Created for Holiness! (Part 1 of 7)

Hello Friends!

Welcome to a new 7-part Daily Devotions series titled “Created for Holiness!”

We were created for Holiness! Today we seldom hear preaching about holiness. It is not a popular topic for those preaching a false prosperity “gospel” message, a renewed allegiance with Rome or charismatic witchcraft from the pulpit. However, there is a thirst for God’s Living Waters – His Word – that cannot be quenched by anything or anyone else! Many true Christians lack peace – shalom – in the depths of their souls but don’t quite know what is missing. The answer is… HOLINESS!

Please join us over the next seven weeks as we learn more about this very important aspect of God’s perfect nature.

Created for Holiness! (Part 1 of 7)

What is Holiness?

 

Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness – Psalm – 29:2

Digging into Hebrew, the word for holiness is QODESH (pronounced Kodesh). It means something consecrated or set-apart for Divine service. Using the Law of First Mention, Qodesh first appears in the Old Testament book of Exodus in Moses’ Song of the Sea. It is expressed as a praiseful attribute of God:

 

Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? – Exodus 15:11

Holiness is the consummate quality of God. In the Torah, God commanded this word – Qodesh – to be engraved on the gold plate of the high priest’s crown (see Exodus 28:36). 

The New Testament book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus Christ is our high priest:

 

Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus – Hebrews 3:1

Holiness is His! As Believers, we have the Holy Spirit to enable us to live set-apart lives:

 

and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead – Romans 1:4

The Apostle Peter teaches us we can be partakers of the Divine nature to be set-apart:

 

by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust – 2 Peter 1:4

But what does that mean in practical terms? (NOTE: This is not referring to Salvation. This refers to how we WALK OUT our Salvation – Sanctification) The Holy Spirit equips us to avoid sin, yes. But what does the Bible teach us about gaining higher levels of holiness, true peace – shalom – spiritual power and true joy? 

Great question! Let’s find out next week…

 

Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s continued investigation of God’s HOLINESS!…

May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect love, mercy and grace!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

Blessings!

Shane <><

There Are No Small Parts

3 Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews. Esther 10

For never having really studied Esther before, digging into the book really leaves me with more questions than answers.  For starters, isn't the book named, "Esther?" Yet, in the last chapter, the title (at least for my version) is "The Greatness of Mordecai."  Mordecai is left with much of the glory, while Esther remains queen.  The last verse that talks about Esther is in the prior chapter, simply to state that she gave a decree confirming someone else's decree about Purim.

God has a plan for each of us.  We all have our parts to play and our involvement and our recognition will vary greatly.  The main story may not be focused on us (or rather, it may not be named after us), but we may have a crucial part involved with it.

We are all called to spread the gospel and share God's love.  Some people take this to mean that you have to go up to random strangers and talk with them.  A class my husband took in college at our church was focused exactly on that.  It gave people the tools so they could walk up to random people and have conversations about Jesus and what he did for them.  The very thought of walking up to a random person to talk about anything gives me sweaty palms.  However, there's a place for everyone.  I write these devotions on a weekly basis and publish them in three different places to extend to as many people as I can.  They're public, so we don't even need to know each other for someone to read them.  This is much more comfortable for me, and I feel that I'm much better at being able to write something slowly and delete (sometimes many times) rather than being put on the spot to think of things off the top of my head.  And my writings have led me to be able to talk with some of my close friends on an individual basis about my faith and to share more deeply with them God's love.

Everyone has been given different gifts for us to use to further God's plan. Some speak, some write, some act, and some do any number of other things.  The point I'm trying to make is that even though you may not be comfortable taking center stage, that's ok.  Find where you're comfortable and where God's leading you and use that for God's will.

Knowing What Love Is

Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
    and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
    nations in exchange for your life.
Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
    I will bring your children from the east
    and gather you from the west.
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
    and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
    and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
everyone who is called by my name,
    whom I created for my glory,
    whom I formed and made.”  Isaiah 43:4-7
  
My wife and I have this playful game where I will tell her how much I love her, and she will reply jokingly, “What is love?”  It is not a question that she says with doubt in her mind.  Rather, it is a humorous reminder of the love we share and at times a little jab for me to step it up with more courtesy, affection, gentleness, or anything else that might show outwardly how special she is to me.  I know that God loves me, but I have to admit there are times I am caught up in the ways of the world where it is not at the forefront of my thinking.  Thus, I forget what is God’s love for me.

The truth is there is no love as great as the love God has for us.  Today’s verses are like a short love note for people who openly wonder just how much God loves us.  There are songs written about love that beautifully express that emotion, but when I read the words of Isaiah 43, it leaves little doubt as to just how much God loves us.  The words that hit the mark include precious, honored, give, I am with you, bring my sons/daughters, everyone called by my name, whom I created for my glory.  Wow!  We may not be able to think of a love that rich.  Yet if we love God as He loves us, others will experience God’s love through us.

Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friend.” (John 15:13)  Then, He did just that for our sins.  We could not have a greater love/friend than Jesus Christ.  If you wonder just how much you are loved, remember the 43^rd chapter of Isaiah, and be renewed by the love God has for us.  How will you open your heart to God’s love for you?  Where can you share God’s love more with others?  My prayer is we can say Forrest Gump once said, “I know what love is.”  Amen.

Tues Devo: Approach to the Bible

Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (NASB)

Hello,

As I was reading this verse, I couldn’t help but wonder how we approach our time each day reading the Bible. It is through His word that we improve our fellowship, knowledge, and understanding. If His Word is to dwell richly and product a singing thankfulness in our hearts – then why the drudgery around reading? Why the attitude of “get it done”? Why the rush to get through it and move on?

I know this is short today – but I would challenge all of us to take a few moments and reflect on what our attitude is when it comes to His word.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill