Hidden (Krypto) Treasures

To get pearls, one must dive deep!

Month: July 2009

I AM Alpha and Omega

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On July 7, 2009

In Christian, I AM, The Name

In the revelation of Jesus Christ, the first I AM reference is to the reference of Jesus saying that “I AM Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending” (Revelation 1:8).  I have heard many call on Jesus and claim him to be the Alpha and the Omega and in the past, I have succumbed to calling on Jesus as the Alpha and Omega, without really understanding what this meant. As I pondered on this, I realized that at cursory review, a claim by someone that they are the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last is infact incongrous.  How can someone be the first and the last at the same time or in space? But as I delved deeper and sought the scriptures, it dawned on me that the incongruity lay in the fact that our limited human minds attempt to treat this statement from a temporal (time-bound) and spatial (space-bound) perspective. I came to realize there is more to this claim than our human minds can really comprehend.

For starters, the claim by Jesus that “I AM Alpha and Omega” speaks not only about the UNIQUENESS of Jesus (no one else can really make this claim), but also of His COMPLETENESS (akin to saying that I am the A-to-Z). Scholars have also attributed this saying to the ETERNAL attribute of God, from everlasting (beginning) to everlasting (ending), Jesus was, is and is to come and this is very valid.

But what really impressed me (upon deeper exploration) was the facts that I learned:

  • Jesus is the Alpha –  the firstborn (alpha) of all creation (Colossians 1:15), who was with God the Father in the Genesis (John 1:1), image of the invisible God, and everything was created by Him, of Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16-17).
  • Jesus is the Omega – the final (omega) sacrifice and there is no more a need for any more sacrifice for the atonement of the sinner to God (Hebrews 10:1-18). Jesus sacrificed himself for our sins, once and for all.  God does not seek anymore sacrifice because Jesus paid in full and finished the work (Tetelastai) of God’s redemptive plan to restore man/woman to God.

And even more impressive was that this claim in Revelation is also recorded in the book by the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 41:4 reads, “I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.”. Note, that the word LORD is a reference to Yahweh/Jehovah, meaning that the claim that God the Father is making is the same that Jesus claims. Remember, Jesus’ words, “I and the Father are one, and whoever has seen me has seen the Father”. Also note, how when God the Father is making this claim, he does not say that he is the last (because it was the Son of God who was the last (final) sacrifice), but instead He says that he is WITH the last”. If today, you and I find that we amount to nothing, that we are not winners, but instead the last, take solace in the promise that God is with the last, because of the redemptive act of his Son, Jesus Christ, who truly is the Firstborn and Final sacrifice, the Alpha and Omega.

Rev 1:8 (KJV)
8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

What’s in The Name?

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On July 6, 2009

In Christian, I AM, The Name

In the book, ‘The Name’ , Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham writes
“The Name stands before, beyond, and after all others. In the beginning was the Name. At the end will be the Name. In the present time, all things depend upon the Name. The Name is above all names. The Name will cause all knees to bow … yours, mine … for all time” and yet it is The Name that many so vehemently despise and demean while other revere it to the point of laying down their very lives, bearing it.
So what is it with The Name – The Name, Jesus? What’s in The Name?

A name is often given to reflect a quality or a character.  For God, who is supreme and indescribable, even the very expression of his character and quality by any name is in essence, limiting the infinite.  This I believe is the reason as to  why the response that Moses received when he asked the LORD for His Name was profoundly yet merely,  ‘I AM’ (Exodus 3:13). But the Bible also records various names and titles that are used to describe God, his Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. In this series, ‘The names and titles of  The Name’, the ‘I AM’, we will attempt to get a glimpse of the infinite God, His character and qualities as expressed by names and titles, that we can understand.

The Apostle Paul writes that his commission on earth was to “Know the Name and to make The Name known” (Philippians 3:10, 1 Corinthians1:17,23).For now, let us journey together to search the hidden treasures in God’s word, apropos his names and conferred titles, so that we may be able to join with Paul and say that we may know Him, because only then, will we be able to make Him known.

Philippians 2:5-11 (KJV)
5 … Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness

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On July 4, 2009

In Christian, Independence Series

One of the most famous phrases in the unanimous Declaration of Independence of the United States of America (July 4th, 1776) is “Life, Liberty and pursuit of Happiness” which refer to the three unalienable rights of man. But what is Life? what is Liberty? and what is the Happiness?

Life:
The writer of Deuteronomy makes a very interesting statement. He says that “I have set before you LIFE and DEATH, BLESSING and CURSE: Therefore choose life, that both you and your children (thy seed) may live: That you may LOVE the LORD thy God, and that you may OBEY his voice, and that you may cleave to him:“, why – for HE IS YOUR LIFE. (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)
This would mean that the LORD God (the Father) is LIFE.

Liberty:
The writer to the church in Corinth, writes “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty“. (2 Corinthians 3:17)
This would mean that the HOLY Spirit is LIBERTY.

Happiness:
The Psalmist exclaims “Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.” (Psalm 144:15)
This means that Happy are those who have God (the Son) to be their LORD. In other words, Jesus Christ is HAPPINESS.

Point(s) to ponder:

LORD God = Life,
Holy Spirit = Liberty,
Jesus= Happiness.
Thus man’s unalienable rights are LORD God, Holy Spirit and Jesus.

Before us is set Life and Death, Blessing and Curse; Choose the LORD God (Life), the Holy Spirit (Liberty) and Jesus (Happiness), the triune God in One.
Choose Ye this day, whom you will serve, but as for ME and MY House, we WILL serve the LORD.

After all, Life, Liberty and Happiness are the LORD, Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ.

e Pluribus Unum

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On July 3, 2009

In Christian, Independence Series

US SealTomorrow, America celebrates it Independence day and as I thought about the topic to write, I was reminded of ‘e pluribus unum‘, something I learned in my American History class at the University of Oklahoma.  The Latin phrase, ‘e pluribus unum‘ which literally means ‘Out of many, One‘, is found on the United States seal in commemoration of the fact that out of the many (13 original) American colonies, there really was only ‘One United States’.  This was the de facto motto of the United  States until the mid 1900s, when it was replaced by ‘In God We Trust’.

Both mottos of the United States have a lot in parallel to our spiritual heritage as we can find in the Bible. As Christians, we are indeed called ‘Out of Many, to be One’. We may be many, but we are all One – the Body of Jesus Christ. Just as God the Father, Jesus the Son of God and God the Holy Spirit are out of many (3) personalities, One person, One God, so also we are called to be One with Jesus, grafted into the vine (Jesus Christ), irrespective of whether we are gentile or Jew, Indian or American or anything else that defines us. Jesus is the vine (one) and we are the branches (many) and when we remain in the vine, we are One with Him. Our pride and petty differences that separate us from one another should become insignificant when we humble ourselves and forgive one another.

Point(s) to ponder:

Let us Trust in God to rectify relationships that need rectifying, and to give us a heart of humility and compassion (as Jesus had) so that we can truly tell that as Christians (followers of Jesus Christ), we are truly e pluribus unum, Out of Many, One.

Ephesians 4:3-6 (KJV)
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;|
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Tell no one that Jesus is the Messiah

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On July 2, 2009

In Christian

Doesn’t the great commission require that we should be witnesses of Jesus, sharing with those who do not know him, that Jesus is the Messiah (the Christ or the Anointed One), and that his name means – Savior, for He shall save His people from their Sins (Matthew 1:21)? Then why would the title of this article read – Tell no one that Jesus is the Messiah? These are not my words, but the words of Jesus himself as expressed in the gospel according to Mark, in chapter 8.

Christians (present company included) are quick to profess their faith and recognize Jesus to be the Messiah, the Christ, as Peter his disciple did, but find it difficult to tell others as to why Jesus came, which was to suffer, be rejected and die in the hands of men, and be raised to life again, so that man need not suffer or be rejected and die in the hands of God but be raised to life when they believe in Jesus. This is exactly what Jesus started to teach the disciples (vs. 31) after he had charged them not to tell anyone that He was indeed the Messiah, the Christ  (vs. 30).

Point(s) to ponder:

Tell no one that Jesus is the Messiah, until you know what he came to do and you are willing to tell that to them too.

Mark 8:29-31 (KJV)
29 And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.
30 And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.
31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

FAITH is a Four Letter Word

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On July 1, 2009

In Christian

If I was to ask you, What is ‘Faith’? What would you say? I am sure that are many definitions that you can come up with, but it is the most simplest of definitions that are often the most effective.If you were to ask me the same question? I would say that the answer to ‘What is Faith’ is It depends. What? Superficially my response may seem like I am either dodging the question or that it does not really even address the question, but give me a moment to explain my position.

To answer the question, ‘What is Faith’? depends on whether you know Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life.

To the one who does NOT know Jesus Christ as their Lord, Faith is spelled – RISK
To the one who knows Jesus Christ as their Lord, Faith is spelled – SURE

Point(s) to ponder:

What is God asking you to trust Him with? Do you/I have the Faith to obey (or) in other words, can we be SURE that God will see us through or do we feel like we are RISKing everything? Think about it.
The writer to the Hebrews most eloquently defined faith that it is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

For a related reading, see Rahab – in Jesus’ Genealogy

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

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