Time with Jesus - Sunday, 23 December 2012
Hi all,
Our meditation focuses on the very first Scripture.
“Eternal Life in Jesus”. I’ve tried to include all 9 Scriptures in the poem.
The introduction looks at the same thing but concludes that in the first world,
we appear to have been distracted from our focus on Jesus. Many tend to focus
on men, buildings and money. These cannot and never will lead to fulfilment in
the Christian walk. At best, they are distractions from Him who is of supreme
importance. He is our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Blessings,
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Sunday, 23 December 2012
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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©
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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
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©
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INTRODUCTION
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DAILY
LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
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ETERNAL
LIFE IN JESUS
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According
to the Bible, Methuselah lived for 969 years. 27 Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he
died. Genesis 5:27 ESV Dates like
this are meaningless to us in any real sense. I’m not sure how I would greet
someone who could remember the days of William the Conqueror; (1066 AD) who
could talk about Henry VIII and his various wives and have had a chat with
Martin Luther and Sir Isaac Newton. Talking with people who are centenarians
or thereabouts can be difficult. But how about someone who was 969 years of
age?
A
couple of weeks ago we looked at the fact that man wasn’t made to die. We
should live forever. Sadly, sin entered all of us and death is the wages each
of us will receive. Thus, unless Jesus returns, we are all going to die. So
what do we do with 1 John 5:11? If God has given us eternal life in His Son,
why is death inevitable?
We
have a serious problem with our thinking. We see death as the end of life.
Since none of us have seen anything beyond the grave, we see death as the end
point. A bit like the old pinball table. Remember the sign which read “game
over”. Well if we put a few more coins in the slot, we could have another go.
But if we had a few more coins in our pocket, we could keep going until they
were gone. That was that.
Unfortunately,
many Christians must be included in this category. We all know that in Jesus
Christ, we will never die. Our “earth suit” will wear out and be discarded.
But we will be with Jesus. According to Paul, this is much better. It is a
question of getting this reality down into the very depths of our spirit and
soul. The question is how do we go about it? In the early days of Christianity,
the resurrection was welcomed and celebrated. Men and women had no problem
with giving their lives for Jesus because He was alive and well and living in
them. Down through the Dark ages and until fairly recently, men and women
“believed” to the point of dying for Him. Where has all this gone? Today,
people are so “lukewarm”. They settle for 90 to 120 minutes in a comfortable “lecture
room” (church building) These places are now entertainment centres. Our
preachers are skilled orators who can hold an audience in the palm of their
hands. They want to build bigger auditoriums so that they can attract more
people to come and support them financially. They are successful when they
drive big expensive cars, live luxuriously in mansions and are in demand all
over the globe. We’re told “He became poor, so
that by His poverty, He could make you rich”. (2 Cor. 8:9) Our “riches” are in the abundance of the
Spiritual blessings in His robe of Righteousness which we’ve been given to
wear. Instead, He took the poverty of our sin-sick lives.
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
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11 This
is the testimony in essence: God gave us eternal
life; the life is in his Son.
1 John 5:11 MSG
26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has
granted the Son also to have life in himself.
John 5:26 ESV
21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life,
so also the Son gives life to whom he will.
John 5:21 ESV
25
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection
and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even if he dies. 26
And those who live and believe in me will never
die. Do you believe this?"
John 11:25-26 NIrV
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his
life for the sheep.
John 10:11 ESV
17 For
this reason the Father loves me, because I lay
down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.
I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.
This charge I have received from my Father."
John 10:17-18 ESV
6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6 TNIV
12 So, whoever has the Son, has life; whoever rejects the
Son, rejects life.
1 John 5:12 MSG
2 Set
your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ
in God. 4 When Christ who is
your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity,
passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On
account of these the wrath of God is coming.
Colossians 3:2-6 ESV
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God gave us eternal life; this life is in His Son. 1 John 5:11
Can you find it elsewhere? I’m sorry there is none
Other name in heaven, on earth or in the sea.
Life is in the Son of God; in Him exclusively!
It came from God the Father. There is no life elsewhere. John 5:26
He gave His Son this self-same life, so it is His to share. John 5:21
We have to understand this. There’s nowhere else to go.
There is no other deity. No other god to know.
No man can assist you, to find another way.
Jesus is the only one available today.
He’s the resurrection and life is His to give. John 11:25-26
None else in creation can empower you to live.
All believers in Him will live and not pass on.
All living believers; their “life” is never gone.
Death can never hold them. They’ll merely fall asleep;
And in His loving presence, them evermore He’ll keep.
He is the Good Shepherd. His life He’ll lay aside, John 10:11
To give His sheep protection and be their faithful guide.
He said His Father loves Him. And here’s a reason why.
Because He’d go to Calvary; quite willingly, He’d die.
Nobody could kill Him; so of His own accord, John 10:17-18
He yielded up His Spirit to His Father and His Lord.
This was not a suicide. Let’s make it very clear.
Death came in to claim Him and drew in very near.
But it could never hold Him. He still was in control.
His Spirit wasn’t conquered and neither was His soul!
His body was inanimate. That portion had to die.
But Jesus Christ, the Son of God was quietly standing by.
He still had authority to take up life again. John 10:17-18
And on the Sunday morning, the place where He had lain,
Witnessed resurrection; His body was transformed.
He has the keys of death and hell. Satan’s empire stormed. Rev 1:17
Nothing stopped King Jesus. The battle had been won.
Satan’s mighty empire is defeated by God’s Son.
But there’s another miracle each one of us must see.
Because He gave His life away and died for you and me,
Death has been defeated; sin has lost its force;
And Satan’s reign of terror, at last has run its course.
Jim
Strickland
Written
23rd December 2012
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