The Anointed

The anointed Christians are the ones with a heavenly hope - the saints, the holy ones. They are the ones chosen, by Jehovah (it is not for us to choose), to be resurrected to heavenly life and to rule with Jesus as kings and priests. They will rule over the restored earthly Paradise.   All the first century Christians had that hope.  Our Scriptural thought for the day is about the anointed.

Monday, March 21

This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood.—1 Cor. 11:25.

Those who rightly partake of the Memorial emblems are absolutely sure that they are parties to the new covenant. God has made the new covenant with the spiritual Israelites.  Galatians 15,16 says:   "For neither is circumcision anything or is uncircumcision, but a new creation is. As for all those who will walk orderly by this rule of conduct, peace and mercy be upon them, yes, upon the Israel of God."   This covenant has been validated by Christ’s sacrifice and has been made operative by his shed blood. Luke 22:20: "Also, he did the same with the cup after they had the evening meal, saying: “This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood, which is to be poured out in your behalf."  Jesus is the Mediator of the new covenant, and loyal anointed ones taken into it receive a heavenly inheritance. Hebrews 8:6:   "But now Jesus has obtained a more excellent ministry because he is also the mediator of a correspondingly better covenant, which has been legally established on better promises." (see also Hebrews 9:15)   Individuals entitled to partake of the Memorial emblems know that they have also been taken into the Kingdom covenant. Luke 12:32: “Have no fear, little flock, for your Father has approved of giving you the Kingdom."   Because they are in the Kingdom covenant, faithful anointed ones will reign with Christ as heavenly kings forever.   Revelation 22:5: "Also, night will be no more, and they have no need of lamplight or sunlight, for Jehovah God will shed light upon them, and they will rule as kings forever and ever." 

Memorial Bible reading: (Daytime events: Nisan 11) Mark 11:20–12:27, 41-44

Mark 11:20-12:27 explains the lesson Jesus was teaching his Apostles with the fig tree.  It starts: " But when they were passing by early in the morning, they saw the fig tree already withered from its roots..."      And Chapter 12 begins with an illustration teaching the same lesson:  "Then he (Jesus) started to speak to them with illustrations: “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a vat for the winepress and erected a tower; then he leased it to cultivators and traveled abroad.  In due season he sent a slave to the cultivators to collect some of the fruits of the vineyard from them.  But they took him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed..." 

I hope to come back to this lesson tomorrow.

The Captain and I shopped at Waitrose this morning, and (with my Membership Secretary hat on) I posted the publication a member had requested - and I also posted a copy of "Till they Dropped" to my internet friend Ash, along with some chocolates he can eat while reading it.   We had a roast chicken dinner at Jackie's last night- yummy - and she and Terry are coming with us to the Wetland Trust tonight.