HOPE FOR ALL CREATION!

Time with Jesus - Sunday, 29 April 2012

Hi all,

For a change, a couple of “Jimmets”; my style sonnets.  They follow the same style as Shakespeare. Not in his league but fun to write.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Time with Jesus – Sunday, 29 April 2012
INTRODUCTION	DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	HOPE FOR ALL CREATION!
The Scriptures today focus on hope. Have you heard anyone preach on the subject of hope? I think that I can count the number of times on the fingers of one hand. But what exactly is hope? My first “Jimmet” looks at this. For most of us :”hope” is nothing more than a vague possibility for the future. “I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow”. Is a good example. There is a 99.9% certainty that tomorrow is sure to come. What the weather will be like tomorrow is a bit of a guess. I’d like it to be fine and sunny. Not too hot and not too cold. We plan on visiting friends for a braai. So we say we hope it doesn’t rain. It’s a nice “wish” for tomorrow. But we have no control whatsoever over the weather. There is no certainty in the wish. The weather will do what it wants and we submit to whatever happens. In most ways “hope” is regarded as little more than wishful thinking. There is no measure of certainty at all. We say we hope to win the Lotto. That’s a possibility. Phyllida and I don’t buy Lotto tickets, so for us to say we hope to win the Lotto is nonsense! Biblical hope is not like that at all. Hope in Scripture has a predicted outcome. The only question is when it will take place. Paul’s letter to Titus in the God’s Word Translation shows this clearly.13 At the same time we can expect what we hope for-the appearance of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13 GW. We know He is coming back. The only question is when? We can all truthfully say that we “hope” to die. It’s not something we look forward too, so it sounds a bit negative. But it’s the truth. To say I hope I won’t die is nonsense. It is a certainty. The only question is the date. The second “Jimmet” speaks of a hope of a different kind. This one looks at the fall of man from creation’s point of view. We forget that Adam’s sin didn’t just affect him and Eve. It had a “Tsunami” effect that rolled over all of creation. It distorted the plants and animals and has given us a world which thrives on death. To think of a world without death is almost impossible. Scripture tells us that the groans of creation resemble the groans of a woman in labour. Our ears are not attuned to the “voice” of creation so we, as a rule, don’t hear its sounds. The closest we get is listening to the noises geologists detect as the tectonic plates rub against each other. Most of us never hear them. What is certain is the appearing of Jesus Christ when He returns. It’s described as our “blessed hope” It’s an absolute certainty. Jim & Phyllida Strickland	13 Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Titus 2:13-14 ESV	HOPE Have we every   realised the fact, Christianity is based on hope? Faith is pointless if it isn’t backed, By a certainty. We do not grope, For that which we really can’t believe! Hope can’t be just possibility! It’s assurance that we will receive, That which we are certain we will see. Hope’s an anchor, not a lucky draw; Never a mere rolling of the dice. If it’s only that and nothing more, All of it could vanish in a trice! Hope is never something which might be; But assurance it is what we’ll see! Written 29th April 2012 CREATION GROANS Scripture tells us, all creation groans; Waiting For the coming of the Lord! Listen and you’ll hear it as it moans, Longing for what was, to be restored. Adams’s fall affected everything. Death impacted more than human life. All the evil Satan chose to bring, Ushered in this time of sin and strife. Adam was the one we all should blame; But Creation was under his control. Nothing therefore, could remain the same. Touching one would also touch the whole! But a new Creation we will see! Jesus will return and set all free! Written 29th April 2012 Jim Strickland
	19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary. 20 Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:19-20 NLT
	19 Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. 20 Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and He will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. 21 For He must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through His holy prophets. Acts 3:19-21 NLT
	10 This will happen on that day when he comes to be honoured among all his holy people and admired by all who have believed in him. This includes you because you believed the testimony we gave you. 2 Thessalonians 1:10 GW
	22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as His adopted children, including the new bodies He has promised us. Romans 8:22-23 NLT
	2 Dear friends, we are already God's children, but He has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He really is. 1 John 3:2 NLT
	4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:4 ESV
	20 He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! Revelation 22:20 ESV

THE LORD CARES FOR ME?

Time with Jesus - Saturday, 28 April 2012

Hi all,

The journey home was uneventful. Swaziland to Jo’burg takes about 5 hours in a normal car. Many will do it in much less time. This depends on the driver’s attitude to speed limits!

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Time with Jesus – Saturday, 28 April 2012
INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES					THE LORD CARES FOR ME?
Having been away all week, I’ve been a bit short of time for proper preparation. So for this morning I thought it would be better to make use of one my previous poems. It’s not entirely out of place. What is does, is answer some of the hidden questions likely to be in the psalmist mind when he wrote them. As you see in the poem heading, my thinking at the time was on the content of Psalm 8, 23, 27 and 139. You might like to look at these Psalms and check out my thinking? To this very day, I’m amazed that God is even remotely interested in me and what I do. Any possible connection between the Lord and me seems laughable. How can the One who spoke the entire creation into existence, even care that I exist? The gap between us is more than astronomical. Being a former employee of a massive corporation, I was little more than a number on their list of employees. As long as I did what was required without making waves, my salary would be paid into the bank. But when I raised any enquiries, the first thing they asked for was my employee number. It was the same for everyone. Yes, I had a name. Yes, my boss knew me by name. But somewhere going up this chain, I would be completely unknown. I’m not complaining. This is one of the facts of life. Inevitably I came to God with this thinking. He is the boss of all the bosses. Naturally He would be very busy and have no time for me. Perhaps He would refer me to a clerk in one of the lower angelic divisions. That was my expectation. It was wrong but it was entrenched into my thinking. The possibility that He would have time for me, didn’t appear on my radar screen! How do we go about cleansing our thoughts of this nature? We have to do what we are commanded to do by Paul, in his letter to the Romans: 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 TNIV We need to be aware that there are some things God will do and some things He has commanded us to do. Never pray to the Lord and ask Him to do for you that which He has already commanded you to do. For example only He can save you. So you must ask Him for this. Other things only you can do. If you are thirsty, you have to drink. He will not drink for you. Pray for water to drink. But when it’s available, you must drink it. The same is true of renewing your mind. He will not do it for you. Praying and asking Him to do this for you, won’t work. He will help you understand. But what you decide to put into your mind is up to you. If you don’t, He won’t! What He does say is already in His Word. It’s up to you to read and believe it’s true. When this is established, ensure your thinking corresponds with His. This is not optional. You must renew your mind. My experience with this, is Darwin’s theory of evolution. I thought it was true. I had to change my thinking. First I had to establish the truth regarding evolution. He helped me establish the truth. After that it was up to me! We are all in the same boat. Ask Him to establish truth. Then do what His Word says. Jim & Phyllida Strickland		14 But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. Psalms 71:14 ESV					This poem is a compilation of a number of thoughts from Psalm 8, 23, 27 and 139. You’ve let me call You Father, though I’m so very small. As insect is to elephant, I’m hardly there at all! A pinprick in the ocean; a grain upon the shore. A tiny piece of nothingness. I’m surely not much more. And yet You say You love me! You listen to my praise! You love it when I worship You and follow in Your ways. You treat me like a shepherd who dotes upon his sheep. You’re with me when I’m wide awake and when I’m fast asleep! And even when You formed me within my mother’s womb, Your presence was around me, within that darkened gloom. There’s no way to escape You. No matter where I go, Your hand is there to lead me. My every thought, You know! For You are my salvation; a refuge sure and strong. No foe can overpower me while I to You belong. Yes, even when in battle, besieged and sore attacked, You were the One who rescued me; and I have nothing lacked. You hear me when I call to You. You heal me when I’m ill. You give me health and sustenance and pay my every bill. And even though my closest friends may come to cast me down, You shield me and protect me and turn to smiles, my frown. You know my every facet; You know that I am frail; You know that everything I do will only make me fail. You know all my anxieties; You know that I am weak; You know that I am fearful; at times too scared to speak. You know all my ambitions. You know how hard I’ve tried. You know my disappointments; You’ve seen me as I’ve cried. You’ve watched me roar with laughter and seen my emptiness. And yet in spite of all of this, Your gentle, sweet caress Has settled on my spirit, as soft as eiderdown. And You have said You love me and that I’ll wear Your crown. Jim Strickland – Written 2010
		12 I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. Philippians 3:12 NLT
		1 So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don't need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. Hebrews 6:1 NLT
		18 The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. 19 But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over. Proverbs 4:18-19 NLT
		1 I love the LORD, because he heard my voice. He heard my cry for his favour. 2 Because he paid attention to me, I will call out to him as long as I live. Psalms 116:1-2 NIrV
		By David when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech; Abimelech threw him out, so David left.1 I will thank the LORD at all times. My mouth will always praise him. Psalms 34:1 GW
		For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song. 1 God, we look forward to praising you in Zion. We’ll keep our promises to you. Psalms 65:1 NIrV
		8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings. Each creature was covered all over with eyes, even under the wings. Day and night, they never stop saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God who rules over all. He was, and he is, and he will come." Revelation 4:8 NIrV
		23 "He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honour Me; And to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God." Psalms 50:23 NASB
		16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV
		4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Philippians 4:4 ESV

THY WILL BE DONE

Time with Jesus - Friday, 27 April 2012

Hi all,

After this is message is posted, we will be getting into the car and going back to Jo’burg. We had a good break. Not long enough, but they never are.

During the week I've deliberately not answered mobile phone calls. I’m told that each call is charged at R6,00 per minute to the caller and recipient of these calls. This has enabled me to cut down the on the cost of my own calls as well as those of the caller. So if you thought I was being rude not answering you, you know why!

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Time with Jesus – Friday, 27 April 2012
INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES					THY WILL BE DONE
Weddings and wedding ceremonies are ubiquitous. No matter the country or custom, men and women marry. It has always been this way. Marriage is God’s idea. Marriage is under attack at the moment. Many young people are living together without being married. My wife and I do not approve. But our approval is irrelevant. People will do what they wish, without our sanction. What they will say to God about this, is something they must worry about. All we can do is share His message. Many of our Anglo Saxon and American marriage customs have fascinating origins. For example, brides almost always have someone who “gives them away”. It’s a beautiful part of any wedding and the privilege of “giving away” the bride is generally carried out by her father. In the event that her father is unavailable, one of her sons is asked to do so. If the bride is young and no longer has a father and no children, she usually selects a man who has a special significance in her life. What modern women seem to have forgotten, is the origin of this custom. In bygone days a woman had no rights of her own. She belonged to her father. She could only do what he said. In history, fathers sometimes sold their daughters as slaves. A good cure for disobedience? When it came to marriage, she was given to the husband he had chosen. Since she was her father’s “property” her opinion was irrelevant. She had no choice. Fortunately, most parents loved their daughters and referred the matter to her. As a further difficulty, a woman was completely under the authority of her husband. It wasn’t optional. If she didn’t obey, there could painful repercussions. A cane less that 50mm diameter could be used to beat his wife. Ownership or authority over the woman passed from the father to the husband at the marriage ceremony. Her father gave her hand in marriage to her husband. From then on, her husband was her authority. In the Bible, the King would offer to give his daughter to the man who did something he required. For instance Saul promised his daughter to the man who defeated Goliath. Thus Saul’s eldest daughter Merab was offered to David. It is a long & complicated story in 1 Samuel 17: 25 The men of Israel said, "Did you see that man coming from the Philistine lines? He keeps coming to challenge Israel. The king will make the man who kills this Philistine very rich. He will give his daughter to that man to marry and elevate the social status of his family."1 Samuel 17:25 GW. In spite of this history, a lady still wants someone to “give her away”. I could continue writing about other customs and traditions associated with the wedding ceremony. Taking each other by the right hand; the wedding ring; white wedding dresses; taking her husband’s name etc. For us, the highpoint in our lives was when Phyllida became Mrs Strickland on 12th Dec. 1981. Phyllida took my name and became Mrs. Ernest James Strickland, by which she is known today. I’m unashamedly proud to call her my wife. Apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, we mean everything to each other. If we could remain this way for eternity, it would not be long enough. We also know that unless the Lord returns, death will end our marriage. Either way, His will remains the desire of our heart. Jim & Phyllida Strickland		17 "Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what He is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it. Revelation 2:17 NLT					She walked into the gathering of family and friends. They’d come to see her married the way the Lord intends. She knew that it would happen, because some time before, The Lord said that a husband, He’d placed within her store. She hadn’t ever met him; but knew he was defined; And pictured in Psalm forty five. She knew he was designed, To love her and to cherish her and all along the way, To be her special soul mate. And from that very day, Would be her life’s companion and always do her good, The way a faithful husband throughout their lifetime should. They had both been excited as day succeeded day. His Spirit had confirmed it, whenever they did pray. And as they stood together, she now would change her name. From this moment onward things could never be the same. The former life of struggle and bad experience, Was gone. New life before them made such a lot of sense. She was born Miss Brownlee and later she had wed, A man who had misused her; but that was done and dead. Today she was quite willing, to wear Jim’s wedding band. From now on she’d be a spoken of as Mrs Strickland. She’d follow the tradition established years ago. She would take her husband’s name; and willingly do so! Name change is significant. The Lord had shown the way. Abram changed to Abraham right from that very day. Jacob became Israel; A Prince of God was he. No longer a deceiver; a man of destiny. That day in nineteen eighty-one was special for them both. There before the witnesses, their everlasting troth, They plighted to each other. God joined the two as one, And in the strength of Jesus Christ they both would carry on. They have a happy marriage. But that is not their boast The cross of Jesus Christ the Lord is what excites them most. Both have known the trauma of a marriage that went wrong. Now they live for Jesus. They know it won’t be long. Before they go to be with Him. This way it has to be! And they have asked Him please Lord, don’t take us separately. We’ve been so long together and life has been such fun; You have been the centre, of all that we have done, In ways that only You can tell; we’re walking in Your light. You mean everything to us. We know You’ll do what’s right! Yet Lord above our preference, Your will we will embrace. We know it may be difficult for one of us to face, A life without each other. But this one thing is true. The will of Jesus Christ our Lord is what we’ll gladly do. Jim Strickland – Written Friday 27th April 2012.
		25 Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. 26 When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.) Acts 11:25-26 NLT
		19 But God's solid foundation stands firm. Here is the message written on it. "The Lord knows who his own people are." (Numbers 16:5) Also, "All who say they believe in the Lord must turn away from evil." 2 Timothy 2:19 NIrV
		24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their corrupt nature along with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:24 GW
		19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit in you, whom you have of God? And you are not your own, 20 for you are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 MKJV
		14 But it's unthinkable that I could ever brag about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. By his cross my relationship to the world and its relationship to me have been crucified. 15 Certainly, it doesn't matter whether a person is circumcised or not. Rather, what matters is being a new creation. Galatians 6:14-15 GW
		1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Ephesians 5:1-3 ESV
		8 At one time you were in the dark. But now you are in the light because of what the Lord has done. Live like children of the light. Ephesians 5:8 NIrV
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