Devotional Song: Go to this link – to hear the group, Hillsong, once again singing, Here I Am To Worship, … a reminder that our lives are to be a 24/7 witness of worship to our God and that we are God’s priesthood of believers.
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Highlight Passage #1 - NKJV: Revelation 5: 10 [God wants us to take and hold His high place in battle.]
9 And they [i.e., those worshipping the Lamb of God] sang a new song, saying: … “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.”
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Highlight Context - NKJV: Revelation, Chapter 5… GO TO THIS LINK … [The "kings and priests" in God's kingdom. ] …
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Reference Passage #1: Luke 22: 24-30 … Go to this link [NKJV] … [Jesus taught His disciples a new type of kingdom rule of kings and priests.] …
Reference Passage #2: 1st Peter 2: 9-10 [NKJV] … [Recognizing our place in God’s kingdom.] …
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Reference Passage #3: Romans 12: 1-2 [NKJV] … [When we live to worship God, living our lives 24/7 as a living sacrifice and avoiding worldly influences, we will show His perfect will to others and become His living priesthood of believers.] …
12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
My Journal for Today: Fellow Christian, … when you read of “kings and priests,” in Rev. 5: 10 above, do we realize that in John’s wondrous revelation, that’s US he’s talking about!! And so how does that translate into the here-and-now life?
Well, when we read of those “KINGS,” we’re sure not talking about the Bill Gates types of this world; are we? And when John writes of the “PRIESTS,” he’s not referring to the Billy Grahams or to Pope Francis, is he? No, his vision includes you and me worshipping, by the way we live, at the throne of the Lamb of God. WE – i.e., you and me – are those kings and priests; and our lives (in the here and now) are lives which project our worship of the Lamb of God.
I’m afraid Os Hillman is right on target in his devotional today by writing about how we, so-called common believers, come to see mighty political or corporate leaders as the “kings” of this life; and we too often view the Pastors and Priests of our church as the “priests” written about in Rev. 5. But the truth is much more personally convicting than that view of how God sees His priesthood and kingly leaders. As my attached photo illustrates, we, the ones who are sitting in the pews on Sundays and live out our lives on Mondays, are God’s designated priesthood.
If you go to Jesus’ teaching on this in Luke 22 [linked above] or Peter’s teaching in 1st Peter 2: 9-10, it is clear that ALL BELIEVERS are God’s royal priesthood and that we all will (and do now) occupy a position – along with Christ – on His throne of grace. The question is … do we worship God at His throne as Paul wrote about in Romans 12: 1-2, making our very lives – 24/7 – as our “living sacrifice” to the Lamb of God?
Are we fulfilling God’s ordained role as kings and priests as we live our lives today? That’s why I’m convicted to answer that question by the way I live for my Lord - TODAY.
I’ll leave your answer to you.
My Prayer for Today … Lord, may I live in the role as King and Priest as You have gifted me to live … for You!! … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online blog entitled Today God Is First [TGIF], authored by Os Hillman. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you’ll find a link to read Hillman’s TGIF blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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