JESUS’ SUFFERINGS

Time with Jesus - Saturday, 14 January 2012

Hi all,

Some two thousand years after Calvary we look back on our history with much unbelief and with little sense of understanding of what took place that day. We shouldn’t! It’s the most important day in human history. Time has bound a sort of cocoon around us. We know what happened, but have heard about it so often we tend to yawn and ask, “What’s for lunch?”

I’m reminded of what General Eisenhower said when the Allied forces came across the concentration camps. He said, “Make sure this is thoroughly documented. Some day in the future some bastard (quote) will say it never happened.” He was right. Many Muslims today believe it is a figment of Western imagination; a concoction to produce sympathy for Israel. They don’t like the truth about the holocaust so they claim it didn’t happen. And that was only 65 years ago.

The late Rev John Stoddard Kennedy, sometimes known as “Woodbine Willie”, wrote a poem during the First World War. He got the nickname from crawling round the trenches at immense personal risk giving cigarettes (Woodbines) and bringing comfort to dying soldiers. Called “Indifference”; I’ve tinkered with it slightly to make it more relevant for today. When I first read it, I wept like a baby. Sometimes I still do!

INDIFFERENCE
When Jesus came to Golgotha, they hanged Him on a tree. They drove great nails through hands and feet, and made a Calvary. They crowned Him with a crown of thorns.  Red were His wounds and deep. For those were crude and cruel days and human life was cheap.	When Jesus came to Randburg, they simply passed Him by. They never hurt a hair of Him.  They only let Him die. For men had grown more tender and they would not cause Him pain. They only just passed down the street and left Him in the rain.	Still Jesus cried, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And still the thunderstorm poured down and drenched Him through and through: The crowds went home, and left Him, to stare at the TV. And Jesus crouched against a wall and wept for Calvary

What disturbs me is that the crucifixion has become little more than an historical event. Oh yes, the recent movie, “The Passion” touched many people. But 10 years later, who remembers it? Very few.

Strangely enough, the Prophet Isaiah described it in fascinating detail. The gospels don’t say much about it. I suspect they were deliberately cautious of conveying incorrect information.

What about you and me? Are we aware of the enormity of what happened? Do we sense the part we played in the drama of that day? “But that was 2000 years ago” I hear people comment. For me it’s much more than just a story. I see myself in almost every character that condemned and crucified Him. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Thanks for that Lord. I need your prayer and protection more than I dare admit.

Our meditation today looks at the Passion of the Christ.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland.

Jesus’ Sufferings

The suffering of Jesus on the day He bled and died, Was more than just a simple case of being crucified! That sort of death was common. Too many died that way. It was a sort of standard death, Rome practised in that day. Many men had been there; they died in agony. So what was extra special when He died for you and me? It wasn’t crucifixion. Though that was bad enough. It was a combination of factors that were tough. The gospels don’t describe it. The prophets made it clear, How much that He would suffer before His death was near! His face was so disfigured, His body was so marred, That He could not be recognised. This fact is very hard, For us to come to grips with. His beard they just ripped out. The pain of going through it. Try it, if you’re in doubt! But that alone was not enough to change how He appeared. It seems they broke His nose and cheeks while people stood and cheered! The crown of thorns upon His head would cause His blood to flow So when the people looked at Him, Who was He? None would know! The whipping and the beating by the Romans was routine. They “qualified” in viciousness and knew what pain could mean. They didn’t have a limit; some men were flogged to death.       And they’d continue flogging Him, until His final breath.

The Roman way of flogging was to carry on and on, Until the victim passed away, or all His strength was gone. They seldom flogged a victim, who would be crucified. They knew that if they did so, too soon he would have died. They would prolong his agony as long as what they could, So wouldn’t flog the victim first. He’d die before he should. How long were people on the cross before they passed away? The records tell us of a man who lingered nine whole days. We know that they flogged Jesus for as much as He could take. They didn’t plan on killing Him. Their “jobs” were all at stake. But when at last they’d finished, the Lord could hardly stand. The cross was far too heavy. That wasn’t what they planned. Simon of Cyrene was compelled to do this for The Lord. He walked behind the cross. He couldn’t do much more. And then they stripped Him naked and nailed Him to that “tree”, For anyone to look at and everyone to see. But no one recognised Him; just as Isaiah said. Beaten, flogged and crucified and left till He was dead. But by this act of dying, the serpent’s head was crushed. And in the self-same process, the Master’s heel was touched. But what no one could understand and no one else could see, Was what was done to Jesus, was meant for you and me! For He was not a sinner. That one was you and I. And it is what we all deserve from God who reigns on high. Jim Strickland – Written Saturday 14th January 2012

DEALING WITH THE ANGRY MAN

Time with Jesus - Friday, 13 January 2012

Hi all,

The majority of people I’ve met do not like confrontation. I’m not too keen on it myself. We want people to like us. In fact we seldom say anything which others may perceive as offensive. So we try to keep a foot in both camps. If Tom and Dick disagree with each other, we don’t want either side to think we are not with them. So we smile and say the “right thing” to both hoping that they won’t check out what we have said to them individually. It’s hypocrisy but we seem to be able to live with it.

We see this sort of thing depicted on many of our TV shows. A group will be discussing something together usually associated with what the boss will do or say. The comments are seldom complimentary. Then, when the boss makes an appearance, we smile politely and suddenly abandon our opinions and go along with the boss. We don’t want to get the boss angry. So we smile at him and pretend that nothing is wrong.

I think this is a fair description of what most people do. We’ve seen it being done from the sidelines. To be honest, I’ve done it myself more times than I care to admit. The problem is fear of the unknown. How many times has your wife said to you, or have you said to your wife, don’t mention that in front of …….. You know how touchy he/she gets when that’s mentioned. So we say nothing.

As husbands and wives we quickly learn what not to say in front of him/her. We begin married life being able to talk about anything and everything. Then, something is said which sparks a bad reaction. So we learn not to speak about that again. It’s helpful to say that we have closed that particular door in a relationship. As we continue to live together, we close more and more doors. Finally we have nothing left to talk about and the marriage fails.

To further complicate this, we find that our spouse gets angry if we keep on coming back to the same thing. In the early days of our marriage, I discovered that if I mentioned something about a particular member of the family, I’d get an angry reaction from Phyllida. Incidentally, she had much the same problem with me! There was a very good recommendation on fireworks. It read, “Light the blue touch paper and stand well back”. So Phyllida and I did our best to keep clear of the “blue touch paper”. If we did, there could be an angry explosion!

The fact remains that we must be able to deal with anger. But how do we do it? Ignoring the problem doesn’t help. We have to learn to do it with tact, patience and humility. We have to learn to be diplomatic in our approach.

What few realise is the Bible has a great deal to say about anger and how to deal with angry people. For instance, what do I say when Phyllida comes home with a new hairdo that looks as though she has been dragged through a bush backwards? I daren’t tell her that it’s hideous. In any case, it’s a perception and we may not agree on this issue. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I’d better stop looking!

But there are ways of dealing with an angry man. As a consultant in the power station industry I’ve had to learn how to deal with touchy clients. Today’s meditation looks at this.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland.

Dealing With The Angry Man

It’s always hard apologising to an angry man! Even coming close to him, could be a “dodgy” plan. You don’t know his reactions. It may be he’ll explode; And dump on you the consequence of his unpleasant load. At times we have to do it. There isn’t any choice. We have to go and say it, to obey the Master’s voice. But they are ways of speaking, which will not make him riled. The danger is for him to think you treat him like a child. So don’t be condescending and try not to be blunt. For that will be disaster, when you and he confront. You’ll find it’s very easy when you give the man a gift. Take responsibility, for your side of the rift. Use the sort of language that he’ll think you’ve told a joke. Don’t intimidate him; He’s not that sort of bloke. Always take the humble route. It very seldom fails. Never try to “hammer him” for he will sense the nails. Do not beat about the bush, but do not be too rash. His anger just might flare up and give your nose a bash. Seek to fix the focus, not so much on what He’s done. For if you do it nicely, the angry man is won. I know this from experience. I know that it sounds weak. But if you do it properly, you’ll come across as meek. But do not ever lie to him. You’ll find that if you do, When the honest truth comes out, he’ll surely turn on you. This little bit of wisdom; please know it isn’t mine. I’ve found the perfect pattern, from Jesus Christ Divine. When the people hurt Him, He didn’t say a thing. Even when the lash of tongues, produced an awful sting. He didn’t answer anger, He gently took it all; Even though all heaven would answer to His call. I know it isn’t easy. It is the humble way. But if you help your brother, you’ll seldom hear him say, That he is disappointed. You won’t provoke his ire. Then, trust in the Lord Jesus, to dispel his angry fire. This tried and trusted method will help your faith increase. You’ll see how very quickly, you’ll have the Lord’s release. You’ll find this fellow’s anger will be under God’s control. Then trust in the Lord Jesus to fill body, mind and soul. Jim Strickland – Written Friday 13th January 2012.

HISTORY’S PANOLPLY

Time with Jesus - Thursday, 12 January 2012

I’ve sometimes wondered if authors have favourite pieces of their own writing. I know I have had the privilege of composing a couple of poems of which I’m particularly fond. My favourite is one called “Come”. It was inspired by the chorus, “Come, now is the time to worship”. It took place at a Ladies Conference in Fish Hoek for Aglow. I came to fetch Phyllida. She had been the speaker on that occasion. I crept in at the back of the audience just before she finished speaking. There had been a couple of brief references to weddings. Then, as the chorus was being sung I had a vision of the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen. The vision was breathtaking. Then as I began to meditate on the vision I felt that I was seeing a picture of Jesus’ bride standing at the entrance of a heavenly “church building”. (If such a thing is possible) She was about to walk down the isle and Jesus was standing waiting to receive her. The poem described the preparations, the décor and what I thought was passing through His mind as He looked at her. I’ve attached a copy for your information.

Today’s meditation I suspect will become one of my favourites. The overview of prophetic history and the progressive unfolding of God’s Word to His people touches me deeply. I’ve always believed that God’s revelation of Himself to men and women unfolded over the years as people’s understanding of Himself became apparent. This is not to be misunderstood as a rejection of the inspiration of Scripture. Not at all. I love the way the NIrV translates Paul’s second letter to Timothy. ¹⁵ You have known the Holy Scriptures ever since you were a little child. They are able to teach you how to be saved by believing in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ God has breathed life into all of Scripture. It is useful for teaching us what is true. It is useful for correcting our mistakes. It is useful for making our lives whole again. It is useful for training us to do what is right. ¹⁷ By using Scripture, a man of God can be completely prepared to do every good thing. 2 Tim 3:15-17 NIrV. At the same time I’ve always accepted that God would not provide us with more information than we need at the time or our minds would “freak out”.

So I’m blessed when I find Samuel Bagster giving us a progressive revelation from Job to the New Jerusalem. Whether this was deliberate or accidental is unknown. But of this I’m convinced. There are times when men of God record things which may not be Scripture. But they are the promptings of the Holy Spirit leading us to a progressive understanding of His Word. I’d like to think that today’s meditation is included among such writings.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland.

History’s Panolply

The panoply of history is right before our eyes. From Job, to New Jerusalem. It comes as no surprise, To know that someone’s interested to bring it all in view. In Samuel Bagster’s Evening Light, he shows it all to you. He starts off with a picture of Job upon his bed. Longing for the night to end and wishing he was dead. He doesn’t say it openly, but no one can deny, That what he had experienced would make him long to die. His body covered totally with boils and worms and sores. With pus in an eruption from each one of his pores. How can a man be faithful, when suffering this blight? Not even in the holocaust, did people see this sight. We then move on to Edom, where Esau was their dad. They hated Jacob’s offspring and in many ways were bad. They clapped as they watched Babylon lead Israel away. They smashed their babies on the rocks and said, “Hip Hip Hooray!” But Father God was watching and His righteousness was pained. And when at last He dealt with them, not one of them remained. We read the words that David spoke before he passed away. He wanted his descendants to fear the Lord each day. He told them to rule wisely, with justice and be fair. He said they’d see the light of God and know the Father’s care. Jesus came and told them that His house had many rooms. He’d prepare a place for them and come back very soon. Then all of His disciples for evermore would be,      Living in the home he had prepared especially.

It was the New Jerusalem, in which there was no night. A home for all believers, where God’s glory was the light. They were not to be troubled and not to be afraid. Not to be down-hearted and not to be dismayed. He said they’re children of the light; Yes, children of the day. He would come again to them and never go away. But until it happened, He gave them all His peace. He also had a love for them that would not ever cease. What a lovely picture Bagster “painted” long ago. A picture of how things would change, from what they used to know. A lovely understanding, of progressive revelation. Of God changing the circumstance for each and every nation. Preparing for a future, that forevermore would be, Being with the Saviour in a new eternity. Not of boils and worms and sores, but living in a place, Where they would know the Master and the wonders of His grace. Jim Strickland – Written Thursday 12th January 2012  Come Prayer Lord, what is the picture that You would have me paint. A very special portrait for a very special saint. A picture to bring comfort and help her try to see, What’s about to happen to the one betrothed to Thee. I’d like to try and show her how You feel about Your bride. The keen anticipation You have bubbling inside. I’d like to draw the veil aside so she can take a peek, At all the preparations; and then to ask You, speak To her about the wedding, and of the part she’ll play, So she may get a glimpse of what will happen any day. Answer: See the decorations. See what’s been prepared. Nothings too much trouble. No expenses spared. Look at all the tablecloths. See the fine detail. Everyone a masterpiece on a gigantic scale. Made from purest linen, enhanced with fine damask. Hand stitched by the angels who exalted in their task. Look at all the dinner plates laid out in perfect rows. Fashioned out of diamonds. Observe how each one glows! The goblets on the table, designed to look like bells, Were chiselled out of marble as thin as oyster shells. See, the candelabra, with aromatic oil, Shining like a million suns with light which cannot spoil. The fragrance and the perfume have been carefully selected. There’s only just a trace of it. But it can be detected; Recognised by everyone as what they each prefer, Combined with flower blossoms, and just a hint of myrrh. The seats around the table were specially made for Me; Hand crafted to perfection from solid ebony; Inlaid with polished walnut and rosewood decoration, And scarlet velvet padding for a royal coronation. The room is large and airy. It’s circular in size. No matter where a person sits, they’ll look into My eyes. No matter where a guest may be, each one will sit beside The honoured bridal party, the Bridegroom and My bride. The entertainment’s perfect; The music is sublime; Conducted by an angel and composed by the Divine. The timbre’s soft, yet lilting, to set the heart on fire, Accompanied in harmony by the angelic choir. The Church is a Cathedral. It’s specially designed, To cope with the invited guests. The walls have all been lined With panelling of cedar, upon which has been draped, Tapestries of golden thread, all beautifully shaped, And woven in the texture of pure translucent silk. Exquisite in their artistry, in frames as white as milk. The altar is behind me. I’m standing right beside. My heart is filled with longing. I’m waiting for my bride. I’m filled with expectation and terribly excited. My love is reaching out to her, and with her I’m delighted. The guests have all been seated. The organ has begun To play a Royal Wedding March. I feel I want to run! I want to run and catch you and hold you very tight. I’ve waited, O so very long, and now the time is right I gaze in expectation at the carpet on the floor It stretches right from where I am beyond the Church’s door. It’s coloured red as crimson. Its pile is deep and plush. No one has ever walked on it. Then suddenly, a hush Descends upon the people. The moment has arrived. That instant in eternity for which creation's strived. I hear the trumpet signalling it’s fanfare of delight I lift My eyes and I behold a real breathtaking sight. For, standing in the doorway is the woman of my dreams. The only one I’ve ever loved. The one who truly means Far more to Me than anything or anyone I’ve known. The woman I am longing for to share our Heavenly home. I gaze at her enraptured. She is a stunning sight. She’s wearing a white wedding gown of shimmering, liquid light. It has no spot or wrinkle, or stain of any kind. The outline of its symmetry is perfectly defined. It reaches from her shoulders to just above the ground, Alive with pleats and swirling folds where shadows can’t be found. Her veil is woven gossamer that’s overlaid with lace. It stretches from her coronet, obscuring her shy face. Her bouquet’s made from orchids, white as the driven snow, Which compliment her wedding gown and helps to make it glow. My hands spread out in greeting. My only thought is, “Come!” “Come to Me, My darling!” Her beauty strikes Me dumb! I almost can’t believe it. It’s too much to take in. At last I’m looking at My bride! Here is My next of kin. I hear the music’s playing. She’s walking down the aisle The journey takes forever. It seems a million miles. My heart inside is pounding. It’s beating like a drum And all I want to say to her is, “Come, My darling, Come!” At last she is in front of me. I take her by the hand. We turn and face My Father. In front of Him we stand. “Do you take this woman?” I hear My Father say. “Will You love and honour her, regardless? Come what may? So, in front of everyone, our marriage vows we make. We promise to be faithful and then I gently take The veil that was obscuring her face so I can see An unobstructed vision of the woman made for Me. Now I see her clearly. I gaze into her eyes. The woman I am looking at’s not hard to recognise. Lovelier than sun rise on roses dabbed with dew. The one who takes My breath away; My precious one, it’s you! Can you see the picture? Do you understand, What it is I’m saying as I reach out with My hand? Can you feel the tension of what is in the air? Comprehend what has been done in order to prepare For the special moment when I will take My bride, To live with through eternity - forever by My side? Tell this to My daughter. Tell her what I see. Tell her that I love her. She’s sanctified for Me. Say I’ve been protecting her each moment, every day Smoothing out the obstacles strewn all along the way. Tell her that I see her as a girl of seventeen, Radiant and virginal; the portrait of a queen. Not a spot or blemish; completely wrinkle free. Ultimate perfection personified for Me. Isn’t it fantastic? Isn’t it sublime? Isn’t this a miracle direct from the Divine? Isn’t this the vision that’s coursing through your soul? The thing you have sort after and set up as your goal? For I’ve watched you dreaming and know what you desire. Know you have a love for Me, that’s set your heart on fire. Watched you face life’s problems. Know what you can do. Understand your weaknesses, and I would say to you. Do not be downhearted, bothered or perplexed. I‘ve seen what you’ve been doing, and know what happens next. So, can reassure you, there’s nothing you need fear, For I will take the pain away and dry up every tear. Take courage now My daughter. The wedding has been planned. The invitations have been sent out to all throughout the land. The bridal chamber’s been prepared. The honeymoon is booked. The wedding feast will soon take place. The food is being cooked. There’s nothing left outstanding; no detail left undone. You know that I can hardly wait, and so I bid you, “Come!” Come to me the way you are. Put on your wedding gown. It is robe of righteousness, as soft as eider down. You can’t improve upon it, regardless how you try. I gave it to you as a gift, which money cannot buy. You do not need cosmetics. Your beauty’s not skin deep. Put aside your jewels. The crown I give, you’ll keep. Your hairstyle’s unimportant. A perm, you do not need. And as for your accessories - put them aside, I plead. So, finally, My precious one, to you I am appealing “Come and wear My wedding ring”. I say again with feeling. “Come and join your bridegroom and be My blushing bride.” For this is the inheritance for which you’ve often cried. United with your lover, your husband and your King. To sit with Me in glory and wear My wedding ring. Jim Strickland