“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father–to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.” –Revelations 1:5b,6 (NIV84)

Throughout my life, since a young age, one question has been in my mind: Is every Christian a priest? As I look back on my 40-something years of life, I see that I have been on a quest to answer this question. When did this question get planted in my mind?  The question first appeared to me as a young boy, when I heard my mother and father discussing a letter my grandmother (my father’s mother) had written to them. I don’t know the full content of that letter, but know that it had something to do with how to raise children in the proper Catholic faith.

I attended the Catholic “CCD” (catechism) classes in high school. I felt a strong calling to be a priest. But there were two problems: I had no desire to perform the rituals and sacraments as the Catholic priests do, and I wanted to get married.

When I was invited to a Bible study at a campus ministry called University Bible Fellowship, I began to find answers to my question.  That was in 1987.

Since 2002, I have used this “priestlynation.com” website to tell my personal testimony of my faith in Jesus Christ.  Today I re-dedicate this website to that purpose.

I have discovered that every Christian is part of the royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:1-10) and every Christian does indeed have a priestly duty (Revelation 1:1-6).  John the Revelator wrote: “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father–to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.”

These verses from the Bible are the reason I chose “Priestly Nation” as the domain name of this website. It is a term coined by two faithful women of God who have been tremendously influential in my life. As I re-dedicate this website, I now have a more complete idea of my priestly duty as a Christian. I will be writing and blogging about the ancient Christian doctrines and learning from pastors and pastors of pastors so that I may abundantly give my talents to the service of my High Priest, Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians chapter 12 is especially relevant to the current segment of my journey of faith. I now pray to be a mentor and shepherd who can enable others to find their role in the body of Christ, serving out their priestly duty in the context where God called them, so that we may serve Christ together as one Body. I am now more excited than ever about my Christian life, faith, hope and joy!