WHO ARE WE? – PART 4

WBS.259

WHO ARE WE? – PART 4

1 Peter 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

In the early days of the Charismatic Renewal, this verse was put to song and became extremely popular in most every charismatic venue.  At first, the words were significant, a matter over which we rejoiced to have being brought to life our new identity in Messiah; but after a while, the catchy tune became more preeminent, and the words became simply the vehicle of establishing the tempo of the song.  We swayed and danced and raised our hands and smiled and laughed and really enjoyed singing the song; but we became less focused on the powerful identity it was declaring us to be.

We are a chosen generation.  What does this man?  Do you recall from Genesis 6:9, that Noah was declared a man who was “perfect in his generations?”  His bloodline had not been corrupted by the Watchers and their Nephilim offspring.  The bloodline of virtually every person on earth had been corrupted; but not Noah’s.  His was the pure generation. The destruction of all flesh on the earth by the flood, and the beginning of a new world order through the family of Noah is a foreshadowing of the death and burial of the perfect Son of Elohim who would die and rise again and a new family of IAUE would begin through him.

Psalm 22:30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Master for a generation.

Psalm 102:18 This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise IAUE.

Notice in this first verse that a seed shall be accounted to the Master for a generation; but in the second verse that generation is going to be a people who are created to praise IAUE.

In the opening of the Gospel of Matthew, we have a most curious chapter tracking the genealogy of Messiah from Abraham right down to Yahushua the Messiah.  I suspect many people just bypass this chapter and go straight to Chapter 2; but there are some amazing nuggets in this genealogy.  I want to focus on just one of those nuggets.

Matthew’s gospel was written for the Hebrews; hence it was imperative to set forth the foundation that Yahushua was absolutely a Hebrew, perfect in his generations all the way back to Abraham.  Secondly, that he is tracked as a direct descendant of David the King, thus making it undeniable that Yahushua indeed WAS the King of Israel. It was his birthright.  What I want us to look at, today, however, is:

Matthew 1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Messiah are fourteen generations.

If you take the time to count them, you will indeed find there are 14 generations from Abraham to David; and 14 generations from David to the beginning of the Babylonian captivity.  The last group of 14 generations ends with this verse.

Matthew 1:16  And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Yahushua, who is called Messiah.

When you count this last group of 14 generations, you will see that Jacob is #11, Joseph is #12, and Yahushua is #13.  So, where is the 14^th generation?

Romans 1:3  Concerning his Son Yahushua Messiah our Master, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
4 And declared to be the Son of Elohim with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

Sometimes it is difficult for us to relate to the consequences of Yahushua’s death.  The virgin born son of Mary died. The man who was resurrected was no longer the only begotten Son; but rather, the firstborn among many brethren (Colossians 1:15,18; Romans 8:29; Hebrews 12:23). He had been made of the “seed of David” according to his physical birth; but after his death and resurrection, Yahushua was declared to be the Son of Elohim, not the Son of David.  When Yahushua rose from the dead, he became his own seed; and it was accounted to him for a generation…the 14^th generation.  He began a congregation of brethren that was created “in Him.”  In our last post, we called this congregation of brethren, the House of IAUE.

In Matthew 1:16, it ends: “of whom was born Yahushua, WHO IS CALLED MESSIAH.”  That is the 14^th generation; and we who are new creatures IN MESSIAH are of this 14^th generation.

John 8:12 Then spake Yahushua again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Philippians 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of Elohim, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

As long as he was in the world in his corporeal body, Yahushua was the light of the world.  In his death and resurrection, a new creation was made possible; and being created IN MESSIAH, and Messiah being IN THEM, the new creature had become the light of the world.  We are the collective corporeal body of Messiah, now; and we are accounted to him for a generation.

1 Peter 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Having become of this chosen generation, we are to function as a royal priesthood, a holy nation.

WHO ARE WE?  WE ARE A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD.

What does it mean to be “royal?”  This word means the same in Scripture as it means in the world, today.  If you look at the British culture, you cannot overlook what is referred to as “The Royals.”  This is a term that includes all of the family members of the monarch’s bloodline. There is only one king or queen, but there are many royals.

Some translations inaccurately render this verse as “a kingdom of priests,” or even less accurately as, “kings and priests.”  Isaiah, in the Old Testament, was a royal, but he was also a prophet.  He was never the king; and never would become the king; but he was of the king’s bloodline.  Yahushua is our king and we will never be the king, but we are of his bloodline.  We are the generation created in him.  We are royals; and we are destined to rule with Messiah Yahushua when he comes to reign upon the throne of David. (The 13 Canaanite bloodlines in the earth, today, who track their genealogy all the way back to the Watchers and their original Nephilim offspring, believe they are royals and have the right to rule the world. They have been actively functioning as royals in the world for millennia, awaiting the day when their “light bearer” will manifest and produce a one world government so they can truly be the masters of the world.)

As royals, what are we supposed to be doing?  The Scripture says that we have been born into a PRIESTHOOD, and that “…we should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 

We used Isaiah as an illustration a moment ago; but he was a prophet; and we are made priests.  What is the difference between a prophet and a priest?  This will help explain our function in the earth, today.  A prophet represents IAUE to the people.  A priest represents the people to IAUE.  A prophet communicates to the people the fear of IAUE and His commands to obey His word and keep His law, and defines the consequences of disobedience.  A priest is an intermediary between man and Elohim and is committed to working to keep the people pure and presentable to IAUE.  The highest manifestation of the ministry of both the prophet and the priest is the way they live their own lives.

One unique responsibility of a priest was/is to offer sacrifices on behalf of the people. In the Old Testament, the priests offered animal sacrifices to atone for sins and transgressions, and to cleanse errors and uncleanness.

Yahushua is called our high priest.  He offered himself as the ultimate and final sacrifice for sin. Having been raised from the dead, the Scripture says that he is now seated at the right hand of the majesty (IAUE) on high and ever lives to make intercession for us.  This is a priestly function.

1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to IAUE by Yahushua Messiah.

Today, as royals, we are priests of the Most High; and we, too, are to offer up sacrifices; but not natural physical sacrifices.  We are to offer up spiritual sacrifices.  Yahushua has already demonstrated two of those sacrifices:  1) Laying down your life for others; and 2) Ever living to make intercession for the people.  Our opening verse for today shows us another sacrifice we are to offer.

1 Peter 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Psalm 102:18 This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise IAUE.

We are to praise IAUE…and not just praise Him…we are to SHOW FORTH the praise of IAUE.  That word in the Greek (exaggello) means to declare it, to make known by praising or by celebration.

We are of the royal bloodline, the royal family; and we are to make known the greatness and goodness of the Elohim that is worshipped and served by our King…by our family.  We should be known for this.  It is what royals do when they are also priests.

Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to Elohim continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

The writer of Hebrews was drawing his inspiration from Jeremiah 33:11, where the prophet was explaining that IAUE shall turn the captivity of His people and will restore them to their land, and will rebuild Jerusalem and the people shall be filled with joy, and his priests will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of IAUE.  Well, WE ARE THE HOUSE OF IAUE; and we are to offer the sacrifice of praise.  It is our reasonable service of worship as a royal.

It is interesting that we expect to hear Muslims openly declare “Allah akhbar” in public places; because we attribute that to the culture of their religion. Why is it that people do not expect to hear disciples of Yahushua Messiah openly praise IAUE?  It is because we have stopped offering that sacrifice.  It is not seen as expected behavior; and it diminishes our light in the world.  

WHO ARE WE - PART 3

WBS.258

WHO ARE WE? – PART 3

1 Corinthians 3: 10 According to the grace of IAUE which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Yahushua Messiah.

A few posts ago, we discussed having the right paradigm. That focused primarily on understanding that the spiritual realm and the supernatural manifestations that come from the participation of the spiritual world and the natural world are real; and have never ceased throughout human history. Understanding “who we are” as new creatures in Messiah Yahushua requires a reevaluation of our paradigms if we ever expect to walk in the fullness of who we have been made to be.

What is a paradigm?  In this context, it is the foundational ideas or beliefs that form the basis from which we interpret evidence.  It defines and limits our ability to draw conclusions. Let me illustrate by some examples.

When you look at the Grand Canyon, you see layers and layers of sedimentary rocks forming its colorful sculpture.  If your foundational belief is evolution, you believe that the Grand Canyon was formed by millions of years of erosion.  If you hold to a creationist’s point of view it is easy to understand that it could have been created within days, perhaps by the draining of the waters of the Noahic flood; or that it could have been initially formed to look exactly as it does.

When you look at a monkey, if you believe in evolution, you believe it came to be through eons of small genetic mutations from an amoeba to fish to land mammals to the monkey.  You also believe that eons later man evolved from that monkey.  If you are of a creationist foundation, you believe the monkey was created to be a monkey.

When you look at reports of UFO’s (perhaps you have even witnessed them live, yourself), if you have an evolutionary paradigm, you believe they must be visitors from another planet; possibly even our ancestral fathers who seeded us in this earth millennia ago as those amoebas that evolved into humanity. Alternatively, you may think they are black ops crafts developed from alien technology found in the Roswell crash in 1947.  If you have a paradigm rooted in Scripture, you may believe that are manifestations of the Watchers who, according to the book of Enoch, were released from captivity after 70 generations of imprisonment; or that they are interdimensional interactions from the Nephilim or Rephaim…or you might believe they are black ops crafts developed from Watcher technology.

Whatever is your foundational belief will dictate how you evaluate the evidence.  An evolutionist cannot see the Grand Canyon, or animals, or UFOs in the same way a creationist does.  It isn’t a possibility within the framework of their paradigm.  This is why it is so important to have a paradigm that is rooted in truth; because if the paradigm is false, so are all its conclusions drawn from evaluating the evidence.  A false foundation cannot have a house built upon it that is rooted in truth.

So far, in this series, we have discussed that we are “the lovers of IAUE,” and that we are “the obedient of IAUE.”  We have seen this in the Scriptures and have made a case for recognizing this is true; but is what we saw in the Scriptures just an academic presentation that we may or may not believe is true; or was it evidence founded upon a paradigm that produced life within us?  Was it life-giving?  Was it fruit-bearing?  Or was it just a teaching that was added to our learning; and is our paradigm simply the Christian culture and not the truth of Scripture?  Can you see the difference between the two?

Isaiah 29:13 Wherefore IAUE said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

We read this verse in our last post; but it bears repeating.  Much of Christendom is just people who have embraced a religious culture; and in so doing, they academically embrace the Scriptural perspective on things; but that isn’t the same thing as having Scripture define your paradigm. The religious culture defines their paradigm; and the culture is without an anchor.  It changes with the world’s culture as well as from doctrine to doctrine.  Many Christian churches believe in evolution. Many worship pagan deities.  Many celebrate pagan rituals and pagan holidays.  If the culture is the paradigm, the house built upon it cannot stand in truth.

Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Messiah:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of Elohim, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Messiah:

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Messiah:

16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Here we see Paul expressing his awareness of the conflict of paradigms.  Being taught doctrines upon the wrong paradigm results in an ever changing edifice.  Every new “wind of doctrine” being taught changes the way we think and behave.  We are marks just waiting for the con man to capitalize on our foundationless lives (and do not think for a minute that many of the ministers you see on television are not with deliberate predetermination doing just that).  Throughout Paul’s epistles, he is ever calling the disciples back to an awareness that there is only one paradigm for us…only one foundation.

1 Corinthians 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Yahushua Messiah.

The new creation is “in Messiah Yahushua.”  He is our root, our anchor, our foundation.  All that we are and have is derived from him.  Our ever increasing knowledge of him is what opens the doors to our growth and maturity.

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of IAUE, and of Yahushua our Master,

3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Master Yahusha Messiah.

When we were born again by the power of IAUE, we became something different than we have ever before been.  We became a new creation; something that did not exist before it happened within us.  What is that new thing?  We examined it in the New Man series; but there is an aspect of it we did not examine; and that is: we became a part of a house.

WHO ARE WE?  WE ARE THE HOUSE OF IAUE.

                                                                                                       

1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

3 If so be ye have tasted that the Master is gracious.

4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of IAUE, and precious,

5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to IAUE by Yahushua Messiah.

Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of IAUE;

20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Yahushua Messiah himself being the chief corner stone;

21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Master:

22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of IAUE through the Spirit.

Does your paradigm allow for your understanding that when you were born again, you became a building block, a living stone being set within the Body of Messiah to help form the temple of IAUE’s habitation?  You are a functioning part of THE temple of IAUE in the earth, today. As we grow in the knowledge of IAUE and of His son, Yahushua Messiah, our ability to love and to minister to the needs of each other in the family of IAUE increases; and that builds up His temple in the earth.  Yahushua is the corner stone who was rejected by his own people; but he has become the foundation upon which we are built into the temple of IAUE.

1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

We were immersed in the Spirit of IAUE when we first trusted in Messiah and bowed our knee to him as our Master and Redeemer.  That transformed us from being “old wineskins” to become “new wineskins” (Luke 5:37 NASB). Once a new wineskin, we were to receive and to be filled with the indwelling presence of IAUE’s Spirit.  First the Holy Spirit makes us worthy receptacles of His presence; secondly, He enters into our new receptacles.  That makes us living stones in a house that is the habitation of IAUE through the presence of His Spirit within us.

Is this how you think of yourself?  Do you contemplate as you come and go throughout your daily affairs that you are a living stone set within the temple of the Most High who is within you by the presence of His Spirit? 

We are the lovers of IAUE.  We are the obedient of IAUE.  We are the house of IAUE.  Examine your paradigm to make sure that you are able to be what you have been made to be.  These are not mere doctrines, academic teachings.  This is real; and we are what IAUE says we are.