Pastor Caleb

Who is the King of Glory?

Who is the King of Glory?

In the Old Testament, oftentimes the glory of God was concealed and feared. God’s glory was hidden in clouds, fire, the tabernacle, the temple, and in shrouded theophanies. It was feared as the “devouring fire,” the judgment against sin, and no man could look upon His holiness without dying. But for those who knew God, their mission was to praise the God of glory and see His glory through all of creation. God’s glory was manifested through His work, salvation, victory, and presence with His people. 

There were also glimpses of a future glory that God was preparing to unleash. A glory of salvation, victory, God’s presence with “all nations” that would “fill the earth.” Many Jewish leaders speculated what this glory would look like in battle: God destroying Greece, Persia, or Rome, and taking vengeance on the earth. 

Examine Yourselves

Examine Yourselves

2 Corinthians 13:5–6 says, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test."

I mentioned on Sunday that one of the ways that we can test ourselves is to examine our lives and our “good works.” John 15:8 says, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” And Jesus makes it clear in several places that our works are evidence of our faith in Him (Mt. 7:16–20; John 14:15–24; Luke 13:3; Mt 12:34–35). 

Kenosis

Kenosis

Who [Jesus], being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! || Philippians 2:6–8

Kenosis is a Greek word meaning “emptiness” or “to empty.” It is the word that theologians use to describe verse 7 when Jesus “makes himself nothing” or “empties himself” by taking on the nature of a slave/servant. Jesus maintains His deity, but somehow empties Himself? Because of this, people continue to ask questions like “what did Jesus know,” “what did he learn,” and “could Jesus walk on water as a boy?” These questions might be fun to debate, but they miss the point of the kenosis.

Practicing Mutual Discipleship

Practicing Mutual Discipleship

I grew up in a neighborhood that was always busy with friends. Whenever one of us headed outside we were immediately joined by several others itching to play a sport or hang out. One activity that we really enjoyed was skateboarding. Skateboarding, before the internet age, meant that we actually had to make up our own tricks or that we learned new ones from watching others at the skatepark. As soon as one of us figured out a trick, we would show each other how to do it (usually after we won a game or 2 of S.K.A.T.E. if I’m being honest).

Nothing but the Blood

Nothing but the Blood

Usually, blood makes people squeamish. In fact, in movies, if there is a certain amount of blood shown it will raise the content rating making the movie unsuitable for children/teens. Even for adults, approximately 15% faint when donating blood. But we know that blood is a good thing and that it is essential for the human body. It helps us fight off bacteria, keeps our organs working properly, and ultimately it sustains our lives.