‘Rock’ is used throughout the Scriptures both in actuality and figurative. When the Israelites were making their trek through the wilderness, the rock was used on more than one occasion to quench their thirst. Caves in the rocks were used for refuge; our Lord’s burial was carved out of a rock in the Garden.
In the Figurative sense, the hardness of the rock gives the image of one whose mind is set. As examples, Isaiah 50:7 says: “…therefore have I set my face like a ‘flint’ (stone), and I know that I shall not be ashamed.” In Jeremiah 5:3: “…They have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.” Another figurative way is to show God’s power by the shattering of the rock in Jeremiah 23:29: “Is not my word like a fire? Saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?”
The enduring quality of the Rock makes it an apt name for Yahweh (God) as it depicts permanence and stability. God is a mighty Rock who protects and saves. In Deuteronomy 32:4 Moses states: “He is the Rock, his work is perfect…” In I Samuel 2:2 in Hannah’s prayer she says: “There is none holy like the Lord; for there is none beside thee, neither is there any Rock like our God.”
In the New Testament, in Romans 9:33 and I Peter 2:8 Christ is called the ‘stumbling stone and Rock of offense.” He is also referred to this in Isaiah 8:14 as “a rock that will make them fall.” Jesus was the Rock over which the Jewish people would stumble and reject, yet He would become the capstone (Matthew 21:42) and the Cornerstone for the foundation of the Church. Jesus Christ came to be our Rock-Messiah, in which we can rest, believe and be saved. David said in Psalm 18:1,2: “I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my Rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my Rock, in Whom I take refuge.” Throughout the Bible it says God is the Rock and that Jesus is the Rock. Therefore, we know that Jesus is God Incarnate, and He is our Rock
“You are the Rock and there is no other
A tower of strength, You are my shelter
Lord, You are my hope eternal
You are the Rock that is higher than I
Lead me to the Rock, lead me to the Rock
Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I,
--By Paul Baloche
Monday, June 27, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Q is for Quickening Spirit
In I Corinthians 15:45 we read in the King James Version that “…the first Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a Quickening Spirit…” Since Jesus Christ is the second or last Adam, it would be a name given to Him.
Let us take a look at both words ‘Quickening’ and ‘Spirit’ and find the true meaning behind this name.
Quickening means
1) To give life, make alive.
2) It is to cause to live, to restore life.
3) A pregnant woman is said to feel a ‘quickening’ when she first feels life in her womb.
4) It is used as a metaphor of seeds being quickened into life, as with germinating.
For the word Spirit:
1) Refers to Spirit (of God)
2) Spirit (of Christ)
3) Spirit (of truth)
4) Holy Spirit, third Person of the Trinity
When we put the two words together, we have Jesus as the Quickening Spirit, as He quickens us ‘alive’ by taking us from death to life spiritually. Jesus, by His life saving power can spiritually arouse, invigorate and restore the life within us. We are dead in our sin, but the Lord, as a Quickening Spirit gives life, gives joy, and gives inner peace.
The Lord desires to make each of us alive unto Him. He desires to fill us with His Spirit, that we will experience the quickening of the Holy Spirit working within us. Jesus is the one who gives life, the Quickener, and He gives it by the power of the Holy Spirit. One writer has said that: “the Holy Spirit is the medium through which the Mediator, Jesus Christ, mediates.”
The Amplified Version of I Cor 15:45 reads: “…the first Adam became a living being (an individual personality); the last Adam (Christ) became a life-giving Spirit (restoring the dead to life).
My Prayer: Father, thank You for sending Jesus, our Quickening Spirit, who breathes life into us through the Holy Spirit. I pray each one reading this will be blessed, quickened and filled with the fullness of You, our living God. I pray this with thanksgiving in the wonderful name of Your precious Son, Jesus Christ, our Quickening Spirit. Amen
Let us take a look at both words ‘Quickening’ and ‘Spirit’ and find the true meaning behind this name.
Quickening means
1) To give life, make alive.
2) It is to cause to live, to restore life.
3) A pregnant woman is said to feel a ‘quickening’ when she first feels life in her womb.
4) It is used as a metaphor of seeds being quickened into life, as with germinating.
For the word Spirit:
1) Refers to Spirit (of God)
2) Spirit (of Christ)
3) Spirit (of truth)
4) Holy Spirit, third Person of the Trinity
When we put the two words together, we have Jesus as the Quickening Spirit, as He quickens us ‘alive’ by taking us from death to life spiritually. Jesus, by His life saving power can spiritually arouse, invigorate and restore the life within us. We are dead in our sin, but the Lord, as a Quickening Spirit gives life, gives joy, and gives inner peace.
The Lord desires to make each of us alive unto Him. He desires to fill us with His Spirit, that we will experience the quickening of the Holy Spirit working within us. Jesus is the one who gives life, the Quickener, and He gives it by the power of the Holy Spirit. One writer has said that: “the Holy Spirit is the medium through which the Mediator, Jesus Christ, mediates.”
The Amplified Version of I Cor 15:45 reads: “…the first Adam became a living being (an individual personality); the last Adam (Christ) became a life-giving Spirit (restoring the dead to life).
My Prayer: Father, thank You for sending Jesus, our Quickening Spirit, who breathes life into us through the Holy Spirit. I pray each one reading this will be blessed, quickened and filled with the fullness of You, our living God. I pray this with thanksgiving in the wonderful name of Your precious Son, Jesus Christ, our Quickening Spirit. Amen
Monday, June 13, 2011
P is for Paraklete
According to ‘Wikipedia’, the word Paraklete means “advocate or helper”. In the Greek it is the word for “comforter”. It is spelled as “parakletos”, meaning coming along side.
In the New Testament we find in I John 2:1 it is speaking of Jesus Himself as the Paraklete. In John 14 Jesus says that He will send another comforter—“another Paraklete”. From Him saying ‘another’ it would indicate Jesus was already our Paraklete, and he would be sending another to take His place when He returned to the Father. The notes from the Scofield Bible explains further by saying Christ is the Christians ‘Paraklete’ with the Father and pleads the believer’s cause with God when that Christian sins.
The Holy Spirit is the Christians indwelling “Paraklete” to help each one, and to make intercession to the Father for us. Romans 8:26 states “The Spirit also helps our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we should.” He is the Spirit of Truth, teaching the believer and guiding him into the truth, convicting of sin, righteousness and judgement.
God the heavenly Father has come alongside through the Person of the Holy Spirit. He has put His everlasting arms around us and gives us strength and comfort, through our “parakletos” the Holy Spirit.
“When we think we can’t go one more step
When the race becomes painful beyond endurance
When our hearts feel heavy,
When our mind’s become dull,
When our spirits are burned out
We have the “Parakletos” who comes along side us.”
From Anne Graham Lotz book: “Just Give me Jesus”
In the New Testament we find in I John 2:1 it is speaking of Jesus Himself as the Paraklete. In John 14 Jesus says that He will send another comforter—“another Paraklete”. From Him saying ‘another’ it would indicate Jesus was already our Paraklete, and he would be sending another to take His place when He returned to the Father. The notes from the Scofield Bible explains further by saying Christ is the Christians ‘Paraklete’ with the Father and pleads the believer’s cause with God when that Christian sins.
The Holy Spirit is the Christians indwelling “Paraklete” to help each one, and to make intercession to the Father for us. Romans 8:26 states “The Spirit also helps our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we should.” He is the Spirit of Truth, teaching the believer and guiding him into the truth, convicting of sin, righteousness and judgement.
God the heavenly Father has come alongside through the Person of the Holy Spirit. He has put His everlasting arms around us and gives us strength and comfort, through our “parakletos” the Holy Spirit.
“When we think we can’t go one more step
When the race becomes painful beyond endurance
When our hearts feel heavy,
When our mind’s become dull,
When our spirits are burned out
We have the “Parakletos” who comes along side us.”
From Anne Graham Lotz book: “Just Give me Jesus”
Monday, June 6, 2011
O is for Omego
Omega is the last or the 24th letter of the Greek alphabet. The word is in two parts: “O” and “mega”, with the term “Meaga” actually meaning “great”. The name itself originated in the Byzantine Period or Medieval Greek Period.
The word “Omega” is usually used to indicate the last or the eventual boundary or finish of a group. It is often used with “Alpha” which is the beginning and the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the Bible, Jesus Christ used this to describe Himself as the “Alpha and Omega”; or the start and the finish, beginning and the end.
In Revelation 21:6 Christ said, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega…” He was signifying that something had been completed.
When we think of Christ’s words that He is the ‘Alpha and Omega’, He is saying that He was here from the very start of all things, and will be at the very end of life, as we know it. He was the one who initiated creation, and He will be here to usher us into our eternal home.
Several aspects come to mind that shows how Jesus Christ is the Omega. One is that He is the final revelation of God. To explain, look at John 1:18. “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.” Another verse from John 12:45: “When a man looks at me, he sees the One who sent me.” In II Cor. 4:6 it says: “God…made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Christ.” Until this time the Jewish people were too awed by God to even say His name. Now in the person of Jesus—The Omega—He gave His final revelation.
Another aspect of Jesus as ‘Omega’ is that with Jesus we have the completion of the bridge once again being opened for man to be able to reach God. Jesus finished the plan on the Cross when He said, “it is finished.” He was not stating that He was dying, but stating that by dying He had now accomplished what He had come to do, pay the penalty for sin. He also put an end to the law when He died. Romans 10:4 says: “Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.”
Jesus, as ‘Omega’ is bringing all things to an end. History is moving toward the finish line. Since the Cross, we are now living in ‘the last days’ as it says in Mark 1:15: “The time has come.” Acts 2:17 states “In these last days…”; and in Hebrews 1:2 “but in these last days he has spoken through His Son.” We now are living “in these last days” at the “end of the ages”. Time will be no more, and we will move into eternity. God’s time has come because Jesus Christ, the Omega has come.
We already mentioned that Jesus is the final revelation of God. Another aspect is that Jesus is the final ultimate manifestation of the Glory of God. In the New Testament we learn that there is no revelation of the Glory of God beyond Jesus. John 1:14 states “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His Glory, the Glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of Grace and truth.” John 12:28 says “Father, glorify Your name…I have glorified it and will glorify it again.” And then in John 17:1 we read: “Father, the time has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.”
We must live with the knowledge that all-human history and all of God’s purposes move toward Jesus Christ, and is brought to its ultimate goal in and by Jesus. He is our Omega, The Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. So be it!
The word “Omega” is usually used to indicate the last or the eventual boundary or finish of a group. It is often used with “Alpha” which is the beginning and the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the Bible, Jesus Christ used this to describe Himself as the “Alpha and Omega”; or the start and the finish, beginning and the end.
In Revelation 21:6 Christ said, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega…” He was signifying that something had been completed.
When we think of Christ’s words that He is the ‘Alpha and Omega’, He is saying that He was here from the very start of all things, and will be at the very end of life, as we know it. He was the one who initiated creation, and He will be here to usher us into our eternal home.
Several aspects come to mind that shows how Jesus Christ is the Omega. One is that He is the final revelation of God. To explain, look at John 1:18. “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.” Another verse from John 12:45: “When a man looks at me, he sees the One who sent me.” In II Cor. 4:6 it says: “God…made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Christ.” Until this time the Jewish people were too awed by God to even say His name. Now in the person of Jesus—The Omega—He gave His final revelation.
Another aspect of Jesus as ‘Omega’ is that with Jesus we have the completion of the bridge once again being opened for man to be able to reach God. Jesus finished the plan on the Cross when He said, “it is finished.” He was not stating that He was dying, but stating that by dying He had now accomplished what He had come to do, pay the penalty for sin. He also put an end to the law when He died. Romans 10:4 says: “Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.”
Jesus, as ‘Omega’ is bringing all things to an end. History is moving toward the finish line. Since the Cross, we are now living in ‘the last days’ as it says in Mark 1:15: “The time has come.” Acts 2:17 states “In these last days…”; and in Hebrews 1:2 “but in these last days he has spoken through His Son.” We now are living “in these last days” at the “end of the ages”. Time will be no more, and we will move into eternity. God’s time has come because Jesus Christ, the Omega has come.
We already mentioned that Jesus is the final revelation of God. Another aspect is that Jesus is the final ultimate manifestation of the Glory of God. In the New Testament we learn that there is no revelation of the Glory of God beyond Jesus. John 1:14 states “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His Glory, the Glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of Grace and truth.” John 12:28 says “Father, glorify Your name…I have glorified it and will glorify it again.” And then in John 17:1 we read: “Father, the time has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.”
We must live with the knowledge that all-human history and all of God’s purposes move toward Jesus Christ, and is brought to its ultimate goal in and by Jesus. He is our Omega, The Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. So be it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)