Month: November 2024

Who is this King of glory? The LORD
strong and mighty, The LORD Mighty in Battle.
Psalm 24:8

Bible scholars consider Psalms 22-24 a Messianic trilogy. Psalm 22 presents the agony and death of God’s Suffering Servant, while Psalm 23 shows the love and care of the Good Shepherd right now during the church age. Then comes Psalm 24, showcasing the King of Glory sitting on the throne of David during the Millennial Kingdom. Even the Jewish sages during the time of Christ regarded this Psalm as referring to the Messiah.

The reason for starting this way is because some theologians and groups deny that the above title does or could ever belong to Jesus. This brand of Christianity is so opposed to war and violence that absolutely nothing could ever justify it. Maybe they’d concede that the title above belongs to the God of the Old Testament, but never to their “Sweet Savior meek and mild, wouldn’t hurt a little child.” Sorry, folks; the title is Christ’s! He is the LORD Mighty in Battle.

In Revelation 19, there is a long description of how Christ will come on a white horse leading the whole host of warrior angels to judge and make war on earth “in righteousness” (verse 11). The focus is on Satan and the Beast with his a huge army; they will be obliterated. On that day, good will overcome evil, and the justice of God will be evident.

Reality check – there are a lot of evil, rotten, no good, nasty bad guys out there that would kill you as soon as look at you. They don’t need much of a reason. You’re a Christian; you’re an American; you have more money than them; or they just don’t like you. They are God-haters who are waging war on Christ and His Church.

In times like these, we need to believe in and pray to the LORD Mighty in Battle.

July 23

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:10-11**

Fear falls upon you suddenly when you come face to face with the unexpected or unnatural. You don’t need it or want it, but that is never a consideration.

Shepherds stood minding their own business on a cold winter’s night when the darkness was broken with the glory of the LORD. It would have been a privilege to behold such a sight, had a warning be given, but to encounter the power of God when you are unprepared only produces terror. Beads of sweat formed on the sheep-keepers’ brows, and their knees knocked together as they fell down to the cold ground to hear the good news that the angel came to proclaim.

“Don’t be afraid, a Savior is born,” they were told. It was the only message that could have truly dealt with this fear.

Sin has been controlling mankind with fear ever since Adam tried to hide himself from the LORD in the Garden of Eden. Only a Savior capable of conquering sin could be strong enough to bring peace on earth.

Savior – a majestic title for such a tiny child…
Yet He Himself formed the wood
That now makes up His cradle,
And designed the tree
That will one day be His cross.
                                           – Cindy Maddox

*the first title given to Christ at His birth
**see also Acts 5:31, 13:23; 2 Timothy 1:10; Isaiah 45:21; plus 32 other references

December 2

In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1**

“The Word” – What kind of title is that to give somebody? It’s not so much a description as it is a means to describe. A lot of people might find that a little hard to understand.

Actually, the title denotes the Lord’s mission more than His person. Translated from the Greek word “Logos,” the idea that comes across is that of expression and communication. The Word makes known the thoughts in the mind of a speaker. As such, Jesus is the full Revelation of God as well as the Revealer of God.

Before time began, Christ was already the articulation of all that God is, being God Himself. By coming to earth, He became the embodiment of the divine message to Adam’s race. Just the fact that the Lord was there meant that God was making a statement. The symbols and ceremonies that had served for centuries were no longer needed. The Word became flesh, and people could finally experience God with all distance gone. Holiness, grace, and mercy passed from the realm of the theoretical and were played out for all to see on the little hill of Calvary.

Thou art the Everlasting Word,
The Father’s only Son,
God manifestly seen and heard,
And heav’n’s beloved One.
                         – Josiah Conder (1789-1855)

*This title was exclusively used by the apostle John
**See also John 1:14; 1 John 1:1, 5:7; Revelations 19:13

July 21

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Romans 16:24**

The Lord Jesus Christ is the most complete of all the titles given to the Savior because it speaks of both who He is and what He has done.

“Lord” conveys His majesty and deity. It is a commanding title of authority, position, and power. Every knee will bow before the Lord, and obedience is to be given without question. It places Him above all things and gives Him the preeminence.

“Jesus” was His personal name. From the birth of baby Jesus in Bethlehem to the death of Jesus of Nazareth on the cross of Calvary, the human experience of Christ is portrayed. His disciples called Him by His name in the confidence of friendship, yet He is no less approachable now than He was 2000 years ago.

“Christ” was anointed to fulfill a purpose. He came to earth to destroy the power of sin and death and to restore mankind to fellowship with God. It was only by being fully God and fully man that full redemption could be attained.

Lord Jesus Christ, we seek Thy face;
Within the veil we bow the knee;
Oh, let Thy glory fill the place,
And bless us while we wait on Thee.
                           – Alexander Stewart (1843- 1923)

*The last title of Christ used in the New Testament
**1 Corinthians 1:7; Titus 1:4; 2 Peter 1:8; Revelation 22:21; plus 90 other references

July 20

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying,
“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
Matthew 16:13,14*

It was a title of unbelief spoken by those who still didn’t really know the Savior. It was a form of leveling that put Jesus on par with other well-known religious men.

Yet for all the inadequacies of the title, it was true nonetheless. He was a prophet. If they had only believed it, they could have been saved.

Christ prophesied more about hell and eternal judgment than any other preacher in the Bible. He clearly told of His death on the cross and gave the signs of His second coming.

At the great white throne, Christ can look down on those faithless ones and say, “Your ears didn’t hear the words I said. I spoke of repentance, yet you didn’t change. You know that the Messiah had to suffer, but you were unmoved at my death. I warned you that the Son of Man would come without warning, yet you were unprepared. You called me a prophet, and so I am. Out of your own mouth I will condemn you. Depart from me, you workers of iniquity.”

How sad! At the very least, Jesus was One of the Prophets, but people never bothered to listen to what He had to say.

*see also Mark 8:28; Luke 9:19

July 19

And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, “These things says the Amen, the
Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God…”
Revelation 3:14

When I was a kid, I thought that “amen” was the final word in prayer. It was like a radio operator signing off by saying, “Roger; over and out.” My sister used to think it was a code word meaning, “Open your eyes.” Later, someone told me that it’s like the saying, “So be it.” I can’t help but feel how few people understand the word, much less visualize how Christ is the Amen.

The word really is an exclamation mark which the Lord would use even at the beginning of His teachings. Many times, Christ started His teaching by saying: “Assuredly, I say to you.” The same Greek word can be put at the beginning or end of a statement.

Jesus chose “Amen” as the first and most weighty of His credentials to present to the Laodicean church. Believers there had become wishy-washy in their faith and needed to refocus on the supreme authority of Christ.

Amen says it all; it is superlative. Everything Christ says is true, and by necessity the universe conforms to His utterance. No one else can possibly add anything more or dare claim this title for Himself. In being the Amen, Christ calls the world to attention and is the final word for all eternity. Assuredly, He who has ears – “Open your eyes.”

July 18

For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth.
Job 19:25*

Many ideas that were readily understood centuries ago are almost entirely lost on modern man. Redemption cannot really be understood without a knowledge of slavery. In Christ’s day, with over 75% of the Roman Empire being slaves, the principle was very clear.

A slave was the possession of another. He was born without rights, power, property, or independence. He would die in that same state, and if he had children, the only inheritance he could pass onto them would be his hopelessness.

The only way out of slavery was redemption. A freeman with the cash could purchase the body and soul of a man and then release him as if the money were no big deal. This almost never happened, since the very rich are rarely concerned about those who are not their equals.

Satan was the owner, and mankind was his slave. Christ was the rich man, and since the devil had no use for the monetary units of Earth, the price was life for life (Exodus 21:23). We know that Man was purchased with the blood of the Redeemer (1 Peter 1:19), but why He would even want to do such a thing will be a mystery forever.

Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed through His infinite mercy,
His child, and forever, I am.
                          – Fanny Crosby (1820- 1915)

*See also Psalm 19:14; Isaiah 41:14, 60:16; plus 14 other references

July 17

“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*

All strength + All power + All energy = Almighty. This title focuses on the omnipotence of Christ, making every other mighty thing in our experience appear feeble by comparison.

Strength – Man has magnified his own muscular strength many millions of times through the machinery he is capable of constructing. Big earth-moving equipment can literally move mountains. The huge drag-line cranes found in open pit mines can scoop up and lift twenty tons of ore in a single bucket load. Very impressive. However, the blue whale, a creature of the Lord’s design, hurls five times that weight into the air every time it leaps from the ocean.

Power – The most powerful instrument at man’s disposal is the nuclear bomb, capable of reducing an entire city to rubble. The thousands of such weapons found in arsenals around the world can destroy human civilization many times over. However, even if every one of these big firecrackers were to go off, they could only scorch the surface of the planet. Christ has the power to melt down all the elements of earth with just the words of His mouth (2 Peter 3:10).

Energy – Every form of energy found on earth can be directly or ultimately traced back to the sun. It warms the world and energizes living things. However, there are stars that are so gigantic that they could hold one hundred million of our suns within each of them. When these finally burn out, Christ can make more. After all, He is Almighty.

*also 48 Old Testament references, including 31 in the book of Job

July 16

For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens;
Hebrews 7:26

Separate from sinners – what does that mean, exactly? It can’t mean that Jesus was physically apart from sinners, because He wasn’t. He touched lepers, ate with those of dubious reputation, and graciously let a repentant prostitute wash his feet with her hair. Christ was the Spiritual Physician who did house calls for chronically sin-sick souls.

The Lord never sinned in thought or deed even though He came to a world contaminated by sin. His holiness set Him apart in glaring contrast to sinners around Him, and the closeness of His righteousness convicted them of their sin and drove them to repentance.

When my wife and I first went down to South America as missionaries, we lived in the small town of Shell Mera. There were a missionary hospital, a Christian school, two missionary aviation groups, and maybe 30 Christian workers. Five miles away was the city of Puyo, where most of the shopping was done. In between the two places were three houses of prostitution. The practice was legal there.

Since we would pass these places repeatedly in the time we lived there, my wife, Carol, became very burdened for the souls of these women. She asked around about what outreach had been done for these ladies of the night, and none ever had been. She asked several missionary ladies if they would go with her to give them literature and invite them to a Bible study, but none would. They were worried about having an appearance of evil.

Finally, an older Ecuadorian lady, who was extremely poor, agreed to go with Carol, and they met with several of the prostitutes in the Christian woman’s small wooden shack.

They met together a number of times before we received a letter from our commending church in the States advising Carol to stop her visits. However, the letter came too late; the damage was already done…to the stronghold of Satan! Five of the “ladies” got saved, left their profession, and returned to their homes. Praise God for slow international mail service!

(Very soon after that, we moved to an Indian village deep inside the jungle, so no further outreach was done.)

July 14

Who has believed our report? And to whom
has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
Isaiah 53:1*

Some years ago, a picture appeared on the sports page of the heavyweight boxing champion holding his newborn baby. What was impressive about this photo was the man’s arms – massive, muscular, clearly instruments of hurt. Yet with all the power they conveyed, they offered comfort and tenderness to the tiny infant cradled within them.

The Old Testament mentions both God’s “outstretched arm” (Deuteronomy 26:8) and the “arm of His strength” (Isaiah 62:8). He can nurture and console as a compassionate father or fight as an invisible warrior. How the Arm of the LORD is revealed depends solely on whether an individual is a member of the family, or an enemy of God.

The gospel of John explains that Christ is the personification of this ancient title. He has the power and might to defeat the devil and all of His followers, yet He offers compassion to embrace, uphold, and heal. Only at Calvary when these lovely arms were stretched out in pain was the Arm of the LORD most fully revealed – conquering sin and death and loving mankind all at the same time.

Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine Arm alone,
And our defense is sure.
                              – Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

*See also Isaiah 51:9, 62:8; John 12:38

July 13