revolutionjournal

[revolutionjournal]

The Lord Jesus Christ

This symbol is a combination of the first two letters of the Greek word ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ from where we get the english word Christ. It is known as both the Labarum and Chi-Rho (the names of the first two letters). It has been used as a symbol in the Christian Church for Jesus Christ since the time of the Roman Emperor Constanine who ruled during 306-337 AD. 

In Matthew 16:13-22 Jesus asked his disciples, those who followed him, “Who do you say that I am?” How one answers that question reveals if one is a follower of Jesus. Peter tells us that Jesus was the Christ the Son of the living God, which Jesus says was only shown to Peter by God Himself. Later Paul will say in Romans 10:8-9 that anyone who confesses with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and believes in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead will be saved. Therefore, the salvation of our souls is linked to who we say Jesus is. Who then does the Bible, and Christians, say Jesus is? 

The Bible gives the answer to this question in the name and titles given to Jesus. He is called, The Lord Jesus Christ. There are three parts to this phrase, which helps us understand who Jesus is. First He is the Lord. Second He is Jesus, He is our salvation. And third He is the Christ, the promised anointed redeemer.

In the Old Testament God provided a name for His people to call Him. This name was so sacred the people would not say it, but instead used Adonai, which means Lord. So when we find that Jesus is called Lord it means more than that he is our master and leader, but it truly is confessing that Jesus is God, he is divine. This is the Christmas season where we celebrate the birth of Jesus, “born a babe yet a King.” The foundation of the Christian faith is that Jesus is God in flesh. Because this is true we have a God who came to us to rescue us. Jesus saves us by coming with grace to take us from sin and death, to life and glory. When we forget, deny, or misunderstand that Jesus is God, we forget and deny that Jesus is Lord of all, the creator come as a man to redeem all things.

While the divinity (or God-ness) of Jesus is vital, it cannot be separated from the reality that he was also fully man in every moment. The name Jesus itself indicates the humanity of Jesus, since it is a human name, and also the reason He came, since Jesus means “God saves.” The name Jesus was a common name at the time, but the meaning was no ordinary meaning. The hope that God would save became a reality when that little baby breathed his first breath in a manger. In that child God took on flesh so that he might in his life, death, burial, and resurrection restore the world to the peace and glory it was created in. When we confess Jesus we are confessing that God saves, that He has kept His promise, that Jesus is Lord.

The word Christ is not really a name even though we use it in that way. It is actually a title that describes who Jesus is. Christ means the anointed one and was used as the title of the one God promised to send to bring restoration. Another word that means the same thing is “messiah.” When we call Jesus the Christ or Messiah, we are saying two things. First that He is the one who was promised. And secondly that Jesus is our hope of peace. God promised to send one who would take the sins of His people away by receiving their punishment. Jesus is that promise kept and therefore God’s Word is true, He is faithful! Because Jesus has taken our sins away and received our punishment He is also our peace. This is what it means that Jesus is the Christ, He is the Promise kept and our Peace with God.

This Christmas let’s be reminded that we confess and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Born a man yet the King of all things, full of saving grace! 

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This is a picture of Advent Candles. These candles are used to celebrate the Advent season. Each week one candle is lit and a Scripture is read reading in order to prepare hearts and minds to celebrate the Lord's Coming. The Light reminds us that Jesus is the Light of the world who came to bring Love, Peace, Joy, and Hope. 

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Advent: Learning from a Calendar

This painting was done by the Puritan Edward Hicks in 1833. The title is "The Peaceable Kingdom." It is depicting the prophecies in Isaiah, which speak of times when lions and lambs would lay in peace in the same pasture. In this painting Hicks is placing enemies together in peace. In the background you can see even peoples (Indians and United State Settlers) negotiating peace. One day what is depicted in this painting will be a reality.

Most of us own a calendar. It used to be that people would get calendars of their favorite sports team, or favorite scenery like a beach or mountains. Nowadays we mostly just have calendars on our phones or computers. Regardless, we usually don’t think about learning something spiritual from a calendar. However, over the years the Church (the worldwide Church) has developed what is known as the “church calendar” or “liturgical calendar.” The purpose of this calendar is remind Christians of God’s grace throughout the entire year. By serving as a reminder it helps to shape us to live lives that match the grace shown to us. The calendar essentially follows the life of Christ. Just like we have different seasons (like fall, winter, spring, and summer) the church calendar has seasons, which are related to the life of Christ. It starts with the promise of his birth and moves to His coming, all the way through his death, burial, and resurrection. Some churches like Lutheran, Methodist, and Episcopal churches use the calendar to shape the theme of their services during the different seasons.

I say all of this to talk about a particular season in the church calendar known as Advent. This season is what most would call the Christmas season. It is the time when we as Christians remember the coming (“coming” is what the word Advent actually means”) of our Lord Jesus Christ. He came as a baby born of a virgin in a stable in order to save sinful men. He came in humility, in order to make the weak strong. While we celebrate his coming we also confess the need for his coming. We repent from the sin he has saved us from. Furthermore, we long for his second coming. We long by preaching the gospel of peace that Jesus Christ came and accomplished. Advent or Christians is a time to remember that God came and is coming in Jesus Christ, Immanuel (God with us), to make all things new! 

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Gift Giving and Receiving: Lessons for Christians

Even amidst the craziness of commercialized Christmas gifts we can take a moment to learn profound truths of God’s love and grace for us. This Christmas season I want to encourage you to take a moment each time you purchase, give, or receive a gift to be reminded of God’s graciousness to us.

What is this grace? He has given us the Bible so that we can know who He is and what He has done. God has graciously sent his Son into the world to save it. We know God’s grace, through his gift of the Holy Spirit given to us so that we might be united in faith to Jesus Christ. He has also created the Church in which we have fellowship, encouragement, help, and love. We also know God’s grace by his promise that one day He will return and make all things new and we will stand in his glory in worship and not fear.

We can be reminded of these things even in this season of gift giving and receiving. As we purchase a gift we can be reminded in a small way of the great price that God has paid for us. As we give those gifts away we can be reminded of great gift we have been given through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, come to take away our sins. And when we receive gifts we can be reminded of the grace we have indeed received through the blood of Jesus Christ shed for us. We do not have to be distracted by this season. Instead we can be reminded of God’s grace!

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Why Do Preachers Preach?

This is a picture of the pulpit in Hodges Chapel in Beeson Divinity School at Samford. On the Pulpit are 4 preachers from throughout Church history. What is important to notice is that each one is holding a copy of the Holy Bible. This communicates that preachers are called to explain what the Bible says.

Each Sunday we wake up, get dressed and head out to hear a person open their mouth for 20 to 30 minutes. The person standing before us has been preparing for at least 5 days for these 20 to 30 minutes, and we come expecting something. The question is why? Why does this person we call the preacher prepare and why do we come to hear? Preachers preach because in that moment God speaks through His Word by the Holy Spirit.

As Christians we trust confidently that God has worked through human writers by the Holy Spirit to speak in written words. We call the collection of these inspired words the Bible, Scripture, and the Word of God. Yet these written Words are not dead. The Spirit, and therefore God, still speaks through them. This is why Hebrews 4:12 says, “The Word of God is living and active!”

When the preacher opens his mouth, he is seeking to explain what God has and is saying in His Word. The Holy Spirit is involved in the entire process from the writing of Scripture, to the reading of it, to the understanding of it, to the preaching of it, and even to the hearing of it. We come expecting because God by the Holy Spirit takes human words to shape and form us into His image so that we may live in holiness and righteousness (Ephesians 4:20-24).

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The Holy Bible: God’s Holy Word

In this painting one notices that Jesus Christ on the cross at the center. The Preacher is pointing to Him and the congregation is looking to Him. The point is that when the preacher proclaims the Word of God, Christ is being pointed to and seen.

The word “Bible” simply means book. What then is so important about this “book?” What do we believe about the Bible as Christians? How we answer that question effects everything else we believe as Christians. What makes the “Bible” a different kind of book is that little word we find on the cover: “Holy.” The Bible is set apart for a purpose, to graciously reveal God Himself through His own Holy Word.

The most basic belief concerning the Bible is that it is indeed the Word of God (Psalm 19:7-11; Hebrews 4:12). The question still stands what does that mean? This means that God has graciously chosen to speak to us. He has chosen to reveal who He is by working through human writers to speak His Word. The Bible is indeed in human words but these were directed, guided, and intended by the Holy Spirit (this is called inspiration). Through these words God reveals who He is because He graciously decides to speak divine words in the form of human words (we call this revelation). As Christians we do not deny the humanness of the form of the Bible. It is made up of human words, but we confess that God speaks through these words by His Spirit in order that we would know Him. The language these words may be found in does not bind the Holy Spirit. This is why we translate the Bible. In fact whether these words are written or just spoken makes no difference; the Holy Spirit reveals the truth that the words communicate.

Because the Bible is God’s Word it is trustworthy and authoritative (2 Timothy 3:14-17, Psalm 19:7-11). By trustworthy we mean that it does not mislead us, nor is it in error in what it affirms or teaches. If God is good and holy then His word is good and holy. Errors in copying the Bible are not errors in the Bible because again the Holy Spirit communicates the truth of what is intended and is not bound by the written words themselves. Miraculously these errors are small in number, considering the many copies that have been made, and no error in copying is substantial in terms of teaching.

By authoritative we mean that the Bible is the source of our teaching and beliefs. It governs and controls what we confess. What we are taught is compared and measured by what the Bible says. If there is a conflict then the Bible changes our beliefs into conformity to what it teaches. This is not a stagnant process, or a once-and-for-all event. We are continually searching the Scriptures, and it is continually shaping what we believe so that it is deeper, clearer, and faithful to what God has gracious revealed. The Holy Spirit enables this whole process of hearing understanding, and believing Scripture more faithfully.

It is a mistake, however, to not recognize that the Bible not only is the measure we use to judge what we confess and teach, but its authority also reaches into our daily lives. By shaping the way we think, conforming to what God reveals, the Bible shapes our lives. We live the way we think. The Scriptures use phrases like “renewing our mind” to describe this process (Romans 12:1-2). We do not distinguish from the Bible’s authority in teaching or belief and its authority in daily living. The Holy Spirit through the Scriptures continually addresses both our belief and our living at the same time. If this is not so then we are not submitting to God and what He has revealed to us by the Spirit.

All Scripture speaks of God fulfilling His word to bring redemption to a fallen world, to fix what was broken by sin (Isaiah 55:10-11). This means that even those crazy stories in the Old Testament (OT), those long genealogies, and strange rules all are pointing us to God’s saving work. Ultimately this saving work is accomplished in Jesus Christ, therefore, all Scripture speaks of Him and teaches us to believe in the Son of God (Luke 24:27-32; 2 Timothy 3:14-17).

Because the Bible teaches us to trust God and take Him at His word fundamentally the Bible is for the purpose of salvation. It proclaims God’s Word, love, and gracious acts in order to draw us to faith in Him for salvation. This faith is growing, and is shaped and nurtured by the very Word that brought it about. When we read, understand, and obey the Bible in the Spirit we are living in the salvation that God’s Holy Word is intended for (2 Timothy 4:15; Hebrews 4:12). The Bible is God’s Word spoken to us to bring life by the Holy Spirit and in Jesus Christ so that we might live the life of Jesus Christ to the glory of God.

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Pray for the Teams Going to Peru

With a team going to and returning from Peru this month I thought it would be good to take some time to remember to pray for the teams and people. In doing this, it is also good to be reminded why we are going to Peru and what we are seeking to do.

First, let us pray for soft hearts of those who have heard the stories. Let us pray for wisdom for those who go. Let us also pray that those who hear and believe the Gospel will be protected with the truth and for false teaching to not creep into the area. Praise God for what He has done and is doing even now.

Second, why are we even going to Peru? We go because the whole Bible reveals that God has planned to bring salvation to all peoples. Genesis 12:1-2 promises that through Abram (later called Abraham) all the families of the earth would be blessed. Exodus 19:4-6 calls God’s people to be a people who live like their God so that the nations would know the Lord. 1 Kings 8:59 King Solomon prays that God will bless His people so that all nations would know God as the only God. Psalm 67 calls every nation to praise God. Isaiah 2:1 promises that the nations will flow to the Temple. Matthew 12:15-21 says that Jesus fulfills what was promised in Isaiah 42:1-3, that justice would be preached to the Gentiles (non-Jews; non-Israelites; us). Finally Matthew 28:18-20 gives a mission to make disciples of all nations. We go to Peru because God has been working to bring salvation through His Son Jesus Christ to all peoples of the earth. He does this by His people preaching the Gospel and making disciples in all the world.

Third, what are we doing in Peru? We are seeking to share the Gospel with those who do not know Jesus Christ in order to form a church made up and led by those who live in Ayaviri, Peru, and a church that is making other disciples in that village. We are seeking to formulate relationships for the sake of making disciples. 

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Why Do We Sing Songs at Church?

“Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.” Psalm 147:1

            “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Ephesians 5:18-21

            Singing in the Bible is the response of God’s people to the great works He has done. If we look at Psalm 147, which begins with a call to sing, we quickly see that they are singing about what God has done. Singing then is a form of worship and adoration to God. It retells what He has done.

            By retelling what God has done, not only does singing praise, but it also teaches and reminds us of God’s grace and power. In other words, singing praises and teaches. All throughout Scripture we are called to remember what God has done (Deuteronomy 17:18), singing helps us do that.

            The question then is not how we sing but what we sing. If we sing as a response of praise and thanksgiving to God’s work toward us, and to remind us of those works are, then our songs must retell of His grace. The book of Psalms is a demonstration of this kind of singing and praying. Ephesians 5:18-21 teaches that the Church sings together as a united body filled with the Holy Spirit. Let us sing together, praising God and teaching one another through our Spirit-filled songs. 

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Pray for the Persecuted: Christians in Pakistan

Pakistan is a country whose majority religion is Islam. Sadly there is a lot of violence committed by extremists within the country. Much of this violence is focused towards Christians. In addition to this violence, the government also persecutes Christians through what is known as “blasphemy laws.” Although the constitution protects religious freedom this law is used to try to hinder the spread of Christianity by charging practicing Christians with blasphemy against Allah and Mohamed “the prophet.”

On September 22, 2013 two terrorists attacked a church (All Saints Church established in 1883) using bomb vests, as it met together for a meal. The attack killed 80 people. To complicate the story, those connected with the attackers stated that the attack was their response for US strikes against them.

Pray for the families who lost loved ones. Pray for comfort and strengthened faith. Pray for provisions for those who survived, but cannot afford the care needed for recovery. Pray also for those who attacked the church, for reconciliation possible through the blood of Jesus Christ. Pray that the Christians can reach hard hearts with the Good News of Jesus Christ in Pakistan. 

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Thanksgiving: A Joyful Noise to Our Lord and Maker

Psalm 100 is 100% a psalm of thanksgiving! November is a month when we remind ourselves to be thankful, and so it is good to be reminded what thanksgiving is. Psalm 100 shows us that thanksgiving is a response of joy to knowing and being known by the Lord (Psalm 100:1-2). We cannot be thankful to someone we do not know. More than this we cannot be thankful when we are unknown. This is why we do not thank the gift we are given, but the giver of that gift who knows what we need and whom we know gives what we need.

            We are known by God because we are His people (Psalm 100:3). He has called us and made us His own so that we might know Him as the One God (Exodus 6:7; 1 Peter 2:9-10). The Father sent His Son in flesh to make us who are flesh His sons and daughters (John 1:14, Ephesians 1:3-6). The Holy Spirit whom God has given to us to live in us tells our souls that we are indeed God’s children (Romans 8:14-18). We can know God as Father, even when faced with the suffering of this world (Romans 8:14-18). We are God’s people whom He loves and makes Himself known to.

            We know God is, that He has made us, that He lives, and that He is good (Psalm 100:4-5). God’s faithfulness and love toward us who were dead in sin shows us His deep goodness. Even when we were dead and unfaithful to our Maker, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us and make us His own through His blood (Romans 5:8-11). Yet we know God is good also because He raised His Son through the Holy Spirit so that we might have new life with him as His people (Romans 6; 8:11).

            Our joyous thanksgiving, and service, flows out of this relationship God has established by the blood of Jesus Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Our thanksgiving is a confession that we need God and that He provides what we need. We are His and He is our loving God whom we come before to say thank you for knowing us and making Himself known. Praise the Lord God almighty! Serve Him with gladness (Psalm 100:2; Romans 12:1-2)!

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A artistic representation of the Church with Jesus in the center and Christians/saints all around Him and being built upon each other. Read Eph. 2:19-22 to help explain this image.

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The Church: One United Body of Christ

Each Sunday we get in a car and drive to Concord Baptist Church. People ask us what we did this weekend or on Wednesday and we answer, “We went to Church.” So what is Church? What do Christians believe the Church is and is to do? There are two ways to look at these questions. The first is the way Christians often look at it, and that is to think about the local church or the church one attends. However, what we think about our church is built upon what we believe about the Church.

A simple yet helpful definition of the Church is the redeemed people of God who reflect their Redeemer Jesus Christ. This definition speaks to how the Church came to be, through the work of God in Jesus Christ. It also tells what the Church is, a “redeemed people.” Furthermore, it speaks of the purpose and task of the Church, “to reflect Jesus Christ.” 

The Work of God in Jesus Christ

No church would be without God first working to bring His people to Himself. In the Old Testament God made a people for Himself by redeeming Israel from Egypt and giving her the land He had promised to Abraham (Exodus 6:6-8). That act of redemption shaped the relationship Israel had with the Lord. He was the Redeemer and they were the redeemed. Exodus 19:5-9 says that as God’s people (the people He redeemed) Israel was to be holy as a kingdom of priest (a nation that revealed who God was to the world). We find the same thing said about the Church in 1 Peter 2:9-10. The Church is a people for God, a holy nation, and a royal priesthood, because we have received mercy from God who called us out of darkness. God acts toward His people to give them life in order that they might live in relationship with Him as a unified people. 

A Redeemed People

What does it mean that we are redeemed and how does God accomplish our redemption? To be redeemed is to be brought out of something into something new by a price paid. Israel was brought out of Egypt and slavery into the promise land and freedom. The Church is brought out of sin and death into holiness and life. Each member of the Church was dead and alienated from God, but now we are made alive and in fellowship with God by the same grace and in the same faith. In fact the Bible talks about the Church as the living Temple of God (1 Peter 2:4-5; Ephesians 2:19-22). This means that God in Jesus Christ has given us new life through the Spirit who deals in each of us, uniting us together as the Temple of God. We do still deal with sin in our lives, but God is working in us to live in holiness. As we do so we are being built into a reflection of who God is for the world to see (1 Peter 2:11-12). 

The Purpose and Task of the Church

The joy of the redeemed is to display their Redeemer by living in holiness. To be a Temple is to be a place where the presence of God is found and seen. To be priests is to be people who show others, who do not know God, who God is. These descriptions of what the Church is also speak of her purpose and task. We are to reflect our Redeemer. We does this by living in the new life we have been given. We love others as Christ loved us. We serve other as Christ served us. We sacrifice for other as Christ sacrificed for us. We forgive as God in Christ has forgiven us. We live in peace as God in Christ has brought peace to us. We proclaim the Good News to all people as our Lord taught us to do. This means that the Church longs to see the nations blessed through faith in the Living Savior Jesus Christ. The picture given of the Church in Revelation 7:9-12 is one made up of all tribes and peoples and languages of the earth in one voice praising their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our purpose is to display the wisdom of God by living as one united body from every tribe for the glory of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

Why do we go Church?

We go to church each Sunday because as each local body comes together they grow into what we are as the Church and grow as a picture of the Church. The Word, when it is preached, equips us for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). When the church gathers and sings they are encouraging and edifying each other through reminders of praise for what God has done in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 5:18-21; Colossians 3:16). As we come together as a body to remember the Body broken for us, we are strengthened in our faith and unity. Witnessing the baptism of another believer teaches us afresh God’s gift of new life for us in Christ Jesus. Without Christ there is no Church and if we neglect the Church we neglect Christ the Head. 

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The Wonder in the Familiar

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John 3:16: The Wonder in the Familiar

There are always two extremes and dangers when it comes to reading the Bible as Christians. The first is the danger of obscurity. This happens when we come to the conclusion that the Bible is full of truths we cannot understand or that we have to have special information to understand the Bible in a meaningful way. The problem here is that to some degree these statements hold truth, but not whole truth. This danger forgets that we have the “mind of Christ,” the Holy Spirit living and working in us to hear and understand God’s Word.

The second danger is the danger of familiarization. This happens when we can read a text and not be affected by it. It is when we have read, heard, and been taught a passage and we do not slow down enough to hear what the Spirit is saying to us anew. The wonder has been removed and it is just a nice passage from the Bible.

In order to avoid both dangers it is good to take a moment and read and reflect slowly on a well-known verse. By going through a well-known verse we are reminded that the Bible is understandable as it was meant to be. By taking a moment to read and reflect slowly we are reminded that even the “well-known” is deeper than we can imagine. This practice brings together the wonder with the familiar that Christians need. A beneficial verse to start with is John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (ESV) 

Whether one comes to know Christ as a young child or as an adult they hear this verse often. It is indeed a verse that some who do not go to Church know of. Often when I think of this verse or refer to it I rush as if to say, “we all know this.” Yet there is still deep wonder when we consider the beauty of what is stated in this simple verse. 

God the eternal maker of all things, sent or put forth His Son, so that we who rebelled and denied Him might have life with and in Him. What makes this verse wonderful is when we consider that our Triune God. God the Father gave His Son, very God in flesh, for us. What does it mean that the Father gave the Son? It means that the Son, taking the very form of man, received our just punishment for our sin, so that we might receive forgiveness and sin. The Son suffered in our place so that we might have fellowship and life eternal with God. God who is just and merciful, poured out His wrath within Himself through the Son on the Cross so that we who believe might be given mercy. Let us not rush over this wonderful truth but rather let us reflect on it in our hearts so that we can reflect this deep love to others each day in word and deed. 

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Wheat has been used as a symbol for the day of remembrance known as “All Saints Day”

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All Saints Day

Hebrews 12:1-2 speaks of “a great cloud of witnesses” who have suffered beating, stoning, prison, and the sword for their faith (Hebrews 11:36-38). In fact the word translated “witnesses” is the word from which we get the word “martyr.” The testimony of their trust in the faithfulness of God is to motivate us and strengthen us to lay aside sin and follow their example as they followed Christ (Philippians 3:17). 

November 1 provides an opportunity to reflect and think about the witness of those who have died professing Jesus Christ as Lord around the world throughout the history of the Church. Traditionally, and in many denominations, November 1 is known as “All Saints Day” or “All Hollows Day” (thus October 31st is known as “All Hallows Eve”). On this day, Christians all over the world join together in remembering our brothers and sisters in Christ who have stood in God’s power unto death. It serves as a day to remind us of God’s grace to provide the strength and faith to face trial and tribulation for His namesake. Let us use this time to remember Jesus Christ and His Church throughout the world and throughout time. 

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Syrian Arab Republic (The official name of Syria)