The highest calling God has bestowed upon any believer is to be priest and king in His kingdom. God’s purpose in man’s redemption reflects His original purpose in man’s creation. God’s redeeming grace lifts man from his position of slavery and restores him to his position of dominion. The responsibility and privilege to reign with Christ as priest and king is not one that all will enter into. We do not all become priest and kings by our union with Christ; we enter into this high calling by virtue of our position as overcomers/bride/man-child/remnant/son. Many are called few are chosen. We don’t attain these positions because of our strength but through our total submission to our Lord Jesus Christ and the outworking of God’s holy purposes.
God’s expectation of the church of Christ in these last days is to be used as an instrument of His visitation and judgment upon the fallen world. The Lord Jesus fought and prevailed and has left the church to finish the battle. After the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, God told Jesus to sit at His right hand till He will make his enemies his footstool.
GOD’S ENEMIES
- DEATH. Wherever death manifests itself it’s against the will of God. Death must be defeated in the last days. (I Cor. 15: 25-26)
- Sickness is an enemy to God and believers. This is so because Jesus died to eliminate sickness in the life of His people. Sickness is death by installment. (Is.53:4)
- POVERTY/AFFLICTION AND SIN.
- RESISTANCE TO THE GOSPEL/ THE SPIRIT OF THE ANTI-CHRIST
- LUCIFER AND HIS AGENTS.
SYNOPSIS OF PSALM 110:1-4. PSALM 110:1 is one of the most quoted Old Testament verse in the New Testament. Jesus quoted the words of King David and applied them to Himself (Matt. 22:44; Mark 12:36; LUKE: 20: 42-43. They were likewise applied to Jesus by Peter in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2: 34-35). In this Psalm we see the enthronement of Lord Jesus in majesty and victory, His ministry and our security. In verses 2 and 4 we see the double ministry that Christ now exercises at the Father’s right hand and has be given to those who overcomes. As king, Jesus rules. As Priest, He intercedes: “He ever lives to make intercession “(Hebrews 7:25)
Verse 2 of Psalm 110 describes the way in which Christ’s kingly authority is exercised: “The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule in the midst of your enemies.” The enemies of Christ have not been finally subdued, but are still actively at work, opposing His rule and His authority. However, Christ has been exalted and given authority over them all. Thus He rules now “in the midst of [His] enemies.” How is this affected by the overcoming church? God the Father will send the rod of His strength out of Zion. Who is Zion? Zion is the overcoming church/body of Christ. So, the Lord will send forth the rod (Power) of His strength out of the house of God (overcomes). God is raising an army (chosen, tried and anointed) who shall constitute the rod of the strength of the Lord and their Job will be to rule over nations and execute judgments. Examples: Moses, Daniel, Jeremiah.
One of the characteristic of these last days army is a people who have made themselves ready as a vessel for His use. They must come to God freely and yield themselves to Him. Verse 3 says “The people shall be willing in the day of your power”. (Good News Bible “in the day you fight your enemies your people will volunteer”) Another translations says “your troops shall be willing on the day of your battle”
Now is the day our Lord is fighting His enemies. We have to let Him have our life to shape and mould it, to inspire and infill, to send forth on His errands, to commission for His service. We need to offer our wills to God so that we can be enlisted in God’s army. Examples: Rev. 12: 1-2. (1) Mary became impregnated to birth our redemption through Jesus, so also today, there is a body of overcomers/intercessors who are being “impregnated” to birth the coming time of transition (end-time intervention) (2) Esther (Esther 5:1-3) we don’t need to understand how and why. Rather, we simply need to “present our bodies as living sacrifice,” and obey.
GOD’S WEAPONS OF WAR (Jeremiah 51:20-23)
God told Jeremiah that he’s battle axe and weapons of war to break in pieces the nations and destroy kingdoms. God uses human agency to accomplish His holy purpose.
GOD’S STRATEGY FOR BATTLE (Jeremiah 1: 1-10)
- DIVINE AUTHORITY AND ENABLEMENT (LUKE 10:19)
- THE MINISTRY OF THE PROPHETIC UTTERANCES/SPOKEN WORD. God told Jeremiah that He has “put His words in His mouth” and that he should go use His words in his mouth to determine the destinies of nations and kingdoms and root out, pull down, destroy, build and plant nations and kingdoms.
In verse 4 we see the revelation that Jesus as Priest according the priesthood of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7: 1-2).
THE LAST DAY ARMY RULE BY PRAYER AND THE SPIRIT OF PROPHESY.
The overcoming church as the last day’s army plays their part in the double ministry of Christ. As kings, we rule with him. As priests, we share His ministry of prayer and intercession. We must never seek to separate these two functions from each other. If we would rule as kings, we must serve as priests. The practice of our priestly ministry is the key to the exercise of our kingly authority. It is through prayer and intercession that we administer the authority that is ours in the name of Jesus.
A man of prayer is a man of faith, authority, dominion and power. Prayer is declaring forth of the word of God and His counsel to situations and circumstances.