A Royal Priesthood

A Royal Priesthood
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 
Dear friends,
 I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:9-12.
Here is something I think Christians need to meditate on. According to the Apostle Peter we are a “Royal Priesthood”.
That we are “to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.”
That we should,   “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
Question. If you are a Christian is this the kind of life you are living?
 Are you abstaining from sinful desires?
Sinful desires come in all forms not just the obvious. Sinful desires are anything that is not pleasing to God. God tells us to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors. Do you?
Do you judge those you disagree with?
Jesus said,
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1,2.
The apostle Paul tells us,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  
God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12,13.
Are you following these commands?
The writer of Hebrews tells us,
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14.
Are you doing this? If not are you not sinning? For sinning is falling short of God’s ideals for your life. Falling short of what God wants you to do.
Take a few moments to look at your life and see if you are truly following the word of God. Read the New Testament for yourself and ask God to show you where you fall short of following the life God wants you to live.
Please think about it.

Christians and The Great Commission

Christians and The Great Commission
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20.
Here in lies the duty of all Christians. To go into all the world and present the Gospel to all creation.
Jesus never said protest against anything. Even things contrary to Christian belief.  He never said scream angry words like “you’re going to hell”. He simply said love.
When asked,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
This is the first and greatest commandment.  Matthew 22:36-38
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40. Prior to Matthew recording this, Matthew also recorded Jesus as saying,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
  And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  Matthew 5:43-47.
The disciples of Jesus understood this. They knew that in order to reach out to a lost and dying world we as Christians need to show unconditional love to all people, even our enemy.
Billy Graham said of Christ’s disciples,
“The men who followed Him, were unique in their generation. They turned the world upside down because their hearts had been turned right side up. The world has never been the same.”Billy Graham.
We as Christians in the twenty-first century need to get our hearts turned right side up. We need to show love to all whom we come in contact with.
We need to approach all people with love. To be willing to listen to them to live at peace with them. For it is only in doings so that we will be able to reach the world for Christ.
Dear Christian are you showing love to those around you? Do people see Jesus reflected in you?
I like what Francis of Assisi said,
“The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” Francis of Assisi.
What is your sermon saying?
Please think about it.

Praise the Lord

Praise the Lord
The book of Exodus records,
“When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.  
Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing.  
Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea.” 
              Exodus 15:19-21.
Dear Christian do you praise the Lord after a victory?
In Exodus we see the children of Israel being protected by God. Pharaoh’s armies being destroyed. It was a great victory.
We may never see such victories in our lifetime but we do have small personal victories. In my own life I can praise God that I survived cancer and my wife survived a major health problem also. Both conditions could have killed us. The two of us can also praise God for other victories in our life big and small.
I believe it is important from time to time to simply praise God for all He has done for us in our lives.
Take a moment to take stock of your life and ask God to show you victories in your life. We all have them.
Sing with the Psalmist who wrote,

Praise the LORD. 

Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. 

Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. 

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, 

praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, 

praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. 

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. 

Praise the LORD. 

Psalm 150.

Please take time to just praise God!