Paul speaking:
"...God, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of His Son..."
Romans 1:9
"An hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit; and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth."
John 4:23, 24
"I urge you... by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, well-pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."
Romans 12:1
"...the grace that was given to me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God..."
Romans 14:15, 16
"...He who had set me apart, even from my mother's womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles..."
Galatians 1:15, 16
"I have fought the good fight; I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to those who have loved His appearing."
2 Timothy 4:7, 8
A priest in our generation speaks (12/2/01):
God spoke to me this morning; He spoke to me about the duties of His priests.
"For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts."
Malachi 2:7
He talked to me about what He desired from His priests and told me to take this charge very seriously. It is part of the work of God's priests to ensure that God is honored and respected and that the sacrifices that we offer Him are without defect.
"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?"
Malachi 1:6
Truly our God is worthy of all honor and respect. May we seek His glorification and the magnification of His name always. And may we zealously seek His will that He may be pleased and delight in His "temple." Let us praise God and offer Him the honor and respect for which He is due!
How can we ensure that our sacrifices are without defect? Jesus does this for us.
"'And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,' says the Lord of hosts.
'But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fuller's soap. And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord, as in the days of old and as of former years.'"
Malachi 3:2-4
Praise God! I have seen His work in me. Jesus has removed my defects before the Lord by cleansing me in His blood. He refines my heart daily. I pray that my offerings will be pleasing to Him.
"The Mighty One, God, the Lord has spoken,
And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth.
May our God come and not keep silence;
Fire devours before Him and it is very tempestuous around Him.
He summons the heavens above, and the earth to judge His peoples.
Gather My godly one to Me,
Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.
And the heavens declare His righteousness,
For God Himself is Judge."
Psalm 50:1-6
Scriptures to Ponder
"...I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed always."
1 Samuel 2:35
"My covenant with Levi was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of fear, so he feared Me and stood in awe of My name.
True instruction was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many back from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge and men should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts."
Malachi 2:5-7
"...you are a living stone... a chosen race... a holy nation... a people for God's own possession..."
1 Peter 2:5, 9
A priest has:
"...confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is His flesh, and since we have a great High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith..."
Hebrews 10:19-22
A priest walks before God's anointed always.
"Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to (him) and said to him, 'I am God Almighty; walk before Me and be blameless (Lit. complete, perfect).'"
Genesis 17:1
God's Grace to the Priests of the Kingdom
God builds for them an enduring house. (1 Samuel 2:25)
God makes a covenant with them of life and peace. (Malachi 2:5)
God removes their iniquity and clothes them in righteousness.
God rebukes Satan when he accuses them.
God admonishes His priests.
"If you will walk in My ways, and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My courts, and I will grant you free access among those who are standing here."
Zechariah 3:7