THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST

I have heard the last book of the Bible referred to as “Revelations.”  They mean that it is a book filled with various revelations concerning the end times. Certainly, there are those, but that is not the name, nor the theme of the book. It is “Revelation,” singular and the focus is on a Person, Jesus Christ. Hear the author himself, as he begins the book:

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,” (v. ‭1‬‬).

It is easy to become obsessed with the Antichrist, and miss the One in the Scriptural spotlight, Jesus Christ!  From start to finish, the Spirit of God moved John, the servant of God, to point to the Son of God.

The Apostle was overwhelmed by this manifestation of the Master, “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.’” (1‬:‭17‬-‭18‬‬).

From the lips of the Lord we hear of HIS ETERNITY, “I am the First and the Last.”  There has never been a time that He was not, nor will there ever be a time that He will not be. The Second Person of the Trinity is eternal and uncreated, without beginning or ending. He transcends time and is in control of it, rather than being subjected to it.  

Yet, that Eternal Word became flesh and dwelt among us. So, He next speaks of HIS HUMANITY, “I am He who lives, and was dead.”  There was a moment is history when Christ took on humanity. The Infinite became an infant. The Son of God became the Son of Man that the sons of men might become the sons of God. The Sinless One hung on the cross and died as our Substitute, fully paying the price for our sins. 

But, that was not the end of Him or that would be the end of hope, as the Lord declares HIS VICTORY, “behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.” The grave could not hold Him. Death could not defeat Him. “Up from the grave He arose, with a mighty triumph o’er His foes!”  Because He lives, He can give those who trust in Him, life beyond death—victory over our “last enemy,” (1 Cor. 15:26).

The Risen Lord affirms HIS SOVEREIGNTY, “I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”  If you hold the keys, you have authority. He rules over the realm of the world of the dead, “Hades,” and even “Death,” itself, sitting above it. Christ is no more subject to death, but sovereign over it—and indeed over all. Our Lord is guiding all things to fulfilling His goal and for His glory. Hallelujah to the Lamb that was slain and the Lion who will reign!

CHRIST’S RELATIONSHIP TO THE FLOCK: A Loving Relationship

If you are ever tempted to think that God doesn’t love you, just look at the cross.  Roman power did not nail Him there, but love held Him on the tree!

This meant that His death was voluntary. He said, “I lay down My life,” (v.15b, 17-18).  He could have summoned the armies of angel warriors to swoop from heaven with fiery swords and slay His foes.  He, that by a cry of command, summoned a dead friend from a tomb, could speak a word and kill His enemies. Yet, He did not!

And notice it wasn’t just His love for the flock, but His love for the Father that moved Him to obedience, “This command I have received from My Father.” (v.18c). So, it is for the true shepherds—the spiritual leaders of the church today (Read John 21:15-19).

His death was voluntary and vicarious, “I lay down My life for the sheep.” (v.15b).  “Vicarious” means, “taking the place of another.”  Jesus suffered and was sacrificed for the sheep.

“Crown of thorns, the spear, deep in His side;
And all the pain should have been mine.
Those rusty nails were meant for me,
But Jesus took them, and let me go free!
And I should have been crucified,
I should have suffered and died.
I should have hung on the cross in disgrace,
But Jesus, God’s Son, took my place.” (Gordon Jensen).

RESTORED TO USEFULNESS

We seem to hear increasingly of some well-known pastor who has fallen. For those who don’t make national headlines, there are others in small churches who resign in disgrace.  Is it more rampant, or more publicized? I suspect the former.

Be that as it may—how does it happen and can such a man ever be restored to usefulness?  2 Kings 6:1-7 gives us some guidance.

Consider, THE USEFULNESS THAT IS REQUIRED.   “And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, ‘See now, the place where we dwell with you is too small for us. Please, let us go to the Jordan, and let every man take a beam from there, and let us make there a place where we may dwell.’ So he answered, ‘Go.’ Then one said, ‘Please consent to go with your servants.’ And he answered, ‘I will go.’ So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.” (v.1-4).  We need servants of God who are usable for there is much to be done. Our usefulness for God requires vision and vigor.

There was VISION (v.1-2).  They saw the need and were moved to meet it. Do you have a burden for the work of God to progress? They called upon Elisha to oversee the project (v.3-4a). Leadership is pivotal for progress to be made.

There was VIGOR (v.4b).  The vision is pursued with vigor! There comes a point when inspiration must give way to perspiration. You need a dream, but a dream isn’t enough. Daydreamers never accomplish anything.

Then, we find THE USEFULNESS THAT IS REMOVED.  “But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, ‘Alas, master! For it was borrowed.’” (v.5).  There will be no success without activity, but activity alone doesn’t insure achievement.

Ponder THE LOAN OF OUR ABILITY, “it was borrowed.”  The ability of the man to chop the tree wasn’t his own, but it was borrowed. Every now and then I’m listening to Rush Limbaugh and he says of himself, “Talent on loan from God.” Well it is. We are stewards—our gifts and abilities are on loan from God. We are going to give an account one day.

Then comes THE LOSS OF OUR ABILITY  “the iron ax head fell into the water.”  He became lax. He didn’t notice that the head of the ax was loosening. His laxity led to looseness and his looseness to loss. We can get so busy working that we stop watching. Jesus warned, “Watch and pray lest you fall into temptation.” If we are so busy in the work of God that we neglect the worship of God we are headed for a fall. Little by little this leads to loose living and loose living eventually leads to lost usefulness.

Thankfully there is THE USEFULNESS THAT IS RESTORED,  “So the man of God said, ‘Where did it fall?’ And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float. Therefore he said, ‘Pick it up for yourself.’ So he reached out his hand and took it.” (v.6-7).

Restored usefulness requires A REPENTANT CONFESSION  (v.5b-6a).  He mourned over his loss. He confessed and acknowledged the place where it was lost. There is a godly sorrow that leads to repentance. After Peter denied Jesus, his bitter tears were the seeds of fruitful restoration. You get back on the road of righteousness where you took the devil’s detour. Where did you fall? Confess it to God with sincerity.

Then there follows A RENEWED COMMITMENT (v.6b-7). The stick causes me to think of another piece of wood—the cross. That cross is the source of our cleansing, but it is also the standard of our commitment. You must die to self to be useful for God.

We can be restored also. Where did you fall? How did it happen? Will you repent and seek God’s forgiveness? Come to the cross and you can be restored.  It might be a difference place or a different position, but you can yet make a difference IF you will do DIFFERENTLY.

WHAT THE GOSPEL IS

It is good news from God about Christ.  This is the SOURCE OF IT.

Often we who have been in church most of our lives assume everyone understands the terminology we use—and that is a flawed assumption.  So, in case you only have a foggy notion of what the word “gospel” means, let me dissipate any clouds in your mind.  The word “gospel” means “good news.”  That’s it—simple in its definition, but profound in its implication.

The Gospel of God will be Paul’s primary thrust in the epistle to the Romans (1:1).

The good news that is the gospel is predicated on the fact there is bad news.  The bad news is that we are all sinners, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Rom.3:23), and the wages of sin is death, “For the wages of sin is death....” (Rom.6:23a). But the verse doesn't end there—the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (6:23b) and that’s the good news! It is the Gospel of God because it is His gift to us. He is the source of forgiveness.

That good news can be ours not because we deserve it, but because Jesus was willing to die in our place—so it is also the Gospel of Christ,  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” (‭‭Rom.‭1:16‬).

This good news is rooted in the finished work of Christ, which the Apostle underscores in his opening words,
“which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ” (Rom.1:2-6‬).

In a bad news world, this is good news—the best news—that God’s amazing grace can save a wretch like me and like you!

D-DAY—Day of Destiny

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14 NKJV

D-Day: it was 75 years ago on this day that marked the Allied invasion of Europe and beginning of the end of the Nazi reign of terror.     Over 160,000 troops stormed ashore the beaches of Normandy in France—at a great cost. 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft aided the amphibious assault. That day a beachhead was established. Hitler’s doom would come later, but the inexorable march toward it had begun.  The price that day was in 9,000 soldiers slain or wounded.  D-Day was a day of destiny. 

President Franklin Roosevelt understood the risk involved and so prayed for Divine aid:

"My fellow Americans: Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far. 

And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer: 

Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity. 

Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith. 

They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph. 

They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest-until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war. 

For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home. 

Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.

And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas -- whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them--help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice. 

Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts. 

Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces. 

And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be. 

And, O Lord, give us Faith. Give us Faith in Thee; Faith in our sons; Faith in each other; Faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose. 

With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister Nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil. 

Thy will be done, Almighty God.

Amen."

God answered that prayer. 

40 years later, President Ronald Reagan gave one of the greatest speeches in history at the D-Day commemoration.  He said: 

We're here to mark that day in history when the Allied armies joined in battle to reclaim this continent to liberty. For 4 long years, much of Europe had been under a terrible shadow. Free nations had fallen, Jews cried out in the camps, millions cried out for liberation. Europe was enslaved, and the world prayed for its rescue. Here in Normandy the rescue began. Here the Allies stood and fought against tyranny in a giant undertaking unparalleled in human history.

We stand on a lonely, windswept point on the northern shore of France. The air is soft, but 40 years ago at this moment, the air was dense with smoke and the cries of men, and the air was filled with the crack of rifle fire and the roar of cannon. At dawn, on the morning of the 6th of June, 1944, 225 Rangers jumped off the British landing craft and ran to the bottom of these cliffs. Their mission was one of the most difficult and daring of the invasion: to climb these sheer and desolate cliffs and take out the enemy guns. The Allies had been told that some of the mightiest of these guns were here and they would be trained on the beaches to stop the Allied advance.

The Rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers -- the edge of the cliffs shooting down at them with machineguns and throwing grenades. And the American Rangers began to climb. They shot rope ladders over the face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up. When one Ranger fell, another would take his place. When one rope was cut, a Ranger would grab another and begin his climb again. They climbed, shot back, and held their footing. Soon, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, they began to seize back the continent of Europe. Two hundred and twenty-five came here. After 2 days of fighting, only 90 could still bear arms.

Behind me is a memorial that symbolizes the Ranger daggers that were thrust into the top of these cliffs. And before me are the men who put them there.

These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war.

Gentlemen, I look at you and I think of the words of Stephen Spender's poem. You are men who in your ``lives fought for life . . . and left the vivid air signed with your honor.''

I think I know what you may be thinking right now -- thinking ``we were just part of a bigger effort; everyone was brave that day.'' Well, everyone was. Do you remember the story of Bill Millin of the 51st Highlanders? Forty years ago today, British troops were pinned down near a bridge, waiting desperately for help. Suddenly, they heard the sound of bagpipes, and some thought they were dreaming. Well, they weren't. They looked up and saw Bill Millin with his bagpipes, leading the reinforcements and ignoring the smack of the bullets into the ground around him.

Lord Lovat was with him -- Lord Lovat of Scotland, who calmly announced when he got to the bridge, ``Sorry I'm a few minutes late,'' as if he'd been delayed by a traffic jam, when in truth he'd just come from the bloody fighting on Sword Beach, which he and his men had just taken.

There was the impossible valor of the Poles who threw themselves between the enemy and the rest of Europe as the invasion took hold, and the unsurpassed courage of the Canadians who had already seen the horrors of war on this coast. They knew what awaited them there, but they would not be deterred. And once they hit Juno Beach, they never looked back.

All of these men were part of a rollcall of honor with names that spoke of a pride as bright as the colors they bore: the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, Poland's 24th Lancers, the Royal Scots Fusiliers, the Screaming Eagles, the Yeomen of England's armored divisions, the forces of Free France, the Coast Guard's ``Matchbox Fleet'' and you, the American Rangers.

Forty summers have passed since the battle that you fought here. You were young the day you took these cliffs; some of you were hardly more than boys, with the deepest joys of life before you. Yet, you risked everything here. Why? Why did you do it? What impelled you to put aside the instinct for self-preservation and risk your lives to take these cliffs? What inspired all the men of the armies that met here? We look at you, and somehow we know the answer. It was faith and belief; it was loyalty and love.

The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead or on the next. It was the deep knowledge -- and pray God we have not lost it -- that there is a profound, moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to doubt.

You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One's country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you.

The Americans who fought here that morning knew word of the invasion was spreading through the darkness back home. They fought -- or felt in their hearts, though they couldn't know in fact, that in Georgia they were filling the churches at 4 a.m., in Kansas they were kneeling on their porches and praying, and in Philadelphia they were ringing the Liberty Bell.

Something else helped the men of D-day: their rockhard belief that Providence would have a great hand in the events that would unfold here; that God was an ally in this great cause. And so, the night before the invasion, when Colonel Wolverton asked his parachute troops to kneel with him in prayer he told them: Do not bow your heads, but look up so you can see God and ask His blessing in what we're about to do. Also that night, General Matthew Ridgway on his cot, listening in the darkness for the promise God made to Joshua: ``I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.''

These are the things that impelled them; these are the things that shaped the unity of the Allies.

When the war was over, there were lives to be rebuilt and governments to be returned to the people. There were nations to be reborn. Above all, there was a new peace to be assured. These were huge and daunting tasks. But the Allies summoned strength from the faith, belief, loyalty, and love of those who fell here. They rebuilt a new Europe together.

There was first a great reconciliation among those who had been enemies, all of whom had suffered so greatly. The United States did its part, creating the Marshall plan to help rebuild our allies and our former enemies. The Marshall plan led to the Atlantic alliance -- a great alliance that serves to this day as our shield for freedom, for prosperity, and for peace.

In spite of our great efforts and successes, not all that followed the end of the war was happy or planned. Some liberated countries were lost. The great sadness of this loss echoes down to our own time in the streets of Warsaw, Prague, and East Berlin. Soviet troops that came to the center of this continent did not leave when peace came. They're still there, uninvited, unwanted, unyielding, almost 40 years after the war. Because of this, allied forces still stand on this continent. Today, as 40 years ago, our armies are here for only one purpose -- to protect and defend democracy. The only territories we hold are memorials like this one and graveyards where our heroes rest.

We in America have learned bitter lessons from two World Wars: It is better to be here ready to protect the peace, than to take blind shelter across the sea, rushing to respond only after freedom is lost. We've learned that isolationism never was and never will be an acceptable response to tyrannical governments with an expansionist intent.

But we try always to be prepared for peace; prepared to deter aggression; prepared to negotiate the reduction of arms; and, yes, prepared to reach out again in the spirit of reconciliation. In truth, there is no reconciliation we would welcome more than a reconciliation with the Soviet Union, so, together, we can lessen the risks of war, now and forever.

It's fitting to remember here the great losses also suffered by the Russian people during World War II: 20 million perished, a terrible price that testifies to all the world the necessity of ending war. I tell you from my heart that we in the United States do not want war. We want to wipe from the face of the Earth the terrible weapons that man now has in his hands. And I tell you, we are ready to seize that beachhead. We look for some sign from the Soviet Union that they are willing to move forward, that they share our desire and love for peace, and that they will give up the ways of conquest. There must be a changing there that will allow us to turn our hope into action.

We will pray forever that some day that changing will come. But for now, particularly today, it is good and fitting to renew our commitment to each other, to our freedom, and to the alliance that protects it.

We are bound today by what bound us 40 years ago, the same loyalties, traditions, and beliefs. We're bound by reality. The strength of America's allies is vital to the United States, and the American security guarantee is essential to the continued freedom of Europe's democracies. We were with you then; we are with you now. Your hopes are our hopes, and your destiny is our destiny.

Here, in this place where the West held together, let us make a vow to our dead. Let us show them by our actions that we understand what they died for. Let our actions say to them the words for which Matthew Ridgway listened: ``I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.''

Strengthened by their courage, heartened by their value [valor], and borne by their memory, let us continue to stand for the ideals for which they lived and died.

Thank you very much, and God bless you all.

President Ronald Reagan - June 6, 1984

Some have called this the greatest day in human history. 75 years later, we would admit that this was a crucial day.  Yet, it dims in comparison to another invasion that took place—when God invaded a sinful world as the Word became flesh and dwelt among us—Jesus Christ the Son of God. At Bethlehem He established a beachhead and began His march toward victory.  On He went toward Calvary.  His life was willingly sacrificed for our freedom from sin. His blood was shed. The devil’s ultimate doom was assured. Jesus descended into darkness and assaulted the gates of hell.  He grabbed death by the throat and took away the keys.  Then:

Low in the grave He lay,

Jesus, my Savior,

Waiting the coming day,

Jesus, my Lord!

Up from the grave He arose,

With a mighty triumph o'er His foes,

He arose a Victor from the dark domain,

And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.

He arose! He arose!

Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Vainly they watch His bed,

Jesus, my Savior;

Vainly they seal the dead,

Jesus, my Lord!

Death cannot keep his Prey,

Jesus, my Savior;

He tore the bars away,

Jesus, my Lord! (Robert Lowry)

Rising from the dead and for forty days demonstrating that by many infallible proofs, He would ascend into heaven.  He would rise from the Mt. of Olives,  ascend through the clouds, penetrate the domain of the wicked Prince of the Power of the Air, the Devil Himself, and bring the souls of the Old Testament saints to glory.  Paul put it this way:

“Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.””

Ephesians 4:8 NKJV

What must it have been like when Jesus returned to glory?  I can hear angels shouting and saints rejoicing. Maybe one of the angels, seeing the nail prints in His hands and feet, the scars upon His brow, said, “You look like you’ve been to hell and back,” and He answers, “I have!”

Perhaps the scene unfolded as the Psalmist described:

“Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah”

Psalms 24:7-10 NKJV

D-Day, 75 years ago meant that Hitler’s day of reckoning was coming. That spiritual D-Day—the greatest invasion and victory means that Satan’s doom it sure. 

With Paul we declare the final victory is coming and we who are soldiers of the cross need have no fear:

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” I Corinthians 15:50-58 NKJV

CHRIST’S REIGN: The Victory of Calvary

Read John 12:31-33. 

The popularity of Christ among the masses was diminishing. The tide had turned.  Most of the religious leaders had rejected Him, and now the common people were following suit.  Christ had come as their rightful Ruler, but because He was not the kind of king they were looking for, they would crown Him with thorns, rather than gold. 

Yet, in judging Him unworthy to reign over them, they were actually judging themselves unworthy of His kingdom. Their act of rejecting Him on earth would bring His rejection of them in eternity.  The only way to evade judgment for sin is to receive by faith the Savior’s work on the cross.  To refuse to bow at His nail-scarred feet is to endure judgment for sin which is deserved.

In the apparent defeat of Christ in His death, was actually accomplished the true victory over death. The ruler of this world—Satan—was overthrown. This fulfills the first prophecy concerning Jesus in Genesis 3:15. Sin had entered the world, as the serpent seduced Adam and Eve, but God already had a plan of redemption in place. “I will put enmity between you [the serpent, Satan], and the woman [Christ would be born of a virgin—the Seed of a woman, rather than man], and between your seed and her Seed [the spiritual warfare between sinners and saints seen in the hostility of the world rejecting Christ]; He shall bruise your head [the death of Jesus, crushing the serpent’s head], and you shall bruise His heel [the suffering for sin Christ bore].”

The cross, far from ending Christ’s claim as Lord, assured it!  The message of the cross will have a magnetic effect on all people. The Jews rejected their Messiah, but the result would be people from every nation will have opportunity to bow to the Lord and Savior.  An old rugged cross would become a royal throne!  He would not be a victim, but the Victor!

DYING TO LIVE

Read Romans 6.

As you read the title, you may have thought this would be a meditation on heaven.  Although that is our ultimate experience of eternal life, it is but the pinnacle of what we can already experience—abundant life now, rooted in our union with Christ!

This experience is anchored in a truth we must COMPREHEND, “knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” (v.6‬). The reality is that our union with Christ is such that all He is and has done has come to be our experience.  When Jesus died on the cross, we died with Him!  When He rose again, we rose with Him!  Eternal life is simply the life of the Eternal God in us—all Jesus is for all I need.

Based on what we comprehend concerning our union with Christ, we must CALCULATE as true, “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (v.11‬). Paul uses an accounting term here.  Let me explain this way—you have a dollar amount in the bank. You know this, not because you physically can see and hold cash in your hand, but you calculate by faith what the bank tells you and act on it as being true by using your debit card or writing a check. So, if you can trust a bank, can’t you trust God?  He says you are dead to sin and alive in Christ!

From comprehending this truth and calculating it as a promise from God, you then CHOOSE to live accordingly,  “And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” (v.13‬). A dead slave would be free from his master’s control. Since we are crucified with Christ, the old master—sin—has no claim on us.  Yet, being raised from the dead in Christ, we have a new master—Jesus.  In the same way we once yielded our body for sin’s passions, we now surrender it for the Savior’s purposes.

In Christ you are free;
Free to be all He wants you to be;
Free, for we died with Him on that tree;
Free, for my life is the Risen Christ in me!

JUSTIFIED!

Read Romans 5.

What does it mean to be, “justified”?  Someone has said, “It is JUST AS IF I’D never sinned.”

Of course, we are sinners—Scripture makes that clear.  In this chapter, we are referred to as, “ungodly” (v.6), “sinners” (v.8), and “enemies” of God (v.10). Yet, by God’s grace and through faith in the work of Christ, we can be declared, “justified,” and “have peace with God” (v.1).  Our sins are blotted out.  The record of our crimes against God’s law has been expunged.  We were guilty, but now pardoned by the Judge!

The Triune God has undertaken to bring salvation to us.  By God the Father’s initiative, He has sent His Son to be our Savior (v.1). God the Son paid the price for our sins and reconciled us to the Father (v.6, 8-11, 15-21). The Son of God became the Son of Man, that the sons of men might become the sons of God.  Further, God the Spirit, has been given to us (v.5), binding our hearts to God with love outpoured within us (v.5). His presence assures us of the unfailing hope of heaven.  It is not only the death of Jesus, but His life within us that assures us, “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, MUCH MORE, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by HIS LIFE.” (v.10, emphasis added).

What a reason to rejoice!  We “rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance character; and character, hope.” (v.2b-4). “And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” (v.11).

Christ on the cross, suspended between eternity and earth, has connected the two.  His arms outstretched, with one reaching to Holy God, and the other reaching to sinful humanity—that cross becomes the great “plus sign,” that equals reconciliation in God’s equation of salvation.

MERCY: GIVING IT AND GETTING IT

Mercy—it means that one does not receive what they deserve.  God has been so merciful to me.  I deserve hell.  I have been such a wretched sinner.  My crimes against heaven and humanity are too numerous to recount.  Yet, what did God do?  He loved me so much that He would send His Son to die in my place—to suffer the punishment I deserve, so that I might have an inheritance in heaven. What great mercy!

This ought to motivate the follower of Christ to be merciful. How can we claim to be Christians and fail to extend mercy?  You may argue, “But, you don’t know how they hurt me!”  I will not debate that.  I am not minimizing the hurt.  My question for you to ponder is, “How much hurt did Jesus know on the cross?  What did He do?”  His pain was the price for obtaining our mercy.

In fact, it is to our benefit to extend mercy.  According to Jesus, if we want to get mercy, we must give mercy. Knowing the mercy of God, and then refusing to be merciful to others, shuts off the flow of mercy to us.  Bitterness, vengeance, and hate will fill the heart of one who refuses to grant mercy, and there is no room in a heart like that for God’s mercy to be given.

In fact, the danger here is that should such a spirit dominate a person, it may well be that they do not have God’s Spirit.  Such a heart of hate may prove that we have rejected the mercy of God, and are unregenerate.

Would you receive mercy today?  Be merciful. How can you be?  Take a trip to Calvary and ponder deeply the mercy of God in Christ.  It is life-changing!

SEEING THE SAVIOR

“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.”  (Zechariah 12:10)

When the shepherds looked into the manger on that first Christmas, they saw the salvation of God.  Salvation is in a Person and that One is Jesus Christ.  He had come for the express purpose of sacrificing His life to atone for sins.  The cradle and the cross are ever connected.  The means by which the Lamb of God would redeem us at Calvary was foreordained, but the sin of rejecting the Messiah was the free choice of sinful Israel.  

We witness both Divine sovereignty and human responsibility in Acts 2:22-23, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death….”  The Roman government ordered Christ’s execution and their legionnaires nailed Him to the tree, but it was the hatred of the Jews that demanded it.  That is why the prophet Zechariah speaks of Jesus as the One whom “the inhabitants of Jerusalem…pierced.”  Theologically, the reality is that since Christ suffered for the sins of us all, each of us may as well have been on Skull Hill with hammer and nails in our hands.

Throughout the Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi, we have the sad saga of man rejecting his Maker.   Israel would be the chosen people—in a covenant relationship with God—yet, would repeatedly spurn Him.  Over and again, we find them experiencing the consequences of their unfaithfulness.  The prophets—and Zechariah was one of the last—would find their message rejected and the men themselves would often suffer at the hands of their countrymen.  So, God at last sent His Son.  That is the record of the New Testament.  What did the Jews do?  John puts it this way, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.”  (1:11) From the time of His birth, where He found the inn closed to His arrival, until the condemnation by the Sanhedrin, Israel had no room for Jesus.  Following His resurrection, the Apostles went to the Jews first—and some heeded the call to repentance—but, most did not.  They still don’t, and the chastisement they have gone through has been severe.  The worst is yet to come.  Zechariah 12 predicts the unparalleled suffering of Israel that is yet to be.

Today we find Jerusalem encircled by enemies.  The noose is tightening.  Satan’s minions in the Gentile kingdoms are bent on the genocide of the Jews.  One day the Antichrist will come to the seat of world power and unleash horror on Israel.  Yet, when all hope seems gone, the Blessed Hope will appear in the clouds!  This same Jesus will come and Israel will mourn for the One they pierced.  They will recognize Him by the nail-prints in His hands.  So, all Israel will be saved (Rom.11:26).  His look will be a look of forgiveness for the repentant and a look of fury to the rebellious.  What determines His look hereafter is whether or not we look in faith to Him here.  Bow to Him today!

CONNECTED

Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.  (1 Corinthians 1:10)

As I type these words I am connected to the internet.  That connection is important if I am to communicate with you.  When this devotional is completed, I will send it out to a potential worldwide audience.  There are times the connection is down and then the communication is disrupted.  That is not only a technological truth, it is a theological one, as witnessed in the first chapter of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church. 

The church was a basket-case—as a host of problems plagued them.  Their carnality was showing.  Living in a corrupt environment, they were being contaminated by it.  When they were meant to impact the city, the culture was influencing them instead.  We think that our times are tough to try to live for God—when has it ever been easy?  This first century message is on target for a twenty-first century church.

Of all the problems that plagued the Corinthian Christians, the one Paul confronts first is the breaking of their connection with each other.  One of Satan’s chief weapons is division, and he was utilizing it effectively in Corinth.  While the saints were not cooperating with each other in building up the church, they were cooperating with the devil in breaking up the fellowship!

The Apostle reminds them in verses one through seventeen that they are to be connected in fellowship.  They have been set apart for God—each one.  This is their common experience of an uncommon gift.  Their position in Christ is that of saints.  No matter the other ways that humans segment society—by color, class, gender, age, achievement, and the like—all the redeemed were one in their standing in Christ.  We are reminded that since we are saints, we ought to act like it!  Jesus said that the world would believe in Him when we demonstrated love and displayed unity with one another (John 17:21).  If our connection in fellowship is broken by strife, then the communication of our message is lost.

Not only are God’s people to be connected in fellowship, but in faith (v.18-31).  God’s children share a common faith in an uncommon Savior.  Everything focuses on the cross of Christ, which is the only hope of salvation.  We come by the Calvary Road to heaven, or we do not come at all.  It matters not how much we have in the bank or how little, whether we are young or old, male or female, black or white, educated or uneducated—the ground is level at the foot of the cross.  The world scoffs at the image of a Savior hanging in bloody agony on a tree.  How can a Jew being executed in such a shameful way enable sinners to be saved?  This is God’s way—and it is in the cross that we glory!  It should be evident that this message is one revealed from heaven, for it would never have been dreamed up by humans!  To the Jews it was a stumbling block and to the Gentles it was foolishness, but to all who are saved the old rugged cross, so despised by the world, is the power and wisdom of God for salvation.

Let us stand together in fellowship sharing our faith.  The world is watching—and so is God.

THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP

And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.  ‎(Luke 14:27)

The nature of many evangelistic appeals is to get someone to repeat a prayer, sign a commitment card, and get them into the baptistery.  The preacher tries to make it as easy as possible for someone to respond.  The message is often: “Do you want a better marriage?  Do you want to be happy and fulfilled as a person?  Do you want success in business?  Then come to Jesus.”  While it is possible that some of that may happen, Jesus never promised, “Your Best Life Now.”  Dietrich Bonhoeffer, wrote in The Cost of Discipleship, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”  Bonhoeffer was a pastor in Nazi Germany and his opposition to Hitler led to his execution.  If we would follow Christ there are three things we cannot do (Luke 14:26, 27, 33). 

We cannot put anyone in the place only God deserves (Luke 14:25-26).  This teaching is shocking.  It was to the multitudes that first heard it.  It does not mean that we are to literally feel loathing for our family members.  The Bible tells us to honor our parents, for husbands and wives to love each other, for parents to love their children—even to love our enemies.  No Scripture can be interpreted to contradict what it means in another place.  It was a way Jesus used to make a radical comparison.  It meant that the love we have for God is to be so superior to any other love that those other loves would be as hate.  J.C. Ryle gave the practical application this way: “If the claims of relatives and the claims of Christ come into collision, the claims of relatives must give way.  We must choose rather to displease those we love most upon earth, than to displease Him who died for us on the cross.” 

We cannot live for self and live for Christ (Luke 14:27).  The crowd thought Jesus was marching to Mt.Zion to overthrow Caesar and replace Herod—reestablishing the glory days of Solomon—and they would, of course, benefit from it.  Jesus tells them no—He’s marching to Mt.Calvary to bear a cross and die for sinners—and the result would be eternal life—if we follow Him.  That means we must die to self as we take up our cross.  Yet, the airwaves today are filled with the so-called prosperity gospel promising health and wealth if you just have enough faith.  That is the polar opposite of what Jesus says here.

We cannot cling to the things of this world and still hope to possess heaven (Luke 14:28-35).  We might almost conclude Jesus didn’t want people to follow Him, but such is not the case.  What He was doing was separating the wheat from the chaff; the believers from the make-believers; the committed from the curious.  Following Jesus has to do with building and battling—one costs money and the other costs blood—so He told these stories about counting the cost.  What will it cost you?  It could cost you everything (v.33).  We recognize that all we have is God’s and we are just stewards.  He may let us keep it.  He may even multiply it for ministry.  He can claim it when He wants.  Jim Eliot, missionary and martyr said, “He is no fool to give what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”  It costs to follow Christ, but costs much more not to do so!

A CRISIS OF COMMITMENT

 

Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.  (Joshua 3:17)

There seems to be a wide gulf between the claims of many Christians and their character.  We are too often spiritual under-achievers whose performance falls far short of our potential.  Like the ancient covenant people, the entrance into such a life today has a barrier—for them it was literally the Jordan River at flood stage.  For us, it is what that river represents spiritually: death to self.  In our hymnody, the Jordan has come to mean the place of physical death, and Canaan symbolizes heaven.  I hope not!  Canaan was a place of fruitfulness, but also a place of fighting and failure.  The first city on the other side was not the New Jerusalem but Jericho.  So we see that the Jordan does represent death—not the death of the body, but the crucifixion of self.  Canaan is the promised abundant life here—involving spiritual warfare, but, also, the power for victory. 

This is the crisis of commitment.  It is the threshold that must be crossed.  Joshua got up early that morning (v.1).  He was eager to enter—his heart set on Canaan.  The Jordan proves no deterrent to the one whose heart has been captivated by a land flowing with milk and honey.  If we could just envision the life God has for us—if we would die to the life we have—then we would zealously embrace the cross.  Interestingly, God made them wait three days (v.2).  There was to be a time of contemplation before they came to the place of consecration (v.5).  That generation had time to reflect on the failure of their forefathers.  Unbelief was the reason the previous generation did not enter, and faith would be the needful response if they were  to seize the prize.  They had three days to look at the flood and consider the human impossibility of crossing—they had no boats or bridges.  It would take an act of God to bring them in—and so they would learn if God was for them, nothing or no one could stand against them.

The ark—testimony to the presence of God among them—would lead the way (v.3-4).  Never again would they be led by the pillar of cloud and fire.  The ark contained the commandments of God.  Just so, the Lord no longer leads us with visions, but with the verities of His Word—not signs but Scripture guides our path.  We have a confirmed Word of prophecy (2 Pet.1:16-21).  The will of God is in the Word of God.  Read the roadmap and go forward!

The miracle happened when they stepped out by faith into the water (v.5-17).  God affirmed the leadership of His man (v.7).  God also displayed His lordship over their foes (v.9-10).  If God could remove this barrier, then they could trust Him to drive out the enemy.  We will never experience the power of victory and the fullness of blessing God has for us, until we step out of our comfort zone and into the commitment zone!  They could have turned back into the wilderness.  Their forefathers did.  God has brought us again to consider throwing caution to the wind, stepping out in faith, and entering abundant life.  Abundance demands abandonment.  What will we do?  We stand at the crisis of commitment.