Time with Jesus - 02 August
2013 |
| Fish, Chips and Peas |
Being born in UK in 1942, I should be vaguely familiar
with some of the WW2 incidents there. But I was only three on VE day. So my
memories are not distinct. Perhaps something like a grainy, faded old photograph
of something you can’t really identify. One of these is a mental impression of
a bomb damaged building close to where we lived.
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| Batter |
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| Nazi Bomber |
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| RAF Bomber |
A few years later, the Allies followed suit and began
bombing German cities. It was hoped that Germany would surrender as a result. Towns
like Dresden were bombed with high explosives and incendiaries. The town was
all but obliterated in fire-storms produced thereby.
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| After the Bombing |
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| Crushing the Serpent's Head |
One of the saddest tales is
the death of a number of sailors. It took place on one of the convoys from
Canada to UK. A merchant ship in the convoy was torpedoed and sank. A number of
sailors managed to abandon ship by jumping into the water. One of the escort destroyers
went to rescue them.
Unfortunately, a submarine was detected directly below
them. The destroyer was ordered to “depth charge” the submarine. That’s what
happened. The sailors in the sea were killed. It was called “collateral damage”.
How the captain of that destroyer slept that night is a mystery to me!
Presumably he managed to cope with his gut-wrenching decision.
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| Grape Juice and Wine Making |
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| Eden and the Fall |
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| Garden of Eden? |
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| Lion and Lamb at peace Together |
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| Judgement |
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Friday, 02 August 2013
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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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BATTER
SPATTER
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After leaving South Africa in early 1960, I lived in
England for the next 10 years. At first it was a little difficult. It’s
always an adjustment moving from one country to another. The people are not
being deliberately difficult to you. They are ordinary people living out
their own culture in their own country. It’s always a case of “shape up or
ship out”. For me it didn’t take long. The long winter nights and the cold
weather were a bit much. On the other hand the long summer days more than
compensated for it. The rain was another story! I enjoyed living there. It’s
where I got to “fall in love” with British style fish and chips. Back then
these shops were everywhere. The “Brits” had fish & chips at least once
per week so it was a thriving little business. On a couple of occasions I’ve
been back to UK and found that most of these shops have closed. They’ve been
replaced with Chinese, Thai, Indian and various other types of take away food
businesses. These taste great. But it was difficult finding a Fish and Chip
shop that sold “spattered batter” on the side!
On the occasions when I’ve read Isaiah 63:2-3 I’m
reminded of the fish and chip shops. The picture in the Scripture is one of
the Lord treading grapes in a winepress. In those days it was the way grapes
were crushed as part of the grape juice and wine making process. Standing on
the grapes often caused them to “pop open” and spray juice all over the
clothing of the people doing the treading. It’s a vivid picture. So when God
says that He’s been trampling His enemies underfoot like grapes in a
winepress, we have an idea of the severity of what He depicts.
There is always a problem for us when we read the
Scripture, ascertaining when what has been prophesied will take place.
Certainly the picture of Jesus on the cross on Mount Calvary bears little
resemblance to what is recorded in Isaiah 63:2-3. There is a world of difference
between trampling your enemies underfoot like grapes in a wine press and
dying in agony for your “enemies” on a cruel Roman cross. Certainly reading
what took place on that terrible day gives the opposite impression. As though
His “enemies” were crushing Him underfoot in a Jerusalem winepress. How do we
deal with these differences?
It’s easy to say that these two verses refer to the
Day of Judgement. Certainly His “enemies” will be dealt with severely.
Perhaps the picture of Him treading His enemies underfoot on that day seems
closer to reality than anything else we know. If that’s what you want to
believe, I’m certainly not going to argue with you. For me there seems to be
something greater than crushing enemies on Judgement Day. The fact that He describes
His blood spattered clothing tends to make things appear to be far worse than
that. It’s clear that this represents a time when the blood of His “enemies”
has a greater impact on Him than appears on a cursory glance. Certainly He is
shown as supreme over everyone and everything. If we think of the final
stages of the crucifixion, we see a world at His feet. He is lifted up to
draw all men to Him. We see His blood dripping down to the ground almost as
though He is doing the tramping and His “enemies” are being defeated. We
could say, “This was His finest hour!” Satan and sin were utterly defeated.
His victory was complete!
Jim &
Phyllida
Strickland
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2 Why are Your clothes so red, as if You have been treading out grapes?
3 "I have been treading the winepress
alone; no one was there to help Me. In My anger I have trampled My
enemies as if they were grapes. In My fury I have trampled My foes. Their
blood has stained My clothes.
Isaiah 63:2-3 NLT
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We called it “batter spatter”, when we
ate fish and chips.
The batter was the “crispy bit” that
passed across our lips.
It had a lovely flavour. There was no
fish inside.
They’d even sell it to us, if that’s
what we’d decide.
The batter was delicious. A special
recipe,
Was used by different fishmongers for
tempting you and me.
They’d even sell some to you, at one
third of the price,
And we would think it wonderful and
very, very nice.
Of course it was a by-product, that
somehow fell away,
As every fish and chip shop cooked
battered fish that day,
It wasn’t done deliberately. It was an
accident.
And reading from Isaiah, it seems what
He had meant.
When treading in the vine press, The
grapes would somehow spatter;
And stain the Master’s clothing just
like the fish shop’s batter.
But this was something different. His
clothes were stained with blood.
As though He had been stamping in a
field of reddish mud.
He’d done it in His anger. His enemies
like grapes.
And none of them could hide from Him
and no one could escape.
This picture of the Master, should
make a sinner scared;
Bringing retribution while they were
unprepared.
The scene is so horrendous, it even
frightens me.
That God would crush beneath His feet
sinful humanity.
But that’s just half the story. The
other half is great.
He gave Mankind a way they could
escape this dreadful fate.
Instead of trampling people, He trod
upon His Son!
Until His sense of justice was fully
overcome.
And it was far more painful than what
we’d ever see.
His Son was executed in frightful
agony.
The pain of crucifixion is what our
Saviour knew.
His excommunication and death, the
frightful brew,
That Jesus Christ experienced, was
meant for you and me.
Justice for all sinful man, that day
on Calvary.
I don’t know how He did it. I’ll never
understand,
How Jesus Christ my Saviour took
sinners by the hand,
And led them to His Father and gently
said to Him.
I gave my life for sinners like
Phyllida and Jim.
No one is excluded. They are all
justified.
All that’s still outstanding to be
always by My side,
Is if they will come to Me and if they
will repent,
From all their sin and wickedness,
that’s when I will relent.
They’re not a bit of batter that has
fallen off the fish.
They’re children of My Father, if that
is what they wish.
I’m not a fish and chip shop but with
Me they may dine,
Upon the bread of Heaven, beyond the
end of time.
Jim Strickland
Written 2nd
August 2012
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11 "Who is like You
among the gods, O LORD--glorious in holiness, awesome in splendour,
performing great wonders?
Exodus
15:11 NLT
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16 He saw that there was no man, and wondered
that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation,
and his righteousness upheld him.
Isaiah 59:16 ESV
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24 He himself bore our sins in his body on
the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by
his wounds you have been healed.
1 Peter 2:24 NIV
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13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us--for it is written,
"Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"--
Galatians 3:13 ESV
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A Psalm. 1 Oh sing
to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and
his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
Psalms 98:1 ESV
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15 And having spoiled principalities and
powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Colossians 2:15 KJV
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11 Out of that terrible travail of soul,
he'll see that it's worth it and be glad he did it. Through what he experienced,
my righteous one, my servant, will make many "righteous ones," as
he himself carries the burden of their sins.
Isaiah 53:11 MSG
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21 The Kishon River swept them away--that ancient torrent, the Kishon. March on with courage, my soul!
Judges 5:21 NLT
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37 No, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him who loved us.
Romans 8:37 ESV
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11 They overcame him by the blood of the
Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so
much as to shrink from death.
Revelation 12:11 NIV
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