MARTYRDOM!

Time with Jesus - Sunday, 05 August 2012

Hi all,

Over 150 years ago, two young Dutch men sold themselves into slavery. They wanted to minister to a small island off the coast of South America. The island was owned by a wealthy non-believer who vowed his slaves would never hear about Jesus Christ. They went to the island willingly to take the Gospel to the people. To the best of my knowledge, they never returned to Holland. Could I do that? Could you?

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Sunday, 05 August 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	MARTYRDOM!
Martyrdom is a frightening prospect. I don’t think I’ve heard of anyone who looks forward to the possibility of giving their life for Jesus. We use the expression extensively in 21st Century Christianity. “I gave my life to Jesus”. It sounds very noble; exciting even. But what we mean when we use the expression has very little to do with the underlying meaning of what it states. Perhaps the best known book on the topic of martyrdom is “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs”. It’s not exactly bed-time reading. But if you would like information on martyrdom, this book is a must read. The details of what men and women experienced because of their belief in Jesus Christ are horrifying. Men, women and children slaughtered barbarically because they would not deny Him. When I read these stories I feel ashamed. I’m not sure if I could bear up under the strain of what took place. The real problem is that I’m a card carrying member of “Cowards Incorporated”. The fact that these atrocities were carried out in the Name of Jesus Christ makes no sense at all. It’s rather like the Auschwitz guards going home at the end of the day to play with their children, sing Christmas Carols and enjoy home life! So what do you and I do about this possibility? The best suggestion I’ve heard came from David Pawson. He stated that if you can bear up under small issues, when the big issues come along, you will have the courage to endure. The suggestion sounds good. Sadly, I’m not in a position to recommend it. Another comment I read was by Corrie ten Boom, the Dutch lady who was taken to Ravensbruck Concentration Camp. Her comment was that God gives you the ticket when you are on the train. John Huss is recorded as the Lord telling him, “Today I give you grace for living. Tomorrow I’ll give you grace for dying!” One thing about being a martyr, He doesn’t see it as extraordinary. It’s a part of life. If I’ve given my life to Jesus and He decides that it’s in the best interests of His Kingdom that you or I be martyred, He won’t stop it. He died for me. The least He can expect from me is to be willing to die for Him! Personally, I don’t relish the prospect. I’m in good company. What happened to Him in Gethsemane and the next day in Jerusalem did not appeal to Him. Hebrews tells us, 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honour beside God's throne. Hebrews 12:2 NLT If this was His attitude, dare we think we will be better treated by the world? It’s unlikely. If that’s what they did to Him, I can’t expect better treatment. Jim & Phyllida Strickland.			42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, "My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, Your will be done." Matthew 26:42 NLT 23 I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. Jeremiah 10:23 ESV 39 He went on a little farther and bowed with His face to the ground, praying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine." Matthew 26:39 NLT 2 Instead, I have kept my soul calm and quiet. My soul is content as a weaned child is content in its mother's arms. Psalms 131:2 GW 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27 ESV 22 "You don't know what you're asking for," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup of suffering I am going to drink?" "We can," they answered. Matthew 20:22 NIrV 15 So he gave them what they asked for. But he also sent a sickness that killed many of them. Psalms 106:15 NIrV 6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 1 Corinthians 10:6 TNIV 32 I don't want you to have anything to worry about. A single man is concerned about the Lord's matters. He wants to know how he can please the Lord. 1 Corinthians 7:32 NIrV 3 LORD, you will give perfect peace to anyone who commits himself to be faithful to you. That's because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3 NIrV	For years he’d been a Christian and he had served the Lord. His life had been exciting and he was seldom bored. He wasn’t very special; at least not in his eyes. But from the aspect of the Lord he was of giant size! He’d only done his duty. But it was widely known, That since he was a Christian, this man was not his own. Some people didn’t like it. “There is no God!” they said. “And we would be much better off, if only He was dead”. And so they schemed and plotted; invented evidence, That if you really looked at, it didn’t make much sense. But they were influential; they always got their way. It wasn’t very difficult, provided they could pay! They had our man arrested and he was duly tried. “Away with him” they shouted. “We want him crucified”! “What has he done?” folk wondered. “He isn’t steeped in sin!” He didn’t even get the chance to speak above the din! They dragged him to the courtyard and nailed him to a tree, They watched him suffering and die in dreadful agony. Our man had been a martyr. His life was snatched away. But he had gone there willingly, when he had died that day. The media were horrified. How could this ever be? The people of the nation said, “What is this we see? How could those wicked people have done this dreadful thing? Justice is perverted here; what can we do to bring, A true sense of the value of what the deed has done, To smash the very fabric of trusting in God’s Son? They raised a great furore, about the dreadful deed. And God looked down from heaven. That death planted a seed, Which sprang forth in abundance and turned the town around; Away from godless practices, to where the Gospel’s found! There was a great revival. God’s Spirit touched men’s hearts. And that’s the point at which we know is where salvation starts. It spread around the country - God’s Spirit everywhere! He changed the hearts of thousands through what had happened there. The death of just one martyr, had been the catalyst, Of bringing thousands to the Lord. So friend, do not insist, That living in God’s Kingdom is just a life of ease. You could be the next martyr, if that would Jesus please! Jim Strickland – Written 5th August 2012

THE CHRISTIAN WALK

Time with Jesus - Saturday, 04 August 2012

Hi all,

We serve a God of faithful compassion and mercy. A God Who loves us with an incomprehensible love; a God who made provision for each and everyone’s salvation, before He formed the earth. There is no sin we can imagine that His love cannot deal with. At the same time, His values are not the same as ours. The advancement of His Kingdom is more important than our comfort. He also requires our obedience, even when we don’t want to obey. Some men go to the grave because in so doing, He is greatly glorified. Will we do it? That’s our meditation.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Saturday, 04 August 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 CHRISTIAN WALK
I was deeply touched a couple of weeks ago by a testimony I read in one of the magazines. The testimony concerns the life of Joachim von Ribbentrop, the Nazi Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was the first of the war criminals executed on 16 October 1946. The story concerns his young niece. With a name like von Ribbentrop, it’s easy to imagine how she and her husband were hounded round Germany and anywhere else they wished to live. As a close family member she had loved her uncle and was greatly traumatized by his trial and execution. Shortly after the war she converted to Christianity. But she was desperately unhappy about Uncle Joachim and where he would be after his death. It so happened that one evening she attended a prayer meeting where she shared her burden with others. Afterwards she was approached by a woman who said that at that time she had prayed for the men on trial for war crimes. Several years later she came across a man who had been one of the Nuremburg guards. He said that during the days prior to von Ribbentrop’s execution, a man of God had regularly visited the condemned men and led all but three of them to the Lord. Joachim von Ribbentrop was one of those who received a death cell revelation of Jesus Christ. He went to his death knowing that in spite of all he had done, Jesus Christ loved him and had forgiven him. I am not in a position to confirm or deny this story. What I can say is that the love of Jesus Christ has no limits. He can even save a Nazi! He did! Today’s meditation looks at Jesus’ willingness to save a Christian from the miry pit. I’m not referring to salvation. I’m referring to those on the road of life. Sometimes He delivers. Sometimes He does not. It doesn’t help asking Him why?  So much depends on God’s purposes. On occasions He gets more glory from the death of an individual than from rescuing him from his circumstance. To some degree it also depends on us! We also don’t have the benefit of hindsight. For example, the destruction of Jerusalem, along with the captivity and transportation of the people to Babylon. It was thought to be catastrophic. Indeed it was for the Jews at the time. But for the Kingdom of God it was critical. The Jewish “diaspora” meant that Paul and other evangelists could visit Jews all over the then known world. This might never have happened without the Babylonian captivity. No one could have realised in 586BC anything about its future significance. Hopefully, if Jesus tarries, by 2345, something worthwhile will have been identified from the Holocaust. God alone knows what that might be. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			16 He reached down from high above and took hold of me. He pulled me out of the raging water. Psalms 18:16 GW 2 I was sliding down into the pit of death, and he pulled me out. He brought me up out of the mud and dirt. He set my feet on a rock. He gave me a firm place to stand on. Psalms 40:2 NIrV 1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil--the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else. Ephesians 2:1-3 NLT For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments. 1 O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! 2 From the ends of the earth, I cry to You for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, Psalms 61:1-2 NLT 2 He said, "I cried out to the LORD in my great trouble, and He answered me. I called to You from the land of the dead, and LORD, You heard me! 3 You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea. The mighty waters engulfed me; I was buried beneath Your wild and stormy waves. Jonah 2:2-3 NLT 12 Then You put a leader over us. We went through fire and flood, but You brought us to a place of great abundance. Psalms 66:12 NLT 2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. Isaiah 43:2 NLT	How much does Jesus care for us? How far will Jesus go, To save us when we’re sinking into the world below? It’s something we can’t measure. It’s up to you and me. In fact it’s all a measure of our sincerity. Of course He has no favourites. He treats us all the same. It’ isn’t our ability, our fortune or our fame. But somehow He can see the things we harbour deep inside. He looks at our integrity and any inward pride. “Mene, Mene, Tekel” was written on the wall;   (See Daniel 5:25-26) If tried and still found wanting. His rescuing will stall. It’s not that He’s vindictive. He truly wants to save. But so much is dependent on the way that we behave. It isn’t what we’re saying. He looks at what we do. There’s many other factors preceding our rescue. It’s not so much our sinning, for He takes care of that. Do we have teach-ability and where it is we’re at? To rescue from the miry pit; is it worth His while? Is His Kingdom better off with or without our smile? We do not know these answers. We cannot even guess. I know from my position, I hope the answer’s “Yes!” Salvation isn’t given by the rolling of the dice. It’s also not a question of whether we are “nice”. It’s what He sees within us. Our capability, Of loving Him forever, no matter where we be! Each and every factor goes through the Saviour’s mind. Will we be His servant, gentle, pure and kind? If He thinks it’s possible, He’ll reach down from on High. And draw us from the miry pit. If not, He’ll let us die. I know that this sounds cruel. It’s difficult and tough. But then again the Christian life is arduous and rough. There’s little point in rescue if you’ll quickly take a tumble; If you are proud and arrogant instead of being humble. If it’s vaguely possible, you needn’t be afraid. The Lord is always standing by, to give to you his aid. But He will not be cheated and He cannot be conned. He doesn’t stoop to foolish tricks nor wave a magic wand. He looks at the reality of character and style If they are not present, you’ll miss Him by a mile. He will always rescue those who’ll make Him Lord and King, Hold them by His mighty hand and give them everything. Jim Strickland –Written 3rd August 2012

ELI, HOPHNI AND PHINEAS

Time with Jesus - Friday, 03 August 2012

Hi all,

Eli, Hophni and Phineas are the topic of our meditation. Eli’s two sons were not righteous. Reprobate would probably be a better word to describe them. What we learn in this meditation is that God holds us responsible for the behaviour of our children. If you arten’t happy with this, take it up with Him!

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Friday, 03 August 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	ELI, HOPHNI AND PHINEAS
1981 was a difficult year for me. It started with serious marriage problems which culminated in divorce. It was also the year Phyllida and I met and married. The reason I mention this is because my youngest son was three months younger than Phyllida’s youngest son. There was only three months between them. So we often referred to them as the “step-twins”. They were both in Primary School. In the same grade, but in different classes. For a number of reasons, it was necessary for them both to live with Phyllida and me in 1982. That was a new experience for all of us. They may have been step-brothers or even step-twins. But they were very different. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells a story about a man who had two sons. 28 "Tell me what you think of this story: A man had two sons. He went up to the first and said, 'Son, go out for the day and work in the vineyard.' 29 "The son answered, 'I don't want to.' Later on he thought better of it and went. 30 "The father gave the same command to the second son. He answered, 'Sure, glad to.' But he never went. 31 "Which of the two sons did what the father asked?" They said, "The first." Jesus said, "Yes, and I tell you that crooks and whores are going to precede you into God's kingdom. Matthew 21:28-31 MSG.  Phyllida and I found this story by Jesus described our sons perfectly. When asked to do something, one said “No” and then went and did it. The other said, “OK!” but didn’t do it. Phyllida and I often spoke about that in 1982. In today’s meditation we look at Eli and his two sons, Hophni and Phineas. The first four chapters of 1st Samuel describe all three of them. At that time, Eli was functioning as the “High Priest”. Sadly, he had no influence over his sons. What happened to make them like this isn’t stated. One thing we do know is that from God’s perspective, Eli was responsible for them. He should have disciplined them. He didn’t and they ended up unmanageable. Worse than that. They used their position as the sons of the High Priest to ignore God’s clear instructions and do what they wanted. Ultimately God judged Eli for not controlling his sons and He judged the two sons. All three of them died just as the Lord had said through His prophet. We all need to bear in mind that God is not permissive. Furthermore, every sin that has been, is now, or ever will be committed will be judged. Nothing is overlooked. Eli died when he learned that the Philistines had captured the ark. His two sons died in the battle with the Philistines. Thus Samuel became the new “High Priest”. Since he was a Levite, he was eligible. God “promoted” him. Jim and Phyllida Strickland			30 Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: 'I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,' but now the LORD declares: 'Far be it from me, for those who honour me I will honour, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 1 Samuel 2:30 ESV 32 "What about someone who says in front of others that he knows me? I will also say in front of my Father who is in heaven that I know him. Matthew 10:32 NIrV 37 "If you love your father or mother more than you love Me, you are not worthy of being Mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than Me, you are not worthy of being Mine. 38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow Me, you are not worthy of being Mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for Me, you will find it. Matthew 10:37-39 NLT 12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12 NLT 10 Don't be afraid of what you are going to suffer. The devil is going to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested. Your suffering will go on for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. Revelation 2:10 GW 17 For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honour on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1 Peter 1:7 NLT	The sorry tale of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, Is quite enough for us to read and then to say “alas”. These dreadful sons of Eli were not remaining true. They took advantage of the folk, did what they wanted to. God’s Word says they were scoundrels. They didn’t follow God. They helped themselves to anything and they would feel His rod. Eli tried to stop them. But he was getting old. And they took little notice of that which they were told. Now God had promised Aaron his house would always stand. His sons would be His Holy priests forever in their land. But when God looked upon them, He said, “This cannot be. I will honour everyone who truly honours me.” He also said to Eli that for their dreadful crime, Everyone in Eli’s line, would die before their time. Eli took it bravely, for what else could he do? Every word God spoke to him was what He wanted to. His sons were very wicked; according to God’s eyes; The time had come for Him to truly cut them down to size. Eli’s time as Priest of God was soon to pass away. Samuel was standing by. He’d be God’s Priest one day. That’s more or less what happened. Eli fell down dead. Just about the way the Lord through Samuel had said. His son’s Hophni and Phineas, both died on the same day, Fighting with the Philistines is how they passed away. To help them in the battle, Israel took the ark. The Philistines then captured it. They took it off to park, Alongside their god Dagon. Next morning when they rose, They found Dagon was lying down, as if before God’s toes. The moral of this story, is plain in Jesus sight. Don’t accept behaviour that clearly isn’t right. Better that you honour Him and He will honour you. When He tells you something, immediately do, That which He’s instructed. Prefer Him far above, Your family, your children; the family whom you love. The wife whom you have married; must all take second place. This is the one requirement to know the Master’s grace. Be prepared to suffer. Be faithful unto death. Love Him with your body and with each and every breath. The crown of life He’ll give you, that lasts forevermore; This is what awaits those whom Jesus they adore. Jim Strickland – Written 3rd August 2012