in a way that is meaningful as a Christian?
The answer is, to look at our own motives. If we are working just to prove
how clever we are, for the world to see and admire, we have a problem. In Matthew
6:1-6 Jesus says “you have had your reward”. If we are working secretly and
quietly for the glory of Jesus, we are told: 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what
thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine
alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall
reward thee openly. Mat 6:3-4 KJV
The bottom line is this. If you “show off” before men for their approval,
that’s all the reward you will ever get; but if you “show off” secretly where
only God can see it, then He will reward you openly.
Today’s meditation is the sounds of the redeemed.
Shalom,
Jim
& Phyllida Strickland
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Saturday, 09 March 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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The Sounds of the Redeemed
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There are times when we
must admit that we should be standing on our heads. The world we live in
appears to be completely the opposite of what God’s Word informs us, about
the Kingdom of God. The way to the top in the world is up. To get on in the
world, we have to more or less fight our way, until eventually we arrive at
the top of the muck-heap. We then find that it is still a muck-heap and the
cost in time, effort and getting past others, leads to mental strain and burn
out. Furthermore, staying at the top requires industrial and political
“clout” which “takes the gilt off the ginger-bread”!
This is not the way to
the top in the Kingdom of God. In fact there is already someone at the top.
He is God. So don’t bother. But we are told that if we want to be great in
the Kingdom of God, we must be the servant of all. Now I don’t know anyone in
this world who is answerable to his servant. It doesn’t work that way. But
the Bible teaches that if I want to be “better than you” (the statement is
incongruent with Scripture) I must be your servant. The politicians have got
it right. The UK is led by the Prime Minister. He-She is supposed to be everyone’s
servant. Perhaps someone will inform Mr Cameron in the UK of this rather
unpalatable requirement.
In South Africa, at least
we are honest. We have a President; the top man in a huge bureaucracy, who
seems intent on self-survival! In the Kingdom of God, the secret is to die to
self! Essentially, I’m told that the way up is down. That’s what Jesus did.
He laid His life down for all of us. In this life we get a chance to try it.
No man or woman has ever completely succeeded; although I’m told that the
late Mother Teresa came close.
The one thing we are all
taught in this life, is that we get rewarded for effort; the more the work,
the greater the reward. So in the end we can all sing Frank Sinatra’s
favourite doctrine. “I did it my way!” Our libraries are stacked with books
telling us how to do it.
The Kingdom of God is the
opposite. Not one of us will be admitted on the basis of what we have done.
Admission is based on what Jesus did. Sure we have a part to play. That part
is faith in His finished work on Calvary! I’m not sure any of us understand
this. It goes against everything we’ve learned from infancy. But we are
talking about God’s Kingdom. So the best we can do is say, “Lord, if that’s
what you want, whom may I serve today?”
Today’s meditation speaks
of the song of the redeemed. It’s written slightly differently, but with the
same style as yesterday. It’s another attempt at my trying to explain the
inexplicable.
Jim & Phyllida
Strickland
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3 This great choir sang a
wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four
living beings and the twenty-four elders. No one could learn this song except
the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.
Rev
14:3 NLT
20 By His death, Jesus
opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most
Holy Place.
Heb.
10:20 NLT
4 But--"When God our Saviour revealed His kindness
and love, 5 He saved us, not because
of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new
life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He
generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Tit
3:4-6 NLT
8 God saved you through
faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a
gift from God. 9 It's not the
result of anything you've done, so no one can brag about it.
Eph
2:8-9 GW
1 Not to us, O LORD, not
to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast
love and your faithfulness!
Psalm
115:1 ESV
5 May grace and peace come to you from Jesus Christ.
What Jesus gives witness to can always be trusted. He was the first to rise
from the dead. He rules over the kings of the earth. Give
glory and power to the One who loves us! He has set us free from our sins by
pouring out his blood for us. 6 He
has made us members of his royal family. He has made us priests who serve his
God and Father. Give him glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
Rev
1:5-6 NIrV
9 Here is the new song they sang. "You are worthy to take the scroll and break open its
seals. You are worthy because you were put to death. With your blood you
bought people for God. They come from every tribe, language, people and
nation.
Rev
5:9 NIrV
9 After this I saw a vast
crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and
language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They
were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 10
And they were shouting with a mighty shout,
"Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the
Lamb!"
Rev 7:9-10 NLT
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The choir was singing a wonderful song.
The four living beings, they too sang along.
The twenty four elders did more than just croon.
The hundred and forty four thousand in tune!
Praising the Saviour, who opened the way,
So all the redeemed could enter and stay.
They sang in amazement; for nothing at all
Had made any worthy to answer His call.
His mercy alone washed their sins far away.
He was the reason they’d entered to stay.
Life through the Spirit of mercy and grace,
Shown by the Saviour to all in that place,
Had made it possible, through faith alone.
“Sinners” could come to His wonderful throne.
Mercy had given them all they would need.
So they rejoiced in God’s marvellous deed.
All had been given a life that was new.
Trusting the Master was all they need do!
How can this possibly make any sense?
Jesus alone had made full recompense.
No one could brag of the things they had done.
All had been given by Jesus, God’s Son.
So they gave glory for the steadfast love;
Streaming to them from the Father above.
He had been faithful in every way,
So they could come to the Father to stay.
Cleansed from all sin by Him shedding His blood.
Pouring on men in a glorious flood.
They give Him glory, for He set us free!
All kings and priests by His death on the tree!
From every nation and from every tribe;
Every language that we can describe;
People all standing in front of His throne,
Praising His Name for the love He has shown!
Dressed in white linen with palms in their hands
Saved by our God through the blood of the lamb.
Shouting aloud and all praising His name.
“Thank You Lord Jesus that you really came.
Jim Strickland
Written
9th March 2012
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