JIMMETS – PS 118:7 and 1 COR 10:13

Time with Jesus - 12 Sept 2013

Hi all,

Juke Box

We are told he was the richest man who ever lived. How his bank balance stacks up against Bill Gates or some of the Arab oil Sheikhs is not really known. However, in his day he was obscenely wealthy with worldly goods. There was nothing he couldn’t afford to buy. I understand, some of our modern billionaires have so much money, if they use a $100 bill to light a cigarette, their income increases faster than it takes the $100 bill to incinerate. For you and me, such wealth is incomprehensible. Literally, they can buy whatever they want and scarcely feel it.

The man in question had 700 wives and 300 concubines. If he took 1 of them to bed every night, it would take 2.73 years before he could begin again! Is this variety, gluttony or stupidity? It’s probably a bit of all three. What about power? There was no one to challenge him militarily. Moreover he was thought of as the wisest man alive. So wise, the Queen of Sheba came to see him. She was astonished. We are referring to King Solomon.

King Solomon & Queen of Sheba

In the light of this, there is little wonder the man wrote, ⁸ “Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. ⁹ History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before”. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Eccl 1:8-9 NLT

Today, the vast majority would think that if he/she was all powerful, immeasurably wealthy and with the physical ability to indulge in a similar sexual lifestyle, they would be happy! King Solomon’s words indicate the fallacy of this!

I’m believe God allowed Solomon to experience a place where he could do whatever his heart desired. God did this for many reasons. Probably the most important was to demonstrate, through the life and experience of one man, if all man’s desires and greed were provided for, there would still be absolutely no satisfaction! 

We are told that the easiest way to stop someone doing something, is to allow them to do anything they want. I’m reminded of a story told to me by my grandfather. At one time he worked for a company called “Needlers”. They made chocolates. At the time, Needlers Chocolates were said to be among the finest obtainable in UK. When he went to work there, he thought his appetite for chocolates would be satisfied. He had visions of bringing boxes of chocolates home for family and friends. 

When he started work he was told that he could eat as many chocolates as he wanted. There was no limit imposed on his hunger for their products. At first, he says he, “tucked in” and enjoyed whatever his eyes desired. He found, over a period of ±2 weeks, his appetite for chocolates decreased. He arrived at a place where he didn’t want to eat any. He was satiated with chocolates. He added that he could buy boxes of “seconds” at a good price. There was nothing wrong with them. They looked “odd” so were not suitable to sell in the shops. It wasn’t long before family and friends no longer had a “taste” for chocolates.

Is this the same sort of thing that happened to Solomon? Did he find that after 1000 women, he had no interest in another? If he owned 1000 Arabian horses, would he want a few more? If his treasury was overflowing with diamonds, rubies, other precious gems, gold, silver coins and possessions, did he really want any more?

To answer these questions, read Ecclesiastes. It reads a bit like the confessions of a man who has had everything and is utterly bored with it all. It’s clear he has nothing to look forward to! As a result, everything is meaningless.

ECCLESIASTES 1:2	Trans
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity	ASV
Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.	ESV
"Absolutely pointless!" says the spokesman. "Absolutely pointless! Everything is pointless."	GW
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity	KJV
Vanity of vanities, says the preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.	MKJV
Smoke, nothing but smoke. That's what the Quester says. There's nothing to anything--it's all smoke.	MSG
"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity."	NAS77
"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity."	NASB
"Everything is meaningless," says the Teacher, "completely meaningless!"	NLT
"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."	TNIV

For convenience I’ve included a table of 10 Bible translations all quoting Eccl. 1:2. Coming across in them all, is the sense of the writer’s frustration about everything on earth. (Under the sun being understood as on our planet) He is not referring to “heaven” where God reigns. What could you and I possibly offer this man? He’s done it all!

Christians always have something to look forward to. Indeed, because Jesus Christ is our future, we need never descend into feelings of meaningless frustration. The opposite is true. We are always able to anticipate tomorrow in the Light of Jesus Christ, the Word of God. Quoting from Isaiah 64:4, Paul wrote to the Corinthians: - ⁹ That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him." 1 Cor. 2:9 NLT

If anything, you and I can look forward to the future, in a way King Solomon never could. We need never say, “Everything is meaningless." On the contrary, we can rejoice in all the Lord has done and is doing for those who love Him.

Today’s meditation focuses on two verses of Scripture. Both of them are in Jimmet style.

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Gears and Wheels Don't Grow on Trees!

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – 12 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	JIMMETS – PS 118:7 & 1 COR 10:13
Today’s Scriptures and meditation were “tailor made” for writing a couple of Jimmets. Both of them remind me of my early days in Christianity. I seem to recall, we did much more singing back then than we do now. Perhaps this is a subjective opinion, brought about by what we used to refer to as “Old Man Syndrome”. As a young man in the 1960’s, the “old men and women” didn’t seem to have any time for the latest modern music. Now things have gone full circle. It’s the folk of my generation that get irritated with modern music. I’m tempted to ask if it really is music. But I’ve thought better of it! I’m reminded of a UK TV programme in the early 1960”s called “Juke Box Jury” It was one of my favourite programmes in those days. The compere, David Jacobs, would play one of the latest musical releases and ask the jury to mark it out of five. The younger members of the jury always gave a favourable mark. The older ones didn’t. I suspect it was this question and answer time between each song that the audience enjoyed most. One young girl – she must be in her 70’s now, would listen and in a deep Somerset accent say, “Oi Loikes it, Oil Bouy it and Oil give it foive”. The audience would roar with laughter. The most amusing incident I recall was when one of the older members of the jury appeared with a peg on his nose. He said that the noise was bad enough. He couldn’t face the smell. Over the next couple of years, music changed. We went through a marvellous time when Dave and Dale Garret recorded “Scripture in Song”. They had a gift of being able to find tunes suitable for singing various Scripture verses. Some 40 years later, I still find myself “singing” those old songs. It was because it was the way I was able to memorise Scripture. Today the easiest way for me to remember the first few verses of Isaiah 61 is to sing them. Never loudly of course. It wouldn’t be appreciated. The first Jimmet is an extrapolation of Psalms 118:7. As I read, it I’m reminded of singing “Who is on the Lord’s side?” The Scripture states “The LORD is on my side as my helper”. It’s not exactly the same thing. But if He is on my side, logic tells me that I’m on His side. That must be the connection in my mind. One of the first Scriptures I committed to memory was 1 Corinthians 10:13 Back then the only readily available translation was the KJV. It follows that the Scriptures memorised were all in King James translation English. No doubt people memorise verses today, from one of the more recent translations. That’s fine. But somehow there is something about the KJV that still appeals to me. I must confess that many times I don’t understand the KJV meaning. That’s when I look at other translations to get a “feel” for it. This is why the Scripture quotations in the middle of these meditations are from different translations. My “Daily Light” is from the KJV. So I try to find a Scripture which I think brings out the best meaning. Sure it’s subjective. But it helps me. The 1 Cor. 10:13 has been of great help. Through it, I’ve started to understand that everything I’ll ever experience, has been experienced by Jesus and or those who have gone on ahead of us. It’s comforting to know that Satan can’t dream up anything new, that will ensure his success over us. It’s also good to know that Jesus is fully in charge. Satan can’t stop Him. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			7 The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. Psalms 118:7 ESV	PSALMS 118:7 We know that if the Lord is on our side, We’ll look in triumph, at the ones who hate Us with a passion which they cannot hide; And constantly are seeking to berate, God’s people. Lord, that’s why we look to You. You have been our helper through the years. Thank You there is naught that they can do, And they’ll become a victim of their fears. O Lord is there a possibility, That You will change them? Lord for this we pray. It would be so wonderful to see. Them following You, Master, every day. Though it seems the chance is very slim, Without You Lord, their future is so grim! Jim Strickland 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13 You’ve said that no temptation comes along, That ever in our lives we’ll have to face, That can’t be overcome if we are strong. That’s why, O Lord, You’ve granted us Your grace. Our trials and our temptations aren’t unique. Other men of God have faced them too. You have strengthened them when they were weak; And the time has come for us to do, What they did. To stand and not to yield. The enemy may come in like a flood; And tell us that our fate is surely sealed, But, we have the power of Your blood. And that Master, You will show the way, To escape; regardless; come what may! Jim Strickland Written 12th September 2012 Scripture in Song
			For the choir director: A psalm of David. 1 In times of trouble, may the LORD answer your cry. May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm. 2 May He send you help from His sanctuary and strengthen you from Jerusalem. Psalms 20:1-2 NLT
			5 May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory and raise a victory banner in the name of our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers. Psalms 20:5 NLT
			7 Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the LORD our God. 8 Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm. Psalms 20:7-8 NLT
			19 So they shall fear the name of Jehovah from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of Jehovah shall make him flee. Isaiah 59:19 MKJV
			13 No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 MSG
			31 What should we say then? Since God is on our side, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 NIrV
			6 The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Psalms 118:6 NLT
			17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. Daniel 3:17 ESV

WORKING OR SHIRKING?

Time with Jesus - 11 Sept. 2013

Hi all,

The Genesis account of creation is beautiful beyond description. It’s a simplistic explanation of the process of going from nothing to a magnificent world, perfect in every respect.

A Beautiful World
Perfect in all Respects

According to “Your Dictionary” the definition of “simplistic” is making complex problems appear to be simpler than they are in reality. For example, saying "let's give food to all the hungry," is an example of a simplistic solution because solving world hungry isn't as easy as handing out food to everyone. 

Precisely how God went about creating isn’t spelled out. It wasn’t intended to be a detailed scientific account. God didn’t intend it to be understood that way. How could He do so? Even today, the technical detail would be such that few, if any, could understand every part of it. However, although each of the events may not be understood, the sequence is logical and believable by men and women of every age, regardless of intellectual ability. This makes it all the more believable!

We are told creation took place in six days. Some believe this to be six, twenty four hour periods. I will not argue this with you. My concern is that when God created light, our planet had yet to be created. Since “day” as we understand it, constitutes one revolution of our planet on its axis, how can we define a “day” in those terms when our planet didn’t exist on day one?

Adam's First Job

On the sixth day, God created human beings. In Genesis 1 we are told, ²⁶ Then God said, "Let Us make human beings in Our image, to be like Us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground." ²⁷ So God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. Gen 1:26-27 NLT

The creation story continues to the “end” of the sixth day, when God looked at His handiwork and stated that everything was very good. ³¹ Then God looked over all He had made, and He saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day. Gen 1:31 NLT

Chapters and Verses?

When reading the Bible we must remember that in the original, there were no chapters and verse numbers. These are a man-made addition for our convenience. Although it has helped us find a place in Scripture, in many instances, the divisions have done more harm than good. 

Just in case we've forgotten!

A good example is the end of Genesis 1. Gen 2:1-3 fits more comfortably at the end of Genesis 1. For better understanding, in my opinion, Genesis 2 should begin at Gen 2:4. In this way, the establishment of the day of rest (the seventh day) would be seen as part of the overall creation account. The present chapter divisions give the impression that creation ended at the end of chapter 1. But the end was when God “stepped back” as it were, to look at creation and enjoy what He saw. He said It was very good!

If you don't do what he said,
This guy will surely shoot you dead!

In Gen 2, we note God created the Garden of Eden and placed Adam in it. Adam’s job was to “work” it! ¹⁵ The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Gen 2:15 NIV.

It’s an interesting observation that God required Adam to work before he was given a wife. Of course, this is how it should be. A man’s first priority is to work for a living. Interestingly enough, Adam’s work preceded fellowship with God in the cool of the day and before marriage and a family. 

In Summary

This principle applies even after the fall in Genesis 3. As a man, I am expected to provide for my wife and family before attending a church. I know this is not popular, but it follows the creation sequence. 

Get Going Guy!

God expects men to work to provide, initially for himself, then after marriage, to provide for his wife and children. It is the way it was originally intended. His wife was originally intended to be the nurturer; the producer of and care giver of their children. Basically, the man was to be the provider for the family. He would do this by working. The woman; the wife, was to be the carer of the family. This is stated simplistically. Furthermore, the fall of man has made the lot and the work of man and woman much harder.

Genesis 3 states, ¹⁶ To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." ¹⁷ To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. ¹⁸ It will produce thorns and thistles for you and you will eat the plants of the field. ¹⁹ By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." Gen 3:16-19 NIV

The net result is that God expects men to work. In this regard Paul wrote: ¹⁰ Don't you remember the rule we had when we lived with you? "If you don't work, you don't eat." 2 The. 3:10 MSG (Sorry guys, it’s a hard working world.)

The experience of women down through the centuries has been, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you”. In many respects, since the fall, women have “worked” harder than their male counterparts. 

We usually speak of the fall of man. Sometimes I think we should speak of “the fall of woman”. They appear to have “worked harder”, been pushed around and “suffered” far more than men over the past ±6000 years! Working, not shirking!

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – 11 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	WORKING OR SHIRKING?
Naivety is one of the most prevalent difficulties associated with Christianity today. We tend to believe anything and trust everyone. It doesn’t take long before the “gilt wears off the gingerbread” and for us to realise that, generally speaking, Christians are not much different from unbelievers. I know it’s a terrible conclusion to reach, but it’s true. We know it shouldn’t be this way. Christians should live a Christ-like lifestyle. We seldom find this to be the case. The biggest surprise in this regard was when I went to Bible school. My expectation was that all of us would be doing our very best to live a Biblical lifestyle. Many did. But the lifestyle was more like that of Ahab and Jezebel than of Jesus. Within three weeks a man was “unmasked”. He could “flow in the Holy Spirit” and “prophesy” most convincingly. Sadly he was like Elmer Gantry. His purpose was to rip-off young ladies. He was impressive and a total “shyster”. I had been able to save the fees for Bible School and paid for the full year in advance. The norm seemed to be people who wanted to attend for free. They had been “called” to attend Bible School but had no money to pay the fees. For several months the school staff pursued them before eventually, either the people left, or they paid up. They found someone to pay their fees! What really shook Phyllida and me was the way so many Christians were not interested in working. They said they were trusting God for their finances. But the idea of working was anathema. They struggled on day after day, week after week and year after year. At the end of the period they were still waiting for God to fill their pockets. It’s rather sad. Much of this originates from our passion for taking Scripture out of context. A good example comes from Phil. 4:13 It’s qualified by Phil. 4:12, the preceding verse. 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. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Phil. 4:12-13 NLT Looking at both verses together we see that Paul was talking about living with and without the essentials of life. He was saying Jesus empowered him to do all this in and through His strength. Phil. 4:19 NLT has also been misinterpreted. In the previous verses, Paul was referring to how their gift had provided for his needs. Paul was confident that others would provide for their needs in a similar way in and through Jesus. What was sad was that 2 Thess. 3:10 (Anyone who will not work will not eat) & 1 Thess. 4:11 (do your work, and earn your own living), were ignored. Not that we were surprised. Why work if you can find someone who will support you financially? I’m trying not to be cynical, but it’s not easy. Christians are not welcome by many businesses, because they don’t pay their bills. They steal from their brothers and sisters when they ask them to do a job and have no means of paying their bill. That makes them liars and thieves! This happens regularly. Personally, I prefer not to do business with a Christian unless I know he/she will pay up. I can’t afford to work without them paying their bills. Am I being too fussy? I don’t think so. What I’m longing to see is integrity among my brothers and sisters in Jesus. Is it ever likely to happen? You tell me. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			23 Meanwhile, men and women go out to work, busy at their jobs until evening. Psalms 104:23 MSG	I’m told that we are swearing when we use four letter words. A lot of people do so. Still do, from what I’ve heard. Some words are quite disgusting and banned from Christian speech. But even so, for some of them, these words are still in reach. But now there is another word which seems to haunt the church. Some Christian when they hear it, it knocks them off their perch. Please read it very quietly and don’t spread it around. Some people say it’s toxic and never should be found, In any Christian circle, because they’re trusting God, To get another hand out, while on the road they trod. What is this frightful little word that makes folk run off scared? I’m going to have to use it, although you’re unprepared. It only has four letters and rhymes with the word “shirk”. So please excuse me using it; the little word is “work”. I know it isn’t popular, but it’s what God requires. Sadly, many Christians, find that the word inspires Many to be busy.  They’d rather spend the day, Jabbering and chattering in every sort of way. “I’m trusting God” they tell us. “I hate activity; And I’ve received a calling that’s totally work free. Please don’t be offended. I think I’d rather pray For God to send me money, in His mysterious way”. We meet them by the dozen and mostly they are poor, Some are getting hungry, but they are very sure, That just around the corner, someone will help them out; That they’ll be given millions, they do not ever doubt. They do not read the Bible to find what it contains. The thought of their employment, is banished from their brains. It seems they are allergic to working with their hands. And haven’t ever read the Word, that says the Lord demands, His people to be working. Without it, they won’t eat. That’s what the Lord is saying. Man has to earn his meat! Whatever you can find to do, do it with all your might. That way the Lord will bless you, with blessings “out of sight”. There is a sure connection about our daily bread. God says, “Go out and earn it, without food you’ll be dead”. And if you are a father, it’s you who must provide, To feed all of your family. From this you cannot hide. The Lord holds you responsible for all your family. If anyone is starving, He’ll put the blame on thee. And though it sounds unsavoury, make work your way of life. Then He will take good care of you, your family and wife. Jim Strickland Written 11th September 2012
			19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." Genesis 3:19 TNIV
			10 Even when we were with you, we gave you a rule. We said, "Anyone who will not work will not eat." 2 Thessalonians 3:10 NIrV
			11 Also, make it your goal to live quietly, do your work, and earn your own living, as we ordered you. 1 Thessalonians 4:11 GW
			10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going. Ecclesiastes 9:10 ESV
			4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the One who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. John 9:4 NLT
			9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 NIV
			58 My dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Don't let anything move you. Always give yourselves completely to the work of the Lord. Because you belong to the Lord, you know that your work is not worthless. 1 Corinthians 15:58 NIrV
			9 So there is still a Sabbath rest for God's people. Hebrews 4:9 NIrV
			12 'These last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.' Matthew 20:12 MSG
			12 to whom he has said, "This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose"; yet they would not hear. Isaiah 28:12 ESV