WHOM TO TRUST

It really is a question of who it is you trust. For some it’s the employer who is likely to go bust. For some it is the media and their favourite rocking chair. But who can trust the media? Their lies are everywhere. Some rely on alcohol and any form of booze. But drunkenness is guaranteed the way by which they lose! Some trust in their teacher or their granny’s crystal ball. Sadly at the very end these do not work at all. Others trust religion and their favourite guru. But when it comes to trusting; O Lord there’s only You. It wasn’t always that way. Not while I was still young. While life was like a violin that someone had unstrung. For You were there to rescue me and cause my face to smile. I’d been so deeply in the “dumps”, it had become my style. O Lord You hear the longings of people who are hurt. You specialise in rescuing from overwhelming dirt. Your love became a beacon in which to place my hope. The Blessed Holy Spirit gave the strength by which I cope. To cope with my shortcomings which haunted all my past. That’s when Your love, unfailing, so wide and deep and vast, Rescued and forgave me in spite of my distress. All of this You did while I was living in a mess! So Lord I have to praise You, for all that You have done; For giving me my freedom through Your Great and Holy Son. I never can forget it. The good You’ve done for me, Exceeds the expectations of all I thought could be. You heard my cry for mercy and my terror of the grave; You knew my deepest longings and You heard my prayer to save. I felt that death was choking me with ropes around so tight, It seemed to be impossible to live another night! So Lord I called upon You. I trusted in Your Name; And in an instant You were there to take my guilt and shame. O Lord I can’t forget You for all you’ve done for me. There’s no one else Whom I can trust for all eternity. I know I don’t deserve it; You did it on that cross. To think that God would do this – to suffer so much loss! You thought that I was worth it, in spite of all I’d been! How can I ever thank You for washing me so clean. Jim Strickland – written Wednesday, 05 October 2011

REFLECTING HIS GLORY

Is there some kind of pattern for those who’ve seen the Lord? Perhaps there is a difference how they carry His reward? Because it’s not surprising that Jesus’ face was bright. He was our Lord and Saviour, the very source of light; But not so for His followers. They only could reflect, The light He cast upon them; a light that was perfect. Jesus showed His glory with the glow of Deity. The others just reflected the light which they could see. That glory was magnificent; they shook at what they saw. I’m sure they had a special prayer, “O Master, show us more”. We don’t deserve to see it. He shows it for His sake. It caused the ones who saw Him shine to tremble and to quake. Moses saw God’s glory upon Mt Sinai’s peak. It caused his face to shine so bright it made the people “freak”. He had to don a special veil, God’s brilliance to conceal. But when He met with Jesus, God’s brightness He’d reveal. No other man in Scripture has revealed God’s glory twice; Mt Tabor and Mt Sinai. It happened in a trice. Those who follow Jesus now, display this blessing more, Than all we can desire of Whom, we worship and adore. But God’s exquisite glory is often tucked away. And very few have seen it up to this very day. Every Christian has it; it just cannot be seen. We know that it increases, if obedient we’ve been. It’s something like the Mercy Seat, concealed from human eyes. The blazing glory of the Lord so long had been disguised. For looking was forbidden until the wondrous day, When Father rent the curtain that kept us all away! And though we cannot see it, we know that it is there, Shining from the faces of Christians everywhere. The glory Jesus prayed for is publicly displayed! There may be variations in intensity and grade; But hidden under flesh and bone the light of Jesus shines, Showing that the Master, still gives almighty signs. For Jesu’s light is shining like a million giant stars, Testifying to the truth that wickedness can’t mar. So if you haven’t seen it, please ask Him to reveal, Those who carry in their hearts His Holy Spirit’s seal. Jim Strickland – written Tuesday, 04 October 2011

CRUCIFIED BY LOVE

 We’re standing at a crossroad; the year Has nearly gone.

We’re looking all around us to try and carry on.

We know the past is over. The century is young.

We need to know just how to live to glorify God’s Son.

We asked the Lord about it. We didn’t understand.

He said that crucifixion by Him was always planned.

He told us that His glory was seen upon that day,

When He was executed in that dreadful shameful way.

He showed the world His glory. It looked like a defeat,

But in the last analysis, His victory was complete.

But why was all this necessary? What was there we could see?

A bloody, gory cross, upon that hill called Calvary.

What loving did it demonstrate? And what had that to do,

With wicked, sinful people, the likes of me and you?

A hero had been butchered; it happened everyday.

This was the Roman method to make the world obey.

The Lord then asked a question. What was it that was seen?

“Just another victim who’s been treated rough and mean?”

He asked if we would do it for someone whom we knew.

“I didn’t really think so; there may be one or two.

A member of my family perhaps might qualify.

But laying down my life for them? I wouldn’t even try.”

But what about what He had done. He said it paid the cost

For sinners universal; for all of mankind’s lost.

His comment had me gob-smacked. He’d caused His life to shine.

His effort wasn’t wasted. He gave His life Divine.

It shone upon the hilltops and all the world around;

Telling all the people, they could be heaven bound.

The very thing I couldn’t do is what the Lord had done.

To pay for my iniquity, He’d sacrificed His Son.

Such love is overpowering; it’s stronger than the grave.

A deluge cannot quench it; His love was sent to save.

The life of the Messiah was poured out with His blood.

His words were overwhelming. His love was like a flood.

Far bigger than creation. How could we comprehend;

The limits of a love that our relationship would mend.

We are His chosen people. We are His priests and kings;

Sanctified and purified; released from all the things,

That once had kept us captive; away from God Most High.

And if we long to be with Him, why not be crucified?

Jim Strickland – written Monday, 03 October 2011

AS FAR AS EAST IS FROM WEST

He started going eastward toward the “eastern pole”

He had a sort of vague idea that he could reach his goal. The goal of going somewhere to get rid of the sin, That plagued his inner consciousness of all that he was in. He had a deep conviction; it had to be somewhere; And if he kept on journeying, someday he would get there. He’d been upon his journey for over forty years. He’d followed on the same old path; he’d cried a million tears. But still he hadn’t got there; No one could tell him why. “I’m going to keep on travelling until the day I die”. He’d started as a young man of only twenty five, And thought he was frustrated more than any man alive. Some thought he was an idiot and some called him a fool But what continued haunting him had happened back in school. He’d pushed away his girlfriend; she fell and banged her head. And twenty four hours later, they told him she was dead! He thought he was responsible for all that had occurred. Perhaps he’d find forgiveness at a place that seemed absurd. There wasn’t any “East Pole”. But he had to atone, For everything that happened to the girl he once had known. His whole life had been focussed on this Don Quixotic quest. Now in his middle sixties, he felt he’d failed the test. His finances were crumbling, his hope was nearly gone. He didn’t have the energy to want to carry on. That day he found a seat outside a long forgotten church. He wondered if this “Jesus Christ” could end his futile search. Just then a young man passed his way, he sat there deep in thought, The young man asked why he was there and what it was he sought? He started to weep openly and asked what he could do, To take away what haunted him and change his hopeless view. “I’m glad you asked”, the young man said, “I specialise in hope. Please tell me all about it, so I can help you cope.” That’s when the story tumbled out and what he’d done for years. “Do you think it is possible to take away these fears?” “I’m sure I can”, the young man said. “Christ Jesus in My Name. I’ve been with you for all these years and you are why I came. If you will do what I request, I know you’ll be set free. All that I require of you, is give your life to me. Then I’ll change your direction, to go the other way, That haunting memory I’ll heal and you’ll be whole today. I’m going to send you Westward for I want you to know; As far as east is from the west is where your sin will go. Because I am the Son of God, I can forgive your sin; And take away the dreadful mess that you’ve been living in” He looked at Jesus in the face and love grew in his heart. I’m ready Lord to follow you, thanks for my brand new start Jim Strickland – written Sunday, 02 October 2011

THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - SELF CONTROL

Those who’ve followed Jesus for many, many years, Hold within their memory their youthful, childhood fears. We think we will get rid of them as we are growing old. But find we haven’t got the power to live as self controlled. We find this in the Spirit. It is His special fruit. And still we have to live with things that we once thought were cute. A number of those problems are directed at the men. The ladies seldom suffer, except just now and then. But I have long been “haunted” by a passage from those days. In Matthew five verse twenty eight; and here’s what Jesus says. Adultery’s committed not only by the act, But looking at a woman and lusting, is in fact, As serious as wanting to get her into bed. Adultery’s committed while still within your head! How do the menfolk cope with this? That is the mystery! It’s something I have thought about throughout my history. The Lord designed our gender to see the one he loves. He cannot wander through the world protected by kid gloves. So how are men enabled to be pure and still stay whole? The only way is exercising perfect self control. But that is supernatural. It is The Spirit’s gift. He cannot do it by himself - if you will get my drift; He cannot turn his eyes away from all the girls he sees. But looking must not ever be a fantasised strip tease. I have to tell you honestly that most men are this way. To ever overcome it and not be led astray, Is by the Holy Spirit, who sets each man the goal, Of living in this kingdom with total self control. I know it isn’t easy. In fact it’s downright hard. To deal with his desires and always be on guard. But we are not abandoned. He’s said there is a way For men to walk in Holiness, with women every day. The girls don’t make it easy. The very clothes they wear Were specially designed to make the menfolk turn and stare. So all the men and women need the Spirit’s self control. Or they’ll become a victim of the devil’s fiendish goal. I know I cannot do it. I turn my head away. To keep this sort of thinking continually at bay. And as the Holy Spirit inspires me more and more, It’s easier and easier to not want to explore, Those mental exercises that seek to lead astray, And follow in His footsteps as day gives place to day. Jim Strickland – written Saturday, 01 October 2011

A VESSEL OF HONOUR

I wanted to play cricket, but wasn’t any good.

And so I tried out rugby, as every young man should.

But I was not successful. I think I was too slow;

And all that happened with the ball, I really didn’t know.

And so I turned to boxing and thought I might excel.

I hoped that I’d be on my feet until the final bell.

With Judo and athletics the outcome was the same.

And then It dawned upon me; sport never was my game.

I’m not a Graeme Pollock or a Montgomery.

I’ll never be a Springbok that doesn’t work for me.

At sport I’m very average. I’ll never pass that test.

The only thing that I can say is that I did my best.

A vessel of great honour in sport I’ll never be.

My only contribution, perhaps a referee?

There’s northing wrong with average. It’s not silver or gold.

Perhaps is more like wood or clay; at least that’s what I’m told.

And so I started to play chess. I had a thought in mind,

For awesome mental challenges. But that too was unkind.

The subject I was best at was digging in God’s Word.

This made my fellow classmates decide I was a nerd.

Perhaps I’d be a minister; perhaps a Catholic Priest.

But since I’m not a Catholic it attracted me the least.

The question of a calling was also in my mind.

I wasn’t even certain that I could be that kind.

But looking back upon it and how I messed about,

It seems to me a miracle that everything worked out.

For what I hadn’t realised was God was in control.

That He was the director of what happened to my soul.

A vessel He would make of me; of silver or of gold.

Of wood or clay; of honour; or useless to behold.

A very strange utensil; a sort of melting pot,

Selected for His purposes of making sinners hot!

The point is, it is righteousness our Holy God requires.

He uses pots, the likes of me, to stoke up cleansing fires.

We may or may not like it. But that’s beside the point.

He wants to bring His cleansing fire to every bone and joint.

It is so fascinating to see Him shape the clay.

He moulds it into any shape that He decides that day.

A vessel made for honour or just utility;

It’s how the clay flows in His hands dictates what it will be.

If we will just cooperate, we’re clad with priceless gold.

If not we’re just another pot that could be bought and sold.

But what denotes its value? The silver or the clay?

It’s only when it’s being used it gives the game away.

The valuable metals by Jesus will be used.

While those made out of wood or clay, He’ll not so often choose.

Jim Strickland – written Friday, 30 September 2011