Ministering Priests

Exodus 28 Have you ever attended an ordination ceremony? The hierarchy has thoroughly vetted the person for ordination as to doctrine and personal testimony. The first ordination ceremony was held not in a church but in the desert with Moses officiating. Before its commencement, God told Moses three times that the purpose of choosing Aaron was so he could minister as his priest. Aaron was to be dressed in the most elegant garments and set apart to minister and his garments and the garments of his sons were made with gold, blue, scarlet threads woven as a picture of heaven.  He was to wear the breastplate of decision over his heart for a memorial before the Lord continually.

Today, our ministers do not dress in such costly garments, but the purpose is the same. Each that is chosen and ordained is to be a minister for God. They are to come before the Lord with each decision over his heart—continually. Three steps were to taken to confirm them: anointing with oil, ordaining in word, and set apart as holy all to minister as God’s priests permanently.

Our Lord is our high priest, anointed with the blood of the cross, ordained in word by the Father and set apart as holy. His office is permanent, and he wears the breastpiece of decisions over his heart.

Believers are “ordained” to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God. We are to proclaim the virtues of the one who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light

Are you fulfilling your office as a minister for God?

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Anointed For Service

Isaiah 61 Have you heard or even voiced: what does God want me to do? I feel like I am spinning wheels and have no direction. Messiah didn’t have that problem so why do we? Perhaps the key is in knowing that you have been anointed – selected, elected for the service of the Lord.  Peter writes:  But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. John wrote:  Nevertheless you have an anointing from the Holy One, [1Jo 2:20]

Messiah knew his calling, his anointing, the reason God chose Him. He was sent to see into the hearts of men the desperate need for healing of the soul, mind and the body too. You, as His child, are also anointed to fulfill these same areas of need in the lives of those around you. It might be a mother who sees a child who has made a wrong choice, a father who has lost his job, a pastor who is drained from the heavy responsibilities of his position, a missionary in a far off land that is lonely.

Remember, if Jesus needed the Holy Spirit’s anointing so do we so we can fulfill the great commission. You are anointed precious believer!

Anointed Believers Encourage One Another

Just  as  Paul  wrote  in  his  first  letter  to  his  beloved  child  in  the  faith,  Timothy,  he  so  again  reiterates  this  love  for  him  by  calling  him  “my  dear  child.”  We may be first generation believers; 2^nd or even beyond but someone modeled a sincere faith for us. We must honor that memory. As long as we are  believers  we  are  “children” of the faith and at are in need of a  word  of  encouragement  in  tough  times.  Paul’s  words  to  Timothy  are  as  applicable  to  us  as  it  was  to  him.

Timothy, and you present day believers, stand fast! Rekindle  the  gift  that  was  given  to  you  much  like  one  rekindles  a  fire  which  is  dwindling.  Beloved,  hold  fast  to  the  standard  of  sound  words  of  the  gospel  message.  Remember  that  when  the  Holy  Spirit  anointed you He  did  not  give  you  the  Spirit  of  fear  but  instead  His  power,  love  and  a  gift  of  discipline  or  self-control.     Just  as  we  saw  in  1Timothy,  we have  been  entrusted  with  the  gospel  message.  We  all  must  protect  that  good  thing  entrusted  to  us  remembering  that “it  is  God’s  power  for  salvation  to  everyone  who  believes,”  [Rom  1]  Lastly,  we  must  never bring  reproach  upon  our  Savior  who  “has  broken  the  power  of  death  and  brought  life  and  immortality  to  light  through  the  gospel!”

Beloved, you are anointed to go and tell. May  our words be sweet like honey to a soul in need of encouragement.

Me n’ Jesus makes a Majority…Matthew 10

Did you ever see the Apostle Matthew as humble and unassuming? Yep, he was and in chapter 9 we see a short snippet of his calling. Here he was minding his own business…the tax business that is and along comes this radical preacher dude and says “Follow Me.”. Hmmmm Choices! Choices! Yet, this humble man who was wealthy beyond all the others around him not only followed him but had a banquet to celebrate his new “calling.” No longer would he catch tax evaders but he would catch men to do the same thing as he did. No longer would he gather $$ to fill his coffers but he would gather souls for the kingdom.

So what has he been doing in these past few months or even short years? He has been listening and watching, observing and memorizing passages of scripture, been eating with the other dudes who were also called. Let’s see, there were fishermen, and zealots. There was the sweet Andrew who loved kids and his brother Peter the big and burly guy who thought he knew better but often had “foot in mouth disease.” Yet all had heard the call “Follow Me ” and they had made the choice. And now? Now the mentor who has lived shoulder to shoulder, life on life, in close proximity with them moment by moment has chosen to challenge them in the only way He knew they would know the way of the Master. He chose to send them out two by two. And look at who his partner is going to be…Thomas. Yep the one and only: Doubting Thomas. Wonder what their diary read after being together for a week or more? But, then the greatest diary read had to be Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot. Wonder what their time as a team was like.

So into this motley mix of “dudes” Jesus summons them and says I am sending you on a mission. And this is what he said and how he prepared them:

I am giving you My authority…heavenly authority. As such you will now bear the emblem of the heavenly to do heavenly work. You now will have power over the unclean spirits, power to heal and to touch the lepers and make them clean. You will have the anointing power of the Spirit to preach the word to Israel that were like sheep without a shepherd. You have the good news and My authority to share it with all of Israel.

Then Jesus  instructed them prior to their being sent out. He said: stay in Israel, preach the message that the kingdom is at hand, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Trust God for all of your daily provisions just as you have seen me do with you. Even though I have had no place to lay my head, my Father has provided for my every meal, my place of rest when I am weary, my every need and He shall do the same for you.

And lastly, Jesus also warned them of what lay ahead for discipleship is costly. You will  meet unsavory characters, the enemy’s servants, and those who will persecute you for your message and lifestyle. So you must be as wise as a serpent…that is prudent and shrewd, and yet innocent or inoffensive as a dove. Your character must have both sides of the coin to meet all and any situation you will meet. Three times he told them “do not fear” thus reminding them that although they were men the enemy is the fallen archangel, Satan, and he will set traps to cause even grown men to become fearful.

But the chapter does not end there. Tucked at the end is this verse: Matt 10:42 “whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth, he will never lose his reward.” I wonder if they remembered that as they walked the dusty roads of Israel? I wonder if they talked about the authority, the instructions, the warnings or concentrated on this verse? It is at times like this I want to be a fly on the wall and see and hear and experience what they did…but *sigh* that was then and this is now. It is really up to “Me n’ Jesus” to get this job done. Will you join us? Where two or three are gathered in His name we are truly a majority. Come join me on this journey!