Time with Jesus - Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Hi all,
2000 odd years after Jesus
walked the earth; most of us read the Word and struggle with Jesus’ comments.
One that bothered me for a long time was His statement that if we would be to
our advantage if He went away. Personally, I can think of nothing better than
to have the manifest presence of Jesus Christ walking and talking with me. I
suspect most Christians would agree with this.
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| Is This possible? |
But Jesus said, 7 But in fact, it is
best for you that I go away, because if I don't, the Advocate won't come. If I do go away, then I will send Him to you. John 16:7 NLT How could the attendance of the
“advocate” be better for us than Jesus’ personal abiding presence? Even now,
reading Jesus’ statement we are inclined to scratch our heads and ask how that
could be possible.
To get a better “handle” on what
Jesus was saying, we need to look at the word translated “advocate” in the Scripture.
That word is Paraclete.
According to Webster’s Dictionary,
the word means “an advocate; one called
to aid or support; hence, the consoler, comforter or intercessor, a term
applied to the Holy Spirit.”
I’m sure each one of us would
like to have the manifest presence of Jesus 24/7. I’m the first to support the
proposal! But I live in Johannesburg. So if He is with me, He can’t also be
with you. Sorry about that. There is only one Jesus and if He’s with me …. Sorry
for you! Or, if you prefer, if He’s with you; what about me? We are on the
horns of a dilemma. (Have you ever seen one? There had better be lots of
dilemmas. If there are a million Christians, there must be a million dilemmas -
as for their horns! Well )
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| On the Horns of a Dilemma |
The Lord Jesus knew about this
“problem” before He ascended. He knew it was necessary for Him to send someone
to us who could be everywhere present. The Holy Spirit; the Third Person in the
Trinity is that person. He is with me in Johannesburg and with you wherever
each of you are at the same time!
“So what?” I hear you ask. Well,
if you dig into some of those musty old theological text books, you will find
that Jesus only did what His Father told Him to do. You will also find that all
His “miracles” were carried out by the Holy Spirit. So when Jesus ascended, He
sent to earth the same “person” to us who carried out His miracles and raised
Him from the dead. Furthermore, we don’t need those dilemmas, or their horns.
We have the Holy Spirit with us 24/7. Suddenly, the Lord Jesus’ comment to his
disciples begins to make sense. It is indeed better for us that He ascended and
sent the Holy Spirit. He is the same Holy Spirit Who raised Jesus from the
dead.
So let’s think about all this
for a moment. We have the Father in Heaven telling Jesus what to do. We have
Jesus telling us to “ask”. We also have the same Holy Spirit, standing by ready
to carry out the will of Jesus and His Father. So where are we? I guess we are
still stuck on the horns of all those dilemmas.
Shalom,
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
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| Come Holy Spirit |
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| Please Show us the Way |
Matt
10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – 22 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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DON’T FORGET THE
PARACLETE
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The
Christian lifestyle is impossible. None of us can do it. I’m not being
negative. I’m stating a fact. Only Jesus has ever managed it. Those who say
they are or have are mistaken. There is only one Who can do so. Jesus Christ.
So how do we get Jesus to live a Christian life for us? He does it by the
Holy Spirit.
Paul
tells us how it’s done in Galatians 5:16-25.(Read the entire passage).
Because of space considerations I’ll quote two verses. 16 But I say, walk by
the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires
of the flesh. 25 If we live by the Spirit,
let us also walk by the Spirit. Galatians
5:16 & 25 ESV
Here
then is the way we can live the Christian life. Note that what is happening
is that the Holy Spirit leads and guides us, the way we should go. Without
Him, it can’t be done.
In
better words, when we are tired of trying to do the impossible, a Christian
can ask the Holy Spirit, to do what He does best. He is the “Paraclete”. This
means “the one who comes alongside”. He is the One Jesus told His disciples
would come and take His place.
Jesus
told us that it was good for us that the Holy Spirit “takes His place”. John
put it as follows: 7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don't,
the Advocate won't come. If I do go away,
then I will send Him to you. John 16:7 NLT
An
obvious reason is that Jesus is in one place at a time. The Holy Spirit is
anywhere and everywhere simultaneously. Another reason is that He (the Holy
Spirit) can “live in you” This is because our bodies are temples of the Holy
Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells in us. He knows what is going on anywhere and
everywhere. So although you may have no idea what to pray, the Holy Spirit
within us knows exactly what we should be praying. So He intercedes on our
behalf in ways we cannot tell. All we know is that there are “groans” within
us that are His prayers expressed in ways we cannot imagine.
One
of the most beautiful “features” of the Holy Spirit is His gentlemanly
conduct. He is our leader and our guide. He does not “take over”. He will
never seek to “control” you. That would violate the freewill we have been
given. What we do is our decision. He will lead us and guide us and empower
us to keep out of sin. He enables us to “walk in the Spirit” But we are the
ones who do the walking. He is not responsible for what we do. We are! He
“comes alongside” as our helper. He even helps us do what is right. But we
must do it. The final decision is ours. He can never be accused of sin.
Jim & Phyllida
Strickland
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26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness.
For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit
prays for us with groaning that cannot be expressed in words. 27
And the Father who knows all hearts knows what
the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with
God's own will.
Romans 8:26-27 NLT
26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as
My representative--that is, the Holy Spirit--He will teach you
everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
John 14:26 NLT
19 Don't you know that your bodies are temples
of the Holy Spirit? The Spirit is in you. You have received him from God.
You do not belong to yourselves.
1 Corinthians 6:19 NIrV
13 For God is working in you, giving
you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.
Philippians 2:13 NLT
14 He knows us inside and out, keeps in mind
that we're made of mud.
Psalms 103:14 MSG
3 He will not break a bent twig. He will
not put out a dimly burning flame. He will be faithful and make everything
right.
Isaiah 42:3 NIrV
40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.
"Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter.
41 "Watch and pray. Then you won't fall into sin when you are
tempted. The spirit is willing. But the body is
weak."
Matthew 26:40-41 NIrV
A Psalm of David. 1 The LORD
is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green
pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
Psalms 23:1-2 ESV
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The lifestyle of a Christian is not a
life of ease.
In fact, it is impossible to even try
to please,
The people who are watching us each
moment, every day.
They long to point a finger, to look
at us and say,
“You
say you are a Christian. I don’t believe it’s true.
That which I see you doing, a Christian shouldn’t do”.
Of course, it’s very easy to comment
from the side.
Their actions aren’t important. They
don’t try to abide;
Within the sort of framework of what
they think is right.
They’re not in competition and love to
see us fight!
And that is what we’re good at. To
squabble and to brawl,
With our fellow Christians to prove
we’re best of all!
Our attitude is terrible. In fact it’s
upside down.
We ought to help our brothers and see
them wear the crown.
For if we would be best of all, then
we must be the least!
Give them place of honour and let them
be the priest.
But every time we try it, we seem to
get it wrong;
Forgetting that when we are weak, then
Jesus Christ is strong!
We’re also quite forgetting that we
are not alone.
There is no need for us to try and do
it on our own.
We have the Holy Spirit and when He is
in charge,
Then He will be the helper of
Christians at large.
He is the Holy “Paraclete” and He is
on our side.
He isn’t just an ornament, He is a
Special Guide!
He helps us do the things we know that
we can never do.
When we don’t know what to pray He
prays inside of you!
We recognise the groaning, that comes
from deep within.
We know that He has “got it right”
without committing sin!
He truly is a gentleman and knows us
inside out.
He is my Lord and Shepherd. I’m His
without a doubt.
And He is always willing to help me
get things right.
So even unbelievers will say that I’m
polite!
He will not break a bruised reed; He
won’t snuff out a flame;
And everything He ever does, is done
in Jesus name.
He’s always working in us to please
the Lord most High.
And he will keep on doing this until
the day we die.
So while folk are comparing you, with
what they think is right,
Don’t forget the “paraclete” will help
you win the fight.
Relax and just be normal and to His
will submit;
And all your every action with Jesus Christ will fit!
Jim Strickland
Written
22nd May 2012
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