WHAT LIFE IS ABOUT

Time with Jesus - Monday, 11 February 2013

Hi all,

One of the wonders of creation, is the variation in things which “look alike”. I understand that every snowflake is unique. They may all look alike to our undiscerning eyes. But look at each one through a microscope and they are different in some particular way. People are much the same. Phyllida and I were in Northgate Shopping Mall yesterday and hundreds of people walked past us. Sure, they were all people; but they were all different; long, short, thin, fat, male, female; each one of them identifiable and unique. You and I are able to manufacture scores of copies of things. The printing press mass produces books and newspapers. They are more or less all alike. God only produces originals. It is one of the glories of Our Creator God that He has ordained that everything will be unique. There is only one me. There is only one you! There will only ever be one Mozart. Thank God there will only ever be one Adolph Hitler.

We are literally surrounded by the uniqueness of God’s creation. We call it “nature”. Yes, it has been exploited by man. In some cases, “nature” has been destroyed in our collective “hunger” for bigger and better things. We are told that the time will come, when the resources of our planet, will reach a point where we will no longer be able to feed and clothe our ever increasing demands. At present there are ±7 billion people living on our planet. This number is predicted to increase to 9 billion by 2050. Is there an answer to this? Yes, there is! The return of Jesus Christ! Even so, Come Lord Jesus

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland  

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Monday, 11 February 2013			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 life is about
The Hebrew people of the Old Testament were remarkable. Their language was simple and very expressive. Their thought patterns had not been influenced and downgraded by Greek culture and thinking. As a result we read beautiful pictures. The mountains skip like a calf. The trees of the field clap their hands. We know this was their way of expressing the glory of God in nature. Modern thinking looks at such language and describes it as “quaint”. It’s not logical and fails the “truth test”. Therefore, it annoys modern rationalists, trapped in an inflexible mind-set, that fails to comprehend the beauty of such expressions. What I find exciting about this, is that it challenges my own thinking. It may sound comical, but I enjoy this form of Hebrew thinking. It appeals to me to think that nature gets so excited about God, the trees clap their hands. I suspect that if others could get excited about God, they would also love to see nature honouring the Creator, in such a beautiful way. The first three verses of Psalm 1 relate upright men to trees planted next to a stream of water. The tree may not be free from trouble. It’s the same way as Christians are subject to the normal trials of day to day life. But those who follow God and walk in His way, have a wonderful promise. They will have a fruitful life. Everything he does prospers. 1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He’s like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. Psalm 1:1-3 ESV Today, many Christians regard prosperity as consisting of an accumulation of things. Big cars, big houses, big ministries and all the trappings that go along with being rich, have defined prosperity for too many of us. By this standard, Jesus was a failure. He died alone, naked and ignored. He didn’t build a school and was hated by all the influential people. What little money He had, was taken care of by a thief with sticky fingers. So much for the greatest man who ever lived. Paul’s definition of prosperity is vastly different from ours. 11 Not that I was ever in need; for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. Philip 4:11-12 NLT It seems to me, he encapsulated genuine Christianity in these magnificent words. Today’s meditation, is about the beauty of creation. Nature is God’s garden. He spoke of His creation as being “very good”. That’s what life’s all about; looking for and finding God everywhere. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			16 The cedar trees of Lebanon belong to the LORD. You planted them and gave them plenty of water. 17 There the birds make their nests. The stork has its home in the pine trees. 18 The high mountains belong to the wild goats. The cliffs are a safe place for the rock badgers. Psalm 104:16-18 NIrV 5 I will be like the dew to Israel. They will bloom like a lily. They will send their roots down deep like a cedar tree in Lebanon. 6 They will spread out like new branches. They will be as beautiful as an olive tree. They will smell as sweet as the cedar trees in Lebanon. Hosea 14:5-6 NIrV 7 "But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. 8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. Jer 17:7-8 NLT 22 "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take a branch from the top of a tall cedar, and I will plant it on the top of Israel's highest mountain. 23 It will become a majestic cedar, sending forth its branches and producing seed. Birds of every sort will nest in it, finding shelter in the shade of its branches. 24 And all the trees will know that it is I, the LORD, who cuts the tall tree down and makes the short tree grow tall. It is I who makes the green tree wither and gives the dead tree new life. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do what I said!" Ezekiel 17:22-24 NLT 12 But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. 13 For they are transplanted to the LORD's own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. 14 Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. Psalm 92:12-14 NLT	God did us all a favour, when He created trees. The beauty of creation is what His people see. The birds that flap their feathered wings and fly into the blue. The cats, the dogs, the reptiles. O Lord You made them too. The wild goats and the pine trees, rock badgers and the stork; The parrot and the cockatoo that do their best to talk. Lord, Your imagination and the creatures you have made, Truly are stupendous and they all make the grade. In fact when we see anything and mark it out of ten, It seems you’ve scored eleven! But in the world of men, You certainly excelled Yourself. Your image is our mould. And every person You have made is worth their weight in gold! You gave us what we needed; our minds to help us think. The power to make decisions, may take us to the brink Of nuclear destruction. So You gave us restraint! A quality essential in each and every saint. You gave us a root system that goes down very deep. Perhaps it isn’t like a tree; but what we sow, we reap! And You have given knowledge. It’s wisdom that we lack. And with all our inventions - there is no turning back. We’ve unlocked many details of what you first designed. Some doctors can restore the sight of those who have gone blind Our medical practitioners have learned what makes us “tick”. And vehicles to get there if needed double quick. We understand that many things we’ve used have made You sad. But on the odd occasion, we’ve made Your great heart glad. We know that all the plant life is standing in its place. The pine tree and the cedar can’t flee from what they face. They have to grin an bear it, or we will chop them down, Because we need the lumber to expand our little town. You give us the ability to choose what’s right from wrong. We could enslave our neighbour for you have made us strong. It isn’t many years ago we walked upon the moon. We’ve even got atomic clocks to tell us when it’s noon. You haven’t put restrictions on those things which we can do. But we still have the problem of listening to You. We all get old and wither. And then we will sign out. And face your final judgement; that’s what life’s all about. Jim Strickland  Written 11th February 2012

ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT

Time with Jesus - Sunday, 10 February 2013

Hi all,

When it comes to the working of the Holy Spirit on earth today, there are many conflicting views. Some say the gifts of the Holy Spirit, were only available in the early days of the church. God used them to “launch” the church. Then, with the death of the last apostle, they were taken away. The theory is that Christians were by then sufficiently mature to have no further need for the gifts of the Spirit. Some say, they are still available to those who seek the Lord. Today He continues to pour out His Gifts of the Holy Spirit as He wills. As a result, many are deluded into thinking that anything from nervous ticks, hysterical laughter and similar manifestations must be evidence of the moving of the Holy Spirit. Of course, it is possible that such manifestations might be from the Holy Spirit. What we should never do. is discard anything on the basis that it isn’t in line with our opinion. Many of the Pharisees of Jesus’ day made this mistake.

The apostle John referred to this in his first epistle: ¹ Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. ² This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. 1 John 4:1-2 NLT

Referring to this passage, the Life Application Study Bible states; "Do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God" This means that we shouldn't believe everything we hear, just because someone says it is a message from God. There are many ways to test teachers to see if their message is truly from the Lord. One is to check to see if their words match what God says in the Bible. Other tests include their commitment to the body of believers (1 John 2:19), their life-styles (1 John 3:23-24), and the fruit of their ministries ( 1John 4:6). But the most important test of all, says John, is what they believe about Christ. Do they teach that Jesus is fully God and fully man? Our world is filled with voices claiming to speak for God. Give them these tests to see if they are indeed speaking God's truth.

We should all seek to apply these few words of instruction in our daily lives. It will go a long way toward keeping us on the straight and narrow.

Blessings,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland 

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Sunday, 10 February 2013			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	Ask The Holy Spirit
Twelve years ago, Phyllida and I were in Syria. We lived in Homs and formed a close attachment with several people. This accounts for our interest in what is happening in Syria and Homs at present. The majority of Syrians are Muslim. There is a small number of Greek Orthodox Christians and a few Jews, all of whom were more or less integrated into the population. There was also a number of Palestinians among the inhabitants. People who claimed they were displaced when Israel was established as a country in 1948. Strangely enough, these people were not anti-Jewish. Their “beef” was with the state of Israel. Living in a Muslim country was a fascinating experience. We found the people hospitable and welcoming. They introduced us to concepts that were strange to us. Among them was their idea, that anyone who came from UK or America, was a Christian. Of course, we knew better. But we all make assumptions about what other people are like in foreign lands. Phyllida and I were never asked whether or not we were Christians. There was no need for them to do so. We were from a “Christian country” so we were Christians. We were all “lumped together” as Christians, regardless of our denominational, or non-denominational preferences. This is a very common error; one which we tend to make ourselves. Saying “Syria is a Muslim Nation”, does not take into consideration the many different Muslim sects found there. It follows, that when we say we are living in a Christian country, some errors immediately spring into the conversation. The biggest error, is to say that a country is Christian. By definition that is impossible. Only an individual can be a Christian. There is no such thing as a Christian horse. Likewise, there is no such thing as a Christian country. A piece of real estate may belong to a Christian. But the real estate can never be Christian. Taking this a little further, we must understand that within Christianity, there is a plethora of different belief systems. To gather everyone into one belief system is foolish. Roman Catholics and Baptists are not the same. They may share a number of beliefs, but they are very different. Sadly, the word “Christian” is misunderstood and is hated in some quarters. Too many wicked things have been done in the name of Christianity. That’s why Phyllida and I have dropped the word in favour of “Christ Follower”. It is more descriptive of a life style. Perhaps we should go back to the original expression, followers of “The Way”? In today’s meditation, I’ve contrasted the beliefs of followers of “the way” with those of 1) a typical modern Liberal Christian, 2) A New Age Believer, 3 An agnostic or 4) An atheist. These views and opinions are very different. Sadly, “Christ Followers” are seen as fundamental extremists! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			20 Yes, He can strike a rock so water gushes out, but He can't give His people bread and meat." 21 When the LORD heard them, He was furious. The fire of His wrath burned against Jacob. Yes, His anger rose against Israel. Psalm 78:20-21 NLT 1 I don't want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. 2 In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. 3 All of them ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that travelled with them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness 1 Cor 10:1-5 NLT 34 One of the soldiers, however, pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out John 19:34 NLT 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 ESV 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. John 5:40 ESV 13 "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water. Jer 2:13 NASB 37 On the final and climactic day of the Feast, Jesus took his stand. He cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. John 7:37 MSG 17 The Holy Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" Let those who hear say, "Come!" Anyone who is thirsty should come. Anyone who wants to take the free gift of the water of life should do so. Rev 22:17 NIrV	Water is essential, for those who want to live. For people who are thirsty, its essential that we give, Water that is drinkable and largely free of salt. If you do not give it, they’ll die and it’s your fault! Back there in the wilderness, Moses got it right. “Strike the rock” God told him and they beheld the sight, Of water flowing freely, from a rock that looked so dry! Their thirst was quenched completely and so they didn’t die. For forty years it happened. They dined on heaven’s food. We’re told it had the flavour, according to the mood, Of everyone who tasted the water and the bread. About two million people would drink and were well fed. We wonder why God did it. He’d sentenced them to death. So why not kill them quickly? Why let them waste their breath? But that is not the method, which God would ever choose. Forever He’s compassionate and wouldn’t hold such views. This happened in the physical, while they were on the earth. Then Jesus made His visit and spoke of second birth. He spoke of “living” water. His “body” was the bread. It may sound very strange to us, but that is what He said. His Spirit would be in us and we would overflow, In ways that only God above could understand and know. This special kind of water, we’d get from Him for free. An undeserving gift of grace, He’d grant to you and me. It never could and never would, be based on what we’d done, But only on the Master; God’s One and only Son. But people want to work for it. They think that they can earn, The gift of Christ the Saviour. Some folk will never learn. They think that by self-effort they’ll get to God Most High. They keep on working desperately for somewhere in the sky. They do not want the Spirit. “It must be done my way!” Is what this kind of person will think about and say. They think that the atonement is immoral and is wrong! They think that they are good enough and they will join the throng Of those who are developing into divinity. That Jesus Christ was just a man Who looks like you and me. They’re on their way to godhood. Religion’s all the same; That we are fundamentalists and that our silly claim, That Jesus Christ is God most High. They say it is “hate speech”. That all the “god’s” are equal and all within our reach. But they have been deluded by, humanistic aims. And so refuse to tolerate God’s realistic claims. So what is the solution? What can God’s people do? Let God’s Holy Spirit speak from deep inside of you! Jim Strickland  Written 10th February 2012