OCCUPY TILL I COME

Time with Jesus - Sunday, 16 December 2012

Hi all,

“Occupy till I Come!” These were Jesus’ instructions to us via the parable of the money (talents) and the three servants in Luke 19:13-27. “Invest this for me while I am gone” is the NLT translation. The parable deals with those who were obedient. It also deals in a devastating way with the one who did nothing with his master’s money. A fair question for me would be to ask us, “What are you doing with His gifts, talents and blessings?” Don’t answer me. Answer Him. One day there will be no alternative!

Blessings,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Sunday, 16 December 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	OCCUPY TILL I COME
Some years ago, I read a story about a man. He’d been all over the world on a ship. He’d been unable to disembark. He had no means of identification. No birth certificate, no ID book and no passport. How he managed to get on the ship was not explained. At every port he visited, the authorities had refused to admit him. He was what we could best describe as a non-person. What happened to any family members, who might have identified him, was not stated. Nothing was mentioned about his life aboard the ship. Presumably the captain or owners must have given him work of some sort so that he could eat and drink. It was a sorry tale with little prospects of anything changing. There is a vague similarity with this wandering man and the life of a Christian on planet earth. Sure we have passports which enable us to travel round and see various places. But we are not really at home wherever we go. In a way our status is similar to the old Chorus: This world is not my home I’m just a passing through. / My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. / The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door. / And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore! This is part of the greater problem Christians face. We are in the world but not of the world. There is a clear distinction. When we have had glimpses of the glory of God and the splendours of His Kingdom, the things of this world become somewhat tasteless. In his letter to the Philippians Paul wrote: 23 I'm torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. Philippians 1:23 NLT It’s easy to identify with this and look forward to leaving this world and being with Jesus. But that would do nothing for the Kingdom of God. If every Christian suddenly vanished from the face of the earth, who would be left to take to Gospel to the Nations? Current “rapture of the church” theory espouses this thinking.  Christians can “escape the tribulation”. Personally, I don’t think they are right. In which case they are in for a very rude awakening. I’d love to think I’m wrong! What we should do as Christians, is live as though He is coming back tomorrow. One of the best pieces of advice I’ve heard is that we should live as though He is coming back tomorrow and prepare to serve Him here indefinitely. Andrew Murray in a book written about a hundred years ago put it this way. He said that if his daily task was to plant a tree. Even if he knew Jesus was coming back tomorrow, he would start the day by planting a tree! Jesus, in the parable of the King and three servants used the phrase: 13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. Luke 19:13 KJV Occupy till I come. It’s what He wants! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, Ephesians 2:19 NIV 22 No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. 23 You have come to the assembly of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God Himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. Hebrews 12:22-23 NLT 13 All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Hebrews 11:13 NLT 20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Saviour. 21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under His control. Philippians 3:20-21 NLT 13 For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, Colossians 1:13 NLT 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 1 Peter 2:11 ESV	They say I’m a South African; and I was born a Brit. But somehow these Nationalities just do not seem to fit. It’s stated in my Passport’s and so it must be right. And with these two Authorities, I do not wish to fight. But sadly, with these passports, there’s little one can do. Except visit some countries who really don’t want you. They only want your dollars; They’ll settle for your pounds. But if you are a nuisance, you’ll soon be homeward bound. It’s called the tourist industry. “Please come and see our land. But when you’ve spent your money you have to understand The quicker you get ready, and you have gone away, Another foreign tourist will visit us next day.” I’ve got another passport which Jesus Christ supplied.               Ephesians 2:19 NIV He’s given me a heart of flesh and hidden deep inside, This Diplomatic Passport, is all I’ll ever need, To get me into heaven. It’s recognised indeed! I’ve got the right of access, to the city of my God.                    Hebrews 12:22-23 NLT To tramp the Holy City, in the steps my Lord has trod. I’m sorry, I can’t show it. It’s hidden from your view. But when I’ve started doing the things He told me to, You’ll see things in abundance as clear as any bell, The fruit I’d be displaying, if I was bound for Hell. The fact is I am righteous! It’s like an overcoat. My Master gave it to me when I gave Him my “vote”. He said that I may wear it. It fits me like a glove. And it will by my covering, while walking in His love. He’s also given promises that still must come to pass. So I am truly confident and just as bold as brass; When I confess that someday, the Lord will give to me, Everything He’s promised back to antiquity!                Hebrews 11:13 NLT His diplomatic passport will never once expire. Not while Christ my Saviour is the One Whom I desire. No one else can steal it while it’s in my chest. While I serve the Master, I know that I’ll be blessed. I’ve still got one ambition, one purpose and one goal. To fight against the passions which war against my soul.1 Peter 2:11 ESV From darkness I’ve been rescued and this I know for sure. Jesus will assist me to keep my lifestyle pure!             Colossians 1:13 NLT Jim Strickland  Written 16th December 2012

THE BUILDER

Time with Jesus - Saturday, 15 December 2012

Hi all,

When I was little my mother had a dream for my future. She wanted me to be a Chartered Accountant. It sounded good. But to this day I have an “addition” problem. I get the numbers switched round so that 67 looks like 76. Engineers cope with this sort of problem with adding machines, log tables, abacuses, slide rules, pocket calculators, fingers and toes. There is one thing I do remember from my brief excursion into bookkeeping. It was the delightful expression E&OE, meaning “errors and omissions excepted”. Armed with those four letters I may have made it as a Charted Accountant. Can you imagine a detailed financial audit with those 4 letters included? Incidentally, our balance sheet with Satan is liberally sprinkled with these four letters on every page. Accuracy is irrelevant. One sin and you’re in!

Blessings,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Saturday, 15 December 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 BUILDER
Solomon ben David has been called the wisest man who ever lived. If we exclude Jesus from the list, this may well be the case. Certainly some of the decisions he made and revealed to us in the Bible could qualify him to be on the list. But when it comes to women, he must be at the opposite extreme. We are told, 3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.1 Kings 11:3 TNIV I find that a bit difficult to equate with wisdom. Nevertheless, he impressed the Queen of Sheba greatly, although her reasons may not have been entirely “kosher”. Solomon is supposedly the author of Ecclesiastes as well as the major contributor to the Book of Proverbs and one or two of the Psalms. A verse in Ecclesiastes that comes to mind is, 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Eccl. 3:11 TNIV This issue of having eternity in our hearts speaks directly to you and me. Somehow we know instinctively, that we were not originally created to die. We were made for eternity. Think for a moment of a baby being born and growing. That infant should go on and on indefinitely. It doesn’t happen because of some “death factor” written into us. It shouldn’t be there. We were not made for it to be there. This heinous killer is on the rampage and will get each and every one of us. We can’t duck, dodge or avoid it. It will get us all sooner or later. This killer is worse than any virus or bacteria we have known. It has no pity, no sympathy and is always terminal. It’s called sin! We are all born with it within us. Humanly there is no way for us to deal with it. Only one sin in a lifetime is sufficient for it to ravage us. Babies are probably born with it latent within them. Very early in the child’s development the sin factor is energised by some small seemingly insignificant action. But that’s all it takes for this sickness to take control. It’s not in a hurry. It knows very well that in the end it will deal with the individual. It is inherited from fathers and mothers. No one is immune. We are all condemned. Our situation is hopeless. We need a cure. The cure requires a miracle from God! The problem is “The Wages of Sin is Death!” It’s not a slogan, its fact. Sin demands death. Someone’s death. To be correct, if I sin, my wages are compulsory. We all deserve payment! There are no special discounts. But if someone is found Who is worth more than all humanity, if He dies for us, the cost is covered. God’s Son is worth more than all of us. So His death for sin covers the full cost. No E&OE! It’s done! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			10 For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 NLT 17 At the king's command, they quarried large blocks of high-quality stone and shaped them to make the foundation of the Temple. 1 Kings 5:17 NLT 7 The stones used in the construction of the Temple were finished at the quarry, so there was no sound of hammer, axe, or any other iron tool at the building site. 1 Kings 6:7 NLT 5 And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What's more, you are His holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. 1 Peter 2:5 NLT 20 Together, we are His house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus Himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in Him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through Him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by His Spirit. Ephesians 2:20-22 NLT 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:10 ESV 9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. 1 Corinthians 3:9 ESV 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 2 Corinthians 5:5 ESV	Jesus is a builder of a very different kind. He builds things out of nothing; which sort of blows my mind. I’ve always needed mortar, bricks and sand and stone. I also need an architect, or folk will surely moan, And say that it looks ugly. It’s beautiful to me. But they have a perspective that I will never see. All that Jesus ever builds is absolute perfection. Everything He touches, from the instant of conception, Everyone a masterpiece. Not one of them is flawed. I think that is a reason why He’s worshipped and adored. Each one an original and thoroughly unique. To walk, to sit and contemplate, to hear, to look, to speak. I know I cannot do that but if I cooperate, A new one is created, courtesy my mate! But neither of us did it. He fashioned in the womb, A masterpiece of DNA who’d be a bride or groom. We look at man-made marvels. Of course they look OK. But none of them are “living” and in this world today. We like to fashion buildings. We like to watch them grow. They keep on getting taller. As tall as man can go. And when they are completed, they reach into the sky, We look and we admire them. But they’ll collapse and die. They’ll quickly be outdated; and in a hundred years, They’ll be reduced to rubble and quickly disappear. The pyramids of Egypt, the Parthenon, the Sphinx. Will someday be a pile of sand – much sooner than man thinks. The Temple of King Solomon assembled with great care. It’s pointless looking for it. It is no longer there! We know Nebuchadnezzar, had the place destroyed. Other temples have been built but Solomon’s is void. All our human effort is just a Babel tower. Only that which Jesus builds, won’t have a final hour. And Jesus Christ is building a temple made of men; And women out of people, who have been born again; Of folk from every nation, who worship and adore, The author of Salvation; Who lives forevermore. His precious new creation, whose purpose is to be, Anything which He desires, for all eternity. Jim Strickland  Written 15th December 2012

ON EAGLE’S WINGS

Time with Jesus - Friday, 14 December 2012

Hi all,

Today’s meditation is called “On Eagle’s Wings”. It is a sort of bird’s eye view of crossing of the Red Sea and the Jordan River. Of all the miracles in the Old Testament, these two seem to be among the most popular ones to disbelieve! I can’t think why?

Blessings,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Friday, 14 December 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	ON EAGLE’S WINGS
The Olympic Games - London 2012 - is well and truly behind us. They were handled with all the skill and organising ability we expect from the Brits. They went off with all the precision of the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Mind you, I didn’t spot Christopher Robin, Alice or her fiancé. What I did see was Usain Bolt. At least I think I saw him. He was running and no one seemed to be able to catch him! Extraordinary. The fastest man on two legs! I guess that he would not have been much faster than Jeremiah some 2600 years ago. He couldn’t compete with horses. I’m sure Usain would also find it something of a challenge. Indeed, compared with most animals, our pace is decidedly pedestrian. Where we have an advantage is in brain power. We can think and plan accordingly. What we lack in speed we make up for in our mechanical contraptions. The Anglo-French Concorde carried passengers faster than the speed of sound. Financially, the plane could have been better supported. The Americans and the aircraft manufacturers decided that speed wasn’t everything. I’ve heard that the thing was so fast, you could land in New York before you left London! Now that’s science! God can do it much quicker. I’m told we are limited by the speed of light. Something about the faster you go the smaller you get. I’m told that at the speed of light you would be nothing. That’s either Einstein or Frankenstein. Not sure which. The answer is of epic proportions. The Israelites were into looking for epic proportions. How long does it take for 2 million people along with wagons, possessions, assorted livestock and pets to walk across or through the Red Sea? It depends on two factors. A) The width of the gap in the sea and B) the speed of walking. We don’t know how long it took them. Somewhere between six and eight hours has been suggested. Depending on tidal conditions and the actual point of the crossing, the distance from one side to the other could have been in the order of 500 metres. Apparently, the “Targum of Jonathan” states that there were twelve “openings” in the sea. It could be that each of the twelve tribes crossed independently. Thus the time taken to cross from one side to the other would be greatly reduced and 6 to 8 hours becomes reasonable. The crossing of the River Jordan appears in many respects to be a repeat of the crossing of the Red Sea. Many discard the Bible in totality because they cannot believe that such things can happen. Personally, I’m a Theist. I believe God created and controls this world. So for Him to open the Red Sea and the Jordan is not a problem. Not for Him who spoke creation into being! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			5 "If racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against horses? If you stumble and fall on open ground, what will you do in the thickets near the Jordan? Jeremiah 12:5 NLT 15 (The Jordan overflows all its banks during the harvest season.) When the priests who were carrying the ark came to the edge of the Jordan River and set foot in 16 the water, the water stopped flowing from upstream. The water rose up like a dam as far away as the city of Adam near Zarethan. The water flowing down toward the Sea of the Plains (the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. Then the people crossed from the east side of the Jordan River directly opposite Jericho. 17 The priests who carried the ark of the LORD'S promise stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan River on dry ground. Joshua 3:15-17 GW 9 What we do see is Jesus, made "not quite as high as angels," and then, through the experience of death, crowned so much higher than any angel, with a glory "bright with Eden's dawn light." In that death, by God's grace, he fully experienced death in every person's place. Hebrews 2:9 MSG 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalms 23:4 NIV 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 43:2 ESV 17 I saw this and fainted dead at his feet. His right hand pulled me upright, his voice reassured me: "Don't fear: I am First, I am Last, 18 I'm Alive. I died, but I came to life, and my life is now forever. See these keys in my hand? They open and lock Death's doors, they open and lock Hell's gates. Revelation 1:17-18 MSG	We have our limitations. We only have two feet. We only have a pair of eyes to see along the street We only have two nostrils and just one pair of ears. A mouth to feed our bodies; a tongue to shout our jeers. Well suited for our purposes, while living here below. But we don’t have a covering to keep out heat and snow. Our legs were made quite powerful; but not for running fast. We can’t compete with horses. We’re sure to end up last. On one or two occasions, the Lord came to their aid. To walk across the Red Sea, a way for them was made. And likewise at the Jordan. To reach the other bank, Without the Lord Almighty, so He’s the one to thank. The people trusted Moses and later Joshua. The truth is, if they hadn’t, they couldn’t get that far! A pathway through the waters, was what the Lord decreed. There wasn’t much alternative, if they were to succeed. They had to do exactly what The Most High God had said, If they didn’t bother, they’d very soon be dead! Even in the shadow of Death Valley, He is there. His rod and staff bring comfort and drive away our care. No evil can assail us. They seldom even try. With Father, Son and Spirit together standing by. Satan and his cronies, tremble and they quake. They will keep their distance while we are awake. But a little slumber, when our heads begin to nod, They may try and reach us, despite the Triune God! Walking through water, we won’t be swept away. They can’t overwhelm us. “Come back another day!” Is all we need to tell them. The waters can’t break through. Not if Christ the Saviour is looking after you. Jesus is the reason, why Christians are secure. He has made us righteous; He will keep us pure, While we are obedient. Then by His Holy grace, We will know His presence and feel His warm embrace. He knows all about us; was tested and was tried. Knows what we experience. He gave His life and died. Now He is the holder of the keys of death and hell. What we are all going through He knows it very well. So, when we are thinking we can’t take any more. Ask for His amazing strength. On eagle’s wings you’ll soar. Jim Strickland  Written 14th December 2012