Psalm 8:1, add 31:1-3

My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in Jude. Verse 24-25, the last sentence, grabbed my attention:

Jude 24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

Jude 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Jude exhorts us to earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 3). The expression “the faith” is a noun phrase and refers to the doctrine we have received from Christ, through Jesus, the Prophets, and the Apostles.*

There is one major doctrine of “the faith” that has been all but lost in our Dispensational teaching: the doctrine of the kingdom. I recommend my books Biblical Dispensationalism and God’s War to help you get acquainted with a proper, biblical understanding of the role of Christ as King of His kingdom, “both now and ever. Amen”! (Jude 25).

Catch that?

Christ Jesus is God manifest in the Flesh (John 1:1, 14; 1 Timothy 3:16). He is “God our Saviour” (John 20:28; Luke 2:11; John 4:42; 2 Timothy 1:10; Titus 1:4, 13; and Philippians 3:20). According to Jude 25, “God our Saviour” has the “glory and majesty, dominion and power, BOTH now and ever.”

Along the still waters, I reflected on this doctrine of “the faith” that has been all but forgotten in so many of our churches.

“Glory and majesty”: Worship belongs to Him (the glory), as the supreme Majesty: His exalted place over all Creation (Hebrews 1:3; 8:1). These are coupled and inseparable.

“Dominion and power” are also coupled and inseparable. The word dominion is used to translate the Greek term κράτος (kratos). It speaks of military supremacy, political rule, strength to prevail, or sovereign dominion. The suffix -cracy comes from this Greek word. The Spirit declares that all rule belongs to Christ Jesus our Lord (Revelation 1:5-6). Power is used to translate ἐξουσία (exousia). Jesus declared that “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). I often emphasize the present tense to make the point that this is true now. Here, in Jude 25, the Spirit is making that point very clearly: Dominion and power are His “both now and ever.”

This is stipulated by the Spirit fully and powerfully in Ephesians 1:12-23. Look at verse 21 and compare it to Jude 25:

Ephesians 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come

Jesus Christ is King in the world as it is right now, and He will continue to be King in the world that is to come.

In the valley, I knelt in the shadow of His Cross and waited for the sound of His voice to declare my daily charge. It came from Heaven as the sound of many waters: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

At the table, we discussed the message He gave for us this past Wednesday night. The importance that we understand the disposition of our current dispensation was emphasized. That our number one mission is to preach the message of the Gospel of the Kingdom to all the world as a witness to all nations (Matthew 24:14; Acts 1:8).

He anointed my head with His “fresh oil” (Psalm 23:5a; 92:10), and mixed His sufficient grace into my flowing cup (Psalm 23:5b), and sent me into the harvest. I hesitated and pleaded that He send me not away to serve, but that He would go with me, and not only with me, but before me to guide the way (Exodus 33:14-17; see Luke 10:20; Selah! And 1 Peter 2:21).

Praying for revival! 🙏

Going live after lunch.

https://rumble.com/v7dtd9e-shepherds-pasture.html

[*This phrasing might confuse you. Christ is the Holy One of God, the eternal second Person of the Godhead (Isaiah 44:6 (41:14) with Revelation 1:17-18; see Isaiah 41:4, 20 (see the Creator titled the Holy One of Israel, see Psalm 89:19; Isaiah 1:4; then note the testimony of devils regarding Christ (Luke 4:3), confirmed by the testimony of the Spirit (Acts 3:14, and 1 John 2:20). Christ manifest in the flesh (2 John 7) is the Word Who was “made flesh, and dwelt among us (John 1:1, 14). Christ was “made flesh” in the incarnation of God manifest in the flesh, and the name our Father gave Him is JESUS, Who testified: “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58).]