Month: October 2024

And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS
AND LORD OF LORDS.
Revelation 19:16*

The Bible is the full revelation of God to His people, so that all those who love the Lord also love His Word. I’m not surprised at the great and precious things that I find fresh and new every time I read the Word, even though I’ve gone through “The Book” many times before.

One thing that does surprise me is some of the stuff that has gotten in. God’s written down some things that don’t seem very important to me and I don’t know how to process it. Take Genesis 36, for example, where the genealogy of Esau is given. These men became chieftains and kings of Edom, dozens of them, all with names that are hard to pronounce. These kings lived and reigned long before Israel ever got to their Promised Land and since Edom was later cursed by God, no descendants of that nation exist today. I mean, really, who cares? Obviously, God does, because He wrote it down in His book.

God keeps a lot of lists. Just read First Chronicles. There are lists of Levites, priests, singers, and doorkeepers. In heaven, there’s a list of every person’s sins and the Lamb’s Book of Life catalogs all those going to heaven. Somewhere in all that paperwork of heaven is a complete listing of all the kings that ever lived on earth. Since every king ultimately receives his power and authority from God, one day they’ll have to settle accounts with Him.

At the Great White Throne, there will be kings of Edom, Rome, Greece, Persia, and Babylon. Every monarch that ever lived will be present and, when the signal is given, every one of them will bow the knee and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. All the proud and mighty will humble themselves before the true King of kings.

* see also 1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14.

May 30

Now a great sign appeared in heaven…
Revelations 12:1

Abbreviations come in handy when there’s a lot to write down.  They’re also helpful to keep from revealing a secret or a forbidden word.  Such is the case with this title of Christ.

The Greek letter for “ch” is Chi and looks like an English X.  Rho sounds like “r” but is written like an English P. They form the first two letters of Christ.

During times of Roman persecution, Christians used symbols that could be recognized by other believers and overlooked by the authorities. The Chi-Rho,  , identified a person with Christ.

In the dawn of the fourth century, the Emperor Maxentius began the last purge of Christians.  Every believer in the empire was to be put to death without mercy or exception. All provincial rulers had to enforce this edict, yet there was one who refused.

Constantine was a pagan, but his mother, Helena, was a Christian. Since there was no persecution in Gaul, many believers fled there. Constantine was summoned to Rome to answer for his disobedience and he went, taking his troops. The little army left knowing that they were outnumbered ten to one. On the way, Christian soldiers began swelling Constantine’s rank and by the time they got to Rome they were only outnumbered three to one. The day before the battle, Constantine looked at the sun and saw a  in the rays of light and tradition says he heard a voice saying, “In this sign you will conquer”. A  was painted on every shield.

When the battle was joined, Maxentius’ huge army melted before Constantine. Panic ensued as thousands of men retreated across a pontoon bridge. The little boats that were tied together soon fell apart. Everyone wore heavy armor, so when Maxentius and most of his troops fell into the Tiber river, they soon drowned. The river killed more than the sword.

Constantine became the undisputed emperor of Rome that day and persecution of the saints came to an abrupt end.  Seeing the , even the most devout pagan had to admit that there was something special about the name of Christ.    

May 29

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to god must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
 Hebrews 11:6

“By faith Moses . . . refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter . . . esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.”  (Hebrews 11:24 & 26).

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose”, Jim Elliot, modern martyr.

Judges, kings and prophets . . . “who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions . . . Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection.”  (Hebrews 11:33 & 35).

“They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goat skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented –”  (Hebrews 11:37).

“—Of whom the world was not worthy”, (God’s opinion of them – Hebrews 11:38).

“You can’t out give God”, (that famous Greek philosopher, Anonymous).

“The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge”, (Boaz, talking to Ruth – Ruth 2:12).

“But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just” , (Jesus of Nazareth – Luke 14:18)

“If you believe, all things are possible to him who believes”,  (Jesus to the father of an epileptic son who needed healing – (Mark 9:23).

“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief”, (The dad’s response – Mark 9:24).

“Oh, LORD, me, too.  I want to be faithful to the very end”,  (Rick Khol, martyr wannabe).

 

May 28

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself,
lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
Hebrews 12:3

I don’t like hassles, arguments or confrontations, so I avoid them whenever possible. I even avoid potential problems, so I’ll send my wife in to get directions at the gas station or hand her the phone when it’s a telemarketer. Angry encounters are worse, because when I’m yelled at, I usually yell back, so I lose the argument before it’s even begun.

Now, compare that with the Lord Jesus. He left the grandeur of heaven, where He was worshiped, to come to a world filled with injustice, violence, and greed. He was “despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). The Lord refused to speak in court when he was falsely accused, so His adversaries continued to curse, insult, and malign Him Who Endured Such Hostility.

This name of Christ reveals the great depth of character of the Savior. He didn’t put up with the verbal abuse of sin because he had to; Jesus did it because He wanted to. That’s a big difference. Homeless people walk places not because they want to, but because they have no choice. The Son of God wasn’t a victim of the evil in this world, but he chose to conquer wickedness by taking it on Himself.

The writer to the Hebrews explains why Christ put up with such antagonism from His own creation. He did it for believers, for us. We all know how weary and discouraged we get when we become the focus of loathing and disrespect. Jesus conquered all that by rising above it. We can also overcome the insults, if we can just take the time to reflect on Him Who Endured Such Hostility from sinners.

May 27

When his offering is a sacrifice of a peace offering, if he offers it of the herd, whether male or female,
he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD.
Leviticus 3:1

God enjoys celebrating with His people. He gave them feasts and festivals and even today the Jewish people are known for their food. He gave them a land of milk and honey, but it also produced great harvests of grains, fruit, and livestock.

Without refrigeration, meat was hard to keep, so it wasn’t on the menu every day; it was special. When an animal from the herd (beef) or flock (goat meat or mutton) was to be slaughtered, it was taken to the Tabernacle or Temple, because the blood and the fat belonged to the LORD. When the fat sizzled on the altar it gave off a “sweet aroma” to God (Leviticus 4:31). The right foreleg was a heave offering to God, but the officiating priest got to keep it as payment for his services. The rest of the meat was for the owner to enjoy as he wished.

The peace offering was the most common and least restrictive of all the sacrifices. It could be any clean animal without defect (male or female didn’t matter), whatever someone had a taste for. Different kinds of breads were also a part of this fellowship dinner. Since everything had to be eaten in two days (it wouldn’t be safe to eat it much more after that), the peace offering was a good excuse for a party. Neighbors and friends would be invited and people looked for excuses to celebrate. If I invited friends to help me eat 500 pounds of beef in two days, they would probably do the same for me when they had a peace offering. That principle naturally nurtured hospitality, generosity, and fellowship.

The Prince of Peace became our Peace Offering to enjoy with the family of God. He is our Lamb of God, our Bread of Life, and our Companion and Friend “…therefore let us keep the feast…” (1 Corinthians 5:8). 

May 26

And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.
God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
1 John 4:16

“Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so” (Anna B. Wanney, 1860). Most everyone associates Jesus as one who loves, but not everyone sees Him in the verse above. Many people, when they come across the G word in the Bible, just assume it’s talking about God the Father and not the Son. God is love, but is it a name of Christ?

God is Love no matter how He shows Himself, but this verse shows clearly that God the Son is the personification of Love. John said that he had known and believed this love that God had for mankind. He specifically chooses two words that he also uses repeatedly in referring to Christ. This is called “linkage.”

The Apostle talks about abiding in love and abiding in Christ. This expression calls to mind the Lord’s discourse of the true vine in John’s gospel chapter 15 where He says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me” (verse 4). Christ goes on to say “abide in my love” (verse 9). Referring to other writings like this is called “allusion.”

When 1 John chapter 4 is seen in overview, the pieces fit together. “Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God” (verse 7). “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” (verse 9). “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” (verse 15). “And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also” (verse 21). When surrounding verses work together to establish a point, it’s known as “context.” In this case, “God is love” = “Jesus is love.”

Christ is the embodiment of love. When you look at Him with the eyes of faith, you can see Love. Since love is emotion and feeling, it’s complex and difficult to define. However, if you know the Savior, you truly know what love is, because Jesus is Love.

May 25

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone…”
Isaiah 28:16

Rocks differ from one another in color, hardness, and composition. However, even the same variety of rock from the same quarry can vary in quality. Unseen hairline cracks within a big block of stone can eventually break it apart once it is part of a load-bearing wall. For that reason, the huge building blocks that were to be used in the Temple were shaped in one place and then transported many miles to the construction site. The movement over dirt roads would jostle and vibrate the heavy stones enough that the inferior building material would never survive the journey. Each block that made it through this testing was considered a tried stone.

When Christ came to this world 2,000 years ago, He didn’t arrive untested. Many times before, God had physically manifested Himself to His people. The second person of the Trinity was in the burning bush before Moses, appeared as the Commander of the LORD’s army to Joshua, and protected Shadrach and crew in the fiery furnace as the Son of God.

Before the Jewish leaders rejected Him as their Messiah, He demonstrated His power and authority to them. He did things that only the LORD’s Anointed could do; the lame walked, the blind could see, and the dead came to life again (Matthew 11:5). But it wasn’t just His works that proved that He was the Christ. Other witnesses that testified of the Son of God were John the Baptist, God the Father, and scripture itself (John 5:36-47).

The Lord Jesus became the cornerstone and sure foundation of the assembly of God’s people. He came not just stating His claim, but proving to those who had ears to hear that He was the precious and Tried Stone that Isaiah prophesied would come. 

May 24

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
Romans 8:16,17

OK, if you want to be technical, this title refers to Christians and not the Lord. However, if we are joint heirs with Jesus, then He is a Joint Heir with us. The title is a legitimate name of Christ.

The idea is that the children of God will share with Christ everything that is God’s. Now, if Jesus got 50% of the total and the rest was divided between every believer, calculated out, that means even the lowliest saint would at least get a galaxy or two.

That sounds great at first, but stars and planets would have no worth if everyone had them. The title conveys that the Master shares with us things that are of far greater value. He gives us His glory, His power, and His position before God.

As Joint Heir, Christ shares with me His glory: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

As Joint Heir, the Lord shares His power: “So Jesus said to them, “… if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20). “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father” (John 14:12).

As Joint Heir, Christ shares with us His position with God: “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!…” (1 John 3:1). “…by which He made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6).

May 23

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,”
says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Revelation 1:8*

By the time a child loses his two front teeth, he is expected to know his letters from A to Z. This simple achievement offers a lifetime of benefits. It is the vehicle to a whole new world of literature, information, and ideas. Letters combine to make words, words form language, and language expresses the thoughts and feelings of the soul.

When Christ claimed to be the Alpha and Omega (the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet), He was in effect declaring Himself to be the whole revelation of God – the divine communication medium to the human race.

Everything that we will ever know about the Almighty is through Jesus Christ. He is the image of the invisible God, the personification of divine love and the supreme example of holiness. Glory, grace and righteousness are only abstract concepts until they are expressed to us through Christ. He says it all.

The world cannot contain the books that could be written about the Lord Jesus. There aren’t enough trees for paper, or even enough carbon to make the ink. But heaven contains the Alpha and Omega, and with eternity, there is time enough to declare who He really is.

*see also Revelation 1:11, 21:6, 22:13

May 22

And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Colossians 1:18*

The reality that Jesus rose from the dead is one of the most important tenants of the Christian faith. Because Christ rose from the dead, all true believers have the hope and assurance of resurrection, which is based on the fact that the Lord is the Firstborn from the Dead.

Unfortunately, many don’t understand this title, because Jesus wasn’t the very first to rise from the dead. Both Elijah and Elisha brought someone back from death and a cadaver also came to life where it touched Elisha’s bones. Christ also resurrected three people before coming back to life Himself.

The title doesn’t refer to chronological order but to legal right. The firstborn is the heir. He owns it and can give it to others as He wishes. Life, the power of resurrection, and immortality belong to the Lord and those who rose from the grave before Jesus did so by His power and authority. He always has the preeminence.

Yes! He came from heaven,
Suffered in our stead;
Praise to Him be given,
“Firstborn from the Dead!”
Jesus, meek and lowly,
Come the lost to save;
He the victim holy
Triumphed o’re the grave.
                     Hanna K. Burlingham (1842-1901)

*see also Revelations 1:5

May 21