Month: September 2024

And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Hebrews 9:15*

Israel had a great covenant with God; it was a deal made with runaway slaves that was better than even the rich and mighty nations had with God. Even Moses had to exclaim, “”For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?” (Deuteronomy 4:7). It was more than they could hope for, and certainly more than they deserved.

There was, however, a real problem with this relationship. Israel was unable and unwilling to uphold their part of the bargain. They had made a legal contract with God and they were in default. The penalty clauses were kicking in; all the promised blessings were withheld and the long list of terrible curses were being served.

The children of Israel needed a new contract, a new covenant, but they could bring nothing to the table; they had nothing to offer. What they really needed was the Mediator of the New Covenant.

Moses had interceded for the people on a number of occasions appealing to God’s merciful nature to turn away His wrath, but Moses was incapable of appeasing the divine justice of God. The LORD of Hosts Himself would have to provide His own go-between in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In dying on the cross and shedding the blood of a willing, righteous sacrifice, He was able to demonstrate the grace of God and maintain the just laws of the Ruler of the Universe. Christ’s death on the cross was a game changer. Since the righteousness and mercy of God were both represented, a new contract could be written, but not just for Israel; it was for all people. The blood of the Savior brought the Creator and the human race back together. Christ had become the Mediator of the New Covenant.

*see also Hebrews 12:24

 October 2 

 

This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light,
that all through him might believe. He was not that Light,
but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
John 1:7-8*

One theme that is increasingly apparent in the genre of futuristic and fantasy literature is the theme of light versus darkness. It’s not just the idea of good guys against the bad guys, but about the vast power of darkness swallowing up actual light energy. It’s about noble warriors fighting against overwhelming odds to restore light to the universe.

Something else is going on here: It’s the battle of science fiction versus science non-fiction. Imagination is often brought down by cold, hard facts. The fact is that darkness, just like silence and vacuums, doesn’t even exist. They are just the absence of something that does exist (light, sound, and matter).

If you were to go into a cave that hadn’t been exposed to light in 100 years and then light a match, the darkness would quickly dissipate. (When I say quickly, we’re talking about the speed of light). Darkness can’t hold a candle to it.

On the first day of creation, God made light energy; it hadn’t existed before. From that day forward, darkness had to yield to light. They can’t co-exist together.

There’s no sun, moon, lamps, or flashlights in heaven because Jesus is there and He is the source of all light (both physical and spiritual). “Darkness” is a word that will forever be dropped from the heavenly vocabulary.

Hell is described as a place of “outer darkness” (Matthew 8:12). Christ is not there, so there will be no light.

Jesus came to this world to be our source of light. “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:5).

*Context John 1:1-9

September 18

As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man,
so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust,
we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
1 Corinthians 15:48, 49

In 1994, Danny DeVito starred in the motion picture Renaissance Man. In the film, he uses his many talents to motivate an underachieving bunch of army recruits to complete basic training. Most of us, at some point in our lives, have experienced a Renaissance Man or Woman (often a school teacher) who has inspired us to succeed in areas where we considered ourselves failures.

The Lord Jesus is so much more than that; He’s the Heavenly Man. He lifts us out of the dust of planet Earth and gets us ready for heaven. He’s busy now getting our accommodations ready in heaven, and since He is the Way, He’s even made the travel arrangements.

I fully expect to see Christ as soon as I get to heaven. My main reason for going there is to see Him. Without Him, I wouldn’t know where to go or what to do. How much do you tip an angel for opening up the pearly gates, or do they even do that up there? I have so many questions, but when you’re visiting a strange new place, it’s always great to know someone who’s already there.

Jesus is the Heavenly Man; He’s from around those parts and is my contact in the afterlife. Traveling is always a little scary, especially when you don’t know the language, you’re going to be there a long time, and there are no plans to return home. But it’s not going to be that way for me. I know that hundreds of millions of Christians will be there already, and probably thousands more will arrive the same day I get there. All the same, the Lord will still have time for me. After all, He always has. He’s my go-to Man; He’s my Heavenly Man.

September 10

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering
and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
Ephesians 5:2

Many Christians today are functionally illiterate when it comes to the Old Testament and practically clueless when it comes to understanding the concept of sacrifice. The stereotypes of an Old Testament offering is that of an entire lamb burnt on a bunch of rocks. Most people are unaware that there are five major categories of sacrifice, all of which are Types of the Lord Jesus Christ. The big groups can be broken down into sub-groups  depending on the occasion and what was actually burnt on the altar (even flour, oil, and wine were sometimes offered).

The five main offerings were actually sorted by God into two, the sweet-smelling sacrifices and the non-sweet-smelling sacrifices. The former included burnt offerings, grain offerings, and peace offerings; sin and trespass offerings fell into the second group, and although they were necessary, they were not something God delighted in.

The sweet-smelling sacrifices were always voluntary on the part of the offerer and were expressions of worship and devotion. These expressed fellowship not only with God but also God’s people. This is a picture of Christ willingly sacrificing Himself to bring us into fellowship.

The peace offering is the best example of this because God, the priest, and the worshipper all share in the sacrifice. Here, God’s portion was the fat. It was sizzled on the altar where it smelled great. The priest received the right foreleg which he lifted up to God as a heave offering and then used the meat to feed his family. The rest of the animal (beef or mutton) was given to the supplicant, so he could eat it in a communal meal.

The peace offering was a celebration with food, family, and friends, but God was invited to the party. For Him it was a sweet-smelling sacrifice. When Christ died on the cross, He offered Himself to both God and Man a Sweet-Smelling Sacrifice.

October 11

The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ — He is Lord of all—
Acts 10:36

“All” is such a little word, but it sure includes a lot of stuff. It has just three letters, one vowel, and one consonant, yet it contains everything out there (rocks, trees, butterflies, and bees; planets,  pumpkins, peanuts and people; sun, moon, stars, and galaxies; matter, energy, ideas, and the vacuum of space). Come to think about it, “all” is actually a very big word and Jesus Christ is Lord of All.

“Lord” is the chief, leader, president, king, emperor, potentate, jefe, head honcho, and person in charge. So if the Son of God is Lord of All, He’s over everywhere, everything, and everybody.

The context reveals that this was part of a message given by the Apostle Peter in the house of a centurion named Cornelius. At that time, Jewish people and Gentiles didn’t mingle and accepting the other’s dinner invitation was unheard of. So Peter had to explain what was happening. Since Jesus is Lord of All, He’s not the God of the Jews only, but of everyone in the whole world. That meant that the apostle felt compelled to leave his comfort zone and share the Savior cross-culturally.

Christ is not just the Redeemer of white, middle-class Americans, He came to seek and to save the lost no matter where they live. Arabs, Bedouins, China men, Dutchmen, and Eskimos all need to know the good news of sins forgiven and eternal life through faith in Jesus. That’s hard, because it is sooooo politically incorrect to share Christianity with those that are obviously non-Christian.

We live at a time when Radical Islam makes no apologies for trying to convert everyone to their religion through murder and intimidation. I, therefore, shouldn’t feel guilty or amiss for wanting to win the world with the love of Christ who is Lord of All. 

November 10

They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!”
Revelation 15:3

Since Jesus is the blessed and only Potentate, King of kings, and Lord of lords, He rules over many diverse people and nations. He’s the King of Israel, King of Righteousness, King of Peace, and King over all the Earth. But there is one distinction that really gets me excited. The Lord Jesus Christ is King of the Saints; He’s going to be my monarch!

When Christ was on earth, enemy soldiers gave Him a crown of thorns, mocked Him for being a king, and then spit on His face. Since then, He was caught up to glory and believers through the centuries have also suffered abuse as they waited for the return of the King of the Saints.

Ten terrible Roman persecutions fell on the faithful; some were crucified, some burned alive, and some fed to wild beasts. Still, they waited for their Lord’s return. The rise of Mohammed in the seventh century brought Jihad, beheadings, and slavery to Christians who longed for their coming King. Then the crusades, inquisition, and the rise of Communism brought more torture, imprisonment, and death for the saints. Still, they waited for their sovereign to come and bring peace.

The signs of the Lord’s soon return are becoming more evident every day. Terrorism clearly demonstrates “wars and rumors of war” that fill every corner of the planet. Talk of a new world order, as well as one global community and government, prepares the way for the Anti-Christ and his minions.

The good news is that this may be the last persecution. If the blood bought disciples of Christ can overcome one more reign of terror, then it’s over. Jesus is coming and those who served and suffered for the Lord will reign with Him. Hallelujah!

Even so come, O King of the Saints.

November 9

…but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
2 Peter 3:18*

In studying the combined titles of Christ, word order is very important. Lord and Savior only occurs four times in the New Testament and interestingly enough, all are found in 2 Peter. In the Old Testament, three times it says, “I, the LORD am your Savior” (Isaiah 43:3, 49:26, 60:16). Although exact wording varies slightly, there is an additional two times that says “I am the LORD, besides me there is no savior” (Isaiah 43:11;Hosea 13:4).

It’s worth noting that the reverse order is not used even once, although the phrase is popular in modern evangelism. Frequently people are heard to say, “Just invite Jesus into your heart as Savior and Lord.” Although it might not be done consciously, the subliminal message that is communicated here is that Jesus is sought after as Savior and then somewhere down the line He may or may not become Lord. It can be argued that those who put the term Savior before Lord are not really shifting the spiritual emphasis. However, the part that is undeniable is that many sinners are eager to make Jesus their Savior (they don’t want to go to hell) without any intention of making Him their Lord.

In one sense there is no chronological order to this title, because Jesus is both Lord and Savior. At the same time, Christ instantly and automatically becomes the Savior of everyone who owns Him as Lord.

As the Lord of lords, the Savior has power over sin and death and hell, so He can and will save every sinner that comes to Him. As Savior who came to suffer and die as a substitute for sinners, true faith demands that He be loved, cherished, and obeyed as Lord.

That is why the two titles are actually one and Jesus is Lord and Savior.

*see also 2 Peter 1:11, 2:20, 3:2

November 7

…That we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true,
in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
1 John 5:20

The Lord Jesus is the True God which is something that true believers already know. However, to even need a title like this concludes the existence of fake gods that would deceive people allowing them to usurp the position of the True God.

In modern society, it’s anathema (an evil) to suggest that someone else’s religion is really a lie. For many, it is preferable to allow someone to go to hell unchallenged, than to risk the chance of them becoming offended.

Recently, a kindergarten student was sent home from class because he was having an asthma attack. Unfortunately, he died in the hospital a few hours later. Before school the next day, the principal called a teachers’ meeting to present talking points concerning discussing the child’s death with students. If a teacher was to be asked, “Is he in heaven now?” or other religious questions, teachers were instructed to say “something non-denominational” such as, “Everyone has different ideas and beliefs about what happens when we die. We don’t really know what ‘Johnny’ (not his real name) and his family believe, but he was a good person.”

How sad! At a very teachable moment, Christian teachers are forbidden to discuss anything about heaven and faith with students. With many years of experience in public education, I’ve seen repeatedly that it’s only the Christian teachers that follow the rules and do what they are told to do. Many atheist and agnostic teachers do what they jolly well please and don’t follow guidelines that they don’t like. It is rules like these that try to discourage any discussion of the True God. The lie that anything anyone could ever choose to believe is valid has become the official doctrine of modern society. To believe that only the Lord Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life cannot be allowed or tolerated by the establishment, even though He is the True God. 

November 6

And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
2 Peter 1:19

The lights of the big cities make even basic astronomy difficult to observe. For that reason, modern man knows less about the night sky than the average person did a century ago. One thing, however, is still readily visible even for the least experienced observer – the morning star.

Although three celestial bodies will share the title at different times during the year, a morning star is the last star to be still seen shining as the sun begins to rise. The brightest star in the heavens is Sirius, found in the constellation Canis Major, but in July and August it’s hailed as the morning star. The planets Venus and Mercury also compete for the title at other times during the year.

The Lord Jesus shines in the hearts of believers and that light has gone into very dark places. Its brilliance can be seen through depression and despair. Even during divorce or the loss of a loved one the Savior can be seen. When other points of reference seem to disappear, our Morning Star still shines in His full glory.

Who is this, who comes to meet me,
On the desert way,
As the Morning Star foretelling
God’s unclouded day?
He it is who came to win me,
On the cross of shame;
In His glory well I know Him,
Evermore the same.
                       – Gerhard Tersteegen 1697

*see also Revelation 2:28 and 22:16

November 3

I am the living bread which came down from heaven…
John 6:51

Bread really isn’t alive. It dries out or gets moldy if you don’t take care of it; it’s a lot of work to make and you need an oven to bake it. Wouldn’t it be great if bread could just grow on trees?

Actually, breadfruit does exist and on paper is the perfect food. Its slightly yeasty odor and texture remind people of bread and it is actually very nutritious. It’s a good source of energy and high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. One tree can produce over 400 pounds of fruit a year, so it seems ideal. There is only one problem, it’s almost tasteless. The food has never really caught on, so it fails as living bread.

After the Lord Jesus fed  5,000 people, they hung around until the next day wanting Him to provide breakfast and lunch. He left that place, so they searched for Him, but when they finally found Him, the eatery was closed. He wasn’t there to make bread; He came to the world to be bread, Living Bread.

The bread He offered wasn’t the kind that filled men’s bellies; He came to feed their souls. Here again, there’s a problem with market appeal. People would rather feed their faces than satisfy a hunger and thirst for righteousness.

The fast-food and grocery industries have built  multi-billion dollar businesses counting on people to make poor nutritional decisions. Food high in fats, sugars, and chemicals will kill you, but that doesn’t matter as long as it tastes good.

People walked away from Jesus on the day He offered them living bread. They wanted the kind of bread that can dry out or get moldy, the kind of loaves that get eaten up today and need to be purchased again tomorrow.

Living Bread satisfies the emptiness within a sin-sick soul. It costs no money, produces sustenance within the person, and keeps on satisfying. That’s a much better deal.

October 18