Created for Holiness! (Part 6 of 7)

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back! Let’s continue our exploration of the eternally important topic for the Christian Church today… HOLINESS!

Created for Holiness! (Part 6 of 7)

Weaponized Worship!

Worship can be the most powerful form of spiritual warfare! However, there must be true humility, heartfelt prayer, utterly seeking His face and absolutely repenting from all forms of wicked, lawless behavior. No gyrations. No showmanship. Just utter sacrifice to and humility before HIM. There is an epidemic of lawlessness in the church that has allowed the world to turn IT upside down instead of the Biblical model of the church turning the world upside down:

 

But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too – Acts 17:6

True worship involves the sacrifice – in deep, earnest faith – of that which is most dear to us: our sin nature. The world calls this EGO! We need to do whatever we can to remind ourselves that HE is Sovereign and we are His bondservants. Our natural man needs to submit itself utterly to the Will of Jesus Christ!

 

Sometimes, it also means the sacrifice of a frequent expression of our ego – our words. We need to spend time in worshipful awe before the Lord and let Him minister to us as He wills. Remember it is about HIM!

Please understand, we need to so passionately worship Jesus Christ that we are driven to our knees by His love and beauty. Humility is needed to destroy our sin nature. We must cling to His Word with all our strength and such fierce intensity and devotion that the character of our lives will be transformed and become as His Character!

 

Thus, when we go out into the world, He will be ever more united to our being as the source and foundation of all that we think and do. We cultivate His Spirit in our heart and soul to the degree that ultimately, we might think and desire nothing other than what the Holy Spirit would have us think and desire. When we make this kind of devotion and worship part of our daily practice we take spiritual warfare to new, unimagined levels! True, pure worship is the ultimate weapon in our spiritual arsenal. Of course, this purity does NOT come from ourselves – imperfect vessels. It comes from the Lord! When we finally surrender and permit the Most High to come and shatter our egos, true worship can come forth in earnest faith and true humility!

 

Archaeologists tell us the alabaster jar that held the ointment used to anoint Jesus’ head had to be BROKEN in order for the sacred oil to be released. If we intend to bless our Savior with the deepest “oil” of our worship, we need to be broken open by the Holy Spirit. We need to surrender and be poured out! In fact, Jesus told us to be the salt of the earth – making others thirsty for the Kingdom:

 

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

The only way for our "salt" to keep its "flavor" is by being in complete submission to Jesus Christ through true worship.

 

Moses spent so much time with God, when he came back down the mountain his face glowed! We pray that all Believers would grow hungry for that kind of Divine intimacy – and spend so much time in the Word of God that their visage gleams with His glory!

 

Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s final 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 <><

Hiding the True Source

5 Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.”  Exodus 5

Pharaoh didn't let the Israelites go, not without a fight at least.  Was he really that vindictive?  Did he hold a grudge against the Israelites?  The reason why he didn't want to let them go was simple - Pharaoh was greedy.  The Israelites gave him a huge work force to generate money, and also an army should the need arise.  Letting the people go, even for a few days as initially asked, was going to cut into his resources significantly.

We all sin, and have certain sins that we can fall prey to easier, however people around you may not know it.  They may see something else as your vice, and not the underlying root.  There's no hiding them from God, as I've brought up previously.

If you have something that you hide, or something that you shift the focus of your sin to something else so it doesn't seem so bad, don't.  Don't suffer alone and in silence.   If you need a person to talk to, find an accountability partner, someone who can help you to grow in your relationship with God as you go through this.  And don't forget that you should also turn to God, be open with him and trust that he will show you the way to fight that sin. 

Taking Ownership

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.  The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. John 10:11-13

My family decided to take a short trip to Chick-fil-a the other day.  I admired how dedicated their staff was to making the experience a memorable one.  All of them were cheery, and they treated us like . . . well . . . family.  Yet, they are paid no different from other fast food employees, and while they are a Christian owned business, there are other faith based businesses that do not go the extra mile like they do.  So what’s the difference?  Maybe, they believe in something bigger than themselves.  They choose to take ownership for their customer’s experience.  That is far more memorable than the spicy chicken sandwich or the free drink refills.

We as Christians have to own our faith.  Today’s verses are not just about how much Jesus loves us.  It is also a challenge to us as followers of Christ.  We are to be people of deep faith that willfully depend on what God teaches when we are under attack.  We are not to be painted into corners by those who either focus exclusively on God’s law or disregard God altogether. Instead, we are to live with an understanding of the greatest commandment; to love God with all of our heart and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves (see Matthew 22:36-40).  Owning our faith means there are times we will not be popular and take stances others will not believe, but if we show God’s love through it all, we will be victorious for God's truth always wins in the end.

Believing in God is something bigger than us.  Jesus paid for our salvation in blood.  For that, we can choose to act like a hired hand and expect that He owes us something more, or we can go all out living for Him to make the world aware of His love, mercy, and wisdom.  Which would you choose?  How can you and I be more of an owner of our faith?  My prayer is that we truly take ownership of being faithful servants of God.  Amen.

Tues Devo: Make the choice

2 Corinthians 9:6-9 “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;” (NASB)

Hello,

I have this great tendency, to overthink just about everything! A decision comes in front of me and I will often find myself looking past the decision to the next 3-10 things that might occur, and then approach my decision with those hypothetical outcomes in mind. The problem here is of course that I don’t actually know the future (with the exception of the Lions will not be playing in the Super Bowl again this year). I am also aware of this – so I go through multiple sets of possible outcomes in my head – not just one. This often leaves me unsure of what decision to make, and unable to weight the decision based on the correct factors. When that happens I lose confidence in my choice and sometimes wait too long to make that choice.

When it comes to choices involving obedience to God we only hurt ourselves and doubt His ability to handle the outcomes if we go into this trap. The verses above are a great illustration of this. When we are faced with a choice of helping a little or a lot, God wants us to cheerfully respond as God prompts….then trust that His grace will take care of the outcome.

So, when you are faced with a choice of obedience to God do you fall into the over-analytical trap or do you just obey and trust God to handle the outcome?

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

Created for Holiness! (Part 5 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 5 of 7)

Key Distinction: Beware the Counterfeit!

Within many Charismatic and Pentecostal churches there is a practice known as “falling out in the Spirit.” This happens when a preacher prays for someone in a prayer line and that person then falls over backward under the supposed power of the Spirit. Beloved, this is neither scriptural nor what we have been discussing here in this series.

 

NOTE: NO ONE in the ENTIRE BIBLE ever fell BACKWARD under the power of the infilling Holy Spirit!

The ones who fell backward were:

 

The backslidden priest Eli, who fell backward and broke his neck upon hearing that the Ark was taken and his sons killed:

 

Then it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years – 1 Samuel 4:18

The unrepentant sinners of Israel fell backward:

 

But the word of the Lord was to them, “Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little,” that they might go and fall backward, and be broken and snared and caught – Isaiah 28:13

The soldiers who arrested Jesus Christ fell backward when He said His Divine Name I AM:

 

Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground – John 18:6

None of us would want to emulate these types of "experiences" in our Christian walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.

All the other examples noted in the Scriptures involve godly believers falling forward on their faces in the presence of God's heavenly Power! If you are seeing others falling backward – hardly a sign of humility – I would suggest that you question which “spirit” is doing the work and would strongly suggest that you do not partake in this activity!

 

Just to show how sad this sort of thing can be, friends have told me over the years how folks who “fell out” under the “power” in their church were not caught properly by the “catcher” behind them and actually suffered physical injury. In fact, in my past personal exposure to these movements, I too have witnessed - and experienced - much of this dangerous and unbiblical activity. 

Can this sort of tragic bungling really be the work of the Holy Spirit? I don't think so...

 

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 <><

What's in your hand?

2 Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”

“A staff,” he replied.

3 The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.”

Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it.  4 Then theLord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand.  Exodus 4

To sum up the verses briefly: God can do anything!

Do you really think that God didn't know what was in Moses' hand?  That God couldn't see Moses?  It was a rhetorical question.  We see only what's in front of us, but God sees all.  He sees all the things that are, all the things that were, and all the things that will be.  He knew that the staff would become a snake and that upon Moses grabbing the snake, it would turn into a staff again.

I love the part where it says Moses ran from the snake.  That shows two things, first, this was real!  There was no trickery where the light changed and the staff looked like a snake, there was really a snake there when there hadn't been one moments before.  The second is that Moses acted on instinct and didn't trust God.  This will continue to come up throughout the books to come.

Now to apply it to us, we will often see obstacles in front of us, and not know how to handle them.  Yet God sees the differently.  It may not be meant as an obstacle for us, but is really an opportunity for someone near to you to see how you follow God in your life.  We can't always see the entirety of what's going on in our lives, but we need to realize that God has it all in his hands.  No matter what he puts in front of us, whether it be a real snake or a figurative snake, God is still in control.  Our first instinct may be to run but we need to have the courage and faith to reach out and grab the snake when God commands.

Earned - Not Given

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.  James 2:14-17 

I remember when I pledged for my college business fraternity, and I figured it would be pretty easy because it was after all, a business fraternity.  Wrong!  Obviously I just plainly ignored the word ‘fraternity.’  That would all change as I was instructed to walk through a foot of snow on campus early on a Saturday morning.  Then when I got to ‘The job interview you never wished for,’ it was clear if I ever got through it, I’d cherish the moment I joined.  Then after initiation, a truth was revealed to me.  The things that are worth the most are never given to you.  They are earned.

We earn our right to be called children of God through our actions.  Many of you are probably asking what about God’s grace?  It is given even though it is not earned, and yet it is incredibly valuable.  Furthermore, works cannot get you into Heaven anyway.  While both statements are true, it is neither in the grace given nor the deeds that have the greatest value.  The greatest value is in the relationship we have with God through Jesus Christ, and as we have learned, no enduring relationship comes about without hard work.  We will fight with God and question His judgment.  There are times we outright fail Him.  But when true transformation happens, we realize just how much love and value there is gained.  That is why I say grace is given, but a spiritually growing, on fire, boundless relationship with God has to be earned.  No short cuts.  Nothing easy.  You do not just ‘get it.’ 

Being in a relationship with Jesus Christ is awesome!  He only asks that we follow Him.  None of us have to do it, and if we simply believe He died on the cross for our sins and rose from the grave, we receive the gift of eternal life.  But a true Christ driven and purposeful life comes with the pain, sacrifice, willingness, and strength to do all you can for the one who gives us life.  What transformative change is happening in your life?  What will you do to maintain your purpose driven life?  My prayer is that we work continually on our relationship with Christ because it isn’t just given.  It is earned.  Amen.

Tues Devo: Response

Psalm 101:1-3 “I will sing of lovingkindness and justice, To You, O Lord, I will sing praises. I will give heed to the blameless way. When will You come to me? I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart. I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not fasten its grip on me.” (NASB)

Hello,

Ever notice how often verses in the Bible about our commitment are preceded by statements about God? The proclamation made about walking in integrity, not setting any worthless thing in front of them, and separation from the actions of those who have fallen away is not just blindly there. If it were, there would not be a foundation for that proclamation – it would be baseless and susceptible to stopping whenever the emotions changed. But the statements in the first couple of verses lay the critical foundation. It is the recognition of the lovingkindness, justice and blameless-ness of God. Our actions and choices are responses to God.

But these choices and actions are easily stated – but not easily done. Walking in integrity is not a casual statement – it is all encompassing. Setting no worthless thing is just as much about the quantity (none) as the quality (worthless). And to not follow after those close friends who fall away – and not get drawn into what has drawn them in is challenging and takes discipline to continually evaluate your choices on the merits – not the doers.

The only thing worthy of such efforts is that which is perfect and unchanging –and that which has shown love beyond measure.

Difficult? Yup. Worth the fight? Yup.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

Created for Holiness! (Part 4 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 4 of 7)

King and Lord!

Jesus Christ is our Sovereign KING – He is the KING of kings and LORD of lords!

 

And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS – Revelation 19:16

Throughout the Bible saints fall flat on their faces in the presence of the Angel of Jesus Christ or in His perfect presence (see Deuteronomy 9:18, Ezekiel 11:13, Matthew 2:11, Luke 5:8, 8:41; John 11:32, Revelation 5:8, 14; 19:4, etc.)!

Let me emphasize that the more I have personally entered into worship of the Almighty in my private time of devotions – the more I really understand true worship of Him! This is both incredibly humbling and is a natural consequence of being a mere creature in the Presence of an All-Holy Father God – Woe is me! 

 

Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts – Isaiah 6:5

Remember the famous verse formulated for the nation of Israel:

 

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land – 2 Chronicles 7:14

Note the first condition – humility! Of course, this Scripture was written to the Jew’s of Old Testament Israel. However, we should take heed of this promise today. We must pray and seek His face. What does that mean exactly? It means if we really, truly seek His face, the power of the Holy Spirit will be so strong that we WILL be flat on our face before Him...

 

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 <><