Since I refrain from the graven image idolatry of misrepresenting Jesus Christ in any image or statue (the only image I will use, except in very, very rare examples, is the illustration created by the artist Katherine Brown — “Jesus & the lamb” — I did not want to venture into idolatry or graven images available in a vain attempt to represent “Jesus at the right hand of God,” so I chose this image instead — Ken Pullen

ADMINISTRATOR’S NOTE —

There is one entire denomination professing to be Christian, with hundreds of millions of members, which either keep Jesus  — the risen and EXALTED in HEAVEN HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER — a baby in the lap of His mother, or they keep Him nailed to a cross. It sells more jewelry than having to wear a sepulcher stone around ones neck, or nothing as the Lord, was not found in the tomb, as He had conquered death and risen to spend 40 days among His disciples and others, before ascending into heaven.

I’m tired of all this lowering God / Jesus Christ down to our level. Treating Jesus as just another man. A person like your neighbor, or uncle, or guy you’d have a beer with. That is blasphemy. Just as the what would Jesus do fad which erupted a few years back was. Blasphemy.

Where is the sacredness among people today? Where is the reverence and spiritual understanding of the EXALTED HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER Lord Jesus Christ in heaven at the right hand of the throne of God!?

Jesus is not your “buddy.” Jesus is God who came to earth in the form of God-man to sacrifice Himself for our sins. He is our FRIEND, as Scripture tells us, as He told us, but do not lower or misunderstand that word or its intent, its meaning, and do not attach 20th century, or 21st century connotations to the word “friend.” Understand it for what it truly is, what it truly means.

I’m tired of this “personal Jesus” malarkey. Lowering of Jesus Christ the Lord and making Him common. Lowly. Average. Just another person.

And while this is denied this is exactly what the erosion of holiness, sacredness, respect, awe, wonder, bowing, obedience, obeying and understanding Jesus’ place and real relationship to everything and everyone else.

Instead of bringing Jesus (and thus God) low why not look inward and upon our deceits, our lies, our falseness, our lack of respect and reverence, our lack of holiness and sacredness, our lack of discerning spiritual matters of God, and our lack of truly understanding His Word — and why do we not strive and live each day to RISE UP to meet the Lord in heaven rather than bringing Him downward to our sinful, fleshly level!?

Grow up people, grow up dearly beloved brothers and sisters in the faith! Rise rather than keep low!

~ Ken Pullen, A Crooked Path, Tuesday, January 12th, 2016

Knowing Christ As He Should Be Known

by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

John the Baptist introduced our Lord with the proclamation: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). Throughout His earthly ministry Christ was known as “the Son of David”, the king with whom God made a covenant to establish His Kingdom forever.

The Old Testament prophets predicted that Christ would — and He will — reign on earth upon the throne of His father David. While His Kingdom was being proclaimed “at hand”, He walked and talked and ate with men as “the Son of Man”. Wearied with travelling, He sat at Jacob’s well and asked for a drink of water. Pressed by the throng, He got into a fishing boat and addressed the multitudes from the sea. Hated by His adversaries, He was tried, scourged, spit upon, and nailed to a tree. This was indeed “Christ manifest in the flesh”.

With regard to His humiliation, however, the Apostle Paul says, by divine inspiration: “God also hath highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:9).

Again, the Apostle declares that God’s mighty power was “wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, FAR ABOVE ALL…” (Ephesians 1:20). He is no longer to be known as “the lowly Jesus”, but as the exalted “Lord” in heaven. And this has its bearing on us too:

“Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now, henceforth, know we Him no more” (II Corinthians 5:16). Our blessed Saviour is now to be known as the glorified Son of God, the Great Dispenser of Grace to a lost humanity; the One who in love and mercy “tasted death for every man” (Hebrews 2:9).