GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU

Time with Jesus - Friday, 07 September 2012

Hi all,

Today’s meditation is on God’s plan for our lives and the associated implications. Eugene Petersen in the Message writes: ²⁴ "Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. John 12:24 MSG There’s His plan for you and me compressed into one sentence by Jesus. Don’t knock it till you’ve read it!

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Friday, 07 September 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 PLAN FOR YOU
Attend just about any evangelistic church meeting. No doubt somewhere in the sermon, the preacher will tell you, “God has a wonderful plan for your life”. It’s not my plan to gainsay it. God does have a plan for your life and my life. That plan, in brief, is your total annihilation so that Christ may dwell by faith in your heart. “What’s so good about that?” I can almost hear the words coming directly from your lips! In Paul’s letter to the Galatians he puts it as follows: 20 I have been crucified with Christ. I don't live any longer. Christ lives in me. My faith in the Son of God helps me to live my life in my body. He loved me. He gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 NIrV A simple way to express this, is that you are so “in Christ”; so identified with him, that your own aspirations no longer feature. But that’s not quite the end of it. Watch what happens to your desires. David states: 4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 NIV Note that these are no longer your own selfish desires. These are the desires God puts in your heart. Suddenly you are thrilled with an idea from within, which you think is yours. It’s not! It comes from God. Your desires are now His desires These ideas excite you. They stimulate you. There is no greater purpose in life than to follow these ideas to the end point. Jesus is alive within you and you are so thrilled with His objectives, that you would move heaven and earth to get there. No day can ever be long enough for you to pursue this objective. Things improve significantly and you are so thrilled with what you are doing that it more or less consumes you. It’s a fascinating observation, that as Christ becomes greater in you and you become less, you become more abandoned to the plan inside. Suddenly, nothing else really matters. Paul expresses this in his letter to the Colossians. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27 ESV Now we begin to see the bigger picture. It’s not a question of you going through the motions trying your best to become what you never can be. Not at all. It’s Christ within you achieving His purposes in and through you! (My charismatic friends would say at this point, “You have just missed a great opportunity to shout Hallelujah!”) Earthly plans and purposes are for this world. Their success and fulfilment fades. Jesus’ plans in and through you are everlasting! They are greater than you because everything He does is good. How do I know all this is true? I gave my life to Jesus in October 1960. In spite of my many failures, it has become abundantly clear to Phyllida and to me, that what is written above is real. We have experienced it many times. Have we made mistakes? Yes; many of them. Do we have a perfect relationship with Him each and every day? I’d love to say yes but it wouldn’t be true. What we have found is that as we have dumped our own selfish goals and taken hold of His plan for our lives, life has taken on a better and more realistic meaning than we could ever have imagined. We both testify to this. So stop struggling and die!! Then He will raise you up, energise you and bring His/your plan to fruition! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			17 But I am poor and needy. May the Lord be concerned about me. You are the One who helps me and saves me. My God, please don't wait any longer. Psalms 40:17 NIrV 11 I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD. They are plans for peace and not disaster; plans to give you a future filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11 GW 8 "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. Psalms 139:17-18 ESV 5 How great are your works, O LORD, how profound your thoughts! Psalms 92:5 NIV 5 You have done many miraculous things, O LORD my God. You have made many wonderful plans for us. No one compares to you! I will tell others about your miracles, which are more than I can count. Psalms 40:5 GW 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 1 Corinthians 1:26 ESV 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? James 2:5 ESV 10 People think we are sad although we're always glad, that we're beggars although we make many people spiritually rich, that we have nothing although we possess everything. 2 Corinthians 6:10 GW 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, Ephesians 3:8 ESV	How could he be a Christian? He thought that he would be, Sent by God to somewhere he’d rather never see. He had a fixed idea what discipleship would mean. Then when he thought about it said, “Sorry I’m not keen! I might be sent to China or somewhere that is worse. I’d rather stay in England and have money in my purse”. But he had missed the picture. God doesn’t work that way. He’ll only send you somewhere you really want to stay. He’ll use the education and training He provided, To go and take the Gospel to where you have decided. People seldom understand the mystery of God. He isn’t like a giant who will beat you with a rod. He puts desires in you that thrill you through and through. And then you realise it’s what you really want to do! He places these intentions deep down within the heart. And you will never know where your desires and His start! You think, I want to say that my objective and my goal, Is going in the way the Lord has placed into my soul. His plans for you are wonderful. In fact they are the best. He wants you to enjoy your life as though you’re “super-blessed!” It won’t be a disaster; it will be filled with hope. He will not leave you struggling and saying you can’t cope, With everything that’s happening. It doesn’t work that way. The plans that He has made for you get better every day! That’s how He thinks about you. His plans for you are vast. You’ll feel you truly want to nail His colours to your mast. You won’t be disappointed. Just the reverse is true. There won’t be hours in the day for all you want to do! Absolute fulfilment is what the Lord desires. Inspired and directed by your spirit’s inner fires. His riches are unsearchable! In fact they’ll “blow your mind”. Nothing can be better than what you’re sure to find. Talk of satisfaction? That’s surely guaranteed. Give your heart and life to Him and go where He will lead. Yes, there will be problems. Yes it will be tough. But you have His assurance He’s far more than enough. You’ll be an overcomer if you stick it to the end. You’ll find experientially, on Him you can depend. You may not be a millionaire with money in the bank. When you reflect upon this, It’s Him you’ll want to thank, For giving you a lifetime of purposeful success; That when you’re looking back on it, you’ll know that you’ve been blessed. How can I make this statement? On whose authority? Well here is my confession. He did all this for me! Jim Strickland – Written 7th September 2012

EDOM’S END

Time with Jesus - Thursday, 06 September 2012

Hi all,

Edom and Esau go together. Esau is usually regarded as the father of Edom. The book of the prophet Obadiah spells out God’s judgement on Edom. Today’s meditation traces some of the Edom/Israel conflict and highlights one of the reasons why Edom was subsequently destroyed. It’s a sad portion of history with its roots in the Esau/Jacob and Isaac/Rebecca saga.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Thursday, 06 September 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	EDOM’S END
Schooldays. They are now distant memories. One thing that’s worth mentioning this morning is Brother Florian. He was our skinny science teacher whom we called “Bones” because, as I’ve heard said, “there’s more fat on a greasy chip”. One of the science instruments he used was a finely balanced scale to “weigh” small things. It was kept in a small glass covered box to exclude drafts. Things would be placed in the one pan and a variety of precise weights were placed in the other to establish the exact “weight” of the object. This “balance scale” reminds me that God is the only One who has the right to put our lives in the balance and establish our “value”. A similar exercise is referred to by Henry W Longfellow in a short couple of lines, the first of which I’ve included in today’s meditation. THOUGH the mills of God grind slowly, Yet they grind exceeding small / Though with patience he stands waiting, With exactness grinds he all. I’ve been told that it was originally a Chinese proverb but can’t confirm this. The Scripture we focus on this morning is the one from Isaiah 21. This prophetic word refers to the judgement God would bring on Edom in the Mt Seir region. Edom consisted primarily of Esau’s descendants. The descendants of Israel (Jacob) were their distantly related twin brothers, Esau and Jacob. These two were not really on good terms. Esau had given Jacob his birth-right; that of the first born son. Jacob had tricked Isaac into giving him the blessing of the first born son. This difficult relationship had developed over some 1000 years into outright antagonism. Edom “automatically” sided with Israel’s enemies. So when the Babylonians invaded Judah and destroyed Jerusalem, Edom was there to celebrate. The atrocities committed by the Babylonians and probably also by the Edomites on Judah and Jerusalem is recorded for us in the Psalms in vivid detail. 7 O LORD, remember what the Edomites did on the day the armies of Babylon captured Jerusalem. "Destroy it!" they yelled. "Level it to the ground!" 8 O Babylon, you will be destroyed. Happy is the one who pays you back for what you have done to us. 9 Happy is the one who takes your babies and smashes them against the rocks! Psalm 137:7-9 NLT The context of this lament took place in Babylon and is expressed in the first verse of the Psalm. 1 Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept as we thought of Jerusalem. Psalm 137:1 NLT (Remember Bony M’s song?) God was fully aware of what had happened. Furthermore He knew all about the Esau/Jacob squabble. It was right that Jacob’s descendants be brought to book for what had happened all those years ago. But laughing and rejoicing as the Babylonians took them captive and led them away was further than God intended. As for the slaughter of the innocent babies. This was taking the old Esau/Jacob dispute to extreme lengths; further than should have gone. The prophet Isaiah foresaw God’s judgement on Edom years before it would actually happen. His words are to some extent a lament, asking Him when His judgement would fall on Edom. Today, the Edomites are dead and gone. All that’s left is the “town” of Petra, a favourite visiting place for tourists in Jordan. Some think Herod the Great descended from the Edomites. Perhaps this is why he hated Jesus? Jim & Phyllida Strickland			11 A Message concerning Edom: A voice calls to me from the Seir mountains in Edom, "Night watchman! How long till daybreak? How long will this night last?" Isaiah 21:11 MSG 11 You know the times in which we are living. It's time for you to wake up. Our salvation is nearer now than when we first became believers. 12 The night is almost over, and the day is near. So we should get rid of the things that belong to the dark and take up the weapons that belong to the light. Romans 13:11-12 GW 32 "Learn a lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all those things happening, you know that the end is near. It is right at the door. 34 What I'm about to tell you is true. The people living at that time will certainly not pass away until all those things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words will never pass away. Matthew 24:32-35 NIrV 5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. Psalms 130:5-6 ESV 20 He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon!" Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! Revelation 22:20 NLT 13 "So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of My return. Matthew 25:13 NLT	Isaac and Rebecca had two sons who were twins. They were in a conflict; in which nobody “wins”! The elder brother Esau was whom Isaac preferred. Jacob was a schemer. Today we’d say, “a nerd”. The blessing and the birth-right, to Esau should have gone. By scheming and deception, Jacob was the one, Who got his father’s blessing. Then Jacob ran away, To be with uncle Laban, whom he worked for without pay! First he married Leah, then took Rachel as a wife. This is where the problems began for him in life. Twelve sons and a daughter, by wives and concubines. Twelve sons who became the tribes of Israel’s blood lines. Finally the time had come to go back home again. But what about the brother? He’d caused him so much pain. How would he receive him? It had him worried sick. He thought that in his homeland, his brother then would pick, A fight that would destroy him and all his family. And squash him like a little bug that has no right to be. But Esau wasn’t interested. He was a wealthy man. And in the end decided that he would make a plan. This ended at Mount Seir; Edom was the name, By which all his descendants acquired there ugly fame. Israel and Edom were not the best of friends. The Esau / Jacob quarrel did never really end. Every opportunity the Edomites could find, Were used to stir up trouble and be terribly unkind. For something like a thousand years this trouble came and went. They sided with their enemy and lots of time was spent, Trying to get even for what happened long ago. When Nebuchadnezzar came, they sided with the foe. They laughed and sneered at Israel ; they grabbed the babies feet, And smashed their heads against the rocks. Revenge for them was sweet. But God was an observer of what had taken place. And said He would wipe Edom, completely off the face Of earth. They would be massacred and vanish like a mist! And that is just what happened. They no longer exist. The mills of God grind slowly but they grind very fine. And Edom had offended the One Who is Divine. It’s not a happy story. In fact it makes me weep. Leave all vengeance to the Lord. His judgements are so deep. And He will bring in righteousness. Don’t think it is delayed. The day in history will come when all the debts are paid! Jim Strickland – Written 6th September 2012

PRICELESS LIVING WATER

Time with Jesus - Wednesday, 05 September 2012

Hi all,

Today’s meditation is in 5 poems. The first three are different. The final two are in the same style. It’s an attempt to give variety within the poetry section. It seems to have been acceptable.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Wednesday, 05 September 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	PRICELESS LIVING WATER
Dad used to say “A change is as good as a holiday”. So here’s a change for me. Four different writing styles. Hopefully you will find the content helpful and perhaps I can have a holiday? The Jimmet originated from Jeremiah’s comments by the Lord concerning the things His people had done. In Jeremiah 2, The Lord was speaking to the prophet about His people. He was commenting on the fact that His people had abandoned Him and pursued other gods which were not gods at all. They were images the people had dreamed up. It seems that this portion of Scripture came from the period before the Babylonians invaded Judah and Jerusalem and carried off His people to Babylon. Actually, the Babylonians attacked on three separate occasions with ±10 years between each invasion. The first time was in ±606BC. Jeremiah’s ministry began in ±627BC. It follows that these words recorded by Jeremiah must have been in ±620BC. The Jimmet focuses on the words of God through Jeremiah. It is a brief summary of those times and reflects something of God’s attitude to the people’s unfaithfulness in “chasing after” foreign gods and idols. This is followed by an interpolation of Psalm 37 7-9. This, my “standard” poetry style, contrasts with the Jimmet and focuses on the goodness of God. Our total dependence on and need for God includes references to Paul’s words to the Athenians in Acts. 28 For in Him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, 'We are His offspring.' Acts 17:28 NLT In this portion of our meditation I’ve tried to show our utter dependence on Him. Jesus’ words to the woman at the well are referred to in the next few lines of verse. The astonishing dialog between Jesus and this woman! In those days, Jews didn’t speak to Samaritans. For a Jewish Rabbi to speak to a Samaritan woman of questionable morals at that time was unthinkable. But this was the Lord Jesus. This dialog in John 4 must have done more to elevate the status of women in those days and subsequently, than we will ever appreciate in the 21st century. Jesus showed the men the way in this regard. In His own unique way Jesus led the way to the liberation of women that few people realise. The final two poems are in a very simple four/four style. The first refers to words written by Isaiah. They are God’s invitation to the thirsty to come and drink from His abundant supply. Notice that no cost would be involved. It sounds like an evangelical 21st century appeal! The final short verse is taken from the end of the book of Revelation. It seems to reflect the words of Isaiah  Jim & Phyllida Strickland			13 "For My people have done two evil things: They have abandoned Me--the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all! Jeremiah 2:13 NLT 7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. Psalms 36:7-9 TNIV 13 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame; Isaiah 65:13 ESV 14 But those who drink the water that I will give them will never become thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give them will become in them a spring that gushes up to eternal life." John 4:14 GW 39 (He said this in regard to the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were about to receive. The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.) John 7:39 MSG 1 "Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink--even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk--it's all free! Isaiah 55:1 NLT 17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." Let anyone who hears this say, "Come." Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life. Revelation 22:17 NLT	My people have just done two evil things. The first is that they have abandoned Me. The only One who living water brings; Dug their cisterns which are water free! Cracked and empty, they’re dry as bones. Not a trace of moisture anywhere! Why is it they leave their God alone, When I Am the only One who cares? Sadly this is how it’s always been, Searching for a god when there is none. Images to look at and be seen. But the fact is, I’m the only One! They prefer the idols of their mind. And reject the One who’s good and kind. How priceless Your unfailing love. O Lord in Thee we hide. In the shadow of Your wings is where we all abide. Feast on the abundance, which only You supply. From delightful rivers, we drink and are not dry. Lord You have provided this. You are the source of light. The fount of living water You give us day and night. Without You there is nothing. Not one of us could be. You are our existence. We live and move in Thee. You feed us when we’re hungry. Warm us when we’re cold. Give us all we’ll ever need. Our silver and our gold, Is what You provided back when You shaped the land. So that we could find it as from Your mighty hand. Water from a reservoir a man must drink to live;           In order that his thirst, he can contain; Whoso drinks the water that I, alone, can give,           He will never ever thirst again! That which I provide is like a flowing, bubbling spring,           Gushing up and flowing from inside. Streams of Living Water will flow from deep within,           And everlasting life will thus          abide!" It won’t cost you anything.                       Not the water which I bring.                    Wine and Milk I give for free,                   If you’ll come and follow Me!                    The Spirit and the Bride say come. To your thirst, do not succumb. Anyone who’s parched and dry. Anyone who’s parched and dry.
				Jim Strickland – Written 5th September 2012