Monday, December 7, 2009

The Alpha and the Omega


I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord...
(Rev 1:8)


Jesus here declares Himself to be the “Alpha and the Omega” which means He has established, by His eternal word, what will be, from first to last, beginning to end. But notice that the title is not Alpha or Omega. The two are meant to be inseparable. This says to me that Christ is obligated, by His word, to complete only what He has begun.

Consider that though I might be a believer who reads my Bible daily, prays without ceasing, and maintains my faith in God’s word, I could still be under the enemy’s jurisdiction in my marriage, workplace, ministry etc. simply because I have never dedicated them to the Lord. In so doing, I’ve failed to make Jesus the “Alpha” over my marriage, workplace, ministry, etc. since it was I who originated them not Him. And if He’s not Lord over these things, He is under no scriptural obligation to provide counsel, protection, or provision concerning them. In short, if He’s not the “Alpha” (beginning) over these things, He will not be the “Omega” (ending) either.

But my wedding happened years ago. I’ve been working the same job for decades. What can I possibly do about this now? The answer is, repent of not committing these things to Christ at the beginning, and dedicate them to His Lordship from this day forward.

The moment we do this, Christ becomes the “Alpha” of these areas of our life, and if He’s the Alpha, He is also the “Omega”, which means that…

…He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:6)

Sunday, December 6, 2009

What is Revelation?


The scriptures teach that faith is born in us as we hear the rhema word of God (Romans 10:17). Since “rhema” is just another way of saying “revelation”, we can confidently say that faith also comes by revelation, without revelation it is impossible to please God, and revelation without works is dead.

For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:12)

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
(Ephesians 1:17)


How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery… Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; (Ephesians 3:3-5)

Revelation comes when the Holy Spirit opens our understanding of scripture in a way that 1) surpasses conventional wisdom, and 2) is always confirmed by two or more diverse scriptural passages (witnesses).

But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. (Isaiah 28:13)

The prophet is saying here, by the Holy Spirit, that the word of God is meant to be understood through inspiration of God, “line upon line, here a little, there a little”, not by merely reading and studying the text, but by bringing it to God in prayer for revelation of the deeper meaning. He warns that all who deny this approach to learning scripture will “fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken”.

Jesus said much the same thing in the book of Matthew:

Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. (Matthew 13:13)

The Lord says here that He spoke in parables for a reason, so that the ones who desired to learn the true meaning of the parable would come to Him in private to receive this “revelation”, while the rest would simply go away confused without receiving the hidden blessing.

Far too many in the body of Christ today get their understanding from reading Bible commentaries or listening to teachers in their local church or the media. This may well explain why the church is in the state she’s in, “having a form of Godliness but denying its power.” This was never the Father’s intention. He has always desired that we come to Him directly to receive revelation of His word, for it’s only through revelation that a genuine faith is born in us, a faith to move mountains in Jesus’ name.

It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
(John 6:45)