Time with Jesus - Wednesday, 15 May
2013
Hi all,
Many years ago, a couple of
astronauts were being interviewed about their experiences in outer space. The
questions followed the usual line of interest. Then, toward the end, the
interviewer asked them if they had met God up there? One answered “No” with a
conspiratorial grin. The other commented that he could have done. All he needed
to do was open the hatch and try to go for a walk in space without wearing his
space suit!
God did not design the human
body to live without air to breathe or in a zero pressure environment. To do so
science had to fabricate a space suit or space station to provide what is
needed. Furthermore, God designed the human body and most animals such that,
the blood coursing round the body, kept them alive. Note, these bodies don’t
“leak”. We don’t have to call in at the local blood bank every day or so for a
top up. He has created the human and similar animal bodies to produce their
own. It happens “automatically”. We are only aware there is a problem when the
system ceases to work as intended!
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| There's Power in the Blood of JESUS |
We know that when Jesus gave up
His Spirit on Mt Calvary, He was bleeding. His life blood was flowing out of
His body. From the human point of view, death was inevitable. No blood = Dead.
What about His resurrection body? Does it contain “blood”! Good question. What
does Jesus say? 39 Look at my hands and
my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a
ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." Luke 24:39 NIV. Jesus makes no reference to blood.
Does that mean His body does not contain blood? To say that’s what is meant, is
to make the mistake of assuming that it is true, because He doesn’t say so. For
example, it also does not say that it doesn’t contain petrol or beer.
Therefore, they must be there.
No! You can never assume something is true
because it doesn’t say so. That’s not exegesis. It’s eisegesis. It like saying
Moses drove back to Egypt in a green Mercedes because the Bible doesn’t say he
didn’t! For those who would like to see the difference, I’ve included a
“definition” of the two words below.
One thing we know without a
shadow of a doubt. The blood of Jesus is the world’s greatest cleanser. It
washed my black heart whiter than driven snow. Just one drop is sufficient to
cleanse everyone from their sins. It’s absolutely priceless. You can’t buy it.
You can’t steal it. But His Father will give it to you for free. When He has
given it to you, don’t try and cheapen it. If you do, you just might lose it!
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| The Robe of Righteousness |
Shalom,
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
·
Exegesis: [Greek, exegeomai, = ex "to
explain", or "to take from"; and hegeomai, "to
lead", "to guide"]. Applied to the study of Scripture: Taking
from the Biblical text the information upon which to base an interpretation. Exegete: One who interprets a Biblical
passage or text.
·
Eisegesis: [Greek, eisagogilos, from eisago, "to
introduce" = eis, "in", "into", and ago = "to
lead"]. Reading into the Biblical text what isn't there in order to
conform the interpretation of the text to certain preconceived ideas or
theories.|
Matt
10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Wednesday, 15 May 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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JESUS - FOR CERTAIN
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Why do things work the
way they do? Mostly we overlook the obvious, due to familiarity. We walk out
onto the balcony of a high-rise apartment block. We keep away from the edge,
because we don’t want to fall. That’s normal behaviour. Others are compelled
to go to the edge. It’s as though the adrenalin is pumping and they must look,
in spite of their fears. I understand that when someone takes his first
parachute jump, his mind is filled with questions. Is this safe? Will the
parachute open? What sort of man or woman does this? Some say they are very
brave. Others say they are out of their minds. Why not just sit back and
relax?
Some folk are more
observant than others. It’s said that when Archimedes climbed into the bath,
he saw the level of the water rise. I’m told he jumped out of the bath and
ran naked down the street shouting “Eureka”.
He had discovered what we now know as Archimedes Principle. The body
displaces its own volume in water. ±2000 years later we say, “But that’s
obvious!” That’s because we have grown accustomed to this principle.
Other things are equally
obvious. We shiver when we get cold. We perspire when we get hot. We know it
is harder walking up-hill than down-hill. If we walk outside in the rain we
will get wet. None of these are unreasonable expectations. We also know that
we don’t allow our children to play hop-scotch on the highway.
Some things are the automatic outcome of an action. If
we drink poison we will die. If we cut ourselves we will bleed. We don’t get
angry about this. If you step off the roof you will fall to the ground. There
is nothing vindictive about this. It’s the law of gravity. Being a Christian
does not give you immunity. Perhaps what we can say is that if we had been
listening carefully to the voice of the Lord, we may not have stepped off in
the first place!
There is another law; a
spiritual law; which says if you look at the face of God you will die! Some
of us say, “What a terrible law”. But this is not a question of God being
spiteful. The truth of this is that if a sinner approaches the Father, His
purity and holiness will destroy him. It’s a bit like saying if you get too
close to the fire you will get burned. The two are mutually exclusive. Sin
cannot approach God. It will be destroyed. So if you are a sinner, don’t come
too close to God or you will be destroyed.
But God wants His
children to come near. So He has to provide us with something that will cover
our sinfulness. That’s why He provides the robe of righteousness. We get this
through the blood of Jesus. He takes away our sin and gives us His
righteousness. Wearing this robe, we may come and go as He directs. In
reality, the robe is not ours. It belongs to Jesus. But if we are wearing
this robe, God’s purity will not destroy us. What we are like under the robe
is something for theologians to argue about. God’s purity is satisfied and we
are welcomed into His presence. God has not been cheated. Jesus has paid the
price for our sin. So, in Christ, we are welcome in the throne-room. It
doesn’t sound “fair”. It isn‘t. It’s delightfully and gloriously unfair. But
why should I complain? It was His idea
in the first place! Thank You Lord Jesus!
Jim
& Phyllida
Strickland.
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4 But
God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with
Christ--by grace you have been saved-- 6 and
raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Ephesians 2:4-6 ESV
17 When
I saw Him, I fell at His feet as if I were dead. But He laid His right hand
on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I
am the First and the Last. 18 I am the
living One. I died, but look--I am alive forever and ever! And I hold
the keys of death and the grave.
Revelation 1:17-18 NLT
24
"Father, I want those you have given to me
to be with me, to be where I am. I want them to see my glory, which
you gave me because you loved me before the world was made.
John 17:24 GW
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of
his bones.
Ephesians 5:30 KJV
18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the
beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be
pre-eminent.
Colossians 1:18 ESV
10 So you also are complete through your union with
Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
Colossians 2:10 NLT
14 Because God's children are human beings--made of flesh
and blood--the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being
could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil, who
had the power of death. 15 Only
in this way could He set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the
fear of dying.
Hebrews 2:14-15 NLT
53 This body that decays must be changed into a body that
cannot decay. This mortal body must be changed into a body that will live
forever. 54 When this body that
decays is changed into a body that cannot decay, and this mortal body is
changed into a body that will live forever, then the teaching of Scripture
will come true: "Death is turned into victory!
1 Corinthians 15:53-54 GW
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God’s completely different from anyone
we’ve known.
You can’t describe a God Who’s in a
class all of His own.
We cannot see His features; Not if we
want to live.
I wouldn’t take a chance on it. I know
that He would give,
Such overwhelming glory with His
purity Divine,
To crush all that is sinful like
pressing grapes to wine!
He
sheds a light more blinding than the sun which shines by day.
A little tiny glimpse will surely blow
us all away.
We know Lot’s wife saw something when she
turned her face around.
A great big salty pillar is all of her
they found.
We know the atom bomb can boil your
eyes within your head;
So getting just a glimpse of God - the
outcome’s best unsaid!
We wonder why our loving God could
cause such awful things.
But this is what perfection inevitably
brings.
It isn’t done on purpose. To keep us
far away.
In fact, there is a warning, which tells
us not to stay.
Now if you put your fingers in a 500
volt plug;
Then you’ve done something silly; you’ve
acted like a mug.
The outcome could be serious and you
could lose a hand.
Don’t blame the electricity it works
as it was planned.
Our God is like High voltage. You’ve
got to stand well clear.
Get some insulation and some good high
voltage gear.
Then if you touch the “hot wire”,
you’re sheltered from it’s power,
And you can even go and climb up that strange
high voltage tower.
It’s the insulation that keeps you
well protected.
Even when High Voltage is successfully
detected.
That is like what’s needed to visit
God Most High.
And it is made available for folk like
you and I.
It’s called His Robe of Righteousness.
It screens us from the Lord!
So nothing will destroy us with a high
and lofty sword.
There’s just one way to get it. It’s
purchased at a price.
The blood of Christ our Saviour has perfectly
sufficed.
So when we have been cleansed from sin
from head down to the toe,
His righteousness will cover us in
ways we do not know.
The only way to get it is a total
blood transfusion.
I get His; and He gets mine; that
settles the confusion.
Then I am protected and I will not be
slain;
And Jesus Christ’s great sacrifice
will not have been in vain!
This is the way to do it. There is no
substitute.
Every other method, the Master will refute.
So do not even think about a better
kind of way.
Let Him be your Saviour and serve Him
from today.
Love Him with a passion that is
intimate and strong.
And you will know for certain, that
nothing can go wrong
Jim Strickland
Written
15th
May 2012
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