The LORD's Day March 29, 2009

The Suffering Servant

Matthew 20.17-28

Isaiah 53 was about to be fulfilled.

Jesus and the twelve disciples were on their way to Jerusalem. This was the final time they would make that journey from Galilee up to Jerusalem. A pet peeve that I have is when people from upstate NY or New England say “Why don’t you come down and see us?” Or when they say, “Well have to come up and see you.” I explain when you are north of someone and you come south that is down, except in Israel with Jerusalem. Wherever you were you always went “up” to Jerusalem. If you were on top of Mt. Hermon, Israel’s tallest mountain way up in the north and you were going to Jerusalem, you would say we are going up to Jerusalem. A large part of this is because going to Jerusalem was looked as being a high and lofty experience. And it was You never forget the first time you set your eyes on that city even today. I remember when I did back in December 1988. It is almost indescribable

This trip to Jerusalem was to fulfill God’s plan for redemption. It was to fulfill many Old Testament prophecies concerning Jesus. It was planned by the LORD from the beginning. They were around Jericho now, about 15 miles from Jerusalem.

Jesus told these men what was up ahead. He spoke about His sufferings.

1. The Sufferings Of Jesus v.17-19

Jesus knew what was up ahead.- Palm Sunday... He wanted His disciples to know that the Triumphal Entrance would result in His death in a few days. He also wanted them to know that He would rise again. They didn’t hear Him.

Look at these sufferings:
*Betrayal
Judas delivered Jesus up treacherously. Acts 1.16 Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; 17 for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry. Jesus was betrayed by one of His disciples, one who shared in the ministry!
Jesus was betrayed by a kiss. Mark 14.43 Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44 Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely

*To the Chief Priests and Scribes Condemned by His Own
These were the ones who were in charge of the Temple. They should have driven the money changers and those selling doves out. They allowed terrible things to go on in what was to be a House of Prayer. The Word of God cut through their hypocrisy (it always does ). The miracle of raising Lazarus John 11.45-57 as well as other things Jesus did and said made them hate Him.

Handed over to the Romans, For a Jewish man to die at the hands of the Romans, the Gentiles, was a humiliating thing. Jesus was dying for them. He prayed for His Father to forgive them- this was for both the Jews and Gentiles putting Him to death.

*Mocked
They made terrible fun of Jesus. Mattthew 27.27-31

*Scourged Matthew 27.26
Done with a Cat of nine tails... jagged pieces of metal glass and dried broken bone. Lacerated the flesh. Some died while undergoing this.

*Crucified
Horrible form of death. The Roman Orator Cicero said that this was the most cruel and frightful sentence. It was inflicted for murder, banditry, piracy and most commonly for rebellion. The victim was normally scourged and made to carry the cross beam to the place of execution. The upright was left in position. Once the cross beam was fixed the victim was stripped and nailed in position. The cross usually had a narrow strip of wood on which the victim could sit by pulling himself up. This prolonged the agony. All the weight of the victim’s body would be on the arms causing death by suffocation.

He Rose on the Third Day

2. The Misunderstanding Mother and Sons v.20-23

On the other side of the cross when Jesus died there were visions of grandeur and dreams of great earthly power. This mom had her sons leave their nets and their father and the family business to follow Jesus. He had grown in popularity since that departure from their father and mother. Jesus had just made them an awesome promise we spoke about last week- about this. This mother being a typical mom in many ways was trying to help her sons achieve success. She was doing some politics here with Jesus- or trying to.

I remember being in a certain spot a few years ago and hearing a mother say to her son, “Go and introduce yourself to so and so. Get your face in his memory so when you apply for a job he will remember you.” The young man debated with her. I didn’t stick around to see the result. But mothers can be like that.

The wife of Zebedee went right to the LORD and knelt down and asked this request.

Jesus told her she didn’t know what she was asking. I think that is true of our prayers at times. It has amazed me how after a very spiritual moment someone can say something totally in appropriate. I am also amazed at the patience of Jesus and how He gently but firmly deals with such nonsense.

3. Greatness in the Kingdom of God v.24-28

The request of the mom precipitated indignation among the other 10.
They were extremely displeased.
- perhaps because they were thinking or at least wishing the same thing
-that their mother didn’t think of it first... or that they didn’t have a mother along to do that.
-that they thought they were the LORD’s “favorite”. They had argued about who was the greatest.

Once again suffering is the subject

The ultimate service is laying down one’s life.

Jesus said that no greater love has anyone than this that a man would lay down his life for his friends.

We give our lives to the LORD. We lay our lives before Him. We present ourselves as living sacrifices in view of God’s mercies- this is our reasonable service.

Jesus is telling us here that greatness in His kingdom is not in conquering and being a boss. It is in surrendering and being a servant.

I cannot get away from what He did for us When I look at Him life is in focus. In the church the greatest is the servant of all. To be like Jesus means you will serve

I always get nervous about people in the kingdom who demand titles before their names. I even get nervous when people want credit for what they do Jesus’ words:
Luke 17.10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'

It is a joy and blessing to be in the kingdom, to be able to serve the LORD.

Holy Week is coming.

Think about Jesus’ sufferings, God’s Grace
and the way to Greatness in the kingdom of God.

The LORD's Day, March 22, 2009

The Blessings Of Being Part of God’s Family

Matthew 19.16-30

Jesus was making His way to Jerusalem. The Palm Sunday Procession did not begin on the Mount of Olives. The processional actually began before they got to Jericho some 15 miles away from Jerusalem. On the way this rich young ruler (three things going for him or so it would appear) came running (Mark 10.17) to Jesus and asked Him about eternal life and how to get it.

When the man was told by Jesus to sell everything he had and to give it to the poor
he went away very sad because he had great wealth. Sad because of wealth. Money can’t buy happiness and many times money steals away the infinitely more valuable things in life. This man is an example of that happening.

He didn’t inherit eternal life.

Context- we may or may not have much money or riches but look at what we do have now and forever Fritz Chrysler, the great violinist, said, “The man who has everything and Christ is not a bit richer than the man who just has Christ.” We have spiritual riches and riches in relationships.

It is the relationships we have because of Jesus that we are going to look at this morning- God’s Family...

I love that is on the way to Jerusalem, to the cross. Jesus gives this good news, this blessing in the middle of that. In fact that is what made the family of God a reality

1. Jesus was talking to people who left family members and possessions to follow Him. v.27

I’m not complaining when I say this: For the sake of the Gospel, the for the past 33 years I have not lived closer than a 3 hour drive from my mother, father, brother or sister. Of course for some it is a 3 hour plane ride or a 3 day journey (Scotts)

The Gospel sometimes separates families. I understand that. This is where God called me. I can remember that call... for several years before I moved back here the LORD was making me restless, stirring up my heart. I would get out the map of Long Island and feel my heart drawn.

So in August 1976 when I left my parent’s house for Bible College nearly 2,000 miles away there has been this separation... I can still see my dad and mom in the driveway waving goodbye with tears.

But Jesus spoke of blessings that come to those who leave...

I have been the recipient of those blessings...
2. They receive 100 times back in family and blessings. v.29

I have a host of mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters today. It has been overwhelming at times in a good sense... a very good sense.

I have people who look out for me. Mom’s who watch over me. Fathers who speak straight to me and listen to me.

I have brothers who check up on me. Sisters who encourage me. Houses... all over! Orlando, New England, North Carolina, Minnesota, California, Texas, Colorado...China, Africa, India... because of the gospel!

All this reiterates that...
3. God has a family.

Ephesians 3.14 “... I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.”

You see inferred in these words by Jesus is that there is a family relationship in the Kingdom of God. I love it. He talked about the cross and death but He also talked about blessings in this life

God is the Father. Jesus introduced His Father to us in the LORD’s prayer when He taught His disciples to pray “Our Father which art in heaven...”

The way into God’s family is to be born into it by being born again (John 1.12-13)
Once you come in you are instantly part of a huge family with brothers and sisters around the world .

This family is faithful. Not perfect but on the way.
With all its faults the church is a faithful family. Once in a while we are let down because it is made up of imperfect human beings. More times than not the people of God demonstrate His love in all kinds of ways.

This family is forgiving. Sometimes it has to go the other way when there is unforgiveness, but most of the time you find forgiveness. I have seen what unforgiveness can do to a family. In a family feud there is always friendly fire in which innocent people get hurt . Romeo and Juliet.

For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

This family is forever.
I like what Paul says “in heaven and on earth...” It is an eternal family.
It is important to God- His family... Jesus on the way to Jerusalem talked about the wonder of it.
4. We often forget how valuable family is- God’s Family

Emotionally Healthy Families have certain components:
support, correction, love, honest open communication. No family is perfect and that includes God’s Family. Jesus put in the need for daily forgiveness because there are times we mess up. But in our families here on earth and with the Family of God we should do as Paul admonished the Corinthians. “Aim for perfection.” (II Corinthians 13.11) When we miss we forgive

Support comes in all kinds of way in God’s Family. Perhaps the most noticeable is in praying for one another.

Correction comes many times by living right, not by talk, although there are times when that is appropriate.

Love is the basis for an emotionally healthy family.
I Peter 4.8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Honest open communication is so important for everyone.
Speak the truth in love and Christian Maturity takes place. Ephesians 4.15

We are approaching Holy Week. We are walking with Jesus as we approach it in the same steps the Master walked.

An important part of redemption is the restoration of human relationships. The Church should be the safest place on earth to see those relationships be all that they should be.

Let’s be part of that wonderful process of seeing people come to Christ and those who come having their souls restored.

The journey to the feasts took place with extended families. That is why it wasn’t until they stopped for the night that Mary and Joseph realized Jesus was missing.
We are journeying to heaven together! Joy, Watching out for each other, staying together are things that make up this journey.

Families need to celebrate events and sometimes just being together! Let’s go do that this morning! Join in the fellowship of the family this morning!

The LORD' Day March 15, 2009

Jesus Is Coming Soon

Revelation 22.7
II Peter 3.1-14

In a few weeks we will celebrate what we call Holy Week, the final week of Jesus’ life on earth before He offered Himself up for us. He rode into Jerusalem being proclaimed King, He instituted the LORD’s Supper. He was arrested, tried by an illegal trial and He died on the cross, and rose again three days later.

All of these things were prophesied. He ascended into heaven. He promised He would come back and bring all who had believed on Him to a place He would prepare for them in the interim. We are in that interim now.

All that was prophesied about Jesus has come to pass and has been fulfilled. That is one of the reasons we read these words “... that the scripture might be fulfilled...” in the Gospels. There is only one prophesy waiting fulfillment: Jesus’ Return to the earth to put an end to evil and establish His reign here forever and ever. While we look into His first coming and the events of His final days on earth we also will find that He spoke often about the end- when He would return and for us as His people to be ready for that momentous event when human history is swallowed up into eternity.

Jesus is coming again.

1. Jesus is Coming Soon
quickly, speedily (without delay), coming- the idea of having been there once and returning!

We are told people would scoff when He didn’t come back right away. The church is
called on here in Revelation and throughout the New Testament to be ready always.
So let’s, look at this seeming delay in relationship to the fact He said He was coming soon.

*Soon in that it will come at the appointed day and hour.

Acts 1.7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority.”

The disciples forgot what He said about going away and in the excitement of the post resurrections appearances they were getting things out of line in God’s time line. They had thought Jesus might set up His kingdom right then and there.

This was not a new problem for Jesus. It had happened before. People even stopped following Him because He wasn’t setting up His kingdom when they thought He should.

God has a day and hour when Jesus will return.

Acts 1.11 “This same Jesus, Who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven."

We do not know when but it will happen at precisely the time God Almighty has chosen in His Wisdom and His Purposes.

We are told one of the reasons it hasn’t happened yet in the passage we read in
II Peter.

*Soon in God’s “time”.
II Peter 3.8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

When the Bible says do not forget it is because it is at that exact point we are likely to forget. In fact for Christians and the timing of Jesus’ Return, we are urged to remember that our timing and God’s working in it are often opposite of what we think.

For instance what takes man to accomplish in a 1,000 years God can do in a day (or less). What we think should happen now God may take a thousand years to accomplish LORD, are You at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? It has been 2,000 years and it hasn’t fully happened yet.

Do not forget God’s timing and you will remember that Jesus is coming soon. This is similar to the three places where Paul says I would not have you be ignorant...
I Corinthians 12:1 Ignorance about spiritual gifts
Romans 11:25 Ignorance about Israel- widespread This is key to God’s timetable.
I Thessalonians 4:13 Ignorance about those who died when the LORD returns
Unfortunately there is great ignorance about these things all over today.

So it is with the LORD’s Return and the warning associated with it- many believers act like He is never coming back. Others are indifferent to it and others are setting dates. Both of these are wrong and Jesus told us they were. We ought to be serving the LORD so fully that we speed its coming and we ought to be looking and longing for Jesus to come. This is scarce today. Do not forget:

Jesus is coming soon

*Soon as the generation Jesus comes in that reads this verse will have it literally fulfilled.

Revelation was written so it could be fulfilled from the time it was written and on up to the end.

Even if He doesn’t come in my lifetime and I live a full life. For me His coming will be soon. When life is done here on earth you enter eternity! I must work while I have strength God gives me. While I have time I must remember my times are in His Hands and my life will be over soon. Jesus is coming soon. If He delays it won’t be long until I will be with Him. We have had to use this phrase recently- “living with an eternal perspective” because there are so many things that can tie us to earth. Same old things Jesus spoke about but now just more numerous:
Luke 21.34 "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.


2. Jesus’ word to us about Revelation:
Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book

keeps = to attend to carefully, take care of
to guard
to keep, one in the state in which he is
to observe
to reserve: to undergo something

Now that we are done going through it what should we do.

*Continue to read it. We are told there is a blessing in doing this in the beginning and a blessing in the end. (1.3) Both blessings are associated with His Imminent Return.
*Continue to seek to understand it.
*Think about Jesus’s Return
*Think about heaven when you think about life.
*Think about heaven when death comes to loved ones.
*Remain Childlike in your faith
*Look for the LORD to come through the sky, for the sky to be rolled back like a scroll.

Jesus is coming soon!

The LORD's Day, March 8, 2009

Great Things Are Up Ahead

Revelation 21.1-5

We don’t think often enough about heaven. We are generally too earthly minded.

This earth as we know it is passing away. It won’t be long until we are in Revelation 21 for real!

General Motors has warned that billions of dollars in government aid may not prevent it from running out of cash if vehicle sales do not improve soon.
STOCKS HIT 12-YEAR LOW...
12 pct. are behind on mortgage or in foreclosure...
FDIC: Insurance Fund Could Be Insolvent This Year...

When the LORD judges we are told in Revelation 20.11 that earth and sky will flee from His Presence. He is making everything new. There will be, as we read a few moments ago, a new heaven and a new earth.

With this new order of things, there are certain things that will be eliminated.

1. There will be no more death.

Death- the separation of the body and the spirit.

*For loved ones.
The most difficult times of our lives are when we lose people we love. I have spoken to a few people (and I understand this) who would gladly take the place of a suffering family member.

Our losses are not things we get over but rather things we learn to live with by God’s grace. But when we see Jesus, when He comes, when we rise....
I Corinthians 15.54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
55"Where, O grave, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?
In heaven the sting of death will be taken away because we’ll be reunited with our loved ones and there will be no more death.

*No more death for people in the world. While we do not know people personally who die it affects us. Tragedy, accidents and wars will be no more!

*The animals and plants will have everlasting life. All of us who ever lost a pet know how that feels. I read recently that a dog’s only fault is that their lives are too short.
My neighbor told me that sometimes plants disappear. All of a sudden one year they are gone. Its true. Plants and animals die.

There will be no more death when Jesus comes because death is going to be swallowed up in victory. The Resurrection points to this wonderful time. Jesus rose again, the firstborn from the dead. We will follow!

And right along with death comes... mourning

2. There will be no more mourning.

Grief is a very difficult thing. The experience of it can be very strange. When C.S. Lewis wrote down the feelings and experiences of what he was going through after he lost his wife to cancer it struck a chord. His book A Grief Observed, became an all time best seller. Now over 45 years later it still is.

We were not create to grieve. We were created to live. Mourning or sorrow is a distasteful experience. Many times we are grieving alone. That is one of the things David rejoices in in the 23rd Psalm. He found out he would not walk the road of sorrow which leads to the Valley of the Shadow of Death alone. God is with us.

When we get to heaven however we will not need to concern ourselves with that path again! Hallelujah!

3. There will be no more crying.

I heard a missionary say, “What makes God cry... what makes me cry... when those two things move closer together Christian Maturity take place.”

Bob Pierce, the founder of World Vision and Samaritan’s Purse prayed this prayer and actually had it written on flyleaf of his Bible: “Let my heart be broken by the things that break your heart.” God answered that prayer and Bob Pierce was used by him but also broken as well. His daughter, Marilee wrote a book Days of Glory Seasons of Night. In it she chronicled the pain that came into his life and the tears to the whole family. It made me cry when I read it.

There are things we have cried over in our lives. There are things that are heart breaking today. Some of us relate to the song “In Your Loving Arms” or the new one we are doing Keep On Believing because we are crying these days.

In heaven there will be no more crying.

4. There will be no more pain.

This word can mean great trouble or physical pain. We know there will not be any death or dying. There will no longer be any sickness. No more cancer! Paul Harvey, the news commentator, died last week. He said that he wanted to live to report two great events: The cure for cancer and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
He didn’t get to do either one. I wonder if the two will be simultaneous!

Disabilities will end in heaven. Isaiah 35.5-6 No more disabilities and no more cancer! No more pain.

5. There will be a New Jerusalem.

The writer of Hebrews speak of Abraham in reference to this it : (11.10) he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

There will be a New Jerusalem. It will not have a temple. There will be no need of one! v.22 because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The Lamb has been slain, Our sins and all of those their in heaven have been atoned for and we are now like Christ- we have new bodies. No more sin.

6. The LORD and the church will be together. v.9

The marriage supper has taken place and now the church, the bride of Christ, is with the LORD, her husband. We are with Jesus!

We gather together on the LORD’s Day and throughout the week. The church is together. It is a good time, a blessed time. It is a foretaste of what is going to happen when we all get to heaven. We will be together forever. Let’s continue to love each other deeply now! Let’s not be like that verse:

To live above with saints we love, O that will be glory!
But to live below with saints we know, well that’s another story!

7. God will be with us.

He will wipe every tear from the eyes of His people.

He is with us now and we are so thankful for His Presence. He will be with us and we will be with Him and the reality of heaven is that the glass we see through darkly or dimly will be taken away and we will see face to face. Oh what a day that will be!

There are numbers of exhortations about heaven:

Hebrews 12.28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe

I John 3.2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears,[a]we shall be like him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

The LORD's Day, March 1, 2009

Eternal Life Through Jesus

Revelation 20.6

People all around the world today need hope.

TARGET profit falls 41%...
MACY'S reports 59% drop...
OFFICE DEPOT shows $1.5B loss...
Home prices post record decline...sales sink to 12 year low.
Consumer Confidence Collapsed to Record Low in February...

We hope things will rebound. But we also hope that these times will be used by the LORD to Draw people to Him. II Chronicles 7.13-14

He is our hope. II Corinthians 1.10 On Him we have set our hope
Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus‘ blood and righteousness.

This section of Revelation speaks of The Millennium or 1,000 years reign of Jesus on the earth before the final judgement takes place. This will be a time when this earth gets what God intended from the beginning: peace, harmony and tranquility among other things.

Jesus will reign. Revelation never loses touch with the personal nature of salvation.

Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

The ones who have eternal life will be a part of that 1,000 years reign of Christ Jesus. We will reign with Him as priests. We are told it that those who are involved in this are:

1. Blessed

Those who have know Jesus as their Savior are blessed.

*They are blessed as they look back.
Spiritual Legacy- Seeing how the LORD worked in all of us to bring us to salvation. Our story. The people He had us meet. The family we were born into.

They are blessed now.
We have Hope. Our hope is built on Jesus not on the U.S. Economy or World’s
We have Faith. No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you
We have Love.

They are blessed forever II Samuel 7.29
With Jesus forever and ever. With Him in His Father’s House!
We’ll talk about this more the next few weeks. It is so wonderful!

The first resurrection is spoken about by Paul in his letter to the (I Thessalonians 4.13-18).

2. Holy

Eternal Life through Jesus is living a holy life. We cannot do it without Him.
Here is the fulfillment of Hebrews 12.14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Those around God’s throne in the end will be those who have been holy.

What about all the imperfections and places where I need to grow? When we see Christ we will be like Him I Corinthians 13.9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

I John 3.2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

Live as close to the LORD as you can now. Make every effort to be holy. Don’t be discouraged at the areas where you still need to grow. I read this week in Luke 6 that we are to be merciful as our Father in heaven is merciful. I stopped reading. I prayed. I know I have a long long way to go. But that is it- I am on the way.
I’m not all I am going to be but thank God I am not what I used to be

I’m encouraged by Paul’s words in Philippians 3.12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. I am in a race and I am going to finish victoriously All who have Jesus as their Savior have this hope. Holy living brings hope!


3. Life Eternal

Free from the power of death. Ponce de Leon searched for the fountain of youth in Florida so a story goes. Life Eternal is not finding the fountain of youth. It is far better than that I was sent an e-mail that spoke this week of the Fountain of Youth in some pills you could take and it would restore your youthfulness. Those who wait on the LORD will renew their strength. People are trying to stay young. But Eternal life is much more than staying young in this life. Life Eternal is a quality as well as a quantity of life. It is the life of God coming into a human being.

The rich young ruler’s question was a deep one: Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Mark 10.17

The Philippian Jailer asked the same question: Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
Acts 16.30

Life Eternal is something you get now-
I John 5.12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

And something you will inherit:
Ephesians 1.13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of His glory.

4. Priests

Revelation 5.9 and they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.

Exactly what the role of priests will be during this 1,000 years I am not sure. We are a royal priesthood (I Peter 2.9) But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. It could just be referring to the praising that is spoken about here in this passage. At the very least it will be that. We could give the LORD the praise for our salvation for 1,000 years and just get started. We will praise Him in eternity.

5. Ruling and Reigning with Christ

This is the time the LORD will restore the kingdom to Israel. The disciples asked Him if He was going to do that back in Acts 1. He said it wasn’t for them to know the times or the dates. This is it

I Timothy 6.12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. Paul is probably speaking of Timothy’s baptism here.

Life Eternal with Jesus means that we will rule and reign with Him on the earth.

Batman in the 60's Stay tuned- the worst is yet to come
For the believer keep on believing- the best is yet to come
Maranatha, Come LORD Jesus!