PARABLE OF THE DOG

Time with Jesus - 8 Sept 2013

Hi all,

What happens to a man or a woman when they repent from sin, turn from their former ways and decide to follow Jesus Christ; to commit their lives to Him and make Him Lord of their life? The best way I know to answer the question is to say, “Everything spiritually and nothing physically!”

Physically, you will probably feel no different from what you did a few moments before you made your life changing decision. Some have had a physical experience. John Wesley said his heart felt strangely warmed. Exactly what this comprised is difficult to know. Some have felt a bit like Christian in John Bunyan’s immortal work “Pilgrim’s Progress. It seemed as if suddenly his burden “fell off” his back as he looked at the cross. 

I wish I was able to say the same. Unfortunately, I felt absolutely nothing. From my own perspective, there was no difference between before and after. My “feelings” were unchanged. It was a purely intellectual decision – or so I thought. I was no bigger or smaller, shorter or taller, fatter or leaner. I remember muttering a few prayers with the councillor after the meeting. He showed me a few Scriptures which should have meant something to me. They didn’t and I felt no different. All I’d done was make a decision. What I did not understand was the enormous difference which had taken place in my spirit.

Paul, in his letter to the Colossians described the difference as follows: ¹³ For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, ¹⁴ who purchased our freedom [with His blood] and forgave our sins. Col 1:13-14 NLT

Not the smallest hint of this change was apparent to me. I could have gone back to my “digs” and made silly comments on the emotional and psychological nonsense I’d just experienced. 

How do you eat an Elephant?
In small pieces

Why didn’t I do that? Frankly, I can’t tell you because I don’t know. All I knew was, I’d decided to follow Jesus and would do so for the rest of my life. In a way it was something like arriving at a stop sign at the end of the road. I could go left or right. However, the direction I’d chosen was permanent. There would be – there could be no turning back! As the chorus says, “I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; No turning back, no turning back.”

Once again Paul describes this in his 2^nd letter to the Corinthians. ¹⁷ Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence. 2 Cor. 5:17 GW. It would take several years of investigation and experience for me to realise that I really was a new creature in Him.

In the meantime, I quickly found that by making this decision, I was a marked man. In the Western world, everyone knows what a Christian should look like. There is a sort of “squeaky clean” image of a man who goes to church every day; spends a couple of hours daily in prayer; has a perfect wife and perfect children; walks round with a Bible constantly in his hand from which he can quote lengthy and vague passages;

 always smiles; contributes at least 10% of his income to his church; has a photograph of the 3 overseas children he is supporting through school; his every word is a quotation from Scripture; he doesn’t smoke; doesn’t drink; doesn’t keep company with “loose women; never looks at a woman immorally; is never sick or tired; always has plenty money in his wallet; never breaks the law, particularly the speed limit; doesn’t “jump” the red light; stops at every stop street and doesn’t use bad language! Please don’t think I’m irreverent if I say that I’m not sure Jesus Himself could “cope” with this!

Over the Top

Do you think this is “over the top?” Most Christians will say, “Jim you’re being a bit extreme!”. Am I? Well, as a Christian, how do you live? Are you pursuing a Christian standard of life that is beyond what you can do? Another question: Do you expect the Christians in your area to behave like this?

Let’s go to the next step. Do your non-Christian friends, neighbours and relatives expect you to be like this? Sadly, they do! More than that, they expect you to behave like this 24/7. They watch every step you take just waiting for an opportunity to point at you and say, “Hypocrite. Calls himself a Christian! Look at what he’s doing!” Is it any wonder that when the “vicar” takes the money and runs away with the organist, everyone nods their heads and says, “I knew they were like that!

What everyone fails to realise is that a Christian is just as human as a pagan. We may be new creatures in Christ Jesus but, to quote Shakespeare and the words of Shylock in the Merchant of Venice, “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?” OK, Shylock was a Jew. Nevertheless, his comment is equally true for Christians.

There is only one way to cope with people who point fingers at you for being or trying to be a Christian. That way is to adopt, “the silence of Jesus”. No matter what people say about you, do not rise to the bait. You are never obliged to answer anyone outside a court of law. Jesus knew who He was. With one word He could have summoned 100,000 angels. With a word He could have obliterated Jerusalem. He was and is God. He could have prevented the whipping. 

With the breath of His mouth, He could have blown away all the soldiers, priests and Levites. He could have stepped down from the cross. He chose not to do anything. He did nothing and said nothing. Without being irreverent, He showed us the “way of a dead dog”. 

Be Like a Dead Dog!

Praises, curses, applause or abuse made no difference to Him. He offered no resistance and allowed them to do anything they wished. Isaiah prophesied, ⁷ He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet He never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, He did not open His mouth. Isaiah 53:7 NLT

This is always the best way to deal with both supporters and opposition. Be like a dead dog. Say and do nothing. No excuses and no explanations. Allow God to be your Judge. The worst thing they can do is crucify you. Bless those who hold you down on the cross. Welcome the nails! 

Welcome the Nails

As you breathe your last, heaven will be cheering. Jesus will welcome you and you will hear the words, “Well done, Good and Faithful Servant".

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – 8 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	PARABLE OF THE DOG
How do you eat an elephant? It can be done. But not in one sitting. Then, eat a little piece at a time. Eventually, the whole thing will be gone. Of course you could also invite your friends, family and neighbours. You’ll get through it much quicker that way. You may even be able to finish it before the meat goes “off”. During the meal, no doubt you’ll get all sorts of comments. Some will love what you have done and tell the world what a wonderful elephant chef you are. Your fame may spread and you may even get a knighthood or something similar from your President. People from all five continents may fight to get tickets for your next elephant braai. Public recognition; your name and face on postage stamps; a slot on TV dubbed into 17 languages at the last count. Fame and fortune because of your elephantine heating and eating skills. Others may hate what you have done. “Do you know he bastes it with beer?” “Keep away from the tail. It’s noxious.” “The trunk is tremendous but it leaves a terrible aftertaste.” “He only buys his elephants from poachers”. “Too much elephant will seriously affect your cholesterol”! People are like that with everything. The apex; the zenith will be achieved if you are a Christian. You will either be loved or hated. Some will call you a prophet. Others will say you’re a profiteer. Get used to it now. It will happen. Some will love you. Others will accuse you of being Satan’s brother. The bottom line is whether you’re a criminal or a Christian. If you’re a criminal, now is the time to repent and come to Jesus. If you’re a Christian, what will you do with your supporters and your detractors? You will certainly get both. So what do you do when you are in a meeting and someone stands up and sings your praises? He/she may say you’re the greatest thing since sliced bread. He/she may be the leader of your supporters club. Perhaps you’ll be greeted as the next Pope! They may even refer to some miracle that took place in one of your meetings. What do you say or do about this? Take a leaf out of Jesus’ book. Say and do nothing. Remain impervious to all comments. Be like a dead dog. Be unmoved by praises. This is tough. There is something in the human psyche that “thrives” on compliments. We love them. Some well-known actors and actresses have DVD’s of all their films. They play them over and over again and bask in what they have done. My recommendation is to say and do nothing. Leave that to the Lord. No explanations and no recriminations! What about the times you’re criticised and hurt; what about when people told lies about you and accused you of monstrous evil deeds. Perhaps they hate you with passionate fury for no reason whatever. David foresaw this and mentioned it in Psalm 35. 19 Don't let those who are my enemies without any reason laugh at me and make fun of me. Don't let those who hate me without any reason wink at me with an evil purpose. Psalms 35:19 NIrV Jesus was hated without reason. You will be hated without reason. Jesus handled this by saying nothing! Mind you, I suspect that from the time of His being taken prisoner to the time of His death on the cross, Jesus prayed more or less continuously, “Father, forgive them for them know not what they do”. So if you want to say anything aloud or quietly, do what He did. Pray!  Otherwise, say nothing. Pretend you’re a dead dog. Learn from them and do what they do. Nothing! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			23 But here is the order of events. Christ is the first of those who rise from the dead. When he comes back, those who belong to him will be raised. 1 Corinthians 15:23 NIrV	I have a little parable to share with all my friends. I hope you’ll find it useful. I guess that it depends, On whether you like stories that are not always true; By nonetheless give insight to me as well as you. Before I even start it, I really have to say, No animal was ever harmed by what I now portray. It’s all imagination. A figment of my mind. I won’t hurt an animal; to them I’m always kind. Tommy and his father went walking one fine day. Both of them were Christians and walked the Jesus way. “What about Men’s praises” asked Tommy of his dad? “Never let them come to you in any way my lad!” Is what his father told him. “They’re often only words. Do not give them credence. That stuff is for the birds”. And what about my critics? What do I do with them?” “Do not even listen. They’re seeking to condemn.” Then tell me, “What’s the attitude that other folk should see?” Asked Tommy of his father. “Please listen close to me. Suppose you have a favourite dog. How do you call him home? You whistle or you call his name and he will cease to roam. What happens if the dog is dead? You whistle and you shout. But if the dog is really dead an answer is in doubt! Next you find the carcass. You say to it, ‘nice dog, Let us play together with yonder piece of log’, Will the doggie answer? It will not twitch a hair. The reason is, that down inside, the doggy isn’t there, Suppose you sing its praises. What will the doggy do? It won’t take any notice because it can’t hear you. Suppose you get so violent you kick it on the head. What is going to happen? Well? Nothing if it’s dead. Suppose you start to shout at it and curse it high and low. Do you think the animal will then get up and go? What if you sing praises from morning until night? Even then it won’t get up. It will not snarl or bite. That is how a Christian should forevermore react. Political correctness is not the way to act. Keep on smiling at them, then shake or bow the head. Compliments or curses; to all of them you’re dead. Point them all to Jesus! That is the finest way. It really doesn’t matter what people think or say. Never be discourteous, but do not ever budge. Leave it all to Jesus and let Him be the judge. Ask for His opinion and let Him put you straight. My son, if you do all of this, you’ll find that life is great.” Jim Strickland Written 8th September 2012
			24 I can guarantee this truth: A single grain of wheat doesn't produce anything unless it is planted in the ground and dies. If it dies, it will produce a lot of grain. John 12:24 GW
			16 If the dough offered as first-fruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. Romans 11:16 ESV
			20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. 1 Corinthians 15:20 NLT
			5 If we've become united with him in a death like his, certainly we will also be united with him when we come back to life as he did. Romans 6:5 GW
			20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Saviour. 21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under His control. Philippians 3:20-21 NLT
			18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. Colossians 1:18 ESV
			11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:11 ESV
			25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, John 11:25 ESV

GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU

Time with Jesus - 7 Sept 2013

Hi all,

From as far back as most of us can remember, we have all had ambition of one description or another. A little boy wants to be something special. It used to be an engine driver, a fireman or perhaps a policeman. You can get a good idea by looking at what they are playing with. It used to be toy cars, electric trains or the sport they partake in at school. Little girls loved playing with dolls, skipping or similar. 

Over the past 20 years, it has changed drastically. Today, they want to play computer games on play stations. Others have fun chatting on line with friends. Computers and smart-phones dominate the lives of children to the point where it is difficult to identify what it is they would like to be.

To say, “It wasn’t like that in my day!” is pointless. The world, in particular technology, has moved forward in leaps and bounds. The children of today will never be the way we remember from our young days. “Leggo” may still be popular with young children. But when they find their way into the wonders of the electronic age, it’s game over! 

Sadly, social networks, text messages and cellular networks have isolated children into a world of their own. Mind you, adults are not much different. Go to a restaurant or a place where people gather and we see people using their cell phones rather than chatting with each other across the table.

Where does ambition fit into all this? Is there any room for youngsters to develop ambition for the future? Could it be that “Maths and Science” are being neglected because they have little relevance to play stations, Facebook and Twitter? Sure, text messages helps with reading. But a special “texting language of abbreviations” has made it more difficult to read books. This problem with reading has reached the place in certain countries where, many of the young men and women leaving school are functionally illiterate.

But, what part does ambition fit into the life of a Christian? Does it fit anywhere into the life of a man or woman, who is committed to and has given his/her life, to Jesus Christ? Let me rephrase the question. Are you a bond slave of Jesus Christ? If so, where does your own will, desires and ambitions fit in? What it boils down to is this. Does a slave have any rights? No!

2 Then the LORD said to me, "Write My answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. 3 This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed. 4 "Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God. 5 Wealth is treacherous, and the arrogant are never at rest. They open their mouths as wide as the grave, and like death, they are never satisfied. In their greed they have gathered up many nations and swallowed many peoples. 6 "But soon their captives will taunt them. They will mock them, saying, 'What sorrow awaits you thieves! Now you will get what you deserve! You've become rich by extortion, but how much longer can this go on?' Habakkuk 2:2-6 NLT

We have been taught from the pulpit for many years, that we should all have a vision; a goal for the future. In line with business methods, we have all exclaimed, “Yes!” Unfortunately, we have been taken to Scripture passages such as Habakkuk 2:3 and distorted it, focusing solely on Habakkuk’s “vision” instead of the content. 

I’ve actually truncated the words of the prophet Habakkuk’s vision because of space considerations. It continues to the end of Chapter 2 and is a lament over Judah! In many ways, what is stated, is not very different from circumstances today. 

In other words, it’s not good news for Habakkuk or Judah. If I stood in a pulpit on Sunday and said that what the Lord had said to Habakkuk is true today, I would be lynched.

Jesus' vision for you
Death so He can rise in you!

There is no similar reading in the New Testament other than the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Did Jesus have a vision He was pursuing? Actually He stated very clearly, He only did what His Father told Him. Certainly He knew His destiny. He would die on the cross. But this was not His “vision”. His entire purpose was the defeat of Satan and the liberation of mankind. In the sense we understand “vision” today; Jesus did not have a vision. What about the other characters mentioned in the New Testament. 

If you read the Gospels, Acts and the letters, you will notice they all proceeded one day at a time trusting the Holy Spirit to show them the next step. These men had one ambition; to glorify God in the service of Jesus. So much for ambition!

Human ambition is nearly always for the glorification of themselves; a great ministry; a mega-church; international travel to speak at conferences. But that’s not in line with Jesus’ teaching. Perhaps the great plan God has for you, is to remain hidden from the rest of society. Would it really matter if you went to your grave in complete obscurity? Could it be that God’s great plan for your life is to be nobody, with a passion for Jesus that will transform the life of just one other person? What if that one person happens to be tomorrow’s Billy Graham? Does it really matter? Not if you are His bond slave. Perhaps you will serve His purpose best by being crucified? Perhaps you should allow men to trample all over you so that they can look back and see a life given for the Master?

In 1751, Thomas Gray published his “Elegy in a Country Churchyard”. It contains one verse that all Christians need to hold before their eyes as they follow Jesus. That verse reads, “Full many a gem of purest ray serene, / The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear: / Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, / And waste its sweetness on the desert air.”

What about you and me? Do we desire the applause and appreciation of men, or are we willing to be nobody for Jesus. Are you willing to “waste your sweetness on the desert air”?

Today’s meditation is on God’s plan for our lives and the associated implications. Eugene Petersen in the Message writes: ²⁴ "Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over.” John 12:24 MSG. These are the words of Jesus. Are you willing to die to everything, even your own ambitions? 

What about me? Will I do the same? It’s a decision we all have to make sooner or later.

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – 7 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	GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU
Attend just about any evangelistic church meeting. No doubt somewhere in the sermon, the preacher will tell you, “God has a wonderful plan for your life”. It’s not my plan to gainsay it. God does have a plan for your life and my life. That plan, in brief, is your total annihilation so that Christ may dwell by faith in your heart. “What’s so good about that?” I can almost hear the words coming directly from your lips! In Paul’s letter to the Galatians he puts it as follows: 20 I have been crucified with Christ. I don't live any longer. Christ lives in me. My faith in the Son of God helps me to live my life in my body. He loved me. He gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 NIrV A simple way to express this, is that you are so “in Christ”; so identified with him, that your own aspirations no longer feature. But that’s not quite the end of it. Watch what happens to your desires. David states: 4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 NIV Note that these are no longer your own selfish desires. These are the desires God puts in your heart. Suddenly you are thrilled with an idea from within, which you think is yours. It’s not! It comes from God. Your desires are now His desires. These ideas excite you. They stimulate you. There is no greater purpose in life than to follow these ideas to the end. Jesus is alive within you and you are so thrilled with His objectives, that you would move heaven and earth to get there. No day can ever be long enough for you to pursue this objective. Things improve significantly and you are so thrilled with what you are doing that it more or less consumes you. It’s a fascinating observation, that as Christ becomes greater in you and you become less, you become more abandoned to the plan inside. Suddenly, nothing else really matters. Paul expresses this in his letter to the Colossians. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27 ESV Now we begin to see the bigger picture. It’s not a question of you going through the motions trying your best to become what you never can be. Not at all. It’s Christ within you achieving His purposes in and through you! (My charismatic friends would say at this point, “You have just missed a great opportunity to shout Hallelujah!”) Earthly plans and purposes are for this world. Their success and fulfilment fades. Jesus’ plans in and through you are everlasting! They are greater than you because everything He does is good. How do I know all this is true? I gave my life to Jesus in October 1960. In spite of my many failures, it has become abundantly clear to Phyllida and to me, that what is written above is real. We have experienced it many times. Have we made mistakes? Yes; many of them. Do we have a perfect relationship with Him each and every day? I’d love to say yes but it wouldn’t be true. What we have found is that as we have dumped our own selfish goals and taken hold of His plan for our lives, life has taken on a better and more realistic meaning, than we could ever have imagined. We both testify to this. So stop struggling and die!! Then He will raise you up, energise you and bring His/your plan to fruition! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			17 But I am poor and needy. May the Lord be concerned about me. You are the One who helps me and saves me. My God, please don't wait any longer. Psalms 40:17 NIrV	How could he be a Christian? He thought that he would be, Sent by God to somewhere he’d rather never see. He had a fixed idea what discipleship would mean. Then when he thought about it said, “Sorry I’m not keen! I might be sent to China or somewhere that is worse. I’d rather stay in England and have money in my purse”. But he had missed the picture. God doesn’t work that way. He’ll only send you somewhere you really want to stay. He’ll use the education and training He provided, To go and take the Gospel to where you have decided. People seldom understand the mystery of God. He isn’t like a giant who will beat you with a rod. He puts desires in you that thrill you through and through. And then you realise it’s what you really want to do! He places these intentions deep down within the heart. And you will never know where your desires and His start! You think, I want to say that my objective and my goal, Is going in the way the Lord has placed into my soul. His plans for you are wonderful. In fact they are the best. He wants you to enjoy your life as though you’re “super-blessed!” It won’t be a disaster; it will be filled with hope. He will not leave you struggling and saying you can’t cope, With everything that’s happening. It doesn’t work that way. The plans that He has made for you get better every day! That’s how He thinks about you. His plans for you are vast. You’ll feel you truly want to nail His colours to your mast. You won’t be disappointed. Just the reverse is true. There won’t be hours in the day for all you want to do! Absolute fulfilment is what the Lord desires. Inspired and directed by your spirit’s inner fires. His riches are unsearchable! In fact they’ll “blow your mind”. Nothing can be better than what you’re sure to find. Talk of satisfaction? That’s surely guaranteed. Give your heart and life to Him and go where He will lead. Yes, there will be problems. Yes it will be tough. But you have His assurance He’s far more than enough. You’ll be an overcomer if you stick it to the end. You’ll find experientially, on Him you can depend. You may not be a millionaire with money in the bank. When you reflect upon this, It’s Him you’ll want to thank, For giving you a lifetime of purposeful success; That when you’re looking back on it, you’ll know that you’ve been blessed. How can I make this statement? On whose authority? Well here is my confession. He did all this for me! Jim Strickland Written 7th September 2012
			11 I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD. They are plans for peace and not disaster; plans to give you a future filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11 GW
			8 "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT
			17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. Psalms 139:17-18 ESV
			5 How great are your works, O LORD, how profound your thoughts! Psalms 92:5 NIV
			5 You have done many miraculous things, O LORD my God. You have made many wonderful plans for us. No one compares to you! I will tell others about your miracles, which are more than I can count. Psalms 40:5 GW
			26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 1 Corinthians 1:26 ESV
			5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? James 2:5 ESV
			10 People think we are sad although we're always glad, that we're beggars although we make many people spiritually rich, that we have nothing although we possess everything. 2 Corinthians 6:10 GW
			8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, Ephesians 3:8 ESV