Author: rickkhol

Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And
the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show
His servants the things which must shortly take place.
Revelation 22:6

Old Testament prophecy is hard to get a handle on. It is often disjointed, mixing the first and second comings of Christ in the same chapter, and sometimes even in the same verse. It often gives visions and allegories that aren’t literal, so the actual meaning is unclear. After the prophecy is fulfilled, though, it can finally be understood. These prophets got glimpses of things they didn’t understand, but preached it or wrote it down, even though they were clueless to its meaning. They were given the sacred responsibility of conveying God’s word to His people, so they blindly obeyed out of fear of the Awesome God they served.

Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the others saw images of God that the rest of humanity weren’t privileged enough to see. The experience was sometimes so terrifying that they’d fall to the ground like dead men. In many of these cases, they were seeing the pre-incarnate Christ. He is the Lord God of the Holy Prophets.

Now that much of the prophecy is fulfilled and the whole canon of scripture is given, believers today have a much better understanding of God, His Messiah, His will, and what is going on in Old Testament prophesy, than even the prophets who wrote it. Although those seers were very privileged in their day, above all their peers, the average, run-of-the-mill believer who came during or after the life of Jesus of Nazareth was blessed to a far greater degree. The Lord Himself told His disciples: “…Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it” (Luke 10:23,24).

In the last chapter of Revelation, the Apostle John is touring the New Jerusalem at the end of time. All the promises and prophesies that were ever written in God’s word are now fulfilled, and Christ stands before the holy men of God who were used to record scripture. He then reveals Himself to them as the Lord God of the Holy Prophets.

December 30 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

Only Begotten Son – One of the better known titles of Christ because it is used in perhaps the most-memorized verse of scripture. Actually, it occurs only four times in the Bible and was penned only by the Apostle John. Although the phrase is very familiar, what does it really mean?

Early in church history, there were heretics who reasoned that if Christ was begotten, he had a beginning, so He is something less than the eternal God. There are plenty of people who believe this today, and they’re still wrong.

To try to correct this, the Nicene creed, written in AD 325, tries to define “begotten.” This early doctrinal statement declares Christ to be “eternally begotten of the Father” and “true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.” This refuted the heresy that Jesus was merely a “God Jr.” or “God, the Sequel.” Rather, Christ was the eternal God revealed in a human body.

The word in the Greek for only begotten is “monogenes,” which can also be translated “sole” or “one and only.” The idea here is that Christ is unique. He wasn’t one of many sons of God, but the one and only Son. The Word becoming flesh, God manifested in flesh, and Only Begotten Son are three ways of describing this unique miracle of incarnation.

False teachers today do what they have been doing throughout the centuries. They redefine terms, plug a new phrase back into the verse, and try to make it say what it doesn’t. John 3:16 means exactly what we thought it did the first time we heard it and believed it. God loves us and gives us eternal life through His Only Begotten Son.

*see also John 1:18, 3:18; 1 John 4:9

December 29 

The things which you learned and received and heard and
saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:9*

“The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). To know the peace of God is to know the Savior. He is the God of Peace.

The earliest mention of the coming God of Peace came in Jacob’s blessing of his son Judah. The patriarch foretold that: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh [i.e. the peacemaker] comes” (Genesis 49:10).

The peace offering was one of the five main Old Testament sacrifices offered to God. Everything about it is a type of the Lord Jesus. This freewill offering was an animal chosen from the flock or herd that was without defect and given to God as an act of worship. The offerer would receive a portion of the meat while enjoying fellowship with God (see Leviticus 3:1-17). The Lord gave Himself freely to bring peace to men.

700 years before the Babe was born in Bethlehem, Isaiah prophesied: “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given […] and His name will be called […] Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Then, when the actual fulfillment took place, a huge chorus of angels sang to a small group of frightened shepherds, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”(Luke 2:14).

When Christ was in the upper room with His disciples, He made a promise to them: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

The Prince of Peace is hailed as “Our Peace” in Ephesians 2:14 because He has broken down the barrier that divided the Jewish and Gentile peoples. He is also the “Lord of Peace” who is with us always and continuously grants us peace in every circumstance (2 Thessalonians 3:16). Jesus came into this world to give peace to the troubled of heart and mind. He is the God of Peace.

*see also Romans 15:33, 16:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; and Hebrews 13:20

December 28 

For with You is the fountain of life…
Psalm 36:9

Several years ago, one of my boys gave me a small, ceramic fountain for Christmas. It was in the shape of a mountain scene, with water moving from a top pond down a three-inch waterfall, into a second pool, and dropping another short distance into a third little lake. The sound of it was relaxing, so I kept it in the corner of my office and let it run, non-stop. However, the work of recycling a pint of water hundreds of times a day was too much for the little electric pump, so it burned out within a year.

This experience made me appreciate the engineering of ancient fountains that had no moving parts, operated using gravity, and kept running for centuries. Some fountains in Athens and Corinth operate from aqueducts and date back to the 6^th Century B.C. There is evidence that the Sumerian culture had them as early as 2000 B.C.

David plainly understood the fountain principle of a well-spring of water shooting up and giving life and energy. The prophet Zechariah also used a fountain analogy to foreshadow the Messiah: “In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness” (Zechariah 13:1). The image presented is God’s abundant, overflowing provision to cleanse His people from the contamination of sin. This provision was made available by Christ’s sacrificial death on a cross.

In the New Testament, Jesus asked for a drink of water from a Samaritan woman He met at the well in the town of Sychar. He explained to her: “…Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:13-14).

Only Christ can satisfy and fill the thirsty soul, because He alone is the Fountain of eternal life.

December 27 

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”
Genesis 3:15

The words above come from the LORD’s curse on the serpent after the fall of Man in the Garden of Eden. The identification of the “Seed of the Woman” with Christ Jesus goes a long way back to at least the teachings of Irenaeus, a second-century church father and apologist. For centuries, it has been hailed as the earliest reference to the Messiah in the Bible and is considered a legitimate name of Christ.

The interpretation of God’s pronouncement of judgment on the devil was that the Savior dealt a death blow to the “old serpent” at Golgotha, the place of the skull. Satan’s doom was sealed at that point, even though when Jesus died as a substitute for sinful man, the devil stuck Him at His heel when His feet were nailed to the cross. Christ rose from the dead and broke the evil one’s claim over death. Lucifer has not and will never recover from his defeat at Mount Calvary.

It’s important to note that victory over the devil came through the Seed of the Woman and not the seed of man or Adam’s seed. Jesus was virgin-born, and so had no human father. He was God’s Son. In giving this very first recorded title of Christ, God eliminated every other man born on earth.

Verily God, yet become truly human
Lower than angels – to die in our stead;
How hast Thou, long-promised “Seed of the Woman”
Trod on the serpent and bruised his head!
                               – H. D’Arcy Champney (1854-1942)

December 26 

And they came with haste and found Mary
and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
Luke 2:16*

When my family lived in Ecuador, S.A., Christmas was a big deal, especially in the underdeveloped rural area where we lived. There, the people were so poor that almost no one got presents, but each school child in the country did receive a small bag of candy sent in from the governor of each province. Christmas there was not December 25, but whatever day the grade-schoolers had their program and the goodie-bags were handed out.

In the jungle, the schools almost always presented a living Nativity. An open-front thatched-roof hut was made with bamboo poles. The stable was full of animals (chickens, turtles, monkeys, iguanas, and dogs). School children played the roles of Mary, Joseph, angels, wise men, and shepherds, and the school teachers surveyed the audience to find a suitable “volunteer” for baby Jesus.

The babe that was chosen was usually a newborn wrapped in swaddling. This not only served as a diaper, but the tightly wound length of cloth made the infant feel secure so he’d sleep for hours. The new candidate for baby Jesus was laid in a box of fresh banana leaves, where he lay quietly until the commotion of the program was over. He was supposed to be the main attraction of the day, but was almost forgotten when candy was given out.

Bethlehem’s Babe, too, is often overlooked with all the distractions of the holiday season. The focus of Christmas day is usually under the tree and not in the manger, where the Savior of the World was laid, where the incarnate God was sleeping. Angels announced Him as Christ the Lord and shepherds worshiped before Him. He was Immanuel, God with us, in the body of a Babe.

*see also Luke 2:12

December 25 

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
Genesis 49:10

This curious title of Christ is taken from Jacob’s blessing of his sons shortly before his death. In affirming Judah, the patriarch promises that he’ll give rise to the kingly tribe and that position will continue until the coming of Shiloh, the peacegiver. Long before the coming of Christ, ancient rabbis acknowledged that this single reference to Shiloh was a messianic title.

The word, however, does appear repeatedly in the Old Testament, but in a very different context. Shiloh was the resting place of the tabernacle after the conquest of Canaan. Burnt offerings were given there and Days of Atonement observed. However, the supposed place of peace was given over to immorality and idolatry, so God cursed it (Jeremiah 26:6). The destruction of Shiloh was so complete, that its location was forgotten for about 2,500 years. It was rediscovered by archaeologists in the 19^th century, but that Shiloh never brought peace.

Since Shiloh is an unusual title of Christ, Christians considered it an interesting name to give to their churches. The most famous of these was the Shiloh Methodist Meeting House of Pittsburgh Landing, Tennessee. For two days in April 1862, Union and Confederate troops fought around the grounds of the little log cabin church. 24,000 men were either killed or wounded in what was the most tragic battle fought in the Civil War up to that date. That Shiloh also brought no peace.

When the true Shiloh came to His own people the first time, He was rejected; His own wouldn’t receive Him. They cried out for the crucifixion of the Prince of Peace and refused to let Him rule over them. At that point, the scepter and the lawgiver departed from Judah. The Middle East has been without a peacegiver for two millennia. Israel, the church, and the world still wait.

Even so, come Lord Jesus. Come Shiloh, come.

December 24 

If he brings a lamb as his sin offering, […] Then he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill it as a sin offering at the place where they kill the burnt offering.
Leviticus 4:32-33

My memories of the special children’s gospel meetings in the 1950’s were that all the evangelists wore suits and ties and did “chalk talks,” where they drew pictures at the same time that they preached. One vivid image that I still carry in my mind is a picture of a little lamb lying dead on an altar of stones. A small river of blood flowed down the rocks and onto the ground below. The preacher used special chalk, so when the chapel lights were turned off and the black light came on, the drawing changed. In the background, we could see a cross, and at the bottom of the paper, the words “Sin Offering” were written in red as if they were formed from the blood of the lamb.

As a child, I thought that only lambs could be used for a sin offering. Later, I found out that bulls, goats, and even pigeons could be used, depending on who sinned (priests and leaders had to give more costly sacrifices for their sins). Another thing I learned was that this ceremony only covered unintentional sin (Leviticus 4:27). If a person sinned willfully and knew that he was breaking God’s command, no atonement or forgiveness was given.

Perhaps the most surprising thing I learned from studying Leviticus 4 was that the sinner had to kill his own lamb; the priest didn’t do it for him. The person would put his hands on the head of the animal and confess his sins before killing his sacrifice. This would make “the wages of sin is death”(Romans 6:23) real and show the sinner clearly that a substitute was needed so he could live.

Jesus Christ is our wonderful Sin Offering who took away our sins: Past, present, and future. He took away the sins we did without thinking, as well as those done in purposeful rebellion. The Savior died so that we might live. Jesus not only deserves a “thank you”; He deserves our willing obedience.

December 23 

Blessed be the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands
for war, and my fingers for battle – my lovingkindness
and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer…
Psalm 144:1,2

“Fortress” titles are common in the Psalms of David. The constant running for his life kept David’s adrenaline flowing and stress levels high. The only way that he could cope was to remember that he was in God’s will and God was in charge. Since that was the case, David was safe; he could rest in his high tower.

Medieval castles were built in stages. The very first part to be constructed was the “keep.” This was a very strong, very tall central tower located in the middle of what would be the castle complex. Once it was completed, work on the outer walls, gates, inner buildings, and moat could begin. This high tower allowed watchmen to see enemies coming from a distance, but was also a stronghold of defense even before more complete fortifications could be established.

Believers are able to rest in the Lord Jesus, just like David was able to trust in the LORD. Jesus said: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). The stress and crush of the opposition of the world is manageable because the Lord Himself is a wall to keep the enemies of God from bringing down Christ’s servants.

Abiding in the will of God allows the child of God to see sin approaching from far away. This gives us plenty of time to avoid it, along with all the heartache that comes with it. In the High Tower of Christ Jesus, the believer is elevated up and above the fray of the commonplace so that heaven itself doesn’t feel like it’s that far away.

December 22 

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:11

There are two unusual facts about this title. The first is that it occurs only once in scripture. The second is that it came from a non-human source.

Lots of preachers and hymn writers use the phrase Christ the Lord. That makes sense since it is a title combination of two of the most common names of God’s Son. In the Bible, it is only proclaimed at the birth of the Savior.

This announcement of the Messiah’s birth emphasized the most significant event in human history, or in the history of the universe, for that matter. God Almighty took on human form and even experienced childbirth to be able to reach His fallen creation. It made sense that the angel of the Lord would announce it backed up by a great celestial chorus. The surprising thing was that those who heard the news weren’t the movers and shakers of the world, but poor, cold, and frightened shepherds. The Who’s Who of the world weren’t worthy to receive the announcement that proclaimed a name found nowhere else in the Word of God.

The heavenly messenger proclaimed that Christ the Lord was born. The first part acknowledged that God’s anointed had finally arrived. By calling Him “Lord,” the angel acknowledged that He was the boss and commander-in-chief of every angel present that day.

Christ the Lord is risen on high!
Sing ye heav’ns, and earth reply
He endured the cross, the grave,
Sinners to redeem and save.
                                         – Unknown

December 21