GOD WILL NEVER FAIL

Time with Jesus - Thursday, 08 November 2012

Hi all,

John Starnes has been singing with Jimmy Swaggart for many years. He has an excellent voice with a considerable range on the octave scale. One of our favourites is called, “The God Who Cannot Fail”. The words are true. God cannot fail unless He chooses to do so. Then, it’s not failure but a deliberate choosing not to win! Today’s meditation looks at our undefeatable God!

Blessings,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Thursday, 08 November 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 WILL NEVER FAIL
At school, I loved playing cricket. Those were the days when Johnny Waite was the Springbok wicket-keeper. I tried to keep wicket back then but was not successful. Others were far more talented than I, so a place in the second team was about the best I could manage. But it was fun. As a batsman, I was indifferent. On the odd occasion I managed to score a few runs, but my average was somewhere between 1 and 10! One year the school team was sent to Pietermaritzburg for a contest between all the South African Marist Brothers Schools. I went as a substitute, if required. So I spent most of the time watching the games. The following year I had the misfortune of playing for the School against a touring Marist Brothers School. On that occasion the visitors had a fast bowler, the likes of which we had never seen. He was lightning fast and extremely accurate. He took wicket after wicket in spite of our best endeavours. Our team was all out for 15 runs. Would you believe that on that occasion I was top scorer? I went in to bat against this whirlwind. I sort of stuck my bat out in the general direction of where I thought the ball was. Somehow or other, the ball nicked off the top of my bat, flew over the top of the fingers of the slip fielders and went for four runs. I was bowled out next ball. So much for my cricketing career. In this fast bowler, the team was faced with an impossible situation. I would have loved to have the Lord on our side. I’m not sure what would have happened to our opponents. My guess is that we would have won. Provided He intervened. There is a poignant story in this regard dating back to Amajuba in the Anglo/Boer war. It concerns a devout young Boer looking down over the battlefield. The fighting had not yet started. He prayed saying, “Lord, looking at the enemy, I know that there are genuine Christians among them. I also know there are many unbelievers. They all look the same to me Lord. I can’t pray for us to win or lose. But there is one thing I can ask. Lord, please stay out of the fight.” Today, Christians all over the world are in a difficult position. We are confronted by the greatest army of unbelievers that this world has ever seen. Mainly it is an army of spiritual Philistines. We are vastly outnumbered and the Goliaths confronting us are pitiless and cruel. In many ways, we have become intimidated by our enemy. Without the Lord we will lose and be taken into a 21st century Babylonian captivity. The “odds” against us make our case hopeless. All we have on our side is God! But He is more than enough. Furthermore, as in the days of Gideon, the Lord delights in taking on an army vastly superior to anything we have. One with God is a majority! So let us take hands and face up to the fastest bowler ever known. With Jesus, we are unbeatable. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			27 The men of Israel were also brought together. They were given supplies. They marched out to fight against their enemies. Israel's army camped across from Aram's army. The men of Israel looked like two small flocks of goats that had become separated from the others. But the men of Aram covered the countryside. 1 Kings 20:27 NIrV 28 The man of God came up to the king of Israel again. He told him, "The LORD says, 'The men of Aram think I am a god of the hills. They do not think I am a god of the valleys. So I will hand their huge army over to you. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'" 29 For seven days the two armies camped across from each other. On the seventh day the battle began. The men of Israel wounded or killed 100,000 Aramean soldiers on foot. That happened in a single day. 1 Kings 20:28-29 NIrV 4 My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world. 1 John 4:4 MSG 10 Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with My victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10 NLT 19 They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the LORD, to deliver you." Jeremiah 1:19 ESV	Don’t rebel against the Lord. It’s utterly futile. He cannot be defeated. If you resort to guile, You’ll find He knows about it. He knew it long before, You ever thought of doing it! Perhaps if you implore, And ask Him for forgiveness, perchance He will decide, To come to your assistance and with you to abide. The Lord our God is awesome, invincible and strong. An Undefeated Hero; a Righter of all wrong. It really doesn’t matter whose side He wants to pick. The others will be slaughtered, post-haste and double quick. Think of Israel’s history. You’ll see just what I mean. Regardless of the army, if He would intervene, The outcome was a victory regardless of the odds! Even with a multitude of all their foreign gods. We can see this clearly in the Aramean war.                           (1 Kings 27-29) The Israelites, outnumbered by some 10,000 score.                (200,000) When the dust was settled, 100, 000 men, Lay slaughtered by the Israelites! The Lord was with them then! This occurred consistently back in those distant days. Israel’s obedience influenced God’s ways. Doing what He told them made everything go well. When they disobeyed Him, was always their death knell. Later, unassisted, The Angel of the Lord, Slaughtered the Assyrians with His great and mighty sword. One hundred eight five thousand perished in one night        (Is 37:36) No wonder what was left of them were quickly put to flight. Now that was all “Old Testament”. The one we have is New! We’re told it is a better one; and so the Lord will do, At least as much for Christians as in the days of yore. But frankly, with a God like Him, if we will but adore, And follow in obedience, while keeping clear of sin. There isn’t an alternative and we can only win! The Lord our God is with us. The foe will not prevail. Do not be discouraged. He’s not about to fail! His Spirit is within us; and He is very strong.                           (1 John 4:4) Stronger than the greatest, this world can bring along. He said He’ll deliver! His conquering right hand,                     (Jer. 1:19) Will deal with every enemy, in each and every land. Jim Strickland  Written 8th November 2012

THE JESUS WAY

Time with Jesus - Wed. 07 November 2012

Hi all,

Today we take a sort of jaundiced look at what many of us see all around us in Christianity. If anything, today’s meditation focuses on truthfulness and lies. It’s clear we need to be much more careful about what we say and think. The Lord talks about idle words. We need to repent and change course toward transparency.

Blessings,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Wednesday, 07 November 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 JESUS WAY
A couple of days ago we were looking at the fact that we Christians are not always as honest as we should be. Usually it stems from a desire to be liked by others and to impress them. These motives are very understandable but they also happen to be carnal. These motives raise their ugly head when we are asked to give our testimony. Many of us embroider them a bit for effect. How do I know? I’ve done it myself. It’s something like the fisherman’s story of the fish he caught. It ends up sounding much bigger than it really was. In Christian terms we talk about things being “evang-elastic”. Like the young preacher’s kid who was listening to his father. “Is that true?” he asked, or “were you only preaching?” Much the same thing happens at the great tent meetings. “How many ‘decisions’ for Christ were there?” A number is quoted in good faith. Each night the people who came forward were counted, so the number is accurate. What we don’t really know is how many came up for the second or third time. How do I know? As a new Christian, I did it myself on several occasions. What I was looking for was reassurance. So I kept on “going forward” until the issue was finally settled in my own mind. What about salvation? Mine was decidedly suspect. I was at that meeting because that’s where all the pretty girls were. A very important reason for a single 18 year old male. The reason I went forward on that occasion was because I didn’t want my skin singed in hell. In other words, my intentions were purely selfish. It would be wonderful if we could see men and women coming to Jesus for good Biblical reasons; like being overcome by the extent of their own sinfulness and the extent to which they have offended our Righteous and Holy God. Today, Jesus is presented to the masses as a universal panacea for anything and everything. Whatever fix you are in, He’ll fix it. On occasions it happens instantly and the person is instantly healed. But this is not always the case. I was instantly healed of the need to wear specially built up shoes. Later I was healed of my dependence on nasal sprays. For most of us it has been a question of standing against the devil until the symptoms have gone. The thing I most strongly object to is when people tell others that if you come to Him, everything will be perfect. That’s deception. The Christian life is wonderful. But it means going against public attitudes. It’s not easy to be laughed at and called a Jesus freak. It’s hard to change your value system from that of the world to that of Christ. Humanly speaking, it can’t be done. But when He is in your corner, the fight is not quite as bad as we think. He will and does bring victory – when you have given up trying. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. James 5:10-11 ESV 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5 ESV 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening--it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. Hebrews 12:11 NLT 2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4 NLT 12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12 NLT 9 Each time He said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NLT	“Give your life to Jesus and you will have a ball. No more further problems. The big ones or the small. If you give your life to Him, your problems He will trash. And if you’re short of money, He’ll give you lots of cash. Come and sleep on rose-buds and snooze your life away. Nothing could improve upon the Christian life today” Have they caught you napping? It’s just a pack of lies. A parcel from the devil, packaged to disguise! The facts are just the opposite of what you’ll find is true. This is just the devil’s way of his deceiving you. The only part that’s easy, is at the very start. Jesus will receive you, then He will make you part, Of challenging convention. You’ll go against the grain; You’ll find that all your former friends treat you with disdain. They’ll tell you, “You are crazy!” and “don’t be such a jerk. It’s only phoney, charlatans who ever go to kirk. Come and smoke a little “pot” or chill out on some “crack” If you are a Jesus freak; you’re never coming back! You will not be welcome in all your former haunts.” Listen very carefully, can you hear the taunts, That the world will give you? Each word of it sounds true. So will you stick with Jesus, the way He wants you to? Be very, very careful, think well and then decide. Do you want an easy life that rots you from inside? Then walk away from Jesus. You’re not worth your salt. But when you are committed and Jesus you exalt, You’ll find the pain is worth it. The going will be rough, For Jesus Christ is teaching you, you have more than enough, To stand up to the devil, when you’re on Jesus’ side. So tell the folk around you, it is for them He died. He will be their Saviour and give their life a goal. Walk and talk with Jesus and He will make them whole! It isn’t just a pipe-dream; it’s not imagination. The Lord will give them victory in every situation. Not some little medal to hang upon the wall. But someone Who’ll empower them to stand up straight and tall. A Saviour Who will be with them in all that they go through! The One Who makes life possible in everything they do. Jim Strickland  Written 7th November 2012

WALKING IN THE SPIRIT

Time with Jesus - Tuesday, 06 November 2012

Hi all,

Today we meditate on Walking in the Spirit. ¹⁶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Gal 5:16 ESV Don’t say it’s impossible. If that was the case, why would Paul instruct us to do so? No this is not beyond our ability if we trust the Lord and stop thinking of our own comfort. If you could do this as a teenager with another teenager of the opposite gender and enjoy it, what’s the excuse today?

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Tuesday, 06 November 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	WALKING IN THE SPIRIT
George & Ira Gershwin. A winning combination of popular song writers, many of which (songs) are still well remembered. The one I’d like us to look at was composed in 1937 and popularised by Fred Astaire: The chorus was, Holding hands at midnight, 'Neath a starry sky / Nice work if you can get it, And you can get it if you try / Strolling with the one girl, Sighing sigh after sigh / Nice work if you can get it, And you can get it if you try! Personally, I remember strolling out with the current girl-friend. (Not that I had many) We would hold hands and sigh! It was one of those things we did in the middle of the dark ages. (20th century) It was a sort of adolescent version of walking in the spirit – not the Holy Spirit. However, there is one essential feature required. You can’t do it alone! You can’t very well stroll at any time of the day holding no-body’s hand. Both parties must be willing to stroll together. If you don’t, you look silly! This feature of being willing to walk together is crucial, if we want to Walk in the Spirit. In the first instance you must want to. The reason I didn’t start with the comment that the Holy Spirit wants to, is simple. He always wants to walk with us. The only problem the Holy Spirit has with walking with us is sin in our lives. The fact is, sin and the Holy Spirit is a bit like oil and water. They don’t mix very easily. You may try and get an emulsion of some sort. But He will depart the moment you try. It follows that the real problem is not the Holy Spirit. The problem is you and me. The prophet Amos wrote: 3 Do two people walk hand in hand if they aren't going to the same place? Amos 3:3 MSG It may be a bit obvious, but if you aren’t going with the Holy Spirit, you’re on your own. Walking in the Spirit is the same. There must be at least a basic agreement or the joint venture will flop. The question is whether or not you want to walk with the Holy Spirit. You must actually want it. “But how do I do that?” is the question I’m often asked. Paul gave us a clue in Galatians. 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Gal 5:16 ESV I don’t want to be too simplistic. But let’s take the same Scripture and turn it round. “If I am not gratifying the desires of the flesh I will be walking by the Spirit.” How do I know I’m not gratifying the desires of the flesh? God’s Word shows this very clearly. “But I can’t do that! That’s why Jesus came. To help me to walk in the Spirit!” Absolutely true. But you can easily see if you are walking in the flesh. Anyone who can read will know if they are, or are not. So if you are not gratifying the desires of the flesh you must be walking in the Spirit! So grab hold of Jesus’ hand and go “Holding hands at midnight, 'Neath a starry sky!” Nice work and you can have it! And you can have it if you try! Try it! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			5 Lead me by Your truth and teach me, for You are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in You. Psalms 25:5 NLT 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. John 16:13 ESV 20 The Holy One has anointed you, so all of you have knowledge. 1 John 2:20 GW 20 Look to God's instructions and teachings! People who contradict His word are completely in the dark. Isaiah 8:20 NLT 15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:15-17 NLT 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Psalms 32:8 TNIV 22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, Matthew 6:22 ESV 17 Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether My teaching is from God or is merely My own. John 7:17 NLT 8 A wide road will go through the land. It will be called The Way of Holiness. Only those who are pure and clean can travel on it. Only those who lead a holy life can use it. Evil and foolish people can't walk on it. Isaiah 35:8 NIrV	Walking in the Spirit! How many folk can do, This wonderful instruction hand-made for me and you? You’d think that it was easy. That ought to be the case. But walking with the Master and feeling His embrace, Seems to be too difficult and many Christians quit. They don’t know this attitude renders them unfit, To ever walk with Jesus. For if they do not try, They’ll find the opportunity has simply passed them by. So Father God, please teach us to walk in truth and light, By the Holy Spirit; not leaning on our sight. We know You can do it. But if it’s left to me, I’ll walk into obstacles and bump into a tree! O Lord, we need Your guidance. Without it, we will miss, The truth which you are teaching; and end in the abyss. Speak with Your authority, that each of us can hear, What You are declaring; in true and Godly fear. We have Your anointing, so we should have the skill, To comprehend the knowledge with which we have been filled. This we know for certain. It’s an established fact; That keeping Your commandments is the only way to act. Grant us the perception, to never contradict, The Word that You have given us, to have the devil licked. We know the Holy Scriptures; we learned them as a child. They came by inspiration; they’re pure and undefiled. Help us to assimilate Your truth in every way; To focus upon Jesus, so that we can obey, Every little detail of what Your Word has said. When we have this mastered, we will be Spirit led! It isn’t complicated, a little child can do, All that is required from folk like me and you. Listen first; then do it! You will not get it wrong. Not if to the Saviour, you truthfully belong. Anyone who wants to do that which the Lord desires, Will surely be directed to do what He requires. Find His way of Holiness. Don’t think you can fool, With other types of living. For if you let His rule, Be far more important than all you think and do. Walking in the Spirit will be a “cinch” for you. Jim Strickland  Written 6 November 2012