KINGS AND PRIEST

"And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on
the earth." - Revelation 5:10 KJV

The Bible describes two distinct roles in the Old Testament-kings and
priests. Kings were the rulers; priests were the religious leaders. The
New Testament reveals we all are kings and priests because of the
redemptive work of Christ.
Today, kings are most often represented by business and political
leaders, while pastors represent the priestly roles. God calls each of
us to fulfill both roles in our lives today. However, our vocational
roles often create a division that is misunderstood by both workplace
believers and pastors. These misunderstandings have led to a weakened
and less effective Church.
Pastors have been guilty of viewing their workplace believers as dollar
signs. They sometimes see them for what they can contribute to their
ministries instead of equipping them to use their gifts and talents to
impact the workplace believer's mission field-their workplace.
Workplace believers have tried to get pastors to operate their churches
like businesses, and have used their worldly ways for spiritual
purposes. They often view the pastor as the primary ministry worker
instead of taking on the responsibility themselves to do the work of the
ministry.
This is a grievous sin that exists in the Body of Christ, and it
requires repentance from both groups. Unless we recognize this, we will
never see the reality of revival that God wants to bring to the business
community, and pastors will fail to gain an ally to fully complete the
work of the Church in their community.
Are you a pastor who has failed to see the calling that workplace
believers have received to the workplace? If so, ask God to forgive you
for viewing your workplace believers as those to be used for your own
purposes.
Are you a workplace believer who sees your church as another business to
be run based on worldly measurements? Do you see the pastor's role as
one who is primarily responsible for the work of the ministry? If so,
you must repent and ask God to forgive you of this unbiblical view. God
has called both of you to fulfill His purposes together through your
gifts and talents.

INVOLVED IN GOVERNMENT

"' that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God
should be made known '" (v.10)Ephesians 3:1-13.

Today we ask: What does it mean when we say that God is sovereign?
Sovereignty simply means to possess supreme power. What we have to be
careful about when we talk of the sovereignty of God is that we do
not fall for the idea (as some have) that this is God's greatest
attribute; His greatest attribute is love. And because He is love
this means (so I believe) that He delights to have His redeemed
children become involved with Him in bringing His purposes to pass.
Anyone who writes on the subject of revival has to come to a point
where these two great and important truths - the sovereignty of God
and the involvement of man - have to be harmonised. I am at that
point right now. A way of thinking about this issue which has always
satisfied me is to see these two thoughts like two rails that run
from one end of the Scriptures to the other. One rail is the
sovereignty of God and the other, the involvement of man. If you try
to keep to only one rail you finish up being derailed. Those who
focus only on the sovereignty of God inevitably result in minimising
the responsibility of man. And those who focus only on the
responsibility of man end up minimising the sovereignty of God. When
we move along both rails, making sure that we do not place a
disproportionate emphasis on either truth, then we are more likely to
arrive at sound judgements and correct conclusions. God is sovereign
but He is also a loving Sovereign and by virtue of this fact delights
to involve His people in the affairs of government.
PRAYER:
Gracious and loving Father, how can we Your Church sufficiently thank
You for the fact that You love us enough to involve us in Your
government? Help us to see that we are there not because we deserve
it, but because You desire it. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
Acts 12:1-19; Luke 1:10; Acts 1:14; 4:24
1. What was the result of corporate prayer?
2. How did the believers respond to Peter's appearance?

DECEMBER 25TH

“ And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that evil-merodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison, And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon, And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life. And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life”. - Jeremiah 52:31-34.

To all readers and visitors to this web site I want to share with you the significance of the Christmas day, it is a special day Jesus Christ was born into this world to deliver mankind from his sinful way. I have studied the weather pattern over the years of that particular day the firmaments bear witness to this unique day across all countries and tribes. There is a glory over the surface of the earth while some are having snow, others fog, or harmattan haze.
In the text above King Jehoiachin of Judah was delivered on a Christmas day (in the twelfth month in the five and twentieth day of the month) hundred of years before Jesus was born. Seven significant events will happen in your life on this particular glorious day.
1. Your head will be lifted. You may have been experiencing downward trend in your life, marriage, business and workplace, you will no longer be the tail but the head. God is about changing your situation for the better because Jesus came into the world this same day to deliver you. Everyone that sees you as nobody will begin to see you as somebody very special your head will no longer be bowed but be lifted high.
2. You will be brought out of prison. Some people have been bounded without freedom under bondage of their task masters for quite sometime, you will be set free now just like those that set up Daniel into the lion’s pit, your prisoners will replace you in the prison while you will be set free, Jesus will liberate you and grant you permanent freedom.
3. You will be spoken kindly of. People have used their tongue to describe you negative. God will change their tongue and they will begin to speak well of you, they have said you are useless, good for nothing, cannot make it, never do well, under achiever all this negative qualities they describe you with they will no longer see you that way any more. A change for the better in you they will begin to see and speak of.
4. Your throne above the throne of the kings. You are meant to be a king because the son of a king is also a king, but you reign like a slave, God will dethrone everyone sitting on your throne and enthrone where you belong, to rule and reign in Christ Jesus.
5. Your garment will be changed. The garment you put on which has become a filthy rag casting aspersions at you. The way you dress is the way you will be addressed, you were addressed badly everywhere you turn to, today your garment or robe will change and as a king a sign of royalty is the kings garment. God is removing your present garment and replacing it with a new one.
6. You will continually eat bread. You may be lacking a daily bread but the great provider is already here to provide the bread you will eat all the days of your life. Every lack will be turned to abundance in your life because Jesus was born on this day like no other day.
7. You will be given a continual diet all the days until death. A diet is a food with all essential ingredients needed for growth and development. You might having lacking the essential nutrients needed for you to succeed and become great God is going to provide to you this day those nourishments needed by you for life.

LIVING FORWARD, UNDERSTANDING BACKWARD

"The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it." - 1 Thessalonians 5:24

Os Hillman said "When I was in my 20's, I participated in a wilderness-training course in a desert and mountain area. For our "final exam," we were blindfolded,
placed in the back of a pickup truck, and taken to a remote area. We
were dropped off and told to meet back at the camp in three days. We did
not know where we were. We had to determine our location with our
compasses. It was a frightening experience for four young people who had
learned to navigate through the use of a compass only a few days
earlier. With our food and water on our backs, we began our trek. It had
just snowed that morning, so the way was difficult. We walked through
valleys, canyons, snow-covered hills, and forests. In all, we walked
more than 60 miles in three days. There were times when we did not think
we could go another foot. Exhaustion and frostbitten feet were taking
their toll. However, we finally made it to our base camp successfully,
and to our surprise, we were the first ones among the other patrols to
make it back.
At the conclusion of our journey, we were able to stand on top of a
ridge, look behind us and see the beautiful terrain that we had just
scaled. The pain of what we had just endured seemed to subside. We could
not believe we had actually walked through those valleys and snowcapped
hills. There was a sense of accomplishment.
Life is very much like this. It is often lived forward, but understood
backward. It is not until we are down the road a bit that we can
appreciate the terrain God has allowed us to scale and the spiritual
deposits He has made in our life as a result. When you begin to realize
some of this, you sit back and breathe a sigh of relief because you know
that God was in control all along. It didn't seem like it at the time,
but He was.
Are you in the midst of a difficult journey that seems almost impossible
to continue? Be assured that God is providing grace even now to equip
you for that journey. There will be a time when you can say, "Wow, look
at what God has done because of what I gained through that valley."
Trust Him with the outcome of where you find yourself today.

HARD TIMES OFFER A CHANCE TO GROW

"God does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of
the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: 'What have you
done?'" - Daniel 4:35

The economy is in recovery, but most people don't seem to find it very
comforting. They're more preoccupied with the world's political scene
than they are on the rising expectations for corporate earnings. And no
wonder. It's not easy to focus on your investment portfolio when the
news of the day continually reminds us of terrorist threats and the
inadequacies of our homeland security. These are scary and potentially
deadly times.
Most Christians, at one time or another, will ask God why He allows
pain and disappointment to touch His children. When we meet the Lord face to
face, we'll have an opportunity to ask Him in person. I wouldn't be
surprised if part of His answer turns out to be: "Those things happened
because I was answering your prayers, to give you what you asked for!"
Can you imagine God saying to you as His child:
"You prayed that you could become mature, didn't you? I'm teaching you
how to depend on me more."
"You prayed for more faith, didn't you? I'm giving you a chance to
trust
me more."
"You prayed that you might know Me better, didn't you? I'm helping you
to seek Me more."
"You prayed that you might glorify me with your life, didn't you? I'm
refining you more."
When we pray prayers that contain such "spiritual" requests, we can
have confidence we're praying according to God's will. We expect Him to
grant us, in His own timing, these qualities of the Christian life we're
seeking. But I think that subconsciously we might also believe that God
answers them with a kind of supernatural lightning bolt. Something
like,
"Well, bless your heart, dear child, here's all the faith, love and
Christ-likeness you'll ever need." Zap!
Guess what? It doesn't usually work that way.
. Do you want to mature in your Christian walk? Then expect some
suffering. "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because
we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character;
and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has
poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has
given us." (Romans 5:3-5)
. Do you want to have your faith strengthened? Then expect your faith
to be tested. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials
of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops
perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be
mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)
. Do you want to know God better? Then expect to give up the things of
this world that are holding you back. "I consider everything a loss
compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,
for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, so that
I may gain Christ and be found in him... I want to know Christ and the
power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his
sufferings." (Philippians 3:7-10)
. Do you want to receive praise from Him for the life you've lived?
Then expect to go through trials. "In this you greatly rejoice, though now
for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of
trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than
gold,which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and
may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."
(1 Peter 1:6-7)
I encourage you to immerse your mind in words that will help you to
know God more intimately, and that will remind you that your God is always
present, invariably loving, inevitably faithful, and absolutely worthy
of all your confidence. Consider this look into God's fatherly heart
found in Jeremiah 32: "I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I
will never stop doing good to them....I will rejoice in doing them
good...with all my heart and with all my soul." (Jeremiah 32:40-41)
The only condition we must meet to be a part of this wonderful covenant
is "to put our hope in Him as the all-satisfying Refuge and Treasure.
God takes pleasure in this response with all His heart, because it
magnifies the glory of His grace and satisfies the longing of our
soul."

INDEPENDENCE THAT LEADS TO SIN

"So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way
off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran
to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." - Luke 15:20

The two young men had worked for many years in their family business.
One day one of the sons decided he wanted to venture out on his own. He
had been under the employment of his dad's business long enough. He
felt he had learned all he needed to know. He wanted his independence. He
wanted to take his stock options early, which would allow enough
capital to begin on his own. The other son remained behind, working day in and
day out, faithfully doing his job.
The first son went out on his own only to find it was more difficult
than he had ever imagined. The immediate cash gained from the advance
from his dad's business was a temptation that was too great for him. He
spent all of the money, fell into sin, and failed to invest it in
another business. He failed miserably. Finally, he came crawling back
to his dad, seeking to be taken back as a mere laborer. The father took
him back with open arms, fully restoring him to his original place. He
experienced grace and love in a way he had never known before.
When we desire independence so much that we launch out without God's
full blessing, we can expect to fall on our face. When pride enters our
lives, it discourages us from dependence on anyone but ourselves; yet
God says that we are to depend on Him alone. If we think we can go it
alone, we will fail. On the other hand, in spite of the prodigal son's
failure, he learned a great lesson of grace that he had not known
before. This resulted in humility of the heart, which had a lasting
impression for the rest of his life. Therefore, God even turns our
failures into successes spiritually when we are willing to admit our
failure.
Pride always goes before a fall. Check your heart today and ask God if
there is any pride that is encouraging independence from total trust in
God.

IS YOUR CLOCK ON GOD'S TIME?

A 70-year-old man walks down the aisle to receive his college degree. A
55-year-old woman marries for the first time. A 40-year-old former
housewife settles into a career. Even though it seems as though our
lives follow similar patterns, everyone operates on a different
schedule.
Have you ever known someone who reached a milestone in life at a
non-traditional age? Did you wonder what took so long or assume
something must have been wrong with him or her?
Too often, we get caught up in traditions that tell us when certain
things should be accomplished. Society says we should graduate, start a
career, get married, buy a house, have a child, and retire-in that
order, and each at a certain age. In following guidelines that our
culture sets before us, we tend to rush into life-changing decisions
without considering what God wants for us.
Have you ever wondered why so many people are unhappy with their
careers, why divorce is so rampant, or why people are often completely
unprepared to raise a family?
When we shortcut God's timing and attempt to accomplish our goals within
our own strength and on our own schedule, we will fail every single
time. We will not live a life of contentment or experience the peace
that comes from a sincere understanding of God's purpose.
To truly be in God's will, we must synchronize our clock with God's
clock. We must be willing to do what He asks of us when He asks us to do
it.
The life of Moses is an unmistakable example of the consequences of
shortcutting God's will. Instead of waiting on God's timing, Moses acted
on his own strength: he killed an Egyptian, was forced to flee from
Pharaoh, and remained in relative isolation for forty years. (Exodus
2:11-15)
Moses acted on reason rather than revelation. He asked himself, "What
can I do?" rather than, "What does God want me to do?" His irrational
mind convinced him that he could free two million Hebrews by killing one
Egyptian. He failed to see God's big picture.
Later, when he followed God's schedule, he was able to confront
Pharaoh's army and liberate an entire nation of people. Through Moses,
God performed the supernatural: He parted the Red Sea, defeated an
entire army, and freed the Hebrews.
So how can we apply the knowledge of Moses' life to our own modern
existence? First, we must realize what causes us to get ahead of God:
• Impatience - We aren't willing to wait on God's direction.
• Doubt - We question whether we heard God correctly.
• Pride - We think we can do it on our own or better than God can.
• Selfishness - We expect God to conform to our will.
• Rationalization - If our actions fit "what everyone else is doing," we
believe they are justified.
• Distorted view of God - We fail to realize that He knows all the
answers to our questions, even before we ask them.
Next, we must understand the consequences of following our own desires
and shortcutting God's will:
• Disappointment - Moses experienced the frustration that came from
acting on His own strength rather than waiting on God.
• Disharmony - Conflict and discord will inevitably come from acting on
our strength. For true peace, we must be in communication with Him.
• Denial of God's best - Was God's will accomplished through Moses? Yes.
Did Moses experience God's best? No. Moses spent forty years as a
fugitive because of his actions. Yet God used Moses regardless, and,
ultimately, molded the situation in accordance to His will.
• Spiritual defeat - When we live outside of God's will, we will
constantly experience defeat. Without God, we are relying on our own
flesh; and, as Christ says, "the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). We
cannot win without the Lord.
Finally, we must realize that God will always fulfill His promise to
"cause all things to work together for good to those who love God, to
those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28, emphasis
added). When God gives us a promise, we must have:
• Faith - Faith believes the promise. We sincerely believe God will do
what He says.
• Hope - Hope anticipates the promise. We anticipate and look forward to
God acting on His vow.
• Patience - Patience quietly waits on the promise. Even as time
passes-in Moses' case, it was forty years-we must patiently wait on God
and realize He never forgets a promise. He will not overlook you, and He
has an appointed time to act on your needs.
You may think God has passed you by, or that your life is a waste. But,
if you are a believer and are open to God's call, that could not be
further from the truth.
Moses was 80-years-old when God called him into service. Even though he
lived for 120 years, he did not experience the true power of living in
God's will until the final one-third of his life.
Think about that. One of the most recognizable figures in the Bible-an
average man whom God utilized in a manner never seen before or since-did
not discover God's will until two-thirds of his life had passed! And
look at what God was able to accomplish in that final period of Moses'
life!
Does this mean that we should remain idle and apathetic to God until the
twilight of our lives? Of course not. But Moses' life is a clear example
of how God can use us anytime and anywhere, despite what we may have
done in the past and regardless of our circumstances. God can take the
most difficult, painful, or sinful situation and mold it, prune it, and
completely reverse it for His ultimate purpose.
Perhaps you're mired in an adverse situation or struggling with
conforming to society's standardized, inflexible timeline. If so, the
only way you will ever experience true peace is through surrendering
your will to God's timing.
When we're on God's clock, we'll never be late.