Category: Uncategorized

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you
will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
Philippians 1:6

It’s probably just me, but when I read the title and verse above, the word “circumlocution” comes to mind. That means using a whole lot of words to say something that could be said in just a few.

Now, it’s not the same as rambling, because that usually gets off-topic. Circumlocution is on-topic, but verbose.

With that said, I put a lot of thought into trying to condense the title He who has begun a good work in you and I couldn’t come up with anything that was an exact fit. The closest I got was “I.T. guy.”

An I.T. guy is a person who works with Information Technology (i.e., computers) and sets you up with all the software you need to get everything started. Once that’s done, he’s just a phone call away whenever the computer crashes or gets sick with a virus. You have confidence that he’ll be there to complete the job until the day the warranty runs out.

Christ began the good work of salvation in the lives of every believer, but His work and relationship with each continues on a daily basis. He cleans, sanctifies, and glorifies each saint as they go on in their daily walk of faith. This relationship is not only continuous, but progressively gets better until either the Christian dies and enters glory or the church is raptured.

Well, my explanation of the title He who has begun a good work in you has become somewhat circumlocutious, not to mention a little garrulous and pedantic. I should have just given my paraphrase of the verse instead: “Being confident of this very thing, that Christ’s got ya covered” (Philippians 1:6 RKV).

September 1

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just
and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
Luke 2:25

It could have been worse, but then again, it could have been a whole lot better. The year Jesus was born, most of the Jewish people were living in part of the pagan Roman Empire, and those living in Jerusalem were under the control of the wicked King Herod. He was an Edomite, a descendant of Esau whom God had cursed, and not of Jewish ancestry. He had allied Himself with Marc Anthony during the Parthian war, so the Roman Senate declared him king and gave him soldiers to seize the throne. Herod was paranoid of losing his power and executed a number of his sons, whom he suspected of plotting against him. The Emperor Augustus once joked, “It is better to be Herod’s pig than his son.”

The glory years of Israel were a millennium in the past, and there hadn’t been a descendant of David on the throne for six hundred years. The Jewish people felt forsaken and forgotten by God.

But God hadn’t forgotten His people. He took note of a man named Simeon who was actively praying and waiting for the Lord’s Christ, the Consolation of Israel. He wasn’t satisfied with the status quo and was ready for God to do something. The Lord was also ready to radically change things, so He allowed Simeon to see and hold the baby Jesus, the promised Messiah.

The Savior came to His own, but He became a rejected king. Another two thousand years have gone by without the promises of God to the Jewish people being fulfilled. It is true that the nation of Israel has been reborn, but Jerusalem has no peace. Terrorism and the threat of nuclear annihilation make many still long for the Consolation of Israel.

The Jewish people cannot really be consoled or comforted until they acknowledge Jeshua (Jesus) as their Mashiach (Messiah). Christians need to be continually in prayer for the peace of Jerusalem and the salvation of the Jewish people.

September 19

But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.
Malachi 4:2

Here is an astronomical title on the order of morning star and dayspring. It makes us look to the heavens to see things we’ve seen many times before and then relate that to the character of Christ.

The sun not only radiates light and warmth, but is the source of life for everything on the green planet. Without the sun, plants would be unable to carry on photosynthesis which produces food for all living things and without global warming, all water would be ice and nothing could survive. Sunshine is so intense that it will sunburn the retinas of anyone who looks directly at it. Light also reveals the colors and patterns of everything in God’s creation.

Jesus Christ is hailed as the Sun of Righteousness. Just as Earth’s star is the source of all light, the Lord is the source of righteousness to a world of sinful men. The Bible declares, “As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one’” (Romans 3:10). Even the little goodness we have on our own is gross in the eyes of God: “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6).

In the Old Testament, God told the city of Jerusalem, “For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, And her salvation as a lamp that burns” (Isaiah 62:1). In the New Testament we see the source of that righteousness; “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God — and righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

Natural sunlight has great therapeutic value. Depression, scabies, and even rickets greatly improve by going outside into bright light. Jesus rises as the Sun of Righteousness with healing in His wings for a sin-sick world, because He is able to disinfect our human nature by irradiating it with His sinless perfection. That indeed is a glorious Son Rise. 

November 1

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation……
And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
Colossians 1:15,17

Big things, little things, fat things, skinny things, things that wiggle and squirm; the Lord Jesus made them all. Whether by chronological order or by importance, Christ is before them all.

How did God work up to creating a universe from nothing? Did He start with an atom or a star? Since neither existed before creation, the LORD might have started with the idea and then applied the physics. But gravity and laws of physics didn’t exist either, so maybe He invented those first. Did He make a rough draft of the solar systems or did he experiment with gravity to get the mass to distance ratio just right?

One thing for sure, He had plenty of time to work and get it right. Eternity before creation is just as long as “forevermore” will be after the earth melts with a fervent heat.

Before the universe began, God created the angels and heavenly host, as well as establishing His eternal throne. Lucifer and a band of renegade angels rebelled against the Almighty and they were cast out of heaven. Oh yes, there’s at least one other thing that happened before all things; my name was written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Ephesians 1:4). Thank you Lord Jesus for saving me!

As firstborn over all creation, Christ was there before all things were made. “All things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16). He assembled the atoms and in Him “all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17 NIV).

As the Blessed and only Potentate, King of kings and Lord of  Lords, Jesus outranks everyone else. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a president or pope, seraph or cherub, principality or archangel, God the Son is  Before All Things. It doesn’t matter what that something is. It can be life or death, angels or principalities or powers, things present or things to come, height or depth or any created thing (Romans 8:38-39): Everything pales  before Christ who is Before All Things. 

November 22

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

He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Isaiah 8:14

Wichita, Kansas was a wild west town that was settled in the area just north of where the Big and Little Arkansas rivers come together. Like most of Kansas, this area is flat and since it lies between two rivers, the sandy ground is about 40 ft. deep on top of the bed rock. This was great for a pioneer settlement because it meant that the water table wasn’t deep and wells could easily be dug in the soft soil.

The section of the city with these cowboy roots is called Old Town and we own a house there that is now 110 years old. It’s not on any historical register, but it is certainly on the city inspector’s radar for old buildings he wants to keep his eye on. On one such inspection, every house on the block got a notice to repair their sidewalks. Shifting sands under the surface had made them buckle and the city declared them dangerous. They were stones of stumbling and the powers in charge told us to remove them.

The Lord Jesus is and always has been a stumbling block to those who reject Him. They find Him offensive, distasteful, politically incorrect, and intolerable. They want Him gone from their sight and their hearing. They’ll use legal action if necessary to remove this nuisance.

Churches and individual Christians are being sued in record numbers, because enemies of the cross of Christ find it profitable to bring those who would desire to live godly to financial ruin. They want anything promoting the Savior removed from the public square. They won’t walk around it, they want Him totally removed, because Christ Jesus is their Stone of Stumbling.

*see also Romans 9:32,33; 1 Peter 2:8

November 4

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
1 Peter 2:4

Choosing and rejecting go hand in hand. Whether it’s a new car or a brand of deodorant, once a buyer has selected what he wants, he’s rejected all the competition. In matters of faith, it all comes down to what a person is going to do with Christ: choose Him or reject Him.

Judas Iscariot wanted money more than the Savior. The mob outside the governor’s palace held a demonstration to get a murderer released while shouting down Jesus. Pontius Pilate condemned an innocent man to death, choosing political expediency instead. That’s the way it has been throughout the centuries. Multitudes have sold the Lord short, choosing rather things of dubious value.

Making bad decisions always has consequences. Some people pay thousands of dollars more than others for the same make and model of car, because they trusted their salesman to be honest. Believing a lie is usually linked with making bad decisions. This world claims to offer more benefits than can be found in Christ Jesus, but that is a deception that keeps people out of heaven.

The only real reason that people reject the Master for something else is that they don’t see His value; they don’t know He is Precious.

The enemies of God lie to us about what really matters. They have rejected Christ and the eternal life He offers. They go about trying to deceive others, but don’t understand that they themselves have been deceived (2 Timothy 3:13). How can they refuse the most valuable gift in the universe? The answer is simple. They believed a lie and rejected the truth. The Savior continues to be Rejected by Men.

November 5

…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

…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

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