by Jim Kerwin
on November 28, 2023
The John the Baptist Experience
Book 3: The Fellowship of the Forerunner
Chapter 3: The Lordship of Jesus
and the Correlate of Kúrios
Copyright © 2023
by
Jim Kerwin
The Meaning of the Title Kúrios
“You can’t have one without the other…”
Before we can truly proclaim the Lordship of Jesus, before we can enter into all that His Lordship means, we must understand lordship and embrace it fully and personally. Sometimes we can better comprehend a concept by looking at its opposite, but in the case of the title Lord — Kúrios (κύριος) in Greek in the New Testament — we might see more clearly if we investigate the correlate of Kúrios.
The phrase “the correlate of Kúrios” in our chapter title sounds like the name of a spacey science-fiction thriller or the title of some silly sword-and-sorcery saga. Although many Christians might not have heard the phrase, once they find out what “the correlate” is, our phrase may sound even [continue reading…]
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by Jim Kerwin
on November 6, 2023
The John the Baptist Experience
Book 2: The Extraordinary Message
Deeper Dive #1: “All Flesh Is As Grass”
Copyright © 2023
by
Jim Kerwin
News alert:
“The one who dies with the most toys loses!”It All Comes to an End
Sometimes when we approach a subject, it’s best to launch into it in a state of heart reflection. Often an insightful poem, either secular or sacred, can set the tone. As an epigraph for this chapter, we’ll start with one work which is famous, and end our topic with a poem which should be famous:
Ozymandias
Percy Bysshe Shelley
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by Jim Kerwin
on October 23, 2023
The John the Baptist Experience
Book 2: The Extraordinary Message
Chapter 1: Preparing the Field
Copyright © 2023
by
Jim Kerwin
First the Messenger,
Now the Message!
There’s another way to think
about Messiah’s way-preparing herald —
as the field-preparing plowman
for the Seed Planter!In The Exceptional Messenger, the first book in this The John the Baptist Experience series, we focused on the remarkable anticipation God created concerning the role, the mission, and the results of His prophesied Forerunner, John the Baptist. In Exceptional, we came to understand something about how unique, how pivotal John was in God’s prophetic plans and timetable, as in Spirit-filled power he prepared the hearts for Jesus’ earthly ministry.
But now it’s time to turn our attention to what John proclaimed during his mighty, meteoric [continue reading…]
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by Jim Kerwin
on November 5, 2023
Frederick W. Faber
(1814-1863)
My fear of Thee, O Lord, exults
Like life within my veins,
A fear which rightly claims to be
One of love’s sacred pains.
Thy goodness to Thy saints of old
An awful thing appeared;
For were Thy majesty less good
Much less would it be feared.
There is no joy the soul can meet
Upon life’s various road
Like the sweet fear [continue reading…]
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by Jim Kerwin
on October 29, 2023
Fanny Crosby
(1820-1915)
- 5And if the servant shall plainly say, “I love my master… I will not go out free:” 6Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever..
- Exodus 21:5-6 kjv
“I love, I love my Master,
I will not go out free,”
For He is my Redeemer;
He paid the price for me.
I would not leave His service,
It is so sweet and blest,
And in the [continue reading…]
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by Jim Kerwin
on October 28, 2023
28 October 2023
Dear Friend,
I’m in the process of learning
“to be content
in whatever circumstances I am.”I’m way behind the apostle Paul’s learning curve, especially when he says, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am” (Philippians 4:11). But I am learning and accepting, however slowly. Don’t get me wrong — I’m glad to be here in Florida helping family. But, honestly, I’ve been homesick. I can’t remember a time when I’ve been away from home more than about five weeks at a time. Now it’s been over ten weeks. In fact, I was half-heartedly hanging up the crepe streamers for a “pity party” when the Lord had me encounter these words from Madame Guyon:
To me remains nor place nor time;
My country is in ev’ry clime;
I can be calm and free from care
On any source, since God is there.
While place we seek, or place we shun,
The soul finds happiness [continue reading…]
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by Jim Kerwin
on October 26, 2023
Jeanne-Marie Bouvier de La Motte Guyon
(1648-1717)
translated from the French by
William Cowper
(1731-1800)
also known by its original title of
The Soul That Loves God
Finds Him Everywhere
Oh Thou, by long experience tried,
Near whom no grief can long abide;
My Love! How full of sweet content
I pass my years of banishment!
All scenes alike engaging prove
To souls impressed with sacred love;
Where’er they dwell, they dwell in Thee,
In heav’n, in earth, or on the sea.
To me remains nor place nor time;
My country is in [continue reading…]
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by Jim Kerwin
on October 22, 2023
Fanny Crosby
(1820-1915)
- The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God…
- Romans 8:16 nasb
- For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:5 kjv
Blessèd assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
Chorus:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long.
Perfect submission, perfect [continue reading…]
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by Jim Kerwin
on October 16, 2023
The John the Baptist Experience
Book 2: The Extraordinary Message
Chapter 2: Coming to Grips with Kingship
and Collective Amnesia
Copyright © 2023
by
Jim Kerwin
The Downsides of Democracy
Can we forget what we never learned?
How can the phrase “Kingdom of God”
mean anything if we don’t really know
what a king is?If the message of John the Baptist was a plow to prepare heart-soil, then the sharp, sod-busting point of his plow’s blade was summed up in this simple phrase: Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!
Yet how little impact those nine words have on us, because we understand neither the word “King” nor the word “repent” as we should. Although “repent” is the first word, let’s first focus on the why of, the motivation for, repentance — the King and His Kingdom. Then we’ll follow up with that most important subject of repentance.
As wonderful as it is to live with the freedoms guaranteed in a democratic republic, democracy has a decided downside for Bible readers. Living as we do under a government in which we can [continue reading…]
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by Jim Kerwin
on October 16, 2023
The John the Baptist Experience
Book 2: The Extraordinary Message
Deeper Dive #2:
Kingdom of God or “King’s Kids”?
Copyright © 2023
by
Jim Kerwin
It’s important not to confuse the two teachings!Please let me add this “deeper dive” side note to the discussion in Chapter 2, “Coming to Grips with Kingship and Collective Amnesia.” I’m concerned because I continue to encounter certain cadres of believers who tend to misconstrue the phrase “Gospel of the Kingdom of God” and translate it mentally into that modern message which might be labeled “the Gospel of the ‘King’s Kids’.”
They have been taught something that goes along these lines: Since they’re born into God’s family, and He is the King, believers are, by association, “royalty,” that is, “King’s kids.” As proper princes and princesses, they have special privileges and “kingdom authority.” What analogy can I use? It’s as though sugar-craving children, armed with such “royal authority” and possessed of their Father’s carte blanche, are turned loose in a proverbial [continue reading…]
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by Jim Kerwin
on October 15, 2023
Haldor Lillenas
(1885-1959)
13Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; 14but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
John 4:13-14 nasb
…and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:4 nasb
Many weary years I vainly sought a spring,
One that never would run dry;
Unavailing all that earth to me could bring —
Nothing seemed to satisfy.
Chorus:
Drinking at the Fountain that never runs dry,
Drinking at the Fountain of life am I;
Finding joy and pleasure
In abounding measure,
I am drinking at the Fountain of life!
Through the desert land of sin I roam no more,
For I find a [continue reading…]
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by Jim Kerwin
on October 7, 2023
C.T. Studd
(1860-1931)
Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way,
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart—
“Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
“Only one life!” Yes, only one;
Soon will its fleeting hours be done,
Then, in “that day” my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgment seat.
“Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
“Only one life!” The still small voice
Gently pleads for a better choice,
Bidding me [continue reading…]
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by Jim Kerwin
on October 4, 2023
Charles Wesley
(1707-1788)
And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:
Who can explore His [continue reading…]
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by Jim Kerwin
on September 30, 2023
30 September 2023
Knocked for a Loop by the Whirlwind
Dear Friend,
Yessiree, it’s been an interesting period…
Lucky Elijah! He was taken up to Heaven in a whirlwind at the end of his life. But we’ve been caught up in an eight-week-long whirlwind and getting pretty banged up in the process. We’re not trying to leave our friends, supporters, and readers out of the loop — honest! It’s just that over the last eight weeks we’ve been “knocked for a loop” and we’re still trying to recover our equilibrium. Elijah was “one and done” with his whirlwind, but our whirlwind has led to a hurricane, followed by a storm!
A week before we left for Florida, I fell [continue reading…]
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