Created for Holiness! (Part 2 of 7)

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back! Let’s continue to explore the eternally important topic for the Christian Church today… HOLINESS!

Created for Holiness! (Part 2 of 7)

A Lifestyle of Loving Him!

 

Many think that being set-apart or having rules for our lives is restrictive or being a legalist or “Judaizer.” But it is not really about restrictions, it is about the wonderful freedom of loving Jesus Christ! After all, He does say:

 

If you love me, keep my commandments – John 14:15

If we really love Him, we must open ourselves up to Him, obey the Holy Spirit and do as He leads. Do not follow man-made dogma – follow the Bible! Be obedient! The beauty of Holiness awaits!

 

If we love our spouse, we love doing things for them – even things that may otherwise be tedious. Why? Because we LOVE them! True, deep love puts wings on the feet of service! So, what service can we do for our Heavenly Master? Many things. In fact James says:

 

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world – James 1:27

We are to help the needy and be unspotted from the world. How do we do that? Well, some of it relates to lifestyle – to our entertainment choices and even how we dress. I am not here to tell you what you need to do, because that is between you and the Lord. But I DO wish to suggest some guidelines. A lifestyle of loving the Lord should not include indulging in media that is full of sex, violence or the occult. Nor would it include listening to music that glorifies such things.

 

As to dress, neither men nor women should dress in a way that accentuates their sexual attributes. True modesty means not drawing overt attention to oneself in that way. 

in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing – 1 Timothy 2:9

It is about having decorum (a word all but lost in today’s vocabulary). It does not mean acting like a stuffed shirt, but does mean moving and relating to others with quietness and humility. I have seen men and women who claim to be “Spirit- filled apostles and prophets” dress like gigolos or harlots. Sadly, the world’s fashion sense is now in the gutter and too often the church is beguiled through fleshly, vain imaginations. Where is the godly leadership?

Beloved, when we avoid dressing in a way that draws attention to our sexuality, something amazing happens. Your inner beauty begins to shine forth! There is an amazing beauty that emanates from a person when they are pure and absolutely sold-out for the Lord Jesus Christ! We glow! His Light fills us! As Believers we should not conform to the world’s idea of beauty!

NOTE: I am not saying we have to dress like the Amish. However, if we dress just like the world, then we are salt that has lost its savor:

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men – Matthew 5:13

How we dress should NOT arouse those who see us! Ask yourself these questions: Can anyone tell I am a sold-out Believer by the way I dress? Am I setting a godly example for other believers to follow? 

These are great questions to ponder in our walk with Jesus Christ…

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 <><

Risks

16 “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” 17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. Exodus 1

Now that Esther's finished, on to Exodus!  I go through a chapter a week, so we'll be here for a while. 

I finished a very in depth study of Exodus on my own probably a year ago.  There's a lot that goes on in this book, so much in fact, that things are sometimes overlooked.  For example, the above two verses.

They wouldn't normally stand out to me, except I just finished going through Esther with you.  The fun fact that will stick with me about Esther is that God isn't mentioned in the book.  It's one of only two books in the bible that don't mention God's influence.  I brought up before that this leaves a lot of questions about Esther's relationship with God, and how willing or reluctant she was to do his will to save her people.  Yes, she did do it, but her motivation is unknown.

The Israelites suffered a whoooollle lot while they were in Egypt.  Everyone's familiar with the decree that all baby boys be killed and Moses being hidden and placed in a basket in the Nile to avoid this fate.  Yet that wasn't the first decree.  The first order went to the midwives and instructed them to kill the baby boys.  We are told specifically that the midwives feared God and they disobeyed.  They let those boys live.  Their disobedience and fear of God led to the second decree, made to all the Israelites.

I doubt that they knew the consequences of their actions, but they stood by them.  They trusted that they were doing God's will.  Trusting God means we have to sometimes go out on a limb and take a risk.  

Wrongly Accused

Have you ever been accused of something you didn’t do? How did you respond? Has anyone ever accused you, though, of being an enemy of God when you were trying to live for God?

Jesus was.

Matthew 26:62-65      ⁶² Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” ⁶⁴ “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” ⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶ What do you think?” “He is worthy of death,” they answered.

I have been wrongly accused, but I’ve never been accused of being an enemy of God. I can’t imagine what that would be like. I’m a follower of Christ, but I’m still sinful and could appear like an enemy. Jesus, however, is completely sinless and isn’t just a follower of God, but is God!

Jesus didn’t get upset, didn’t try to defend himself, and didn’t make accusations back (although they would have been completely just and truthful). He calmly remained silent. He only spoke when they charged Him by God’s authority to speak.

How do you and I respond to wrongful accusations? Do we get upset and lash back or remain calm? There may be times to remain silent, or at least until the other person’s anger has subsided. Or, there may be times when we should try to explain the truth calmly, without throwing accusations back.    

Alice

When To Say 'When'

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6

All of us have heard the serenity prayer, but just in case you do not remember, it goes like this:

God grant me the serenity

             to accept the things I cannot change;

Courage to change the things I can;

And wisdom to know the difference.

Thinking about this, the struggle becomes where does the wisdom part kick in?  One of the toughest things that we must do as Christians is knowing when to let God take control.  There are relationships that I will fight tirelessly to fix or situations that I spend seemingly endless hours trying to get done.  In my early walk of faith, my belief was if I just willed myself enough, it would get done saying to myself Philippians 4:13 (I can do all this through him who gives me strength).  As my spiritual growth expanded, I learned some situations called on my leaning on God as Jesus in Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  But which one applies when?

One purpose of our journey of faith is learning exactly when to say ‘when.’  One of the great truths that I have learned from leadership is that there are some problems that can’t be solved, and some tensions that are never resolved.  They are situations that must be managed.  Serenity is exactly like this, and wisdom is our experiences that allow for us to know when to drive and when to let God handle it.  Everyone's ability to handle a situation varies.  One person might be better equipped to handle a financial crisis, and another could be more adept at dealing with emotional distress.  It does not matter where you are strong or weak.  It matters to know what your limit is and when to accept God’s handling of it.

God is all knowing, and His wisdom is far greater than our own understanding.  Knowledge of this allows for us to trust Him in all things.  Through prayer, we gain clarity of what God wants for us, and we are able to know when God will either give us strength or require our submittal to His will.  How will your level of serenity grow spiritually?  Which sides of the equation do you need greater understanding; strength or submittal?  My prayer is that we grow with experience to discern when to say ‘when.’  Amen.

Tues Devo: What to stand on

Luke 6:47-49 “Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”(NASB)

Hello,

As I look around at people and society, I see people grasping for something to hold onto or stand for. We are quick to run to the newest cause. We sink our time, energy and resources into things which are not tied down to an eternal foundation. As you make a stand – what is that stand really for? Is it just because it sounds good and nice? Is it something that at quick glance feels friendly or tough to argue against?

These things look/sound good – but they are not enough. That which we choose to stand on/for needs to be connected and part of the foundation for everything else. That foundation is the Word of God, and acting on those commands. So, before you stand up for something, regardless of how things sound or feel – check if it is part of His foundation. Those things are eternal – and worth standing for/on.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

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