WATERLOO AND ZIKLAG

Time with Jesus -29 Oct 2013

Hi all,

In the sixth chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans, he deals with the foolishness of a Christian living a sinful life. Loosely, in the chapter, you find he speaks of sin and righteousness.

The two are utterly incompatible. It’s a bit like being pregnant. As our ladies know very well you are, or you are not. You cannot be a little bit pregnant.

Christians need to know that God is totally against sin in any shape or form. People say, “He will excuse me because He knows how weak I am and how much I am tempted”. 

That is not true. God is as angry with sin in a believer, as He is with sin in an unbeliever. Actually, He is angrier with sin in a believer. The unbeliever at least has the excuse that he didn’t know.

But the believer knows only too well how angry He is with sin, in any shape or form. Now God’s anger is not something to be trifled with. The writer to the Hebrews makes it very clear, ²⁹ for our "God is a consuming fire." Heb 12:29 NIV

Ziklag - Women and Children
Taken Captive

Returning to Romans 6 we read: ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 6:23 NLT We must be aware that sin is costly and must be paid for in full. The word “wages” is very descriptive. 

When I was an apprentice, I was paid for every hour I worked. At the end of the week, my employer paid me in accordance with the number of hours. For the sake of illustration, assume I was paid $1 per hour. Thus for a 40 hour week I would be paid $40. For a sixty hour week I would receive $60. 

Wellington at Waterloo

When I was paid monthly, my wages would have been $168 for 21 days working 8 hours per day. For a year, it would be $2016. If this happened for 40 years, I would be paid $80640. Not much for a lifetime’s working. Notice that the grand total is cumulative.These are my wages and I am fully entitled to them. A court would enforce it!

Napoleon

The same is true of sin. It is also cumulative. But there is a difference. Hell is a place with no exits. 1 sin in a lifetime, is sufficient to put you or me in Hell forever. How long is forever? The answer is easy; for as long as God “lives”. 

French Soldiers

You can’t get out and His anger at sin won’t let you out; All this for one sin in a lifetime. For one sin per hour, the sentence would be 8064 life times. It’s a bit like a murderer receiving 10 death sentences. One is quite sufficient. 

They don’t wait for you to die, then resurrect you in order to execute you again. This will not happen 9 times. Once is sufficient. Likewise for 1 sin every hour for a lifetime, you will not be cast into hell 8063 times. Once is more than sufficient! Don’t complain. Those are your wages for one sin per hour for 40 years. If you are anything like me, the total would be many more than 8064 sins.

British Troops

The reason is, I loved sin and was proficient at sinning! I suspect you and I are much the same in this regard. Sadly, we will both get our wages. We’ve earned them. In any case, once is sufficient and in the afterlife, for you and me it’s “game over”!

Duke of Wellington

The next question is do you know what is meant by “power of attorney”? Phyllida has power of attorney over everything we have. It means that Phyllida can go the bank or my employer and ask for whatever is due to me. I gave her this right, years ago when we married.

In Christian terms I can state, when I gave my life to Jesus, I gave Him power of attorney over my life. In return, I promised Him I would follow Him all my life. Actually, I went one step further. I gave up my right to everything. I became His bond slave.

i.e. A slave who has no rights other than to obey his owner. In exchange, Jesus picked up my wages, particularly in the area of sin. Thus, when it comes for me to receive my wages for sin, He steps forward and takes the punishment which was rightfully mine. It’s not so much that I’ve been “let off”. Not at all! He has paid it all! 

Now we have a good arrangement. My debt to God for sin has been paid up to today. If I stumble into sin tomorrow, I’m expected to go to Him and tell Him what I’ve done. Then He will pay the fine, forgive me and my record stays clean. Not because of what I’ve done, but because of His grace. He doesn’t have to forgive me. He forgives me because He loves me and wants me to remain as His bond slave. I want it too!

Hell

John the Apostle expresses it as follows: ⁹ But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9 NLT In “Jim-speak” this means that when I (a Christian) stumble into sin, if I go back to him in repentance and confess my sins, he will once again “balance my books”.

In practical terms, this means that when my sin balance goes into overdraft, I must go back to Him and ask Him to forgive me for what I have done, since He last forgave me. God’s Word assures us He will do so. However, the onus is on me to keep “short accounts” with Him. 

How often should we go back to Him and ask Him to do this? The answer is, “as often as is necessary!” If you aren’t sure, ask the Holy Spirit to help you. One of the reasons why He came was to help us keep short accounts with God.

For a Christian, committing his/her life to Jesus is a bit like David at Ziklag. It’s a critical moment. Our future hangs on it. It’s also a bit like Napoleon at Waterloo. For Napoleon it was “game over”. Control of his life passed out of his hands into the hands of those who had defeated him. David had to discover if he really would obey his owner (God). 

For us, it is the same. The bottom line is, “Who is in control of your life”? If it’s you, Jesus certainly isn’t in control. If you are His bond slave, the question is pointless. You will want to please Him and keep away from sin.

Shalom

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus 29 Oct 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	WATERLOO AND ZIKLAG
There are times in our lives, which are absolutely critical. Our first was being born. From the comfort of the womb to an unknown world. I don’t know anyone who remembers the incident. Mothers probably do, but somehow the experience is forgotten when the infant is in her arms. During childhood, we go through a series of “critical” incidents. The first day at school. Finding out that Dad is Father Christmas. The onset of puberty. Our first “date”. Our very first kiss. They may not be critical in the accepted sense of the world. But to us at the time, they were pivotal. Things would never be quite the same again. My first really “critical” incident was in early December 1959. Due to my own stupidity, the “wheels came off” on my final day at School. It threw me into a state of anxiety from which I’ve not fully recovered. My future changed forever. University was “out” and my prospects were grim. Looking back some 54 years later, I see to what extent this impacted my life. I would have remained in South Africa. Instead, I was off to England to work as an apprentice and a career in engineering. This was my “Waterloo”. A “deathless Golgotha”. Like Napoleon, I went into exile. Not Saint Helena - Newcastle on Tyne in England! We all have incidents of this sort in our lives. In Christian terms we would speak about a “crucifixion”. Times when the bottom falls out of our world and we are thrown into the hands of our Creator. On reflection, we could say that the incident was directly from the hands of the Lord, to achieve a purpose only He knows. Embarrassment, rejection, accusing tongues, slander and in some instances, death threats. I often feel God lights the fire and gets the oven nice and hot. Then He puts us into the situation to test our metal. Silver, gold or wood, hay and stubble? He does this because He loves us. He loves us too much to leave us like an unbroken mare or stallion. For David, the incident was Ziklag. It happened toward the end of his days of running from Saul. This incident, measuring 7.5 on the “JHWH scale” shook David to his very roots. He had been anointed by Samuel as king. But, if he didn’t come up with something in double quick time, he would be lying dead in what was left of Ziklag after a visit by the Amalekites! What would David do? To me this situation has all the fingerprints of God. “David, do you trust Me?” is the unasked question. Read about it in 1 Sam 30. David turned to God for encouragement. He “encouraged himself” in the Lord is the way the KJV translates the passage. How do we deal with such calamities? Are we going to wilt and crumble? Will we turn to Him? Do we realise that this is a trial from His hand? It’s a case of sink or swim! Jim and Phyllida Strickland			6 David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the LORD his God. 1 Samuel 30:6 NLT	We know about what happened at a place called “Waterloo”. The Frenchmen were defeated; Napoleon was through. It was his final battle; the one he had to win! And when he was defeated; the trouble he was in! Sent to Saint Helena, until the day he died. European “justice” to him was thus applied. So Waterloo was pivotal. He couldn’t carry on. His opportunity was lost. Napoleon was gone. Each of us is similar. Upon a certain date, We have to go through something which somehow seals our fate. Dates are cast in concrete. But it’s how we react, That changes situations. That’s an established fact. For David it was Ziklag. This was his Waterloo. With “situation critical”, what would our hero do? He’d gone off with his army. To lead his men to war. And when the men came home again, the town was there no more. It seems that the Amalekites had marched into the town. They had flattened Ziklag and burned the whole place down. The women and the children were all carried away. His warriors were furious; now what could David say? The men were getting restless. Revolt was in the air. Then David was decisive. He turned to God in prayer. And in that situation he found encouragement. There was no outward evidence. But it was his intent, To chase that raiding army and bring his people back. And if he didn’t do it soon, his warriors would crack. We know that he succeeded; that all things worked out well. The prisoners recovered, as Scripture clearly tells! Take notice of what happened. This was his “Waterloo”. He would not be defeated and found out what to do. He could bemoan what happened, fall on his knees and weep. He knew that would be fatal. So David took a leap, Of faith in God Almighty and found encouragement! This attitude in David was surely heaven sent! He asked the Lord to help him. To help him overcome. He didn’t wane or falter till victory was won. So if your life is crumbling; you’re at your “Waterloo” Find encouragement in God; He’ll show you what to do. Jim Strickland Written 29th Oct 2012
			68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, John 6:68 ESV
			12 That's why I'm suffering the way I am. But I'm not ashamed. I know the One I have believed in. I am sure he is able to take care of what I have given him. I can trust him with it until the day he returns as judge. 2 Timothy 1:12 NIrV
			6 I called on the LORD in my distress. I cried to my God for help. He heard my voice from his temple, and my cry for help reached his ears. Psalms 18:6 GW
			18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. 19 He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. Psalms 18:18-19 TNIV
			Of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away. 1 I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. 3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! 4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Psalms 34:1-4 ESV
			8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Psalms 34:8 ESV

THE FIGHT

Time with Jesus - 28 Oct 2013

Hi all,

The following was written by Dr AW Tozer in the 1940’s or 1950’s. His assessment, no, doubt was true in those days. Has anything changed since then? His writing referred specifically to the evangelicals churches of his day. Today ±75 years later, the Charismatic churches are, generally speaking, just the same!

It is a basic doctrine of the New Testament that, after His resurrection, the Man Jesus was declared by God to be both Lord and Christ; and that He was invested by the Father with absolute Lordship over the church, which is His Body. All authority is His in heaven and in earth. In His own proper time He will exert it to the full. Presently He allows this authority to be challenged or ignored. Now it is being challenged by the world and ignored by the church.

The Pillow Fight

The present position of Christ in the gospel churches may be likened to that of a king in a limited, constitutional monarchy. The king, in such a country, is no more than a traditional rallying point, a pleasant symbol of unity and loyalty much like a flag or a national anthem.

Among gospel churches, Christ is now in fact little more than a beloved symbol. In the week-by-week services of the church and the day-by-day conduct of her members, someone else, not Christ, makes the decisions. 

Under proper circumstances, Christ is allowed to say "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden" or "Let not your heart be troubled," but when the speech is finished someone else takes over. Those in actual authority decide the moral standards of the church, as well as all objectives and all methods employed to achieve them.

Not only does Christ have little or no authority; His influence also is becoming less and less. I would not say that He has none. Only that it is small and diminishing. A fair parallel would be the influence of Abraham Lincoln over the American people today. After we have gotten control over our tender emotions what have we left? No more than a good example which, as it recedes into the past, becomes more and more unreal and exercises less and less real influence. Every scoundrel is ready to wrap Lincoln's long black coat around him.

The Lordship of Jesus is not quite forgotten among Christians, but it has been relegated to the hymnal. If it is taught as a theory in the classroom, it is rarely applied to practical living. The idea that the Man, Christ Jesus, has absolute and final authority over the whole church is simply not now accepted as true by the rank and file of evangelical Christians.

What we do is this: We accept the Christianity of our group as being identical with that of Christ and His apostles. The beliefs, the practices, the ethics, the activities of our group are equated with the Christianity of the New Testament. Whatever the group thinks or says or does is Scriptural; no questions asked. It is assumed that all our Lord expects of us is that we busy ourselves with the activities of the group!

We evangelicals also know how to avoid the sharp point of obedience by means of fine and intricate explanations. These are tailor-made for the flesh. They excuse disobedience, comfort carnality and make the words of Christ of none effect. And the essence of it all is that Christ simply could not have meant what He said. His teachings are accepted, even theoretically, only after they have been weakened by interpretation.

Yet Christ is consulted by increasing numbers of persons with "problems" and sought after by those who long for peace of mind. He is widely recommended as a kind of spiritual psychiatrist with remarkable powers to straighten people out. He is able to deliver them from their guilt

complexes and to help them to avoid serious psychic traumas by making a smooth and easy adjustment to society and to their own ids. Of course this strange Christ has no relation whatever to the Christ of the New Testament. The true Christ is also Lord, but this accommodating Christ is little more than the servant of the people!

What church board consults our Lord's words to decide matters under discussion? Board meetings are habitually opened with a formal prayer, after that the Head of the Church is respectfully silent while the real rulers take over.

What Sunday school committee goes to the Word for directions? Do not the members invariably assume that they already know what they are supposed to do and that their only problem is to find effective means to get it done? 

Plans, rules, "operations" and new methodological techniques absorb all their time and attention. The prayer before the meeting is for divine help to carry out their plans. Apparently the idea that the Lord might have some instructions for them, never so much as enters their heads.

Who remembers when a conference chairman brought his Bible to the table with him for the purpose of using it? An absolute dichotomy exists between the devotional period and the business session. The first has no relation to the second.

In the conduct of our public worship where is the authority of Christ to be found? 

The truth is that today the Lord rarely controls a service, and the influence He exerts is very small. We sing of Him and preach about Him, but He must not interfere; we worship our way, and it must be right because we have always done it that way, as have the other churches in our group.

The Belt of Truth

What Christian when faced with a moral problem goes straight to the Sermon on the Mount or other New Testament Scripture for the authoritative answer? Who lets the words of Christ be final on giving, birth control, the bringing up of a family, personal habits, tithing, entertainment, buying, selling and other such important matters?

The causes back of the decline in our Lord's authority are many. I name only two. One is the power of custom, precedent and tradition within the older religious groups. Not Christ but custom is lord in this situation.

The second cause is the revival of intellectualism. This is not so much a thirst for learning as a desire for a reputation of being learned. Because of it, good men, who ought to know better, are being put in the position of collaborating with the enemy. I'll explain.

Our faith is being attacked these days from many different directions. In the Western World he comes against us no more with sword and fagot; he now comes smiling, bearing gifts. He raises his eyes to heaven and swears that he too believes in the faith of our fathers, but his real purpose is to destroy that faith so that it is no longer the supernatural thing it once was. 

He comes in the name of philosophy or psychology or anthropology, and with sweet reasonableness, urges us to rethink our historic position, to be less rigid, more tolerant, more broadly understanding.

He speaks in the sacred jargon of the schools, and many of our half-educated evangelicals run to fawn on him. He tosses academic degrees to the scrambling sons of the prophets as Rockefeller used to toss dimes to the children of the peasants. 

The evangelicals, who have been accused of lacking true scholarship, now grab for these status symbols with shining eyes, and when they get them, they are scarcely able to believe their eyes.

For the true Christian the one supreme test for the present soundness and ultimate worth of everything religious must be the place our Lord occupies in it. Is He Lord or symbol? Is He in charge of the project, or merely one of the crew? Is Jesus Christ Lord in this act?

What, then, are we to do? Each one of us must decide, and there are at least three possible choices. One is to rise up in shocked indignation and accuse me of irresponsible reporting. Another is to nod general agreement with what is written here but take comfort in the fact that there are exceptions and we are among the exceptions. 

The other is to go down in meek humility and confess that we have grieved the Spirit and dishonoured our Lord in failing to give Him the place His Father has given Him as Head and Lord of the Church.

Either the first or the second will but confirm the wrong. The third, if carried out to its conclusion, can remove the curse. The decision lies with us.

Shalom

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus 28 Oct 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 FIGHT
Authority can be a frightening thing. Lord Acton is quoted as having said, “Power Corrupts; Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely”. He was not the first person who brought this expression into English. But it is appropriate that it be quoted by an Englishman. Absolute power was considered the birth-right of most of the monarchs of history. One of the best known is the sad saga of King Henry 8 and the struggle for power after his death. This is not the place to give a history lesson. Sufficient to say that Henry broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and established the Church of England with himself as head. He became anti-Catholic. He had two daughters and a son. Princess Mary was a convinced and fanatical Roman Catholic. Princess Elizabeth and Prince Edward were in favour of the Church of England. Henry defined the line of succession after his death would be Edward, then Mary then Elizabeth. Edward continued his father’s Church of England reforms. When he died he was succeeded by Mary. Queen Mary, often called Bloody Mary, assumed absolute power and England experienced one of the most violent and bloodthirsty reigns of terror, as she did everything in her power to restore Roman Catholicism to England. Among those who were burned at the stake were Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, Bishop Hugh Latimer and Bishop Nicholas Ridley, They are often referred to as the Oxford Martyrs. Such was the authority of the monarch of the day. We also have a monarch. King Jesus. He also has absolute power and authority. But His power is endless. He has also delegated His power to His people. We have His authority over all the forces of the devil. So although His people come and go through death, the authority devolves on the next generation of those who make Him their Lord and King. Jesus told the 72 when they reported back to Him 19 Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. Luke 10:19 NLT After His resurrection and prior to His ascension he appeared to his disciples. It is recorded 18 Jesus came and told His disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Matt. 28:18-19 NLT. In this regard, nothing has changed since He walked among us 2000 years ago. He has delegated His authority to you and me. Whether or not we use it is up to us. Satan and his cohorts continue to try and usurp this authority. They will if they can. Whether or not they succeed is up to us. The Blood of Jesus provides us with all we need to win. If we don’t, there is only ourselves to blame. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Luke 10:19 ESV	There’s never been a question about authority. The Lord has given lots of it to folk like you and me. The enemy can’t hurt us; no matter how he tries. We stand on snakes and scorpions, regardless of their size. There is nothing to it and we won’t come to harm. So don’t get excited or raise a false alarm. Of course we must be careful; he’s always on the prowl; He wants us to be frightened and to throw in the towel. A master of disguises, we hear a lion roar. We think he wants to eat us. But he can do no more. Than make a lot of noises. He’s little more than that. When Jesus Christ is in you, he’s a toothless pussy-cat. Show him some resistance and he will turn and flee; When you’re in submission to the Christ of Calvary. If you are a soldier and have to go to war, To fight the devil’s forces and bust them on the jaw. There’s a list of armour that you will surely need, To stand against the devil and foil his evil creed. This is not a contest, against some human foe, You will need God’s armour, everywhere you go. Wrestle with the rulers and the powers of the air. They will not surprise you, if you constantly prepare. Have God’s truth around you like a belt about your waist. With His righteous breastplate, that army can be faced. Don’t forget the sandals to wear upon your feet. They will keep you moving and his forces can be beat. Sandals of the good news. The gospel that brings peace. Sharing it with others, will bring them their release. Don’t neglect the shield of faith, to carry in your hand; To quench the fiery arrows, preventing them to land, Upon you or your brothers. The enemy you’ll foil, And his plans for victory forever you will spoil. Salvation is the helmet you wear upon your head. If you are not wearing it you may as well be dead! Praying in the Spirit is a weapon you can wield. And there is another which makes the devil yield. The Word of God is mighty. So use it as your sword. You cannot be beaten while Jesus is your Lord. Jim Strickland Written 28th October 2012
			8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 NLT
			7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 ESV
			11 Put on all the armour that God supplies. In this way you can take a stand against the devil's strategies. 12 This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world. 13 For this reason, take up all the armour that God supplies. Then you will be able to take a stand during these evil days. Once you have overcome all obstacles, you will be able to stand your ground. 14 So then, take your stand! Fasten truth around your waist like a belt. Put on God's approval as your breastplate. 15 Put on your shoes so that you are ready to spread the Good News that gives peace. 16 In addition to all these, take the Christian faith as your shield. With it you can put out all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Ephesians 6:11-16 GW
			8 Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. Micah 7:8 NLT