Prophet, Priest, and King

Hello, today my sister and I are doing our post together on Zechariah 6:13 which says:

“It is he who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he[e] will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.’”

God is talking about Joshua, the High Priest. He is telling Zechariah to make a crown for him, because he would be ruler. So Joshua would be the priest, and the king; he would also reign on the throne and build the temple of the Lord.

This is a clear picture of Jesus. This passage is pointing forward to Jesus, who would also be a priest and king. He would also build the temple of the Lord. But who is Jesus? And why is He important? Jesus is the son of God who died on a cross to save the world from sin and from God’s wrath! He is important because (1.) He is God and because (2.) He saved the world from our sins and God’s wrath!

Jesus is not only the High priest and the King, He is also a prophet! In the days of the Bible there could not be a prophet who was a Priest and King, it would give too much power to the individual. But Jesus is the King of Kings, the High Priest, and the last Prophet! He is King over everything and every person, He is the High Priest who intercedes on our behalf before God, and He is the Prophet who prophesied His own death and many other things in the bible.

Peace and love, Joy Cleveland and,
Grace and truth, Charity Cleveland

The King of Glory

Hello, God has given me something in Psalms 24:8 which says,

“Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord strong and mighty, 
    the Lord mighty in battle.”

David is asking who the King of glory was. Then he said that the King of Glory was the Lord, who is strong and might, and mighty in a battle. David said that the Lord was strong and mighty. He said that God was mighty in battle. David knew that God was mighty and strong.

God is mighty and strong. He could have put his wrath on us sinners. So, why didn’t he? Because He took His wrath out on  His son. Jesus came down and gave His life for us. He took the mighty wrath of God. Now those who believe in Him are saved.

Unbelievers aren’t saved. If you are not believing in Christ, then why aren’t you. Why won’t you come to the one who will save you, and make You clean, and pure, and loved. He will do that if you just come to Him. So, come to Jesus, and He will save you.

Believers should praise God with all of our hearts. Let’s love Him, and give thanks, for He has given His son for us on the cross, and He has given us the Holy-Spirit. Let’s praise Jesus for giving His life as an atoning sacrifice (1 John 2:2). Thank You, Jesus! Let’s give thanks with a grateful heart. Let’s rejoice in Him, and praise His Holy name.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for loving me so much. Thank You for giving Your very own son for me. Thank You, Jesus for saving me from my sin. Please help me to love You more. Please help me to rejoice in You. Please help me to be more like You, and please help me to long to read Your word, Lord. Please strengthen me, and help me to praise You with all of my might. Please help me to be more thankful for all the blessings You have given me, Lord. Please other believers to be strengthened in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Verses:

Atoning sacrifice, 1 John 2:2,

“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Beginning verse, Psalms 24:8,

“Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord strong and mighty, 
    the Lord mighty in battle.”

Peace and love, Joy Cleveland

How can I bear to see destruction

Hello, God has given me something in Esther 8:6 which says,

“For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?””

Esther: The King had given her the estate of Haman. Esther gave it to Mordecai. Then Esther came to the King again, and again he was pleased with her, and he held out the golden scepter. She pleaded with the king,  pleading that he put an end to the evil that Haman started. The verse above is her asking how she could bear to see disaster on her people. So, the King gave Mordecai the signet ring, and told him to make another decree in the king’s name, that seemed best to him, and then sign it with the signet ring. Mordecai made a decree saying that the Jews could fight their enemies if they were attacked, and that they could plunder their enemies.

Christians: Christians are saved. We are God’s people, and we are going to heaven. But unbelievers are not. They are not believing in Christ, and what He has done for them. So, if you are an unbeliever, then why don’t you believe? Jesus will save you, He is mighty to save. Why not be loved by God, and why not go to heaven? Why not come to Christ, and experience God’s joy? Why not have your sins be washed away, and why not be made pure. God will accept you into His family if you believe in Jesus, and are covered by His blood.  Jesus will save you, and love you, so why not come to Him to be saved? God will love you like He loves His own son. So, why not come to Him? Why not love Him? He is so loving and kind.

What to do: Here is one thing that we are to do as Christians: Go to Christ for refuge. Satan tries to destroy us in any way he can, but if we run to Christ, He then Christ with save us. We do go through hardship (2 Corinthians 4:8-9) but if we run to Christ, then we can find rest and refuge in Him. We need to go to Christ if we are feeling sad, He will comfort us. If we are angry, we can renew ourselves in Christ. He is always there for us, we just need to come to Him in times of trouble.

God: God is so good. He is there for us in times of need. He loves us, and He has given His son for us on the cross. Praise His holy name. Give thanks to Him. He is so wonderful, and merciful. Jesus has given His own life for us on the cross. He has loved us on the cross. Praise Him for becoming our sacrifice. Give thanks to Him for His loving kindness. “Praise God from whom all blessings flow”. Give thanks to Christ for giving His life. Give thanks to God for giving His son for us.

Application: How does Esther 8:6 apply to us? We were going to die in our sins. We were going to be destroyed. But, God had mercy on us, He made us His people by sending His son for us. Now, once we are saved, God will never let our souls be destroyed. No one can pluck us from God’s hand. God cannot bear to see His people be destroyed spiritually. He gave us the Holy-Spirit. God will not let Satan spiritually crush us. We are safe in God’s hand. We are protected in Him.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for loving us. Thank You for protecting us. Please help me to love You more. Please help me to draw close to You. Please help me to long to be with You. Please help me to grow in You, and be more like You. Thank You for giving Your son for me. Thank You for making me Your daughter. Please strengthen me in You, and please help me to run to You when I need help. Thank You for all the blessings You have given me. Please help me not to be proud. Please help me to long to read Your word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Verse(s):

Hard pressed, 2 Corinthians 4:8-9,

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Beginning verse, Esther 8:6,

“For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?””

Peace and love, Joy Cleveland

Anger subsided

Hello, God has given me something in Esther 7:10 which says,

“So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.”

The King: At the second banquet, Esther asked the King for her life, and for the lives of her people. She said that they would be annihilated. The King asked who had done it, and she told the king that Haman did it. The King went out to the palace garden, but Haman stayed behind, begging for his life. When the king came back in, Haman had fallen onto the chair Esther was reclining at. The King exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in my house?”. When he said this, they covered Haman’s face. Then one of the Eunuchs said that there was a pole 50 cubits high. So, the king told them to impale Haman on it. When he was impaled on it, the king’s fury subsided. After the death of Haman, the King was no longer furious.

Christians: Christians are saved. Jesus has saved us from our sins. He has given His life for us. But, unbelievers do not believe in Him. They are not going to heaven. So if you’re an unbeliever, then  why don’t you join us? Why don’t you become saved from sins, and live in Christ? Jesus is mighty to save, and He has saved believers, and we are going to heaven. But unbelievers are not. So why not join us, and love God. He can and will save you, so why not come. He will give you inexpressible joy. He will love you, and save you. Why not come to Christ?

What to do: Here is one thing that we are supposed to do as Christians: Love your neighbor, and your enemy. Haman had planned to kill the Jews, but he was the one who died. The Bible says to love our neighbors and our enemies. If Haman had bowed to God and told everyone else to do the same, instead of bowing to him, then he might not have died like that. We should love our enemies. Jesus loved His enemies so much, that He actually gave His life for them, to save us from sins. He has given His life to save us from sins. Thank You, Jesus! He has saved us from our sins, He has loved us, so we can love our enemies.

God: God gave His own son for us. He has loved us, by giving His son for us. Praise His name, for His life and salvation. Jesus gave His life for us, and loved us. Give thanks to Him with all of You, for He became our sacrifice. He gave His life as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. He loved us so much! “Praise Him, praise Him, Jesus our blessed redeemer…”. He has loved us so much. Thank You, Jesus. He has loved His enemies, aka us, and He has saved us so that we might to go heaven.

Application: How does Esther 7:10 apply to us? We were like the people. We were going to die. God was angry. But, Jesus came down to earth, and He took God’s wrath on Himself for us. Once Jesus had died, The King’s anger subsided. He welcomed us into the kingdom. He saved us by giving His son for us, and then He welcomed us into the kingdom of Heaven. He has saved us from sins. Jesus had never sinned in His life, but He took on all our sins. God saw our sins on Him.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for giving Your son for us. Thank You for putting Your wrath on Him. Please help me to love You more, and draw close to You. Please help me to grow in You, and be more like You. Please help me to long to be in Your word. Thank You for making me Your daughter, and Thank You for loving me so much. Please strengthen me in You. Thank You for accepting me into the Kingdom. Thank You for all the blessings You have given me. Please help me to be more thankful. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Verse(s):

Beginning verse, Esther 7:10,

“So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.”

Peace and love, Joy Cleveland

Plot against the king

Hello, God has given me something in Esther 2:21-22 which says,

“During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai.”

Conspired: Bigthana and Teresh were two of the kings officers who guarded the doorway. For some reason, they became angry and conspired to assassinate the King. but, Mordecai had been sitting at the king’s gate, and found out about Bigthana and Teresh’s plot. So, he told Queen Esther, who told King Xerxes, giving the credit to Mordecai. The King found that it was true, and thy were impaled on poles. Mordecai had saved the king’s life.

Christians: Christians are saved. We are made new, and are clean. Jesus has given His life for us on the cross. So, why not join us? Why not be saved, and be made pure? Jesus is mighty to save, so why not come to Him. He holds the key to the chains of sin, so call out to Him, and He will come to you, and save you.  He is so loving and kind, and He will save you.

What to do: Here is one thing that we should do as Christians: Build up the kingdom. Mordecai found out about the plot the two officers and he told Queen Esther who told the King, who put an end to it. Mordecai didn’t just forget about it, and let the kingdom’s king die. He told Esther, who told the King. We should build one another up. If we see one of our brother’s or sister’s stumbling, we should help them up, and walk with them.

God: God has given His only son to die on the cross for us. He saved us from our sins, so that we might become pure. Jesus gave His life for us. He became the sacrifice that would atone for the sins of the world. He took on the sins of the world, and died on the cross for us, after He was beaten beyond recognition. Give thanks, and praise Him. Rejoice in Him, and give Him all your praise. Praise Him with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. He saved us from our sins, so praise Him.

Application: How does Esther 2:21-22 apply to us? Bigthana and Teresh plotted to assassinate the King. The Pharisees did pretty much the same thing with the King of Kings. They plotted against Jesus, but no one stopped them. Jesus was crucified on the cross, and then put in the grave. But, on the third day, Jesus rose again. And later ascended to Heaven. King Xerxes was plotted against, but Mordecai saved him. Jesus, the king of kings, was plotted against and no one saved Him. He was put to death, taking all our sins with Him. He saved us!

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for giving Your son for us. Thank You for loving us. Please help me to love You more, and draw close to You. Please help me to have a thirst for Your word. Give me strength, and help me to grow in You, and more like You. Please strengthen other believers. Help me to rejoice in You. Thank You for making me Your daughter. Thank You for blessing me so much. Please help me to be more thankful for all the blessings You have given me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Verse(s): Beginning verse, Esther 2:21-22,

“During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai.”

Peace and love, Joy Cleveland

Bride

Hello, God has given me something in Esther 2:15 which says,

“When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her.”

Beautiful: Esther was beautiful. She won the favor of everyone who saw her. She also asked for nothing other than what Hegai suggested. She also won the favor of Hegai. The King was attracted to her more than any other. She was so pretty. But, she hid her nationality. The King put the royal crow on her head, instead of Vashti.

Christians: Christians are saved. We are going to heaven, out of our sins. Jesus came down to earth, and gave His own life on the cross, after being beaten beyond recognition, and then spit at, and mocked. Then, three days later, He rose from the dead, alive. He ascended to Heaven, and gave us His spirit. Now, we are free from our sins. We are now going to heaven, and we are saved from our sins, holy in God’s sight. So, why not join us? Why not be saved?

What to do: Here is one thing that we are to do as Christians: Trust in God. Esther only asked for what Hegai suggested. We should depend on Christ and His judgment. What Christ tells us to do, should be what we do. It’s not okay to say that you’ve done the good deed for the week. If God tells us to do something, then we should do it. God has given His own son for us on the cross. Jesus is the Good Shepherd that leads the sheep, so we should follow Him.

God: God is so good. He is amazing, and He has saved us. He is so good. He loves us so much, He actually gave His only son for us on the Cross. Jesus has given His life for us, to make us pure. He became a sacrifice for the sins of the world. Praise Him, and give Him thanks. Give thanks with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. He has given His life for us, so we can give our all for Him. He saved us from our sins. He has saved us!

Application: How does Esther 2:15 apply to us? Esther was beautiful, and the king put the crown on her head. We were sinful, and ugly in our sins. But, Jesus came down to earth, and gave His life for us on the cross, making us pure and holy, and beautiful. He made us like Esther, beautiful. Jesus has purified us, and made us holy in God’s sight. He has made us new, and has made us perfect in Him. He has given us His red robes of righteousness, and made us like Him. Thank You, Jesus! Like Esther, He has made us beautiful.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for making us holy, and pure. Thank You for loving us. Please help me to love You more, and grow in You. Please help me to be more and more like You. Please strengthen me, and help me to draw close to You. Please strengthen other believers, and send a revival. Thank You for giving Your son for us. Thank You for making me Your daughter. Thank You for doing so much for me, and for saving me from my sins. In Jesus name, Amen.

Verse(s):

Beginning verse, Esther 2:15,

“When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her.”

Peace and love, Joy Cleveland

Attacked, and shackled

Hello, God has given me something in 2 Chronicles 36:6 which says,

“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked him and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.”

Jehoiakim: Jehoiakim was an evil king. Here Nebuchadnezzar has come, and bound king Jehoiakim with bronze shakles. This is like a punishment for Jehoiakim, for his being evil. He was captured because of his wickedness. Josiah was a good king, and he had a long kingship, but because of Jehoiakim’s wickedness, he was captured and his son, Jehoiachin, became king.

Christian: Christians are free from sin. We were once captivated by our sin, but we saw a glorious and beautiful savior, who saved us from our sin. He became the greatest thing on earth for us. Those who don’t accept Christ are like Jehoiakim, though their life may be what they call nice in life, when they die, it’s worse than what Jehoiakim got. It’s hell. Jesus has saved Christians out of our sin. We were once like Jehoiakim, but we are now set free.

What we are to do: As Christians, we do things. Not grudgingly, but thankfully and willingly. We worship Christ, and talk with Him, and tell Him all about our needs. He is always there to hear what we have to say, and answer us. We pour out our hearts to Him in worship, and what our heart needs to tell someone.

Exaltation: Thank God for all that He has done for us. Praise Him for His good deeds. He is the Lord of lord, the Majesty of majesties, the King of kings. He deserves all of our worship, and praise. He is a good and mighty God. He has given His own son so that we might be saved. Jesus gave His life for us, lets worship Him.

Gospel: What exactly is the gospel? Some say the gospel is not important, and you only have the gospel when you’re a “baby” Christian. That is not true. The gospel is the basis of Christian living, when we feel sad, we are encouraged by the gospel. So back to the question, what is the gospel? It is that Christ, the Son of God, came down to earth and gave His life for us.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for giving Your Son for us. Thank You for loving us. I pray that I would draw close to You, and love you more. Please help me to grow in You, and run to You. Help me to talk with You more. Please strengthen me, and other believers. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Verse(s):

Beginning verse, 2 Chronicles 36:6,

“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked him and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.”

Peace and love, Joy Cleveland

Jehoida

Hello, God has given me something in 2 Chronicles 24:15-16 which says,

“Now Jehoiada was old and full of years, and he died at the age of a hundred and thirty. He was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple.”

Jehoiada: Jehoiada was a priest, the one in charge of the rebuilding of the temple. While he was alive, people rebuilt the temple, and reinforced it. Jehoiada was a good man, and when he died he was buried with kings.

Us: We are horrible, angry, spiteful, horrid, awful, hating, revolting, puny, pitiful, putrid, wretches. We deserve to die and go to hell. We are so horrible, that God can’t even look at us. We deserve to die and go to hell. So, why haven’t we? Why hasn’t God just wiped us off the face of the earth?

Jesus: Jesus is the answer. Jesus gave His own life for us. Jesus loves us so much that He gave His own life for us on the cross! Jesus loves us. Go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxTOsQ3LDE4 to hear oh how He loves us (1 John 3:16, John 3:16, and 1 John 4:10).

Application: How does 2 Chronicles 24:15-16 apply to our lives? Jesus is like Jehoiada, He is the high priest. Jesus died so much, for us. He gave His own life for us. But, Jesus didn’t die peacefully, He was falsely accused by man, and He died on a cross. Our high priest did so much good for us, and He gave His own life for us on a cross.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for giving Your only son for us. Thank You for loving me so much. I pray that I would draw close to You, and love You more. I pray that I would draw close to You, and run to You when I need help. I pray that You would strengthen me, and other believers around the world. Thank You for making me Your daughter. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Verse(s):

Love (1), 1 John 3:16,

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”

Love (2), John 3:16,

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Love (3), 1 John 4:10,

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

Peace and love, Joy Cleveland

New King

Hello, God has given me something in 2 Chronicles 23:11 which says,

“Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; they presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, “Long live the king!”

King’s son: The kings son had been saved long ago by Jehosheba, and now he is becoming king. The people are rejoicing, and celebrating. God had given them a new king from the line of Judah. When Athaliah heard the commotion and looked out, she cried, “Treason! Treason!” and went out, when she reached the Horse gate, the people seized her, and killed her.

Us: We are horrible wretches. We deserve to die and go to hell. We are so mean, cruel, evil, satanic, horrid, horrible, putrid, puny, lifeless, angry, rebelling, raging, viscous, wretches, that God can’t even look at us. We are so mean. So, since we are so mean, why haven’t we died and gone to hell? Why have we lived?

Jesus: Jesus is the answer! Jesus gave His own life for us! Jesus died on the cross, so that we might live. God loved/loves us so much, that He gave His one and only son whom He loved, to die on a cross in the world’s place (John 3:16). Jesus gave His own life for us!

Application: How does 2 Chronicles 23:11 apply to our lives? We were ruled by the devil, and we were lost in our sin. We were stuck, not knowing what to do. Then, God gave His only son to die on the cross for us, and He saved us from our sin, and He became our king. Jesus saved us from our sin by giving His own life, and then He became king over His followers, ensuring us a place in heaven. Thank You Jesus!

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for giving Your only son to die on the cross for us. Thank You for becoming king over us. I pray that I would draw close to You, and love You more. I pray that I would talk with You more. I pray that You would strengthen me, and other believers. I pray that You would draw unbelievers to You. Thank You for saving me from my sin.

Verse(s):

Love, John 3:16,

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Beginning verse, 2 Chronicles 23:11,

“Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; they presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, “Long live the king!”

Peace and love, Joy Cleveland

King’s wife

Hello, God has given me something in 2 Chronicles 11:22 which says,

“Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah to be the chief prince among his brothers, in order to make him king.”

Rehoboam: Rehoboam loved his wife Maacah more than any of his other wives or concubines. Maacah bore him sons. So, Rehoboam appointed Abijah (One of Maacah’s sons) Crown prince (chief prince) among his brothers, so that Abijah would become king. Now, Rehoboam had 28 sons, 60 daughters, 18 wives, and 60 concubines. Rehoboam had 28 boys to choose from, but he had a favorite wife, so he chose her son, Abijah.

Us: We are horrible wretches. We do not deserve to be Christ’s bride. We deserve to die and go to hell. We are sinful, and Christ is sinless. We are horrible, and Christ is wonderful. We are putrid, and Jesus is sweet. We are the sons of Satan, and Christ is the son of God. So why are we still alive?

Christ: Jesus is the answer! Jesus gave His life for us. Jesus came down to earth and died on the cross in our place. Jesus became sin for us, so that we might become the sons of God. Thank You Jesus!

Application: How does the 2 Chronicles verse apply to our lives? We are sinful, but Jesus came down to earth, and died on the cross making us pure and holy, and now the church is His bride. Now, we are Christ’s bride, and we are His only, and favorite bride. Jesus gave His life to make us His wife. Ephesians 5:25-27 says,

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for giving Your son to die on the cross for us. Thank You for taking us as Your bride, Jesus. I pray that I would draw close to You, and talk with You more. I pray that You would fill me up with Your Holy-Spirit. I pray that I would put on the full Armor of God. Thank You for saving me from my sin, Jesus. Thank You for making me a child of God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Peace and love, Joy Cleveland