FRIENDS ARE FEW

Time with Jesus - Friday, 06 January 2012

“And they all lived happily ever after!” At school we occasionally had to read fairy stories. You know, “Hansel and Gretel”, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty; lovely stories. They all seemed to finish well. Everyone was happy. Even Cinderella ended up marrying the prince.

These fairy stories made a lasting impression. As children we concluded that everything would finish well. “Everything’s coming up roses”. But every generation that goes by proves that everything doesn’t come along with a story book ending. My parents were confronted by World War one. I went through World War two. My children lived through Poll Pot and the killing fields of Cambodia. Our grand children are faced with a world that seems to be completely out of control. The myth of the happy ending has been thoroughly discredited. The holocaust is probably the ultimate lesson in unhappy endings. Perhaps “And they all lived unhappily ever after!” is closer to the truth.

Why? There are many answers but only one solution. The solution is knowing Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour. But why do things go wrong? The simple answer is our sin nature which only Jesus Christ can repair. Certainly, Satan is the root problem. But he has achieved much of his success by our mutual distrust of each other. Put simply, we are not willing to befriend each other. This is where racism begins. This is where things start to go wrong.

In the 1950’s, it was not easy for an Englishman to befriend Afrikaners. We couldn’t befriend each other because of what had happened during the Anglo-Boer War. The concentration camps for the Boer Women and Children still loomed large in the memory of many people. I sometimes wonder if perhaps these concentration camps didn’t inspire the Nazi’s to “improve” on their own unique brand of hatred and oppression. Certainly, even as a child I wasn’t always welcome in the homes of some of my Afrikaans speaking friends.

Is this not perhaps the crux of the matter? We don’t know how to befriend each other. The movie “South Pacific” had a song in it that was banned in South Africa. It was called, “Carefully Taught”. It was associated with cross-cultural friendships and marriage. The song included the follow words, “We have to be taught before it’s too late, before we are six or seven or eight, to hate all the people our relatives hate. We have to be carefully taught!” Tragically it’s still true. Even in the New South Africa we struggle to break the race barrier and befriend our brothers and sisters who look different from what we do.

I must confess that I don’t find it easy to befriend men. Part of it is because the usual masculine lifestyle of sex, booze and sport has no appeal to me at all. It never has. Even before I was saved in 1960, these activities were not my scene. So I’m a bit of an oddity. My love is for the Christian lifestyle. My passion is Jesus Christ. As a result I don’t meet many non-Christians. Some will say Jim’s a “Holy Joe”. I hope it’s not true. I struggle with it and try to include others in my circle of friends. But even so, in the past 70 years I’ve not really managed to make the grade with other men. I don’t suppose I ever will.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland.

Friends are Few

There has to be a reason why we men have so few friends.       I cannot understand it. Perhaps friendships depend,

On those we’re introduced to, most likely by our wives. But few have long-term friendships that last them all their lives. I know that in reality, men friends are very few. And in my past experience, there’s only one or two. In fact as I look backwards and down through all my years, There’s very few whose passing, would cause me to shed tears. The guys I was at school with, I never will forget; But since I’ve started working, there’s few men I have met, Who’s really been a friend to me. A few have been a pal. But normally I’ve met them as I courted some sweet gal. Of course I’ve met a lot of men. Acquaintances? OK. But very few continue and still are friends today. I wonder if this problem is mine and mine alone? Perhaps I should be thinking, of the way that I’ve been known? The men for me are usually like ships that pass at night. We seldom take the time to pause. We part when it grows light. Of course I’ve met the people my wife has come to know. And they have all been marvellous. In fact they’ve helped me grow. But few of them were friends of mine except by accident. And this is surely not the way that being friends was meant. But there’s someone Who’s special; a friend for fifty years. I met Him as a brash young man; a mass of guilt and fears. I didn’t know what I should do. My life was one big mess. And someone introduced me to a Person Who would bless. He’d make my living purposeful. He looked into my face, And told me what was wrong with me. He said I needed grace. He said He would be with me and stick closer than a brother And since I’ve got to know Him, I’ve found there is no other, Man who wants to know me, as an eternal friend. He said we’d walk together, till time comes to an end. And since I fell in love with Him I’m bored with other men. And we have a relationship that’s far beyond my ken. Perhaps I am unusual? Perhaps I’ve got things wrong? But I’ve not met another man who fills my heart with song. No other human friendship can possibly compare, With walking with my Saviour and knowing He is there. Most men are insipid. Sex and booze and sport, Is not the sort of lifestyle, I ever could support. And if this makes me different, I think I’d rather be, A friend of Christ my Saviour, Who has befriended me. Jim Strickland – Written 5th January 2012.

LIES AND LYING

Time with Jesus - Thursday, 05 January 2012

There’s an old English proverb that states, “There’s many a true word spoken in jest.” I don’t know where it originated. But it’s a fact. Sometimes, the only way to say something is via humour. It’s a far better method than resorting to foul language. Incidentally, it’s been suggested that foul language indicates a somewhat limited vocabulary. That used to be true in the days when ladies behaved like ladies and gentlemen behaved like gentlemen. Today it’s sometimes hard to distinguish the one from the other. The language of both genders appears to be equally foul.

Today’s Scriptures focus on lies, lying and the tongue. These three are clearly related. You cannot tell a lie without using the tongue. Not in the area of speech. I suspect that this was one of the greatest motivations for men and women to enter silent monastic orders.

Speaking of silent monastic orders, there is a story about a young novice who joined one of these orders. He was told not to speak to anyone for 5 years. After five years the abbot called him in and asked if he had anything he wanted to say. He said, “The rooms are draughty!” He then went out and carried on for another five years. Once again the abbot called him in. This time he answered, “The food’s cold!” Once again he went out for another five years. Again he appeared before the abbot. This time he said, “The beds are hard!” At that the abbot told him to leave the monastery and added. “All you do is complain!”

Telling lies or being a liar is the norm today. Politicians seem to have the ability to say nothing at all and lie about it. But they are not the only ones. Visit our courts and you will find people blaming anyone and everything for what happened. “Your honour, I got into bad company!” Not true. They chose bad friends. “The devil made me do it!” Not true. They chose to do it themselves. Everyone gets blamed for what happened. “My father was a bad example!” That may be true. But they chose to do it. The mantra appears to be, I’m not responsible. I need help because of my past history. Not true. They need to learn to take responsibility.

I’m told that if you are a liar, you need a good memory! You don’t need a good memory if you tell the truth. This little bit of advice has greatly helped me. When asked, “Who did this?” I’ve found that if I did it and said “I did!” the problem vanishes.

Today’s meditation looks at liars, lying and the tongue. We start by asking how Satan can have a strong Kingdom if the truth is not in him. We then move on to a man I knew who was an inveterate liar. Then we move on to the tongue and a novel way to “crucify” this little uncontrollable part of our body. I’ve tried to do all this in a humorous vein. Hopefully it will work for you.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland.

Lies and Lying

I’ve often wondered how the devil’s forces can be strong. They’re all a bunch of liars, so they always get things wrong. The devil is their father. The truth is not in him. He says that he is flying while he’s going for a swim. It’s terribly confusing. When he gives a command, They don’t know if it’s local, or in some foreign land! He tells them, “Go to Cape Town!” so they go to Timbuktu. They can’t obey his orders, ‘cause they don’t know what to do! While I was an apprentice, I met someone from his gang. He said that he was thirty and was injured in a prang. But everything we said, he told us he had done before. And from his great accomplishments we guessed he was much more. He’d seen so many places and done so many things, We thought he was a puppet that was hanging by his strings. If what he said was true, he was the oldest man alive. We stopped our calculations when we go to ninety five. The Lord has told us Satan is the Father of all lies. So everything he does, should never take us by surprise. Our children are his followers. They have a bent that way. When they have just been naughty you’ll always hear them say, “It wasn’t me that did it. I don’t know who it was. It must be mister nobody! I’m innocent because, I wasn’t even playing in that portion of the house. So if you heard a racket, it must have been a mouse!” We know that they are lying. They just will not own up. “It wasn’t me that did it. My sister broke that cup!” Now this was clearly mentioned by the Master’s brother, James. He said the tongue was wicked and it poisoned people’s names. He said no one can tame it and we know that it is true. And that is why the Spirit gave a special gift to you. This gift is often criticised, the gift of “tongues” it’s named; And every time you use it, the Lord is not defamed. You don’t know what you’re saying. Your speaking to the Lord; And everything you say declares the Master is adored. So if you have a problem and the devil’s drawing near; You really needn’t worry or start trembling with fear. Allow God’s special gift to flow from deep within your lungs, And Satan will freak out ‘cause he’s not got this gift of tongues! So now we have a weapon in our battle for the truth, From all of Satan’s minions and every lying youth. Let your spirit speak to them in something that’s unique. The only way we’re certain that it’s only truth we speak. Jim Strickland – Written 5th January 2012

DEATH IS CONQUERED

Time with Jesus - Wednesday, 04 January 2012

We should never be surprised if we find that false religions contain some truth. There must be a measure of truth or Satan would have nothing to pervert. This tactic of perverting truth has been his trick since before Adam took charge of Eden. These are the ploys of a confidence trickster. We shouldn’t be surprised at that. Some believe that when he was “thrown out” of heaven, he took one third of the angels with him. Only a superb “con man” would have been able to persuade one third of the angels to go with him. So Adam and Eve were “conned” into giving him dominion over themselves.

If we look carefully at the way he went about it we see the master deceiver at work. Just enough truth to get Eve interested. He then questioned the outcome. Just sufficient to get her to decide to eat the forbidden fruit and give some to Dumbo (Adam) to eat. That’s all it took. Death came into the world and we’ve been stuck with it ever since. Only Jesus could achieve that which no one else could do. In order to do so, He first had to die. Then He could literally swallow death completely! That’s exactly what He did.

So why do we still have to die? Because, in spite of inflation and the collapse of the international currency system, the wages of sin is still death. Nothing has changed since the fall of man. You and I were born with a sin nature. So we have to die until Jesus decides to return. Then the trumpet will sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible. Until that happens, we will continue to “sleep in death”.

It’s interesting to note than when anyone spoke of someone’s death, Jesus remarked that the person was not dead but sleeping. Of course, since He is the Resurrection and the Life, He has authority to awaken people from the sleep of death. So when He raised Lazarus from the dead, all He did was use His authority to awaken him from death’s sleep. Incidentally, I recall one preacher saying that if Jesus hadn’t prefixed His statement with Lazarus’ name, all of creation would have come forth! Such is the authority of our Lord and Master!

Today’s meditation looks at death and what Jesus achieved by His death. It’s glorious for Christians to know that when they die, they will literally fall asleep. According to Paul, their Spirit’s will be present with the Lord. Then, when He decides, the trumpet will sound and we will all receive a resurrection body. One that is ageless and deathless. David Pawson makes the comment that we will then all get a free ticket to the Holy Land where we will be with Him. What a magnificent thought. Before or after the great tribulation? Who cares anyway? We will be with the only one who really matters.

So let’s not become afraid of death. It’s only a trick of the master “con man”. Jesus has already defeated death so it should hold no terrors for us anyway.

Today’s meditation takes another look at death and its defeat by Jesus.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland.

Death is Conquered

What is it folk are frightened of? For most of them, it’s death. They don’t know what will happen when they’ve breathed their final breath. It’s surely understandable, for all of us must die; No matter how we put it off, it comes for you and I! It happened to the Master, when He was on the cross. He took in death and swallowed it. Now He’s become death’s boss. As Christians, we should know it; but most of us still fear, The prospect of what happens, when we get out of here! We know the way it happened. Adam disobeyed. So Satan was his master and death came in and stayed. The devil thought he’d triumphed. This world became his own. He thought that he could never lose his well established throne. He knew that the sin nature would always be passed down. It would require a perfect man to take away His crown. He knew that if a perfect man would ever pass away, That God would raise him up again, for death could never stay, On someone who was perfect. Before the corpse could rot, That God would raise Him back to life. Corruption just could not; Hold him in its icy grip. Perfection couldn’t stay, Forever in an earthly grave. There wasn’t any way, That Satan’s hosts could keep him. His wages were not death. In fact the very life of God would dwell in every breath. And that is just what happened. He had the victory Because He lived a perfect life, there was no way that He, Could stay within death’s bondage. He died and so His soul, Could never be held captive; and death was swallowed whole! So why are people frightened of all that death can bring? The truth is that in Jesus Christ, that death has lost its sting. We may have the experience of what it is to die. But Jesus Christ will raise us up to heights above the sky. It has no power over us that He does not permit. And any instant He decides, He’ll lift us out of it! So dying is a victory that Jesus turns around. The grave can’t hold us in its grip. We just wait for the sound. A trumpet blast in heaven will raise us from the grave; And we will rise to be with Him, no longer Satan’s slave! And live with Christ forever; and death will disappear; No longer can it terrify for Jesus Christ is near. Jim Strickland – Written Wednesday 4th January 2012

SIGHT FOR THE BLIND

Time with Jesus - Tuesday, 03 January 2012

I’ve heard it said that everything that took place in the Old Testament was there to illustrate that which Jesus would subsequently do in the New Testament. I’ve no reason to doubt the statement, but struggle with how the historical information fits into this category.

I’ve also been told that every one of the miracles attributed to Jesus have their counterpart in the Old Testament. This same Bible teacher has pointed out that everything Jesus did up to His Crucifixion and death was carried out in terms of the Old Covenant. I have no real reason to gainsay this. It’s true that He was born, lived and obeyed the law of God. In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 He stated: ¹⁷ "Do not think I have come to get rid of what is written in the Law or in the Prophets. I have not come to do that. Instead, I have come to give full meaning to what is written. Mat 5:17 NIrV

There are many different people who love God’s Word. These men and women have different personalities and temperaments. Some tend to be romantic and read The Word looking for that which is gloriously liberating. Some tend to be more formal and categorize His life and words in terms of predefined classifications. There is a sense in which both are right and both are wrong. It would be wrong for me to be critical of others who tend to be more rigid in their understanding of Scripture. I often find that men and women from this “stream” have insights into Scripture that my romantic nature would never spot without it being drawn to my attention.

Over the years I’ve begun to learn that I greatly need those who have a different personality from mine. In the early 1990’s Phyllida and I served in a church in Worcester. There was one particular man with whom I almost always disagreed. But what we found was that this man was the perfect foil for my artistic romantic nature. We had some real ding dong disagreements. But invariably, his different approach was something we could not do without. In fact we would not hold church meetings without him. We found in practice that our greatest critic was actually our greatest asset! That was a revelation to all of us.

In the Scriptures today we deal with blindness and how Jesus dealt with it. We see Him restore physical sight to a blind man. We also see in Psalm 119 that The Lord gives “sight” to the spiritually blind. Indeed, throughout the Old and New Testaments we see spiritual and physical blindness being restored. Men and women who have walked in spiritual or physical blindness have had their vision restored. God excels in this. It’s almost as though He delights in enabling His people to see Him. Like our friend in Worcester, we may have different perspectives, but He delights in allowing His people to meet and from our different perspectives, to bring greater light than we could ever have achieved on our own.

In writing this morning’s meditation I’ve traced the restoration of sight from the Gospel back into the Psalms and tried to draw out the wonder of God bringing light to blind eyes.

Jim & Phyllida Strickland.

Sight for the Blind

What is it you are wanting the Lord to do for you? The blind man wanted vision, to see the way we do. It seems he had been blind from birth, so couldn’t comprehend, The things that he would look at, when his blindness reached its end. But Jesus had compassion and told him he could see. His faith had made the difference from the way he used to be. And when the Saviour left him, he followed on behind, Praising God for giving sight to someone who was blind. This story is recorded in the gospel of saint Luke. There in chapter eighteen we see it was no fluke. For Jesus was in “business” to give the people sight, When all that they had ever seen was never-ending night! But Jesus also shed His light on what is in His Word. And He will end our darkness, by the words that we have heard. He opens up our minds so that each one of us can see, The Scriptures that were written for the likes of you and me. The Lord God has been doing this for some two thousand years. He’s brought His understanding to mollify our fears. His Word is never changing, so what He did back then, Is what He’s made available for ordinary men. Now Jesus has ascended and sent the paraclete; His precious Holy Spirit so that Satan can be beat. He said that He would do it and so it’s guaranteed, That everything He did back then still could be done indeed. His brother James has told us, that all gifts from above, Come down to us from heaven, from the God of light and love. His gifts are not deceitful when they’re cascading down. They’re not two-faced or fickle; the very best in town. So if we ask the Father for wisdom and insight, He will not disappoint us and we’ll receive His light! We’ll grow in Godly knowledge. He’ll flood our hearts with hope, To better understand all things and show us how to cope. We’ll be His Holy People and know His mighty power. Our glorious inheritance, that’s bigger every hour. Then, as we honour Jesus, His Spirit will ensure, That while all of our motives are good and clean and pure, Our eyes indeed He’ll open, so that we all can see, Far better than that blind man He healed in Galilee. Jim Strickland – Written Wednesday 3rd Jan 2012