CORRECTION

Time with Jesus - Friday, 07 December 2012

Hi all,

“Correction”: Why is the word more acceptable than “discipline”? In South Africa we speak about “correctional services” and not “disciplinary services”. I can’t prove this but I think it has a lot to do with society’s reluctance to discipline. “Don’t smack a child’s bottom! He/she may be traumatised. Worse than that! You may have violated the child’s human rights! So we don’t discipline our children and wonder why school children are undisciplined and violent and why children are being raped at school. Today’s meditation looks at discipline and correction.

Blessings,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Friday, 07 December 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	CORRECTION
There is an English proverb that states, “Children should be seen and not heard”. Most of those who are 45 plus are probably familiar with it. Our parents quoted it and on occasions, when we were growing up, enforced it. It doesn’t seem to be observed any longer. In most homes we visit, children barge into the room where adults are talking. These children then interrupt the conversation. In the end, the only thing to do is leave and go home. Now it’s no concern of ours what others allow in their own homes. That’s entirely up to them. Unfortunately, allowing children to interrupt is another symptom in the general lack of discipline in society today; particularly among school children! The teaching profession in some societies has been seriously affected by bad behaviour in schools. Good teachers have left the profession, due to children’s rudeness; in some case through intimidation. In the main, this has come about by a distortion of this proverb. It has been revised to be, “Children should be seen and not hurt!” Obviously there is a difference between abuse and discipline. But the fact is, if children are not brought up with defined boundaries, they are unloved! Freedom has nothing to do with indiscipline. No one in South Africa is permitted to drive on the wrong side of the road. No one is permitted to steal or murder. These laws are in place for the benefit of society in general. We are not free to ignore them. Men are not permitted to use the women’s toilets and vice versa. If you park a vehicle in a “no parking” zone, you will be dealt with in terms of the law. To say you do not agree with the law will not exonerate you. The Bible is very clear about anti-social behaviour. It’s a definite No-No. God gave us 10 Commandments not 10 Suggestions. The Bible is also very clear about disciplining children. Read the following Scriptures: - Prov. 22:15, Prov.10:13, Prov.23:13-14, Prov.26:3, Prov.29:15. For the sake of space and clarity, the following more or less sums them all up. 15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far away. Prov. 22:15 TNIV The Lord has told us what to do. But we have freedom of choice, so we are not compelled to obey. There are always consequences to disobedience. Adam lost the Kingdom for disobeying one command. The same applies to us. It follows that if we obey Him, we will be rewarded. If we don’t, we won’t! He tells us what to do because He loves His children. He disciplines us in order to correct us that we may grow into mature men and women of God. But He will not discipline those who are not His children. He calls such people “bastards” and says they are illegitimate. The only question remaining is, “Are you sure you are His child?” Jim & Phyllida Strickland			11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. James 5:11 TNIV 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5 ESV 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening--it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. Hebrews 12:11 NLT 2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4 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 9 Each time He said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NLT	If you’ve been corrected, please know that you are blessed. You must have the answer right, for you to pass the test. Two plus two is four we know. But if you say it’s seven; You might have a problem with entrance into heaven. If you are a baby and have never been to school, You won’t be affected by this mathematics rule. But, if you’ve sat in classes and dreamed your life away, God will be demanding about the things you say! If it’s purely laziness, heaven’s not your place. You won’t stand the pressure of the things you’ll have to face! Heaven’s not a hospital for lazy, idle, saints. That is not the picture, the Holy Bible paints. We will all be busy, with lots of work to do. That’s why the Lord is training folk, the likes of me and you. Training will be difficult, in this world and the next. Do not curl your lip up and say this makes you vexed. The Lord will surely test you. If you don’t get it right, You will have to start again. It’s possible He might, Use the rod of discipline, to change your attitude. Know that it will sting a bit, for a short interlude. He does this ’cause He loves you. You really mustn’t fail, Or He will send His discipline to gently warm your tail! But if you are compliant and want to get along, He’ll build your endurance and make you firm and strong. This will mould your character and reinforce your hope, Shame will never bother you. His love will help you cope! Discipline is painful. That’s what He intended. He will carry on with it until the problem’s mended. When you’ve learned the lesson you’ll experience His peace. The related discipline, incredibly will cease, ‘til there’s another lesson the Lord wants you to learn. Then you must acquire it, or His discipline will burn! It isn’t any easier, when we become mature. There’s only one solution; learn quickly or endure, Another round of discipline. But keep this fact in mind. If there is no discipline, it’s possible you’ll find, That you are illegitimate and not His child at all!                Heb. 12:8 NLT The only way to find this out is on His Name to call. Jim Strickland  Written 7th December 2012

THE HIGHWAY OF HOLINESS

Time with Jesus - Thursday, 06 December 2012

Hi all,

How do we express our love for someone? Perhaps the best way is to be consistently truthful. The most diabolical lie imaginable is to tell them you love them when you don’t. It an agonising experience. You love someone and to suddenly find out that they have never loved you is devastating blow. There is no question that truth goes hand in hand with holiness. God would not be holy if He told us He loved us when in fact He didn’t. So we start our journey of life on the Highway of Holiness by being truthful! That’s today’s meditation.

Blessings,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Thursday, 06 December 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 HIGHWAY OF HOLINESS
One of my late father’s favourite expressions was, “He is a bigger liar than Tom Pepper”. Be that as it may, the question remains, “Who was Tom Pepper”? It is thought his name originates from Naval Expressions (Nelson’s time), who, according to nautical tradition, was kicked out of hell for being a bigger liar than His Satanic Majesty. The term is mentioned by J. A. Gardner in his "Recollections," and appears to have been in use in 1787." If this is the case, believe it or not, I’ve worked with one of his offspring. Sadly, during my sojourn through this life I’ve come across many of them in English speaking Christianity. They may still have one or two tricks to learn from their antecedents but they are making great strides to be another Tom Pepper. Now I certainly don’t want to pretend to be free from lies myself. A better expression may be “economic with truth”. What bothers me is that in the Book of Revelation we are told: 8 But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars--their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death." Revelation 21:8 NLT. Now I don’t pretend to be an expert in interpreting Revelation. But when I read this portion of Scripture I am drawn to the conclusion that the people cast into the lake of fire included Christians and non-Christians. So, if you are one of those included in terms of this passage, the fact that you made a commitment to Jesus Christ 20 years ago is irrelevant. The essence of this really is where does the “work” of God cease and the “work” of man begin. Extreme Calvinists will tell you that everything has been predestined. So if God chose to save me, I am saved whether I want it or not. Mankind has no influence on the decision. It’s God’s will and is irresistible. At the other end of the scale we have some believers who believe that they are saved by baptism. From then on, we must live a sin free life. But logic tells us you cannot love God or anyone else by command. Love can only be love if it comes voluntarily from the heart. Furthermore, God could have made robots to do that. He didn’t. He gave us freedom of choice. Freedom of choice must therefore be inviolable. He has given it and He will not change it at all in any way. You cannot predestine freedom of choice. That would not be freedom at all. As the Divine Omniscient God, He knows what I will choose. But He will not “make me” do it. I like to explain the difference in terms of giving money to God. I can do so because He commands it. But if He touches me such that I want to express my love for Him, my hand will go into my pocket and give Him all I possess. Not because I have to, but because I want to express my love for Him truthfully. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			5 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. Psalm 25:5 ESV 13 But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won't draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said. John 16:13 MSG 20 But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you His Spirit, and all of you know the truth. 1 John 2:20 NLT 20 They should go to the teachings and to the written instructions. If people don't speak these words, it is because it doesn't dawn on them. Isaiah 8:20 GW 15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:15-17 NLT 8 The LORD says, "I will instruct you. I will teach you the way that you should go. I will advise you as my eyes watch over you. Psalms 32:8 GW 22 "Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. Matthew 6:22 NLT 17 Those who want to follow the will of God will know if what I teach is from God or if I teach my own thoughts. John 7:17 GW 8 And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. Isaiah 35:8 ESV	It’s all about our holiness and how we have behaved. It’s all about our thought life and the things for which we’ve craved. It’s all about our attitude and how we glorify, The King of Kings eternal; and how we magnify, The only One Who matters. The only One Who cares. The only One Who loves us and listens to our prayers. This is the truth You’ve taught us, on which we can rely. From before time started, ‘til eternity’s passed by. Your Word says that You knew us before we had been born. That from Your loving fingers, we never can be torn. Such absolute security! Above what we can think. You are the source of everything. You are our food and drink! The Captain of Salvation who came and looked for me When I was more disgusting than anyone can be. Why did you even bother? Why should you care at all? The God of all infinity! To love someone so small That an electron microscope would never spot a thing! And You say I am sheltered ‘neath the shadow of Your wing. You sent to us Your Spirit. He took us by the hand, To lead us and to guide us, into Your Promised Land. The One Who breathed the Scriptures into the minds of men. Who watches us and steers us, in ways beyond our ken! The One Who gives instruction and points the way to go. The only One, by Whom Your truth, each one of us may know! The “author” of the “Handbook” by which we all must live And even when we “miss it” You say that You forgive. What sort of Being is this? Perfect in every way! And yet You dwell with sinful men who long to disobey! O Lord, How do You do it! I’m sure I’d flee the scene, If I was with a person half as bad as I have been. But You keep persevering and getting us equipped. When we would all have given up and some of us had “flipped”! And later, on reflection, we see how we have grown. In spite of all the wild oats each one of us have sown. So lead us to that Highway where Holiness abounds. Where sin is swiftly banished and righteousness is found. Help us Lord to get there and from it never stray. And all of our ambitions are focused on Your way! Jim Strickland  Written 6th December 2012

GENTLE GIANT

Time with Jesus - Wed. 05 December 2012

Hi all,

Today’s meditation is all about our Gentle Giant. Years ago we used to criticise the old children’s hymn, “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild”. I remember being told He is the Lion of Judah and not a little cuddly toy to play with. That certainly put things into a better perspective. Yet the one who created the universe and all that is in it spoke gently to Mary Magdalene in the Garden. He also told His disciple to “suffer the little children to come unto Me and forbid them not.” How was it possible for infinite power to allow Himself to be crucified? It would only have taken one word from Him and all the angels in creation would have come to His assistance. The One who could easily support and carry the Niagara Falls holds you and me in His arms and we are not destroyed! How is that possible? It scares me spit-less!

Blessings,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Wednesday, 05 December 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	GENTLE GIANT
At the age of ±10, I started to read the Beano and the Dandy. It may be a strange thing for a septuagenarian to confess, but I loved those comics. They came out weekly and I would follow them with great interest. Corky the cat, Big Ego, Desperate Dan and other fictional characters amused me greatly. Desperate Dan was my favourite. He would eat “cow pie”, a whole cow, in one sitting. His strength was legendary. He could pick up just about anything. His habits were vaguely 21st century. Like many men today, he always needed a shave! Dan was a bit like the famous lover in “Wait a Minim”. He would “Never shave the whiskers, from off of his horny hide. / He just knocked them in with a hammer and bit them off inside”. Despite Dan’s enormous strength, he was able to handle a twenty ton weight with the same dexterity as a flower. From the same era came a comic strip advertising a body building course. The first picture showed a bully chasing a skinny man away from a pretty girl and throwing sand in his face. The thin man then took a Charles Atlas Body Building course. The final picture was of this “new” man chasing away the bully. What wasn’t stated, was how long it would take for this transformation. It wouldn’t be overnight, in spite of the fact that it appeared to be the same pretty girl of the same age in the advert. As Christians, we need to remember that we are not alone. In fact Scripture tells us that we are never alone. 20 Teach them (Disciples) to obey everything I have commanded you. And you can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end." Matthew 28:20 NIrV It’s an amazing fact that He is with us whether we see Him or not. Furthermore, He is much stronger than “Clive”. Everything was made by Him and for Him. So He is more than a match for a million “Clives”. It’s very comforting to know that when we get to the end of ourselves, we have arrived at the beginning of Him! At the same time we need to be aware that He is with you as much as He is with me! He also has the extraordinary ability of always supporting righteousness. So we can only expect His assistance when we are pursuing righteousness. If we stray into sin, He is still there, but he is more reticent to help until the sin is sorted out. He is always the defender of the weak. So Christian husbands, be warned. Jesus is on your side and on your wife’s side. If you get out of line with her, she will call on Him to help. Under such circumstances, He will side with the one who is right. In some instances, I’ve found that He sides with Phyllida, not me. That’s a big problem. I don’t like being confronted by a million “Clives” at the same time. The odds are stacked up very much against me. So ladies, if you have a problem with your husband, don’t shout at him. Talk to the Lord. Let Him settle it! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			9 He guards the paths of those who are faithful to him. But evil people will lie silent in their dark graves. "People don't win just because they are strong. 1 Samuel 2:9 NIrV 45 Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 1 Samuel 17:45 ESV 49 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. 1 Samuel 17:49-50 ESV 16 No king succeeds with a big army alone, no warrior wins by brute strength. 17 Horsepower is not the answer; no one gets by on muscle alone. 18 Watch this: God's eye is on those who respect him, the ones who are looking for his love. Psalms 33:16-18 MSG 12 Riches and glory come from you, you're ruler over all; You hold strength and power in the palm of your hand to build up and strengthen all. 1 Chronicles 29:12 MSG 8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time He said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 NLT	When I was still a schoolboy, I had a distant “friend” He really was a “pipsqueak”, but sometimes he’d pretend, He was “Charlie Atlas” the strongest man alive. Few people ever challenged him. His brother’s name was “Clive” Now Clive was something different. A tower of a man, With great big bulging biceps; a bit like Desperate Dan. He had a reputation for tearing men to shreds. Anyone who challenged him was dispatched to his bed. They were the strangest couple. Clive had all the brawn. My friend was very “brainy” and he would speak with scorn, About all his opponents. If they got out of line, He simply told his brother, who’d say to him, “He’s mine!” It was a neat arrangement and people stayed well clear, Of any altercation. They knew that Clive was near. They both grew into manhood. My friend became a sage. His brother was a wrestler with a leaning for the stage! I’m not sure how it ended. In fact I do not care. But there’s an application to what happened way back there. I’ve got an elder brother. I’ve learned to know Him well. If anybody picks on me, they could end up in Hell. Because this Man is jealous. I’m His and He is mine. Better known to others, as Jesus Christ Divine. If I’m intimidated, I only have to call. And Jesus Christ will settle it. I’m not afraid at all. And yet, I have a problem and don’t know what to do. The woman I have married, she knows Christ Jesus too! And since He is a gentleman, it I get out of line, She takes the situation to Jesus Christ Divine. Now I am quite ecstatic when He is on my side. But let me tell you frankly, that He supports my bride. When things for her get difficult; she simply turns to prayer. It isn’t very long before I wish He wasn’t there. And yet the situation is satisfactory. Because when I need discipline He comes and “fixes” me. So she has the advantage. But truly I don’t mind. A husband’s duty to his wife is, “do not be unkind”. We know I lead the family. This fact is very plain. But if I am tyrannical. He’ll “fix” me once again. Jim Strickland  Written 5th December 2012