Time with Jesus - Sunday, 15 July
2012
Hi all,
Today’s Scriptures are mainly
about hearing the voice of God. Our meditation looks at this and an example is
included in the “poetry” section. It was written in 1986, so is not exactly “hot
off the press”. But it does show what I mean by hearing His voice.
Blessings
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Sunday, 15 July 2012
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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©
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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
is for non-commercial Christian purposes
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©
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INTRODUCTION
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DAILY
LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
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“Did you hear what I said?” I suppose most of us
have heard this from our parents at one time or another. “Don’t you
understand English?” was another comment, particularly from my father. “Do
you think I’m talking to myself?” Strangely enough, this is what my Mother
said to me on many occasions. Talking about this with friends, I quickly learned
that this was normal behaviour by parents to their children. Furthermore, I
used the same expressions with my own children as they were growing up. As a grandfather
it is not surprising to hear my children using the same words or their modern
equivalent to their children.
On reflection it seems we all have a tendency to be
selective listeners. As children, when things are to our advantage we listen
and react immediately. If Mom or Dad said something like, “anyone for ‘seconds’”,
it was understood immediately. There was no problem with statements like, “Its
pocket money time” or, “Who wants to go to the bioscope tonight”? Then there
was no problem with my understanding. To be honest I suspect that if my
parents had said the same words in Mandarin, Inuit or Hindi, they would have
been instantly understood.. But if the words, “It’s your turn to wash the
supper dishes tonight” were spoken, my hearing problem was as acute as it was
instantaneous. Children have an almost supernatural ability to understand
what is being said. But, only “favourably inclined” words are registered.
It seems that God has much the same problem with His
children. We seem to have this extraordinary ability to receive blessings
gracefully and instantaneously. But when it comes to a rebuke for something
we have done wrong, we immediately blame the devil. Some years ago there was
a comedian who said, “the devil made me do it” every time he did something
questionable!
Shortly after committing my life to Jesus Christ, my
selective hearing of His voice began to manifest in ways not thought possible
earlier. I learned early on in my Christian walk that prayer was meant to be
a dialog with God and not my monolog to the Almighty and He probably didn’t
listen anyway. This view was exacerbated by the fact that I didn’t really
expect Him to answer me. It was a number of years before it dawned on me that
If I asked the Lord a question, He would answer me. Incidentally, there is a
huge difference between questioning God and asking God questions. To question
God implies that you are challenging Him. We stumble into this very often. We
say something like, “Why are there so many sick people in hospital? If I was
God, I would walk into the hospitals and heal everybody.” The implication is
that you can do a better job running the universe than He does. Never do
that. It’s challenging God and could lead you into a lot of trouble. But you
can and may ask Him questions and it’s likely that He will answer.
Today’s poem was written in that style in 1986.
There is one difference here. Not only have I recorded my prayer to Him, I’ve
written down what I believe His answer was. Was I on the right track? Well,
my questions didn’t challenge God. They were merely statements of how I was
and what was bothering me. The “answer” is what I believed God was saying to
me at that time. I have found this method very fruitful. Have a look at the poem
and see what you think.
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
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3 Job said, 'The ear tests
the words it hears just as the mouth distinguishes between foods.'
Job 34:3 NLT
1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit.
Put the spirits to the test to see if they belong to God. Many false prophets
have gone out into the world.
1 John 4:1 NIrV
24 Don't be nit-pickers; use
your head--and heart!--to discern what is right, to test what is authentically
right.
John 7:24 MSG
15 You are reasonable people.
Decide for yourselves if what I am saying is true.
1 Corinthians 10:15 NLT
16 Let Christ's word live in
you like a rich treasure. Teach and correct each other wisely. Sing
psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing with thanks in your hearts to God.
Colossians 3:16 NIrV
29 Let the person who has ears
listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
Revelation 2:29 GW
15 Spiritual people evaluate
everything but are subject to no one's evaluation.
1 Corinthians 2:15 GW
24 "Consider carefully
what you hear," he continued. "With the measure you use, it
will be measured to you--and even more.
Mark 4:24 TNIV
2 "I see what you've
done, your hard, hard work, your refusal to quit. I know you can't stomach
evil; that you weed out apostolic pretenders.
Revelation 2:2 MSG
21 Test everything. Hold on to
the good.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 NIV
3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the
sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by
name and leads them out. 4 When he
has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5
But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they
will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."
John 10:3-5 TNIV
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My Prayer:-
Father
God, please listen as I come to You and pray.
Lord, I
long to really mean each syllable I say.
Grant
me understanding, to follow after You,
And always
be obedient, Your sovereign will to do.
Father
it's appalling ........ my insincerity:
In truth,
I long to do the things which You require of me,
But
laziness and slackness and other forms of ease,
Seem to
overwhelm me and keep me from my knees.
Father,
I implore You. Hear my contrite prayer.
Please Lord,
come and guide me. Direct me anywhere,
That
You, Lord, in Your wisdom, desire me to go.
But Lord,
my supplication, is more of You to know.
Jesus,
be my Master. I long to crown You King;
To worship
and adore You and all my praises bring.
I
long to serve and bless You with all my earthly frame;
To bow
down low before You and magnify Your name.
Jesus,
You are precious; more valuable than gold;
More
beautiful than diamonds; Your worth cannot be told.
For,
if the entire universe were placed upon a scale,
The value
of what You are worth would make it all look pale.
The Lord's reply:-
"My
son, don't be ambitious and chase after those things,
That, only
by My Spirit, a real achievement brings.
No!
Just relax and concentrate on doing what I say;
Settle
down to listening and wanting to obey.
My
child, please always realise that those things which I plan,
Can only
be accomplished by a simple, honest man.
So,
if it's complicated and bound up very tight,
It's
probable I haven’t been your partner in the fight!
Often
I would intervene and tell My people, 'Pause'.
Don't
gallop into battle, unless it's for My cause;
Don't
be so determined, that what you think is true;
That
everything that I have said, does not apply to you!
It's
only the dogmatic that can never ever change;
Who stand
like a fanatic and other men estrange,
From
wanting to be truthful and following My way,
Living out
a Christian life on each and every day.
So
exercise intelligence in all the things you do;
By using
as your standard, The Word I've given You.
It's
very, very simple no adult nor a child,
Ever need
to 'miss it' and by Satan, be beguiled.
So,
never act in ignorance and never act in haste,
Or all the
consequences by you must then be faced.
Concentrate
on listening and with My Spirit, flow,
And you
will never 'miss' My way, no matter where You go."
Jim Strickland
Written - 1986 |
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