King of kings!

As you go into your weekend, take with you the Truth that Jesus, your Savior, your Lord, IS the King of kings and Lord of lords.  Not only do we serve and worship a risen Savior but we serve, honor and worship the King!

 

Wrap your heart and mind around that fact as you prepare for worship on Sunday.  Though the following doesn't do justice to spending eternity with King Jesus...think about this:

 

Imagine you get home from school and there is this super official looking invitation sitting on your bed.  Your mom stands in the doorway of your bedroom and watches expectantly as you pick up the fine, quality, acid-free envelope.  It is an odd size, not your normal letter size or even Christmas card size envelope.  Your name has been elegantly written in an amazing caligraphy font you've never quite seen before.  You've no doubt it was hand addressed, not shot through some laser printer for sure.  On the return address you see an embossed seal which looks vaguely familiar, but is a crest of sorts and has some kind of crown looking thing.  You glance up at your mom and her smile widens.  You look back at the envelope and just KNOW this is something different, something important, something like you've never received before.

 

As you turn over the envelope, you find an acrylic seal over the flap of the envelope.  The signet impression upon the seal is of a lion with a crown on its head.  You recall in some European History class from school that during the time  of the monarchs reigning over England, important documents were sealed with the King or Queen's signet ring to assure the receiver that this is a legitimate document sealed by the royal hand.

 

"Coooooool...." you coo softly as your gingerly run your index finger over the hardened seal.  You look up again at your mom, who raises her eyebrows slightly as if to say go ahead open it already.

 

You don't rip open the invitation.  You delicately slide your finger under the flap of the envelope to preserve as much of the seal as possible.  Intuitively, you realize this is something you may wish to preserve for quite some time to eventually show your friends, future children or grandchildren. 

 

Your care is rewarded with a seal that lifts away, whole, with the top flap of the envelope.  As you peer inside the envelope, you find a crimsom colored envelope with your formal name handwritten again in the same elegant caligraphy on the outer envelope.

 

This inner envelope isn't sealed.  It lifts easily to reveal the contents within:  A formal invitation to an audience with the Queen of England, Prince Charles, Princes Harry and Henry on your birthday!  All details of your trip are spelled out lavishly indicating this is one special occasion and you will be spared no expense.  You are encouraged to bring your family and as many friends as you desire to celebrate this special event with you.  Arrangements have been made to provide you with a new wardrobe.  Reservations have been secured to transport you, via limousine, to the airport where a private, royal jet awaits your arrival on the date of your departure.  It appears every minute detail has been carefully thought out and all that remains is for you to accept the offer by formal reply.

 

Though this seems a fantastic fairy tale to you, in a very real sense, we have a much more lavish banquet waiting for us in eternity!  And, we have already been given a beautiful personal invitation to come to Jesus!  Don't believe me?  If you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, here is what He tells you in His love letter to you:

 

1.  We are fellow heirs with Jesus:

Romans 8:14-17 - (14) For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (15) For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" (16) The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, (17) and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

Galatians 3:26-29 - (26) For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (29) And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.

Ephesians 3:6 - (6) to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,

2.  We are sealed by God and given the Holy Spirit as a pledge of our inheritance.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 - (21) Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, (22) who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

Ephesians 1:13-14 - (13) In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, (14) who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Ephesians 4:30 - (30) Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

3.  We have a special place prepared for us.  All expenses paid.

John 14:1-7 - (1) "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. (2) "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. (3) "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. (4) "And you know the way where I am going." (5) Thomas *said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" (6) Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (7) "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him."

 

4.  We have a marriage feast to attend, prepared by God.  And a beautiful new wardrobe.

 

Revelation 19:6-10 - (6) Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. (7) "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." (8) It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (9) Then he *said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he *said to me, "These are true words of God." (10) Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he *said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

 

5.  Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

 

Philippians 2:5-11 - (5) Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, (6) who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, (7) but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. (8) Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (9) For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, (10) so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, (11) and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Revelation 19:11-16 - (11) And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. (12) His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. (13) He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. (14) And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. (15) From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. (16) And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

So my dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, go into your weekend pondering, thinking and meditating over these truths.  Come, ready to worship our King of kings and Lord of lords on Sunday.

May your heart be encouraged as you realize you are a fellow heir with the King of kings.

PlanetWisdom.com Devotionals

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Jesus Above All: He's the Son Posted: 07 Jan 2010 09:00 AM PST "For to which of the angels did God ever say, 'You are my Son; today I have become your Father'? Or again, 'I will be his Father, and he will be my Son'?" (Hebrews 1:5) Why is Jesus above all, including the angels? The writer of Hebrews continues to spell it out for us this week. Why does it matter? Because understanding what makes Jesus who He is helps us to understand and worship Him more fully. Most of us aren't used to thinking of life and power in terms of royalty. We expect power to be gained through votes or violence. But especially in ancient times, power was understood to come through the bloodline; it was handed down from your parents. If your dad was the king, you had serious power. Jesus alone is the Son of God, which makes Him the King of Kings. Even though angels are fantastic, powerful creatures, they don't hold the official title -- handed down both from God Himself and on the human side through King David -- of King Forever. Think: Why does it matter so much that Jesus holds both the position of "Son of God," as well as having God's power and glory? Pray: Praise Jesus that He alone is the Son of God. Do: If you go to church this week, listen to hear how often Jesus is referred to as the Son of God.