MASTER

Time with Jesus - Thursday, 23 August 2012

Hi all,

If you like Irish folk tunes with words changed to Christian lyrics, you’ll find today’s meditation more or less what you would like. I’ve taken “Maggie”, changed the word to “Master” and made it applicable to Phyllida and me.

Blessings

 

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Thursday, 23 August 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	MASTER
In 2010, Phyllida and I took a Trafalgar Tours bus trip to places which included England, Scotland, Irish Republic and Wales. It was a wonderful tour which we thoroughly enjoyed. We “fell in love” with Ireland. It’s one of the few places in the world outside South Africa, we would like to live. It is aptly called “The Emerald Isle” The greenery is beautiful. We loved Limerick. We went to Blarney Castle but didn’t kiss the stone. We couldn’t face all those steps to the top! The journey brought back old memories for me. Memories of 1952 and the song “Galway Bay”. I’m not sure why this song was popular at that time. It’s more like a traditional Irish folk song than anything else. The Irish are a remarkable people. The nation has been through so many unhappy incidents over the past couple of hundred years. But this has not embittered the people. We found them warm, open and friendly. We loved listening to their extraordinary music. “Riverdance” has highlighted many of their talents and traditional Irish dancing has taken the world by storm. Part of “Riverdance” features the Uilleann pipes. It has a strange, “haunting” sound that is matchless. Sometimes called Irish bagpipes, they are uniquely Irish! The songs of Foster and Allen have been favourites of ours for many years and today’s meditation takes its cue from one of their songs. Entitled “Maggie” it’s a song about an “old” Irish couple looking back down the years of their lives. Primarily it is the man singing to the love of his life and recalling the things of yesteryear. I loved it the first time I heard it sung by them. A small bit of research tells me they recorded the song back in 1996. However, I can remember the song from the mid 1980’s For some time I thought that if Foster and Allen could immortalise “Maggie” I could have a go at using the song as a basis for a Christian version. This one not based on “Maggie”, but upon “The Lord Jesus Christ”. The word, “Master” seemed appropriate. So a number of years ago I composed the song “Master” in similar vein. In this case it was my own personal tribute to Jesus. Then it struck me that the words applied to Phyllida and me equally. So this morning I revisited the song, added a verse and came up with a version that applies to both of us rather than for me alone. I’m glad I did. The Lord has given us over thirty years of life together as husband and wife. They have been wonderful years. At times they have been very hard. Not hard between us as a couple. That love has blossomed, grown and gets better every day. But we are no longer “young” We have followed Him all our married life into our golden years. Now we pause, look back on the past and look forward to being with Him forever. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			4 I will be your God throughout your lifetime--until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. Isaiah 46:4 NLT 1 But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. Isaiah 43:1-2 ESV 4 And I'll keep on carrying you when you're old. I'll be there, bearing you when you're old and grey. I've done it and will keep on doing it, carrying you on my back, saving you. Isaiah 46:4 MSG 11 Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so He spread His wings to take them up and carried them safely on His pinions. 12 The LORD alone guided them; they followed no foreign gods. Deuteronomy 32:11-12 NLT 9 In all their suffering He also suffered, and He personally rescued them. In His love and mercy He redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years. Isaiah 63:9 NLT 8 For Jesus doesn't change--yesterday, today, tomorrow, he's always totally himself. Hebrews 13:8 MSG 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 ESV 15 The LORD answers, "Can a mother forget the baby who is nursing at her breast? Can she stop showing her tender love to the child who was born to her? She might forget her child. But I will not forget you. Isaiah 49:15 NIrV	(Based on “Maggie” sung by Foster and Allen)    We've laboured so long in the field, Master; Or bodies are ageing and grey. Our spirits are longing to yield, Master, And go to our home far away. We've loved You with all of our heart, Master, And tried to do all You have said. We've done all we know to be part, Master, Of following where You have led.   You let us be husband and wife, Master When things seemed to go down the drain Wonderful partners for life, Master You caused us to love once again. We didn’t know how it would be, Master We’d been through the pain of divorce Your loving set both of us free, Master And put us back on the right course   It's been such a wonderful life, Master, In everything, we are replete. You've husbanded us like Your wife, Master, Through fellowships gentle and sweet. You've helped us in all we have done, Master; Provided assistance and aid; Together we've had so much fun, Master And You brought us back when we strayed!   So as we look back down the years, Master, Remembering all we have known; The laughter, the joy and the tears, Master, We see now how much we have grown. You've caused us to come to this place, Master, Of utter contentment and peace. Your wonderful love and Your grace, Master Have caused all our strivings to cease.   So what can we do but adore, Master, The God Who allowed this to be, A life that has meant so much more, Master, Than all we expected to see! Jim Strickland Finalised 23rd August 2012

JIMMETS – SOLOMON AND JESUS

Time with Jesus - Wednesday, 22 August 2012

Hi all,

There are three Jimmets this morning. The focus is on Solomon and Jesus. Solomon failed because of his 700 wives and 300 concubines. They led him astray. Jesus succeeded spectacularly. We look at this through the eyes of Isaiah and then of Paul to the Philippians.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Wednesday, 22 August 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	JIMMETS – SOLOMON AND JESUS
Writing Jimmets is great fun. Today, all three are connected. The first is about King Solomon’s sad failure. The next two about King Jesus’ success Whenever I think about King Solomon, I think about a man whom God blessed with wisdom, wealth and power. A man of whom it was said that he was the wisest man who ever lived. There is no doubt that in the early days of His reign, this was true. And yet there is a most unusual statement in the first book of Kings: 1 Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the LORD, and the wall around Jerusalem. 1 Kings 3:1 TNIV The strangest thing about this statement is that it took place before he had had the dream in Gibeon in which God promised him wisdom, a long life and great prosperity. (1 Kings 3:5-14) We cannot say for certain that the two stories were consecutive. In other words, it may be that the marriage to Pharaoh’s daughter took place before or after his encounter with God in that dream. But if we may rely on the sequence of the two Scriptural events, it seems that Solomon was in a great hurry to get married and cement an alliance with Egypt. It also introduces to us the great failing in his life. Women! We are told 3 He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the LORD. 1 Kings 11:3 NLT For what it’s worth, any man who has that many wives and concubines demonstrates a great lack of wisdom. If he saw only one wife/concubine per day, it would be 2.7 years before he had “done the rounds” That’s not wisdom. That’s madness! Furthermore, how do you marry 700 wives? There must surely have been several “mass” weddings? The second Jimmet deals with Isaiah’s great prophecy of the coming Messiah. Notice the way this prophetic word is introduced. “For unto us a child is born. Unto us a Son is given. It seems clear that this is the same person. But let’s look at these words a little closer. “A child is born”. Here we see the humanity of the coming child. A baby will be born physically by his mother in the normal way. He would look 100% human. Indeed, it was essential that He be fully human. So we have a fully human baby boy. The next few words tell us something different. A Son would be given. Only a father can “give” a son. There is only one way this could “fit”. The “given Son” would have to be the Son of God! So here we see Jesus’ divinity. He was 100% Divine. In other words, Isaiah was telling the people that a child would be born who was 100% human and 100% divine. This accounts for the many titles we read in the rest of the verse. To me, “Wonderful Counsellor” speaks of a man with extraordinary ability. Someone who is fully man. But he is also, “The Mighty God”. In other words fully Divine and fully human at the same time. The description fits Jesus perfectly I still wonder what was in Isaiah’s mind when this was prophesied. 2 Peter 1:21 describes the “process”. The final Jimmet speaks of Jesus’ life of obedience to His Father. How He put aside His Divinity so He could be our sacrificial offering on Calvary’s cross. To me this is one of the greatest of all the miracles. That God could come and give His life for me while I was still a sinner. That’s mind-blowing! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			29 God gave Solomon wisdom--the deepest of understanding and the largest of hearts. There was nothing beyond him, nothing he couldn't handle. 1 Kings 4:29 MSG 42 The queen of Sheba will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here--but you refuse to listen. Matthew 12:42 NLT 6 A child will be born to us. A son will be given to us. He will rule over us. And he will be called Wonderful Adviser and Mighty God. He will also be called Father Who Lives Forever and (The) Prince Who Brings Peace. Isaiah 9:6 NIrV 7 Finding someone who would die for a godly person is rare. Maybe someone would have the courage to die for a good person. 8 Christ died for us while we were still sinners. This demonstrates God's love for us. Romans 5:7-8 GW 6 Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, 8 He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross. Philippians 2:6-8 NLT 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:19 NLT 24 But to us who are personally called by God himself--both Jews and Greeks--Christ is God's ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. 1 Corinthians 1:24 MSG 3 All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in him. Colossians 2:3 NIrV 8 Though I am the least deserving of all God's people, He graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. Ephesians 3:8 NLT 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 1 Corinthians 1:30 TNIV	1 Kings 4:29 He could have asked for money or for fame.            Instead, he asked for wisdom and to rule His people,. such that he would get a name, For fairness; not another wealthy fool. God was very pleased with his request. So He gave him wisdom, power and wealth. A promise that he always would be blessed. And kept in a fitting state of health! Solomon the king was soon well-known, For justice and for always being fair. God gave wisdom and a peaceful throne. Soon his fame was spread out everywhere. He destroyed it with too many wives; And the gods they served throughout their lives. Isaiah 9:6 Isaiah spoke about the coming King.                       A Child who would be born for everyone. A Son be given to us Who would bring, That which man desires to look upon. A Wonderful Adviser from the Lord; The Mighty God, who lives forevermore. The Prince of Peace, who’d rule without a sword! For He is Whom the Father had in store. To think that mortal man could be this way. I wonder what was in Isaiah’s head. Did he know that Jesus Christ one day, Would fulfil the words which he had said? But two Peter one verse twenty-one Shows how Holy men were moved along. Philippians 2:6-8 Jesus didn’t think equality                                        With God, was that on which He had to cling. He gave up His pure Divinity, So that, to the people, He could bring,  Full salvation. As a humble slave, He appeared when taking human form. You would think that He would rather crave, Living with His Father.  That’s His norm. But, in His obedience to God, He would come and die upon the tree. We may look at this as something odd; But He did it for humanity. No one else could pay the cost of sin. Give His life so we may be with Him. Jim Strickland – Written 21st August 2012