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[ The Priestly Order of Melchizedek ]

“This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭7‬:‭15‬-‭19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Melchizedek is mentioned in Genesis, Psalms, and and a few times in Hebrews. (Gen14:18, Psalm110:4, Heb5:6…)

So what’s the significance of the Father saying to Jesus, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”!

Let’s start with a quick breakdown of the covenants.

Abrahamic Covenant / Promise (Gen12:1)

God swore to Abraham to make him the father of a great nation.

Mosaic Covenant / Law (Exodus19)

Blessing to the offspring of Abraham based on obedience to the law.

Davidic Covenant / King (2Sam7)

God unconditionally promises that the messiah would come from the line of Judah and become king over Israel.

New Covenant / Grace (Luke22:20)

Jesus fulfills the law (Mosaic Covenant) and therefore we share in the blessing of God’s plan to establish an everlasting spiritual family.

The law (Mosaic) made nothing perfect. It proved the depravity of the human heart, thus securing the need for an all sufficient sacrifice. Jesus is the lamb slain before the foundation of the earth, and He is the lion of the tribe of Judah found worthy to take the title deed of the earth (the scroll) to rule and reign in Jerusalem.

The levitical priesthood (order of Aaron) was established to stand between people and God in response to the Mosaic covenant (obedience to the law), but the priesthood could never be ultimately successful in its goal. This is why Jesus is our high priest after Melchizedek (instead of Aaron) because of His indestructible life. Jesus is completely without sin, and lives for eternity making intercession for us.

Because Jesus is our high priest after the order of Melchizedek…

1. We are no longer under the law (Gal5:18)

2. Our guilt is washed away and we are made holy as He is holy (1Peter3:21)

3. We get to inherit the promise of God through Jesus’ blood (John1:17)

Praise God for the priestly order of Melchizedek! Now let us not submit again to a yolk of slavery (law), but rather that we would walk by the Spirit and put to death the deeds of the flesh. (Gal5:1)

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[ Ephesians 4:1-5, Maintaining Unity ]

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism,”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The apostle Paul urges us to ‘walk in a manner worthy of the calling’ for the purpose of ‘maintain[ing] the unity of the Spirit’. This goal is achieved in 4 ways.

~ Through humility

~ Through gentleness

~ Through patience

~ Through long suffering (love)

We are charged to be eager to maintain this unity of the Spirit. (John 17 reality)

Sometimes it’s helpful to imagine the opposite extreme to give us a clear perspective. If we wanted to walk in an unworthy manner, thus destroying the unity of the Spirit, we would need to…

~ Embrace pride (self-exaltation)

~ Assume a harsh posture

~ Be impatient and demanding

~ Being quick to give up on people

I love positive prayers, I.E. praying for unity instead of praying against division. It takes our focus off the enemy and onto what God is doing in our midst. My favorite prayer for unity is Rom15:5-6.

[seth-e-brown-blog]

Hi, welcome to my blog! 🦉🌘🌄🇮🇱

My name is Seth Brown, and my number one desire is to grow in the first commandment, to love God with all of my heart soul mind and strength, and to proclaim the message of Jesus’ return with Biblical clarity. I believe that when the church grows in wholeheartedness for Jesus, even in the midst of intense trial, that will provoke many to see the beauty of Jesus and overcome offense at His leadership. (Psalm45:2)

Here’s some core convictions I have…

Man is by nature sinful and in need of redemption (Jer17:9)

Jesus (fully man and fully God) is the only way of salvation through His substitutionary death. No one comes to the Father but through Him. He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and resurrected on the third day vindicating His victory over death. (John14:6, Gal2:20)

To be saved, we need to repent (turn away from sin), and be baptized in repentance (water) and the Spirit. (Acts2:38)

God’s Word, illuminated by the Holy Spirit, guides us into truth that transforms our understanding, giving us the mind of Christ. (1Cor2:10)

The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are all in perfect unity together as three coequal distinct persons of the Godhead (trinity), and the gift of the Holy Spirit gives us deep relationship with the trinity. (John17:23)

The Holy Spirit empowers the church to operate in gifts that He sovereignly apportions. These gifts are meant for evangelism (proclaim God’s word), and to encourage the church. (1Cor12-14)

God has a plan to redeem the earth from sin. Jesus will return to Jerusalem (yes, the real place) to rule and reign as the Jewish king and messiah, and from Israel He will restore the Earth over 1,000 years. We are crucified with Christ and therefore raise with Him (resurrection of the dead), and get to participate in the Kingdom of God as coheirs. (Psalm2:6, Rev20:6, 1Cor15:54)

After the 1,000 years, the New Jerusalem will descend to the earth (heaven on earth) and the Father will dwell with us. Satan will be defeated, and eternity will begin. (Rev21)

I hold to a view of eschatology (end times) known as historic premillennialism. It’s historic because it’s the view of the early church, and it’s premillennial because Jesus returns before the 1,000 years. This means I do not believe in a pre-tribulation rapture, the commonly held belief that the church will be taken up into heaven before the tribulation period on the earth. I believe the church will go through this period with Israel, and that as the gentiles grow in wholeheartedness for Jesus it will provoke Israel to jealousy leading to mass revival even in the midst of intense pressures. The end times is a greater exodus, mirroring when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt.

So that’s a lot right? Well, don’t worry. The Bible is a big book, and there’s a lot of deep stuff in there. But when we seek God with sincerity He will guide us into living understanding and transform our minds and hearts in the love of God.

For starters, I’d encourage you to pray this simple prayer asking for the Holy Spirit to give supernatural understanding.

“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬-‭20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

No matter how far you’ve strayed, consider the nail pierced hands of Jesus as proof of His supernatural love towards you. No one gets to God by being good enough. You can’t earn it, so don’t even try. Just come to Him with all of your pain, trauma, brokenness, and shame, and watch what He does.

—-

psst… I write poetry. https://www.tumblr.com/songs-from-the-moon

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[ Revelation of God’s Love Towards Us ]

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The central reality believers are commanded to walk in is deep understanding of God’s affections towards God, and how those affections direct towards us, transforming every dimension of the human experience in the love of God. We are charged to ‘abide’ in this supernatural love that overcomes death. (John15:10, Song8:6)

The central storyline of the Bible is the love that the Father has for His Son (how God loves God). John 15:9 reveals that the intensity by which the Father loves His Son is the same intensity by which Jesus loves us who are in Him. In other words, to know how God loves us we need deeper understanding of the way the Father loves the Son.

The Father loves the Son by giving Him all things, the inheritance of the Earth. (John3:35, Psalm2:8)

The Father loves the Son by revealing all that He is doing. (John5:20, Rev1:1)

The Father loves the Son by giving Him leadership over Jerusalem. (Psalm2:6)

The Father loves the Son by affirming His beauty and by announcing His deep affection and pleasure towards Him. (Psalm45:2, Matt3:17)

God has promised to make us who are in Christ heirs of an eternal Kingdom, sharing in Jesus’ inheritance in the Earth and His leadership in Jerusalem. (Rom8:17, Luke12:32)

God reveals all that He is doing through the gift of the Holy Spirit that searches the mind of Christ. (1Cor2:10, Amos3:7)

The Lord has declared His deep affection and affirmation of His bride, first Jew and then Gentile. (Isaiah62:4, Song1:5, Psalm45:11, Rom8:15)

The deeper we press into these truths, the more wholehearted our love back to God will become in response.

“And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭37‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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The true prophetic connects us to His story.