Showing posts with label Head. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Head. Show all posts

Sunday, February 16, 2020

What is the difference between His Headship and His Lordship?

The Lord spoke these words recently:
"Church, I am your Head! Beloved, I am your Lord! Look to Me, for I will know how to protect you, and I will know how to overthrow the enemies! If the enemies come against you, they are coming against Me, and I will know how to overcome them! So, fear not!"

What fascinated me was when He spoke, "Church, I am your Head! Beloved, I am your Lord!" So, is there really a difference between Head and Lord? Let's dig into the Word of God for the answer!

Where does the Bible say 'Jesus is the Head'?
It is found in Colossians 1:18 (NKJV) that says, 'And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have preeminence'. Let's look at a more contemporary Bible version, and here's what Colossians 1:18 (NLT) say, 'Christ is also the head of the church, which is His body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So He is first in everything'.

From the above, we know that Jesus is the Head of the church, which is His body! The word 'head' here is 'kephale' in Greek, and it can mean 'ruler, leader, authority'. As a ruler, leader, or authority, He has full say and final say regarding His church! In other words, His church is to be patterned after His way, not man's way! After all, the church belongs to Him, and no human can actually own His church. Human church leaders are merely stewards, but NEVER the owners of His church. Proof? In Matthew 16:18 (NKJV), Jesus Himself said, "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock (i.e. the revelation that I am the Christ), I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." You see, Jesus never said "I will build your church", but He said, "I will build My church". And that's when the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it!

One interesting connotation of this word 'kephale' is that of 'kinship' or 'connection'. In other words, the 'head' and the 'body' have to be 'connected'. These are inseparable. How can the 'head' forget the 'body'? That is to say how can He forget His church? Never! On the other hand, how can the 'body' go on without the 'head'?

People of God, let us return the Headship of the church to Jesus, and He will know how to protect His body (i.e. His church)! As you can see above, He and His church cannot be separated! Your part as the church is to stay connected to the 'head'. And if anyone (or anything) 'touches' His body (i.e. His church), He will know how to deal with that anyone (or anything)! That's why Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that 'the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it'. Hallelujah! By the way, church is a people, not a building made with hands.

Where does the Bible say 'Jesus is the Lord'?
It is found in Romans 10:9-13 (NKJV) that says, 'That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."'

From the above, we know that Jesus is the Lord of our lives, i.e. each of us as individuals! Apostle Paul wrote that "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved"! As believers, you have been justified (i.e. made right in God's sight) and redeemed (i.e. all your sins and infirmities have been fully paid for by Him) through the blood of Jesus (Romans 5:9, Ephesians 1:7). The Scripture also says, "Whoever believes on the Lord will not be put to shame"! Hallelujah!

People of God, the world is in a mess at the moment. A big mess. But in the darkest of times, God's light shines the brightest (Isaiah 60:1-2). Look to Him, and put your trust in Him. To put your trust in Him is to 'throw your full weight on Him', knowing that He is more than able to carry you through. After all, He is the Lord of your life. The word 'Lord' here in Romans 10:9-13 is 'kurios' in Greek, and it means 'supreme in authority'. He is indeed supreme over every power of this world. Therefore, when nothing of this world (be it worldly economic systems, political systems, financial systems, etc) can save you (or guarantee your future), He can. Let no one rob this truth away from you. In Jesus' name. Amen!

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Christ the Beginning, the Head, the Firstfruit

Genesis 1:1 (KJV): In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

The words 'In the beginning' here are 'Be-Reshiyth' in Hebrew, and these are the words that lead the way for all the other words in the Bible! According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the word 'Reshiyth' here in Hebrew means 'first, beginning, head, chief, choice part, best, firstfruit'.

Genesis 1:1 (word for word) sounds like this in Hebrew: Be (In the) reshiyth (beginning) bara (created) Elohim (God) et hashamayim (the heaven) ve'et ha'aretz (and the earth).

Let's look now at the words 'Be-Reshiyth' ('In the beginning'), which consist of the Hebrew alphabets 'Beth' and then 'Resh-Aleph-Shin-Yod-Tav':
The alphabet 'Beth' (בְּ) is a picture of a 'house', and in the context of Genesis 1:1, it means 'housed in'.
The alphabets 'Resh-Aleph-Shin-Yod-Tav' (רֵאשִׁ֖ית) picture this: 'The Head (Resh), being sacrificed (Aleph), the God (Shin/Shaddai), whose hands (Yod), are at the cross (Tav)'.

Note: Hebrew is written right to left, and every Hebrew alphabet (i.e. alefbet) has a picture.

Do you see Jesus Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach) now from the very beginning in Genesis 1:1? As a teacher of the Word, I'm here to unveil Christ in the Word of God (for He is in the Old Testament concealed, and He is in the New Testament revealed); and yes, Christ is there even from the very first verse of the whole Bible! Because He is the Word!

Let's now cross-refer to John 1:1. It says, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God'. See the words 'In the beginning' again? John 1:2-4 then follows, 'He (The Word) was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him (the Word), and without Him (the Word) nothing was made that was made. In Him (the Word) was life, and the life was the light of men'.

Note: 'The Word' here refers to 'Jesus Christ our Lord' (John 1:14). 

John 1:9-10 continues, 'That (The Word) was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him...' Psalm 119:130 confirms this, 'The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple (i.e. those who lack understanding)'. John 1:12 then says, 'As many as received Him (The Word), to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.' Amen.

The book of Colossians explains much about Christ being the Head, the Firstfruit (see Colossians 1:15-18). Here, the apostle Paul wrote clearly to show that Christ is preeminent ('proteuo' in Greek), i.e. first and foremost in everything, and that a believer's life should also reflect this priority: In all that you are and you do, you are in Him (in Christ)...
- alive in Him (Colossians 2:13),
- walking in Him (Colossians 2:6),
- rooted in Him (Colossians 2:7),
- built up in Him (Colossians 2:7),
- hidden in Him (Colossians 2:3),
- established in Him (Colossians 2:7), and
- complete in Him (Colossians 2:10).
Praise the Lord!
Acts 17:28 also says, 'In Him (In Christ), we live, we move, and we have our being'. Amen!

In conclusion, as believers, and together in one body (of Christ), let us continue to 'hold fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments; and grow with the increase that is from God' (Colossians 2:19). In Jesus' name. Amen.