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The Name is Quickening Spirit

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On July 27, 2009

In Christian, The Name

1 Corinthians 15:45 reads as follows – “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.” In fact, this is the only place in the Bible where “Quickening Spirit” is found. In the context in which this is written, Apostle Paul is writing to clarify and guarantee the reality of resurrection (hope in Christ in the life to come), without which the condition of ALL is most pitiable (miserable) as expressed in 1 Corinthians 15:19.

Quickening Spirit is life-giving spirit! This makes me wonder, if the first man Adam was made in the image of God who is eternal, then why is there a need for a life-giving spirit. The breath of God was breathed into Adam and Adam was made a living soul (Genesis 2:7) but his body was fashioned from lifeless (dead) dust. Genetically (or in the natural sense), as sons of Adam we inherit this. When we are born as sons of the first man Adam, we are born in the natural sense with living souls and bodies that will to perish or decay to dust. On the other hand, The last Adam (Jesus) in the beginning was God, was with God and  is God (John 1:1), and from everlasting to everlasting is God (Psalm 90:2), the Lord from heaven (1 Corinthians 15:47). And when we believe in Jesus Christ, the last Adam, the quickening spirit, our lifeless bodies will be translated (changed) in the resurrection (not reconstruction) so that it will never perish, but have eternal life. When we believe in Jesus Christ, we are born again with Jesus, the life-giving spirit in us and this life-giving spirit cannot die, for Jesus has conquered death by His resurrection.

Just as the progeny of a serpent has to be a serpent and one of a lion has to be lion, as sons of man (the first man Adam) we are made physically with a perishable mold and as sons of God, who is spirit (John 4:24) we are transformed into a new creature spiritually (2 Corinthians 5:17) , bearing the image of the heavenly (1 Corinthians 15:49) with imperishable and eternal nature.

In conclusion, if Quickening = Life-giving and God = Spirit then Quickening Spirit = Life-giving God and Jesus said that if any one believes in me, though he were dead yet shall he live (John 11:25). Jesus is THE One and Only Life-giving God. The Name is Quickening Spirit.

For a related reading – see Teach us to number our days

The Name is Prince of Peace

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On July 25, 2009

In Christian, The Name

Isaiah 9:6 lists among the various names given to Jesus (Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, The everlasting Father), a name which reads “The Prince of Peace”. Well if Jesus is the Prince of Peace, then who is the King of Peace?

The scripture gives us clues as to who this is! First, the scriptures lets us know that God is the King of Peace and so his son must be the Prince of Peace, and secondly it also proves that Jesus is indeed God and so He is not only the Prince of Peace but also the King of Peace.

Let’s first look at “God is the King of Peace, Jesus His son is the Prince of Peace“. I was asking my wife, Sangeetha as to what this “Prince of Peace” could mean and she mentioned that whenever, she is anxious about anything, she finds peace when she starts to focus on God, instead of the situation. This reminded me of Isaiah 26:3, which talks about God (the LORD) who will keep in PERFECT Peace, those whose minds are stayed (focus) on Him. This would mean that the one who is the originator of PERFECT peace is God, the Father, the King and the Son of God would obviously be known as the Prince of Peace. This actually is a testament to the sonship of Jesus Christ, just as much as it is a directive for us to have our eyes focused and fixed on God.

Secondly, “Let’s look at Jesus as God and if that is so, He is the King of Peace”. Hebrews 6:20 talks about Jesus, the High Priest in the order of Melchisedec. Who is this Melchisedec? Hebrews 7:1 records of the incident that occured in Genesis 14, wherein this priest named Melchizedek (Melchisedec), priest of the most High God, blessed Abraham giving bread and wine (Genesis 14:18). Hebrews 7:2 qualifies Melchisedec as the King of Righteousness and the King of Peace (Salem). Hebrews 7:3 is critical because it talks about Melchisedec having no earthly heritage, but who was made like unto the Son of God (Jesus). Jesus is our high priest and he blesses each of us, by giving us his body (bread) and blood (wine). Jesus is not only the King of Righteousness, but He is also the King of Peace. Jesus was the Son of God, without father, without mother, without descent, no beginning of days or end of life (alpha and omega). These facts recorded point to the fact that Jesus is indeed the Melchisedec of Abraham’s days, and that means Jesus is not just the Prince of Peace but He is also the King of Peace.

The Name is Nazareth’s Prophet

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On July 23, 2009

In Christian, The Name

Matthew 21:11 records that when Jesus entered into the city of Jerusalem, ALL of the city was moved and questioned, Who is this? to which the multitude responded “This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee”. Did you ever stop to think as to why there was a need to qualify that Jesus was from Nazareth? I believe that  it is so recorded in the scriptures which is all God inspired, penned by men, because the divine Author did not want to leave room for any speculation as to the identity of Jesus. It was this Jesus that was hunted as an outlaw when he was a child and His earthly father Joseph, fearing Archelaus (Herod’s son) did not return to Israel but fled to Nazareth and it was this same Jesus that you see walking from Galilee (where Nazareth is) to Jordan when He came to be baptized by John the Baptist, and even in the betrayal in the garden, Jesus questioned not once but twice as to whom they sought and the officers of the Jews and the high priests replied  ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ and it is this same Jesus who endured the cross that held on it an inscription in three languages which read, Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews.

A noteworthy and interesting finding in my research on this Name led me to the Hitchcock’s Bible Names dictionary, wherein, it is mentioned that Nazareth means separated, crowned and sanctified.

Nazareth means separated. Jesus was in a sense separated from God at which time he cried out ‘My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?’ (Mark 15:34). This He joyfully endured because Jesus did not want us (man) to be God-forsaken or separated from God and now there is nothing, absolutely nothing that can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, the separated prophet (Romans 8:38,39).

Nazareth means crowned. Jesus was crowned a crown of thorns (John 19:2) before his crucifixion but God crowned Him with glory and honor (Hebrews 2:9) befitting a conquering King (Revelation 6:2, 14:14, 19:12).

Nazareth means sanctified. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines ‘sanctify’ as ‘to be set apart to a sacred purpose or to a religious use‘ or ‘to be free from sin’. Jesus in John 17 prays for Himself, His disciples and for all believers in which he makes the statement that He sanctifies himself so that all his disciples may be sanctified as well (John 17:19). Jesus is Holy and sinless and so he did not have to pray that He had to be made free from sin when he expressed that He sanctifies Himself. He was set apart to the sacred purpose of becoming salvation to all mankind so that we can become the same as well.

Jesus the prophet of Nazareth is indeed the separated, crowned and sanctified prophet of God. The name is Nazareth’s prophet.

The Name is Morning Star

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On July 22, 2009

In Christian, The Name

In Revelation 22:16, Jesus proclaims that He is THE bright and Morning Star.  The New International Version and a few other translations, refer to Lucifer (the adversary) as the morning star (Isaiah 14:12) which is a misnomer. The King James version which is the closest to the original text renders this verse, which is more accurate as ‘O Lucifer, son of the morning’. Jesus is THE ONE and ONLY MORNING STAR.

Morning stars according to astronomy are stars that are visible mainly during the morning hours due to the nature of their orbits around the earth. Venus and Mercury are examples of morning stars and most of us have probably had the opportunity to see Venus against a back-lit sky. Morning stars signal what is to come (like the dawn or the change of seasons). What is also noteworthy is that unlike the sun that radiates (does not reflect), stars in addition to having light of their own, they reflect the light of the sun.

Jesus is THE bright and Morning Star who not only has light on His own (for He is the Light of the World), but He reflects the glory of God the Father (for He is the image of the invisible God). His presence signals the dawn of a new age (for He makes all things new); an age in which there is no need anymore for sacrifice to redeem man (as Jesus is the final sacrifice) and one in which man has direct access to God, those who are lame can walk in newness of life, the broken-hearted are healed, the captives are set free, sight is restored to those who cannot see, and all who are in bondage are liberated.

So where do we stand today? If you seek a new beginning, look unto Him in whom everyone becomes a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) and who goes by The Name, bright and Morning Star.

The Name is King of kings

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On July 20, 2009

In Christian, The Name

Nathaniel, a man in whom no fault was found, declared that Jesus was the King of Israel (John 1:49) , a declaration that the Jews (residents of Israel) very soon denied. Did you know that in the unfolding of the crucifixion of Jesus, the majority of questions or declarations raised by Pilate, a Roman Governor had to do with Jesus as king.  The first question Pilate asks Jesus is “Are you the King of the Jews?” (John 18:33). Note, Pilate asked, Are you THE KING of the Jews, not Are you A king of the Jews? Jesus’ response to this question was by counter-questioning  Pilate as to whether he really sought to know the truth on his own accord or if it was out of hearsay that he wanted to know. Jesus did not directly answer the question but explains that His Kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). Interesting isn’t it that most of the parables and teachings of Jesus was about the Kingdom, His Kingdom. Pilate’s second question was merely, “Are you a king then?” not Are you the king of the Jews (John 18:37), to which Jesus responded, without claiming Kingship that it is as Pilate had so declared. Pilate’s third statement was more a declaration than a question in which he expressed “Behold your King!” (John 19:14) and then his fourth question was not to Jesus but to the Jews, in which he asked “shall I crucify your King?” (John 19:15). What a pity, Pilate first did not recognize Jesus to be his King, even though he was told by Jesus that what he had declared was true, but what is even more pitiful is the response that the Jews gave, when they said we have no king but Caesar (John 19:15).

Today, not only many of us deny the Kingship of Jesus by the way we live but seek to be kings ourselves, implicitly expressing that we have no king. The music industry is rife with examples of conferring titles with the word ‘king’ to the entertainers.  Some examples are Elvis Presley (the king), Bob Marley (the king of Reggae) and the recently deceased Michael Jackson, known as the king of Pop. Wanting to be kings ourselves, we fail to recognize that Jesus is not only THE KING of the Jews, but He is THE KING of ALL CREATION. He is not just someone else’s King, but He is our King. We must BEHOLD THE King and BOW to His Kingship. If we choose not to do so now, we will one day, for the hour is at hand, when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). Pastor Lucious Smith prayed in the funeral service of Michael Jackson, “But even now the king of Pop must bow his knee to the King of kings” and that is applicable to each one of us.

Jesus is the King of kings (Rev 19:16). Not only is Jesus THE King, but He is THE KING of kings, but what is even more is that He is the Lord of kings (Daniel 2:47). And to his Lordship, we will all bow, if not now, one day.

The Name is Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth

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On July 17, 2009

In Christian, The Name

Many know the name Jesus. Some think that He was just a good man. Others think He is a Christian God. Christians and His followers pray to Jesus and they pray in the name of Jesus. But did you stop for a moment to see how much there is to this Name.  Let’s just take some time to ponder over the depth of God’s wisdom behind that Name.

The Almighty and Eternal God for whom any name would be an understatement of his character and abilities had to choose a name for Himself when He had to arrive on earth. The uncontainable God in divine wisdom chose the name to be Jesus, which meant Savior for He shall save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).

Jesus means Savior, but isn’t it interesting that when the wise men (Magi) sought Jesus upon his birth, they did not seek Him as Savior, rather they sought Him as the King of the Jews. They went and asked Herod, the then reigning king, the following question – Where is he that is born the King of the Jews (REX IVDAEORVM) not where is he that is born the Savior (Jesus) as recorded in Matthew 2:2.

Herod was troubled by this request and feeling threatened by a babe in a manger, orders the slaughter of all children, two years and under, but God in divine intervention warns Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus to leave Bethlehem (where Jesus was born), and go to Egypt. Herod eventually dies and the angel of God appears to Joseph, and says that he can return to Israel, but Joseph fearing to return, since Archelaus, the son of Herod was the reigning king, moves into Nazareth. Interesting, isn’t it to note that when Jesus was called the Holy One of God by the unclean spirits in a man, they specifically address Him by saying, I know who you are, Jesus of Nazareth (IESVS NAZARENVS) (Mark 1:24).

When Jesus fulfilled the will of God and accomplished the work of being the Savior (saving His people from their sins) by suffering and enduring the shame of the Cross, He lived up to His Name. Even in the death of Jesus, His Name stood out literally. An inscription in 3 languages was placed on the cross which in Latin (the then official Roman language) read, INRI. INRI  stood for IESVS NAZARENVS REX IVDAEORVM. (John 19:19) Fascinating, absolutely fascinating, this inscription (or) title meant, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. Jesus (what He was to be called, meaning Savior) of Nazareth (what He was identified as), King of the Jews (what He was sought as and branded in His death)

The Name is Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth but what is even more poignant is that God who had contained Himself in that Name now has been bestowed a Name that is above ALL NAMES. Incredible, absolutely incredible is the depth of God’s wisdom. The King of kings was born as the King of the Jews and the name given to Him is Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth. Next time you say the name, Jesus, I beseech you to ponder over how Saving and Kingly that Name is. I sure will.

The Name is Image of the invisible God

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On July 16, 2009

In Christian, The Name

Even though identical twins resemble one another, they are distinct in their genetic makeup and fingerprints. There is not a single person in the world who is the same as you are. The only way you can find an exact representation of yourself is to look at your reflected image in a mirror.

The writer to the Hebrews affirms that the Person (essence) of God is expressed in Jesus (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus Himself said that whoever has seen Him has seen the Father (John 14:9). This only accentuates the fact that Jesus is God, the one and Only God.

Jesus is the expressed fullness of God (Colossians 1:19). The Apostle Paul writes to those in Colosse that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Apostle Paul was eloquently saying that if God was to look into a mirror, He would see Jesus.

We are expected to become perfect and attain the full measure of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). In other words, we are to reflect the essence of Jesus in our lives. So the question is whether we are a mirror image of Jesus to those who are seeking to see God? And more importantly,  if Jesus was to look into a mirror, would He see you, would He see me?

Colossians 1:15 (KJV)
15 Who (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

Ephesians 4:11-13 (KJV)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

The Name is Holy One of God

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On July 15, 2009

In Christian, The Name

Mark 1:23-25  records the story of Jesus ridding a man with unclean spirits. It reads as follows –
23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
This event is also recorded in Luke 4:33-35.

Acting collectively as one, the unclean spirits made a proclamation and confidently stated that they knew who Jesus was. Some of the listeners in the synagogue were from the band that was constantly trying hard to discredit Jesus. At one time some even accused Jesus, alleging that His exorcising power was from the devil (Matthew 12:24). If they were in the crowd this day, they must have inquisitively waited to hear what the spirits had to say about Jesus. They must have been waiting eagerly to get proof of their accusations, because even the unclean spirits, seemed to know who Jesus was. But the next declaration of who Jesus really was must have been mind blowing to these religious zealots and hypocrites. Jesus was declared to be the Holy One of God. This has serious implications. No one could have this name, except God God-self for the scriptures say that there is none holy as the LORD (1 Samuel 2:2). The unclean spirits were in fact affirming that Jesus was God because He was the Holy One of God.

Do we recognize Jesus for who He really is? Do we recognize that He is indeed God, a Holy God and the Holy One of God? What do we have to say His name is? The Name is Holy One of God.

1 Samuel 2:2 (KJV)
2 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.

I AM the Good Shepherd

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On July 14, 2009

In Christian, I AM, The Name

Jesus avers “I am the Good Shepherd” not once but twice in the Gospel according to the Apostle John (John 10:11, John 10:14). Superficially it may seem like anyone can make this claim but upon deeper analysis, the extent as to how profound and unique this claim is, make me realize that no one else really can claim this, except Jesus. This is one of the ‘I AM’ statements of Jesus, in which, not only does He state the obvious, but He tells us the responsibilities/characteristics of a good shepherd, all of which He fulfills impeccably.

Responsibilities of the good shepherd include the following (1) give life for the sheep (2) care for the sheep (3) know his sheep (4) lay his life for the sheep and (5) bring other sheep into his fold.

2 Samuel 7:8 talks about David, a shepherd, who was made ruler and king of Israel. David was faithful first as a shepherd and God made him to be the ruler of his people, the Israelites. David as a shepherd provided for his sheep, cared for them, knew them because when one of them was taken by a lion and a bear, he was willing to die for it by fighting the lion and the bear. There is however no account of David, bringing in sheeps from other flocks into his own. He may or may not have done so.

Jesus, THE good Shepherd gives eternal and abundant life to all who believe (John 3:16). He cares for each one of us (1 Peter 5:6-8) and He wants us to cast our anxieties on Him. He knows each one of us that belong to him (2 Tim 2:19). He knows our name – He called Saul by name, Simon by name, He called Zacchaeus by name,  He even engraves the names of those who believe in Him in the palm of His hands (Isaiah 49:16). Don’t be surprised if you hear him calling you by your Name! He laid down his life voluntarily for our salvation (1 John 3:16). and He brings together all who are not part of His family (flock) into His family (Romans 1:16, 1 Timothy 2:4).

Jesus is the PROVIDING, PRESERVING and PROTECTING good shepherd. Just as God raised David from being the shepherd of sheep to be the ruler of his people, God who gave Jesus as the good Shepherd, raised Him up so that He will return as the ruler of ALL men (1 Corithians 15:24). If you have met Jesus and know him to be your good Shepherd, then He commands us to go and do likewise, to feed his lambs/sheep (John 21:15-17). If we faithfully shepherd His people on earth, He will make us rulers to reign with Him when He returns (Luke 19:17,19). If you have NOT yet met Jesus, THE GOOD SHEPHERD, I reckon that you meet Him first as the good shepherd and believe in Him so that you may come into His family and be under His Lordship (shepherdship), instead of waiting to meet Him as a ruler and righteous judge, when He returns. The decision is yours to make! He said “I AM the Good Shepherd” and that is a fact.

For a related reading, see Character and Names of God in Psalm 23

John 10:11-16 (KJV)
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

2 Samuel 7:8 (KJV)
8 Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel:

The Name is Faithful

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On July 13, 2009

In Christian, The Name

Apokalypsis Iesou Christou (The Revelation of Jesus Christ) records one of the names of the rider on the white horse, referring to Jesus, as Faithful (Revelation 19:11).  Come to think of this statement, it is not only a testament to the character of Jesus that He is indeed faithful, but that He is personified as Faithful, epitomizing faithfulness. Great is indeed His faithfulness (Lamentations 3:23). Merriam-Webster’s states that the word ‘faithful’, implies an unswerving adherence to a person or thing or to the oath or promise by which a tie was contracted.

The Sunday before I left for the USA in 1998, the pastor at the Anna Nagar Methodist Church youth meeting was sharing on a passage that has been etched in my mind since . It was the passage from 2 Timothy 2:11-13, which reads as follows – “Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” The phrase that caught my attention then was the last part of this trustworthy saying –  He will remain faithful for he cannot disown himself, even if we are faithless. I must admit that I had solely understood this saying to mean that God (Jesus) will remain faithful even if we are unfaithful. Only while preparing for this article did it dawn on me that there is a clear cut distinction between being ‘faithless’ and being ‘unfaithful’. To be faithless is to not believe. To be unfaithful is believing but not living as if we do. Let me try and explain. To be faithless is to reject the one who wants to marry you, not believing that he/she is the one. To be unfaithful is to be married to one and living promiscuously as if you are not married at all. Furthermore, it dawned on me that God will remain faithful in judging those who do not believe in Him (faithless), just as much as He will remain faithful in saving those who are ‘faithful’ and exacting justice on those ‘unfaithful’.

Member of the OWASP Board of Directors and my good  friend, Tom Brennan, an ex-Marine completes his emails by using the motto of the United States Marine Corp,  Semper Fi, the shortened form of Semper Fidelis, which is Latin for ‘Always Faithful‘. As much as I have my highest respect to all those in service and a special place for the few, the proud, the Marines, I realize that the only ONE that is truly Semper Fi is none other than Jesus, the rider on the white horse whose name is Faithful. Jesus has an unswerving adherence to (love for) you and me and to the oath or promise of restoring us to God by which a new covenant (tie) was contracted because of His faithfulness to endure the suffering of the Cross, the rejection of men, death and because of His resurrection. He is truly Semper Fi, He cannot disown (deny) Himself. The Name is Faithful.

Revelation 19:11 (KJV)
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

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