Meditation

Meditation for 07/05/2019

“Now if you obey my filly and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be fore me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. There are the words you are to speak to the Israelites. So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, ‘We will do everything the Lord has said.’ So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.” (Exodus19:5–8)

All God’s people share a common vocation. We are priests, dedicated to revealing the holy God to all he world. As priests we must accept witnessing, teaching, worshiping, and interceding responsibilities for the nations. Priests should not be self-centered. We are to be God-centered and people-centered. Our task is to witness and pray until all people know and serve God.

Holy living is an important part of tat witness. Israel promised to accept the identity as holy priests, but they did not act on their promise. To be part of God’s kingdom we must function as His priests. Clear enough?

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Abba, we are to “die to self,” when we accept You through Christ Jesus. It is then that we begin the process of becoming priests and witnesses to the “Good News” of salvation. Then, our self dies even further, when we serve You and our fellow mankind. Precious Abba, we seek to be Your servants not in name, but through actions on our part that reveal You and not us. All praise and honor go to You alone. Amen

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“Faith is believing what the unbeliever cannot see!”

KNOWING GOD:

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony give in its proper time.” (1^st Timothy 2:5)

Human priests are no longer needed to represent God in His presence. Believers have direct access to Jesus Christ, who alone is the Mediator between God and us. He is the only Mediator and He is both human and divine, but here the human nature is emphasized to show He can identify with us. Jesus brought peace between humanity and God by dying for us, paying the price to free us from sin. He opened the way for all people of every nation and race ti find salvation through faith in Him.

I AM:

Discipleship, Priesthood: (Hebrews10:19-22)

All disciples have access to God and are encouraged to persevere because of sure hope in God’s faithfulness. Each disciple is encouraged to minister to others by encouraging them in a life of neighbor love expressed in good deeds. Every disciple has a priestly responsibility in relation to others.

Second Thought of the Day:

“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1^st Peter 4:9-11)

Christian disciples are to be priests, channels through which God’s grace can meet the needs of others. No class of professional ministers can lay claim to a monopoly on God’s grace or on the power to determine who receives grace. Each disciple received spiritual gift(s) (Greek – diakoneo) other people.

Such service reflects the grace (Greek – charis) we have received from God and reveals our skills in finding various ways and forms to introduce other people to this grace. Such grace is not a concrete object we give out; it is undeserved love we have received and share. Such grace bring praise for Christ, not for us. Every Christian has received grace and is responsible for exercising priestly service to administer grace to others.