THE NAME GAME

Time with Jesus - Sunday, 03 June 2012

Hi all,

What’s in a name? Far more than we realise. We often “dump” a name on a baby with very little thought. It’s a nice name so that’s what the baby’s name will be. Be very careful. In many cases the baby will grow up into an expression of that name. Names are powerful; more powerful than we know. Today we meditate on names and naming.

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Sunday, 03 June 2012			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
©	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					©
	INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	THE NAME GAME
Names can be terribly embarrassing and difficult to live with. My wife Phyllida was given the name by her parents. The name means “green leaf” and since she was born in the Spring, it seemed appropriate to them at the time. I know her mother was “into” Shakespeare and this may be where they found it. The problem was that it was so unusual. She had to say it, repeat it and spell it to everyone she met. When I first met her, all I had heard was the name spoken by others. So one of my earliest Christian poems was dedicated to “Fillador”; “Filly” for short! I have been forgiven. Another danger is the reading of initials. Bernice, Agatha Gladstone gives rise to BAG as initials. Not a nice name for an attractive and virtuous young woman. It would be a disaster if Mr and Mrs Thomas named their son Stephan, Horatio, Ignatius or even Basil Andrew! Some of us may well remember the Johnny Cash song, “A boy named Sue”. An example of what happens when children are given “difficult” names. In Scripture, the child was given a name which was, in a sense, prophetic. A case in point is the name David. The name means “Beloved”. He is now remembered as the “beloved king of Israel” who was also God’s beloved. It’s an interesting exercise to examine the names given to Jacob’s twelve sons. In a miraculous way, these names described the character and behaviour of the recipient. In these cases you will find that the mother gave the name to their baby when they were born and the names represented something the mother knew or experienced at the time. One of the most poignant of these was Rachel’s second son. She died in childbirth and wanted to call him Benoni – son of my sorrow. Her husband overruled her and called him “Benjamin” – son of my right hand. Benjamin grew to be exactly what his name depicted; Jacob’s favourite whom he was reluctant to let out of his sight. He finally allowed it only when he was under great stress to feed his family. Her first son, Joseph (increase or addition) became Pharaoh’s Prime Minister. The story of how he came to be in Egypt and became Prime Minister is legendary. Because of this, Jacob and family went to Egypt and multiplied to the point where they became a great nation. We often find that the Lord tests us on the names we choose. For example if you choose to call your church, “Agape’” He will test your church’s love for members and outsiders. Jack Hayford knew all about this when his assembly began to increase in numbers. They collectively agreed to call themselves, “The Church on the Way”. By implication, they hadn’t arrived and were seeking to follow the will of God. Frankly I like this idea. None of us have arrived. We are seeking to be like Him. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am El-Shaddai--'God Almighty.' Serve Me faithfully and live a blameless life. Genesis 17:1 NLT 12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14 ESV 24 Enoch walked steadily with God. And then one day he was simply gone: God took him. Genesis 5:24 MSG 18 Grow in the grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Get to know him better. Give him glory both now and forever. Amen. 2 Peter 3:18 NIrV 18 As all of us reflect the Lord's glory with faces that are not covered with veils, we are being changed into his image with ever-increasing glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 GW 1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, John 17:1 ESV 15 I'm not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. John 17:15 NLT 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. John 17:23 NASB	Names were most important way back in Bible days. There wasn’t a Samantha; no Clint’s and not a Bae  (This is a name) Their names were the description of what they’d surely be. They also seemed to get it right and that’s whom you would see. Jacob meant “deceiver” And they sure got that right. He cheated and he tricked his way from everyone in sight. But he became the victim when he came to take a wife. When he awoke next morning, a big shock in his life! He’d wed the ugly sister! By then it was too late. He had to marry both of them; a somewhat cruel fate. With them and with their handmaiden who were his concubines, He had a daughter and twelve sons, the heads of family lines. We could go through his offspring and speak about their names. But space prevents this happening and we’d be playing games. Now when it came to Father God Who’s “Name” we do not know, Moses had a problem when the bush gave off its glow. When he asked, What Your Name is, “I AM” is what God said; For I AM God Almighty of the living and the dead. Whatever you are wanting, “I AM” all you need The Everlasting Holy One Who can do any deed. The ages will all come and go, but I remain the same. You never will define Me by giving Me a Name. It isn’t a coincidence, we are the same today, Our names define a person, no matter what men say. Upon my birth certificate is written Ernest, James. Ernest is appropriate, that’s what my family claims. And James denotes a cheater. And that was very true. It’s only Jesus in my life changed what I used to do! So please be very gentle when It comes to naming kids. Perhaps the names you give them will put them on the skids. Jacob got a new name. God called him “Israel” A prince who has prevailed with God. This name went down quite well. I’d also like a new one. But what should that name be? A name that shows my character and what men ought to see? A name that’s short for “bond slave of Jesus Christ my King”. I’ve scratched my head and pondered, but don’t know anything, That is a bit more suitable. But Ernest was my dad. So I’ve been known as Jimmy since I was just a lad. Perhaps now he’s departed that’s what I ought to pick? Not Clint nor Finn nor Akwell; not Yaegan, Grant nor Mick. But I have grown accustomed to answering to Jim. It satisfied my forebears; I hope it pleases Him! Jim Strickland Written 3rd June 2012

WHAT’S YOUR INHERITANCE?

Time with Jesus - Saturday, 02 June 2012

Hi all,

The Psalmist, in this case David, tells us, the Lord is his inheritance. Our meditation is about inheritance.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Saturday, 02 June 2012			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
©	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					©
	INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	WHAT’S YOUR INHERITANCE?
English expressions can be accurate and amusing. “People who live in glass houses should not throw stones”. For me this conjures up visions of someone living in a greenhouse and throwing stones at his neighbour! Ok, it sounds ludicrous. But the expression must have originated somewhere! Another is, “Where there’s a will there’s a way”.  This has been modified to read, “Where there’s a will there’s inheritors! One wonders what Hollywood or the TV program makers would do if they didn’t have a greedy relative trying desperately to get his hands on the fortune left to someone else. The story is more or less stereotype. At this point please do yourself a favour and make sure you have made a “Last Will and Testament” If you leave it too late it will be too late. Incidentally it’s never too soon for an adult to compile a will. If Jesus tarries, be assured that you are going to die. I’d like to guarantee it. But I may go before you!. The other important thing is to finalise the beneficiaries on your insurance policies. You may have nominated great aunt Suzie. But if she goes before you, the insurance company will have a nightmare trying to get things sorted. One of my favourite choruses is Lord You are. Lord, You are more precious than silver; Lord, You are more costly than gold; Lord, You are more beautiful than diamonds; And nothing I desire compares with You It encapsulates what our attitude toward the things of this world should be. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus put it succinctly: 36 What good is it for you to gain the whole world, yet forfeit your soul? 37 Or what can you give in exchange for your soul? Mark 8:36-37 TNIV How do we answer such a question? Our answer reveals our priorities! It’s an interesting observation that money and wealth are neutral. What is important is how we use what we have. We can spend thousands of Rand feeding the poor. We could use the same thousand Rand in the illegal drug trade. I’m sure Jesus would agree with my comment. He was never against money. His Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills! The question is, do you have money or does money have you? Only you can answer! It will be true if you rich or poor! So what do we do with an inheritance? You can spend it, or you can spend yourself using it. Spending money is easy. Watch a child with his pocket money. It will soon be gone. If you spend yourself for others and the promotion of Jesus Christ and the gospel, you will have acquired something money can never buy; an eternal inheritance. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			5 LORD, You alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine. 6 The land You have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance! Psalms 16:5-6 NLT 17 And since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering. Romans 8:17 NLT 21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 1 Corinthians 3:21 ESV 16 "My love belongs to me, and I belong to him. Like an antelope, he eats among the lilies. Song of Solomon 2:16 NIrV 20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:20 NASB 20 And the LORD said to Aaron, "You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel. Numbers 18:20 ESV 25 As long as I have you, I don't need anyone else in heaven or on earth. 26 My body and mind may waste away, but God remains the foundation of my life and my inheritance forever. Psalms 73:25-26 GW 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalms 23:4 ESV 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. 2 Timothy 1:12 ESV A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. 1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalms 63:1 ESV	I can’t forget my parents and how much they meant to me. You cannot put a value on a person’s family. We speak of astronomical and more than we can count. And now they have both passed away, I’d give any amount, To have a little chat with them, the way it used to be. My father and my mother, and little tiny me! But when I speak of “anything”, I don’t include my soul. That wouldn’t be God honouring, nor under His control. We know that God’s forbidden us from speaking with the dead. We have to go the Jesus and pray to him instead! So be aware I’m saying this quite sentimentally. It’s rather that I miss them and would like them here with me. Of know that this sounds selfish. But that’s not my intent. But just my way of saying, how much to me they meant. I know they had to leave me. I knew that they would die. They left me an inheritance, that fact I can’t deny. But that was only money and a little bit of land. They specified it in their will and so I understand, That they were quite determined that there would be no lack. But if it were just possible I’d love to give it back. Another thing to think about. Someday I too will go. And what my parents did for me, my family will know. But it is only earthly goods. It too will pass away. It may amount to billions, but on the judgement day, It won’t have any value. The silver and the gold, And all of our possessions can’t enter Jesus fold. But for those who love Jesus, the value of it all, Will surely be irrelevant, or infinitely small. You don’t need an inheritance if you are the high priest. God made it plain to Aaron. He didn’t need the least, Part of such an inheritance. He is the Lord Most High. And if He is your Saviour, you’ll surely never die! Of course, this mortal body will surely pass away. But He’ll give me another one when He comes back to stay. So let us tell the world about our Saviour, God and King. If they crucify you, it will not mean a thing. Let them cast your body into a pauper’s grave. They cannot touch your spirit. Jesus Christ will save, His people from destruction. No matter what they do, Jesus Christ has promised that He will be with you! He is your inheritance and He is worth far more, Than all this world can give you for an earthly treasure store. Jim Strickland – Written 2nd June 2012

EMMANUEL!

Time with Jesus - Friday, 01 June 2012

Hi all,

Isaiah prophesied it. Mary was the vehicle through whom the prophesy came true! Many Christians object to the overemphasis placed on Mary by the Roman Church; to be fair, we protestants under-value her. But, she was and is a unique channel of God’s blessing to humanity. Today’s meditation looks at this.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8  Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Friday, 01 June 2012			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
©	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					©
	INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	EMMANUEL!
There was a time when people believed the Bible and believed in God because the prophetic word had been fulfilled. There was no question that Jesus Christ was a real person. His miracles were accepted as fact. Every detail in the Bible was accepted as “Gospel” truth. For me, it is still the truth. It doesn’t really matter what others think. The Bible is true. It is the Word of God. Today there are more sceptics than believers. Indeed, many University professors and lecturers are not just sceptics, they are unbelievers! They may be theologians, but they believe nothing! As far as they are concerned, all religions are equal. They teach about the God they don’t know! In this regard I’m reminded of something Dr Ken Stewart said when I was in Bible School thirty years ago. He said he went to Seminary to prove the existence of God. He shared a room with a man who had gone to the same seminary to prove God doesn’t exist. Ken added that when he entered the seminary, about 20 students believed in God. By the time he qualified with his doctorate, there were only three believers remaining. Unbelief dominated the campus. What baffles me is how these men can be regarded as Christians. Thank God this is not true in all universities. There still remain those who are committed to Jesus Christ. Nevertheless it is a wise Christian parent who will warn their sons and daughters about the onslaught against Christianity they will encounter in many places of tertiary education. Today, it takes a certain amount of courage to face up to the challenge of the unbelieving “masses”. This is not new. It has been on-going for centuries. This world has always ridiculed those who are out of step with them. In this regard it is probably true that the Jews have suffered from this form of treatment since the days of the Egyptian Pharaohs. Some 2000 years ago, the Jewish people believed the time had come for God to send the Messiah. The Son of David who would deliver them from the hands of the Romans. It would have been the desire of nearly all the young women to be the mother of Messiah. No doubt many prayed and asked the Lord to choose her. There could be only one mother of Messiah. There would have been no shortage of applicants. Perhaps we might compare it with the young ladies in the 21st century who would have given anything to marry Prince William. Mary qualified biologically. She was descended from King David. She was young, loved the Lord, unmarried and a virgin. In addition, she was promised in marriage to Joseph, another descendant of King David. This was essential. The Jewish religious authorities knew the Messiah would be a “son of David”. They had all the genealogical records and would reject out of hand anyone called the Son of David unless it was possible. Then the date in history arrived when a young Jewish virgin would conceive miraculously, just as their prophets had foretold. Mary had been chosen “before the foundation of the world”. The time was exactly right. Mary conceived supernaturally. Her baby was the Son of God. It’s not necessary to go into the detail. It’s recorded for us in the Bible exquisitely. There we get a beautiful insight into what took place. A culmination of what is predicted so joyfully in Song of Songs. God’s love for His people through the woman of His choice! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			23 "Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us.'" Matthew 1:23 NLT 18 "But will God really live on earth among people? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain You. How much less this Temple I have built! 2 Chronicles 6:18 NLT 14 The Word became a human being. He made his home with us. We have seen his glory. It is the glory of the one and only Son. He came from the Father. And he was full of grace and truth. John 1:14 NIrV 16 Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory. 1 Timothy 3:16 NLT 2 And now in these final days, He has spoken to us through His Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son He created the universe. Hebrews 1:2 NLT 19 That Sunday evening, the disciples were together behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jews. Jesus stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you!" 20 When he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were glad to see the Lord. John 20:19-20 GW 26 A week later Jesus' disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 27 Then Jesus said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Take your hand, and put it into my side. Stop doubting, and believe." 28 Thomas responded to Jesus, "My Lord and my God!" John 20:26-28 GW 6 For a Child is born to us, a Son is given to us. The government will rest on His shoulders. And He will be called: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 NLT	Isaiah spoke about it, a long, long time ago. He had it written in his book, so everyone would know, There would be a Messiah long after he had died. Someone Who would save us from our sins of stubborn pride. He told us it would happen. He didn’t tell us when. And from that very point in time, the “Jews” saw it as “gen”. Examine what he prophesised. The Lord God would draw nigh. His name would be “Immanuel”, God with us from on High He said a virgin would conceive. That’s rather strange to me. How could that ever happen? It surely cannot be? But this is what would happen, just when the time was right. And from that time in history, the girls would pray at night, And ask to be the virgin who’d bring forth the Divine! She had to be descended from the Davidic line. We know that Mary qualified, her genealogy Complied with every aspect of Isaiah’s prophesy. So now we have the woman. A virgin through and through, Praying she would be the one whom this would happen to! Then when the Lord was ready and when the time was right, God’s Spirit “overshadowed” her one very special night. And here we see the miracle; a virgin girl conceived. We think it is impossible and hard to be believed. But nothing is impossible; not for the Living God. So why are we so sceptical and think that it was odd? But there’s something important. After the baby’s birth, She couldn’t be a virgin. Not on this present earth. I don’t need to explain it from man’s biology. I’m sure that every mother will totally agree! So Mary was a virgin until the birth was done. And she brought forth “Immanuel”, God’s One and only Son! They gave Him the Name “Jesus”, and people couldn’t tell. That He was God in overalls while being man as well! This was no schizophrenic! He made the universe. But when He came to be with us, He needed a wet nurse! Was this humiliation? He didn’t think that way. He only ever did the things He heard His father say. He lived among His people a life of truth and grace. And He became the Saviour, of all the human race! Exactly what Isaiah said, down to the fine detail, Took place when Jesus Christ was born. It happened without fail. A Son was given to us; a virgin girl gave birth. The “Everlasting Father” was sent from Heaven to Earth “The Prince of Peace”; the “Mighty God”, “The Counsellor Divine”, Came as had been promised to take your sins and mine. Indeed this really happened. Believe that it is true. For Jesus came and gave His life, for folk like me and you. Jim Strickland Written 1st June 2012