Tag: am i a priest

15.2 Moses 15, Day 2

Hectic vs. Peace

My wife is a fan of an author of a series of organization books called the FlyLady.  There are several very simple principles she offers that at first seem trivial but make a lot of difference.  She teaches the concept of forming simple routines, and executing them consistently.

For example, one of her main teaching points is to “shine your sink”.  Despite all the “bigger” things that “need to be done”, you have to have a starting point and emptying the sink of dirty dishes and making it clean is a great place to begin.  She also teaches to identify the “hotspots” in your home, the places that as soon as one thing is left there out of place that is a sign to everyone else to pile on.

I bring this up not to necessarily promote this author, but to reflect that many, if not the majority of people, are living a life that they readily admit is out-of-order and disconnected.

Fixing this state is the gift that God bestowed on the priests.  The word ordination comes from the root word meaning to put in order.  The word consecrate comes from the root words meaning to be joined with the sacred.

While there is nothing wrong with taking steps to get our home, work, time and finances in order, the bigger goal is to get our life in order.  The only way to do that is to place it in service to God and join our lives to Him.

Like the family of Aaron, when we accepted the calling of God, we became priests.  Our old lives and priorities are in the past.  Our new lives are not only our own, but we are called to put them into the service of our Lord.  But we are not yet living full-time in God’s temple.  We face temptation.  We continue to sin.

But the message of ordination and consecration is not simply a one-time ceremony, it is a daily walk with God.  What are the hot-spots of sin in your life?  What simple routines do you need to establish and then execute them consistently?

I love the model that Moses sets for us to do this every day.  Many of us rush through showering, dressing and running out the door in the morning.  What if we consistently execute this simple routine with an intentional heart directed to Him?  What if when we bathe, we focus our thoughts on not only the cleansing of our skin, but on the cleansing of our sin through God’s forgiveness?  What if when we dress we think not only about what we cover our selves with physically, but we also think about putting on our spiritual armor?  What if when we apply deodorant, cologne or perfume oils to make ourselves have a pleasing aroma to others we also applied a coating of the Spirit and asked His help to make all the activities of our day be a pleasing aroma to God?

When non-Christians look at your life, do they see a hectic life that is out-of-order and disconnected, or do they see someone who is on the path of peace and joy?

My Answers:

3.
a.
We are – believers – those who have been called

b.
W: Believers in Christ have been cleaned by His power, sacrifice and presence
D: Believers are clothed in the Lord, Dressed in while through the cleansing blood
A: Believers are anointed by the Spirit bringing gifts of the Spirit

4.
a.
Ordination comes from “putting in order, arranged.  This is being placed in a position of holy leadership.  Consecration comes from being joined with the sacred, dedicated or devoted as sacred

b.
The places they would go, the things they would do, the things they hear would be right and holy from God and for God:

c.
Dining and recreation purely for my pleasure and not (other than a prayer of grace) dedicated to God

5.
a.
staying there, purifying, sacrificing a bull each day

b.
Jesus is the one and done. high priest of heaven for all eternity

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10.4 Moses 10, Day 4

Priests, Present, Prayer, Patience, Passing the Torch

Are you called to be an active part of the ministry of your church? Yes.

1. Priests: When you become a Christian you are clothed in Christ.  Just as the priests of the tabernacle wore special clothing to designate them as part of a unique group, set apart for special work before God, we wear Christ inside and out.  All Christians are priests, with an expectation of being part of the ministry of the church.  That ministry can take on many forms, such as teaching, counseling, caring, feeding, praying, supporting, etc.  When the priests put on their clothing, it was like a uniform.  In the same way, when we ask for Christ to be the center of our life, we take on the uniform of that faith.  There are no spectators, no one sitting on the sidelines, if you are a Christian you’re place is in the field.

2. Present: The priests were present at the tabernacle every day.  They had days of rest, but a big part of what they did was show up every day.  The incense was lit twice a day, the candle wicks were mended, the bread was placed on the table, the sacrifices were made, the cleansing took place.  In the same way, we are called to show up and do kingdom work every day.  Every day we are called to cleanse our soul.  Every day we are called to break bread with God.  Every day we are tend the light to the world that our candle shines to those to whom we influence.

3. Prayer: When we decide we need to become more active in church, we often start with an assessment of what we are good at or what we are comfortable doing.  But, that is wrong.  Our approach should begin with prayer.  If we trust God and know that He has a plan and calling for our work in His church, we need to also begin by asking Him to reveal that plan to us.

4. Patience: After we pray, we need to wait patiently and continue to pray.  A few years back I read Tony Dungy’s book, Quiet Strength.  He said, “I needed to do my current job well, keep preparing, and wait on God’s timing. I needed to trust His leadership rather than try to force an outcome I wanted.”  He explained that every time he jumped ahead of God in his career, things did not go well.  We need to have the same patience in our work and our job in God’s church.

5. Pass the torch: God did not only appoint Aaron, He also appointed his sons.  I was visiting with a lady recently who asked about the church we attended.  She and her family had attended a church for the past 2 years, but she explained that it was an older, established church and they had not found a place to plug in and serve in the church.  Each time they had attempted, they found themselves trespassing on someone’s established turf.  People serving in roles in the church are often heard to complain that they have to do too much themselves because others aren’t stepping up.  Could it possibly be that we are not actively developing the future leaders to step in?  Could God have something else in mind for you that you can’t step up to because you won’t let go of your current position?

 

My Answers:

7.
a.
God

b.
If try to take an easy, comfortable job, it is blocked or not successful – called to serve in area that would not have been my initial preference, such as working with kids instead of adults.

8.
Titus: We are washed in the saving blood of Jesus and rewed by the Holy Spirit

Galations: those baptized into Christ have clothed themselves with Christ

2Cor: Anointed us, seal of ownership, put spirit in our hearts

Rom: Christ as a sacrifice of atonement – righteousness

1 Peter: the church is a chosen people, Kingdom of priests, holy nation, God’s possession