THE LORD’S DISCIPLINE

Time with Jesus - 4 Sept 2013

Hi All,

School discipline was strictly enforced back in the 1950’s. If you did something wrong, you knew all about it. You had a stripe on your “sit upon” for a day or two. A reminder of what would happen again if the action was repeated!

In Standard 7 (Grade 9) when I started in Walmer, I was a little behind in mathematics. As a result, my behind suffered. Our mathematics teacher was our School Principal. Among other things, he insisted we knew our geometry theorems. So he would set a couple of them for homework. We knew what was expected. The next morning he would start at the front row. He would ask each scholar to step up to the blackboard (In our case it was green). There the scholar was asked to prove the theorem. If you couldn’t do so, he told you to stand aside at the front. 

Then he would start with the next scholar. Slowly he would go, one at a time, through the entire class until everyone had a chance to finish proving the theorem and write QED next to what we had done. I was told it meant “quad, erat, demonstrandum”. Since I didn’t “do” Latin, I thought it meant “quite easily done”. Then, when my turn came and I managed to work through the theorem, my QED was written with something of a flourish. Even good old Pythagoras with his “squaw on the hippopotamus” was provable!

Those who couldn’t prove the theorem gathered together at the front. When we had all had a go, most of us were standing at the front. Then, mysteriously, from underneath his “brother’s habit”, he produced his cane. He then gave each of those who failed to prove the theorem a “master stroke” on their rear ends. It was a sort of memory-jogger for the next day! 

The Squaw on the Hipopotamus

He would mutter and splutter through the time of discipline, at the same time suggesting that we would have another “go” the following day. Did he enjoy administering discipline? We couldn’t quite work it out. He remained his usual congenial self at all times. Mind you, It never ceased to amaze me how quickly we all learned our theorems!

One of the facts we soon came to realise with Bro. Leonard was his consistency. There were very clear demarcation lines in his approach to us. Those who did what he had told them to do had no problems with him. Those who didn’t, suffered from the consequences of their stupidity. He was very approachable in spite of his apparent gruff manner. He was always patient and would listen to our “excuses”, then he would act according to what he thought was right. 

Some of the Brothers

I’ve mentioned it before but it’s worth repeating. He was a Roman Catholic who had become a member of Marist Brothers Teaching Order. In this capacity, he was highly qualified. I suspect he was a University graduate. Certainly these Brothers were very clever men. What they had done was devote themselves entirely to serving God and teaching schoolboys. From my point of view, it was and is a high calling! This was not merely a monastic, inward-looking exclusivity. The dedication of these men to God was never in question. They spent many hours in devotion and prayer. But this was not the limit of their commitment to God. They reached out to provide education for schoolboys. I shall be eternally grateful for their example and dedication in shaping the lives of young boys.

School Badge of
Marist Brothers Port Elizabeth

I attended Marist Brothers schools for 6 of my 12 years formal education. I was and still am a protestant. Naturally, many of my classmates were Roman Catholics. What surprised me was that the schools were open to youngsters from any religious background. In this regard they had a very ecumenical approach! No pressure was placed on anyone to join the RC church. 

The first lesson every day was Religious Instruction. The RC boys would assemble in one of the classrooms. The Protestants would assemble in a different classroom. We Protestants were given Bible lessons. Adam and Eve; the fall of man; Cain and Abel; Noah; Abraham and the Patriarchs; Moses and the Exodus; Gideon; Samson and the Kings. Then we moved on to the New Testament where we focussed on the birth, life and death of Jesus; the birth of the early church including Paul’s 3 missionary journeys. There’s no question my love of the Bible originated during those six years of “daily instruction” in school by the Marist Brothers.

In a way, the Brothers did much more than give Protestants a good grounding in the Bible. I suspect they also taught me to fear God! These men befriended the boys in a very special way. There was nothing questionable about their relationship with us individually or collectively. In all my six years with them, there was never any scandal or suggestion that the Brothers behaved improperly with any of the boys. Of course I can only speak for those in my class in my years. 

The Brothers did befriend us as best they could. We enjoyed this camaraderie. We loved it when they joined us on the sports field. When they dressed in the same “kit” and played rugby and cricket with us we thought it was great fun. Yet, at the same time, we always respected them. The relationship was more a father and son relationship. 

Because this was outside our own home life, it gave us an idea of how it should be between our Heavenly Father and ourselves. It was a valuable lesson for which I will always thank Jesus!

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Wednesday, 04 September 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	THE LORD’S DISCIPLINE
A couple of weeks ago I heard a rather funny story by a certain lady. She was dealing with her son. When asked about his will power, she said she wasn’t worried about his “will” power. It’s his “won’t” power that has her bothered. Phyllida and I have had some experience with this. Two of our sons lived with us in 1982. They were in the final year of Primary School and were sharing a room in our home. The boys were very different from each other. I’m not talking about being naughty. They were much the same as any youngster of their age. The difference was in their response to being asked to do something. The one would say he would do it, then didn’t. The other said he wouldn’t and a little later he did! This sort of behaviour is difficult to deal with! How do you discipline a son who says he will, then doesn’t? What about a son who says he won’t and then does? I know Jesus speaks about such a situation. It’s found in Matthew’s gospel. 28 "But what do you think about this (asked Jesus)? A man with two sons told the older boy, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.' 29 The son answered, 'No, I won't go,' but later he changed his mind and went anyway. 30 Then the father told the other son, 'You go,' and he said, 'Yes, sir, I will.' But he didn't go. Matthew 21:28-30 NLT It’s clear only one of them obeyed his father’s will. The other needed to be disciplined. How? We had to filter this through our own understanding. God doesn’t need that. He already knows. We know that Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees. They said they would obey the Lord but didn’t. On the other hand, “sinners” said they wouldn’t (couldn’t?) and did. In many ways, this is typical of things which take place in our lives. Either way, our Heavenly Father will deal with us. We understand that delayed obedience is disobedience. So both required a measure of discipline. But the one who said “No” and did, will be dealt with less severely than the one who said “Yes” and didn’t. One of our main difficulties is we don’t have much time to waste. Our life-span is very short. Furthermore, in this interlude, we have to make choices that have eternal consequences. It follows that we need the Lord’s discipline here and now. We need Him to tell us if we are doing well or badly! We need His discipline to establish this conclusively. I’ve heard of a young man who was allowed to “run wild”. He was undisciplined. His anti-social behaviour ultimately landed him in prison. But if he had been disciplined as a child, the chances are that he would have been O.K. The discipline would have been in the child’s best interests. Is the Lord disciplining you? Rejoice if He is! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			7 Jesus answered, "You don't understand now what I'm doing, but it will be clear enough to you later." John 13:7 MSG	None of us can comprehend the things the Lord does do. One moment everything is well. The next He’s telling you, That something you are doing is somewhat incorrect. Better have another look in order to detect, The reason for the problem. He is not amused. And as He’s looking at you, He says you are accused, Of something inconsistent with what is in His Word. Don’t you think the time has come to check out what you’ve heard? No it isn’t pleasant. In fact at times it’s tough. But He’ll increase the pressure until you cry “Enough! O Master, please forgive me, and help me get things right; So that my bad behaviour will end as from last night!” That’s typical behaviour between father and a son. He’d quickly show the problem with the things which I had done, And if it was quite serious, my dad would use his rod. That’s rather like that happens when it comes to you and God. He disciplines His children. His dealings may be sore. But He wants an assurance you won’t do it anymore. In fact, He steps up pressure, the longer that it takes. Until He sees you listening and decision to forsake, The thing He disapproves of. He starts with just a word; And ratchets up the pressure, ‘til He sees that you have heard. I’m glad the Father does this. If we are just ignored, Perhaps there’s something serious, between you and the Lord. We know the Father loves us when discipline takes place. If He doesn’t do so, you’re truly in disgrace. The one way we can know that we are objects of His love, Is when we know that discipline is coming from above. It happened in the Wilderness. The Lord said, “Go on in! Take the land I’ve given you, so go in now and win.” Instead they sent twelve spies out to investigate the land. Ten said we can’t do it the way the Lord has planned. The people were depressed about their negative report. Then God said their reactions meant they were getting naught. ‘Wander round the wilderness for almost forty years”. And that is just what happened, in spite of all their tears. So let us pay attention, to what the Father says. He will do the same to us, unless we change our ways. Do what we’re commanded, as soon as He has said. Or perish in the wilderness, left behind as dead. Jim Strickland Written 4th Sept 2012
			2 Remember that for 40 years the LORD your God led you on your journey in the desert. He did this in order to humble you and test you. He wanted to know whether or not you would wholeheartedly obey his commands. Deuteronomy 8:2 GW
			8 And when I passed by again, I saw that you were old enough for love. So I wrapped My cloak around you to cover your nakedness and declared My marriage vows. I made a covenant with you, says the Sovereign LORD, and you became Mine. Ezekiel 16:8 NLT
			6 For the LORD disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child." Hebrews 12:6 NLT
			11 My child, don't reject the LORD's discipline, and don't be upset when He corrects you. 12 For the LORD corrects those He loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:11-12 NLT
			12 Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be very glad--for these trials make you partners with Christ in His suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the world. 1 Peter 4:12-13 NLT
			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! 18 So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT

REVERSE THE CURSE

Time with Jesus - 3 Sept 2013 

Hi all,

“If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times …..” Have you heard that? Have you said it? 

I have – more than once – a thousand times may be stretching the truth a little. Mom used to say it to me when I was young. My Dad said it too, but a lot less frequently. Because, if I heard him say it, I knew that there was trouble on the horizon.

When we become adults and have children of our own, suddenly the expression takes on a new and different tone. No longer is it mom or dad, now it’s us. What is different is the determination behind the voice. Some parents say it often and the child takes no notice – much the way we didn’t take much notice of our parents all those years ago. 

Incidentally, as a grandfather, my observation of what now takes place has changed very little. Grand children seem to have a sort of built in “radar” which recognises whether or not the words are for real! Mostly, they are not. Have you ever wondered why?

Cast out of the Garden

The simple answer is, because we don’t really want to do what we’ve threatened. Much depends on our mood at the time. If we feel cross and irritable, we react differently from when we are in a good mood, or a happy frame of mind. If we feel angry, the child suffers far more than if we are in a good mood. 

It’s the problem we all have. We are not perfect. We know we aren’t perfect and we don’t want to let our mood; our state of mind; prompt us to be more or less severe, depending on the circumstances. We don’t have a mechanism whereby we can ensure we are utterly consistent. This means, for the same offence, we are undecided whether to laugh with, or thrash the blighter! 

The outcome is, we either under or over compensate depending on how we respond to our own frame of mind. We have no means of having consistent reactions!

Children know this instinctively. It’s a sort of an instant, “Will he; won’t he?” detector, which registers on a scale in the child’s mind, just how critical the situation might be. Furthermore, the child may have reached a point where he/she wants to push the boundaries a bit further. All this is part of the sin nature we are born with. Those who don’t believe that children are born with a sin nature have forgotten how quickly babies learn as they grow. It takes them less than a week to realise, that if they feel in need of attention, all they need to do is bawl and squall. In very short order they will have a bottle, or equivalent, thrust into their mouth. We call it hunger. Babies know better!

The Shield of Faith

Fortunately, God knows everything. Furthermore, He is completely consistent. If someone falls off a roof, he/she will land on the ground and get hurt. It doesn’t help saying, “But Lord, I’m a Christian! This shouldn’t happen to me.

Helmet of Salvation

Another fact is God doesn’t need to repeat Himself! ¹⁶ And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, ¹⁷ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Gen 2:16-17 ESV

Please note this was a command. He didn’t ask Adam’s opinion about eating the fruit from this tree. There is no evidence that He surrounded it with razor wire and land-mines. We know it was in the middle of the garden. It says nothing about its colour, texture or aroma. In the words of Eugene Petersen, God told Adam, “Don't eat from it (the tree). The moment you eat from that tree, you're dead!”

It seems very clear and unambiguous. It didn’t require a towering intellect to get to grips with the warning. Adam may or may not have known precisely what “death” or “dying” was. Whatever it meant, eating fruit from the tree was a definite “No-No”! Incidentally in those days there were no lawyers, advocates, juries and no judges. There was no Constitutional Court to appeal to if not satisfied with the verdict. God Himself was the Judge, Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. There was and is no higher authority. Perry Mason would not be born for some 6000 years. What God says goes! So if Adam had decided to throw a fruit tasting party, it would be “game over”, the instant he ate therefrom. Sadly, it was!

Now I’m not suggesting we kill every new born baby who cries. We don’t have to. It’s going to happen anyway. Satan made very sure that whatever it was Adam ate, the result would be repeated for all his offspring unless or until, God came up with an antidote for fruit-poison.

God came with His solution 2000 years ago. He sent the Tree of Life, in this instance, Jesus Christ Himself, to give us a new and better “diet”. We know it as His Body and His Blood. 

Some call it Holy Communion! Furthermore, if He’s told us once, He’s told us a thousand times, salvation from our own stupidity is available. Just do as He says. His grace is available to anyone. All we need do is come to Him in humble repentance from our past life of sin. Then we can partake of His body and blood. It sounds like a new and better “diet” to me. Who wants to die from fruit-poison anyway?

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

It Isn't Cute - It's Poisoned Fruit

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – 3 Sept 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	REVERSE THE CURSE
Man’s history contains within it, a devastating root. We were made in the image of God. Exactly what this means is still a matter for debate. Many think they know. Mostly it’s speculation. Don’t be surprised at that. We are inquisitive by nature. We want to know who, how, where, why and when. If we don’t know, we investigate. Sometimes, to our own detriment, we don’t believe. That’s the whole point. No one compels us to believe anyone or anything. It is a non-negotiable, God given freedom. We are free to obey or disobey. He will not interfere. God appears to have a law in place, the effect of which is, He tells His people once only. He advises them of the consequence of disobedience and then leaves us to get on with it. This is exactly how it should be. If He never tells a lie, why should He speak more than once? If at the end of a jetty there is a big sign which reads, “No parking beyond this point” Try it by all means. But you and your vehicle will get wet. One sign is sufficient! Any more signs are superfluous. I’m fascinated by the fact that the forbidden fruit was on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Presumably the fruit on all the other trees contained the knowledge of good only. I can’t prove this but it seems logical. There was another tree in the garden. The tree of life. Apparently neither of them ate any of that fruit. I’ve occasionally wondered why? My guess is that there was no actual fruit on it at the time. They already had life – the life of God in them. Presumably the fruit of this tree in some way “reverses” the curse. Perhaps it’s the “antidote” to the effects of the curse? Perhaps a Divine cure for snake-bite? It’s interesting that the armour of God referred to in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, does not have a reference to trees. The armour is summarised as follows: 1) Prayer in the Spirit; 2) The belt of truth; 3) The breastplate of God's righteousness; 4) The sandals of the good news of peace; 5) The shield of faith to stop the devil’s fiery arrows; 6) The helmet of salvation and 7) The sword of the Spirit - the Word of God. (Eph. 6:11–18) Of course, Paul was using the “equipment” of a Roman Soldier as his reference point. The fact that it was the reference point of 2000 years old armour, does not invalidate the picture. If anything it reinforces it. It’s the description of a Roman Soldier prepared for war. Primarily, battles in those days were hand to hand. There were some mechanical contrivances but they did not change the way a soldier prepared for battle. Today, our battle is a hand to hand spiritual battle. Yes, there are other items used in the fight. But these are more for general use than for hand to hand fighting. This indicates that our preparation for “war” is much the same, or at least similar, to what it was in Paul’s day. Are we wearing our armour? Never take it off! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			4 "You will not certainly die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:4-5 TNIV	It happened in the garden when Satan tempted Eve. He posed to her a question about what she believed. The Lord had made it very clear. To eat it was to die. Satan said she wouldn’t. “So give the fruit a try”. And so she took a little bite to see if it was true. Gave a piece to Adam to see what he would do. Adam took a little bite. He did it without thought. And in that little sample, Satan knew he’d caught, Adam and his partner. They now belonged to him. And death in all its horror resulted from that sin. The story of what happened next. Creation sort of groaned. Distorted by sin’s power and all that it now owned. Adam’s inner spirit-man was darkened and then died. Eve and all creation must certainly have cried. They were unprotected; They now were Satan’s slaves; And stayed in that position; for only Jesus saves. All of their descendants were in the self-same boat. Christ alone is able to grab Satan by the throat. So Satan’s been defeated and Jesus Christ can be, The Saviour of God’s people and all humanity. Nonetheless we’re living in a world of death and sin. Fighting evil forces over which we have to win. But we’re not defenceless. God’s armour we must wear. Thus we are protected; a part of this is prayer. Praying in the spirit, is what we need to do; On all times and occasions for folk like me and you. Fasten tight the belt of truth, which goes around the waist. The breastplate of God’s righteousness must always be in place. So in the Name of Jesus, we’re able to resist! The shield of faith securely, gripped within the fist. The gospel of God’s peace is worn like sandals on the feet The Helmet of Salvation shared with everyone we meet. We have a deadly weapon that can’t be overcome. The Word of God from which the enemy is sure to run. Quench the fiery arrows the devil shoots at you. Stand firm in the victory that’s certain, sure and true. You needn’t be outsmarted by all of Satan’s lies. If you will resist him, see how rapidly he flies. This is what to do so everyone may take the curse, And in the name of Jesus, put the whole thing in reverse. Jim Strickland Written 3rd Sept 2012
			3 And now I'm afraid that exactly as the Snake seduced Eve with his smooth patter, you are being lured away from the simple purity of your love for Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3 MSG
			10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. 11 Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, put on every piece of God's armour so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armour of God's righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-17 NLT
			11 We don't want Satan to outsmart us. We know how he does his evil work. 2 Corinthians 2:11 NIrV