Holy Priesthood

Peter told the church that “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet. 2:5). He also said that the church is “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” (1 Pet. 2:9).

When the Law of Moses was handed down on the mountains of Sinai and the tabernacle was constructed and finally assembled, God authorized specific people from the tribe of Levi to be the priests of the tabernacle. Moses was told to, “take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.” (Ex. 28:1).

It was the responsibility of these priests to offer sacrifices to God on behalf of the people of Israel (Lev. 1:17). The priests were also made to wear special clothing that would set them apart from others. We are told, “And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.” (Ex. 28:4).

But, both the Law of Moses and the Levitical priesthood was taken away when Jesus died on the cross for mankind. Paul wrote, “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:” (Eph. 2:13‐16). Thus, since the priesthood had changed, it was necessary to change the law (Heb. 7:12).

Under the Christian time, Jesus Christ is our “great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.” (Heb. 4:14). Under his teachings, there is no special class of priest among the people. Under Christ, every Christian is a priest and is authorized to go directly to God through Jesus Christ to confess HIS sins and to OFFER up his worship for the Hebrew writer said, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” (Heb. 13:15-16). How blessed Christians are today to be able to be a priest under our great high Priest!

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Blessed Assurance

To children of God, one of the great blessings from God is the assurance of the safety of our souls. Fanny J. Crosby wrote the following words to the old, familiar hymn:

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of his Spirit, washed in His blood.

In fact, some Christians fail to understand this wonderful blessing as the word of God teaches. Such individuals believe that we go through life without really knowing whether we are in a saved condition or not. Fear and worry haunt them continually, but this should not be when we correctly understand this wonderful blessing.

Of all the books of the Bible, there is probably no greater book on the subject of assurance to the Christian than the book of First John. In this first inspired letter from the beloved apostle, we have no less than five reasons how we, as Christians, can have blessed assurance of our salvation.

First, we can have blessed assurance of our salvation when we walk in the light (1:7-10). Note the emphasis in the preposition “if” (John uses it four times in this passage to begin each statement). Therefore, by stating the condition, he gives the promised results. Consequently, the point is quite clear—as long as we are meeting the conditions, we can possess our blessed assurance of gaining the aforementioned promises. One might ask, “How do we know if we are walking in the light?” The entire book explains this, and this passage begins to clarify itself—if we are walking closely to the precepts of our Savior, recognizing our transgressions along the way and confessing them each and every time, then we are walking in the light.

Second, we can have blessed assurance of our salvation when we keep His commandments (2:3-5). Again, we can have full assurance as long as we are keeping the commandments. John stated, “…we do know that we know him” when we meet the declared conditions. This assured knowledge provides peace for the condition of our souls.

Third, we can have blessed assurance of our salvation when we love our brethren (2:9-11). Once more, here is another condition of blessed assurance—we can know the safety of our salvation if we truly love our brethren.

Fourth, we can have blessed assurance of our salvation when we do not commit willful sin (3:6-10). This difficult passage for some simply assures us that a true Christian is one who understands the will of God in his life and does not even desire to commit sin. While all will sin accidentally, there is a great distinction between this and one who commits willful sin.

Finally, we can have blessed assurance of our salvation when we believe on Jesus (5:10-13). In the closing words of this book, we find the most beautiful words of assurance for every Christian: “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (5:13). If anyone doubts that one may know in full assurance the safety of our salvation, these words prove such blessed assurance exists.

As Christians, may we all quit riding the roller coaster ride of doubt and seek to possess the calm, soothing, peaceful and enjoyable journey of blessed assurance.

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Bride Name

My Faithful Bride; My Family Name

When we were young, our moms would write our names on such items as belonged to us before shipping us off to school or summer camp. This showed ownership. When we got older and purchased cars and homes, our names appeared on the titles and deeds, thus denoting exactly who had paid the often hefty prices necessary to purchase them. And when we men got married, our wives took our last names as a sign of honor, respect, and to denote who they now “belonged” to (in the biblical sense of course).

As a husband myself, I can only try to imagine how I would have felt, if after many years of our covenant relationship my wife one day suddenly decided to change her name to that of a former – or even worse yet, newfound – suitor. I can only try to imagine how devastated I would have been if she all of the sudden decided to honor and glorify some other man, by changing and taking His name instead of mine, thereby giving and bringing to him, the honor, respect, and submission – let alone the implied suggestion of a deeper intimate relationship – due her rightful husband! Tell me husbands, how would you feel in such a situation?

Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Rev. 19:5-16); the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last (Rev. 22:13); the Builder/Founder, Purchaser, Owner, and “Husband” of His church or saved group of people (Matt. 16:18-19; Acts 20:28; Rom. 16:16; Eph. 5:22-32). As such, He is supposed to have absolute and complete pre-eminence in everything – especially when it comes to His bride which is His church (Eph. 1:15-23; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:15-18; etc) “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

So then, my question: In light of all of the above, how can anyone who considers themselves to be a Christian, even consider attending or becoming part of a church which calls itself by or honors the names/teachings of such mere men as Martin Luther or the Baptist for example, or a method, day, community, or event, more than the Christ, by wearing (and thus honoring) their/that, or any name above His (1 Cor. 1:10-13)? While the question may seem hard, the answer really is incredibly simple… After all, His church both was, and is, built upon such reverence for, recognition of, and submission to, Him and Him alone (Matt. 16:13-18; Acts 2:36-41) as His bride.

My question? In light of all that, how can anyone who professes to honor and follow Him as Lord consider worshipping with a group which honors the names/teachings of mere men such as Martin Luther or the Baptist, or a method, day, or event, more than the Christ, by wearing, and thus reverencing, celebrating, and honoring that name above His (1 Cor. 1:10-13).

So what about your friends and neighbors? They really need to be lovingly asked the questions… “What name does the group they affiliate/worship with wear, honor, and promote over and above Christ’s?”  “Does that really make good sense to them?” Because here’s the scariest part of all – at least for me: If one can’t truthfully, scripturally, and in good conscience answer that question both here and now, how will they ever answer to God for it? Or better yet, to the Christ Himself? How will they ever stand before God and Christ and tell Them that Their name wasn’t good enough? That some sinner’s man-made name was worth glorifying and honoring more than His was to them? Think about that… and if that thought bothers them, as it surely should and once certainly did me, then it provides a perfect opportunity for you, fellow saint, to invite them to come and check out what – or better yet, WHO – the church of CHRIST is all about this coming Sunday!!!

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Evil Rulers

God Sees, God Knows and God Will React to Evil Rulers

The psalmist looked at the corruption of those who governed the land of Israel, and his heart was in great distress. The future looked so dismal and the psalmist’s only hope was to be found in God. Take a moment to read Psalm 94 and see if you do not share in this prayer to God to do something about the evil actions of those who rule.

Power corrupts society when evil men become powerful. Those who ruled were proud (verse 1); they were insolent and were not hesitant to show it in what they said (v. 4). The people were oppressed, and widows, orphans and strangers were often their victims (v. 6). They were workers of iniquity whose goal was to promote themselves (v. 4).

Power corrupts, but it does not matter to evil men. Their response when confronted about their actions was to say, “The Lord does not see,” and even if He does, He does not understand (v. 7). Sin often binds mankind so completely that we forget these most fundamental truths.

Power corrupts men, but God sees it all. The psalmist reminded the leaders of his day how senseless and foolish they had become. Do they not understand that God created the human ear? How could anyone say He does not hear what they are saying (v. 9)? Do they not understand the He who has the power to create the human eye sees all they are doing (v. 9)! God Almighty knows them. He knows their thoughts. He is just and will never cast off the righteous (vs. 8-14).

Power corrupts, but God some day will bring the wicked to justice. In the interim, the souls of the saints are agonized. The righteous author of this amazing psalm felt his own faith being tried and beginning to waver. He knew that unless the Lord did something he would find himself silenced, with his feet almost slipping away from God (vs. 17-18). God had been his defense in past times so he turned to God for His help (v. 22-23). He knew that in the midst of his anxiety the Comforter would bring delight to his troubled soul (v. 19).

Power corrupts, but it has no fellowship with God. Evil has within it the seeds of its own destruction. There is no way that the “throne of iniquity,” which seems often to prevail, has fellowship with God (v. 20). Our holy God cannot sit idly by, seeing evil apparently triumphing, and do nothing. Such would violate His nature.

The psalm closes with words to help us all when we see the evil deeds of those who rule us. “The Lord has been my defense, And my God the rock of my refuge. He has brought on them their own iniquity and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; The Lord shall cut them off” (vs. 22-23). When evil prevails, trust God. It is still always right to do right!

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Lessons From “The QuiltMaker’s Gift”

Lessons From “The QuiltMaker’s Gift”

We have in our collection at home a storybook called The QuiltMaker’s Gift by Jeff Brumbeau and Gail de Marcken. (Orchard Books; New York, NY; © 2000).

The story begins by introducing the QuiltMaker, a mysterious old woman who lives in a cabin in the mountains. She is a quilter of consummate talent and spends all of her days making quilts and then at night she goes down into the villages and gives her quilts to the poor and to the needy. The act of giving brings her much joy.

Another character is introduced after the QuiltMaker – a greedy King. The King was one who was never happy, never smiled and never thought of anyone but himself. He liked nothing better than to receive presents – so he commanded each person in the Kingdom to give him a gift twice a year. In this way, he collected many wonderful and beautiful things – but they never could satisfy him. One day he found out about the QuiltMaker and realized that she had never given him a gift. Therefore, he went to her and demanded she give him a quilt. She refused – saying that she only gave them to those who were in need and that if the King would give away all of the presents he had received, when they were all gone, she would make him a quilt. She told him that every time he would give away a gift that she would add a new piece to his quilt.

After several more attempts to force her to give him a quilt, the King finally relented and promised to give away his many presents. He went home began to give away his many presents. With each gift he gave he began to feel happy – the more he gave, the happier he became. He decided to give away everything that he owned not just to those in his Kingdom but he went into the entire world giving away all his precious gifts. Each time he gave one away a messenger would tell the QuiltMaker and she would add a new piece to his quilt.

After many  years of gift giving, the King had become a wondrous and joyful man to be around. He loved nothing more than to give all his precious time and gifts to those in need. And when the time came that he gave away his last present, the QuiltMaker finished his quilt which was a masterpiece – so beautiful that birds would sing when they saw it and butterflies circled around it. When she was finished with the quilt, the QuiltMaker went in search of the King. When she found him, his clothes were torn and soiled and he had given away all that he had.  Then because he had made himself poor and now was in need – she gave him the quilt that she had made. The King replied that he was not poor, that in fact, he was the riches man he knew because of all the joy he had given and received in the giving away of his gifts.

Several wonderful parallels can be drawn from this delightful tale about the joy of giving:

The QuiltMaker’s labor of love reflects the blessings that come from above. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1:17)

The initial attitude of the King reminds us of the Rich Fool. “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ‘ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:16-21)

The King’s unhappiness despite his over-abundance of material possessions, reflects the life of King Solomon and his discovery that there is “no profit under the sun.”(Ecclesiastes 2:11). Like the King in “The QuiltMaker’s Gift” Solomon had everything he wanted or desired, but in the end he found no happiness in things material. Solomon found happiness in serving God (Ecclesiastes 12:13). The QuiltMaker’s King found happiness in giving.

Like the Rich Young Ruler of Matthew 19:16-22, this ruler was ruled by his possessions. Both asked for something they greatly desired. The Rich Young Ruler asked for eternal life and the QuiltMaker’s King asked for a beautiful quilt. Both were told to give away their possessions. The Rich Young Ruler went away sorrowful, but the QuiltMaker’s King went away and did as he was told. The Rich Young Ruler’s soul remained bound to his possessions and he felt extreme sorrow at the thought of giving away his precious things, but the QuiltMaker’s King found true joy and happiness through his giving and in the end he received the treasure he desired most.

In reading the story we see demonstrated once again that materialism cannot satisfy the soul. We see illustrated the Truth that Jesus spoke when He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  (Acts 20:35).

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

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