Time with Jesus - Saturday, 22 September 2012
Hi all,
We all know that we are certain to achieve victory if
we keep on going until the very end. One question? How do we do this? We are
told that if we love the Lord we will keep His commandments. The obvious corollary
is that if we don’t love God, we won’t keep His commandment. These are not
merely a couple of recommendations from God. “You will do well if you do
this!" Husbands and wives are given separate commands regarding their interpersonal
relationships. You don’t have to like them. You have to keep them. Life will be
better for the whole family if you do!
Blessings
Jim
& Phyllida Strickland
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Saturday, 22 September 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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YOUR
HEART’S DELIGHT
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Most men have a “soft spot” for women. That’s
exactly what God planned. In Genesis it was as true then as it is today. 18
GOD said, "It's
not good for the man to be alone; I'll
make him a helper, a companion." Gen
2:18 MSG
The first thing that springs to mind is what was
meant by God saying it was not good for man to be alone. God had just stated
that everything was very good. (Gen 1:31) By implication, even in the
perfection of God’s entire creation, which was very good, something was not
quite right. God saw Adam had no-one like himself to love. This is very
important. To obey God and love someone else, there must be someone else! Every
creature except Adam had a mate. They couldn’t multiply and fill the earth
without a mate.
Now this didn’t particularly bother Adam. He was
“totally absorbed” in tending the garden. Today, generally speaking, most men
are totally absorbed by their work. They would do it 24/7 if it was
physically possible. It occurs to me that Adam was so focussed on his job
that he didn’t know there was a problem. Don’t be surprised. In a perfect environment
with no “female” distractions he’d still be there today. Why not? He didn’t
even know he had a problem! Sure, he had a very gregarious nature. But being
on first name terms with the animals - he did name them all - he must have
thought he was in paradise!
There was a minor problem. God had told all the
“animals” to 28 “Be fruitful and
increase in number; fill the earth and
subdue it”. Gen 1:28 It must have
puzzled Adam. They could, but he couldn’t! God knew all about this and had created
Adam with this in mind. Adam needed a creature like himself. He didn’t need a
boss or a servant. He needed an equal to help him. They would have had
different roles in the order of things. But there would be no “battle of the
sexes”. There would be perfect harmony between them. Their love relationship
would have been impeccable. They would both have been seeking ways to enrich
each other’s lives. Children would do that. Each “child” would have been
perfect and equal in every respect other than gender. So what! There would be
no shame or embarrassment. Not one of them would have even been aware of
their own nakedness. Today we are familiar with the differences between the male
and female anatomy. But in that perfect environment, would these differences
have been so obvious? The question is academic. One thing we can say for
certain is that Adam and Eve were pleased with each other. What did they look
like? We don’t know. We know that Adam was delighted.
In our fallen world with fallen faculties and minds,
when we read of them being brought together, we tend to think of gender
differences and sexual pleasure. But did they think and feel like that? It’s
difficult to imagine anything else. But we should. Today, the highest form of
pleasure is glandular. This is fact, not fantasy. The guys chase the girls. The
girls enjoy being chased. According to some, every aspect of human life is
governed by sexual attraction.
How can this be changed? Only by a decision to
follow Jesus Christ and the New Testament pattern for family life. Husbands love
your wives as Jesus loves the church and laid down His life for her. It is
done by a decision he makes. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands.
This is done by a decision she makes. When we follow this model, fulfilment
becomes the norm.
Jim &
Phyllida Strickland
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39 He went on a little farther and bowed with His face to the ground,
praying, "My Father! If it is possible, let
this cup of suffering be taken away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done,
not Mine."
Matthew 26:39 NLT
27 "Now is my soul troubled. And what
shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have
come to this hour.
John 12:27 ESV
38 I came down from heaven not to follow my
own whim but to accomplish the will of the One who sent me.
John 6:38 MSG
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point
of death, even death on a cross.
Philippians
2:8 ESV
7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered
up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able
to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8
Although he was a son, he learned obedience
through what he suffered.
Hebrews 5:7-8 ESV
53 Don't you realize that I am able right
now to call to my Father, and twelve companies--more, if I want them--of
fighting angels would be here, battle-ready?
Matthew 26:53 MSG
46 He told them, "This is what is written.
The Christ will suffer. He will rise from the dead on the third day. 47
His followers will preach in his name. They will
tell others to turn away from their sins and be forgiven. People from every
nation will hear it, beginning at Jerusalem.
Luke 24:46-47 NIrV
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Submission is the strangest word, most
women do not like.
Not enough for them to think
that they should go on strike.
I must admit the attitude is sometimes
hard to bear,
Particularly thinking, that the
men don’t seem to care!
There’s much misunderstanding about
what the Lord intends.
There is no subjugation He
imposes on His friends.
Yet that is what most people think
submission really means.
And ladies are subservient because
of female genes!
But women aren’t inferior at all, in
any way.
A wife is not a slave, a
husband doesn’t have to pay.
But there is still an attitude that
men can have it all.
And women must bow down to
every word the men-folk call.
That isn’t in the Bible. It really
isn’t true.
A woman is permitted to do all
that men can do.
The model is the Master and all that
Jesus did.
He made it clear He’d only do
that which His father bid.
He wasn’t “second fiddle” to Someone
way up high.
Whatever He was told to do, not
once did He reply,
I do not have to do this. I’m not some
kind of fool,
Who walks round in obedience to
any petty rule!
I’m following My Father for it’s the
finest way,
For Me to get the very best on
each and every day.
I know that we are “equal” for I am
God as well.
But I am in submission to all
that He may tell.
A wife is just like Jesus in the way
that she relates.
She has complete authority to
govern her own fate.
But of her own volition she chooses to
submit,
And it’s so liberating, she
never wants to quit.
Her husband doesn’t rule her. That
never was God’s plan.
But there’s Divine relationship
between her and her man.
He was “hoop-ak-o-ay” is the word we find in Greek,
Harkening attentively;
obediently meek;
Comes from Strong’s Concordance, where
it very clear. (Heb. 5:8)
He was in submission to His
Father ever near.
Look at where it took Him. To death
upon a cross.
He didn’t want to do it, but
Father was the boss.
In spite of all His suffering, He held
on to the end.
And gave us an example on which
we can depend.
So do not be discouraged. You ladies
have it best,
If you’re loved as Jesus was by
Father, you are blessed.
You don’t have to worry if your
husband’s wrong or right.
He’ll know what you need and
give to you your heart’s delight.
Jim Strickland
Written 22nd September 2012 |
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