SON OF GOD AND SON OF MAN

Time with Jesus - Wednesday, 13 June 2012

Hi all,

Jesus was The Son of God and the Son of Man. Jesus mostly used the title Son of Man. John’s Gospel makes it clear He said He was Son of God. ³⁵ Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? ³⁶ He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? ³⁷ And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. ³⁸ And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. John 9:35-38 KJV

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Wednesday, 13 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	SON OF GOD AND SON OF MAN
“Who’s who in the zoo?” I think we are all familiar with the tale about the self-opinionated man who rushed to the front of the queue and demanded immediate service. When the receptionist tried to proceed with her duty in spite of this irritating man, he interrupted her. “Do you know who I am?” he thundered at her. Without batting an eye she picked up the public address system microphone; at maximum volume said?” Is there any one here who has lost a passenger? There’s a man here who doesn’t know who he is. Then she politely continued with her work. What a “put down” Well deserved, with just a tinge of reproof. This raises the question, “what do you do as a Christian when confronted with such behaviour. Some would like to deal with the man with a sawn off shot gun. They have my sympathy. Others would go into “poor me” behaviour. They would allow themselves to be intimidated and go along with the bully. They think it is Christian to allow others to beat them up. That isn’t true either. A Christian should never be a bully or a wimp. Jesus was neither. He responded to everyone with love. At the same time, He was not afraid to call a spade a spade. He said to the Scribes and Pharisees, 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Matthew 23:33 ESV Obviously Jesus had not read, “How to Make Friends and Influence People” On the other hand His dealing with the woman taken in adultery recorded in John Chapter 8 shows that He was kind and loving, even to sinners! His dealings with the man born blind, reveals more about intolerance and religious attitudes. It is suggested that the blind man had nothing in his eye sockets. Of course this cannot be verified. But Jesus’ actions speak of a creative miracle similar to the creation of Adam. The sightless man stood in front of Him. Then Jesus, mixing the very breath of God along with spittle for water, formed eyes for the man out of mud. He then placed the Mud/eyes into the man’s eye sockets and positioned them correctly. The Mud would dry very quickly in that climate. Then came the one act of obedience required to complete the miracle. “Go and wash in the pool of Siloam”. The man did. How he got there we do not know. What he said about his mud filled eye sockets is not stated. What we do know is that when he washed, immediately he could see. Read the story without religious blinkers. It reads a bit like the first act of creation. “Light be!” said the Lord and it was so. “Eyes see!” is the unstated instruction based on the man’s faith in what Jesus said. How did the man feel at that moment? It would be pure guesswork on my part. What is it we see when first we see? The feelings stated by the man are probably “Once I was Blind and now I see”. That says it all! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			35 When Jesus heard what had happened, He found the man and asked, "Do you believe in the Son of Man? " 36 The man answered, "Who is He, sir? I want to believe in Him." John 9:35-36 NLT 3 The Son radiates God's own glory and expresses the very character of God, and He sustains everything by the mighty power of His command. When He had cleansed us from our sins, He sat down in the place of honour at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. Hebrews 1:3 NLT 15 For at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. 16 He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honour and power to him forever! Amen. 1 Timothy 6:15-16 NLT 8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega--the beginning and the end," says the Lord God. "I am the One who is, who always was, and who is still to come--the Almighty One." Revelation 1:8 NLT 38 "Yes, Lord, I believe!" the man said. And he worshiped Jesus. John 9:38 NLT 12 That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the One in whom I trust, and I am sure that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until the day of His return. 2 Timothy 1:12 NLT 6 As the Scriptures say, "I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honour, and anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced." 7 Yes, you who trust Him recognize the honour God has given Him. But for those who reject Him, "The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone." 1 Peter 2:6-7 NLT	The Son of Man; The Son of God, were actually the same. And this was so much more than just some silly little game. The name comes from Ezekiel; God called him “Son of Man” And Jesus Christ adopted it. Part of His greater plan. All through the generations it didn’t give offence. So Jesus used it as His name. It made a lot of sense. If Jesus had revealed Himself, before the time was right, It seems fairly conclusive. He’d end up in a fight. So all throughout the Gospels, the “Son of Man” was used. It made all His opponents, a little bit confused. But there is one occasion, He made it very plain. The man who was born blind, had told the Pharisees in vain; That somebody had healed him. He couldn’t tell them Who. He’d smeared some mud upon my eyes and told me what to do. “Go off to Siloam and wash the mud away”. And after he had done it, he could see as plain as day! The Pharisees were furious. They liked it not one bit. “Who could work such miracles with only clay and spit?” He answered to the Pharisees, who’d asked, “Who’d done the deed?” He couldn’t give an answer which satisfied their creed. It’s only when they threw him out, he came across the man, Who’d given him his eyesight and the miracle began. “The Son of God has healed you.” Is what the Master said. “Who is He Sir?” the “blind man asked, “To whom must I be led?” That’s when Jesus stated, The Son of God is Me. I performed a miracle. That’s why you now can see! The “blind man” bowed in worship. He didn’t tell Him nay! Jesus told it plainly, upon that very day. For He is Supernatural. In fact He is the Lord. Worthy to be worshipped, .exalted and adored. Here is the example to which we all can look. Spelled out very clearly in Father’s Holy Book. You don’t have to believe it. You’re well within your rights, To say it is impossible within your mortal sight. Please don’t think I’m threatening. I haven’t got a gun. It isn’t me Who’ll come and ask, “Why ever not My son?” You don’t have to explain yourself to anyone like me. But when it comes from Jesus Christ, what will your answer be? Jim Strickland  Written 13th June 2012

TREES THAT PLEASE?

Time with Jesus - Tuesday, 12 June 2012

Hi all,

Every part of God’s creation plays an important role in the balance of life on this planet. Most often they are overlooked or neglected and abused. Trees fall into this category. Magnificent plants which contribute significantly to our daily heath. In Scripture, Jesus cursed a barren fig tree. Today’s meditation looks at this.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Tuesday, 12 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	TREES THAT PLEASE?
If you dig back into your memory, what is your earliest recollection? It’s a tough question because you can’t really remember what your earliest memory was! Mine goes back to about 1946. I was about 4 and Mom took me to town with her shopping. In Newcastle on Tyne in those days there was a large department store called “Fenwick’s” A typical department store something like Garlick’s or John Orr’s but with a more British flavour. What I remember was the tea room there. They catered for children in that they had Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck chairs. To this day, children love sitting in seats like those. It was an escape into a fantasy world where adults were usually excluded. I remember the tea room because in 1960 I went to Newcastle on Tyne and those chairs, or ones like them, were still in the tea room of that store. It wasn’t so much a question of recall after 14 years. It was more like bumping into an old friend you don’t really remember but had never quite forgotten. Of course, life is very much like that. A series of past memories that are somehow “on ice” waiting to be stirred by circumstance and environment. Remembering the past is made so much easier if there is a sound association with an activity today strongly reminiscent of something in the past. It’s a bit like seeing a youngster wearing the school uniform that you wore to school. In 2000 I came across my old school blazer. It had been carefully preserved by my mother. When I put my hand in one of the pockets there was a familiar feel for things that had taken place forty one years previously. The Bible also does that. The Scripture lessons from school are entrenched in my mind and are unforgettable. For example, the creation story and the crucifixion are unforgettable. Imagination also plays a large part in this. Somehow, Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner didn’t quite measure up to Moses and Pharaoh. After becoming a Christian and getting into the Word of God I was interested to what extent trees featured. In a way, the Bible story begins with the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It concludes in Revelation with trees on both side of the river and a reference to the tree of life. I suppose it might be said that God loves trees? Trees play a central part in Scripture. It follows that I’ve never been satisfied with the reason why Jesus cursed the fig tree. For the Lord of Life to curse a tree seems incongruous. So I’ve scratched around for a number of years in an effort to establish why He did it! It goes against the grain to say that it was so that we could learn about faith. Yes, it does teach us about faith. But there has to be something more. I wonder what? Jim & Phyllida Strickland			24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24 NASB 22 You were taught not to live the way you used to. You must get rid of your old way of life. That's because it is polluted by longing for things that lead you down the wrong path. 23 You were taught to be made new in your thinking. 24 You were taught to start living a new life. It is created to be truly good and holy, just as God is. Ephesians 4:22-24 NIrV 3 Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life--even though invisible to spectators--,is with Christ in God. He is your life. Colossians 3:3 MSG 4 When we were baptized into his death, we were placed into the tomb with him. As Christ was brought back from death to life by the glorious power of the Father, so we, too, should live a new kind of life. 5 If we've become united with him in a death like his, certainly we will also be united with him when we come back to life as he did. 6 We know that the person we used to be was crucified with him to put an end to sin in our bodies. Because of this we are no longer slaves to sin. 7 The person who has died has been freed from sin. Romans 6:4-7 GW 11 In the same way, consider yourselves to be dead as far as sin is concerned. Now that you believe in Christ Jesus, consider yourselves to be alive as far as God is concerned. 12 So don't let sin rule your body, which is going to die. Don't obey its evil longings. 13 Don't give the parts of your body to serve sin. Don't let them be used to do evil. Instead, give yourselves to God. You have been brought from death to life. Give the parts of your body to him to do what is right. Romans 6:11-13 NIrV	It sounds very peculiar and yet Biblically, Every time things “happen”, somewhere there is a tree. It started in the garden; they shouldn’t eat the fruit. If they ever did so, they’d surely get the boot. I’m not sure why it happened; but they had both been warned, And lost their place in Eden; ‘cause the Word of God was scorned. Abraham gave Isaac on a little heap of wood. Moses used some timber so Marah would taste good. Aaron’s rod that budded was the product of a tree. Precisely how God did it is still a mystery. Deborah served her people from underneath a palm. Jonah had a pity party when God’s wrath was calm! God said He’d judge Nineveh. He gave them forty days. But all of them repented and forsook their evil ways. But Jonah wasn’t happy He thought God let Him down. He would have been far happier if God destroyed that town! We’re told the curse of God is on those hanged upon a tree. And this is stated clearly in Deuteronomy. You’ll find it in verse twenty three of Chapter twenty one. And if you are a murderer, then your last chance has gone. Jesus saw Nathanael beneath the fig tree’s shade. And later when He cursed a tree it instantly obeyed. I don’t quite understand it; It wasn’t lack of fruit. There has to be a reason that people can’t refute. The Lord of life won’t curse a tree because the figs weren’t ripe. There’s something all of us have missed. It wasn’t just His gripe. There has to be a little more we do not understand. My Master doesn’t curse a tree unless it had been planned. Perhaps it represented the tree that brought the fall? That tree would surely be destroyed! Perhaps that was His call? And then there is the special tree on which the Master died. We can’t say where they got it. But this can’t be denied. It did what was intended. They nailed Him to that tree. Please don’t think I am callous if I say thankfully, “Lord what would have happened if everyone You made, Was left to face the consequence of having disobeyed. Eternity in torment. O Lord that would be fair. Your perfect righteous judgement on sinners everywhere.” Jim Strickland Written 12th June 2012

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