FOREVER LOVE

Time with Jesus - Saturday, 11 May 2013

Hi all,

Our memories play strange tricks on us. We seem to be able to remember the bad things more easily than the good things. The times of pain are etched into our minds. The good things are over so quickly. I remember hearing a tale about Einstein. He was asked to explain in simple terms his theory of relativity. He said it was easy. Ten seconds sitting on the hot plate of a stove, seemed much longer than two hours talking with a pretty girl. I can identify with that! Relatively speaking, which would you remember? There is another comment about this which is similar. We are told that after a wedding, the bride and groom behave as though they want to eat each other. They spend the remainder of their lives wishing they had! It’s all relative; as long as the kids are related to Mom and Dad.

None of this would be serious if we started listening to each other. Sadly, listening has become a lost art today. The TV is partly responsible. Most programmes require the intelligence of a 13 year old to be understood. It seems this is deliberate. If people have to think while watching the TV, they will change channels.

In our dealings with each other, have you noticed that most of us don’t listen? We are busy awaiting an opportunity to interrupt and start talking. Thus, conversation becomes a contest trying to find who will interrupt for the longest.

Phyllida and I have devoted the best part of 15 years teaching people to hear from God. The Holy Spirit gave Phyllida the teaching in the mid 1990’s. It has helped countless men and women to fine tune their hearing into discerning the voice of the Lord. What most people find is that they hear far more from Him than they realise. The problem has been to distinguish between the voice of God and other voices. The teaching has gone a long way to assisting them. Even so, old habits are hard to break. We have cut others off so quickly, we tend to do the same thing with God. 

Of course, Satan doesn’t simplify matters at all. He tries to make sure that anything and everything we “hear” from God is drowned out in a sea of white noise. He’s good at it. He’s done it for more years than we can guess. So if he can make us doubt that it is the voice of the Shepherd speaking, he will do so. He hates Christians with venom hard to understand. It’s difficult to appreciate this attitude. The easiest way to look at it is from the opposite “side”. God loves us with a love that is infinite and passionate. He loves each of us far more than any bride and groom can love each other. Song of Solomon and the book of Hosea give us a glimpse of this. Even so, we see it through a glass darkly as Paul put it to the Corinthians.

How can we describe a love like He has for everyone? It is infinite. Bigger than anything we can think or imagine. The miracle of all this is that His infinite love for you is as big as His infinite love for me. When He has loved you infinitely, He loves me just as much. Then, because He is infinite there is enough “love” to spare to love each and every person who has lived or will ever live! “How much bigger is that” you may ask? Look up into the sky and see the expanse of the heaven above. It is not infinite because only God is infinite. Now think of yourself as a speck of dust blown along by the wind. How big is that? The difference in dimension approaches the “size” of His love for you and for me! That’s incomprehensible! That’s right. It’s incomprehensible and we haven’t touched sides yet! If we can imagine it, we haven’t begun to comprehend it.

The best part is the truth that someday, He will take us home to be with Him. Know this much. We will never “tire” of Him and He will never “tire” of us. It will be something like an infinite honeymoon! Personally, I can hardly wait.

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Saturday, 11 May 2013			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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INTRODUCTION			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	FOREVER LOVE
Yesterday we had a brief look at the inerrancy of God’s Word. It was mentioned that “shot-gun” theology is nonsense. You cannot stuff a whole bunch of various texts into your Gospel shot-gun and fire it at people. Every verse of Scripture must be carefully examined, to insure we don’t make it say the opposite of what it means. One of my favourite comments on this is to point out that when Jesus says He is the “gate”, we don’t start looking at Him to find “handles” and “hinges”! Quoting the Lord Jesus, John states: 27 My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27 NLT We know that Jesus is talking about His followers. They hear Him. Of course the implication is if you don’t hear Him, you are not one of His. Generally speaking this is true. However, many Christians do hear His voice but don’t recognise that He is speaking. Sadly, many are not taught how to do so. Don’t be surprised, the entire Sunday service mentality, militates against this. All that’s normally required is to listen to the preacher. He does the hearing and he will tell you all about it. The body of Christ needs to scrap this attitude of dependence on a man and start listening to God’s voice personally. Is this dangerous? Absolutely! But hearing His voice is not optional. It’s each individual’s responsibility. Today’s Scripture looks at this. Examples are taken from Song of Solomon and 1st Samuel. (Samuel himself). What I have found is that God wants to speak to us. We believe He loves us. This being the case, surely He wants to speak to us. I’m mortal and love talking to those whom I love. Surely God, the perfect “person”, wants to talk to those whom He loves and love Him? The Bible is the World’s Greatest Love Story. The story of God pursuing men and women who have no interest in Him and refuse to love Him. In the very heart of the Bible, God has placed one of the most beautiful stories of the relationship between a young man and a young woman. Called the Song of Solomon, it describes their love for each other in clear, intimate and touching detail. So beautiful is this story that it is almost impossible to describe. To do so would be sacrilege. We cannot deal with it adequately. What I can say, is that the Jewish people speak of this book as the “Holy of Holies”. I believe they are correct. In today’s meditation, I’ve taken some aspects concerning hearing the voice of the Shepherd. It continues with how Phyllida and I see Christian marriage. It culminates with the relationship between Jesus and His bride. Stunning! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			26 But you don't believe Me because you are not My sheep. 27 My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:26-27 NLT 20 "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with Me on My throne, just as I was victorious and sat with My Father on His throne. Revelation 3:20-21 NLT 2 I slept, but my heart was awake, when I heard my lover knocking and calling: "Open to me, my treasure, my darling, my dove, my perfect one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night." Song of Solomon (SoS) 5:2 NLT 6 I opened to my lover, but he was gone! My heart sank. I searched for him but could not find him anywhere. I called to him, but there was no reply. Song of Solomon (SoS) 5:6 NLT 10 And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening." 1 Samuel 3:10 NLT 5 When Jesus came by, He looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. "Zacchaeus!" He said. "Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today." 6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. Luke 19:5-6 NLT 8 I listen carefully to what God the LORD is saying, for He speaks peace to His faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways. Psalms 85:8 NLT	Have you heard from Jesus? I think perhaps you should! He says His sheep are listening. Do you think you could, Listen to the Shepherd, for if you do you’ll hear, The sound of Jesus speaking into your inner ear. He says His sheep will follow Him. They’ll go where He will go. The sound of any other voice, they surely will not know. Even when they’re gathered in some great, gigantic flock, They’ll hear Him when He’s speaking. No other sounds can block, The calling of the Shepherd. They’ll hear Him instantly. And go where He is leading. That’s where they want to be. They answer when He’s knocking. They open wide the door. They share a meal together, thrilled to the very core. That He has spoken to them. They don’t want Him to leave. They never want to stray from Him. They would far rather cleave, The way a faithful husband clings closely to his wife. The thought of separation? - not in this present life! They listen like a lover listens for the call, Of someone who’s so precious He is her all in all. This is reciprocated. His passion for her love, Exceeds His expectations. It’s over and above, All he has imagined in all His wildest dreams. They must stay forever, eternally - it seems! She’d love Him forever, He wouldn’t go away. She would give Him everything. She’d honour and obey, The man she was committed to with every ounce of strength. He was also willing, to go to any length, To see that she was satisfied in each and every way. They’d be joined in covenant right from that very day. He would lay His life down; even be crucified, To demonstrate His love for her; his woman, wife and bride. She would be responsive and listen like a sheep, Knowing that His love for her was long and wide and deep. He would call her darling and she would call Him Lord; Someone to be worshipped, hallowed and adored. Dedicate her life to Him and always do Him good; Just the way a faithful wife continually should. And in this commitment where one plus one is one, They would spend eternity; or until God has gone! Jim Strickland – Written 11th May 2012