The Reverend

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Published: Tuesday, 25 December 2018 09:01
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The Reverend

Rosales, Pangasinang

December 13, 2018 ( Thursday); 4:35 a.m.

Updated: Aurora Blvd., Cubao; Quezon City

December 14, 2018; Friday; 4:41 p.m.

Updated : Mc Donald's, Blue Bay, Pasay City

December 14, 2018; Friday; 9:51 p.m.

December 25, 2018 (Tuesday); 3:31 a.m.

 

 

Shall you be given a title, what would that be?

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Sometime this year, I attended a big banquet. When the Guest Speaker was about to be named, the presenter have been called to introduced as: “May I introduced to you - Bishop, Doctor, and Reverend …..to present to us our invited Guest Speaker, ” then citing his full name.

 

 

From there, it suddenly dawned on me that Jesus Christ was introduced by the Father in Heaven as " This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased," ( Matthew 3:17). And also the words that says that "made himself of no reputation “ (Philippians 2:7).

 

 

 

The Reverend

In one Flag Raising Ceremony, I was invited to witness a self-confessed Bishop and Reverend who conferred a municipal mayor an honorary degree.. Then he called the pastors including myself to join him to minister to the mayor in the doctrine of “laying on of hands,” I strongly but politely refused but it irked some of the government officials present on the event. However, I don’t want to be apart on the tampering of the sacredness of the “laying on of hands” for a wrong reason. Two years later, the said Reverend or Bishop has been charged with estafa with millions worth of money from his victims.

 

Reverend according to Webster is an adjective which means “worthy of reverence”” or “revered” which is related to the clergy. Although Biblically, a Reverend has something to do with one’s reputation (which will be discussed a little later).

 

 

 

No vanity

Christ has no vanity on position or status. He is not a title-conscious unlike us who often measure a man according to his status or a title. Christ was merely introduced as a “Beloved Son,” no less than God the Father Himself.

 

 

The word Son””in Greek "uihos" speaks of "weakness and mortality" according to Thayer definition. Sonship also denotes " kinship" and "a descendant." Kinship according to Webster is "connection" or " relationship." So when you have the Son then you are connected to the Father in heaven.

 

Meanwhile descendant as Webster describes it means "moving downward" as in demotion or "proceeding from an ancestor or source." When Christ as a divine Source and Maker chose to be man, He demoted Himself in that effect.

 

 

 

The orphan-spirit

Richard Jones of the Father Heart Ministry in London once said during our seminar, “”When we are orphans, we create our own ministry. Why? Because we don’t have inheritance (as son) so we create one for us.” So those who are ministry-conscious, he said, “Ministry is just a temporary convenience.” Jones said, “What He is looking for is sonship and intimacy.” And I presumed it is not about our position or title is what the Father in heaven would ask from us for. He desire from us a father-and-son relationship. So our orphan-spirit must be dealt with seriously should we like to be sons of God.

 

 

The Ministry

Often we boast our ministry. Often we brag how good or how big our church is. And we impress others as well with our titles and various positions in different ministries. While our attitude is to create a good impressions to others, we loses God’s intimate relationship because often we are busy giving the Lord a lesser time to commune with Him.

 

 

Sonship

What is the sweetest verse I have had ever read that sunk me the very peace of God? To be called as “son.”’

 

That is when I read even without fully understood this verse, “”But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.,”(John 1:12-13).

 

 

Son is called “uihos” in Greek in effect means " stooping and weeping" (Webster).

 

When Jesus is introduced as a Son rather than God, co-equal to God, the Father it connotes humiliation or degrading His status or title as God Himself (John 1:2).

 

In fact, Thayer described Jesus' humanity as" beast” (because Jesus as babe have been placed in an ‘’animal feeding tube’’ according to Easy English Bible (Luke 2:7) which is also being called “manger.”’

 

Yet this man Jesus clothed in frailty is called "Beloved," which is  being derived from the Greek word " agapetos" meaning " favourite" or "worthy of love."

 

 

Sonship is therefore not a title but it describes God's deep and profound affection and endearment and it is therefore a very intimate relationship.

 

When I read John 1:12 that struck me like-dead that I am a son of God, my knowledge of GOD became more a revealed truth of intimate relationship rather a religiosity. It is the greatest word I have had ever heard in my entire life. And nothing could ever change that. "My son," should you heard that from the Father in heaven is the greatest and sweetest  name that can described who you are.

 

 

What a true son is?
What a true son is in terms of biblical standard? A true son does not take the credit that is due to the Father (John 5:19, 20, 30, 43). A son of God is not interested in his own reputation and he does not honour himself but only the Father.

 

 

No reputation

While reputation is literally meant dignity and honour, Christ is called a man of no reputation.

 

Philippians 2:5-7/ KJV reads, "

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God,  thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made Himself of no reputation."

 

 

Other translations

Other translation of Philipians 2:5-7 reads:

  • KJV: “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men”

NIV, “rather, he made himself nothing, by taking the very nature[a] of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

  • NLT : “Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,”

  • Verse by Verse: “but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”

 

 

Reputation

The word reputation is interpreted by Greek as "timios" i.e. as of great price, esteem, honour, honourable, costly.  From root word "time" (tee-may) meaning "reverence." It is also called " dignity." (Acts 5:34).

 

It also means "dokeo" in Greek  that refers to what people " think of you, their opinion on you, the way they judged you," ( Galatians 2:2).

 

Reputation can be gained (Philippians 2:29). Paul endorse Ephahproditus

 

Reputation used here is taken from Greek "entimos" i.e. " held in honour, prized and precious" deemed as " honourable."

 

Epaphroditos means "lovely." He is Paul's associate in the ministry who is being called "brother, companion in labour,  fellow soldier, messenger, minister ( public servant, priest, servant of a king, benefactor, worshipper, worker). That is in Philippians2:25. Ephaphroditos is a multi-tasking worker like a trouble- shooter.

 

 

Meanwhile, "no reputation" in Greek " kenoo" means " to empty" or "to render vain, useless, or no effect." Taking from its root word, "kenos," that metaphorically speaks of “”endeavours, labours or acts “ which is simply defined as "NOTHING!" Meaning is that “Christ is nothing or no reputation” at all.

 

 

 

Without Christ

In the same way, without Christ, we are nothing!

 

That is exactly what Christ said in John 15:5, “Without Me ye can do nothing." The word, nothing”” in Greek "ou" implies negative or negation. " Ou” also means "absolute denial" just like when Jesus said, "I do not know you, worker of iniquity." Ou is an interrogative word implying as "God's forbidden."

 

The word, "negative" in terms of numbers according to Webster means "less than zero," which means "it constitutes a loss" in terms of cash flow. Negative also means " adversary, hostile and antagonistic." To Garrett Hardin, negative is "marked by denial, prohibition or refusal."

 

 

That is why Paul called himself a loser in Philippians 3:7 when he said, "I counted loss for Christ.” The moment you give up and lose something for Christ then you are emptying yourself.

Loss in Greek zemia means damage or to tame.

 

 

But losing for Christ means to gain as well. That is why Paul said, " for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,," (Philippians 3:8).  “Dung ïn Greek “skubalon” means “refuse” or “”excrement” which is “worthless” and “detestable.”

 

 

Gain is to acquire more resources; increase; supplemental; or increase in amount, magnitude or degree ( Webster).

 

 

In ESV it reads this way:

"5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men."

 

 

Christ made Himself nothing by emptying himself in everything that He had including His Divinity. So He has given up all His titles or positions thus making himself a man of no reputation. (Look the illustration below).

 

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The Six Nothingness of Christ

The 6 nothingness of the Lord Jesus Christ made him the perfect seven (7). The word “seven“ refer to completion or perfection in Genesis 2:1-2.

 

One, He became a mortal man. From being immortal God to finite man is a form of degradation. That is how He emptied Himself.

 

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Second, Christ was miserably born poor. He was born in a manger (Luke 2:12).

 

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Third, Jesus became a carpenter’s son (Matthew 13:55). That is a very lowly trade.

 

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Fourth, He became the lowliest servant. He washed the disciples’ feet (John 113:12). Washing someone’s else feet is connotes servitude and servility.

 

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Fifth, The Lord Christ became a criminal. He was falsely accused, dragged on the street, flaunted as criminal beyond pardon the priests and the people with government officials and soldiers as conniving parties.

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Sixth, Jesus Christ have been crucified and died.

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Those are the six (6) nothingness of Christ. He did it to empty himself for the sake of pleasing the Father making Himself a ransom for sinners like us. “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,” (Romans 5:8).

 

Those act of emptying himself earned Him the highest credit ever given to a man. And He rose from the dead!

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“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” - Philippians 2:9-11

 

7th, Jesus Christ is the Lord !!!

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Like Christ, would you like to empty yourself as well the way He did in order for you to earn a perfect credit for a position?

 

 

 

NOTES:

 

  • Reverend: A Reverend is a priest or minister in the Christian Church. It also means deacon, minister, preacher, priest or clergy person (Webster).

 

  • Photo frames. The photos frames are mostly taken from the internet especially about the 7 emptiness of Christ.

 

  • Position for sale. There are various instances that position is being sold for a price, be in the secular or in the religious sector. It is common in Pangasinan though, for a fee of P10,000 or P20,000 you can earn the title of a bishop. There is also one self-confessed Bishop and Reverend who would confer you the Doctoral Degree on Humanities”.”Often the victims are not merely pastors but public officials like the municipal mayors.