Time with Jesus - 9 August
2013
History is very strange. It appears to depend on the
integrity and intention of the writer. This is because historians have their
own particular agenda. Thus, when they compile the history of, for example,
Blood River, they present it from their own preference. I’ve only ever read the
account from the “white man’s” point of view. Surely the Zulu’s have something
significant to recount about the same event? Usually this is ignored by the
history writer. |
| Belfast |
An excellent example of “distorted history” comes from
WW2. From the Allies point of view, the Axis powers were described as evil monsters.
This cannot be denied. Certainly terrible things were done by the Axis powers.
But I have great difficulty believing the Allies were not, to some extent, “tarred
with the same brush”. This comment is based on the fact that mankind is twisted
and warped by sin.
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| Boston Freedom Trail |
War brings out the best and the worst in all of us. In
this regard I’ve heard the comment from the men in the WW1 trenches. This was, no
one was ready to go “over the top” until they had wet their trousers at least
once. This was what marked a man as an experienced soldier?
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| Great Wall of China |
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| King Henry VIII & His Six Wives |
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| William Shakespeare |
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| Richard the Lionhearted |
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| Portion of the Bayeux Tapestry |
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| Jesus Christ The Central Point of ALL History |
God is not about to put up a big sign
in the sky saying, “I’m real”. We are told that He is real and that He requires
people to believe in Him. This is the “ground floor” of Christianity and the
word we use for this is “faith”. Furthermore, He tells us we cannot please Him
without faith. So where does that put you and me?
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| History is HIS STORY |
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| Jesus Christ King of King & LORD OF LORDS |
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| The Cross Towering over Heads and Time |
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – 9 August 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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A
WALK THROUGH HISTORY
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History.
As a schoolboy it was not my favourite subject. I found “1066 And All That”
decidedly boring. Here in South Africa our studies started with 1652 and Jan
Van Riebeeck. He was not terribly interesting back in the 1950’s, some 300
years later. One or two of my fellows enjoyed it, but it always seemed so
dry. Even when the Brits took over the Cape, it didn’t seem to matter. Since
I lived for a number of years in Port Elizabeth, the name Sir Rufane Donkin
struck a chord because he named the city after his wife Elizabeth. There is a
sort of a pyramid in Port Elizabeth commemorating her.
When
it came to the Scriptures, suddenly history became interesting. I’m sure the
brothers at Marist Brothers in Port Elizabeth influenced this. They didn’t
try and proselytise for the Roman Catholic Church. Indeed the Head Boy in my
year was Jewish! But anyone who was interested in Biblical history was
greatly encouraged. So we ploughed through the Old Testament looking at what
we then called “Bible Studies”. Adam and Eve, Cain, Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah,
Abraham and the Patriarchs somehow “came to life”. The names Moses, Joshua,
Samson and King David took on a bigger meaning. Wanting to get into the New
Testament followed. The life of Jesus and the Book of Acts were fun to get
into. We even got to know about Paul’s missionary journeys. In retrospect I
think the Lord was preparing me for something in the future. Precisely what
that was, is still something of a mystery. Except I’m passionately in love
with God’s Word; and try and wrap my poetry within that context.
Many
years ago I became aware of people who were talking about taking others on a,
“Walk through History”. I think it was Dave Wilkerson who initiated this in
Christianity. Furthermore, several well-known Bible Schools and Theological
Colleges started taking students through the Bible in one year. One such
establishment was Rosebank Bible School who offered a one year Bible Survey
course. I know Phyllida went to Rosebank in the late 1970’s expressly for
this course. After we were married and moved to the power stations of the
Eastern Transvaal, now called Mpumalanga, we decided to bring this course to
those we met in the churches we attended at that time. It wasn’t official so
no certificates were issued. We found that those who attended and stuck to
the discipline of doing the reading and an assignment every week, loved it and
gained a much broader understanding of Scripture.
Today’s
meditation is an overview of Scripture. It’s been written as though the Lord
is taking His people on a walk through the Bible. In the space provided it’s
impossible to touch on everything. So I’ve taken today’s Scriptures and
weaved them into a brief survey of the events and some of their associated
happenings. Writing in the “first person” allows for greater brevity,
something at which I do not excel! I’ve also had to do a certain amount of
interpolation of events for greater clarity. I’ve taken a liberty with what
Abraham saw. John’s gospel quotes Jesus as saying, 56 Your father Abraham
was pleased to see that my day was coming.
He saw it and was happy." John 8:56
GW. I’ve picked things up at this point and included elements which
Abraham might not have been aware. But that’s poetic licence!
Jim &
Phyllida
Strickland
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13
"For My people have done two evil things: They have abandoned Me--the
fountain of living water. And they have dug for
themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!
Jeremiah 2:13 NLT
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My people have done foolish things. I wish they’d tell Me why.
The first is they abandoned Me. The fount that’s
never dry.
And they’ve been digging cisterns that are as dry as dust,
They can’t hold any water. Before they’re dug, they
bust!
If they are dry and thirsty why don’t they come to Me?
A fount of Living Water, to them is what I’ll be.
The plans of men don’t prosper, if I am not included.
They tried to build a giant tower, but they were all
deluded.
A tower up to heaven where floods could never reach.
And so I had to scatter them. Because I had to teach,
That everything that man can make will crumble and will fall.
The only way to change it is if unto Me they call.
They should have been like Adam, who had a wife called Eve.
They had to come and pray to Me, so that she could
conceive.
And she brought forth a man-child. His parents called him Cain;
A course, religious, murderer, whose gifts to Me
were vain.
Instead of doing what he should, he killed his younger brother.
I haven’t told you what he said to father and his
mother.
The nature he inherited, when Adam sinned and fell,
Was starting to be manifest, in all their kids as
well.
The line of Cain was wicked. Then Eve bore Adam, Seth.
And wickedness increased so much, that I decided
death,
Would somehow sort of wash the earth and make it new and clean.
And if I hadn’t sent the flood, I know what would
have been.
But Noah and his family were rescued from the rain.
But sadly. the sin nature, raised its head again.
Some 400 years later, Abram was born.
In terms of faith in Deity; this was man’s early
dawn.
Of course he wasn’t perfect. That wouldn’t ever be.
But I declared him righteous, because he trusted Me!
Abram made his choices each time that he obeyed.
He willingly gave Isaac, until his hand I staid.
He saw the fall of Sodom. He saw the Promised Land.
He saw his people’s slavery and all that I had
planned.
Please know he was excited, in some unstated way;
Because he knew that Jesus Christ would come through
him one day!
You know he was the father of a great multitude.
That Kings and Priests and Prophets would be among
his brood.
The source of Living Water, for all who suffer thirst,
Would issue from the Saviour, on those who had been
cursed.
He knew that hungry people could all eat Heaven’s bread.
That life would not be meaningless, but purposeful
instead.
That as men looked to Heaven, the things of earth would dim;
And that salvation full and free would one day come
through Him.
These were the things which he believed but never really saw.
But I would make it happen. All this and so much
more!
Jim Strickland
Written 9th August 2012
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1 Now Adam knew Eve
his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain,
saying, "I have gotten a man with the help of
the LORD."
Genesis 4:1 ESV
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4 Then
they said, "Let's build a city for ourselves
and a tower with its top in the sky. Let's make a name for ourselves
so that we won't become scattered all over the face of the earth."
Genesis 11:4 GW
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8 In
that way, the LORD scattered them all over
the world, and they stopped building the city.
Genesis 11:8 NLT
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10 Lot
took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction
of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like
the garden of the LORD or the beautiful land of Egypt. (This was
before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 Lot chose for himself the whole Jordan Valley to the
east of them. He went there with his flocks and servants and parted
company with his uncle Abram. 13 But
the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned
against the LORD.
Genesis 13:10-11 &13 NLT
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17 So I set out to learn everything from wisdom to madness
and folly. But I learned firsthand that pursuing all this is like chasing the
wind. 18 The greater my wisdom,
the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow.
Ecclesiastes 1:17-18 NLT
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4 I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for
myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. 8 I collected great sums of silver and gold 11
But as I looked at everything I had worked so
hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless--like chasing the wind
Eccl 2:4, 8, 11 NLT
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37 On
the final and climactic day of the Feast, Jesus took his stand. He cried out,
"If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and
drink.
John 7:37 MSG
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9 He gave plenty to drink to those who were thirsty. He
filled those who were hungry with good food.
Psalms 107:9 GW
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22 Think about things that are in heaven. Don't think
about things that are on earth.
Colossians 3:2 NIrV
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