Time with Jesus - 12
Nov 2013
Rationalists nearly always baulk at miracles. “Miracles
don’t happen”, is what they say. “It’s impossible to believe anything you can’t
demonstrate scientifically”. This means to them that none of the miracles in
the Bible took place. There must be an ordinary explanation for them all. Most
of them don’t go as far as to state the Bible is full of lies or that Jesus was
a liar. They put it down to superstition and fables from a time when scientific
explanation could not verify the miracle.
Personally, I hear them and have some sympathy for their
statements. We all know that many so called “healing and miracle working” evangelists
are charlatans. Their motive is to make money from gullible fools who will
believe anything done in the Name of Jesus. The movie made in the 1950’s called
“Elmer Gantry” was an exposé of such people. However, I also know that in some
cases, the miracle has been verified scientifically. Men and women such as
William Branham and Kathryn Kuhlman often made a point of having the miracles that took
place in their “services” verified by the medical and similar scientific
authorities.
In this regard, Phyllida and I visited Tzaneen a year or
so ago. While we were there, we were told that the locals were very suspicious
of evangelists. A man had visited the town for a short “Crusade”. He had told
the people that if they put their money into his ministry, they would be
millionaires three weeks later. The man then left town and hasn’t been seen or
heard of again. Needless to say, none of them became millionaires.
What can you and I do about this sort of thing? What do
we do when we suspect that the “minister” is a cheat, a charlatan or someone simply
intent on making money out of the hardship and infirmities of others? Of
course, we could ban them from our country completely. We could introduce rules
forbidding all forms of healing and miracle services. But if we take such a
radical step, what about those who are genuine and have no motive other than to
bless others? We cannot legislate against the miracle working power of God. We
must never be accused of “Throwing the baby out with the bathwater”, by
downplaying the ability of Jesus Christ!
In most instances, the bottom line is money. Charlatans,
thieves and cheats make a living - very often a very good living – out of “ripping
off” a gullible public. Do we need to consider something like a national “register”
of men and women allowed to arrange and conduct such services? Men and women
who would be accountable for that which takes place in the various tents,
churches and similar venues? Something along these lines might be arranged in
such a way that honesty and integrity is known and seen by all associated with
such services? People will say that this hampers the flow of the Holy Spirit at
the various venues. 
In RSA today, there are no restrictions on preaching God’s
Word. Not at the moment anyway. Will it remain like this indefinitely? None of
us really know. What we do know is that the government’s attitude toward allowing
people to cheat and steal from others is getting stricter. A thief who steals
from others protected by the country’s freedom of religion rights cannot be
allowed to continue indefinitely.
There will come a day when such individuals
will, quite rightly, be arrested and prosecuted. In the meantime, we must seek to
introduce systems and regulations we have designed collectively, before
something is imposed on us by government. Self-regulation is always better than
regulation imposed by the State. Perhaps what we need is some form of “ecumenical
gathering”, charged with the responsibility of investigating and proposing a
system of self-regulation, to which all RSA churches will conform. If we don’t
do it soon, it will be done for us!
Shalom
Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus
12 Nov 2013 |
Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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These
devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright
protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it
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©
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INTRODUCTION
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DAILY
LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
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RESURRECTION
OF THE WOMAN’S SON.
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Up
until the middle of the 19th century, the Bible was considered to
be the “Word of God” throughout the Western world. People who denied this
were very often persecuted and died. Some made claims which seemed to
contradict God’s Word. Galileo is perhaps the best known man who discovered
the earth rotated round the sun. Prior to this, everyone believed that
everything revolved round the Earth based on Scriptures which suggested this.
The fact that the meaning was misunderstood was beside the point. The
comment, “Don’t confuse me with the facts. My
mind is made up!” is as true today as it was in Galileo’s day. Of
course there was as much religious bigotry back then as there is today.
Bigots
come in all shapes and sizes and the reaction of the church to new ideas is
still a problem. Some of this originates in the way words have changed their
meaning over time. The best example is the word “gay”. Today it means
homosexual, lesbian, or bisexual. My opinion is that this community have
“hijacked” the word and given it the current meaning. But 100 years ago, the
word “gay” meant “merry, bright in colour and carefree”. Today it means,
“attracted to members of the same sex” and occasionally “debauched”.
In
those bygone days, men and women believed in miracles, in particular the
miracles mentioned in the Bible. It was almost unthinkable to suggest that
they were not true. All this changed with the introduction of rationalism
into human thought. Put very simply, this meant that if something couldn’t be
proved scientifically, it wasn’t true. Ultimately this led to what we see
around us. Human reason has taken root in many countries. Thus if it can’t be
demonstrated in the science laboratory, it is not true. There had to be a
rational explanation for everything. This gave rise to “Darwinian
evolutionism”. To this very day it cannot be demonstrated scientifically. It
is only believed by those who refuse to believe in the God Who is “alive and
active” in the universe. So much for rationalism. Believing in “evolution”
which has no provable scientific substance.
Today
we look at one of the miracles recorded in the Old Testament. The story of
Elisha restoring to life the son of the Shunamite woman. It is pointless
telling me that it didn’t happen and it’s something recorded in an old
outdated book. For me, the Bible is still the Word of God. It always will be.
For me, it remains infallible. I may misunderstand a meaning. But that is my
problem. So please don’t be surprised if I see Jesus on every page. Today we
look at an Old Testament “resurrection”. Here, we see Elisha bringing back to
life a youngster who had died. Elisha breathed life into a victim while reflecting
the cross of Jesus. It’s a foreshadowing of our resurrection when Jesus
returns. His breath is life!
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
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26 (Elisha said to Gehazi) Run out there
to meet her (the Shunamite). Ask her, 'Are you all right? Is your husband all
right? Is your child all right?'" "Everything
is all right," she said.
2 Kings 4:26 NIrV
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Shunem was a border town, 5 K’s
from Jezreel. – 2 Kings
4
In the land of Issachar as best as
we can tell.
This town was where Elisha had multiplied
the oil.
To save a prophet’s widow and
Satan’s plans to foil.
There was another woman there, wed
to a wealthy man.
She said, “Let’s help this prophet, the best
way that we can!”
And so they built a little room so
he could find some rest.
And when Elisha saw it, he thought
she should be blessed.
“What can I do to help
her”, Gehazi was then asked?
“How can we reward her
for this charitable task?”
She had no need for money. Her
husband lacked for naught.
But she did not have children. A
child is what she sought.
Her husband couldn’t help her, for
he was far too old.
Her chances of a baby were just
about ice cold.
And so Elisha said to her, “by this time next year
You will have the son you seek; the one
you hold so dear!”
Just as Elisha stated, this woman
then conceived.
And she brought forth the man child
for which she had believed.
The little boy grew healthy; then,
at plus or minus six,
He went to see his father and soon
was in a fix.
His father and the harvesters were
working in the sun.
Suddenly the boy screamed out! “My head, it hurts like fun!”
They took him to his mother. And in
her arms he died.
“I’ve got to tell Elisha!” is what the woman cried.
“My son is dead”, she told him. “O
what am I to do?
And in my desperation I’m calling
out to you”.
The little boy was lying upon the
prophet’s bed.
And so Elisha, all alone, confirmed
the child was dead.
Then after praying to the Lord he
knew what was required
And so he lay upon the child the
way the Lord desired.
Mouth to mouth and eye to eye and
holding the boys hands;
The crucified position is what we
understand.
The body of the little boy then
started to grow warm.
The prophet then repeated and a
seven-fold sneezing storm,
Issued from the man child. He was
no longer dead.
The woman had her little boy just
as Elisha said.
“Resurrection life is real!” This story
makes it plain.
And we’ll be resurrected, when Jesus
comes again!
Jim Strickland
Written
12th
November 2012
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13 The
following is written, "I believed; therefore, I (Psalm 116:10)
spoke." We have that same spirit of faith.
We also believe; therefore, we also speak.
2 Corinthians 4:13 GW
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9 We
are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we
are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have
not been killed. 10 Our hearts ache, but we always have
joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to
others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.
2 Corinthians 6:9-10 NLT
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8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed,
but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted,
but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that
the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
2 Corinthians 4:8-10 ESV
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16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting
away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us
an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the
things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the
things that are unseen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV
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1 The
elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. 2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that
you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.
3 John 1:1-2 ESV
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