FUTURE PERFECT

Time with Jesus - Saturday, 15 September 2012

Hi all,

The Lord has made it very clear that His people must not get into trying to foretell the future. ¹⁰ For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, Deut. 18:10 NLT Today’s meditation looks at this in a bit more detail.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Saturday, 15 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	FUTURE PERFECT
They say that hindsight is always 20/20 vision. I’ve no fight with that. You can always be sure today about what you did a couple of weeks ago. The challenge is knowing today what is right for next week! Stories of what this is like abound. People dream of being able to cash in by backing a horse that we know in advance is going to win. If I knew today which horse was going to win the 2013 Durban July, it would be worth a fortune. That’s why most people want to know what’s going to happen tomorrow. People are greedy for money! We don’t know. God knows, but He isn’t telling! Omniscience is an “attribute” of God. He knows everything. There is nothing concealed that He doesn’t know. He has known the date of my birth and the date of my death since before He laid the foundation of the Earth. I know the date of my birth. I’m not sure I’d like to know the date of my death. We celebrate birthdays. Would we celebrate our death day? It’s a bit macabre isn’t it? Even if the date is fifty years in the future. Would any of us enjoy ticking off the years, months, days and hours? How would you like to send out an invitation card to attend your own funeral? No thanks. What about exam results? Could there be examinations? If you know the questions beforehand, it couldn’t be an examination! God has to “live” with this every day. He could tell me the name of my great, great, grandson if He chooses. He doesn’t. He knows how impossible it would make life for us. Can you imagine what it would be like during the middle ages if people knew all about the Wright brothers and Boeing 747’s? The concept scares me! Nevertheless men and women are incurably curious; the fact that it would take all the fun out of life, doesn’t seem to matter. Most of us struggle with knowing the correct thing to do today; so that we won’t foul up tomorrow! Our poetic section describes one way men and women determine what they are about to do; flip a coin! It has one thing in its favour. You have a 50% chance of being right. A pessimist would say there’s a 50% chance of being wrong! There is a better way to “handle” tomorrow. Ask the only One Who can tell you. Ask the Lord Jesus. He is able to tell you. But if we ask Him, do we believe what He says? We probably would if we knew it was Him answering. We don’t know, because we seldom ask Him about anything else. So in the final analysis, the only way to be sure of tomorrow is by being confident that we are hearing His voice! Are we sure? One or two of us can answer “Yes”. They can answer this way because they are constantly in fellowship with Him. They know what His voice sounds like, by deciding to be one of His sheep. They hear His voice because they are constantly listening. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27 ESV It takes time to hear and recognise the voice of the shepherd. It doesn’t happen overnight. We have to learn to filter out the other sounds which demand our attention. With patience and practice we can all get to the place where we know His voice. In the process, we will make mistakes. But that’s OK. Perseverance will be rewarded. In the end you will be able to dialog with Him much as you do with other people. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			6 But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord; 8 a double minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:6-8 ASV 62 Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." Luke 9:62 ESV 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 NLT 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24 ESV 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed and carried about by all kinds of teachings that change like the wind. We will no longer be influenced by people who use cunning and clever strategies to lead us astray. 15 Instead, as we lovingly speak the truth, we will grow up completely in our relationship to Christ, who is the head. Ephesians 4:14-15 GW 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. John 15:4 ESV 58 With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don't hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort. 1 Corinthians 15:58 MSG	Standing at a crossroad he wondered where to go. “I see there’s two directions. Which one, I do not know? The left one or the right one? But which one is correct? Father, is there any way, by which I can detect, The way I should be going? And which way I should choose? I can’t afford an error; that way I’m sure to lose, The object of my calling. I know that I could wait. But Father, it is getting dark and it is rather late”. But nothing seemed to happen. He took a look around; Perhaps the right direction to take would thus be found. But not a thing had altered, It all looked just the same; And he was getting tired of this little waiting game. He reached into his pocket. He’d had a” good idea”. A little game of heads or tails will draw the answer near. Then with his supple fingers, he flipped into the air, The coin he thought would show him the way of getting there. “Head’s I’ll take the left hand. Tails I’ll take the right”. The coin lay there face upward and “tails” was in his sight. But that was far too easy. “I’ll choose the best of three. That way I am quite certain it isn’t “picked” by me”. He put it into practice. Two heads and just one tail. “I have to take the right hand path or I am sure to fail. I hope the Father influenced the way that the coin fell, One route goes to heaven. The other goes to hell” But still he vacillated. “Perhaps I’ve got it wrong”. He couldn’t make his mind up. It wasn’t very long, Before he had decided that he would pitch his tent. For he was undecided which way he had been sent. Meanwhile the Holy Spirit was watching him perform. The man was double minded. Such actions were his norm. He thought that He should show him. But would he hesitate. Perhaps tomorrow morning he would select his fate. But Jesus wouldn’t tell him the way he ought to go. The man was “double minded” and Jesus wouldn’t show The route he should be following. He first, must make a choice, Before he’d know for certain and heed the Master’s voice. The moral of this story is something unconcealed. You make the decision, before the way’s revealed, That what you have been doing, is either wrong or right; And Jesus Christ has plenty time to sit and wait all night. It’s you who’s in a hurry. It’s you who must decide, To trust the Lord Almighty and let Him be your guide. Jim Strickland – Written 15th September 2012

FAITH FOR FELLOWSHIP

Time with Jesus - Friday, 14 September 2012

Hi all,

Fellowship and Faith: Do they go together? Well, without faith there can be no fellowship and without fellowship, there can be no faith. Today’s meditation looks at this.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Friday, 14 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	FAITH FOR FELLOWSHIP
“Friendship with Jesus, fellowship divine, Oh what wonderful communion. Jesus is a friend of mine”. Do you remember singing this song or one of its slight variations? A good friend told me that the tune was that of an old “Negro Spiritual”. We shouldn’t be surprised. For many years, “Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs” have been put to the tunes of the day. I’m told that the Wesley brothers used the tunes of their day and composed wonderful hymns of praise and worship to God. The people sang them with great gusto. It’s not quite so easy today. We find that the words and tunes are copy-right protected. I’ve sometimes wondered what the words were before the Wesley brothers “saved” the tunes for God’s glory! It does happen. I understand that Cliff Richards had a small problem along these lines. He took the song “I Did It My Way” and wrote the words, “I Did It His Way” He was only able to sing it once. He was informed that he had infringed copy-right and that was the end of that. I wish I had heard back then. I like Cliff’s singing anyway. I’ve done the same thing now and then. But I’ve never had an opportunity to sing my version in public. Just as well I suppose. One song I distinctly remember was called “Vincent”. It was the tribute to Vincent Van Gogh and was very popular at the time. The version I composed was a tribute to Jesus Christ. The words are different. The tune is the same. If you put your ear right next to the speaker of your computer, you might hear me sing it for you. Probably not! This whole copy-right thing is a bit of a problem. I know that writers and composers should be entitled to some form of financial return for their effort. What that should be and how it should work is a horse of a different colour. How do you reward someone for what they like doing? We are all confronted with this to one degree or other. Many people love their job of work. They are so devoted to it that they are willing to commit all their time to it. I know this because I’ve met people who have made their passion in life their means of employment. Professional football players and their ilk fall into this category. I suppose great orchestra conductors are similarly devoted. At the other end of the scale we have those who dislike their job with a passion that is hard to understand. Those who are forced to work in sweat shops fall into this category. Being free and with the right to choose your own destiny appears to be very much a by-product of those who love the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s simple to see why. The fact is, no one can be compelled to love. Freedom and love go together as a unique combination. They are a by-product of a relationship with Jesus Christ. This was one of the great tragedies of apartheid. For it to “work” it had to be enforced. It was an unrighteous and illegitimate concept in the first place. There was no room for love in such an environment. There was no way it could continue indefinitely. Ultimately it would implode at the expense of the people it sought to control. That’s what happened. Today it is part of our dark and tragic past. There was a popular song that describes what had happened so well. The words are, “The song has ended, but the melody lingers on”. Our country will only know fellowship and enjoy peace when we are united in Jesus Christ. It could happen! Will it? Jim & Phyllida Strickland			9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:9 ESV 17 Jesus resplendent with light from God the Father as the voice of Majestic Glory spoke: "This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of all my delight." 2 Peter 1:17 MSG 1 How great is the love the Father has given us so freely! Now we can be called children of God. And that's what we really are! The world doesn't know us because it didn't know him. 1 John 3:1 NIrV 1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children Ephesians 5:1 NIV 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Romans 8:17 TNIV 3 This Son perfectly mirrors God, and is stamped with God's nature. He holds everything together by what he says--powerful words! After he finished the sacrifice for sins, the Son took his honoured place high in the heavens right alongside God, Hebrews 1:3 MSG 16 "In the same way, let your light shine in front of others. Then they will see the good things you do. And they will praise your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16 NIrV 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 ESV 13 "I am coming to you now. But I say these things while I am still in the world. I say them so that those you gave me can have all my joy inside them. John 17:13 NIrV 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:5 TNIV	Jesus Christ is faithful. That’s how He’s always been. He’s utterly reliable, regardless where we’ve been. We don’t know why He does it. He’s always been this way; And even if we ask Him, we know what He will say. “Right back at the creation, We knew what was required. A creature that would follow us and do what was desired. We didn’t want a robot. Some strange automaton, Without a mind to think with, but would just carry on, Doing what we told it. We’d make them by the score. Not one of them can love you. That is their fatal flaw. The purpose was to fellowship with people who were free. To choose that which they wanted and turn away from Me. We wanted men and women, whom We would not control. A people who would love Us with all their heart and soul. We knew that it was dangerous. The whole lot could rebel, And choose their independence; But would they love as well? It could have taken ages. But not for Deity. We knew the best solution, instantaneously! And that’s when We decided that We could then proceed. And so We put in motion that first creative deed. The rest of it is history. It isn’t a mere tale. We know how it will all work out in minuscule detail. Realise We love you; you’re children of the Lord. Please do not be frightened; do not be overawed. Our love is given freely There isn’t any charge. We’ve made it all available to all the world at large. Many folk don’t know us. It really is a shame; They can find salvation by calling on My Name! Be an imitator and copy My lifestyle. That’s the way that You should go to make Our Father smile. None of you are servants. You are joint heirs with Me. Moulded in My image, from sin and death set free! No! You cannot feel it. Believe it is a fact. You will only know it when you begin to act, And live within the compass of that which I have said; Following My Spirit, the way that He has led. Put aside timidity. Let your light be seen; Other folk will see you, and know where you have been. Then they’ll praise My Father for all that He has done; And want to be a follower of Me, His Holy Son. Soon I will be with you. Shortly I’ll return; Bringing the reward for faith that nobody can earn! Freely I have given. Freely do the same. And you’ll know the fellowship of those who love My Name. Jim Strickland – Written 14th September 2012

THE SALT OF THE EARTH

Time with Jesus - Thursday, 13 September 2012

Hi all,

Reading God’s Word introduces us to ideas we had never thought of before. Jesus was a master story teller. Many of the things He talked about were taken from natural world around Him. ±2000 years later, we miss many of the things He was saying because we are not familiar with that culture. Our meditation today looks at salt and seeks to widen our understanding of His comments on this topic.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Thursday, 13 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	THE SALT OF THE EARTH
If I asked you what you thought was the biggest problem which most Christians have to face today, I rather suspect that most people would say “Embarrassment”. It’s a sort of off-shoot of the fear of man. One of the best examples I can think of is what happens in the local restaurant when the staff gathers round you and sings, “Happy birthday to you!” Most of us blush. We don’t like this sort of attention. There are times I’d like to crawl under the table and hide rather than face the knowing stares of others. Like a tortoise I’d like to pull my head and feet into the shell and play dead! At the same time we revel in it when we send the staff to sing “Happy Birthday” to others. I rather think many of us are like this. I’ve tried to avoid it by keeping my birthday and anniversary dates under lock and key. I could always find a good reason for not telling enquirers the “incriminating evidence”. As the years go by it becomes increasingly difficult keeping this a secret. I’ve often wondered how a person can stand at a pulpit and deliver an inspiring sermon in front of dozens of people, without a second thought. But when your birthday is in the church notices for the purpose of asking people to phone you, the day becomes something of a nightmare. The phone rings. You’d like to ignore the incessant ringing. But in the end you pick up the receiver sheepishly knowing what’s going to happen. There is a cheery voice gushing over with the news that you are a year older. At times I’d rather forget! Sadly, embarrassment carries over into everyday life. We would like to testify to the goodness of God and our commitment to Jesus. But we are too embarrassed to do it. It’s stupid, but many of us are like this. We all want to be different. But we also want to be well liked and well thought of by others. We know we have become a “Jesus Freak”. But nobody likes a freak! So we sort of gulp and say nothing. The same attitude is reflected in what we wear. The idea of wearing a brightly coloured tee-shirt with the words, “Jesus love you” is somehow worse than singing an aria from Carmen! The good news is that Jesus knows and understands. The bad news is that He wants us to grow up and get over it! He expects our light to shine brightly and not be hidden under a pot. In simple terms He expects us to influence society in much the same way as salt changes the “society” into which it is placed. If the salt in you and me is not changing our society in some way, our salt is tasteless and useless. Notices how He describes its final end. “Thrown out and trodden underfoot by men”. There are two ways to look at this. One is to see the salt as not serving a useful purpose. There is another and, in my opinion, a worse outcome. The “useless salt” gets thrown onto the pathway of life and is walked on by the people of this world. Oh it does serve a purpose. The feet of men trample on it and it becomes more useless than it was. People do not know what its purpose was. How can they? It’s hidden under their feet. Things will not change until you and I “rise up” from beneath their feet and allow our saltiness to be seen. There really is no choice. Somehow we must ask Him to give us the strength to provide the flavour of Jesus to change the world. He will not use compulsion. But if we do nothing, that pathway could be a grave from which nothing will ever escape. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			13 "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavour? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. Matthew 5:13 NLT 4 You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. 1 Peter 3:4 NLT 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 1 Peter 1:23 TNIV 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, John 11:25 ESV 36 And they will never die again. In this respect they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection. Luke 20:36 NLT 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Romans 1:23 NASB 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:9-11 ESV 42 It will be like that with bodies that are raised from the dead. The body that is planted does not last forever. The body that is raised from the dead lasts forever. 1 Corinthians 15:42 NIrV 50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." Mark 9:50 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. Ephesians 4:29 NLT	Salt is a preservative, it also disinfects. It also is a flavouring a master chef respects. When it isn’t present, your food you cannot taste. This means, that on occasions, the food will go to waste. But there are other purposes. In fact there’s many more. Which one was Jesus meaning? I think we should explore, What many people used it for, way back in Jesus’ days. To help us come to grips with what we find the Bible says. One of the surprises was to fertilize a field. When mixed with other minerals, it caused the ground to yield, A larger crop of vegetables than any they had known. So for the local farmer, a bigger crop than sown! Its antiseptic uses, the midwives knew quite well. They “washed” a new-born infant with salt. The child would yell And tell the anxious fathers the child was doing fine. But in the drier areas, they used camel urine! They couldn’t waste their water; they needed it to drink. So salt mixed with the urine. Worked just as well – I think! They also had a ritual; a Covenant of Salt; Was often celebrated for family feuds to halt. This covenant was permanent. It wasn’t put aside. It was a lasting guarantee, like husband to his bride. It never could be broken. The only way was death. And people swore to keep it, until their final breath. We cannot live without it. I had a long-time friend; A very helpful fellow on whom you could depend. He had a “pet aversion” to that which he could taste. A very “fussy eater” whose actions were misplaced. He couldn’t stand salt’s flavour. He’d push his plate away, If he could even smell it. This happened till the day, They thought that he was terminal; they all wanted to know, The reason why this person’s health had reached an all-time low. They did a special test on him, to find the reason why, And found his low salt content was causing him to die! They put him on “salt tablets” and in a day or two, He was restored to normal; the man whom they all knew. Now Jesus is omniscient. He knows about these things. He knows what lack of saltiness, to many people brings. And that’s what He was saying when speaking on that day. He meant if you’re not salty, you will be thrown away. If salt has lost its usefulness, it isn’t any good. Where can you dispose of it? You’d use it if you could. But it will not cause damage if its throw upon the road. If people walk upon it, it helps to spread the load, So folk will not fall over and sink into the ground. There is no better purpose than ever to be found. So keep on being salty, that other men may know, That Jesus is the only way a person ought to go. Jim Strickland – Written 13th September 2012