Our High Priest

"For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence" (Hebrews 9:27). We have a High Priest in heaven who intercedes for each of us. The above verse will give us some insight concerning this subject. There was a man made holy place, the tabernacle on earth, was merely a copy of the true one in heaven. There, in the presence of God, Christ intercedes for us, as the high priest below interceded before the Shekinah. While He was on earth Christ never entered the holy of holies at Jerusalem. Aaron, the Levitical high priest for the people stood before the ark and only saw the cloud, the symbol of God's glory (Exo. 28:30). However Christ appeared before the Father in the heavenly tabernacle. The very sight of Jesus satisfied God on our behalf. His offering at Calvary does not need renewal, His offering is good for eternity, for Jesus is our permanent, eternally present offering before God. The shed blood of Christ is infinitely greater than those sacrifices offered under the law which could not pardon sin. Christ by one sacrifice destroyed the works of the Devil and through the new birth made us righteous and complete in Him. After His work on the cross He entered heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father always making intercession for us. Have you noticed we all lean strongly toward rule keeping. Someone has used the illustration of humanity being like a man who fell into a empty well. He naturally cried out for help and a passer-by heard his cry. He leaned over the edge of the well and asked the man what he wanted. The man said he was desperate to get out and needed help in doing so. The passer-by thought about this for a while, then he took a piece of paper and wrote on it "Ten rules on how to keep out of wells" and dropped it down to the man. A greater problem emerges when a man does not know he has fallen into a well. He thinks he was made for well living, and he cannot comprehend why he is so unhappy living in the well. The giving of the Ten Commandments made him realize his plight but they can't help him out of the well. Jesus is the rope dropped into the well, the winch to pull man out, and the guide to keep him from falling back in. Oh, how we need Jesus in our lives. For you see the earthly tabernacle was just a picture of the real one in heaven. I have a picture of my wife in my wallet. I look at it some times and find it to be comforting, but quite inadequate. Its not really my wife, just a picture of her. I can't have a conversation with it, we can't laugh together, I can't kiss it, (I could but it wouldn't be all that satisfying), and it can't cook any meals. Though its an accurate representation of the real person, its a far cry from it. Jesus is real, He lives in our lives and He abides in heaven. He is our Perfect Sacrifice and He appeared to the Father for us in heaven. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Suffering Well

"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have" (Philippians 1:29). Earlier in this chapter Paul made clear that everything is from God. Their salvation is from God and the fact that they have life is from Him. This is a necessary word in light of the Paul's explanation of suffering. People who reflect an attitude that suggests "Oh boy, I get to suffer for Jesus" should cause us to squirm. Our first though should be "That guy must have hit his head really hard when he fell off the turnip truck." Somehow he really missed the truth and he certainly can't appeal to Paul to justify such an attitude. Paul's attitude toward Christian suffering is based on Christ's teaching on discipleship, namely that servants are to be like their master. Paul is saying the same God who granted you (Lit. graced you) to believe on Him, is the same God who has also graced you to suffer for Him. Who needs such "Gracing" you might ask. The answer lies in the Christ centered nature of the Christian life. A crucified Lord produces disciples who themselves take up a cross as they follow Him. We are called on to live in the same way Christ himself lived, and died, on behalf of this fallen, broken world. And for believers, as for our Lord, the path to glorification leads through the suffering of the cross. The Apostle doesn't finish here but goes on to remind them that he and they are in this together. They are going through the same struggle they have seen him go through. They are suffering at the hands of those who oppose the gospel. He tells them that their suffering is identical to that which they saw in him. Among those who would receive this letter would be the jailer and his household and (perhaps) the young slave girl whose having been set free from Satan's tyranny, resulted in the first of Paul's sufferings on behalf of Christ that they had seen. What are we to do with suffering? If we really walk with Christ we will suffer persecution. The Philippians suffering was in kind with Paul's current Roman imprisonment. They were partners in the gospel, going through the same suffering together. All they were experiencing was on Christ's behalf. The way we respond to suffering reflects on our knowledge of Christ. Are we looking at our suffering through His eyes? Are we crying out to Him to teach us about "The fellowship of His suffering?" Are we using this season of suffering for spiritual growth, or are we just hanging on until its over? When we make the statement "I want to be like Jesus" suffering will be part of what makes that happen. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church ministry.

You Are Unique by Design

"...My dove, my perfect one, is unique." (Song of Solomon 6:8-9). Every person is unique. The Lord in His wisdom created us all special, in physical appearance, abilities, gifting, tallents, intellect and personality. Uniqueness is a reality in the busniss world. Successful companies separate themselves from others to compete in the marketplace. The is especially true for those who compete in a over crowded marketplace where competition and low price is the driving incentive for the customer. However this is not always the case with a successful company. Sometimes a company will violate every rule and still rise to the top. Take a look at Starbucks. They overpriced their product. They changed the language - a small is actually a "tall." A medium is "grande." Wow! They are one of the great 21st century American success stories. Considered as one of the most successful and admired companies today, Starbucks has grown from a single store begun by a Jewish man in Seattle 33 years ago to 12,000 stores, almost 4,000 of which are in 36 countries outside the U.S. In fiscal 2006, the company posted revenues of more than $8 billion. Cup by cup, Starbucks has changed the way people drink coffee. My wife treats herself to a Starbucks every Friday. This is one of the highlights of her week. My youngest son managed a Starbucks for two years. Through this experience he learned much about the business world and sharpened his people skills. More inportant he learned the importance of excellence in the business world and in his personal life. More remarkably, Starbucks successfully transformed a pedestrian commodity into a high-end accessory. It has created a "Starbucks lifestyle" that more people continue to embrace in the United States and abroad. They created community around their product. Jesus came to earth, grew up in a humble home and at age 30 began his earthly ministry. He said to many "Come follow me." The usual response was entailed "What will it cost me?" To which He often replied "everything." Remember when he told the rich, young, ruler "Go sell all that you have and give it to the poor, then come and follow me." Or when the man wanted to bury his father. The problem was his father wasn't dead yet. He was waiting for dad to pass on then he would inherit the estate. Jesus said "Let the dead bury the dead." Some simply dropped what they were doing and followed Jesus. Matthew quit collecting taxes and started "collecting" souls. Peter in turn became a "Fisher of men." Each disciple was unique, each served a special place in the Lord's "Team" that He used to lay the foundation of His church. God created each of us to be unique. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Giving and Receiving

"Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account" (Philippians 4:17). The apostle Paul had a side business, tent making. However, over time, it was evident that more and more of his time was being given to vocational ministry activities. That required him to receive income from those to whom he invested his life. It became increasingly difficult to run a business and travel and minister. Many bi-vocational pastors find themselves in Paul's shoes when it comes to tent making. Their heart aches to be more involved in ministry, yet "Tent making" takes up much of their time. His letter to the Philippians gives us perspective on giving. Although Paul appreciated the support financially, his real joy came in the fact that their gift was being credited to their Heavenly account. The Scriptures tell us "It's more blessed to give than to receive." I have been on both ends of that verse. Rest assured, I would much rather be giving to others than receiving. It take unique grace to receive. Our pride really takes a beating when we feel we are "Not able to provide for our own," Yet God is full of mercy for giving and receiving. Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:14-19). Paul had confidence that God would always provide what he needed. Sometimes it came from his business. Sometimes it came through others. He was not overly concerned with where his provision would come from. His confidence was in God, his provider. Paul trusted the Lord with every aspect of his life, including his finances. Paul learned that it wasn't a church or a business that was his provider. It was the Lord. Business and people were merely tools God used to support him. Are you in the state of need? Cry out to God, the One who said He is Jehovah Jirah, "The God who provides". Are you blessed to the degree you are able to give to those in need? Thank the Lord and remember you can't out give the God. I believe we can echo the words of Paul when he said "No matter what state I am in, I have learned to be content." Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.