FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT

I thought I was a Christian. That always had been true. You caught it by osmosis in Church from those you knew. I didn’t think it possible for God to care for me. I thought there were so many other fishes in the sea. Why should He even bother with anyone so small? It may be true for other folk, but somehow, after all, There surely were more people and bigger fish to fry. Why should He think of any insignificant as I? There were a dozen reasons why I should be ignored, But none of them, I later found, impressed our Risen Lord. The world that I was living in is ruled by certain men, Of senior position, who were not born again. Their titles were impressive, like modern Pharisees With money and position and various degrees. This system was quite normal. I didn’t think it odd, That hardly any one of them represented God. The captains of the industry all struggled to the top. And any opposition they’d very quickly stop. There was a pecking order that kept everything in check. And trying to oppose it brought trouble round your neck. Then came a day remembered as clear as yesterday. I’d gone to church to meet the girls, it was a certain way To find a marriage partner for that’s how it was done. But in course of flirting I met God’s only Son. I listened in amazement and much to my surprise, I found I was important in God the Father’s eyes! I learned He sent His Son to die especially for me. I cried so many tears that I could hardly see. He knew I wasn’t perfect. He knew that I had failed. He knew that I was feeling sort of spiritually jailed. He knew my every moment and all that I had done, And then He softly whispered, “welcome home My son”. I knew that I had Jesus. I knew I had His life. The deep inferiority and feelings of great strife, Were banished and departed and I was feeling free. There was no pecking order between Jesus Christ and me! I vowed that I would serve Him. I gave Him the control Of everything within me in body, heart and soul. It happened fifty years ago, since then He’s been my King. I wouldn’t want to swap this for all this world can bring, That once I’d been impressed with. That stuff had no appeal, And I could serve my Master with fervency and zeal. For Jesus Christ had rescued me and I had been transferred From darkness into light by simply trusting in His Word. Jim Strickland – written Monday, 25 July 2011

PERSPECTIVES

It’s sometimes very hard to grasp the things the Lord has done. We try and find perspective and discuss things with His Son. But often what has happened is far above our thoughts. And on these occasions, our intellect resorts, To seeking for an answer in terms of what we know. That’s often when we find that it was not the way to go. We fail to see His purpose when He does what He thinks best. Our little minds confuse us and we think it is a mess. But even when its painful, we know that it was right, For Father only does that which is pleasing in His sight. We’d love to take it up with Him, but it’s a waste of time. He never makes mistakes because He is the Lord Divine. We think He is mistaken, but that is never true. And we would love to know the why for that which He does do. The problem’s our perspective. The scene is far to close. We do not have His wisdom and so we get verbose, In speaking of solutions that we would like to see. Its then we find our error and how wrong it seems to be. The word Isaiah gave us back in, oh so long ago, Described a suffering servant that we didn’t want to know. We like to think of Jesus as a king upon a horse. But as a man of sorrows? That’s foolishness of course. We only see the upside of the things we see occur. To think of Jesus suffering creates an awkward stir. It really shouldn’t happen to our Saviour and our God. Why should He have to suffer underneath a Roman rod! Why should He need the discipline of suffering and pain? Why should He feel the agony of death so He could gain, Some physical advantage that will help us understand, That suffering is something that Father God has planned? Why should we have to learn this? Why can’t we just relax? Why do we need experience to keep us all on track? If we could understand it, we’d try and find a way Of ducking underneath it in some satanic way. But Father God knows better. He knows that we must learn, To do what is essential so in hell we needn’t burn. And then when it is over and our time on earth is done, We’ll know why we were treated exactly like His Son. Jim Strickland – written Sunday, 24 July 2011

END TIMES

The end is coming shortly and none of us know when. It could be seventeenth of June at quarter after ten. Of course it’s only just a guess. Do you think it could be, The twenty-third of August at exactly five past three? We know that no one knows the date and no one knows the time. We’re told that only Father God and no one else Divine Has got this information. He hasn’t shared it round, The Others of the Trinity and it cannot be found. There has to be a reason. At least one, maybe more. It’s there to keep us guessing and adding up the score. If anybody knew it, then who would have the fun, Of fiddling with dates and times to see when it is done? If you were told for certain in twenty seventy-three I rather think you’d do the same as other folks like me. You’d fall back on your laurels and doze away the time, And leave it to the grand-kids and hope they do it fine. But God knows human nature. He made it after all. So He knows just what we would do; the large; the great, the small. And so He keeps us guessing. You may think it’s unfair. But it applies to every tribe and people everywhere. So what should we be doing in the light of what we know? Don’t tell me that we’d go on strike or keep our work rate slow. I think that we would rush about as if it is today, So that no matter who we are, we’re ready - come what may. There is a famous Christian when asked where he would be, He told them that He hoped he would be planting out a tree. He said that he would do it if Jesus came or no. And that he thought it was the best and only way to go. But what about your answer? Is it the same as mine? Working in His vineyard and serving Christ Divine? At least that’s what I’m wanting. But will it be a fact? Or will He find me sleeping and much to tired to act? I know what I would rather. It’s what I’d like to do. You do not have to tell me. It all depends on you. So what will you be doing and what will Jesus see? I trust you have an answer that’s so much more than me. I’m trusting you will make it and we will all meet there The question of who’s missing? ….. Please let’s not go down there. Jim Strickland – written Saturday, 23 July 2011

EQUATIONS

It always seems so strange to me that anyone could die, For someone he had never met. It’s hard to ask, “for why”? I didn’t ask Him for it. And how could any man, Give His life for everyone. I’m sure no person can. I’m only just one person. I can’t equate to two. So I could die for someone else, but not for you and you. I’m only just a creature. My life’s not worth much more. To give it for another man, that is an equal score. But for a dozen people, it couldn’t ever do. No matter how good I have been, I’ll never equal two. It’s physically impossible. I may be canonized; Perhaps a huge success in life in everybody’s eyes. I’m only just one person. Perhaps I’ve lived sin free. I cannot give my life away for any more than me. Check the mathematics. One man is only one. Forget your university, that’s how it’s always gone. One person is one person. It’s never two or three. So only one man in this world could ever die for me. So how did Jesus do it? How can His maths make sense? Or is my way of thinking outdated and quite dense? It rests upon the value of what equates to man. A hundred thousand elephants, do you think that they can? How many goldfish must I give to pay you for your son? The blood of all the animals; could they make the deal done? Of course that isn’t possible. One man is worth far more, Than all the animals that lived back to the days of yore. If you can see this logic then kindly tell this to me. How many human beings lives equate to Deity? It seems to me that Jesus’ life is worth far more than mine. One hundred thousand Englishmen don’t equal the Divine. Which means the very life of God is more than all the men, Or people who have ever lived no matter where or when. So now my mathematics is making sense to me, Mankind can never equal the Christ of Calvary. So Jesus Christ was able to give His life for you. In fact His is the only life that possibly could do. And as He gave away His life. It was far more than mine. For that’s what God intended and that was His design. So Jesus Christ could give His life for all humanity. And He can be the Saviour of you as well as me. Jim Strickland – written Friday, 22 July 2011

CIRCUMCISION SONNETS

It only took a little tiny snip

To demonstrate that someone was a Jew.

The priest would take a very steady grip

The knife would flash - then nothing more to do.

Of course it was uncomfortable and sore.

Especially for any full grown man.

But it would show the covenant once more

According to the Father’s master plan.

This little piece of overhanging skin,

When it had been rightly cut way,

Showed to everyone his kith and kin.

A practice they are doing till this day.

A member of God’s family revealed

But from the general public’s eyes concealed.

Jim Strickland - written Thursday, 21 July 2011

-oOo-

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We wonder what the practice meant at all.

It was no benefit to any man

The evidence was visibly small

But God the Father put it in His plan,

To show His covenant to everyone.

The Lord declared it was compulsory.

Unless this “operation” had been done

A man was not a Jew, not properly.

And so the boys were circumcised when they

Reached the time of being eight days old.

That’s when this piece of skin was trimmed away.

And they could be admitted to God’s fold.

From the days of Abraham till now

Jewish men have kept this sacred vow.

Jim Strickland - written Thursday 21st July 2011

MAN OF SORROWS

He was a man of Sorrows, a man of deepest grief; A man the world was told about whose life was rather brief. You’d never know by looking that He was God Most High. That He was on a mission to come to earth and die. It seems a contradiction. Could God Himself come down? What reason was there for it? The question makes us frown. We didn’t see things happen when Adam slipped and fell. We didn’t know the difference twixt Heaven and of Hell. No person could have told us. The witnesses were few. The serpent and with Adam’s wife. No other person knew, That what had happened recently would change the world around. That in his disobedience, the source of sin was found. What were the implications? There was another king, In charge of God’s creation, and Adam did nothing. The devil had usurped him, and now he was in charge. There couldn’t be another way while Satan was at large. But God knew all about it. He knew what would occur, And that the devil’s victory would prove to be the spur, To repossess the kingdom by someone God would choose. The devil thought his victory was what he couldn’t lose. But God knew all about it. He had a plan in place, To overcome the devil and save the human race. He planned to send a Saviour no one would recognise. He would be God in overalls and He would win the prize. There’d be a minor conflict which God Himself would win. And in His overcoming, He’d smash the power of sin. God wasn’t in a hurry so He could bide His time. The devil thought that he had won his masterpiece in crime. But Father God knew better. He knew He wouldn’t lose. So just as Adam slipped and fell, God handed him the news. It wouldn’t be forever for He had set the date, When He would send His Son to Earth to settle Satan’s fate. And so six thousand years went by, all under God’s control, Then Jesus Christ came upon the scene and scored the winning goal. The devil tried to kill Him. He didn’t get it right. For Jesus had God’s Spirit and couldn’t lose the fight. He came and let His light shine wherever sin was found, And when the dust had settled, then He was heaven bound. And all of those who trust Him will reign eternally. With Father, Son and Spirit as one great family. Jim Strickland – written Wednesday, 20 July 2011