Why Were You Purchased?

And they sang a new song, saying: 
“You are worthy to take the scroll
   and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
   and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language 
   and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom 
   and priests to serve our God,
   and they will reign on the earth.”

Revelation 5:9-10 NIV

I'm going to take a few days and highlight a few of the peaks into eternity provided for us in Revelation. Focusing on eternity is good for us because it helps us see our present circumstances in their true place. 

One of the scenes of worship we are shown Christ, the Lamb who was slain, is receiving praise because with his blood he purchased persons for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. That's us. Our redemption was costly and purposeful. Christ paid for us with his blood and we became his priests, serving him here on earth. Think about that. Christ didn't redeem you without a purpose. He did redeem you to be part of his kingdom and to reign with him here on earth. It does not matter who you were before your redemption, you are now a priest, tasked with reconciling the people you know to God. 

Every day is an opportunity for the Spirit of the Living God to work in and through you. Be ready. Be aware of any opportunity to represent Christ to a dying world. You don't have to give a full on testimony and alter call to every person you come in contact with. You just have to be ready and willing to love as Christ loved you. Whatever you do in Jesus' Name, he will honor and use. Maybe that simple kind word is a crack in the hardened shell around someones heart. It could be helping someone with some small task will lead to opening a door to share the gospel latter. Just serve. Just love. Trust God with the results.

So, my fellow priest, where does Christ have you serving today?  

Know Who You Are and Be Who You Are

When I married my wife she had two wonderful boys. When it became evident that we were probably going to get married I told the boys they could either call me by my name or dad. I also said that I would call them sons but never step-sons because that had (in my mind) some negative connotations about not really being mine and I would do my best to treat them like I would if they were my own flesh and blood. To this day, and I am very proud of this, they still call me dad even though they moved out and are living as men for awhile now. 

I remember the first Father's Day at church and my wife nudging me and saying, "You're a father now, stand up." I was like, "Oh ya, that's right." It wasn't that I didn't want to stand up, it's just that I'd never been a father on Father's Day. I remembered, I stood up a bit self-consciously, and took the blessing and prayer. 

These verses from Peter are a bit of a reminder to us of who we are and what we are supposed to stand up and be.  You are chosen by God. You are part of a priesthood. You belong to God. You are here to declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light. You are now part of the people of God. You have received mercy.  Awesome! Know who you are in Christ and be who you are in Christ. 

YOUR CHOSEN, DON'T BE FROZEN

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)

One of the amazing things about our relationship with God is that he chose us. He chose us knowing everything that would happen in our lives! The victories and the failures. As my pastor loves to remind us, "God's not surprised. I may be, but he's not!" 

He chose us to to represent him as priests of his holy nation, belonging to God. He chose us to declare his praise because he brought us out of the kingdom of darkness and into his wonderful light! 

Sometimes we sense the shadow of darkness rather than seeing his wonderful light and we forget that we belong to God and that in Christ he has made us righteous (1 Corinthians 1:30)! It is too easy to focus on our inadequacies rather than the finished work of Christ on the cross. But it is not about us, it's about his holiness in us and his light within us and his faithfulness in our lives! 

As a priest I can pray for my family, I can pray for people I work with and I can pray for all who I might connect with. And you never know what simple action might touch someone with the love of God. Yesterday, I just asked about his children and mention that it must be tough because he didn't get to see them all the time. He opened up a bit and was visibly thankful that I asked. 

Father, help us to be the priests you have called us to be. Praise be to you in us today!

LIVING, NOT ROLLING STONES

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:4-5 (NIV)

Christ is the living Stone and he is making us into living stones. Living stones is not the metaphor you might expect. To me stones are dead, unmoving. Yet, Peter calls Christ the living Stone and teaches us that we too are living stones. 

The picture of being built together is the key. Things that are alive grow. We grow as Christ builds us together. He is building us into a priesthood. Not an unconnected collection of individuals out on their own but an interconnected priesthood, made  holy by his sacrifice. Made holy and made priests to offer spiritual sacrifices of acts of love in faith in Jesus Christ. 

I went to a men's study yesterday morning. I missed last week because I was sick last. One of the guys asked where I was and kind of gave me a hard time about using the "I was sick"  excuse. You know what? I appreciate that they were willing to hold me accountable. What is cool is that part of the group is sort of a new new mix, and we are starting to grow together. That's the Spirit of God building us together in Christ. 

Father, thank you for working in my life. Use me to build your kingdom. Praise be to you in us today!