The Name of the King...

Imagine you are a beautiful young woman - the most beautiful in all of the land. The king of the country, who is the most handsome, fair and strong king, sees you and wants to marry you. You meet, fall in love and the wedding is set. Then one day the king walks past one of the rooms in the castle, where you are sitting with other beautiful maidens, talking about the King - thinking that he cannot hear how you speak of him in his "supposed" absents. You speak of him as if he has no power, that you don't regard him as your first love and that you think of him as just another man instead of a king. Would he believe you when you walked into court later on, and professed your undying love? Would he even know that you are calling him when you cry out to the "love of your life" to save you, or might he think you are calling another man?

Don't ever use the Lords Name in vain, because it will loose its power. His power is equal to your reverent fear of it. Reverent fear translates as faith when His Name is used in a time of need. If His Name is used to blaspheme, it looses its meaning...it looses its purity and sincerity. Christian's who understand the betrayal that lies in denying the love between the King and His bride, would understand that it is more expedient to rather die, than to deny or to betray the King. Are you prepared to die for your relationship with the King?

Don't ever use the Name of the King to get favour with people - just so you can exploit them. Don't ever use your power in your relationship with the King to abuse His people or His church. Using His Name for personal gain - money, status and power - is blasphemy. Why? Because you are using His Name in vain - in other words, you are using His Name, for no good reason other than self-gain.

What kind of a bride are you to Christ?

We assume that when a person gets married and declares their vows, that a whole bunch of things will be a part of the marriage deal - love, respect, intimacy, children etc. In fact these things are a part of the contract. But - and this is a big "but"... are we considered to be divorced from our spouse if they betray this contract? Are we not married to our husband even if he sleeps with another woman from the day we get married till the day we die? Do we fall out of wedlock when we fornicate, abuse and forget our vows?

No, it is a legal matter. You have to denounce your covenant in court and consciously and purposefully request to be legally separated i.e. divorced.

So a married woman may look like a single woman in her actions, but that does not make her single.

Is it possible for us to be without sin for even one day of our lives?

It is impossible, even if we manage to stay away from the "top 10 worst of the worst kinds of sins" like: murder and theft. Jesus did something very interesting... First: He calls the Law of the Old testament a curse because it is impossible for human beings to uphold it in its entirety and breaking even one ordinance even something "small" like not wearing a pointy hat while preaching, means that you have overstepped the whole of the Law. Now, in saying that it would be logical for us in our human reasoning to assume that Jesus would say something like: "Hey man, just do what you want because the law is impossible for all except Me, therefore its a curse! Go be merry and do as you please, My grace will cover you!" BUT, He doesn't... This is what He says:

Matthew 5:27-28

27 You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.

28 But I say to you that everyone who so much as looks at a woman with evil desire for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

1 John 3:15

Anyone who hates (abominates, detests) his brother [in Christ] is [at heart] a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding (persevering) within him.

How bizarre... He tightens the "rope". The game gets harder. The rules are stricter...

The difference is that this time the "rope" is not there to hang us as it was in the Old Covenant (Old Testament) but rather it is: A "rope" to save us from our self - A "rope" to rein us not just in, but into Him - A method of drawing us near and binding us into His likeness.

When the Word says that fornicators, adulterers and homosexuals will not go to heaven, Jesus is naming people by their sin, for it is their identity, but once you accept Him as your Lord and Savoir, you are called Righteous according to His reputation and His identity. You are no longer called by your sin, but rather you are called by His innocence and all (yes, all!) sin is covered by His grace. We go to Heaven because of Him and not because of our lack of sin.

Ephesians 2:8-10

For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God;

⁹ Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law’s demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.]

¹⁰ For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

Again, what about the "rope" the rope that once was our punishment onto eternal death (God's Law that convicts our sin and sends us to Hell)? God says use it! Rein yourself into Christ, for it is warm and safe and all sufficient in Him. Don't let your covenant marriage to God be one of deceit, denial, terror, fear and eventually ending where you denounce the arrangement because the relationship became nothing more than a reminder to the death you chose daily in comparison to the Life He offered you so freely!

You are the bride of Christ! Obey Him! Love Him! By accepting Him as Lord and Savior you just might gain legal entrance to Heaven (even if it is by the skin of your teeth), but don't do it for entry into heaven!!! Do it because you are blessed to be pursued by a groom that will never betray you, never cheat on you and never ever disappoint you!

Psalm 45 (The Message)

A Wedding Song of the Sons of Korah

45 My heart bursts its banks,
    spilling beauty and goodness.
I pour it out in a poem to the king,
    shaping the river into words:

^2-4 “You’re the handsomest of men;
    every word from your lips is sheer grace,
    and God has blessed you, blessed you so much.
Strap your sword to your side, warrior!
    Accept praise! Accept due honor!
    Ride majestically! Ride triumphantly!
Ride on the side of truth!
    Ride for the righteous meek!

^4-5 “Your instructions are glow-in-the-dark;
    you shoot sharp arrows
Into enemy hearts; the king’s
    foes lie down in the dust, beaten.

^6-7 “Your throne is God’s throne,
    ever and always;
The scepter of your royal rule
    measures right living.
You love the right
    and hate the wrong.
And that is why God, your very own God,
    poured fragrant oil on your head,
Marking you out as king
    from among your dear companions.

^8-9 “Your ozone-drenched garments
    are fragrant with mountain breeze.
Chamber music—from the throne room—
    makes you want to dance.
Kings’ daughters are maids in your court,
    the Bride glittering with golden jewelry.

^10-12 “Now listen, daughter, don’t miss a word:
    forget your country, put your home behind you.
Be here—the king is wild for you.
    Since he’s your lord, adore him.
Wedding gifts pour in from Tyre;
    rich guests shower you with presents.”

^13-15 (Her wedding dress is dazzling,
    lined with gold by the weavers;
All her dresses and robes
    are woven with gold.
She is led to the king,
    followed by her virgin companions.
A procession of joy and laughter!
    a grand entrance to the king’s palace!)

^16-17 “Set your mind now on sons—
    don’t dote on father and grandfather.
You’ll set your sons up as princes
    all over the earth.
I’ll make you famous for generations;
    you’ll be the talk of the town
    for a long, long time.”

Head in our hands...

Why do we sit with our heads in our hands when it comes to Satan's attacks?

I don't think we always appreciate the fact that God waged war against Satan and came out triumphant. Think of the celebrations after any battle had been won. No matter how tired a soldier is, there is always enough energy left for victory. Lets read an example of such a victory, because I want you to think about the feeling of empowerment that one feels just as you realise that you are on the winning side.

1 Samuel 17:44-52 (Amp)

⁴⁴ The Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.

⁴⁵ Then said David to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the ranks of Israel, Whom you have defied.

⁴⁶ This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will smite you and cut off your head. And I will give the corpses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

⁴⁷ And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.

⁴⁸ When the Philistine came forward to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.

⁴⁹ David put his hand into his bag and took out a stone and slung it, and it struck the Philistine, sinking into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.

⁵⁰ So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck down the Philistine and slew him. But no sword was in David’s hand.

⁵¹ So he ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their mighty champion was dead, they fled.

⁵² And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron. So the wounded Philistines fell along the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron.

Why are we hiding in the ditch?

The cowardly Israelites’, in that moment of taking Goliath's head, realised that one man had defeated an entire army, by defeating the "strongman".

I wonder what would happen, if we as the church realised, that we are in fact victorious?

Could you imagine how different the story of David and Goliath would have been if the Israelites stood defeated behind David and said: "well you know, there is still the entire army of Philistines that still have their heads, maybe we should surrender, because if they had Goliath, surly he had some brothers or something."

No! We have to grab the victory and pursue the enemy until the whole of hell and its army is thrown into the lake of fire! We need to realise that it is war! Yes, the war was won when Jesus cut of the devils head, but why are we not running after the defeated enemy to chase them back to where they came from. We are a part of this war. We are in this war that has been won, but we are still running with our swords in the air screaming the Name of the One who won the battle.

The Bible speaks of us NOT fighting against flesh and blood and also speaks about us wearing the armour of God.

Why? The battle has been won, hasn't it?

It is because it is part of our victory to set the enemy to flight, into a powerless frenzy. No demon in hell is stronger than a single man who understands that he has "Goliath's head" in his hands.

It is time we start thinking like warriors doing a victory lap - and stop thinking like Israelites hiding in a ditch!

Fatherhood in the modern church

I once heard a very pompous preacher scream from the pulpit: "if the sons in my house (note - "my") where to be squeezed, nothing would make me prouder than to know that what came out of them, would be me (the preacher...).

I thought it was blasphemous... He used the Paul-Timothy analogy to staff his point.

Surely if we are supposed to be Christ-like, we would hope for "Christ" to come out of our so-called sons when they are "squeezed"? In my opinion, there is a sickness among overly exalted pampered preachers, glistening with the dripping fat of their over-indulgent self-absorbed lives. They treat those who serve under them (as they themselves should be serving- ironically) like ants in their personal pantry called "life". To me, this seems to be nothing other than abuse of their power.

The Timothy excuse

I have reservations about the idea of Paul being a "type and shadow" of the modern day church leader. Paul was a living breathing walking talking epistle (2 Corinthians 3) - to the point of writing two thirds of the divinely inspired New Testament. The point is, that Paul knew exactly how to walk in Christ-likeness, because he had firsthand revelation on scripture. He didn't attend any Bible school or university. God revealed all that he knew to him. For him to claim that others should imitate him as he imitates Jesus was not a long shot by far.

How many Church leaders today are as pure in their doctrine as Paul? How many Church "fathers" love God more than they love their own lives? How can one love an earthly son more than or at least equal to oneself if one cannot even love God onto death? (Death could imply death to selfishness and even physical death).

In my opinion Paul serves as a shadow to the printed Word of the New Testament, more than he is a shadow of a modern human leader of a church...

Thus I believe that we should teach father's to ensure that their sons do not follow in their (sometimes) broken footsteps steps. In other words: "Don't do as I do, do as I say!" I would much rather see fathers train their sons to be "thinkers" rather than "whipped followers". This way one would have thinking followers of Christ rather than man-following, followers trying to follow a God that is by no means a man - if that makes any sense.

If fathers taught sons to respect authority, but to follow Christ instead of themselves personally, then I believe it will have the following effect:

1. Sons will love the fathers without the threat of judgment and abandonment when mistakes are made.

2. Sons will not be prisoners or slaves to any power hungry maniac.

3. The demand for "perfection" in the relationship between the disciple and the disciplee will be removed and replaced by a demand for "excellence" which is far more attainable for us normal, fallible humans...

4. Churches will regain a warm family atmosphere and loose the callus organizational atmosphere resembling that of Donald Trump’s "The Apprentice" show.

Organisations or Churches?

The Pharisees loved their organisation more than their people, their authority and law more than the Messiah they had been dedicating to and awaiting on, their entire careers . They where petrified of loosing power over their subordinates, while Jesus was having meals with the unloved ones and letting His "sons" sleep in His bosom in the open air.

  

We fail - Jesus doesn't

If we inherit Jesus as our role model to imitate, we will eliminate inherited, accumulated heresies. The reason for this is that each generation will not only inherit truth but also have the ability to find more Truth. In the same breath, they will also discard old lies, instead of dragging generational curses from one congregation to the next under the banner of "submitting to the authority of man" versus "wholly submitting themselves to the Word of God and the unfailing support of our Helper the Holy Spirit".

One of my favourite teachers Dr. Chuck Missler likes to challenge his students when he makes any conjecture based on his studies - He tells his students that if they take any of his conjectures as fact without going and finding out for themselves whether in fact they agree, they automatically fail the course.

I believe that teaching our sons to think, will give God the space to give them fresh manna/wisdom and eventually allow them to get even closer to the Glory and truth of God, which should be the desire of all fathers.

Proverbs 17:6

"Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their fathers."

Book of Romans – Chapter One/Part three

Romans 1:6-7 (AMP)

6 And this includes you, called of Jesus Christ (a) and invited [as you are] (b) to belong to Him (c).

7 To [you then] all God’s beloved ones in Rome (d), called to be saints and designated for a consecrated life (e): Grace and spiritual blessing and (f) peace be yours (g) from God our Father (h) and from the Lord Jesus Christ (i).

• Vs.6a This includes you, called of Jesus Christ

Comment:

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible:

“…The calling here spoken of is not to an office, or a mere external one by the ministry of the word, but an internal special call by the grace of God; and which is irresistible, efficacious, and unchangeable, and is an high, holy, and heavenly one; by it persons are called out of darkness into light, out of bondage into liberty, out of the world, from the company of the men of it, and the sinful pleasures thereof, to fellowship with Christ and his saints, and of a dependence on themselves, and their own righteousness, to the grace and righteousness of Christ, and to eternal glory. The persons so called are the elect of God, who are secured in Christ, and redeemed by him, and who has a concern with the Father and Spirit in the calling of them: hence they are styled, "the called of Jesus Christ"; they are called by him, and after his name; he has an interest in them; as they were before his chosen and redeemed ones, they are now his called ones; as Jacob and Israel of old were named of God, "my called", Isaiah 48:12; so these were named Christ's called ones; and who by calling came to be partakers of him and of His grace.”

• Vs.6b invited [as you are]

Comment:

The Amplified is the only version of the Bible that uses the phrasing “as you are” but the Greek translation is “yourself”

KJV Lexicon humeis (hoo-mice): you (as subjective of verb) -- ye (yourselves), you.

So many people still think, (despite the scriptures repeatedly emphasising the contrary) that one has to become sinless first and then only can one accept Christ as your saviour. This must be the greatest irony and tragedy we face as “fishers of men” throughout all the ages. If any person thinks for a second that they should not come “as you are” to Christ, then that person misses the entire point of trusting in Jesus to do a mighty work in His power versus us proving ourselves to be worthy in our own power.

• Vs.6c belong to Him

Comment:

We are secured in Christ, and redeemed by Him. We are of the kind that belongs to a God of love, mercy and grace.

• Vs.7d God’s beloved ones in Rome

Comment:

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

“Beloved of God - Whom God loves. This is the privilege of all Christians. And this proves that the persons whom Paul addressed were "not" those merely who had been invited to the external privileges of the gospel.”

• Vs.7e Called to be saints and designated for a consecrated life

Comment:

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Called to be saints - So called, or influenced by God who had called them, as to become saints. The word "saints," ἅγιοι hagioi, means those who are holy, or those who are devoted or consecrated to God. The radical idea of the word is what is separated from a common to a sacred use, and answers to the Hebrew word, קדושׁ qadowsh. It is applied to any thing that is set apart to the service of God, to the temple, to the sacrifices, to the utensils about the temple, to the garments, etc. of the priests, and to the priests themselves. It was applied to the Jews as a people separated from other nations, and devoted or consecrated to God, while other nations were devoted to the service of idols. It is also applied to Christians, as being a people devoted or set apart to the service of God. The radical idea then, as applied to Christians, is, that "they are separated from other men, and other objects and pursuits, and consecrated to the service of God." This is the special characteristic of the saints. And this characteristic the Roman Christians had shown.”

• Vs.7f Grace and spiritual blessing...be yours

Comment:

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

“Grace - This word properly means "favor." It is very often used in the New Testament, and is employed in the sense of benignity or benevolence; felicity, or a prosperous state of affairs; the Christian religion, as the highest expression of the benevolence or favor of God; the happiness which Christianity confers on its friends in this and the future life; the apostolic office; charity, or alms; thanksgiving; joy, or pleasure; and the benefits produced on the Christian's heart and life by religion - the grace of meekness, patience, charity, etc., "Schleusner." In this place, and in similar places in the beginning of the apostolic epistles, it seems to be a word including all those blessings that are applicable to Christians in common; denoting an ardent wish that all the mercies and favors of God for time and eternity, blended under the general name grace, may be conferred on them. It is to be understood as connected with a word implying invocation. I pray, or I desire, that grace, etc. may be conferred on you. It is the customary form of salutation in nearly all the apostolic epistles”

• Vs.7g Peace be yours

Comment:

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

“And peace - Peace is the state of freedom from war. As war conveys the idea of discord and numberless calamities and dangers, so peace is the opposite, and conveys the idea of concord, safety, and prosperity. Thus, to wish one peace was the same as to wish him all safety and prosperity. This form of salutation was common among the Hebrews. Gen 43:23, "peace to you! fear not;" Judges 6:23; Judges 19:20; Luke 24:36. But the word "peace" is also used in contrast with that state of agitation and conflict which a sinner has with his conscience and with God. The sinner is like the troubled sea, which cannot rest, Isaiah 57:20. The Christian is at peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 5:1. By this word, denoting reconciliation with God, the blessings of the Christian religion are often described in the scriptures, Romans 8:6; Romans 14:17; Romans 15:13; Galatians 5:22; Philippians 4:7. A prayer for peace, therefore, in the epistles, is not a mere formal salutation, but has a special reference to those "spiritual" blessings which result from reconciliation with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

• Vs.7h From God our Father

Comment:

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

“From God our Father - The Father of all Christians. He is the Father of all his creatures, as they are his offspring, Acts 17:28-29. He is especially the Father of all Christians, as they have been "begotten by him to a lively hope," have been adopted into his family, and are like him; Matthew 5:45; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 John 5:1; 1 John 3:1-2. The expression here is equivalent to a prayer that God the Father would bestow grace and peace on the Romans. It implies that these blessings proceed from God, and are to be expected from him.”

• Vs.7i And the Lord Jesus Christ

Comment:

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

“And the Lord Jesus Christ - From him. The Lord Jesus Christ is especially regarded in the New Testament as the Source of peace, and the Procurer of it; … From thus connecting the Lord Jesus with the Father in this place, we may see,

(1) That the apostle regarded him as the source of grace and peace as really as he did the Father.

(2) he introduced them in the same connection, and with reference to the bestowment of the same blessings.

(3) if the mention of the Father in this connection implies a prayer to him, or an act of worship, the mention of the Lord Jesus implies the same thing, and was an act of homage to him.

(4) all this shows that his mind was familiarized to the idea that he was divine.

No man would introduce his name (Jesus) in such connections if he did not believe that he was equal with God; compare Philippians 2:2-11. It is from this incidental and unstudied manner of expression, that we have one of the most striking proofs of the manner in which the sacred writers regarded the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:6-7 (AMP)

6 And this includes you, called of Jesus Christ and invited [as you are] to belong to Him.

7 To [you then] all God’s beloved ones in Rome, called to be saints and designated for a consecrated life: Grace and spiritual blessing and peace be yours from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

After studying the full meaning of the ‘carefully selected words’ Paul used in the 6^th and 7^th verse of Romans 1, this is my interpretation and understanding of it…

Verse 6: You are called by Jesus, and have taken on His name. You are not called “Christians” because of the mere external ministry of the word, but rather you have an internal special call by the grace of God; and it is an irresistible, efficacious, unchangeable, high, holy, and heavenly one. By it you were called out of darkness into light, out of bondage into liberty, out of the world, into fellowship with Christ and His saints. Yes! You are called to the grace and righteousness of Christ, and to eternal glory. You are the elect of God. We should come “as we are” to Christ and trust in Jesus to do a mighty work in His power versus us proving ourselves to be worthy in our own power. We are secured in Christ, and redeemed by Him. 

Verse 7: We are of the kind that belongs to a God of love, mercy and grace. Don't you see Beloved of God? This is the privilege of all Christians. We were not merely invited to the external privileges of the gospel, but we are His Saints! We are holy, in the same way the Old Testament Jews, and their temple, priests and ornaments where separated for a holy and Godly purpose. So I pray and desire, that you will have the happiness which Christianity confers on its friends (in this and the future life), the apostolic office, charity, thanksgiving, joy and the benefits produced in a Christian's heart and life through faith, and also, may the grace of meekness, patience and charity be with you. May you experience peace, not only in the absence of war and torment experienced by your flesh alone, but even more so, peace be found in your inner man - freedom from inner conflict - a peaceful conscience towards God. From Him the Father of all His creatures as we have been "begotten by Him to a lively hope," we have been adopted into his family. All these blessings proceed from God, and are to be expected from Him and His son Jesus, the Source of peace, and the Procurer of it.

Bibliography:

- Barnes' Notes on the Bible- Bible Suite by Biblos

- Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible- Bible Suite by Biblos

- Amplified Bible