A Glimpse Of The Shekinah

Before Christ ascended, only Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and the inner circle of James, John, and Peter had had a glimpse of the glory of God at the Transfiguration as far as the Bible says, but it was also partially viewed at the Ascension.  But the doctrine of the Ascension is very neglected in churches (though 1 Tim. 3:16 mentions it as a central confession of the church) but it is also hidden in the glory of God.  Jesus doesn't just reflect the glory of God like the moon reflects the light of the sun, but is the glory of God.  He temporarily set it aside and hid it during His humiliation when He emptied Himself on earth but when His work was done, He took His rightful place at the right hand of the Father--the place of authority for all authority had been given Him.  This was akin to a coronation in heaven and His homecoming.

Jesus, as the King of kings and Lord of lords, would have jurisdiction over all spiritual, human, and governmental authority.  He then authorized the Holy Spirit to equip the saints for evangelization at the outpouring on Pentecost.  Also, there He would be our Mediator, Daysman, Go-between, and Middleman between us and God. Jesus is our Savior in many aspects:  as the dying Christ, He saved us from the penalty of sin; as the living Christ in heaven, from the power of sin, and from the presence of sin, as the coming Son.

Yes, Jesus promised to come again and the angels told the disciple to stop staring into heaven but to resume the work of God on earth expanding the kingdom through the preaching of the good news. He would return physically, locally, and personally for His own. The disciples would be enabled by the filing of the Spirit and would be better off than if Jesus had remained with them because of the indwelling Spirit.  They were never to feel abandoned or alone, for Jesus promised to be with them to the end of the age and never to leave them nor forsake them.  This makes possible an intimate relationship with the Almighty and possible to continually walk in the Spirit.

The ascension was to have such an impact as to be the inspiration and motivation to spread the gospel and to give them reason to believe in heaven and that Jesus really was given all authority.  Before this Jews may have believed in an afterlife or the resurrection but had no special reason or motive to do so.  They had seen a glimpse of Jesus' glory and it should've ignited them to go on even unto death for the sake of the Name. Heaven is now a reality and a purpose to live on, not pie in the sky.  We will behold the Beatific Vision and be satisfied with the glory of God in glory.

Especially having Jesus as our intercessor would be an encouragement when they fell short of God's will and needed restoration to God's will.  Hebrews 7:25 says that if we do sin we have an advocate and 1 Tim. 2:5 says that there is one Mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ.  We are to be comforted that there is now no condemnation for all who are in Christ (cf. Romans 8:1) and to know that we shall never come into judgment (cf. John 5:24). "Who is that condemns?  (cf. Romans 8:34). We are much better off having Jesus at God's right hand looking out for us and being our Advocate with the Father when we fall short and sin.

In sum, what is the point?  We are not to live in the past or on go on in some spiritual ecstasy or religious and existential experience, but to go on and live in faith and to look forward to our hope in heaven with new and renewed motivation and inspiration that all of us will see the coming of Christ in His kingdom and rise to meet Him in the air--this glimpse of glory should give us a taste for the real thing in its fulness, in other words, look forward not backward.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Here Comes The Judge!

"... Listen! God is doubtless punishing you far less than you deserve!" (cf. Job 11:6, NLT). 
"... Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?" (cf. Gen. 18:25, NLT).
"He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us as we deserve," (cf. Psalm 103:10, NLT).  
"For it is appointed unto men to die once, and after this the judgment," (cf. Heb. 9:27).
"God repays us according to what we've done," (cf. Psalm 62:12).
"Who will render to every man according to his deeds," (cf. Romans 2:6).
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad," (cf. 2 Cor. 5:10, NIV). 

"Achievements are eventually surpassed, records are broken, reputations face, tributes are forgotten, trophies trashed," (Rick Warren).  Remember, only what's done for Christ will last! 


Jesus is "coming to judge the living and the dead," according to the creeds.  We must not put God in a box and forget that He's our Judge as well as our Savior.  But take courage believers we shall not come into judgment and there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. We shall not be judged for our salvation but only for our reward's worthiness.  Jesus may regard our motives or our intent and goals.  Now, judgment is repugnant to us but sin is repugnant to God. He must mete out justice to all sinners.   At the Great White Throne judgment mentioned in  Revelation 20:11ff (which saints are exempt) God gives sinners their due but no more than strict justice will necessitate and require, for God is unjust to no one.

But toward us, He never judges us (cf. John 5:24; Romans 8:1) and we never come into condemnation, and not according as our sins deserve or we expect (cf. Psalm 103:10). The Bible says He metes out justice with mercy or He tempers His justice with mercy (cf. Hab. 3:2)!  But God is unjust to no one and no one can accuse Him of injustice.  There is such a thing as non-justice but not injustice with God.  Mercy and grace are matters of non-justice but are not injustice.  In salvation, God doesn't give us what we do deserve (mercy) and gives us what we don't deserve (grace).  We escape the justice of God!

We are not to be like those who know not God and have no hope in the world as the lost (cf. Eph. 2:12'; 1 Thess. 4:13) but to live in hope and expectation of reward for our labor in the Lord which shall not be in vain, but God has a purpose for it to His glory. We have escaped the wrath to come and knowing the terror of the Lord (cf. 2 Cor. 5:11) we ought to be sober-minded and not overlook or downplay the seriousness of sin, to be sober-minded.   Jesus died for our sins and they were paid for with the precious blood spilled on our behalf.

When we realize this,  we become filled with an eternal debt of gratitude and develop the right mindset to serve God with holy fear and take a serious attitude against sin with low tolerance. The more we realize we have been forgiven, the more that who is forgiven much loves much, we are, and the more willing to serve God. We can be thankful that our salvation is a done deal and we can anticipate meeting our Lord in the air. If we have been wronged, Jesus will make it right!  This is a motivation for good works and helps us to fix our eyes on Jesus. (cf. Heb. 12:2).

Only Jesus is qualified to judge because of His perfect life and that He fulfilled the Law, the perfect standard of conduct.  He is the true qualified Mediator as being both God and man.  He was tempted in all ways as we are but without sin (cf. Heb. 4:15).   Jesus alone is worthy and we can find comfort in this that our Savior will also evaluate our works.  Too many believers say that all they want is justice!  But if God rendered the verdict due them they'd be in hell!  We are never exhorted to become successful in life because that is up to God whether He chooses to bless us or not; it's our place to be faithful and to serve with all our heart, soul, and mind.

We are simply instruments of glory or vessels of honor as Paul said in Romans 15:18, "I venture not to speak of but Christ has accomplished through me."  No one will boast in God's presence for we are saved by grace from beginning to end. But our faith is tested in the fire to see if it's genuine, saving faith.  Jesus doesn't chide for failure but for lack of love or lack of faithfulness.  Our faith must be measured in faithfulness and the two cannot be divorced.  We won't be condemned for failure but our works will be tried in the fire to see how they last and are worthy of reward at the Bema of Christ.

If we take a dim or lax view of judgment, it's because we don't have the right view of sin (sin isn't a bad enough word for it).   God cannot tolerate sin, period, no ifs, and's, or buts.  Sin is loathsome and repugnant in God's eyes and cannot be in God's presence and must be judged. We must hate sin to love judgment of it (even hate our own sins!); the two cannot be together no more than matter and antimatter and God cannot even look upon it. But the judgment is passed to the Son because Jesus has walked a mile in our moccasins and relates to the human condition as becoming a man Himself.

We are never to hope for the condemnation of God's enemies (at one time we were)  but realize God's true nature as Jonah found out after he had preached successfully to Nineveh and they repented and he was in a funk about it but he later confessed:  "I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster," (cf. Jonah 4:2).    I'm sure Jonah would concur:  "Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways," (cf. Romans 11:33).

God must exist for there to be justice! There is righteous indignation with God at evil:  "... their foot shall slide in due time, the day of their calamity is at hand," (cf. Deut. 32:35). But we have escaped the wrath to come!    We hope for justice in the afterlife because we don't always see it in the world we live in, but God is maximizing good and minimizing evil according to Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz.  Justice has as standard and is punitive:  Justice has a standard:  Jesus; perfect nature and life; Justice has a punishment:  hell.

There is only one way to escape the coming wrath of God: accepting the grace of God shed on the cross by His Son in faith.   In the meantime, during the age of grace and of the church, we are not to lose patience or falter at the condition of the world affairs, for justice delayed is not justice denied in God's eternal mindset and frame of reference; His justice will not tarry!  In due time, justice will prevail!  Habukkuk lamented to God that justice is always the loser, but he later realized God's wisdom and had a change of heart (cf. Hab. 1:4; 3:18) 

At the Bema (the Tribunal or Judgment Seat of Christ), there are three certain proclamations of our Lord:  affirmation "Good job!  Well done!" promotion:  "You shall be in charge of  more..."  and celebration: "Enter into the joy of the LORD."  All this as we share the Shiknah of God hidden before but now revealed to us.  Our labor in the Lord is not in vain (cf. 1 Cor. 15:58).  Paul said that the most important thing is that he finishes the mission Christ gave him (cf. Acts 20:24)   At the final audit of our life, might we all say, "Mission accomplished!"  It was said of King David that he had completed all God's will (cf. Acts 13:33). 

CAVEATS: Of whom much is given, much is required (cf. Luke  12:48)!  We don't want to be like Amaziah, who did what was right, yet not with a pure heart (cf. 2 Chron. 25:2). God judges the heart and soul of man (cf. 2 Chron. 16:9; Prov. 15:3; Prov. 21:2).  Likewise, we are not to judge according to appearance but with righteous judgment and to judge nothing before the time (cf. John 7:24; 1 Cor. 4:7).

As for His judgments:  He is too deep to understand, to wise to make a mistake, and too kind to be cruel.  God is the Lawgiver who is also the Judge and He is theonomous and autonomous; He is self-ruling by virtue of being God and Judge; He rules by His Law which isn't arbitrary, capricious, or whimsical like man's,  but according to the rule of Law, His law, that is.  Therefore:  "Prepare to meet thy God," (cf. Amos 4:12).

In sum, God will judge the nations:  "But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream," (cf. Amos 5:24, NIV); however, we shall not come into judgment and cannot be condemned (cf. John 5:24; Romans 8:1).
  Soli Deo Gloria! 

The So-called Audacious Claims Of Christ

With all due respect to the religious founders, Christ is the only one who claimed deity, to be God in the flesh.  He wasn't just God's surrogate, spokesman, representative, a son of God, sent from God, a prophet of God, humanized God, or even a deified human, but fully man and fully God--God in the flesh and made man:  the God-man.  George Gordon, Lord Byron said, "If ever man were God or God were man, Jesus Christ was both."  This may seem to be the height of audacity, but if it's true, He has every right to tell us who He is, justly and rightly so.  He is such a historical figure, we dare not ignore Him, His claims, nor the evidence even as an antiestablishment, revolutionary figure who turned the world upside-down.

The possibility of Him being a liar is nill or unreasonable (no one successfully accused Him of sin--wouldn't His disciples have known because familiarity can breed contempt?), since even His enemies concede Him to be a "great moral teacher," which wouldn't be true if He were wrong of His own identity--in fact, He'd be a lunatic or madman or even demon-possessed!  But we must not just take Him at His word and be gullible; we must ask for some evidence to back up His claims (such as to forgive sins, to accept worship, to have the authority to judge mankind, to plainly say He is the Son of the Father).  You can claim anything you choose, and somebody is bound to believe you, but Jesus is the great so-called myth that became true because of the abundant and overwhelming evidence that cannot be ignored or denied.  If Jesus wasn't who He claimed to be, He would be a blasphemer and worthy of death, of stoning according to the Law.

I could offer ALL the evidence that exists and more but there is no "smoking gun" evidence that's going to force you to believe if you don't want to. But there is no evidence that is beyond a shadow of a doubt; in a court of law, we look for a reasonable doubt and there is enough evidence to come to a reasonable conclusion.  Jesus said that if we are willing, God will help us believe.  Now, evidence can be compelling, is often just circumstantial (and verdicts can be rendered based on this alone) and not always convincing, certain, or complete, but there is enough to make a decision so that the jury doesn't have to remain out or hung. Witnesses are weighed as to their credibility and documents tested as to authenticity.  But no one can not make up their minds due to lack of evidence though. The mind can be so hardened that even if Jesus were to perform a miracle some will not believe, not can not believe.

What evidence is there?  Let's do our homework and check it out!   Not to mention some 35 miracles performed for the sake of love and charity, not selfish reasons and they are called "signs" by John because they illustrate an aspect of His deity; He had a personal charisma that drew people to Him to love and obey; for the sake of His consistent character which no psychologist would fault because He's too balanced an individual and completely normal with nothing suspect, dubious, or questionable (thus they seem to verify the normalcy of His character and that He was no lunatic or nut-case, in fact, He raised the bar on character and ethics; Bible prophecy being fulfilled (some 333 texts illustrating some 456 details); His character references (both friendly and unfriendly)--no one could successfully accuse Him of sin ( cf. John 8:46)--any so-called accusation wouldn't hold water if Jesus was God anyway even His enemies could testify in a court of law for good and favorable evidence Judas, Pilate and the centurion who killed Him all testified He had no fault; the evidence from the New Testament writers, all of whom accepted and wrote of His deity;  His resurrection is the final proof of His deity as Luke said in Acts 17:31 and Paul in Romans 1:4. Luke even stressed the point that there are "many infallible proofs."  (cf. Acts 1:3). 

But in a court of law, and we must consider the evidence in light of that as a legal scholar would, we must consider the character references, the signs, the claims, the documents presented as to whether they have internal as well as external evidence such as corroborating evidence or documents and testimony and check out any so-called contradictions, forgeries, inconsistencies, or misrepresentations.   As far as character references go, we have the friendly and the unfriendly witnesses making their cases. Why the unfriendly? They have nothing to gain and no reason to say anything positive, with no motive to perpetuate the claim.

But what is the strongest evidence of the resurrection?  You can be the strongest evidence!  We can point to the dramatic conversion of the apostles, but this is still going on today among believers: "Let the redeemed of the LORD say so!"  Who can deny that He opened the eyes of the blind that he can now see?  The way He changed lives!  You could tell that the disciples had been with the Lord after the resurrection because they were changed people, from timid and fearful, to become brave and fearless. They seemed to be intoxicated with Jesus and that they had completely turned over their lives to Him and even willing to lay them down for His sake. Jesus was such that you could tell a person had been around Him.  The response was that they worshiped Him and their love was kindled. We can encounter Christ in our lives too: knowing that He rose again is history but that He rose in you is salvation.  The disciples had come to a conviction of the truth and put it into action, turning their creeds into deeds.

Jesus is the light that lights every man and no one can remain the same after meeting Him.  We can have an approximate encounter or existential experience as they did if we surrender our lives to Him and commit them to His will.  We must do more than feel sorry for our sins, we must turn our back on them, renouncing them and do an about-fact or turnaround and commence following Christ in faith.  It's God's work in us to quicken faith and repentance, but we must make good on it and do the works of repentance and faith (cf. Acts 26:20); no fruit means no faith and we shall be known and judged by our works, not our faith.

The ultimate response is to love and worship for who He is or as Richard of Chichester said, "to know Him more clearly, to love Him more dearly, to follow Him more nearly."   We come to know Him personally that the Lord is good and loved us first.  This leads to full surrender of our wills to His, giving Him the ownership of our lives, putting Him at the helm as Captain of our lives and Master of our fates. Our will becomes one with His as Jesus said, "Thy will be done," as we relinquish control and trust wholly in God's will and wisdom. This may require us to crucify our own flesh with its desires and to change our priorities.

In sum,  His enemies would ask Him who He thinks He is, but Jesus claimed to be the personification of truth itself ("I am the truth.") which means if we want to live according to the truth and in reality which corresponds to truth, we must realize who Jesus really is, taking His personal claims seriously and examine the evidence as in a court of law. He didn't just claim to be telling us the truth, or to know the truth but to be the truth incarnate.  It would seem to be the conclusion that we would want to be on the right side of truth as people desire to be on the right side of history, for Jesus did say we shall know the truth and the truth shall set us free.
Soli Deo Gloria!

Finding Contentment

"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines ... and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!" (cf. Hab. 3:17-18, HCSB). 

"And God will generously provide all you need.  Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others," (cf. 2 Cor. 9:8, HCSB).  

"If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me.  If you keep your life for yourself you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life.   And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process/" (cf. Mark 8:34-36).  


Has someone ever asked you if you're getting what you want out of life?  Have you ever felt incomplete as a person, having no identity, purpose, or plan?  We must not love our lives so much that we don't want to give our spiritual life top priority.  The closer we get to God, the more we realize our dependence and also how He blesses us.   Paul claimed to have found contentment in all circumstances; a tall order.  He had been there and done that if you know where I'm coming from and realized that the key to contentment is to harbor the right mindset, to begin with.

God hates ingratitude and we must never become ingrates who are not thankful for what God has already blessed them with.  Yes, we may not have all our "wants" or "felt needs," but He supplies all our needs to do His will, not our will.  He will "equip you with all that is good to do His will" (cf. Heb. 13:21, HCSB).  ".... The LORD gives grace and glory; He does not withhold the good from those who live with integrity," (cf. Psalm 84:11, HCSB).

Paul's attitude of prayer was to come before the Lord with thanksgiving making his requests known. God will withhold no legitimate need and blessing from us, but that is not the same thing as having everything we want.  When we have this attitude of gratitude we can endure the suffering for the sake of the Name, as Paul realized in his many sufferings for the sake of the cross that the Lord had counted him worthy.

Some people need to lose everything to find out they need God.  Some need to try the world's formulas before realizing they cannot save or satisfy the heart.  We must realize that when we have God in our life, we have everything we need and some don't find this out till they have suffered great setbacks and loss.  There is a certain blessedness of possessing nothing and realizing that God's grace is sufficient.   There's always a place for the sacrifice of thanksgiving in every situation, some of us can always imagine if it were worse as we deserve sometimes.  We must never resent God for holding out on us some blessing that we feel He owes us; this was what Satan tried to get Eve to believe--that God was holding out on her and she would be missing something if she didn't eat of the forbidden fruit.

Some are blessed in all ways, but all in some ways: God is good to everyone (cf. Psalm 145:9).  It is true that some are so blessed that they focus on the gifts, not the Giver, and some see the benefits, not the Benefactor. We are all incomplete without God and our lives are empty and void of fulfillment, dignity, and meaning--that's the bleak outlook without God in the equation. When we experience abundance we ought to learn thanksgiving and that we don't deserve it--it's by the grace of God, not because we are better than someone.  "What do you have that you didn't receive?" (cf. 1 Cor. 4:5).

Paul's secret source was that he learned the true and only source of blessing--God. If we know God, we can tap into God's riches at Christ's expense. Knowing this kind of true contentment is more valuable than anything the world offers. We can find God's purpose and plan for our lives and live life to the full as Jesus promised:  "I have come so you may have life and have it in abundance." (cf. John 10:10, HCSB).  Our security must be in Christ and we must evaluate our lives relative to Him.
Soli Deo Gloria!

Ushering In The Kingdom

The Pilgrims made a compact to usher in the kingdom of God. or literally to "advance the kingdom of God."   Little doctrine did they know but that Christ will usher in His kingdom, and that His kingdom is not of this world.  America is supposedly the "Great Experiment."  They would've done a better job of it and speeded His coming (cf. 2 Pet. 3:12); we ought to always be about "hastening the day of His coming." The question is how this is accomplished.  It doesn't mean passing legislation or beginning new governments such as a great experiment.  Or like the Social Experiment that failed called Prohibition.  Jesus gave us the Great Commission to spread the good news and make disciples, some seek the Second Great Commission to reform society to their agenda and to be a social gospel to help the needy and down and out, we must be lights and not just turn stones into bread but spread the good news.

Jesus kingdom would reign in human hearts, not on the throne of an earthly king or monarch. All authority has been given Him.   Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords and we are to make this real in our lives, not force it on others.  We don't conquer territory in the name of Christ, but hearts with love. We love them into the kingdom. "Love conquers a multitude of sins,"  God promised Abraham that his descendants would be a blessing and God saves us to be a blessing (cf. Zech. 8:13) and we are heirs of Abraham as believers.

We never stop expanding Christ's kingdom and when He comes the church age will cease and Satan will have a pass or permission to bring in his idea of a kingdom dominated by him and the antichrist. There have been many antichrists so to speak that had the notion to conquer the world:  Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Hitler, et alia. The ancient Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian empires all aspired to world domination, but the Spirit restrains the evil one.  The spirit of antichrist is already here.

We are never to despair that God is not in control ("Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD").  His Providence is governing all events and creatures small and great. Yes, God doesn't just reign, He rules ("For the kingdom is the LORD's, and he is the governor among the nations") not like a do-nothing king or the monarch of the UK who has no powers though they reign. But we are to receive Christ as Lord of our hearts and let Christ's kingdom grow from there by the preaching of the gospel message and living it out as witnesses.   We must admit we are not in charge, nor is any earthly ruler in charge, without any reservations in our lordship decisions--submission is an issue for some.

("The king's heart is in the hands of the LORD...").  What does this mean but we owe complete allegiance and obedience to Christ.  We pledge allegiance to the Lamb on the throne!  No governor or ruler can do anything outside God's will or permission (cf. Lam. 3:37).  We must be encouraged that the only king who is capable of ruling hearts is Jesus.  He has been called the Emperor of love. Christ is indeed the only Potentate and Ruler of heaven, the entire universe, not just earth--all things visible and invisible.

We must not just render lip service to God but bow in obedience to His sovereignty. Every knee shall bow to Him!  This obedience is to the command to repent and stop the charade or hypocrisy and also to put our complete faith and submission in Christ as Lord and trust as Him as Savior. Christ demands the throne room of our hearts, the pass key to our complete soul, and if He isn't there, we are there and in control of our lives, it cannot be neutral!  We must give Christ the ownership of our lives.

We must remember that Satan owns the soul of the infidel and actually influences him to evil and sin, and the only way to get free from his tyranny and power is to surrender to Jesus:  We must say "No!" to Satan before saying "Yes" to Jesus. It is obvious that Satan is having his heyday and we must seek to be set free. "If the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed."  But after the church age, Satan will have his day to do as he wills: to take over the world for a period of tribulation on earth.  After we belong to Christ, we are no longer in Satan's kingdom, the kingdom of darkness, and belong to God in His kingdom and are protected from the evil one who cannot touch us.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Interesting Facts About Jesus By Godwin Goziem Jireh

Here are 10 interesting facts about Jesus hidden in the pages of the Bible.
1. The Birth of Jesus

While reporting of the miraculous conception and virgin birth of Jesus, the Gospel of Matthew alludes to this miracle as a fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14. Jesus’ birth led to the division of history into two: Before Christ (B.C) and Anno Domini, meaning “in the year of the Lord” (A.D).

However, it is widely believed that Christ was born earlier than 4 B.C, the date Herod, the wicked ruler who played an active part in Christ’s birth story (Matthew 2), died. But some scholars also hold the view that since the census mentioned in Luke 2:2 probably occurred about 6 B.C., the Lord Jesus was probably born between 6 and 4 B.C.

Although Jesus’ birthday is globally celebrated on December 25 each year, the Bible does not mention His exact birthday. Different scholars have suggested the birth of Christ sometime in winter or early spring. Celebrating His birth at Christmas has come to stay because the date offers an alternative to many pagan festivals happening at this time.

2. The Magi at Jesus' Birth

The Bible does not tell us how many wise men visited newborn King Jesus, though we often see Christmas crèches with three wise men. Perhaps it is because the Magi came to worship Him with three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11).

3. The Name of Jesus

Jesus, a common first-century name, is the English transliteration of the Greek name Iesus, derived from the Hebrew name Yeshuah, meaning "Yahweh/Jehovah saves" or "Yahweh/Jehovah is salvation." It is the same name as Joshua, but especially given by God's angel to reveal the mission of the Divine Child (Matthew 1:18-21; Luke 1:28–33)


Christ is not Jesus’ surname, but it is a title derived from the Greek term Christos, meaning “anointed one.” It refers to the promised Messiah in the Old Testament. Several other appellative and metaphorical titles for Jesus are seen in the Bible. Examples: Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8; 22:13); Author and Perfecter of Faith (Hebrews 12:2); Beginning of the Creation of God (Revelation 3:14); Captain of Salvation (Hebrews 2:10); Creator of all things (John 1:3, 10; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:2); Firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18); Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14 ); Image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4; Hebrews 1:3); King (Luke 1:33; Revelation 17:14; 19:16); Lamb of God (John 1:29, 36); Last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45 , 47); Light of the World (John 8:12 ); Lord (Matthew 22:14, 43); Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5); Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15; Luke 24:19);Redeemer (Isaiah 59:20; Titus 2:14); Saviour (Luke 2:11; John 4:42; Acts 5:31); Son of David (Matthew 9:27; 21:9); Son of God (Matthew 3:17; Luke 1:35; Colossians 1:15; 1 John 5:20); Son of Man (Matthew 8:20; John 1:51; Acts 7:56); The Way, Truth and Life (John 14:6); The Word (John 1:1, 14).

4. The Four Images of Jesus

In correspondence to the faces of the cherubim in visions recorded in Ezekiel 1:10; 10:15; 41:19; Revelation 4:7, Jesus is seen to be symbolically represented in the Gospel of Matthew as a man, in Mark as an eagle; in Luke as an ox, and in John as a lion.

A close examination of the four Gospels will show that they focus on different aspects of Jesus' identity.

Matthew emphasises that Jesus is the Son of David, the promised Messiah (Matthew 1:1; see Psalm 89:29, 36; 103:11; Acts 2:30); thus presenting Jesus as a humble man (see 1 Corinthians 15:45; 1 Timothy 2:5).

Mark asserts that Jesus is the Son of God (Mark 1:1; see Psalm 2:4, 11-12; Proverbs 30:4; Daniel 3:25; thus portraying Jesus as a swift eagle (see Exodus 4:22; 19:4; compare Psalm 68:18; Ephesians 4:8; 1 Timothy 1:13).

Luke teaches that Jesus is the suffering Savior (Luke 19:10; see 9:44, 56; 24:44-48); thus typifying Jesus as a sacrificial ox (Exodus 20:24; Isaiah 53:7-10).

John reveals that Jesus is God (John 1:1-3, 14; 20:28); thus symbolizing Jesus as a bold lion (Revelation 5:5; compare Proverbs 30:30)

5. Family Members of Jesus

Jesus had half-siblings (Matthew 12:46-47; 13:55–56; Luke 8:19, Mark 3:31). John the Baptist was Jesus’ second cousin, since Mary the earthly mother of Jesus and Elisabeth the mother of John were cousins (Luke 1:36).

James, Joses, Simon, and Judas are named as His brothers. His sisters are only mentioned, but not named. It is believed that they all became Christians after the death and resurrection of Jesus (compare Acts 1:14). According to history, one of them, James, later became the head of the church in Jerusalem.

6. The Appearance of Jesus

Based on the prophetic description of Christ in Isaiah 53:2, it is likely that He was just a normal human being with no special appeal. His betrayer Judas had to kiss Him to help the authorities identify Him (Matthew 26:48) Even after His resurrection, Mary Magdalene mistook Him for the gardener (John 20:14-15). Although nothing in His appearance was extraordinary, His teachings and actions were supernatural.

7. Food Habits of Jesus

The prophet Isaiah predicted that the Holy Child Jesus would eat butter and honey (Isaiah 7:14-15). As an adult, Jesus ate bread (Matthew 26:26) and clean meats (Luke 22:15). After His resurrection, Jesus ate broiled fish and honeycomb (Luke 24:42-43). Therefore, we submit that Jesus ate normal food and was never a vegan, but He once fasted 40 days and 40 nights (Matthew 4:1-2).

Interestingly, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, meaning “house of bread,” in fulfillment of prophecy (Micah 5:2) and He addressed Himself as the “Bread of Life” (John 6:35, 48, 51). The multiplication of 5 loaves of bread by Jesus to feed 5,000 men is the only miracle recorded in all the four Gospels (Matthew 14:14-21; 16:9; Mark 6:34-44; 8:19; Luke 9:11-17; John 6:5-14).

8. Communication Skills of Jesus

Jesus spoke multiple languages- Aramaic the main language spoken by Jews in first-century Palestine, Hebrew the native language, Greek the lingua franca at that time, and possibly, Latin the language spoken by the Romans (Matthew 8:5-13; 27:11-14).

Moreover, Jesus was a witty and eloquent speaker who employed parables so as to make His teachings have a direct and enduring impact on the audience.

9: The Anointment of Jesus

To execute His messianic ministry as a Prophet, Priest and King, Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:18; Acts 10:38); thus He is called the Christ, "the Anointed One" (Matthew 1:16; 16:20; 27:17; Luke 2:11, 26; 9:20; 23:2; John 1:41).

Before the death of Jesus, Mary of Bethany anointed Him with a strong fragrance (Luke 7:37-38; John 11:2) such that He remained fragrant as a victorious king when He rose from the dead (compare Psalm 45:1-8).

10. The Duration of Jesus' Ministry

The earthly ministry of Jesus was quite brief but very exciting and eventful. Jesus Film Project notes:

John’s gospel tells us that Jesus attended at least three Passover feasts during His ministry. There’s one mentioned in John 2:13, another in 6:4, and then the one occurring during the time of his crucifixion:

"When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, 'What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?' But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him" (John 11:55–57).

This means that His ministry lasted at least two years, but there may have been more Passover celebrations that go unmentioned. We do know that many time-consuming things would have happened before they got to their first Passover:

His ministry took him all over Judea.
He was baptized by John.
He fasted (40 days) and was tempted in the wilderness.
He called His disciples.
He started His preaching ministry.
He made a trip to Capernaum with His family and disciples.

All of these things would have added up to multiple months worth of ministry—and we can’t forget the 40 days between the time Christ was resurrected and when He ascended.

In the end, scholars believe Jesus’ ministry only lasted about 3.5 years—an unbelievably short amount of time to change the world.

King Of Kings And Lord Of Lords by Godwin Goziem Jireh

The most common definition of the word king is: "A chief ruler; a sovereign; one invested with supreme authority over a nation, country, or tribe, usually by hereditary succession; a monarch; a prince." The word is applied to human rulers as well as to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, God. According to Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical, “The concept of the kingship of God is regarded by many scholars as so basic to biblical revelation that it is viewed as an organizing theme for all of Scripture.”

To enable us to have a thorough understanding of what the phrase "the King of Kings" means in the Bible, we will have to examine several scriptural references to king and kingship. But this excerpted response to What does it mean that Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords? not only saves us the time to do so but also answers the question excellently well:

The phrase king of kings is used in Scripture six times. Once, the title is applied to God the Father (1 Timothy 6:15), and twice to the Lord Jesus (Revelation 17:14; 19:16). The other three (Ezra 7:12; Ezekiel 26:7; Daniel 2:37) refer to either Artaxerxes or Nebuchadnezzar, kings who used the phrase to express their absolute sovereignty over their respective realms (Persia and Babylon). The phrase lord of lords is used by itself in Scripture twice and refers to God the Father (Deuteronomy 10:17; Psalm 136:3).

In Revelation 19:16 Jesus is given the full title “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 17:14 switches it: “Lord of lords and King of kings”). The title indicates someone who has the power to exercise absolute dominion over all His realm. In the case of the Lord Jesus, the realm is all of creation. In John’s vision, Jesus is returning to judge the world and establish His earthly kingdom, as He predicted in Mark 13:26.

When Jesus is called “King of kings and Lord of lords,” it means that, in the end, all other rulers will be conquered or abolished, and He alone will reign supreme as King and Lord of all the earth. There is no power, no king, and no lord who can oppose Him and win. There are myriad references to this absolute rule of Jesus and His preeminence over other rulers throughout Scripture. To mention just a few, Isaiah 40:23–24 says that the Lord brings “princes to nothing” and makes earth’s rulers “emptiness.” The mere breath of the Lord will “carry them off like stubble.” Daniel’s vision of the son of man in Daniel 7:13–14 is of one whom he calls “the Ancient of Days” whose everlasting dominion is over all people, nations and languages. In the New Testament, we get a better view of the One these passages refer to. The writer of Hebrews speaks of the Lord Jesus: “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). The next verse speaks of Jesus being “much superior” to the angels. Clearly, His rule over creation is absolute.

Paul makes the point that Jesus was humbled in His earthly ministry and that His humiliation will result in glorification. In Philippians 2:5–11, Paul discusses the extent to which Jesus went to atone for sinners; Jesus’ perfect obedience is the reason that “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (vv. 9–11). The Suffering Servant becomes the King of kings (see Isaiah 53:10–12).

Finally, in the book of Revelation we see the Kingship of Jesus made manifest. In chapter 5, the Lamb (Jesus) is the only one in all creation found worthy to open the scroll containing the judgments of God (vv. 2–5). In chapter 11, we hear voices in heaven proclaiming that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of Christ and that He will reign forever and ever (v. 15). In chapter 12, we read that the authority of Christ is what causes Satan to be thrown down to earth (vv. 9–10). In Revelation 17:12–14, the Lamb conquers all those arrayed against Him, and John stresses that He conquers because He is King of kings and Lord of lords. Finally, in chapter 19, we read of Jesus’ triumphant coming to strike the nations and tread the winepress of the wrath of God, having the authority to do so because He is King of kings and Lord of lords (vv. 11–16).

Fundamentally, the idea of Jesus being King of kings and Lord of lords means that there is no higher authority. His reign over all things is absolute and inviolable. God raised Him from the dead and placed Him over all things, “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:21–23).

Renewed In The Spirit

"As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." (cf. Prov.23:7).
"Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it flow the issues of life," (cf Prov. 4:23).  

We are not just spirits but souls, minds, wills, and emotive elements--we are complex creatures, not so easily analyzed!   We are musical, rational, contemplative, planning,  religious, and humorous creatures, unlike the animal kingdom.  We are complicated individuals that defy the principles of the animal kingdom because we are hard-wired to work, be creative, and worship--to have a purpose in life, fulfilled with meaning, and having a destiny in God.  Apart from God, we would have no meaning or dignity in life  Thus, our worth as humans is extrinsic and not intrinsic, not inherit but only because we are formed in God's image.

We are not animals who are merely seeking pleasure and avoiding pain while spending their purpose being in heat.  Have you ever observed an animal building a chapel? They are oblivious to the spiritual world and what really matters in life. We seek fulfillment that only God can make us complete in. We are incomplete apart from our destiny to know God.  But the downside of being in God's image is that we are capable of sin and moral behavior and accountability and have capitalized on that freedom by sinning and rebelling against God to show our autonomy and independent spirit. We don't naturally believe in God but are people of unbelief, skepticism, sarcasm, and doubt.  We don't want to even believe in God apart from an act of grace to soften and quicken our souls.

But note that we must come to a change of heart to be renewed in our spirits. This is by regeneration. If we could come to faith in God apart from it, it's not necessary and we don't need God--we just have a flesh wound in our nature, not a permanent defect from our Fall in Adam whereby we are in solidarity with Adam and cannot not sin; i.e, being incapable of not sinning.  Yes, that means all we can do naturally apart from grace is to sin!  Sin separates us from God and He will not even hear us apart from repentance and faith.  Not what must be pointed out is that we think with our hearts and with our minds--not to go by emotions alone apart from reasoning.  We alone are capable of spiritual thoughts and to think on the divine level, contemplating the Almighty and the eternal nature of God--God has put this eternity into our hearts, to wonder of the afterlife.

This means we can be renewed in our thinking or get our thinking straightened out both spiritually and intellectually.  We can become enlightened and informed; i.e.,, we can become illuminated with insight and educated.  Everything isn't a matter of proper facts and data, but of knowing God.  The goal is to know God and apply this knowledge.  To have this mind which was in Christ! What we fixate our thought life on makes all the difference and we have a volition that can decide this ourselves--we are all culpable to control our own thought life and not let it be controlled by our worst impulses or lower nature and instincts.

We must realize to focus our minds on Christ and dwell on spiritual things that are productive and positive influences for good. We must be responsible that the kind of input we give our brains influences our behavior and conduct.  Thoughts are the souls of the act!  And we must note that we reap what we sow,  we must guard our thoughts in Christ to get aligned with His will. We are all a lost opportunity away from throwing away our lives and wasting our brains, a terrible thing to exploit or misuse--no one has the right to live life without purpose or goals.  As they say in tech language, GIGO or garbage in equals garbage out. What we can expect is only as good as the exposure we get from the divine and the influences they have.

Ultimately, the end result depends upon cultivating the fruit of the Spirit, for we are incapable of cleaning up our act and self-reformation, of saving ourselves.  We are morally degenerate and this can be proved by experience.   We cannot deny our own reality. We all need an enabler to live a fruitful life in the Spirit and that Enabler is Christ, our Advocate, Comforter, and Counselor.  He is on our side and finds a way to come to our rescue as our Savior. We can only guard the spirit of our minds in Christ and say no to the flesh before we can say yes to Him.   We must not live in denial and stop thinking we alone can produce good works apart from God; our righteousness then is God's gift to us, not our gift to God.  It is a known fact that the nature we feed is the one that will predominate in our demeanor, behavior, and disposition. To sow to the flesh yields the fruits of the flesh!  That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Only walking in the Spirit is the way to defeat the powers and weaknesses of the flesh, to walk in the inclinations of the flesh is evil. Thus, we are responsible to feed our minds with that which is good and pure and of good report, anything virtuous that no one can deny being a positive influence or force for good.  But remember, our God is not just a force or influence, but a Person to know, not even a creed to believe--we must put this faith into practice and turn our creeds into deeds because the faith we have is the faith we show!  The reality of faith is not the profession of it and we all start by the shaping of our minds into Christ's image being converted to the Way of the Spirit or to be wholly devoted and focused on Christ, not self-absorbed.

We all can even become optimists and say that it's not all that bad, but the point is not that we are not bad as we can be but as bad off as can be and need supernatural intervention from God, a miracle to change our nature of degeneration.  Let us, therefore, have our thoughts fixated on Christ and renewed in His image, and this can only happen by an act of God, we have no power to just turn over a new leaf, make a New Year's resolution, or an AA pledge that is going to change our minds.  We must be changed from the inside out. This is the divine formula: worry about nothing, pray about anything, and thank about everything.  Nothing is too small nor too big for God's heart and attention--it's all small stuff to Him.

The key to spirituality is to feed our spiritual nature, to put off the flesh, the old man, with its natural desires that war against the Spirit, and get to know our God more clearly [which is the sign of the believer and the goal of our salvation], to be able to follow Him more closely and to love Him more dearly as Richard of Chichester put it. Yes, we all have an ethic worth living out and fulfilling--to follow Christ, its essence.  We must have faith not one we can live with, but one we will die for.  This is how we bring Christ to the world by our witness and life that is the salt and light for a troubled world.

As a result, we will become new people renewed after the image of Christ, but also with a new lease on life to share this new experience in Christ. Then we will be able to recite with Paul:  To live is Christ, to die is gain.  We know of the goodness of Christ because we have tasted of Him: "Taste and see that the LORD is good,"(cf. 1 Pet. 2:2; Psalm 34:8) and we can know the proof of the pudding is in the eating and no one can persuade us otherwise.  To love Christ, then is to be preoccupied with Him who has priority and ownership over our lives.  Soli Deo Gloria!

The Antidote To Anxiety

Anxiety is real and we don't want to rub it in when someone suffers it as if they're not doing something right or the solution is easy. But we must learn to avoid anxiety disorders or when we are consumed within and don't believe there is a cure. Whatever the illness there is a cure.   For every problem, Christ is the answer--He is the ultimate Answerer! Don't just evade the issue and claim or promise you'll pray for them!   We are only going to have confidence if we learn to trust God in these trying times we are facing.  Sometimes we are let down by our own high expectations and see the solution as simplistic and not real.  But never lose faith in God:  Expect great things from Him and attempt great things for Him, as William Carey said.

We all must come to the place of humbling ourselves before the feet of Jesus and realize we don't know it all.  We must stop trying to save ourselves.  That is to say, that truth is the proper antidote to all errors and the Holy Spirit will convict us of our error and help us to get off the vicious cycle of anxiety due to lack of a proper or spiritual mindset. There is a peace that is beyond our understanding and surpasses knowledge in Christ if we know Him.  But we must be oriented to reality and truth is what corresponds to reality and that ultimate reality is God and to know Him in truth, for He is the God of truth.  Ignorance is not bliss!  We can attribute most anxiety to willful ignorance and people not seeking the truth in Jesus.

The goal of the peace of God is to have peace with God first and that means to see life from His perspective and will, not in ours.  The whole church has the duty of seeing the light and teaching the truth to the flock and truth is the enemy of anxiety because we get properly oriented.  We have one offensive weapon against anxiety--the Word of God.  But God wants our prayers and wants us to seek His will. Sometimes that's all it takes, is to take it to the Lord in prayer and to make our requests known!  We are to worry about nothing, pray about anything, and thank God for everything!

Jesus said that the truth shall set us free and He meant that also from our own anxieties and hangups, especially free from the bondage of our own sins.  We are our own worst enemies and are enslaved by the power we choose to obey--by whatever defeats us!  We can live in the defeat of our own emotions or be set free from their power, for if we walk by the Spirit we are not under the power of the flesh! Joy is the ultimate panacea to anxiety (it's all a matter of our mindset and attitude which we can choose) and this is by the fruit of the Spirit and if we are walking with God we cannot not be joyful--it's automatic, a given!   But remember, gifts are given but fruits are grown; i.e., we must learn to cultivate joy and the fruit of the Spirit by obedience to the Lord--obedience is the only test of our walk by faith--not ecstasies or experiences.

Knowing the fundamentals of basic doctrine is vital to our victorious life in the Spirit because we need a right and peaceful mindset controlled by the Spirit--"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus."  The mind of the flesh is at enmity against God and is easily led astray and becomes prey to divers false and strange teachings. Such as are those who have an itching ear to hear what they want to hear and false prophets preying on their curiosities and natural inclinations.  In other words, if you have your thinking straightened out, you are less likely to be fooled by Satan's schemes and deceptions, being led astray by his wiles and schemes.  We are exhorted to be "renewed in the spirit of our minds" and to "hold captive all our thoughts to the obedience of Christ."  This is where the body of Christ comes to our rescue to save us from the captivity to our own wrong and sinful thinking.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Quench Not The Spirit!

"Live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature," (cf. Gal. 5:16).  

Paul exhorts us two things regarding the Spirit not to do:  quench not and grieve not. God feels our pains and when sin.  We are not to put out the Spirit's present fire nor to be a source of sadness to others or God, in that when we sin or go astray from the truth it hurts God more than us and He must chastise us to bring us back and get our attention (cf. Job 36:15).    We can quench the Spirit even in others by being argumentative, divisive, judgmental, or contentions.  Remember, the servant of the Lord must not quarrel (cf. 2 Tim. 2:24) and also that party politics can divide an otherwise healthy church--people have their personal and political loyalties too. 

It is wise to leave one's politics at home and be one in the Spirit at church, even loving those of the opposite persuasion.  It is a bad sign when you get bummed out going to church because of some offensive believer who chooses to parade or flaunt his freedom in Christ and take stands that are not harmonious or seeks validation for his personal agenda. Remember the axiom: bad news travels fast, especially gossip or useless information.

Some brethren can get a reputation for having an insider view or private heresy that he is nursing or even propagating.  One stipulation of the body is to have a basic agreement in foundational Christian doctrines (cf. Psa. 11:3) you would expect in any Christian church. The chief problem of division is that it encourages rogue leaders and failure to be submissive to the church program or discipline.  Members may not even know who to go to in times of need or who are the spiritual leaders.   

This is where lack of leadership, even hypocrisy come in and further erode the fellowship. A certain amount of self-discipline is expected and the church cannot be another playground to advance one's personal program but must get with the program. In sectarian spirit, the problem isn't lack of knowledge as if all believers need is enlightenment to get their thinking straightened out, but to learn how to show love, first to those in their own sphere of influence or circle of friends, within the church and then without.

We all must learn to walk in the Spirit not to give in to the desires of the flesh, which has a tendency to divide and conquer just like the devil's chief strategy (cf. 2 Cor. 2:4).  There may be feuds or even bad blood in the body to be reconciled, even in the most harmonious of churches.  Now, we may have trials, tribulations, adversities, afflictions, or tests of our faith and we must settle the lordship issue of giving ownership of our lives over to Christ.  The joy comes only when we own Him as Lord and the fellowship of His suffering.  We can defy our circumstances, live above them, and even praise God for our trials because they build character and patience.  The more we yield to God's sovereignty, or give Him lordship, the freer we are--slavery to Christ is the way to be set free as Christ said: "If the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed."

A key dictum of St. Augustine was "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."    We are never to find a case against one another that we hold a grudge. It's not that those who disagree with you need a lecture or to become informed as much as you need a lesson in loving those you disagree with and in your tolerance of them.  Once we learn to stay in fellowship by keeping short accounts with God, coming clean, and being sensitive to the Spirit, we can then be a blessing to others and contribute to the growth of the body and not just be one to get a blessing.  

This is where fellowship and family come in to play: we are one body in Christ, one in Spirit, and one body to work together for all as a community being sensitive to the needs of the body, submitting to one another in the spirit of love and cooperation   Some of us may need an awakening and to be encouraged in the Word or the fellowship of the body but the same Spirit dwells in each of us and we  are all partakers of it and made to drink of the same Lord (cf. 1 Cor. 12:13)

We are exhorted to constantly seek His face and presence by drawing near to God (cf. Js. 4:8) as Brother Lawrence, the seventeenth-century Carmelite monk, wrote in his book, The Practice of the Presence of God. We can do as he was wont to do and always take it to the Lord in prayer but be supported by the giving or our burden to Him and admitting our needs--nothing too trivial nor big for God.  We can know that the Lord is near and experience His anointing too--when we become sensitive to the leading of the Spirit.  

What we must learn is to acknowledge and praise God for who He is and thank Him for what He's done--that's worship. then we will experience intimacy with God and find joy in the circumstance because we are in a win-win situation with God who is on our side (cf. Psa. 56:9) and we are more than conquerors through Him (cf. Rom. 8:37).  In sum, if we learn to walk in the Spirit not quenching it, we will have the fruit of the Spirit manifest in joy.        Soli Deo Gloria!