WHAT WILL HE FIND?

Time with Jesus - Monday, 02 April 2012

Hi all,

Jesus told the people many parables. Most are easy to understand. Some make us scratch our heads wondering what He meant. Much of the mystery associated herewith is our tendency to chop up His statements so that they mean something different to what He intended. A case in point is the parable of the unjust judge and the persistent widow in Luke’s gospel. ¹ One day Jesus told His disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. ² "There was a judge in a certain city," He said, "who neither feared God nor cared about people. ³ A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, 'Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.' ⁴ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, 'I don't fear God or care about people, ⁵ but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!'" ⁶ Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. ⁷ Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don't you think God will surely give justice to His chosen people who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you, He will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on the earth who have faith?" Luke 18:1-8 NLT

A number of us have been brought up during a time of the “faith” movement. Sadly, we have been led to understand that “faith” is a noun. Something like an egg, a car or a baseball. But faith is not a noun. It’s more like a verb than a noun. It’s an action word. It’s not static. It’s a way of life. Now let’s look at the way the KJV translates Habakkuk 2:4. It states, ⁴ Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. Hab 2:4 KJV. A different rendition, the New Living Translations puts it this way. ⁴ "Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God. Hab 2:4 NLT

In the NLT the word, “faith” has been translated as “faithfulness”. In Habakkuk we see that the operative word is faithfulness to God. The meaning of any passage of Scripture must be derived in term of its context. Habakkuk thought that the Babylonians would completely wipe out the Jewish people in Judah. God’s answer to Habakkuk was that those who were faithful to Him would survive. The truth of this is statement can be read in Hab 3. His song celebrates the fact that no matter what happens when the Babylonians invade; those who are being faithful to God would be preserved by God. History confirms that this is what took place.

In the light of this, let’s have another look at Jesus’ parable. What was the parable all about? Jesus was referring to the widow’s persistence. She kept on “hammering on the door of the unjust judge” until she obtained justice. She was being faithful to what she believed; the parable is all about her persistence; her faithfulness to what she believed. So how should we read Luke 18:8? In the KJV, Jesus ask the question, “But when the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on the earth who have faith?

Now change the understanding of verse 8 to be in line with the context of the parable. Now His question must be, “But when the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on the earth that have this kind of faithfulness? Suddenly the parable makes sense. He wasn’t talking about “faith” as a noun. He was talking about people being faithful to Him. May I suggest that Jesus’ question is better understood as, “But when the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on the earth who are as faithful to God as this widow was toward the justice of her cause?

Faithfulness to Him and His Father is what Jesus is looking for. It’s not some nebulous noun that makes no sense. Rather He is talking about a way of life; of men and women being faithful to the Living God. Will He find it? It’s up to you and me!

Today’s meditation asks the question, what will Jesus expect to find when He returns.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

What Will He Find?

When Jesus Christ comes back again, what is it He expects? Do you think He’ll shake His head and ask what happens next? What will He be looking for when He surveys the earth? A mass of false Messiah’s, or folk with second birth? Religion based fanatics who murder folk at will? Determined that to spread their faith, they are compelled to kill? Perhaps He’ll find a people enthused by God Most High, And hundreds of His followers who are prepared to die, If that is what is needed? What “faith” will be expressed? Will people be excited or will they be distressed? What “faith” will He be looking for? Will He find men of prayer, Or many, many millions who simply do not care, About their daily lifestyle? Do you think they’ll be glad, Or will this world continue to be a world gone mad? Will He find faith upon the earth? But does this “faith” mean? What is His definition? A world that’s squeaky clean? A people who had come to Him when they were just a lad, And from that very moment had kept on being bad? That’s not the understanding of what His words imply. But living as His follower until the day they die. A better word is faithfulness. A “faith” that carries on, Regardless of the circumstance or where the world has gone. The word means stick-ability. It’s never turning round, To see if there’s a better way that someone else has found. It means that they will carry on regardless of the odds; And not go off a-whoring in lust for foreign gods. It isn’t being perfect. He knows that cannot be. Because with our sin nature, from sin we’re never free. It still remains a choice we make. It’s what we always do. The only way to beat it is with Jesus within you. I’m sure that’s what He’s seeking. It’s what He wants to find. Not what people think is right; correct in their own mind! That’s no good for the Saviour; We must obey His Word. That’s the definition of what should have occurred. But is He going to find it? What is it He will see? I hope it is obedience in folk like you and me. Because friend, if He doesn’t, what is it He will do? I’m sure it will be horrible for those who are untrue. Jim Strickland – Written Monday 2nd April 2012.

PSALM 112 AND 128

Time with Jesus - Sunday, 01 April 2012

Hi all,

The Psalms are a constant source of inspiration and guidance. Furthermore, they are always appropriate for any day and at any time.

I’ve found that peace only comes from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. You probably remember singing, I’ve got the joy, joy, joy joy, down in my heart. One of the verses was, I’ve got the peace which passes understanding down in my heart. Another was, I’ve got peace like a river. For some reason choruses or hymns along these lines reflect what happens when Jesus comes into your heart!

Peace is an extraordinary experience. Many people think it is the opposite of war. There is a sense in which this is true. But the peace of God is so much more than that. I’m told that during the first century, the Christian martyrs went to their death with a sense of calm so great that even Roman soldiers were envious of them. I’ve been told that some of the se soldiers were so impressed with the way they went to their death, one or two took off their armour and joined the Christians. The comment was that if the Christian God was so powerful that Christians could die like that, they should join them. I don’t know how valid this will be in the eyes of Jesus Christ? I have a sort of gut feel that He will approve.

To get a better grasp on peace and its meaning in the Christian context, read Foxes book of Martyrs. It’s fairly readily available in Christian Booksellers. Alternatively, it is available on e-Sword. http://www.e-sword.net/support.html It’s a bit gruesome in places. But it is part of our Christian heritage. Furthermore, if that’s what happened and is still happening to Christians, we need the peace of God to go through similar experiences. I’m not looking forward to it. But in the world today we are not immune to having to suffer and die for our belief in Jesus Christ.

In today’s meditation we look at two psalms which help to strengthen our trust in Jesus and help us prepare for whatever might happen.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Psalm 112 and 128

Psalm 112 i)      Blessed is the person who fears the Sovereign Lord, Who takes a great delight in His command ii)     His children will be mighty in the land.   And his reward? A blessed generation who can stand; iii)    Wealth and riches in his house, with righteousness forever, Where the light obliterates the dark. iv)    Gracious deeds, compassion, will forsake the righteous never An upright, righteous man will have this mark. v)     Good will surely come to him who generously lends, Conducting his affairs and being just. vi)    He will not be shaken;   will not need to make amends; Remembered as a person one can trust. vii)   He will not be fearful of bad news for he will be Steadfast, ever trusting in the Lord. viii)   He will be secure and will not fear what he might see; Triumphing o'er his foes is his reward. ix)    He has scattered gifts unto the poor.   His righteousness Endures until the very end of time. His horn will be exalted and with honour he'll be blessed. He will not be guilty of a crime. x)     Wicked men will see it and be vexed as they observe; Will gnash all of their teeth and waste away. Their longings come to nothing, they’ll get what they deserve; Reaping what was sown yesterday. ---oooOOOooo--- PSALM 128 A Song of Ascents 1)     Blessed are those who fear The Lord Who walk in all His ways 2)     You'll eat the fruit of what you do and prosper all your days. 3)     Your wife will be a fruitful vine within your house and home; Your sons, just like an olive grove, around your table, grown! 4)     This is how The Lord will bless the man who, His name, fears. 5)     From Zion may He bless your life, for all your coming years. May you see great prosperity; Jerusalem's as well; 6)     And live to see your grandchildren. Peace be on Israel. ---oooOOOooo--- Jim Strickland – Written 1995

RIGHT IS LIGHT

Time with Jesus - Saturday, 31 March 2012

Hi all,

Back in my Bible School days, one of our favourite choruses was: “Walk, walk in the light, Walk, walk in the light, Walk, walk in the light, Walking in the light of love”. I’m not too sure why it was so popular. I think that a major contributing factor was the desire of the students to break out of the darkness of the apartheid era and walk in the light with brothers and sisters we had not met. It would be a further twelve years before it became a reality.

Being kept in the dark has been one of the weapons of oppression for more years than any of us realise. The expression, “I didn’t know!” is a very common one. The German people didn’t know about the Nazi death camps. The People of the Soviet Union didn’t know what Stalin was busy with. Sadly, the “white people” of South Africa had almost no idea what was happening in the townships. This was a deliberate policy of the government of the day. “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil, is that good men do nothing! It was true when stated by Edmund Burke (1729-1797) It’s still true some 250 years later.

We have a similar problem in the church. In most instances, the people are kept ignorant of the truth of the gospel. Religion continues to be a profitable business. People are separated into clergy and laity - an unscriptural distinction that is most convenient. Who can challenge them? The average pew occupant certainly can not!

The tragedy is, the Lord Jesus Christ wants to walk with us. He desires us to have a personal relationship with Him. You can never have a relationship with someone you don’t know. We may know something about Him. But we don’t know Him. I may know that the President of the USA is Barrack Obama. But I don’t know him. His wife and children do!

One of the beautiful things about light is the way it enables us to see things. We see very little in the dark. Until recently, wars were only fought during the day. It’s hard to shoot an enemy you can’t see! That has changed since the development of night vision glasses and infra-red cameras.

It’s impossible to walk in the light when it is dark. In John’s Gospel we are told: ⁹ Jesus replied, "There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. ¹⁰ But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light." John 11:9-10 NLT

Today’s meditation looks at walking in the light of God’s word. In a nutshell, obedience to Him is to walk according to the instruction of His Word. Let’s do it instead of talking about it.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Right is light

We see the dark as evil. The good is always light. Thieves break in at night time so they are not in sight. We find it is much better to sleep when it is dark. To slumber through the night time and get up with the lark! But there’s another meaning which we should all prefer. A warning from the Scripture, which should serve as a spur, To stop us all from doing it. Thereby, we have been warned; And we will bear the consequence if ever it is scorned. Keep away from partnerships with unbelieving men. They have a different outlook on which they will depend. Their motivation’s money. God’s Kingdom has no place; So if you are in partnership, you’ll surely be disgraced. If times are getting difficult, they’ll often up and run. And you will be deserted to face what has been done. It happens regularly. The Christian is the man, You find who has been cheated and carries home the can! But what is true in business is also true in life. Do not ever marry an unbelieving wife. Those who do it anyway, cease following the Lord. They find that they are walking on the way that’s wide and broad. My friends, I make confession, that it is what I did. It was a huge disaster costing many, many quid. It ended in a sad divorce and I was left alone; Having lost my furniture, possessions and my home. I went back to the Scripture and it was underlined. I’d been disobedient and thought God wouldn't mind! I thought I’d lead her to the Lord, but that objective failed. And in my desperate anguish it felt I had been jailed. So if you’re doing something you know you shouldn't do. Ask the Lord to bring His light and indicate to you, If what you’ve selected is darkness or is light. Make a firm decision, to do good in His sight. If it’s of the darkness, please ask Him show the way, To cut it off completely, while it is still your day. Know that you will have to pay the cost of consequence. But if you let Him do it, He’ll show you what makes sense. Do your very uttermost to bring it to the light. He will make the outcome to be good and clean and right. Jim Strickland  Written Saturday 31st March 2012

HIS FATHER’S SON

Time with Jesus - Friday, 30 March 2012

Hi all,

According to Mark Twain in His autobiography, “Truth is stranger than fiction; but it isn't because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.” In the light of this statement, what do we do with Jesus’ parables? Were they real stories about real people, or were they merely teachings used as illustrations to demonstrate truth by the greatest mind Who has ever lived?

It’s difficult thinking that Jesus would tell stories that were not true in real life. So were these parables the product of His fertile imagination or things that He had seen and known? We are inclined to think that they were just stories. But the fact is, what He spoke about had actually taken place somewhere. As the TV shows state, “Names have been changed to protect the identity of individuals.

We don’t have to be Jewish or Christian in order to follow His parables. Some are so well known that people are surprised they are Jesus’ parables. The Good Samaritan is a case in point. Regardless of our “religious” views, the story grips the imagination and can leave us feeling rather uncomfortable!

One of the best known parables is the Prodigal Son. The title is not really accurate because the prodigal one was the father and not the son. But was this parable a story or something that actually happened? By way of answer, if we look back over Christianity for the past two thousand years, we see it repeated regularly by men and women in every generation. The details may not be identical, but the truth comes shining through in the lives of many Christians. Men like William Wilberforce and John Newton. Women like Florence Nightingale. Hundreds, dare I say hundreds of thousands, of Christians throughout the generations? It’s true of me. What does a young man do when the bottom has fallen out of his world? It happened to me. It’s true to say that I’m a 20^th century prodigal son.

Our meditation this morning contains a part of my own testimony to what God regularly does in the lives of people. I’m only one of them

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

His Father’s Son

He sat down in the corner with his hands across his face. The thing he’d done was silly and he was in disgrace. His parents were so far away and he had let them down. How could he ever tell them in that far off distant town? He trembled with anxiety. He knew his foes were near. With each and every passing hour he trembled in his fear. Could he find forgiveness? How would things all turn out? And each time that he thought of it, his mind was filled with doubt. He felt alone and desolate. He couldn’t face the truth. And life forever changed for him that moment in his youth. There still was so much more to learn. He thought he knew it all. He’d heard about the Prodigal; about his rise and fall. He knew he had gone home again disgraced and wearing rags. He knew that in the pig pen how much his heart could sag. But he was far too hungry. A servant of his dad, Was given food and clothing; a lot more than he had. And so he set out homeward. No sandals on his feet; Hoping that his father would give him food to eat. He didn’t know his father. At least not how he should. Perhaps the only thing he knew; his father was so good. And when his father greeted him, the thing that he had done, Was suddenly forgotten; he was his father’ son. That young man in the corner I have to say was me. What would my father ever say and just how would he be? And so I went back home again, “my tail between my legs”. I had received the poisoned cup and drained it to the dregs. My father didn’t mention it. Just, “welcome home my lad”. I thought that I was gob-smacked. To hear this from my dad! It’s not what I expected. I thought He’d rant and rave. Instead he just accepted me. I thought that he was brave. A few short months thereafter I heard about the Lord. I went to Him in penitence and out to Him I poured; The truth of what had happened. But He already knew. He said I was forgiven and told me what to do. Learn about my Saviour and put Him in control. He would give direction, a purpose and a goal. And since that very moment the thing which I had done Was swallowed up by Jesus. Now I’m His Father’s son. Jim Strickland  Written Friday 30th March 2012.