THE NEW CREATION

Time with Jesus - Monday, 11 June 2012

Hi all,

There is a difference between a new creation and a new earth. They are sequential. First, the new creation then, the new earth! Today we have a look at both.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Monday, 11 June 2012			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 NEW CREATION
One of the most difficult things we ever do is start afresh. It nearly always comes about as a result of a change in circumstances. Something happens and circumstances demand a fresh start elsewhere. My father was a highly skilled turbine specialist. He trained as an apprentice working for a company called C A Parsons & Co. His forte’ was power stations or similar rotating equipment. He started working for them in 1932. He was 15. Dad had a natural aptitude for this type of work. As a result he was soon working in what was called the Outside Department. Initially he focused on overhauls and gained a reputation for first class work. So much so, when war broke out in the UK in 1939, he was immediately classified as an essential worker. So he spent most of WW2 travelling round UK repairing and re-commissioning a variety of equipment wherever he was needed. It meant lots of travelling. I’m told that because there was a “war on” he had some difficulty getting a week off even for his own wedding! That took place in June 1940. I was born in March 1942. Being married and having a young child didn’t enable him to spend more time with his family. The demands of war meant that he kept traipsing from place to place. After the war, the pace slackened off a little. Then there was a great demand to replace and install new equipment all over UK and many Commonwealth countries. He was asked to go to South Africa. New installations with larger turbines were being installed and that’s where he was needed. The three of us landed in Cape Town in 1947. Mom told me, that when she first saw Cape Town, it looked like Fairy Land. Once again the three of us lived a nomadic life. It would have continued that way but for the fact that I had to start school. So every year or so I would start attending a different school. Such a lifestyle does little toward helping anyone put down societal roots. Accordingly, new beginnings were par for the course for me. There’s a world of difference between a new beginning and a new earth. A new beginning retains the essentials of normal life. Things remain much the same. People are people. Houses, schools and all forms of life only change in terms of places and faces. School was school wherever I went. There was and is a dull familiarity which is on-going for each and every generation. A new earth is different. Expect the unexpected is perhaps all we can really say about it. We will have to “suck it and see”. What we do know is that it is beyond our wildest dreams. Paul says in Corinthians 9 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 There are a few things we do know. We will be with Him forever. There will be no more crying. Death will have “passed away” The Lord Himself will be there. He will provide all the light required for a city that will be big enough to just fit into the moon. No night and no darkness. The tree of life will be there. The trees will bring forth fruit every month. There will be no sin there. The earth and the heavens will be new. A Godly and Holy lifestyle will be the norm. We will see those who have died and gone before us. If all this sounds too good to be true, bear in mind that if you can imagine it, the reality will be so much better. Mom said Cape Town looked like Fairy Land. The new earth will be infinitely better. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			5 And the One sitting on the throne said, "Look, I am making everything new!" And then He said to me, "Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true." Revelation 21:5 NLT 3 Jesus replied to Nicodemus, "I can guarantee this truth: No one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." John 3:3 GW 17 Anyone who believes in Christ is a new creation. The old is gone! The new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIrV 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. Ezekiel 36:26 NLT 7 Get rid of the old yeast. Be like a new batch of dough without yeast. That is what you really are, because Christ has been offered up for us. He is our Passover lamb. 1 Corinthians 5:7 NIrV 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God--truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:24 NLT 2 Foreign countries will see your righteousness and world leaders your glory. You'll get a brand-new name straight from the mouth of GOD. Isaiah 62:2 MSG 17 "I will create new heavens and a new earth. The things that have happened before will not be remembered. They will not even enter your minds. Isaiah 65:17 NIrV 11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 2 Peter 3:11 NLT	I am a new creation. The Word of God has said “Behold, I’m making all things new.” And that is in my head But, Lord, what is the meaning? What must I understand So that I am not missing out on just what You have planned. Perhaps it means that I have got some sort of extra nose? Does it mean that like a cat I have no need for clothes? Can I somehow disappear exactly as you did? Do I have an extra sense to do the things You’ve bid? For Lord, here’s my confession. I’m sure I look the same. I’m still as bald as ever; my tongue I still must tame. I’m told it is my spirit man that has been made anew. But how does that affect me? And what must I now do To let this new creation to take complete control Of all the things I’m doing. And what must be my goal. Tell me how to function please and carry on from here? And if You’ve no Objection Lord, please make it very clear. What is the relationship that You require of me? I’m sorry I am so obtuse but Lord I do not see Any sort of difference. Not since you’ve made me new. Please help me understand it, if it’s all the same to You! My child, I’m glad you’re asking. Please do not get things wrong You are not vaccinated to make you super-strong. To really understand it Please read the verse in full. If you don’t then all you’ll think is just a lot of bull. Look closely at what’s written. It’s only true “in Me” A branch can never function if cut off from the tree. You can’t be independent. You can’t go it alone. That is the sort of lifestyle I never will condone. I’m always in My Father. You have to be in Me. The New Creation can’t survive1 Not independently You have to be continually tapped into the vine. You have to be obedient and live a life like mine! I don’t expect perfection, for you are but a man. I do not want to hear you say, “I’ve done the best I can!” Your best is never good enough. I won’t be satisfied. You have to give it all to me; to put yourself aside And do not even take a breath, until you hear me say My Holy Spirit’s leading; walk in the narrow way. Don’t say it’s far too difficult. Don’t turn around and quit. Don’t think it is impossible. That’s true, I must admit. But You’re not doing things alone and you’ll get your reward. To spend eternity with Me, your ever loving Lord. Jim Strickland  Written 11th June 2012

GOD’S HOLY PEOPLE?

Time with Jesus - Sunday, 10 June 2012

Hi all,

Today we take a look at God’s Holy people. I've taken a number of the Christian lifestyle qualities in today’s Scripture and weaved them into the meditation. Could there be a connection between them and Mickey Mouse? Our meditation today touches on both!

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Sunday, 10 June 2012			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	GOD’S HOLY PEOPLE?
Walt Disney. What does the name mean to you? For me, the name triggers off memories of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and all the various comic books and cartoons which were so popular when I was growing up. You can still some of them occasionally on DSTV Cartoon Network. I was about 10 years old when I saw “Fantasia”. I can still remember small portions of it. The most vivid is the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. The lazy apprentice “cast a spell” on the broom to wash the floor. Then, he couldn’t shut the broom down. In desperation he chopped it up. Then all the pieces of broom began doing the same thing. It concluded with the return of the Sorcerer. Not exactly Christian but Mickey Mouse was the apprentice. At 10 years we are more interested in comedy than reality. A little earlier, Walt Disney released the movie “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. It was a full length movie with lots of comedy mixed with tragedy. One of the early scenes in the movie was of the wicked queen looking into the mirror and saying, “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who’s the fairest one of all?” Previously the mirror had always answered and said that she was. On this occasion the mirror said it was Snow White. Where this idea originated is not clear. What I do know is that in the Epistle of James we find a reference to looking into a mirror. (James 1:22-25) James draws a comparison between reading God’s Word and doing what it says. Of course James’ injunction is to be doers of the Word and not hearers only. I must say that James was being very “21st century” in his statement. My observation is that Christianity has a plethora of men and women who have very little intention of doing what the Word says. They want to be like the wicked queen from Snow White. They want to be told they are doing fine, “Mirror, Mirror on The Wall, Who is doing best of all? The problem is the mirror is a liar! If you read what God’s Words says and are not obedient, your mirror is warped and cracked and you are looking at a caricature of Christianity. Sure it will show you what you want to see. But is that what God sees? I suspect that a large percentage of those who claim the Name of Christ are about as Christian as a tadpole. Their brand of Christianity does not conform to God’s Word. They read the Bible and see all about the genuine Christian lifestyle. But they have no intention of doing what it says. They are convinced that God’s grace will cover anything they want to do. “God understands!” is the comment I hear all around me. But they are mistaken. God’s sympathy and understanding are reserved for those who are seeking to do what He says. Like Mickey Mouse they would rather try and cast a spell on something to do it for them. In the end they get so swept up with self-deception, they need to ask Jesus to come and fix things. He will do so. But not at the price most are willing to pay. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			12 Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tender-hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Colossians 3:12 NLT 41 "A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?" Luke 7:41-42 ESV 13 Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13 NLT 32 "Then his master sent for him and said to him, 'You evil servant! I canceled your entire debt, because you begged me. 33 Shouldn't you have treated the other servant as mercifully as I treated you?' Matthew 18:32-33 GW 25 "Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. 26 "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions." Mark 11:25-26 NASB 21 Then Peter came to Him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?" 22 "No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven! Matthew 18:21-22 NLT 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:14 NLT	If you look at someone, what is it you should see? Identify by looking at Christianity. Many say they’re Christians; They’re speaking Christianese They’ve learned to use the phrases. Are you a one of these? I will never know it listening to the chat. I can train a parrot to speak as well as that. Yes! You need to know it. Your spirit deep within, Should give you confirmation that you’ve kept out of sin. But are you truly listening? Perhaps you’re just deceived? And Paul has shown us clearly “Look and then believe”. Are you tender-hearted in everything you do? Are you filled with mercy when people insult you? Are you filled with kindness and help the other folk? What about humility? Is arrogance your yolk? Are you gentle-hearted or are you only rude? Does listening to others make you short and crude? What about your patience; or are you driven mad! Are all the other motorists’ idiots and bad? Do you make allowance when folk go “off the rails”? Do you want to “stand on them” and cast them into jail? What about your debtors who really cannot pay? Do you cancel out the debt or take their things away? Do you expect from others something you won’t do? What would you be thinking if the same was done to you? What about forgiveness? Do you bear a grudge? Do you have an attitude from which you will not budge? You have been forgiven. That’s what the Bible says. Do you hunt for others who’ve cornered all the praise? What about the number of times you should forgive? God will use your number to test if you should live! What about the garments you wear from day to day? Do you only wear them for the role you want to play? Do you ask your husband, your children or your wife, What is their opinion of the way you live your life? Is your home a bastion of harmony and love? What does Jesus think of it while watching from above? Now that you’ve applied this test to others whom you see, What will be the outcome when people look at thee? Jim Strickland  Written 10th June 2012

HE DIED TO SET US FREE

Time with Jesus - Saturday, 09 June 2012

Hi all,

Today we look at Jesus’ victory over Satan on Calvary. Satan’s objective since the fall was to murder anyone who could threaten his power and authority. He tried to eliminate Jesus shortly after He was born. He escaped to Egypt with Mary and Jacob. During His ministry, Satan tried to kill Him without success. Then Jesus passively allowed Satan to do his worst. Satan made Jesus die in the cross. Satan thought he’d won. Three days later, the resurrection revealed that His death on the cross was Jesus’ greatest victory! It’s why we are free!

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

PO Box 1694, Randpark Ridge, 2156, South Africa.

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Saturday, 09 June 2012			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	HE DIED TO SET US FREE
Have you heard of the man who never was? You are probably fully acquainted with the movie made and distributed in the late 1950’s. It’s the story of one of the greatest deceptions on the 20th century. Certainly it’s one of the greatest hoaxes the Allies “sold” to the Germans in WW2. Both sides knew that there were only two places the Allies could land in Europe. Calais or Normandy. Calais was the shortest distance between England and France. The other was the beaches of Normandy. Only the Allies knew where. Planning for the invasion had been on the go for something in excess of a year before D-day. It was to be the greatest invasion of anywhere in history. The logistics and planning left nothing to chance. They knew that they would only get one chance to invade. General Rommel, one of the great German Generals was in charge of building a huge Atlantic Sea Wall. The Germans were determined to beat the Allies and drive them back into the sea. Furthermore, the German army was formidable. It was perhaps the greatest fighting machine of WW2. When the Allies decided to land in Normandy, it was essential to trick the Germans into thinking that the real attack would be via Calais. Somehow they had to convince Hitler and co that Calais is where it would take place. The Allies used every method they could scheme up to convince Hitler that Calais was the place they would attack. One of the schemes was “The Man Who Never Was” A corpse was carefully chosen and given a false identity. This “man” would carry a “secret message” meant for Allied eyes only. It was essential that this “man” appeared to be absolutely authentic. German counter intelligence were not fools. The corpse had to provide overwhelming evidence that Calais was where the Allied attack would take place. The hoax was an unqualified success. The Christian parallel with this story took place in and around Jerusalem when Jesus Christ was taken, tried, condemned to die and crucified on Calvary. After the fall and in Genesis 3:15, Satan was told that a man would one day come and defeat him. From that day on, Satan did everything he could to destroy all young male children who might grow up and be a threat to him. Examples include the death of male infants in Egypt. The murder of boys under three on Herod’s order when Jesus was born is another example. After He was born, Satan did everything he could to eliminate Jesus. He never quite got it right. Then, suddenly Jesus appeared to become passive. He allowed Himself to be taken prisoner, mercilessly beaten, mocked and abused. He even allowed Himself to be crucified. Satan was ecstatic. I’ve beaten Him he thought. He didn’t beat me. I’ve won! Of course, Jesus’ passivity was necessary. He had to convince Satan that if he killed Jesus, he would be victorious over God. Three days later, Jesus was raised from the dead. Satan had taken the bait hook, line and sinker. The tables were turned around. Not only did he lose to Jesus, but every man, woman and child in Satan’s clutches could no longer be kept there against their will. Paul wrote to the Colossians 15 “He took away the weapons of the powers and authorities. He made a public show of them. He won the battle over them by dying on the cross. Colossians 2:15 NIrV Satan was hoaxed. If he’d understood, there would have been no crucifixion. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			5 The good times of the wicked are short-lived; godless joy is only momentary. Job 20:5 MSG 15 I will make you and the woman hostile toward each other. I will make your descendants and her descendant hostile toward each other. He will crush your head, and you will bruise his heel." Genesis 3:15 GW 53 When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness." Luke 22:53 ESV 14 Because God's children are human beings--made of flesh and blood--the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Hebrews 2:14 NLT 15 He took away the weapons of the powers and authorities. He made a public show of them. He won the battle over them by dying on the cross. Colossians 2:15 NIrV 8 Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. 9 Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. 1 Peter 5:8-9 MSG 7 So obey God. Stand up to the devil. He will run away from you. James 4:7 NIrV 12 The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, 13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming. Psalm 37:12-13 ESV 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Romans 16:20 NLT 10 Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulphur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Revelation 20:10 NLT	Satan thought that he had won the day when Adam fell. But God knew all about it. He’d planned for it as well. He knew that it would happen when He created time. He’d thought through the scenarios. All would work out fine. He even knew about it when Lucifer was made. That someday in the future, He would be disobeyed. I wonder what was in His mind when Satan came to be. Although He was expecting it, it was a tragedy. He knew He’d cast out Satan and his demonic host. But on the day that Adam fell, I think that touched Him most. The problem with omniscience is; nothing’s a surprise. Perhaps He thought that it would be a “blessing in disguise”. But as we look around us at all the death and sin, It’s difficult to realise the choice was up to Him. Because He knows the ending; He’s known right from the start, That all of this would happen. That sin would tear apart, The “fabric” of creation. But still He went ahead. The final outcome will exceed the comments men have said. I think it is a little bit like looking at the price, Our local bank has quoted us. The interest isn’t nice. But when the debt has been discharged and when the bond is paid, The difficulties that we have had, were really there to aid, Us with that first decision; it’s surely worth it all. No longer will that creditor be authorised to call! Perhaps I am mistaken. With God, there’s no mistake. No matter what may happen and all the time it takes, We’ll join Him and acknowledge that He had got it right. In spite of all the wickedness with which He had to fight. We get a little sample when looking at the cross. What Satan thought was victory became his greatest loss! They were celebrating; the Son of God’s was beat! But very soon He changed their victory into defeat. He spoiled their principalities; their powers put on parade! They were a “public spectacle” and openly displayed. It was His greatest triumph. The cross had done it all. He died to give us liberty; He has made void the fall. His life blood had been poured out. He died to set us free Satan has been vanquished on that cross at Calvary. Jim Strickland  Written 9th June 2012