Talk of JESUS . com

Tag: Christ

  • To Die is Gain

    Philippians 1:

    To Live Is Christ, To Die Is Gain

    Christians have heard it, perhaps even others:

    [ctt title=”Phil.1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ” tweet=”Philippians 1:21 ‘For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.’ Who in the 21st c. church longs to be with the Lord rather than gain in this life?” coverup=”81X1L”]

    What a strange sound to our contemporary hearing that a follower of Christ would prefer to die, rather than live as long as we can in this life. Why would the Apostle Paul say such a thing?

    Paul further explains: 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.

    OK, that’s more like it. We hope those in our church will do some fruitful labor, but Paul continues:

    Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

    Paul seems rather conflicted in wanting to die to be with Jesus Christ, even as he tells of his desire to be with those of the church in Philippi “for your progress and joy in the faith.” [v.25b]

    Like any letter we cannot just take the words of the writer (or writers, in this case) as literal advice to you and me without considering the context and background as well as the reason to write to those who first read it. The people of the church a Philippi were the very reason Paul and Timothy wrote this letter. In fact, Paul had much in common with these saints of this local church.

    Dear church family in Philippi Macedonia,

    Or in a 21st letter that is what we might have said. The letter, however, begins:

    To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers (meaning bishops) and deacons:

    2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

    3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

    The Greek words for overseer, where superintendent could also be used, and deacon, which indicates the ones who follow the commands of the appointed one in charge have a deep relational and much-lost meaning to the church. The description of the senders, however, reveals an even more-convicting humility, for Paul and Timothy refer to themselves as “doulos,” that is, “slaves” or servants.

    Although you or I would end a letter with our signature, Paul and Timothy, as was the custom of the day, begin with their signature as identification to all of the senders at first hearing of the public reading of their letter:

    Παῦλος καὶ Τιμόθεος δοῦλοι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ

    Paulos kai Timotheos doulos  Iēsous  Christos

    Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ

    Servant Leadership

    Without taking time here to further develop a central theme which must typify followers of Jesus, the Christ of God and King over all creation and souls; please note Paul’s characteristically loving concept best demonstrated by Christ our Lord, that to lead others means to serve others.

    What must Paul do before he dies? Even though Paul longs to be with the Lord Jesus, he concedes, “to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.”

    Paul and Timothy are slaves of the King, Christ Jesus. The Superintendents of the churches to whom they write are also expected to be humble servants of those they lead. Elders and Deacons must have expected obedience to the righteous decrees of the King, that is, Jesus. And the saints (small, ‘s‘) are obedient followers of church leaders, because we desire to obey the King, that is, we want to follow Jesus.

    A Background in Common

    Returning to Philippi, a complete reading of this letter from the slaves of Jesus Christ, Paul and Timothy, is much more than just instruction to a church; it is a much hoped for love letter from a dear one in a far away place.

    Don’t you have a dear one in a far away place? I do.

    [ctt title=”Many beloved ones live beyond the reach of my encouragement and embrace.” tweet=”Many beloved ones live beyond the reach of my encouragement and embrace.” coverup=”t1zeE”]

    Here Paul and Timothy have reached out by messenger to the saints they love, even those with whom they share Christ Jesus, and so much more in common.

    3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you…

    7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.

    8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

    “Would you die for Christ?

    [ctt title=”Would you live to serve the saints of Christ\’s church? ” tweet=”Would you die for Christ? Would you live to serve the saints of Christ’s church? – For me to live is Christ, to die is gain. Phil 1:21″ coverup=”Sd5ao”]

    Paul and Timothy and the early saints of the church did. Peter and John and the Apostles did. Stephen and James the brother of Jesus and the first century martyrs did. These all lived for Christ to serve others. These saints of the church, our beloved company of believers, died first to self to serve Jesus as Lord.

    For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. – Philippians 1:21

     

  • Seven Seals

    Seven Seals

    A scroll or proclamation sealed by the One of Authority

    Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. – Revelation 5:1

    The King James Version of the Bible uses the word ‘book’ in the place of scroll and interestingly enough you may recognize its importance from the original Greek: βιβλίον – biblion from the Greek root biblos.

    The Apostle John, exiled to the island of Patmos, survives the other eleven martyred for their faith, and receives a book of prophecy from the risen Lord. A few years prior to John’s apocalypse Rome had destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD.

    An Ancient Sealed Prophesy

    Seven centuries prior to this witness of John, the prophet Isaiah had correctly predicted an earlier fall of Jerusalem to Babylon in 586 BC.

    Isaiah 29:

    9 Astonish yourselves and be astonished;
    blind yourselves and be blind!
    Be drunk, but not with wine;
    stagger, but not with strong drink!
    10 For the Lord has poured out upon you
    a spirit of deep sleep,
    and has closed your eyes (the prophets),
    and covered your heads (the seers).

    11 And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed.

    חָתַם סֵפֶר

    When men give it to one who can read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” 12 And when they give the book to one who cannot read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot read.”

    The Lamb of God

    John had witnessed Christ Jesus slain on a cross. He was the Lamb of God sacrificed for the sins of the world; yet three days later and for many days John witnessed the risen Christ! Jesus was about thirty years old, but John was even younger. Hundreds of jews and gentiles saw the risen Lord, who previously had told the Apostles of His return.

    Now John is an old man (even by modern standards). The Lord gives John a vision, just as the Lord has previously uncovered a certain future to His Prophets centuries before Christ.

    John’s apocalypse shows events of a Day to come .. a day of wrath and a day of justice.

    ἀποκάλυψις

     

    Revelation 5:2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”

    9 And they sang a new song, saying,

    “Worthy are you to take the scroll
        and to open its seals,
    for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
        from every tribe and language and people and nation,
    10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
        and they shall reign on the earth.”

    Revelation 6:

    The Seven Seals

    6 Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder,“Come!”

    3 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!”

    And again with the third and the fourth seal. “Come!”

    The breaking of each seal introduces a horse of a different color. Did you know this scriptural source of this familiar expression?

    Read in Christ’s revelation to John the fearful imagery of these riders; for the deceiver leads the world to see these foretold truths of that Day as highly imaginable fantasy, when in truth, the wrath of that terrible terrible Day should bring a quaking of terror into unrepentant hearts of the living and souls of the dead.

    9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

    12 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth…

    Read it for yourself, you who fear Almighty God!

    Revelation 7:

    4 And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

    A Great Multitude from Every Nation

    A seventh seal is yet to be opened…


    When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. –

    Revelation 8:1

    Christ the Lamb looks to you

    • Is reverence for the Lord an attribute of your life; do you show any respect for the deserved honor of the Living God?
    • Does your heart consider deserved repercussions of your sin?
    • Is your arrogance before the risen and living Son of righteous the foolishness of fallen angels who have told adam’, “You will be as gods, knowing good and evil?” Genesis 3:5

    Are you a god, failing flesh with mortal soul?

    Or does your own sin convict you of your many failings?

    Repent! While it is yet today.

    For the Day will surly come when seven seals will be broken and the judgments of God proclaimed before all souls – souls saved and souls condemned.

    To which side will the Lord separate your eternal soul?

    Read the Revelation of Jesus Christ to the Apostle John and be blessed.

     

  • Follow After Me – a series on Christian life in the 21st c.

    Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

    – Matthew 16:24

    Who do you follow?

    It seems in this 21st century that following Jesus is NOT the thing to do. Worshiping GOD seems to be a thing of the past. Tolerance for other religions (even those with no tolerance for our beliefs) seems to be an inviolable standard for a post-modern morality without standards. Christianity is on the outs.

    Those living in a European Union of atheist existence no longer challenge the communist for their opposition to God, but for their competition to our greed. Suppressed peoples of Africa, Asia and the Middle East are ignored for their needs, yet exploited for their resources.

    In the United States, a nation founded after a great awakening to the glory of God and hope in Jesus Christ, freedom of speech has digressed into irresponsible sound bites. And in a post-Christian U.S., religion in our former nation under God, has fallen into a frenzy of preservation of a lost way of life. We are no longer a safe haven for the tired, the poor and huddled masses. Even the language of future leaders would gamble on a ban of immigrants.

    Who in this world would you follow?

    A strong dictator with guns and oil and young men who will die for him? A billionaire who would buy the Presidency of a powerful nation? A robed Arab prince who beheads Christians? Perhaps an autocratic zealous religious leader of a long-gone false and violent prophet? Who would you trust with your life and your family?

    Who would you follow today?  Who would you trust with your present and your future, even sins of your past and hope for your eternity?

    Jesus Christ,

    a Savior for every century, a Redeemer for every sinner

    You probably don’t live in Israel. You are not likely the owner of a fishing fleet or dishonest tax collector. I know you don’t imagine that a dozen poor men, a few hundred common and poor Jews and women with no stake in a Roman district on the Mediterranean 21 centuries ago have anything in common with you.

    In fact, if you believe in God; in fact, if you believe in Christ Jesus; in fact, if you live in this day as a follower of the Way of Jesus you don’t have much in common with those who compete with you in the workplace and challenge you in your everyday 21st century life.

    You may only be looking for some answers to a life that matters – your life, even the souls of those you love. Where do you look? Who do you trust?

    Who would you learn from? Whose example would you follow? After all, you and I are sinners – failed sinners in a fallen world which digresses quickly toward the destruction of all we value.

    Why Jesus? Why do the words of the Gospel, the Good News of the Messiah of God coming to mankind, resonate with us?

    Read the story of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Man of 21 centuries ago, who IS raised from the dead and rules over powers and principalities we cannot understand and you will see that He is the only man in history who IS exactly who He says He IS.

    Jesus Christ IS God Incarnate!

    He came to mankind in love for the cost of our sins. He came to save us from death and punishment. He will come again in judgment of those who have hated God and their fellow man. Jesus came to the world to establish His Kingdom in love. The LORD GOD, who has called for us to follow after Him in word and in deed, will celebrate the glory of His creation for all eternity in the fellowship of those who love and worship Him.

    Challenges of a 21st c. Christian life

    This NEW series will address our challenges of living as followers of Jesus Christ in a world of selfishness and obeying God in a world corrupted by godlessness. At any time in these last times, following Jesus in the footsteps of love through the darkness of days seems difficult at best.

    The Name of Jesus and glory of God are maligned by the headlines of hateful souls and agendas of prideful sinners.

    Yet read the Bible: understand the Law of God, praise the glory of the LORD, hear the writing on the walls, experience the hope of the Gospel, embrace the letters of love and heed the revelation of God’s will. Know the beginning and the end. See that the LORD has come to you and to me, because we are sinners in need of a Savior.

    I pray that the encouragement of this series might help you to see yourself as a fellow sinner who would like to flee this world, yet by our witness to the light of eternal hope we choose to listen to the Son of Man, Christ Jesus, who calls out to each of us:

    “Follow after me.”

    To be continued…

    NEXT: Hope for the Guilty