TRUTH OR FACTS

Time with Jesus - Tuesday, 18 December 2012

Hi all,

Today’s meditation is on the difference between truth and facts. They are not the same. We may think they are, but we are mistaken. Jesus cannot be downgraded to being merely a “fact”. He is life itself. Facts do not have life in them. Only Jesus Christ has life. We need to establish the difference.

Blessings,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Tuesday, 18 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	TRUTH OR FACTS
Springbok Radio: For me there is a strange nostalgia contained in these two words. A desire for things that are dead and gone. Yet I’m among the many that deserted radio for the questionable pleasures of Television. I suppose it was inevitable. Much the same had happened all over the world as the “one-eyed monster” invaded our homes. It’s still a “one-eyed monster” although some of us have become a little more discerning. I “cut my teeth” on BBC TV in UK. Back then, there was BBC and ITV. The essential difference was that ITV had “commercials”. I’m not charmed when, at a key point in the show, we are interrupted. We have to see more garbage about the advantage of one washing up liquid verses another. So I stuck with BBC. There was no equivalent in USA or Canada. I learned to switch off the sound during the commercials. It was also a convenient spot to attend to the calls of nature, make a cup of tea or get a beer out of the fridge. In 1974, there was no TV in South Africa. This meant that I experienced a certain amount of withdrawal symptoms from TV’s mindlessness. But, there was Springbok Radio! Good old Springbok radio. But it couldn’t last. TV arrived in RSA in 1976. The programmes were bad then. They are worse now. Thanks to our daughter, we have DSTV. It’s available on all the sets throughout our home. 3 bedrooms, 2 lounges, our flat and both outside rooms. She has an HD PVR with two channels available for us. There are now some 90 odd channels to choose from. Most of them are junk and don’t challenge the imagination of a fruit fly. We get bombarded with “truth” constantly. We can even get the news from Russia. Some of the programmes are in foreign languages. There is also SABC 1, 2 and 3 as well as E-TV. You’d think that there would be something worth watching. Well, there is “Animal Planet” and one or two documentary channels with a bit of crime and investigation thrown in. But, by and large, it is all junk! Springbok Radio had a programme on Tuesday nights called, “Consider Your Verdict”. As a youngster I learned to recite, “Do you swear that the evidence you are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth” The answer was never “No!” Later, when I’d committed my life to Jesus and started to get into the Bible, it occurred to me how ludicrous the statement was. Springbok Radio and the courtrooms of the world have no idea that the truth is Jesus. 6 Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me. John 14:6 NLT Nothing else is the truth. No one else can say it. Truth and facts have somehow merged. It makes life for the Christian somewhat confusing. But after almost 40 years of mind-destroying TV, it’s not really surprising! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32 NLT 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 NLT 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:2 ESV 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36 ESV 31 So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman. Galatians 4:31 NLT 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. Galatians 2:16 ESV 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1:25 ESV 1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law. Galatians 5:1 NLT	Are you among the many who make the big mistake, Of thinking that a fact is truth? Christians should forsake, This way of double thinking. These two are not the same. Jesus said, “I AM THE TRUTH”, which nothing else can claim. Only He can say that. The truth is Him alone. It happens to be factual. It also is well known. A fact may not be Jesus. A fact could be your hat. But sometime in the future? Well, that’s the end of that! The truth must be the person of Jesus Christ the King. And truth is something changeless. It doesn’t bend or swing. It’s someone to rely on regardless of the facts. It’s someone sure and steadfast, no matter how life acts. The truth is only Jesus. He’s absolutely sure, And even when worlds pass away, Christ Jesus will endure. Facts have no endurance. They change from time to time. They are unreliable and hardly worth a dime. A clock may be misleading. It may say half past three. But just one second later, that time is history. My garden may look beautiful. But if it is neglected, The weeds will soon take over and beauty is rejected. It is a Man who sets you free; it’s not a bunch of facts. Of course there’s no denying religious things attract. But all of our kowtowing and our ceremony, Are merely the distractions, we think will set us free! It’s Jesus Christ Who frees us. No substitute will do. Nothing else can take His place. He’s faithful and He’s true. And when the “truth” has set you free, you will be free indeed. It’s not the fancy clothes you wear. That cannot meet your need. You may comply with all the facts. You may think you are right. But if you haven’t got “THE TRUTH”, it’s useless in God’s sight. Facts are the slave woman. So if you’re of her kind, Then you will be in bondage and freedom you won’t find! But if you’re a descendent of the woman who is free. Then Jesus Christ will be your Lord for all eternity. You never can be justified by following the Law. That cannot be the reason God gave it to us for. The facts can never make a path that leads to God Most High. We have to have the Truth of God; and He will never die. Jim Strickland  Written 18th December 2012

HOBSON’S CHOICE

Time with Jesus - Monday, 17 December 2012

Hi all,

Today’s meditation is on the topic “Hobson’s Choice”. It comes from 1 Kings 10 and Matthew 12 and is presented as a small play featuring two soliloquies; one by the Queen of Sheba the other by Jesus.

Blessings,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Monday, 17 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	HOBSON’S CHOICE
THOMAS HOBSON – 1544-1631 Hobson's choice is a free choice in which only one option is offered. As a person may refuse to take that option. The choice is therefore between taking the option or not. “Take it or leave it". It originated with Thomas Hobson a livery stable owner in England. To rotate the use of his horses, he offered customers the choice of either taking the horse in the stall nearest the door or taking none at all. (Taken from Wikipedia via Google) “To be or not to be, that is the question”, must be one of the best known soliloquies ever written. Spoken by Hamlet, it is perhaps an ideal example of Hobson’s choice. Shakespeare’s “take it or leave it”. Do I, don’t I? Now Hobson and Shakespeare were contemporaries, maybe one inspired the other? The Bible is not written in “playwright” style. Not as we read it in English today. One or two of the books could be compiled that way. Job springs to mind, as does Habakkuk and Malachi. There is no suggestion of this anywhere in the New Testament. But at the same time, the words of Jesus are frequently presented to us in a “Take it or Leave it” style. A good example comes from John’s Gospel: 5 "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15: NLT This is typical of Jesus’ “Hobson’s choice” references. In our meditation today, I’ve compiled a small play. There are only two characters. One is the Queen of Sheba. The other is Jesus. The words of the Queen of Sheba are from 1 Kings 10. I’ve used the information recorded about her there. This, I’ve combined with a small amount of imagination to produce a soliloquy on with her impressions of King Solomon. Jesus’ soliloquy is based on His knowledge of the Queen of Sheba. It takes into consideration the contextual background and His words spoken to the Jewish leaders in Matthew 12. What happened was that they had been walking through the grain fields. Because they were hungry, His disciples had broken off some of the grain. They rubbed it in their hands in order to obtain the nourishment they needed. This made the Scribes and Pharisees furious. “They are harvesting grain on the Sabbath!” they said angrily. “This is forbidden by the Law of Moses”. Jesus’ answer to them was predictable and liberating. Unfortunately for Him, He made the point that He, the Son of Man, was Lord of the Sabbath. According to their strict interpretation, Jesus was saying that He had authority to interpret the Mosaic Law differently from them. If it had been possible for them to “foam at the mouth” like mad dogs, that’s what they would have done! In His soliloquy, I’ve taken phrases and statements from elsewhere in the Gospels. They present these leaders with a Hobson’s choice situation. A choice that is equally applicable to us today. What are we going to do with Jesus? Do we believe Him or don’t we? Will we obey Him or won’t we? Many of the Jewish leaders back then rejected Him. They will be rejected on Judgement Day. You and I have the same choice. “To be or not to be?” That is the question? Jim & Phyllida Strickland			7 But I didn't believe the reports until I came and saw it with my own eyes. I wasn't even told half of it. Your wisdom and wealth surpass the stories I've heard. 1 Kings 10:7 GW 42 The queen from the south will stand up at the time of judgment with you. She will condemn you, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon's wisdom. But look, someone greater than Solomon is here! Matthew 12:42 GW 14 So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son. John 1:14 NLT 4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 NLT 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him." 10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by His Spirit. For His Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NLT 17 Your eyes will see the king in all his splendour and you will see a land that stretches into the distance. Isaiah 33:17 NLT 2 Dear friends, we are already God's children, but He has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He really is. 1 John 3:2 NLT 26 And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! Job 19:26 NLT 15 Because I am righteous, I will see You. When I awake, I will see You face to face and be satisfied. Psalms 17:15 NLT	QUEEN OF SHEBA: I wouldn’t have believed it, or thought that it was true, That someone was as wealthy and wise O King as you! Your temple is fantastic. Your palace better still. I thought it was impossible in all the world until, I visited Jerusalem to see with my own eyes. If what I’d heard was genuine, or just a pack of lies. But as I look around me, the things that I can see, Are so much more resplendent than what I thought could be. This surpasses anything and everything I’ve heard. And now that I have seen it, I know it’s not absurd! JESUS: That’s what the Queen of Sheba to Solomon did say. Perhaps that’s all she wanted before she went away? But on the Day of Judgement, be sure that she will stand, And bring her condemnation to many in the land. Especially the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law. She saw a man of wisdom and standing here before, The leaders of this Nation.  A Man who is more wise, Than anything King Solomon had set before her eyes. She travelled a great distance, King Solomon to test. And this man now before you is wiser than his best. Solomon’s great wisdom was there for her to see. But none of you will listen to what I say to thee. Ignorance is fatal and you just close your ears. One day at the judgement, your eyes will fill with tears! You will be excluded from the Kingdom of the Lord, Because of your hard-heartedness; He’ll put you to the sword. I know you don’t believe it. You look for clever words. You listen to the speeches of the pompous and absurd. Instead of something simple that a child can understand, You trust in man-made customs that make you feel so grand! And your religious practices, that drive the folk away. What is it at the judgement that you are going to say? The King in all His splendour; before Whom you will bow, Will say that you are hypocrites. And He will ask you how, The people you ministered to will want to let you in? You’ll stand in condemnation for a wicked life of sin. I’ve nothing more to tell you, except my heart is breaking, That even at this instant, your ways you aren’t forsaking. And you are lost forever, unless you turn to me; And you display repentance for everyone to see. So Priests and Scribes and Pharisees and teachers of the Law. Grab this opportunity. It may come back no more! Jim Strickland  Written 17th December 2012

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