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| Nehushtan was the Snake around the Pole made by Moses |
Time with Jesus - Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Hi all,
Before reading the poetry
section, please look at 2 Kings 18:4 to find
information about “Nehushtan”.
Christians have a nasty habit of taking things which are holy &“desecrating” them. We also take unholy things and “sanctify” them. We've done this with the cross. It was an unholy instrument of agony & murder.
Of course, the death and blood of Christ on the cross sanctified it in a way we
could never believe. But Jesus seems to delight in sanctifying the ungodly.
He’s done it for you and me in Him.
Examples of the other way round abound in Israel. If you’ve had the
misfortune, to visit the “holy sites” in and around Jerusalem, you will know
what I mean! These places have been desecrated by the tourist industry. It’s a
“bun fight” trying to see anything. It’s rather like the “market” that Jesus
found in the temple courtyard. Incidentally, I’ve been told that this place,
which should have been a place of prayer for all nations, was referred to as
“the bazaar of the sons of Annas”. This goes to show that what we see in the
“Christian holy sites”, is nothing new. We need Him to come back with a whip!
Today’s meditation compares the Bible with the precious memorabilia the
ladies (and men) keep for sentimental reasons. The real difference between them,
is that our memorabilia remind us of things that have gone and will never be
again. The Bible does the same. It also tells us about things that are still to
come! Our history brings tears of regret. The Bible gives us tears of joy. 
In the middle of our Bible we find “The Song of Solomon”. For me, it is the
greatest love poem ever written. In its own unique way, it goes beyond the
vital teachings of Paul in 1 Corinthian 13 and describes the emotions, passion
and yearnings of a young couple, deeply in love with each other. Yes, it could
be called “risqué”. But it’s not vulgar. It describes, above all else, the
passionate love Jesus has for His people; His bride. I can’t speak for others
but I know I can hardly wait for the wedding!
Shalom,
Jim
& Phyllida Strickland
Time with Jesus – Wednesday, 17 April 2013
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INTRODUCTION
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DAILY
LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
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COME AWAY WITH ME
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Love letters: It may be just imagination, or
Hollywood’s opinion, that ladies have all their old love letters stored in
some secret place in the house. In the movies, the collection is tied up with
a pink ribbon. They are brought out on those occasions when, for sentimental
reasons, the ladies look at them with fond memories and great affection. Of
course men also do this. We prefer not to disclose this, in order to preserve
a Macho image.
My mother had an unusual handbag, in which she
stored all her historical treasures. It’s hard to describe the bag
accurately. The material was covered with pieces of oblong plastic. It was
rather “cute” and came from a different fashion decade. After her death in
2001, I took time to go through it and found it contained memorabilia for
most of her life time. Photographs of her as a teenager. One or two love
letters from Dad. I found an envelope with a lock of my hair in it. The
covering note said, “Jim’s hair at 6 months”. I also found one of the letters
I’d written from boarding school in Grahamstown in 1951. I thought I’d find
something deeply personal written to her by my Dad. I didn’t. I wish I had.
Going through the content of that old handbag,
revealed to me her love for my father and for me. Mom was my father’s first
and only girlfriend. They met in Hull before the war and married the day
after her 21st birthday in 1940. Presumably, she didn’t want to argue
with her parents about the suitability of the man she loved.
Thinking back on this reminds me that God also wrote
love letters to His people. We call it the Bible. His letters describe all
the history of bygone days. One section contains Hebrew poetry. We call it
the book of Psalms. Another contains a section we call Proverbs, a collection
of wise sayings, recorded by Solomon and other leading figures from some 3000
years ago. The Bible describes in great detail His love for us and describes
how His love prompted Him to send us His Son, who gave His life for us.
It also contains the most personal love letter that
has ever been written. It’s known by various names. The one we use most is
Song of Solomon. This letter describes personally, the depths of intimacy God
longs to have with His people. The style used is rather like a play for two
people. He speaks, she replies! No detail of their courtship and times of
passionate intimacy, are left out. Indeed, it has been suggested that this
letter should not be included in the canon of Scripture. I’m glad it’s there.
It’s not a romp in the hay. But it reminds me of the love a married couple
should enjoy. The intimate love we share with our Lord and Master.
Jim & Phyllida
Strickland
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Take me with you. Let's run away. The king has brought me into his private rooms. [The chorus of young women] We will celebrate and
rejoice with you. We will praise your expressions of love more than wine. How
right it is that the young women love you!
Song of Songs 1:4 GW
Long ago the LORD said to Israel: "I have loved you, My people, with an everlasting love.
With unfailing love I have drawn you to Myself.
Jeremiah 31:3 NLT
I led them with cords of kindness,
with the bands of love, and I
became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to
them and fed them.
Hosea 11:4 ESV
And I, when I am lifted up from the
earth, will draw all people to myself."
John 12:32 ESV
The next day again John was standing with two of his
disciples and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!"
John 1:35-36 ESV
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in
the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:14-15 KJV
Whom have I in heaven but you? And
there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
Psalm 73:25 ESV
We love him, because he first loved
us.
1 John 4:19 KJV
My beloved speaks and says to me:
"Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, for behold, the winter
is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time
of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
Song of
Songs 2:10-12 ESV
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You have to reach for something. Perhaps it is
the sky? Jim asks
You must
find your purpose before it’s time to die!
To go into the after-life, when nothing was
achieved,
Is surely
irresponsible and hard to be believed.
What wakes you up each morning and gets you out
of bed?
Not just
your employer and your efforts to be fed.
Where’s that certain something, which keeps you
going on?
It has to
be a little more than, going, going, gone!
Life is not an auction; the goods which are for
sale,
Are not a
glass of water and a loaf that’s going stale!
You get that from a robot, which doesn’t have a
mind.
So look
around about you and see what you can find,
To give the motivation, that illuminates the
soul;
This makes
you find the answer, to achieve your final goal!
Listen to the Spirit and tell me what you hear.
Could it be
the voice of God that’s ringing in your ear?
Can you hear the Master saying; “Come, let’s get away. Jesus Says
Let’s enjoy
our honeymoon, while it is still today.
Let us come together. My love I want to share.
Tell you
that it’s so much more than all you can compare,
With anything that’s physical. I’m drawing you to
Me!
I have got
a love for you, more than you thought could be.
Come; let Me enfold you, within my loving arms.
You will be
protected from all of Satan’s harms.
He will not acknowledge I am the Lamb of God.
He wants to
try and twist Me round that ancient brazen rod.
But even as “Nehushtan” was lifted up on high; 2 Kings 18:4
And the
ones who looked on it, from snake bite didn’t die.
You’ll find that as you look to Me, the poisoned
curse of sin,
Will not
have the power to stop you entering in!
So arise my lovely. Arise and come away.
The winter
is behind us. This is a brand new day.
The flowers are appearing, their fragrance fills
the air.
Listen to
the turtledove. Yes, put away your care!
There’s nothing in the universe desired above
you.
If you will
obey Me, your dreams will all come true.
The purpose which you longed for, but thought
could never be,
You’ll find
that it is satisfied, completely, within Me.
Jim
Strickland
Written
17th
April 2013
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