During the Lord’s ministry the disciples became increasingly aware of the nobility, grace and glory of their Master (John 1:14-16): “The Word was made 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…And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace”.
The Fulness of Christ (4) – King of Kings, and Lord of Lords Read More »
“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Cor. 4:6)
In the previous article we reflected on the wondrous concept of being “in Christ”: members of his body, branches in the true vine, sheep led by the true shepherd, stones in a holy temple. These are lofty thoughts for finite minds, but the notion of “Christ in us” is even loftier.
The Fulness of Christ (3) – “Christ in You, the Hope of Glory” Read More »
In Joshua 21 we are informed about the casting of lots for certain portions of the land for the Levites. In verses 10-11 we learn that God was going to decide which Levitical family would inherit the cities in the tribe of Judah, and Hebron in particular. We also learn that these children of Aaron were to be apportioned 13 cities amongst the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
It is significant that the first city mentioned was Hebron (v11,13). Why is Hebron being emphasised by position and repetition? One reason is because Caleb had given it up as his inheritance—we have seen evidence for that in previous articles. A second reason is that while the many children of Aaron would be divided amongst the 13 cities, the direct high priestly line probably lived in Hebron.
Caleb (6) – “He Had Another Spirit” Read More »
“That I may win Christ…that I may know him”
We have seen how Paul made it abundantly clear that to know Jesus and his faithfulness to his Father is a vital motivating force in our spiritual transformation.
In Philippians 3:10, Paul encourages us to “know Jesus” intimately, something he has had to learn himself, and by this means understand the righteousness of God in him. He states that there is a need:
to know the power of his resurrection,
to know the fellowship of his sufferings,
to know what it means to be made conformable to his death.
Some Encouraging Thoughts from the Epistle to Philippi (4) Read More »
In the closing scenes of our last article, we spoke about our Lord being taken into heaven and presiding over the angels. There they witness Jesus being seated by his Father at His right hand and upon His throne. This is highlighted in Psalm 110:1: “Yahweh said unto my (David’s) Lord, sit thou at my right hand”. Within the writings of the New Testament, this is the most quoted and alluded to passage of the Old Testament. The reason for this is that it forms the foundation of our salvation.
Some Encouraging Thoughts from the Epistle to Philippi (3) Read More »
The titles “Lord” and “Christ” are regularly applied to Jesus in the gospels. Elisabeth marvelled, when Mary came to visit her, “that the mother of my Lord should come to me” (Luke 1:43). The angel said to the shepherds: “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). A leper came to Jesus “and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean” (Matt 8:2). And Jesus said of himself: “The Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day” (Matt 12:8).
The Fulness of Christ (2) – “Exalted…To Be a Prince And a Saviour” Read More »
What did Caleb want out of his life? He wanted an inheritance within the land of Israel, which he knew was not taken by the strength of his hand, or because he deserved it, but because God had promised it and God would conquer. In the last article we explored the impact of Caleb, a spiritual leader within the tribe of Judah. In this article we want to consider the story surrounding Caleb’s personal inheritance that God would give him.
Caleb (5) – “He Had Another Spirit” Read More »
“Unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come”
We have been following ideas that Paul presents to us through the Philippian epistle about the relationship of the Father and His Son, and how together they were able to deal with the negative effects of our nature with complete success.
Some Encouraging Thoughts from the Epistle to Philippi (2) Read More »
Judah: taking their inheritance
What became of the children of Judah when they went to take their inheritance? At the beginning of Judges we see the tribe of Judah defeating the Canaanites (Jud 1:1-4). In that account we note that there are some parallels with Joshua 15:13-19 where we learn of Caleb’s offer
Caleb (4) – “He Had Another Spirit” Read More »
Eternal life is the glorious hope of those who know God and who know the Lord Jesus Christ. We define the gospel as “the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 8:12). More than half the clauses in the BASF refer to the Lord Jesus—his birth, life, ministry and death;
The Fulness of Christ (1) – “Whose Goings Forth Have Been From of Old” Read More »
