Experiencing the Holiness of God

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in

 his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs

from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said:

"Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is

taken away, and your sin atoned for."

Isaiah 6: 6-7

Holiness


What image does that word conjure up in your mind? My earliest image of holiness is standing in a little country Baptist church. I was maybe five years old, staring straight ahead with my brothers all stiff and stale, my suit and tie choking the life out of me. In the same row were my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, each gripping the pew in front of them till their knuckles turned white. They sang "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty" at the top of their lungs with a medieval organ backing their trio.

For me, God's holiness was connected with the clock ever so slowly ticking out the remaining minutes of the monotonous message while I squirmed on the hard seat longing to be free from constraint. Do you relate in some way to that picture?

Possibly you think of holiness as a list of rules to freeze freedom and crush creativity. Maybe you have known some people who claimed to be fired up about holiness but there's nothing appealing about their legalistic lifestyle or plastic perspective on living a God-centered life.

That's not God's holiness. No human standard of goodness or man-made regulation of righteousness could ever substitute for a fearful and wonderful encounter with the living God. A true glimpse of His holiness rocks your world to the core. In fact, we are only prepared to comprehend the grace of God when we have understood His infinite holiness and our incredible sinfulness. Any presentation of the gospel which leaves out that truth is incomplete. It's the holiness of God that casts us upon His mercy.

Try to remember that next time you are tempted to gloss over a sin in your life. "Well, it's not that bad." Or "everyone understands." Refuse that rationalization. Allow God to grip your heart with this truth and you'll find you have no more patience for your own lame excuses!

God allowed the prophet Isaiah to peek into His heavenly throne room and glimpse His holiness like no human has ever done. And Isaiah was seriously laid out by what he saw. Isaiah's vision of this scene above the ceiling (see Isaiah 6) is one we desperately, desperately need in the church today. Why? Because it blows away the comfortable, manageable God we've fashioned for ourselves. It reminds us how small we are and how great He is. So great in fact, that He is unapproachable except in the ways He has prescribed.

Isaiah, overcome with his own sinfulness before God's holiness, experienced the grace and mercy that flows from His throne. Picture the scene in Isaiah 6:6-7.

So this infinitely holy, immeasurable, unalterable, unfathomable God says, "I've cleansed you for holiness." Think of that. "I want you to be like Me--holy. I've done what you could not do so you would have this incredible opportunity to be holy--now go for it."

I began this devotional sharing the distorted perception I had of God's holiness as a child. I had to learn that God's holiness is not some abstract character trait to be admired like a fine painting or an antique car. God's holiness draws us to purity. What God forbids as sin He does because He knows us. Every time God says "don't," what He really means is "don't hurt yourself." When we choose to sin we choose to suffer. All the pain and suffering in our world is the result of humanity rejecting this call to holiness. But you can accept it today. You can embrace the reality of God's transforming work unto genuine, lasting joy-producing holiness.
 
[via Walk in the Word]
Be Blessed!
Dawn

God’s Grace In Our Weakness

"Strength does not come from winning

Your struggles develop your strength.

When you go through hardship 

and decide not to surrender, 

that is strength."

Scripture Of The Day: "Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time He said, My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness!"   II Corinthians 12:8-

There are some who have gone through so much that their prayers aren’t as eloquent as they used to be. There is no concern for subject verb agreement. The poetic prowess no longer captivates the listener as it once did. All that has happened has zapped the strength, the desire, the motivation. After all of this, it’s all that one can do to cry out the name of Jesus.


We’re supposed to be growing with each test, trial and/or tribulation that comes our way. God would desire that we “grow” through life and not just “go through life.” There are far too many Christians who are simply going through life and not growing through life. The situation is the same. The challenge is the same.

You’re still worried about the same things with the same people. There has been no growth; there has been no change; and this stage of weakness is not the stage of weakness that God can work with and work through.

We claim we’re children of God. We claim the anointing of God. We claim to operate with the power of the Holy Spirit. Then why, pray tell, is there no growth? Why are you still in the same state of weakness wherein you’re not able to lift any more weight today than you could when you started this faith walk?

In our text, the Apostle Paul asked Jesus three times to take away the thorn in his flesh. Jesus simply replied, My grace is sufficient for thee. In other words, you are where you are, it is what it is, now allow yourself to be broken to the point where it’s all about God and not about you. It’s not by your power nor might, but by the spirit of God.

God knows us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made in His image; we’re brought to life because God breathed the breath of life and man became a living soul. God desires that we not live in a weakened state but have power to tread over scorpions and serpents. Power to overcome. Power to make it through. The word of God tells us that even in our weakness, that’s when his power works best.

So tell yourself-- I’m not giving up. I’m struggling but I’m not giving up. I’ve slowed down, but I’m not giving up. It’s taking me a little longer these days, but I’m not giving up. The vicissitudes of life have caused my vim and my vigor to wane, but I’m not giving up.

The apostle Paul was a man of great intellectual means, yet now a converted man of great spiritual means. There are many of us who could learn a lesson from Paul. He finally realized that it wasn’t about his intelligent quotient; it was about his spiritual quotient. He realized that his education didn’t matter, his economic status didn’t matter, his connections didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but his relationship with Jesus Christ.

In his moment of weakness Paul called on Jesus, who reminded Paul he must go through and must grow through. The message is the same for us today. Today, it’s an issue for you, but tomorrow new mercies you shall see. Today, in your weakness, you just want the pain to stop, but through that pain you’re growing. Today, in your weakness, you just want the problem solved, but through the problem you’re growing. Today, you just want peace, but through the turmoil you’re growing to understand that peace doesn’t mean the absence of conflict. Today, you just want the season of lack to end, but through the season of lack you’re growing to understand that the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.

There’s a whole lot of stuff to make you weak in the physical, but there’s a whole lot more to make you strong in the spiritual. So my brother, my sister, remember God’s grace is sufficient. There is power in your weakness.

(via Rev. Marvin Moss)

Be Blessed!

Dawn

Time to Clean House

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling

ourselves and not living in the truth.  

1 John 1:8

It is inevitable that when I wear white pants, I will have little marks and stains on them. I want to blame it on the fact that I spill because I am wearing white pants, but the truth is that I spill all the time. I just don't see it all the time. I think I spill as much on my jeans as I do on my white pants. It is just that white pants display dirt.

The same is true of sin in our lives. We can go through life thinking, Well, I'm not sinning that much, when actually we are. The Bible tells us, "If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness" (1 John 1:8–9 NLT).

I tend to be a messy person. My wife Cathe, however, is the polar opposite. She is always cleaning. She is constantly straightening things up. If we deal with sin in our lives the way I deal with cleaning, then it will build up until we have a spiritual crisis. That is because we have gone about it in the wrong way—the procrastinator's way. But if we are smart, we will handle sin the way Cathe handles cleaning, which is to keep messes from building up. That means constantly confessing our sins before God.

Maybe there is something in your life that you have tried to change, but you can't. Now is the time to ask God to clean house. Ask Him to help you. Don't try to clean up your life before you come to God. Come to God, and then let Him clean up your life.

(via Harvest Ministries)
Be Blessed!
 
Dawn

Love Defined

"If you love me, obey my commandments."


— John 14:15







What is love? The Beatles recorded the classic song on the subject, "All You Need Is Love," and then they broke up and sued each other. Various philosophers have expressed opinions on love as well. Plato said that love is a serious mental disease. Oliver Wendell Holmes, who was more optimistic on the subject, said, "Love is the master key which opens the gates of happiness." Another said, "Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence."



We are given probably the greatest definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13:


Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

The Bible clearly tells us that God is love. We don't have a greater example of love than what we have in God's showing His love for us. And we find the definitive statement on love in John 3:16: "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." So how should we respond? We ought to love Him back.

We can talk all day about love and how much we love God. We can sing about our love for God. We can speak about our love for God. But probably the best way to show our love for Him is by what we do. Jesus said, "If you love me, obey my commandments" (John 14:15).

(via Harvest Ministries)
Be Blessd!
 
Dawn

God's Clear Instructions

1) Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. 2) But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. 3) You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. 4) Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. 5) When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.” JOS. 6: 1-5 (NLT)


Joshua needed guidance as he faced one of the most crucial moments of his life. Because the Lord had promised him success in conquering Jericho, he knew the outcome of the battle, but as the day of combat approached, he needed a specific strategy for victory. What he heard the Lord say must have made his jaw drop.

Can you imagine the soldiers’ thoughts as they carried out this bizarre battle strategy? In confusing times like this, it’s good to remember three requirements for benefiting from God’s instructions. We need:



Faith to believe the Lord

Courage to obey Him

Patience to wait for His timing.

When God gives us clear instruction through His Word or His Spirit within us, our response shows how much we trust Him. If we truly believe Him and His promises, precise and complete obedience will follow. His victory in any area of struggle is available only to those who act upon His directions.

Submitting to the Lord’s timing is also an essential part of obedience. What would have happened if the army decided to bypass God’s plans for the first six days and skip straight to the seventh day’s march around Jericho? They would have missed the victory.

How often do we beg the Lord for guidance, yet hesitate to obey when He finally gives it? Living by faith can seem like a huge risk when His instructions make no sense or require a lengthy wait. But knowing His eternal perspective and unlimited power can strengthen our resolve to obey.

[via Dr. Charles Stanley]
Be Blessed!!
 
Dawn

The Sovereignty of God

Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God?

Should the thing that was created say to the one who

 created it, "Why have you made me like this?"  

Romans 9:20

There was a sense that something big was about to happen on the day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. The crowds thought "the Kingdom of God would begin right away" (Luke 19:11). Scripture does teach the Messiah will come and establish His kingdom on earth. That is still in our future. But Scripture also teaches, in places like Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53, that the Messiah first would come and suffer and die for the sins of the world. Yet that concept was largely lost on the people of this day.

They wanted Jesus as their king—as long as it was on their terms. They wanted a deliverer and a Messiah that would conform to their plan—instead of theirs to His. They wanted Jesus to destroy Rome—not their cherished sins or their hypocritical, superficial religion.

There are people like this today. They will sing the praises of a Jesus who will give them wealth, success, and personal happiness. But they recoil from the idea of a God who would ask for obedience, commitment, and sacrifice. They like God as long as He fits into their plans. But the moment He does something they don't like, they get mad at Him. It is okay to say we don't understand God. It is okay to ask God, "Why?" But we have no right to be angry with Him. And it is ridiculous for us to say that we are. Who are we to argue with God?

As Chuck Swindoll says, "God is able to do what He pleases with whomever He chooses whenever He wishes." This is called the sovereignty of God. We don't always like it, because it is not what we want. But God can do what He wants when He wants to do it.

[via Harvest Ministries]
 
Be Blessed!
 
Dawn

The Sound Of Grace

Great story!
By Milan Ford

I'm sure you'll agree that one of the greatest (and most familiar) hymns of the church is Amazing Grace, written by John Newton. I don't believe there has ever been a song written that captures the very essence of the transforming power God has over our lives as believers quite like that hymn.


However, I must admit that as a child, every time I would hear this hymn sung in church, there was one phrase that would always leave me confused. Just didn't make much sense to me.

"Amazing Grace,  How Sweet The Sound, That Saved A Wretch Like Me..." Wait just one minute! Did anyone hear what I just heard?

Amazing Grace...How Sweet The Sound? Huh?

Every time I heard that phrase I would look up and around at all the grownups singing, just to see if anyone was as puzzled as I was. Never found one.

Finally, I mustered enough courage to ask someone. But not just anyone.

I went to see Leola Ford (no relation). She was one of the senior members of our church's choir. Leola was somewhat of a source of inspiration for our church, and especially for me. Strangely enough, it was not because of her singing. But rather it was because Leola Ford...was blind.

After service one day, I asked her a question that my inquiring mind just had to know. She seemed like the right person to ask. The Question: Does Grace Have A Sound?

I remember the look on her face like it was yesterday. But more importantly, I remember the answer she gave me. It is one that has stayed with me for quite some time. Leola reached out to locate the top of my head, and as she gave me a few light pats, she leaned over and whispered these words: "Live A Little Longer, Milan. You'll Hear It."

While it didn't make sense to me then, fast forward several years, and I now understand exactly what she meant. Grace indeed has a sound.

It's the sound a minivan made not long ago, just as I slammed on the brakes to avoid colliding with that metal object that flew off the back of a truck in front of someone.

It's the sound of a wife's 88-year old grandmother blowing out the candles on her birthday cake last year, as she endures the inconvenience of dialysis treatment every week.

It's the sound ur new neighbor's keys make, as she opens the door to a home that someone else last summer no longer had the money to keep.

It's the sound of yet another grocery receipt being printing out, after my wife and I spent the night before racking our brains as to how we were going to fill the fridge.

The sounds of grace are all around us. If we as believers could ever become blind to some of the things we complain about regarding our lives, and open our ears towards a faithful God, we may be surprised to discover a symphony of grace and salvation.

God's grace is more than amazing.  It should be the sweetest sound we know.

Now we all can testify to a time when we were shown God's Grace, even if we didn't recognize it as such at the time.

Be Blessed!

Dawn