EQUIPPED FOR BATTLE

Time with Jesus - Friday, 27 July 2012

Hi all,

The Lord’s Word tells us that when we are weak then He is strong. This is a fascinating concept. God is not looking for superheroes like the Hulk or even superman. He doesn’t need the strength of a men or women. What He does look for are those who rely on Him and Him alone. How do we do that? The only way is to die and allow Christ to live in and through you. We will never be weaker than we are when we are dead.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Friday, 27 July 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	EQUIPPED FOR BATTLE
When I use the word, “all”, what is it I mean? Usually it means a definite amount. If I pick up the salt shaker and nothing comes out, I’m inclined to say’ “It’s all gone”. What I mean is the salt shaker is empty. There’s still plenty of salt somewhere. It just isn’t where I need it. Sure it’s all gone, but there is still lots more out there. Perhaps I should have said, “the salt shaker’s empty”. It would have been a lot more accurate! There is however, a huge difference between what I say and what Jesus says. My “all” is not inclusive. His “all” includes everything. So when He says “all power” or “all authority” He, means the lot. To use an Americanism, “There aint no more nowhere!” This means exactly what it says. Now if He has all the power, how much do you think is left over for others? The correct answer is, “None!” Matthew’s gospel put it as follows: 18 When Jesus came near, he spoke to them. He said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Matthew 28:18 GW Now I’m not a Greek scholar. But I do have access to “Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionary” along with his famous numbering system. So I am in a position to “cheat” a little and impress you with the knowledge available. Now according to him, the word translated “power” in the KJV and ‘”authority” in all the other translations, is the Greek word “exousia”.  It means privilege, which is, (subjectively) force, capacity, competency, freedom, or (objectively) mastery (concretely magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control), delegated influence: - authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength. In plain “Jim-speak” it means that there is no authority or power that He (Jesus Christ) hasn’t got. Now we are His ambassadors; His representatives. Which means His power or authority has been delegated to us! The enemy doesn’t really have anything other than what we allow! Notice also that your strength or my strength is not the issue. But we don’t have to let Satan and Co, bully us. When I was little, I used to tell the other boys that if they touched me, they would have to settle with my big brother. It seemed to work, no matter the size of the bully. But in this case, we really do have a big brother. He is unbeatable! No matter how weak you and I are, He is more than merely useful protection. Many years ago I remember attending a Charismatic service in. The speaker was talking about Jesus and His delegated authority. Talking from the first Epistle of Peter he quoted: 8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.1 Peter 5:8 NLT His comment was that the devil looked like a lion but it’s all show. He’s a “mouse with a megaphone”. The speaker’s theology may not be entirely correct. But I do like the idea. He can yell, shout and try and intimidate as much as he wants. If he can deceive us into thinking he is in charge, he will do so. He can’t. His only real weapon now is deception. Subsequently I heard someone say that Satan was trying to intimidate him while he was asleep. He awoke and took one look and said, “Oh, it’s you!” Then he turned over and went back to sleep. Satan’s had His day. Jesus thrashed him on Mt Calvary. So relax and let Jesus win again! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			39 For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me. Psalms 18:39 ESV 10 Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size--abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. 2 Corinthians 12:10 MSG 11 Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God, "O LORD, no one but You can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in You alone. It is in Your name that we have come against this vast horde. O LORD, You are our God; do not let mere men prevail against You!" 2 Chronicles 14:11 NLT 31 The chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat. They thought, "That's the king of Israel." So they turned to attack him. But Jehoshaphat cried out. And the LORD helped him. God drew the commanders away from him. 2 Chronicles 18:31 NIrV 8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. 9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. Psalms 118:8-9 NIV 16 The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. 17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. Psalms 33:16-17 ESV 12 This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world. 13 For this reason, take up all the armour that God supplies. Then you will be able to take a stand during these evil days. Once you have overcome all obstacles, you will be able to stand your ground. Ephesians 6:12-13 GW	Some things are surely upside down from all we’ve seen and known. The strongest man in all the world, is reaping what was sown. He spent his days in training, with exercise and weights; And now, his bulging biceps, are adequate to state, That here is the ability to pick up sacks of lead. And pile them all together like loaves of fresh baked bread. His strength is in his muscles. That’s where he stores his power. But if he quits his exercise his muscles will turn sour. Slowly they’ll degenerate and will all turn to fat. He’ll wonder if he really knows who he is looking at. The moral of this story is, “All things in moderation” If you truly want to be a muscular sensation, Understand that for all time you’ll have to be committed, Until there comes a day when in a pine box you’ll be fitted! But there is a much better way. A way I recommend. There’s someone so much better, on Whom Christians can depend. It is the power of Jesus, the one who made it all. The great and mighty cosmos, to electrons very small. We’re told He has all power, which means omnipotent! So when He uses power, it means He isn’t spent. It still is all available, for it is infinite. It truly would be foolish to face Him in a fight! You’ll never beat the Master. It’s safer not to try. ‘And if you ever do it, you’ll quickly wonder why? So how can people ever get the Master on their side? Let Him be your husband and you can be His bride. Even if your gender suggests that it is wrong, Don’t give it a second thought, if to Him you belong. Here’s the very reason why I’ve told this all to you If He is your husband, then you can see Him do, Things which were impossible for you to do alone. But if He is your Husband, you are not on your own! He’s always there beside you, to take on every foe. If you wear His armour, the enemy will know, That though you look so puny, so fragile and so weak, That if they come against you, you only have to speak, And they will be confronted by the strongest One of all. And when you’re at your weakest, you only have to call! Then He will join the battle. It isn’t worth their while. So when you’re at your weakest, just look at them and smile. Call out “Hallelujah!” They’ll know just what you mean, And they will quickly turn around and gallop from the scene. Jehoshaphat and Asa both proved it long ago. And now it’s time for you and me to understand and know, That even if a war horse has Satan on its back. He’ll think it’s not the season, to launch a new attack. The battle’s done and over. Once more the Lord has won! And He will turn and look at you, then smile and say, “Well done!” Jim Strickland Written 27th July 2012

THE CALL TO HOLINESS

Time with Jesus - Thursday, 26 July 2012

Hi all,

Today’s meditation is about holiness. We are told by the author of Hebrews, ¹⁴ Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14 NLT It’s a tough call according to some thinking. The question is whether or not you are trying and know what you’re looking for.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Thursday, 26 July 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 CALL TO HOLINESS
Holiness. What exactly is it? How do I know I’m holy? Or, more importantly, how do I know when I’m not being holy. Not so very long ago, holiness meant keeping a number of rules dictated by the Pastor and his elders. It was particularly bad for the ladies. If they looked attractive and used make-up, they were definitely not holy. Chin high collars, calf length dresses, wearing hats to church and doing everything their husbands said instantly and without question; then they were definitely holy! Two words describe them. Drab and dowdy. How they would ever find a man who wanted to marry them, was irrelevant. Better to live in a convent, than sin by looking beautiful! Not only was sex a no-no, it was reserved exclusively for having children. Any lady who enjoyed it was a candidate for hell fire and damnation. It wasn’t quite as difficult for the men. They were allowed to look good. But dancing was out, So was going to the movies, looking at “girly” pictures, kissing a girl or drinking any form of alcohol. Smoking was anathema. If they had a “date” with a young woman, there was always a chaperone. Much of this was a carry-over from UK in the Victorian era. Yet that era was one of the most licentious, immoral and cruel in history. In the UK it was the time of the industrial revolution. Little children of 5 worked down in the mines opening and closing gates for the miners. 12 hours per day was not unusual. Women crawled on hands and knees through the mine tunnels pulling coal trucks. At the same time, church society promoted the sort of “holiness” mentioned above. How you equate these two types of living is beyond me. So, what is holiness? Two “aspects” immediately spring to mind. One is moral, sinless perfection. Of course this describes God. No one except Jesus Christ has ever succeeded in living such a life. The Jewish Pharisees of Jesus’ day certainly tried their best to do so. They failed just as many others have failed. No mistakes were permitted. No sin allowed. Anyone want to try? Those who attempt it often become the most self-righteous men possible. Of course women could never get to “heaven”, This was because for two weeks during her monthly cycle, she was considered to be ritually unclean! The second “aspect” is to be completely set apart for an exclusive purpose. An insightful example for us is our toothbrush. My toothbrush is “holy” to me. As far as I know, no one uses it except me. Most of us would be horrified by the thought of a guest wandering into the bathroom and using their toothbrush. I know that occasionally a husband and wife may make use of their partner’s toothbrush. But it would be the exception rather than the rule. From this we see that holiness means “for the exclusive use” of someone or something. In my case I do my very best to keep myself for the exclusive use of the Lord. Do I always succeed? Not always. But certainly I do my best to make sure I do. I don’t want to be used by Satan and his cohorts. You could say in this respect I’m “holy” to the Lord. To the best of my knowledge, you too can be “holy” to the Lord. “For His exclusive use”. Note the complete “lack” of “rules”. It’s not a question of not doing this or that. Instead it’s an attitude of being set aside for Jesus’ exclusive use. If you do, you will find that moral perfection is not as much a “pipe-dream” as you thought it was! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			12 Find joy in the LORD, you righteous people. Give thanks to him as you remember how holy he is. Psalms 97:12 GW 15 Look, God does not even trust the angels. Even the heavens are not absolutely pure in His sight. 16 How much less pure is a corrupt and sinful person with a thirst for wickedness! Job 15:15-16 NLT 5 Why, even the moon has its flaws, even the stars aren't perfect in God's eyes, 6 So how much less, plain men and women-- slugs and maggots by comparison!" Job 25:5-6 MSG 11 "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? Exodus 15:11 ESV 3 And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" Isaiah 6:3 ESV 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:14-16 ESV 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. Hebrews 12:10 NASB 17 God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. 1 Corinthians 3:17 NLT 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness. 2 Peter 3:11 ESV 14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 2 Peter 3:14 ESV 29 Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. 30 And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, He has identified you as His own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:29-30 NLT	"'Holiness! Yes, Holiness!', is what you are to cry. For it's a lack of holiness, which is the reason why, The name of many Christians has now become a stench; Because they will not change their ways, they consequently wrench, The leading I have given them from My directing hand; And live a life that all can see is what the devil planned! But you have been appointed a shepherd of the flock. It's your responsibility to quietly take stock, Of how the sheep are living and how the pasture seems, To ascertain the difference, 'tween vision and the schemes, That Satan would endeavour, to place into their minds; To know if what they're eating will feed, or make them blind; To be a flock protector and not a bird of prey. To keep the wolves and predators continually at bay. For this is what I've called you to and this is My desire. But it is your obedience that really I require. “The way ahead is difficult. With danger it is fraught. But you will find that I am there, the enemy to thwart. Provided that you're listening and do the things I show, Then, step-by-step and day-by-day, you'll definitely know, That nothing I require of you, will ever be too much, Successfully to overcome. For I will be your crutch! And as you start to lean on Me and let Me take your weight, The power of The Holy Ghost will clearly demonstrate, That you are Mine. A Servant; A Shepherd of the King; Because I have decided, that I will do a thing, To shake the very heavens and rattle earth and sky. To illustrate to everyone, just what it means to die! Just what I have accomplished, by coming to the Earth, And giving to the human race, the chance of second birth. But many of My people. don't seem to care at all. Their lives aren't changed and many have ignored My Holy call; And consequently, judgement is now upon the scene; And they will experience just what My wrath can mean. But even now it's possible for Me to stay My hand. If they will change their attitude and DO what I command; Diligently minister to ALL of those I've saved, And demonstrate repentance by the way that they behave. For if a sinner turns from sin, I've promised he will live. Regardless what a man has been, I always will forgive. But if the righteous turns to sin and practice fleshly lust, I will forget their righteous acts. For them it will be just, As though they never came to Me; And all their sinful acts, Will be restored again to them and judgement will be fact. I know that it sounds terrible, but that is what must be. If a man or woman says they want to walk with Me. Jim Strickland Written 1985

PSALM 16 AND CHOICES

Time with Jesus - Wednesday, 25 July 2012

Hi all,

Today’s meditation is in two parts. The first is Psalm 16 rephrased into rhyme and metre in response to the First Scripture, The send part is a combination of the remaining Scriptures into rhyme and metre. The topic become a meditation on the choices we have to make in life and in our Christian walk.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Wednesday, 25 July 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	PSALM 16 AND CHOICES
Most of us dislike change with a passion that is difficult to comprehend. In Primary School, I was two years with the Boy Scouts. It was great fun and I would have liked to have continued. Sadly, we moved from Port Elizabeth to a power station close to Sasolburg. That was the end of my scouting days. Later, as my son was growing up, I got involved with the cubs. The things the more senior cubs were doing was very similar to what I had done in 1953/4.  Thus I was in a position to assist as leader of the Cub Pack. I was able to help them working from my past knowledge. Then Headquarters decided that the time had come to change the system completely. It changed from the comfortable system I had known as a scout in the early 1950’s, to something more complicated. Certainly it was in the best interests of the youngsters. But for me, the change was a bit like open heart surgery without anaesthetic! I didn’t like it one bit. Fortunately it came at the time when my son was too old for the cubs. So we both left at the same time. I’ve found over the years that change happens whether we like it or not. In one respect, I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to complete things under the previous system, before the change was forced on me. This was true of my engineering studies. One year after I qualified, the syllabus changed radically. I doubt if I could have passed the new syllabus exam. AS a Christian, I’ve found that change is normal! We have to change. God never changes and He expects us to change as we progress along the pathway of life. Paul spoke of this sort of change in his second letter to the Corinthians. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord--who is the Spirit--makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT. There are times it feels as though we pass through a stage of being changed from being an ugly caterpillar, into a beautiful butterfly. This illustration speaks so well of the Christian life. We are in this world as sinners; ugly and unattractive. Then we meet Jesus Christ. Encountering Him leads to our own death to self. At least that is what is supposed to happen. Then we pass through the most traumatic change we could ever imagine. Finally, when life in this dimension is over, we emerge as the most beautiful butterfly we could picture. It’s all part of the change process. We go through a phase of being changed from glory to glory, as we submit to the changes which are necessary for us. What I particularly like about this process is the fact that we must change from being an ugly, repulsive caterpillar into that which God envisions for us. Somehow, in the cocoon of change, we are changed. Of course, we are the ones who change. But He is the one who makes it possible. Psalm 16 describes part of this process. I’ve rephrased the Psalm so that it is in rhyme and metre. The second half of the meditation follows the Scriptures. We see that we have to make a choice to follow Him. Then we are taken to a place where we must choose the correct gate in order to walk on His Holy Highway. What we can expect on the narrow way and the easy way is spelled out. Finally, we go on to be with Him. We become His beautiful butterflies! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalms 16:11 ESV 8 "Tell the people, 'The LORD says, "I am offering you a choice. You can choose the way that leads to life. Or you can choose the way that leads to death. Jeremiah 21:8 NIrV 23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. 1 Samuel 12:23 TNIV 6 Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me. John 14:6 NLT 19 And He *said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19 NASB 12 There is a way that may seem right to a man. But in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 14:12 NIrV 13 "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14 ESV 8 There will be a highway called the Holy Road. No one rude or rebellious is permitted on this road. It's for GOD's people exclusively-- impossible to get lost on this road. Not even fools can get lost on it. Isaiah 35:8 MSG 3 "So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth." Hosea 6:3 NASB 2 There is plenty of room for you in my Father's home. If that weren't so, would I have told you that I'm on my way to get a room ready for you? John 14:2 MSG	Psalm 16 - (God is my refuge) 1)      Keep me safe O Lord my God. In You alone I Hide. 2)     You are MY God. Apart from You, can no good thing abide. 3)     All the saints within the land are glorious within! In all of them You take delight. For they're set free from sin. 4)     Those who follow other gods, their sorrows shall increase. Their names are never on Your lips, their sacrifices cease. 5)     But Lord, you have assigned to me my portion and my cup. 6)     My boundaries have fallen in a place I can look up In praise for my inheritance; Wherein is my delight. 7)     I'll praise You, Lord, who counsels me within my heart at night. 8)     Your ways are set before me. You are at my right hand. 9)     My Heart is glad; my body rests; rejoice my tongue as planned. 10)    For You will not abandon me nor leave me in the grave; Your Holy one won't see decay; You've caused me to behave, 11)     With joy upon the paths of life, on which You have made known. The pleasures of eternal life, in which I'm free to roam. Jim Strickland Written 1992 -oOo- CHOICES You may be nine or ninety, A little less or more. You’ll still be faced with choices to finalise your score.             (Jer 21:8) A little bit of evil? Perhaps, a lot of good? The choice is always up to you, to do the things you should.      (1 Sam 12:23) Sometimes God is in it. More often, He is not. It really doesn’t matter. Your choice is what you’ve got. Perhaps you’ll give to charity? Perhaps you’ll rob a bank? Whatever you decide to do, there’s only you to thank! The Lord does nothing evil. The devil, nothing right. And in the last analysis, it’s you that has the fight. Temptation’s always present, to lead you far astray. But if you follow Jesus, He’ll surely show the way! He said if you will follow Him, He’ll teach you how to fish.        (Matt 4:19) Not for hake or kingklip; It’s not that sort of dish. It’s people you’ll be catching, from every racial group. It’s not their nationality, or if they’ve flown the coop. They may think what they’re doing, is how they should behave. But it could lead them in a loop or right into the grave! (Prov. 14:12) Through a gate we enter. The wide one will not do. We have to find the narrow gate; it’s found by very few.   (Matt 7:13-14) The wide gate is the easy way. A life of sin and ease. A life of sex and drunkenness and anything you please. The highway of God’s Holy Road starts at the narrow gate.       (Isaiah 35:8) You’ll find the way is difficult, but the reward is great. Rude or the rebellious are not allowed thereon. But if you’re persistent, you’ll reach the Holy One. So let us be obedient, Press on to know the Lord.               (Hosea 6:3) And we are sure that at the end we’ll have our great reward. (John 14:2) Jim Strickland Written 25 July 2012