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DESPISED AND REJECTED

"He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not." (Isaiah 53:2a, 3).   We usually like to dwell on the beauty of the Lord when we talk or meditate about Christ, but I would like to shed some light on the uncomely aspect of the Lord.  During His earthly ministry, Jesus angered and offended a great number of people - people who said they were looking for His appearance.  They were waiting for a mighty king who would lead them to victory against their enemies and restore Israel to the glory that it once enjoyed.  This carpenter's son from Galilee was not what they expected, and His message was to love their enemies, not vanquish them; to turn the other cheek, not get the upper hand; and give their cloak if their coat was taken.  This di...
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LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus...” (Philippians 2:5).   This exhortation of St. Paul to the Philippian Church applies to all who call on the name of Jesus and claim Him as Lord and Savior.   It means that we are to think as Jesus thought and to follow His example of love and humility.     Paul continues by describing what makes the mind of Christ unique.   He writes, “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8).   Christ, Who is the Light of the world, the Word of God made flesh, and the Creator of all things (see John 1:3), is also described by the writer of Hebrews as “…the brightness of His [God’s] glory, and the express image of His p...
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THE GREAT TRIBULATION

There isn’t any doubt that there has been much tribulation suffered by the Christian Church over the centuries.   From the time that Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven in the sight of all His disciples, the world has persecuted the Church.   Before His departure, Jesus plainly told His followers, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).   He also told them, “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord.  If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you...” (John 15:20).     Initially, it was the Jews who threatened the early Church, gradually stepping up the intensity of their persecution until they were imprisoning and martyring believers for the Gospel of Christ.   Before his conversion to the faith, Saul (who later became the Apostle Paul) received permission from the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem to round up Christians to...
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