Subtitle: The King-Priest
By Roderick Breem
In Genesis chapter 14 we find the brother of Abraham, lot, being taken into captivity. There was a war between rival kings in the area and Lot got caught. Abraham sent out a highly trained group and rescued him. One of the kings in this group was called Melchizedek. He is quite a mysterious figure, as very little is said about him here in Genesis.
After the return of Lot Melchizedek does something interesting and profound.
“Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.” (Genesis 14:18)
Here we see Melchizedek holding the duel office of King-Priest. This was highly unusual. But who was this man anyway and who made him a “priest of God Most High” anyway? We know it was the doing of God. So far in the book of Genesis we only see the calling of God on Abraham. We know about the promise to Abraham to make him the father of many nations. But nothing of Melchizedek – until now.
King-Priest Melchizedek said to Abraham:
“Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” (Genesis 14:19-20a)
Melchizedek recognized the office and position of Abraham. And Abraham did likewise. Abraham proved that he recognized the office of the king-priest so much that he gave him a tithe of the spoils of the war with the rival kings. See it: “And he gave him a tithe of all.” (v.20b) Abraham giving a tithe was a profound thing. It meant Abraham recognized this was a man from God.
You may have figured it out by now but Melchizedek is a type of Jesus. And if I may be so bold to say we, as believers, are a type of Melchizedek. We, like Jesus, are kings and priest of the Most High. Please do not allow the profoundness of that statement escape you. You are a king-priest before God. We will learn more about those offices later on.
Psalm 110 is a Messianic Psalm and it is where we learn that Jesus was in the “order” of Melchizedek.
“The Lord has sworn
And will not relent,
‘You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.’” (Pslam 110:4)
The Hebrew word for “order” here is dibrah and means “cause, manner, reason.” We can say this word means “in the mold of.” I think of the various groups and lodges here in America. The functions and activities are according to a certain order, based on history and tradition. Well, Jesus came in the order – or mold – of the king-priest Melchizedek.
Why is this important to us? Because Jesus came and established the New Covenant and His priesthood was not based on the law but rather on the “order of Melchizedek.” The book of Hebrews helps us gain a greater understanding.
The law came under the Levitical priesthood. But it was imperfect. There was a need for another way and that was through Jesus. But Jesus came from the tribe of Judah and priests did not come from that tribe. But ahhh, we see Jesus coming from another order – the order of Melchizedek.
“For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.” (Hebrews 14:14-16)
So there it is. Jesus came not “according to the law of fleshly commandment” but according to the “power of an endless life.” Isn’t that beautiful? Therefore, as followers of Jesus we do not live according to the law but according to the power of an endless life. Praise God!
Jesus as King-Priest
The role of a king (at least in ancient times) was to rule with complete authority and to provide protection to the people of His kingdom.
As we discussed earlier Melchizedek came as a king-priest. And we know that Jesus came in the same duel office. The book of revelation shows Jesus as King in all His glory. “And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Rev 19:16) We see King Jesus making war:
“These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” (Rev 17:14)
Now, priests, just for the sake of simplicity, had two main functions in the Old Testament. They were set apart from the rest of the community in order to carry out certain duties associated with 1. worship and 2. sacrifice.
As New Testament believers we do not offer physical sacrifices. Jesus gave His life once and for all. But we do offer our lives as living sacrifices, as priests of the Lord.
Hebrews 4:14-16 says
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
So far we have learned about Melchizedek and Jesus as holding the duel office of king-priest. But what about us as believers in God’s kingdom? See this:
“And has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Rev 1:6) That is you and me – kings and priests. We are according to the order of Jesus, the great King-Priest.
As kings we are to exercise our spiritual authority. As priests we are to offer praise and worship to our God. As priests we are to offer our bodies a living sacrifice. It is relieving to know we are according to the order of Jesus and not the order of the law.
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Posted: November 18, 2020 by I am a VOICE Ministries Leave a Comment
A True knowing – Part 2
Subtitle: Growing in the Knowledge of God
In part one of this series we talked about what true knowledge of God is and what it is not. We learned that this knowledge goes far beyond intellectual head knowledge. It is a personal, intimate knowing that comes through a relationship with God. Let’s pick up from the first article with the Apostle Paul praying for the Colosse church.
“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Col 1:9-10)
In the first article we looked at the first part of the prayer. Put your attention on the latter part. “…being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
Paul is asking that they would be fruitful and increase in knowledge of God. It would be easy to interpret this is “be fruitful and read your Bible as much as possible.” But the Greek word for “increasing” gives us some important clues that Paul meant something else entirely. The Greek word is auxanō and it means “to cause to grow, augment.”
In nearly every other instance where the word is used it is translated as grow. Not only that but the Greek word in this instance is found in the passive tense, meaning it is something received. It is not an action Paul is praying the church at Colosse would do but rather a position of receiving.
This truth is furthered by the fact that Paul prayed they would be “fruitful in every good work.” If I grow vegetables in my garden I cannot will them to grow. I plant the seeds and provide the atmosphere for growth and the plant receives and grows. Likewise, God puts His Word (seed) in our soil (our hearts) and He waits for the fruit to come. Our job is to receive the Word and let it mature.
Now, the condition of the soil is important. If a farmer throws seed in the wrong place it certainly will not grow. We see this powerfully in the Parable of the Sower. In the parable there were four types of soil where the seed was placed – wayside, stony places, thorns and good ground.
Jesus explained each.
The wayside: “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.” (Matt 13:19)
Stony places: “…this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.” (Matt 13:20,21)
Thorns: “…is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.” (Matthew 13:22)
Good ground: “…is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” (Matthew 13:23)
We see the first three as great enemies to our spiritual growth. Every time before reading the Word I ask the Holy Spirit to give me understanding of what I am reading. We are in great need to have deep roots in God. This way when trouble comes because of the Word (and it will!) we will have deep roots to weather the storm. We must pick out the thorns in our lives – cares and worries being chief among them. To care or worry is the opposite of walking in faith. We see Peter stopped walking on water once he let worry in. “But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30)
God greatly desires that we grow in the knowledge of Him. When praying today I felt Him say that growing in the knowledge of God is to “fill in the shoes, to come to full potential.” You see, the Word of God is a seed within us. That seed has potential within it. God wants us to get a hundredfold out of it. We need to be in a position of receiving the Seed but also watching for and dealing with the wayside, stony places and thorns.
Last Updated: November 24, 2020 by I am a VOICE Ministries Leave a Comment
A True Knowing – Part 1
In this series we are going to look at the highest type of knowledge one can have. In the New Testament in is called epignōsis. It mrecognition, i.e. (precise and correct knowledge, acknowledgement.” It comes from the root word gnosis, a general term for “knowledge.” But this epignōsis, a word that is used 20 times in the New Testament, is a personal, intimate knowledge. It is knowing you can only get through experience. This type of knowledge, which supersedes intellectual knowledge, is the type of knowing God is interested in us having.
Before we delve into the scriptures regarding this true knowledge its important to make some distinctions. We must understand the word “knowledge” meant something very different to the ancient Greeks than it does us. When the average American or person from the West hears the word knowledge they often think of school or college. But to the ancient Greek it meant a mixture of philosophy and thought. They were constantly looking for some new knowledge or philosophy that would enlighten them.
This is seen very clearly in the emergence of Gnosticism. Dr. Gwatkin summed up Gnosticism saying it is “Christianity perverted by learning and speculation” (Early Church History 73). The intellectual pride of the Gnostics refined away the gospel into a philosophy. The clue to the understanding of Gnosticism is given in the word from which it is derived–gnosis, ‘knowledge.’ Gnosticism puts knowledge in the place which can only rightly be occupied by Christian faith.”
Gnosticism borrowed ideas from various religions and cultures such as Judaism, Greek, Persian religion and so on. They also incorporated truth from Christianity such as redemption but rejected the idea of sin altogether.
It is clear that those ideas were very dangerous to the early church. Part of the allure was that ideas needed to be added to the message of the gospel. The gospel was too simple for them. Paul warned the Corinthian church “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” (2 Cor 11:3) There is tremendous power in the gospel! Yes, it is simple. Simple enough for anyone to understand.
When the New Testament writers used the word epignōsis it was made clear this didn’t refer to just head knowledge. Traditional knowledge is not what they lacked. The same can be said of us. Take a look at America for example. We have much knowledge about healthy eating. And yet we are one of the sickest developed nations in the world. Our knowledge has not been translated into actual, useful knowledge. But the true knowledge of God – epignōsis – will change who we are from the inside.
2 Cor 3:18 says “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” That is true knowledge in action. When God comes in His glory we are not simply informed we are changed.
In Colossians 1 Paul prays a profound prayer for those in Colosse.
“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge (epignōsis) of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and [c]conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption [d]through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”
This entire prayer deserves our attention. I have been looking into it, speaking it and praying it for years now. It has given so much and has much more to give. For now, let’s focus on the part that deals with epignōsis.
“…and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge (epignōsis) of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.”
Paul was asking not that they would be “filled” with the full and true knowledge of God. When a cup is filled the liquid touches every part. When God’s knowledge fill us it touches every part of our lives. The original Greek word can also mean “to carry into effect, bring to realisation,” In other words His knowledge carries His will and kingdom into effect into our lives.
To be filled can also mean to be satisfied. When we are filled with the knowledge of God there is no longer room for anything else – not my knowledge and not the knowledge of the enemy.
The keys here are that this knowledge are in “all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” This type of knowledge is practical and supernatural. Wisdom is the application of attained knowledge. The spiritual understanding is seeing that knowledge from a supernatural perspective.
Last Updated: November 11, 2020 by I am a VOICE Ministries Leave a Comment
Come Up and See As I See
Subtitle: Subtitle: Lessons from the Prophet Habakkuk – Part 1
The prophet Habakkuk lived in a very difficult time. Sin and corruption were rampant in Israel. The prophet starts off with asking the Lord a question:
“O Lord, how long shall I cry,
And You will not hear?
Even cry out to You, ‘Violence!’
And You will not save.
Why do You show me iniquity,
And cause me to see trouble?
For plundering and violence are before me;
There is strife, and contention arises.
Therefore the law is powerless,
And justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.” (Habakkuk 1:2-4)
I think many of us can relate to Habakkuk’s line of questioning. We have been crying out to God for all the iniquity we see. We see the plundering of our nations through abortion, substance abuse, violence, the breakup of the family and much more. It does appear that “justice never goes forth,” as the prophet said.
Habakkuk asked the Lord
“Why do You show me iniquity,
And cause me to see trouble?” (v.3a)
God’s response, as recorded in verse 5 is astonishing and even slightly puzzling:
“Look among the nations and watch—
Be utterly astounded!
For I will work a work in your days
Which you would not believe, though it were told you.”
God instructed him to “Look among the nations and watch.” Habakkuk made the case that he was doing that and saw great iniquity and injustice. But I think God was saying “Look among the nations with my eyes.” You see, Habakkuk was completely focused on all the sin he saw. But God had a plan that would astound! God had a plan to work a work in the days of Habakkuk. It was an amazing plan that is even hard to comprehend.
I believe this word to Habakkuk is a present word to America right now. Yes, there is great wickedness in the land. But God is asking us to look among the nations and watch. Watch – with His eyes of faith. Watch with the vision of His glory filling the land.
God is raising up people like Habakkuk who will ask questions and who will watch with God’s eyes. Remember that those who watch do so from a high place of perspective. Eph 2:6 says this about us believers: “and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” We have been raised up. We no longer have to – or should – be seeing the world from an earthly perspective. God is calling us up. There we will see as He sees.
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Last Updated: November 4, 2020 by I am a VOICE Ministries Leave a Comment
Hope – Accessing Its Treasure
By Roderick Breem
The book of Colossians opens up with Paul stating his thankfulness for the believers at Colosse. One of the big reasons he gave thanks for them was because he saw a treasure that was stored up for them. Paul, in his own words:
“Because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel.” (Col 1:5)
First, I’d like to point out that in our culture and time the word hope means something different to us than it did to the early believers. To us it mans a desire we wish would happen like “I hope it doesn’t rain for my friend’s wedding.” To them it was an earnest expectation. This hope could be applied toward expecting – or anticipating – good or evil.
The Greek word for “laid up” is apokeimai and means “to be laid away, laid by, reserved.” It carries the idea of being tucked away and to be drawn upon. Now, when many of us hear the words “which is laid up for you in heaven” we may be inclined to think this hope will only be ours when we reach heaven. But I firmly believe that this hope is tucked aside and God is waiting for us to draw on its resources. We can have access to this hope right now.
Paul goes on to explain that this hope is active and is bringing forth fruit for the kingdom of God.
“which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.” (v.6)
This hope, which was accessed by Paul and others, was bringing forth fruit. This same hope is laid up for each of us. It is tucked aside, waiting for us to pull from its resources. It can be likened to the young man who has been given an inheritance. The money has been deposited. He has been given the account information and all he has to do it draw from the account. The good news is that this account will never run dry.
In Luke 19 we find the Parable of the Minas. In the parable a certain nobleman “went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.” (v.12) He called 10 of his servants and gave them each 10 minas and told them to “Do business till I come.” (v.13) When he returned he checked with his servants to see the outcome of his investment. One doubled the amount of mina and another added to the amount as well. But one of the servants came to the master and said:
“Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.” (vv.20-21)
The master responded:
“Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ (vv.22-23)
The servants were given mina and were expected to do something with it. Likewise, we have been given hope and are expected to not only access it but use it to multiply for this kingdom. We are expected to pull from hope and apply it in our lives.
This hope is a treasure and an inheritance for us to access and use. Just like in the Parable of the Minas we have a master who has gone away and has distributed wealth to us. His will return and will expect his investment to be multiplied. What are you doing with the hope that has been laid up in heaven for you? Are you accessing it and using it to multiply the kingdom? I will leave you with our verse about hope being laid up in the Passion Translation.
“Your faith and love rise within you as you access all the treasures of your inheritance stored up in the heavenly realm. For the revelation of the true gospel is as real today as the day you first heard of our glorious hope, now that you have believed in the truth of the gospel. This is the wonderful message that is being spread everywhere, powerfully changing hearts throughout the earth, just like it has changed you! Every believer of this good news bears the fruit of eternal life as they experience the reality of God’s grace.” (Col 1:5-6)
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Posted: October 26, 2020 by I am a VOICE Ministries Leave a Comment
Be Holy, For I am Holy
By Roderick Breem
Notice the command is to “be” holy and not to act holy. For some reason the word holy has gotten a bad rap. But it simply means to set something (or someone) apart for sacred use. It is like the Fine China your mother only took out on special occasions. It would be ridiculous or even blasphemous to use that Fine China for Friday night Pizza.
I believe the Lord has shown me there is a lot of mixture in the body of Christ. Many have been corrupted with worldly ideas. God and His foundation are there, yes, but that corruption has made its way to many crucial areas in the heart and mind. The book of 1 Peter has some wonderful direction for us who have been corrupted. Let’s sit at the feet of this sacred text and get free.
In chapter one in verses 1-12 Peter beautifully communicates the truths of salvation to the belivers like “..who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (v.3) and “Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you.” (v.10)
Then in verse 13 he says “Therefore…” Whenever you see that word be sure to see what the there is for. It will make you a good student of the Word.
“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (v.13)
There is much in this verse that cries for our attention. First off to “gird up the loins” refers to a person preparing to run. They would tie up their tunics so movement is not hindered. Peter is saying the believers (and us) should gather up the thoughts that scatter and hinder movement.
Next, they were called to be “sober.” Now, Peter did not exclusively mean not being drunk. The Greek word there is nēphō and means “to be sober, to be calm and collected in spirit – to be temperate, dispassionate, circumspect.” Right now the enemy is sowing the opposite – people that are frayed, rattled, angry and passionate for evil.
Lastly, look at the phrase “and rest your hope fully upon the grace.” A proper translation would be “and hope to the end upon the grace.” Yes Lord, we will hope until the end. We will not give up or give in in Jesus’ name.
Peter continues with what I call the crux of his message:
“But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” (vv.15-16)
Peter was taking a quote from the book of Leviticus. (see Lev 11:44; Lev 19:2; Lev 20:7) God, talking to the people of Israel, called them to be holy as He was holy. He wants us to “be” holy and not just conform to certain outward religious rules.
What does it mean to be holy anyway? Well for one thing it means we are set apart for God alone. The time of believers being able to have one foot in the world and one foot in the kingdom are over. There are some places here in the United States where one can literally stand in two different States at the same time. It is a fun, novel thing to do. But that is not for us believers. God is a jealous God and wants ALL of us.
Amos 3:3 poses an interesting question: “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” We have a choice who we walk with. But you can’t walk with God also hold the hand of the Devil. It doesn’t work that way. That time has come to an end. Look where it has gotten you anyway.
I will leave you with the words Peter penned through the Holy Spirit to us:
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
We are a “chosen” (picked out) generation, a “royal priesthood” a “holy nation” and His “own special people.” Amazing! Listen, Jesus gave His all to and for us and He requires nothing less in return from us.
Be holy.
Last Updated: October 23, 2020 by I am a VOICE Ministries Leave a Comment
The Order of Melchizedek
Subtitle: The King-Priest
By Roderick Breem
In Genesis chapter 14 we find the brother of Abraham, lot, being taken into captivity. There was a war between rival kings in the area and Lot got caught. Abraham sent out a highly trained group and rescued him. One of the kings in this group was called Melchizedek. He is quite a mysterious figure, as very little is said about him here in Genesis.
After the return of Lot Melchizedek does something interesting and profound.
“Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.” (Genesis 14:18)
Here we see Melchizedek holding the duel office of King-Priest. This was highly unusual. But who was this man anyway and who made him a “priest of God Most High” anyway? We know it was the doing of God. So far in the book of Genesis we only see the calling of God on Abraham. We know about the promise to Abraham to make him the father of many nations. But nothing of Melchizedek – until now.
King-Priest Melchizedek said to Abraham:
“Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” (Genesis 14:19-20a)
Melchizedek recognized the office and position of Abraham. And Abraham did likewise. Abraham proved that he recognized the office of the king-priest so much that he gave him a tithe of the spoils of the war with the rival kings. See it: “And he gave him a tithe of all.” (v.20b) Abraham giving a tithe was a profound thing. It meant Abraham recognized this was a man from God.
You may have figured it out by now but Melchizedek is a type of Jesus. And if I may be so bold to say we, as believers, are a type of Melchizedek. We, like Jesus, are kings and priest of the Most High. Please do not allow the profoundness of that statement escape you. You are a king-priest before God. We will learn more about those offices later on.
Psalm 110 is a Messianic Psalm and it is where we learn that Jesus was in the “order” of Melchizedek.
“The Lord has sworn
And will not relent,
‘You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.’” (Pslam 110:4)
The Hebrew word for “order” here is dibrah and means “cause, manner, reason.” We can say this word means “in the mold of.” I think of the various groups and lodges here in America. The functions and activities are according to a certain order, based on history and tradition. Well, Jesus came in the order – or mold – of the king-priest Melchizedek.
Why is this important to us? Because Jesus came and established the New Covenant and His priesthood was not based on the law but rather on the “order of Melchizedek.” The book of Hebrews helps us gain a greater understanding.
The law came under the Levitical priesthood. But it was imperfect. There was a need for another way and that was through Jesus. But Jesus came from the tribe of Judah and priests did not come from that tribe. But ahhh, we see Jesus coming from another order – the order of Melchizedek.
“For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.” (Hebrews 14:14-16)
So there it is. Jesus came not “according to the law of fleshly commandment” but according to the “power of an endless life.” Isn’t that beautiful? Therefore, as followers of Jesus we do not live according to the law but according to the power of an endless life. Praise God!
Jesus as King-Priest
The role of a king (at least in ancient times) was to rule with complete authority and to provide protection to the people of His kingdom.
As we discussed earlier Melchizedek came as a king-priest. And we know that Jesus came in the same duel office. The book of revelation shows Jesus as King in all His glory. “And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Rev 19:16) We see King Jesus making war:
“These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” (Rev 17:14)
Now, priests, just for the sake of simplicity, had two main functions in the Old Testament. They were set apart from the rest of the community in order to carry out certain duties associated with 1. worship and 2. sacrifice.
As New Testament believers we do not offer physical sacrifices. Jesus gave His life once and for all. But we do offer our lives as living sacrifices, as priests of the Lord.
Hebrews 4:14-16 says
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
So far we have learned about Melchizedek and Jesus as holding the duel office of king-priest. But what about us as believers in God’s kingdom? See this:
“And has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Rev 1:6) That is you and me – kings and priests. We are according to the order of Jesus, the great King-Priest.
As kings we are to exercise our spiritual authority. As priests we are to offer praise and worship to our God. As priests we are to offer our bodies a living sacrifice. It is relieving to know we are according to the order of Jesus and not the order of the law.
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Posted: October 22, 2020 by I am a VOICE Ministries Leave a Comment
Kings and Priests
By Roderick Breem
In Christian circles we throw around the terms “kings and priests” rather lightly. Positionally, all believers are truly kings and priests in God’s sight. We cannot simply brush past these truths without pausing and considering the magnitude. Rev 1:6 declares:
“And has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
The role of a king (at least in ancient times) was to rule with complete authority and to provide protection to the people of His kingdom. As kings in God’s kingdom, we have the authority Christ has given us. Jesus said to the disciples and to us:
“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19)
All authority. Sounds like a king to me. We exercise our rule based on the rules of the kingdom and not for our own favor or gain.
Now, priests, just for the sake of simplicity, had two main functions in the Old Testament. They were set apart from the rest of the community in order to carry out certain duties associated with 1. worship and 2. sacrifice.
As New Testament believers we do not offer physical sacrifices. Jesus gave His life once and for all. But we do offer our lives as living sacrifices, as priests of the Lord.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1)
Tomorrow I will go in depth about King Melchizedek, who had the duel role of King-Priest. We know the ministry of Jesus was likened to that of King Melchizedek. That should get our attention.
Posted: October 21, 2020 by I am a VOICE Ministries Leave a Comment
Seated and Victorious
By Roderick Breem
Psalm 2 and Psalm 110, both Messianic Psalms, have similar themes that run through them. You can examine them for yourself and see. But I will focus on the “seated in victory part.”
In Psalm 2 we find a tumultuous scene. David foresaw a deeply troubling time.
“Why do the [a]nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
‘Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.‘” (vv.1-3)
Do we not see the nations raging and plots to break away the cords of God? Yes we certainly do and in increasing levels. I think of that word “cords.” They are ties that connect. Look at the broken cords. God has been cut away from every part of society. BUT and oh there is always a but.
The response of Jesus:
“He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
‘Yet I have [e]set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.’” (vv.4-6)
We see Jesus sitting and laughing. Oh how we can learn from this! He is sitting because He knows the outcome. Ha and so do we!
Now to Psalm 110. It is also set in a troubling time – even our time perhaps. The Psalm starts off
“The Lord said to my Lord,
‘Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’
The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion.
Rule in the midst of Your enemies!” (vv.1-2)
The Messiah is instructed to “sit at my right hand.” How long? “Till I make your enemy’s a footstool.” In other words, until his enemies were made useful to him. The enemy thought the cross at Calvary would put an end to Jesus and the kingdom BUT God turned it around and made it useful to further the kingdom.
Now, if Jesus was found sitting and instructed to sit in the midst of turmoil do you suppose we will have different path to take? Are w greater than our Master? No, we must sit. Sit, not in a defeated state, but sit in peace knowing our Father will make OUR enemies our footstool.
Thank you God. We now choose to sit, resting in Your victory. We will choose to not get up in our own strength. You will give us victory and You will get the glory.
Photo credit: https://images.app.goo.gl/j2D2rJDwpffX5AZF7
Posted: October 21, 2020 by I am a VOICE Ministries Leave a Comment
Prophetic Word / I, God, am Making Your Enemy Useful to You
I was reading Psalm 110. God the Father is talking to the Son, Jesus:
“Sit at My right hand,Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” (v.1)
Here is the word: “As my Son sat I am instructing you to sit until I make your enemy your footstool. A footstool is something useful and will make the attacks of the enemy useful to you. Sit and rest in the victory.” – Your Father God
Posted: October 20, 2020 by I am a VOICE Ministries Leave a Comment
Reigning in Life
By Roderick Breem
What does it mean to reign in life? It means to rule, to dictate – call the shots. Many of us feel ruled by the world, by the pandemic, by our own many failures that never seem to end.
But guess what Christians? God has called you to reign. I do not mean you calling the shots on your own. I mean reigning with Christ, seated with Him on the throne. Eph 2:6 tells us God “…raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Sit where? On the throne. Only those who sit on a throne rule.
Now to the main scripture I wanted to arrest your attention: “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)” Romans 5:17)
Death reigned. Past tense. Now grace reigns through what Jesus did on the cross. And now, we, who “receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life.”
How would you like to reign in life and not feel tossed to and from with every circumstance that happens around you? Is it possible even you ask? Yes! We must receive the abundance of grace. God gives grace to the humble – you just have to receive it.
Father, I thank you that death (spiritual and natural) no longer reigns. I receive your grace, which has no end, and the gif of righteousness. God I choose to reign with you rather than allow circumstances and feelings to run the show. You have made me a king and a priest. In Jesus’ name. Photo credit: https://inspyed.com/
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