The Rebellion- A sinner saved by the grace of an infinite God, encouraging the body in the fight against the darkness‪.‬ Caleb Bradford

This week on The Rebellion,



We are in the midst of our series the children of God. This is part four, Jesus the King of kings. So far we have established the infinite father, and we've looked at two of the roles of Jesus Christ as Savior and high priest. Last week we really drove home the idea of Him living eternally to intercede for us, as the second main role.

This will be the final roll of Jesus that we look at in this series. I understand the Jesus Christ has more than three roles in the Christian's walk but we're just going over fundamentals. We're trying to build a foundation so that as we progress past these things there are a few basic truths that we agree on. Because if we don't then it's just going to get worse from here. That being said let's get to it!

So at the beginning, I in jest said spoiler alert but in all reality that is what this role of Christ is. It gives us the ending up front. For a long-time, this was a difficult subject for me, The kingship of Christ. Maybe it's a little difficult for you.

See I have a deep-rooted, in the womb issue with authority. I don't like it. I do not like being told what to do. Not one bit, not an iota of any of my cells, and quickest way to get me to not do what you want me to do is to tell me to do it. As a red-blooded American, a patriot, a veteran, I hold my freedom and my democracy close to my heart. I don't know if anyone knows this, but 200 some-odd years ago around 1776 as a people, we put our stake in the ground we don't like kings.

As westerners, in general, it's a difficult idea to embrace because we are the literal antithesis of a monarchy. We don't like them. We don't think centralized power is a good thing. It has never worked out before!

And yet, before all of that, I am a Christian.

As a Christian, I am called to be submissive. I'm called to submit to all my authorities. Above and beyond all, I'm called to submit to the authority of Christ. Now you may be saying to yourself, man I am the best Christian ever. Last week when you were talking about struggling, I didn't even raise my hand. Maybe you are, and if that's the case I'm glad that you do not struggle.

Let me ask you a question though, have you ever broken the speed limit? Of course, I've broken the speed limit, but God never said anything about speed limits. No, but He did say obey the laws of the land. Therefore, you have usurped the authority of Christ.

Oh I know I know that's too harsh.

Did you ever speak back to your parents? Then you have usurped the authority of your parents whom Christ said to submit to.

Have you ever not done your homework? You are assigned your homework. Your teacher who is placed over you and authority over your education expected you to do your homework and you didn't do it. Usurping their Authority.

Are things are starting to come into Focus?

Looks like we all have a little bit of a rebellious tendency in our hearts.

So is how is that coupled with this Divine Freedom that I spoke of? How is that coupled with the verse about Jesus setting people free? If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed correct? What does that have to do with being a child of God? Well, let's back up real quick and talk about Kings.

The reason why is Americans we don't like kings is that we don't like someone being able to have total and complete Authority. In general, most monarchs in our day and age don't command the power and authority that monarchs held in the first century and for thousands of years prior that, and even up to the Middle Ages.

The king in the sense of Biblical times, which is how we should view it because that's when it was written, had absolute power and authority over his people. He could tax them whatever you wanted. Which is where we get the United States of America. He could execute whomever he wanted. He did not negotiate. There was no representation. There was no council. A true 100% King was the sole Authority.

We've seen how that wor

This week on The Rebellion, As we are on this journey of what it means to be a child of God we are looking at the different persons of the Godhead and how they impact our identity as children of God. We began with a quick overview of the Infinite Father and last week we started looking at the second person of the trinity Jesus and how He is a savior of sinners. This week I want to spend a little time examining His role as High Priest of Heaven.

But before I do…

I have a confession to make, I struggle… When I say struggle I don't mean I have a hard time or there are some things that bother me, but I mean I become sick from grief, I shed countless tears over, I pray and fast for help, and it seems like there is never any break through. There is never a moment of blessed clarity where I am able to completely be free from this corrupted flesh. I feel crushed by the weight of my need of God's mercy and grace. I long for the relief of Christ's easy yoke and light burden, and yet… I struggle!

Now, maybe I am just the weakest of all Christians, but I it seems to me, we all have those buttons. When pushed, they remind us so quickly of how weak we are. Those things that it seems like no matter how hard we try, no matter how much we pray we never seem to break free from it.

In fact there has never been a human being outside of Jesus Christ who ever lived a perfectly holy and righteous life either before or after becoming a believer. Abraham after receiving his promise from God not only laid with Hagar, but also gave Sarah to Abimelech saying she was his sister, David took Bathsheba and when she conceived tried to cover it up. When he couldn't hide the affair he decided it would be best to have her husband killed. Maybe we can find one in the New Testament? Peter, Cephas the rock, surely he will be the one. Well first you have the denial of Christ at the cross, but I know some will say it is different we have the Holy Spirit now. Ok, then how about when he has to be rebuked by Paul in Antioch for embracing legalism instead of his Gentile brothers. Then surely Paul is the answer since he was able to rebuke Peter, right? Nope Paul says he doesn't do what he wants to, but does what he hates. He also wrote to Corinth that He would boast in his weakness because God wouldn't remove a thorn in his side. So there is not one account of a perfectly lived life and the guys who are held up as heroes of the faith all speak to a permanent and deep need for the grace and mercy of God.

Then I am left with the question why do I hear so many people preach a message of works, a message of you need to get your act together or God is going to throw you away.

How many times have you heard you need to get "right" with God?

I heard a pastor this week say, that he was sick of all the positivity and unless you have negativity you will never have power. He then made an illustration of the relationship between God and the believer as one similar to that of a car battery. It needed both positive and negative to start the vehicle. Thousands clapped and cheered with enthusiasm. I guess it is not the "good news" but the "good and bad news"

I also heard another very prominent member of the clergy from a different denomination say when we sin it separates us from the love of God!

I wanted to scream! I wanted to shout read Romans!

Where does that leave us? What is a struggling Christian to do? Is God's grace and mercy temporary or eternal? Thankfully this was already addressed 2000 years ago!

The writer of Hebrews in Chapter 7 Verse 25 says this, "Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." NASB

To save forever… not for a while… not until they mess up the 347th time… not unless they get drunk… not unless they do xy or z but FOREVER!

Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to interce

This week on The Rebellion, We start to begin the journey of discovering the different roles Jesus plays in the Christians life. The first one I take a look at is His role as Savior of sinners and what that means in our day to day lives. In Matthew 9:9-13 we see the call of the apostle Matthew and Jesus’s proclamation of coming for the “sick” and the “sinner”. Why? Why come for those who are rejected by society? What does this truth of the value Christ places on the outcast mean for us? Won’t you come to the one who won’t fail you? I hope you are encouraged and find yourself casting everything you are into Jesus. Be blessed, my friends!

Feel free to email me with your thoughts at: caleb@therebellionshow.com

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This week on The Rebellion, we are starting a series on what does it mean to be the children of God. It is quite a strange and amazing concept I must admit. How do I understand a being beyond my understanding? How do you define something that is literally indefinable? For me, I look to Jesus because, in my opinion, He is the only one who can. Like all good things though, we have to start at the beginning to understand the grander scheme, and the beginning is the Father. Do you think the Father really loves you? A better question might be, do you think He loves you intensely? Do you think He sings over you? Do you think He is proud of you? I try to tackle this idea by giving you three things that I always try to remind myself of every day when it comes to The Almighty and our relationship. Enjoy be encouraged and know God loves you!

This week on The Rebellion, Format is a little different this week. I want to share with you a two about two sisters and a King. Both sisters lived almost exactly the same lives and one ended up a Prostitute and the other a Princess. What to know what happened, take a listen and find out. Hope you guys are blessed and encouraged.

This week on The Rebellion, It is my first whirl at the new subject matter of God and His church. If I sound nervous I was. If I made a mistake show me some grace. I hope you are encouraged by the subject matter which is agape. It is what Christ called the defining characteristic of His disciples. The theme of agape type love is so central to the Bible that if removed it would lose it’s worth. Be blessed and remember love one another, let’s become known for crazy intense love. Love that suffers. Love you all.