Month: September 2024

Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right
hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary
and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.
Hebrews 8:1-2

Many ministers are overpaid and under-worked!…or at least that’s what some people think. They see the preacher give two or three half-hour sermons each week and a few times a year speak at a wedding or a funeral. They think that is all they do, and they wish that they had it so easy.

Although there are lazy people in any profession, preaching is just the tip of the iceberg for most Christian workers. Most of what a true servant of God does never comes into the public view. Hours are often spent discipling others, making phone calls, and doing visitation. More time yet is spent in prayer, meditation, and Bible study. What ministers do to be holy is the key to what they do, even if it isn’t seen or appreciated by others.

Christ Jesus, in His capacity as High Priest, atoned for the sins of every believer on the cross. He continues to intercede on their behalf and separate each believer for service for God. After this world is dissolved, the Lord will become Minister of the Sanctuary in the New Jerusalem. What exactly He’ll be doing isn’t revealed, but Jesus isn’t lazy, and there will be much to do. Worship will be a constant activity, and the True Tabernacle will be up and running. Whatever will be done there was foreshadowed in the books of Exodus and Leviticus regarding Moses’ Tabernacle of meeting. A lot of the imagery of the Old Testament will finally make sense in that coming time and place.

In heaven we’ll be able to see the Throne of Grace, streets of polished gold, and real-live cherubim. We’ll also see our glorified Lord and Savior there serving as the Minister of the Sanctuary.

 March 26 

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
1 John 2:1

Absolute zero is minus 459.67 degrees on the Fahrenheit scale – that sounds pretty precise, but no one has ever been able to ever get something that cold, because it is the total absence of all heat. It would make atoms completely stop moving.

To be totally free from sin is to be righteous. Living in a sinful world with all the lusts and evil thoughts that abound here, righteousness is a concept that is approached rather than obtained. The Christian life is the process of working with God to crucify the sinful human nature by working with God to live righteously (Galatians 5:24-25). This may be an impossible-to-reach goal this side of heaven, but each believer is encouraged to get as close to it as he can.

Christ is the only one who is truly Righteous. He never had a bad attitude, flew off the handle, made poor choices, nor snapped under pressure. Everything He thought, felt, or did was totally right. As God, He could not do wrong, but even in His human capacity, He chose to be sinless.

Believers become more and more righteous as they progressively conform to the image of God’s Son (Romans 8:29). It’s not easy to keep one’s thoughts on everything that is true, noble, just, pure, and lovely (Philippians 4:8), but Jesus certainly did. When Christians have the mind of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:16), they are able to do that also. They begin to be righteous even as He is Righteous.

 March 25 

The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.
1 Corinthians 15:47

Contrary to conventional wisdom, the theory of the evolution of living organisms cannot be seen occurring today, nor can it be demonstrated in the fossil records. However, there is an evolutionary process that is clearly evident: the automotive industry.

I was in college in 1967 when the Chevrolet Camaro first came out. It was a muscle car that immediately became popular, but the demands of consumers changed over time and so did the Camaro. Today, the “sixth Generation” of this car is available in showrooms, which means that the original design has gone through five major engineering overhauls at General Motors. That included hundreds of thousands of tweaks and adjustments. The hundreds of engineers who worked on the project would argue that it was all accomplished by intelligent design and nothing was left to mere chance.

God did an excellent job when He created human beings. Adam was the first man, and that same make and model is still available everywhere on the planet today. However, there is one major flaw with the design – the sin problem. The good news is that the product has been recalled and each one needs to go back to their Creator for an upgrade.

People are put together exclusively with dust, atoms, and energy that come from a sin-cursed world – Earth. What is needed is a complete core exchange that doesn’t come from around here (i.e. it needs to be heavenly).

Christ Jesus is the Second Man, and He is the Lord from Heaven. He came to this world with the express purpose of fixing the problem and making a permanent upgrade available to everyone who requests it. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

 March 23 

Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; He has laid siege against us;
They will strike the Judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.
Micah 5:1

This title is exceedingly sad. I wish it weren’t there. But, the prophecy is there and the Jewish people who have rejected their Messiah will be condemned by the Judge of Israel whom they struck down with a rod.

Today, if you disrespect a sitting judge, he could throw you in jail for a week and hold you in contempt of court. What would he do if you threatened him with physical force or actually hit him? It certainly wouldn’t be good.

The Jewish people have suffered greatly because they crucified the One that God made both Christ and Lord (Acts 2:36). Soon and very soon, the Lord Jesus will come again to this planet and at that time many of His titles will be fulfilled. Many sons of Israel will look upon Him Whom they Pierced (Zachariah 12:10) and acknowledge Him as Savior. He will finally be received as the “Mashiach” (Messiah) and as Shepherd of Israel. Those who still harden their hearts at His coming will find Him to be the Judge of Israel.

Yes, it is true that on that day, Satan, the Antichrist, and the unbelieving Gentile nations will also be judged, but I’m not so sympathetic towards them. Israel and the Jewish people have always been the apple of God’s eye, and God longs to re-establish fellowship with them.

Christ wants to be the “Shalom” (peace) of Israel, not the Judge of Israel. Please pray for revival to come to the Jewish people.

   March 22 

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock;
You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!
Psalm 80:1

The Lord Jesus is the Shepherd of Israel. The chief priest and scribes said as much when the wise men came to King Herod seeking the Christ child: “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel” (Matthew 2:6).

Even though the Savior healed the demon-possessed daughter of the Canaanite woman, He first stated, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24). Coming as the Root of David, He came to shepherd the flock, before He could reign as king. But the flock of Israel refused to follow the Christ. Even so, this Good Shepherd gave His life for the sheep (John 10:11).

With less than a week before the crucifixion, the Lamb of God still desired to lead His flock although He used a different metaphor: “…How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings…” (Matthew 23:37).

Before the Shepherd of Israel could lead His sheep to the still waters, He was struck down and the flock was scattered (Matthew 26:31). That means that the title has yet to be fulfilled. Before the Jewish Messiah can bring peace and reign over Israel, the children of Jacob must acknowledge the sin of rejecting the Shepherd who came to save them.

450 years of idolatry led to 70 years of the Babylonian captivity. But rejecting the promised Messiah resulted in nineteen and a half centuries without a Temple or means for atonement. The nation of Israel today still hasn’t received Yeshua (Jesus) as Maschiach (Messiah), so lasting Shalom (peace) is not possible.

Please pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and that the Jewish people can finally receive the promised Shepherd of Israel.

 March 21 

And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God
and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.”
Revelation 3:1

This is a hard one. Although indisputably a name of Christ, I’ve never seen this one in any other listing of the titles of the Lord. That’s probably because it is difficult to explain.

The Apostle John reminds his readers of his vision of the Triune God in chapter one of Revelation. “…Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ…” (1:4-5). Here, the Trinity is portrayed: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The imagery is repeated in chapter four where the throne room of heaven is in focus. The four living creatures chant, “Holy, holy, holy” to “the Lord God Almighty” who is seen as the One who sat on the throne (Father), the Lamb (Christ), and the “seven lamps of fire […] which are the seven spirits of God” (Holy Spirit) (Revelation 4:5). Here again, the threefold nature of God is revealed.

Yes, it is understood that Jesus is the second person in the Trinity, but there is another problem. Does the phrase, “seven spirits of God” mean that the Holy Spirit is a committee formed by several lesser spirits? That is certainly not the case.

The idea that comes across is the fullness of the Spirit. Seven is the number of completeness and gives the idea of everything that is there. Seven days are one full week. When a sailor boasts of having sailed the Seven Seas, he’s claiming to have been everywhere in the one great worldwide ocean.

When Christ is presented as He Who has the Seven Spirits of God, He is linked to the Holy Spirit and His deity is affirmed.

The church of Sardis had a name that was alive but was actually spiritually lifeless. Such churches certainly exist today. They go through the formalism of religion without ever having been born again. They desperately need the Spirit of life to indwell them, but first they need to come to Him Who has the Seven Spirits of God.

 March 20 

For you were like sheep going astray, but have now
returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
1 Peter 2:25

Hearing the word “overseer” brings to mind images of a white guy with a whip sitting on a horse scrutinizing black slaves as they pick cotton. Or perhaps it’s a line boss supervising hundreds of factory workers to make sure they stay on task. In any case, it doesn’t seem like a fitting name of Christ.

This title in the Old King James Version is rendered, “Bishop of your souls,” which also has its own drawbacks. Here, the stereotype is of a cleric in fancy robes who has the control of church leaders. Again, the image is off the mark.

The original Greek word sounds a bit like “bishop,” so the translators of the KJV transliterated it to be that. The actual translation is “one who watches over,” and this word is associated with the job of a shepherd. In that light, the title makes sense. Jesus is the One who is looking out for the believers; He is the Overseer of Souls.

The Greek word is sometimes translated overseer and sometimes bishop a total of eight times in the NKJV, but only once referring to Christ. The other seven instances are regarding elders in the church. If church leaders care for and shepherd the flock of God, then, in the same way, the Chief Shepherd watches over the progress and welfare of the church.

Before David became King of Israel, he felt abandoned and alone while hiding in a cave. He cried out to God in Psalm 142:4, saying, “Look on my right hand and see, For there is no one who acknowledges me; Refuge has failed me; No one cares for my soul.” But then, David didn’t know Jesus, the Overseer of Souls.

 March 19 

…if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
1 Peter 2:3*

Gracious – I’m not really sure I know what this word means in English, much less how to define it in Bible-speak.

The dictionary says that it refers to the qualities of someone who is kind and courteous, such as a gracious host. OK, it might fit, but Jesus is a lot more than just a nice guy.

The word actually entered the language with Middle English around the 1300s and was borrowed from the French. It meant “filled with God’s grace.” Now, that seems to be more like it. Jesus was certainly “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

It occurs a lot referring to God in the Old Testament especially in the Psalms. Here, there is a long string of other character traits that are linked to the gracious LORD.

“But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth“
(Psalm 86:15).

“The LORD is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy” (Psalm 103:8).

“Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous” (Psalm 112:4).

“So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm” (Joel 2:13).

I think I’ve got it now. When I look at Christ with the eyes of faith, I can very clearly see the Grace of God. The Savior is filled with God’s grace which obviously makes Him Gracious.

*see also Psalm 111:4, 116:5; 145:8 and 17

 March 18 

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, “These things says He who is holy, He who is true,
He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.”
Revelation 3:7

Titles are descriptive and informative, but too many are cumbersome. If a formal introduction of Elizabeth Windsor was given, she’d be presented as: “Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Queen, Defender of the Faith, Duchess of Edinburgh, Countess of Merioneth, Baroness of Greenwich etc. etc.” Actually, the Queen has several hundred titles; if all the titles were given, it would fill several pages. Normally, however, only about a half dozen titles are given at any occasion, and those are chosen as being the most appropriate for the audience.

When the Lord addressed the small, suffering church at Philadelphia, He used the titles that communicated that He had power to meet their needs. The believers there were having their outreach shut down by persecution and the opposition seemed to completely hem them in. The odds against them were so overwhelming, it was like sending a young boy to fight against a giant.

Oh, wait a minute, I just remembered David and Goliath, and that’s what Jesus wanted the church of Philadelphia to remember, too. Christ is He Who Has the Key of David, and He can open the prison cell that believers are put in. The Lord of lords has the power to open any locked door and the power to intimidate a host of bullies.

David grew up the youngest in a large, poor family, but God chose him, used him, and gave him unimaginable victory. That’s important to remember at a time of great stress or opposition. Jesus is not only the Lamb of God, Christ is He Who Has the Key of David.

 March 17 

To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, “These things says He who holds the seven stars
in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands.”
Revelation 2:1

If there was a file folder for unusual titles of Christ, He Who Holds the Seven Stars would certainly go in it. Not even strong Christians understand this title unless they are able to recognize the context of the verse. It comes from the letter Christ dictates to the Ephesian church, which appears in Revelation chapter 2 and refers to the Apostle John’s vision of the Lord in chapter 1. Here, the Savior is seen holding seven stars, which are later explained as being the angels that minister to the seven churches of Asia Minor (Revelation 1:16 and 20).

John had a special burden for these churches in the later years of his life, and their well-being was on his mind and in his prayers. Even though the circumstances of these local churches were historical, they are also seen as representing different periods of church history throughout the ages, as well as representing different types of churches that can be found at every point in time.

The glorified Son of Man identified Himself to the church of the Ephesians as He Who Holds the Seven Stars. This church was doctrinally sound and doing great works, but they had fallen out of love with the One who had loved them unto death. The idea of the title is that Christ has them in His hand and won’t let them go. The name speaks of possession and fellowship.

In scripture, the number seven symbolizes completeness, so the idea is that He has every church in His hand. If someone is playing poker, he is dealt five cards; when dealing with churches, a full hand is seven.

Christ has his finger on the pulse of every local church everywhere in the world at every moment. We have a very small assembly of believers that meets in our home, but the Lord Jesus is here even when only two or three are gathered together (Matthew 18:20). Knowing that makes it hard to stop loving Him Who Holds the Seven Stars.

 March 16