“Resetting Holiness!”

October 11, 2022August 8, 2024Leave a comment

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).

“And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean” (Ezekiel 44:23).

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children” (Hosea 4:6).

“Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16).

Resetting holiness. Has the church lost this all-important standard? Has the desire to become a seeker-friendly church (which I have nothing against) and the like caused us to shift our focus from how God calls us to worship, live, and operate?

Have we become like the temple that Ezekiel witnessed, whose people caused the glory of God to leave that place?

Studying Ezekiel 8, we see while there was “worship” going on in the temple, it was not God’s worship. The people who were to live in a covenant relationship with God were bowing down to false gods and giving themselves over completely to idolatry. The people who were to live pure and holy, a sanctified (set apart) people, their lives and practices now celebrated the things God called abominations. Things that were wrong and out of order of the true reverence of God were now being declared to be right and acceptable.

In that, I wonder how far the modern church has drifted from God’s holy standards and how close we are to being like those people of old. Those who “worshiped” wrongly behind the walls believing it did not matter and that nobody, including God, saw them (ref. Ezekiel 8:12).

While we may not be involved in those exact things, and while I have nothing against the modern uses whereby we usher in worship, I must wonder if in our coming together, we are coming in the right spirit. When David penned the words, “Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 29:1-2), I see in those beautiful verses what God deserves, and I must ask myself are we giving Him what He deserves?

Are we magnifying His glory in our building and in our lives, or are we chasing His glory away from the center of what we call worship, as seen in Ezekiel 10?

For God’s glory to be strong with us, we must be strong in God! God doesn’t want us to honor Him with our mouths only, but He wants us to live and worship Him from the heart (Matthew 15:8; Isaiah 29:13).

And, my friends, it is from the heart where the resetting needs to begin, a heart that longs for more of God. It is worship that invites His presence to come closer rather than repelling. We want God’s glory permeating the atmosphere as in the days of old when they were overwhelmed in worship by His presence in a good way (1 Kings 8:10-11).

But for that to happen, things must change. Wherever God’s presence is, things cannot go on as before. He is a holy God, and the environment where He resides must be holy. There is a transformation that must take place where the people worship.

God’s desire has always been to be near His people. And in Ezekiel 43, he sees a light of hope. Instead of seeing God’s glory moving away from His people, God’s glory is moving toward His people, toward His temple (43:3-5).

With that also came a message of warning: “And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me. And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile . . .” (43:6-7).

God cannot reside in an unsanctified place. The people’s responsibility was to get in line with what God wanted. For Him, there has always been a line between holy and unholy (Leviticus 10:10). There must be a resetting of holiness as the standard then, as well as now: “This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy . . .” (Ezekiel 43:12).

In all of this, you may be wondering how exactly do we go about the business of resetting holiness?

First, I must say that resetting holiness should always begin with repentance. God’s glory left the temple because of the people’s sin. Sin corrupts. Sin interrupts fellowship with God. Sin will prohibit Him from coming to where you are. They were to “put away” from them those things that defiled the place of worship (Ezekiel 43:7-9).

James 4:8 says, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded” (see also Isaiah 1:16 and 2 Timothy 2:21).

Then, there must be the restoration of proper worship. They had to do more than take the wrong things out. They had to bring in or adopt the right things, the right ways.

For them, the focus was on the altar and how it was to be consecrated, respected, and used (Ezekiel 43:13-25). They had to fully honor God in His service. They do this by honoring the way He prescribed things to be done.

How this restoration of true worship may look for us today is for us to refocus on why we are here, what we are doing here, and who are we honoring here. Answering those questions will help us to realign our purpose for being here, which all boils down to one complete, overall answer: God.

Why are we here? – God.

What are we doing here? – God.

Who are we honoring here? – God.

When we keep those three things in proper perspective, we reset holiness as the standard in our lives and in our worship, and the glory of God can take over the atmosphere.

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Father God, on You do I wait. . .

October 10, 2022October 10, 2022Leave a comment

God’s Word is my firm foundation and on the promises written within, I wait! “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.” Psalm 130:5, NIV

In God, we are blessed!

October 10, 2022October 10, 2022Leave a comment

Day by day, God helps to carry us and our burdens. His love bears us up and in Him we are blessed! “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.” Psalm 68:19

Today, You are held!

October 10, 2022Leave a comment

Friend, today you are held. You are safe and secure in the Father’s hand. Jesus said, “No one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand,” (John 10:29). Rest in the grip of God’s grace.

Rebuilding Ruins

October 5, 2022August 8, 2024Leave a comment

“And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.

Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it.” Ezekiel 36:35-36

Archaic and ancient, yet there is beauty within. Rubbled and ruined, but potential peeks through with the willingness to start again, to be reborn with purpose once more.

I must say, I am drawn to history and design in this manner. I love to learn about places of old. I am drawn to those shows and documentaries that feature taking these older places and structures, revitalizing them, restoring their ancient beauty, and making them livable and valuable once more.

If you are inclined to watch such programming, you will see that meticulous care is taken in the restoration process. And the older a place is, with more original features, the chances are the work that needs to be done cannot be done by just any rebuilder. Instead, those who are trained to deal with period pieces and materials are called in to work with their expertise on the structure to remake it to be as close to the original as possible.

God has always been in the rebuilding business. From the time of the Fall, and the Flood, and many points in between and beyond, though His people went through adversity, it was done with the intent of a new and fresh start from their sins and mistakes.

In ancient captivity, the children of Israel lived in bondage to the Babylonians due to their own sins and wayward ways. But God, in this chapter, looked forward to a time of restoration; a time of renewal for His people. A time and a moving that will bring glory to His name and not the dishonor that had been promoted by His people’s unholy living (36:21).

God was going to gather His people from where they had been dispersed and bring them back home (36:24), and the great rebuilding process would begin. Beginning with Cyrus (Ezra 1), followed by the help of other kings, God’s people would return home physically and spiritually, and the ruins would be rebuilt and lives would be restored in their relationship with God.

To accomplish this, God was going to give them a new heart and a new spirit (36:26-27). God was not just satisfied with cities becoming occupied again, but He wanted inner transformation. He wanted hearts that would make Him feel welcomed once more. A heart that would be in love with the Father and His ways once more. Those were the ruins God was most interested in rebuilding. The outward buildings were nice, but the new inner man who was being transformed, this is the real beauty God wants to see. To Him, this matters the most.

When David sought to be restored, he prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). He wanted to be restored to the Father because his own sins caused a separation. He wanted to be rebuilt from the inside out.

Today, our heavenly Father is still rebuilding ruins. Much like David, when a heart turns to Him in true humility and repentance, they can be restored. Jesus Christ became the way for this to happen: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16-17); “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

When we come to Him and accept Him as Savior (Acts 2:38-39; John 3:5; Romans 6:4), He takes the old us and makes us something new: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17), and we are ruins no more.

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3) – this is where the rebuilding begins.

The Sound of the Trump

October 3, 2022August 8, 20241 Comment

They have seen the plagues inflicted upon their enemies. They have tasted freedom they thought they never would have after their people had been in bondage for over four hundred years. Two months of traveling the road led them to the base of this mount: Sinai. The place where they would meet God and enter into a covenant relationship with Him.

Moses had his instructions to sanctify the people, the children of Isreal, and prepare them for this great meeting. Rules have been put in place and boundaries marked out. God’s commands for this meeting must be followed through correctly and He said, “When the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount,” (Exodus 19:13).

The time has come. With thundering and lightning enveloping the mountain (Exodus 19:16a), saturating it with the symbol of God’s awesomeness, then they heard “the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud” (Exodus 19:16b). God is calling for His people to come for this holy encounter. It was time for them to move forward to be where He is.

This event and these verses reminded me of Paul’s encouragement in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and the hope that promise brings.

First, we remember when Jesus ascended into heaven and the disciples were told by two angels, “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

Through Paul’s teaching, 1 Thessalonians gives a glimpse of what that time would be like when Jesus returns: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord,” (16-17).

With His dissension, every eye shall see Him (Revelation 1:7). And like on that ancient Mount, “the trump of God” will blow. Rather than calling His people to come closer to the mount, He will be calling His saints to come home, and again, we read, “the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord,” (16-17).

When the true King returns, it will be our turn to come closer to Him than ever before; to be where He is forever, never to be removed. No more hopelessness. No more sorrow. No more pain. No more heart-breaking acts, sicknesses, and troubles. All the worries, questions, concerns, and hardships of this life will be gone forever.

Are you ready for the sound of the trump?

Wanderer, Come Home

September 30, 2022September 23, 20223 Comments

Wanderer, come home. Find what you went looking for in the heart of the Father once again. As with the prodigal, His arms are opened wide waiting to receive you to Himself. Your return puts gladness in His heart. Today is not too late for your feet to rejoin the path of those who walk the road of righteousness. This path will bring calm to your spirit and peace to your soul once again. In the refuge of His wings, you will again experience true safety, comfort, and love.

Wanderer, come home and fall into the embrace of the One whose love for you is as fresh today as it was on the day you were born. He has not waned in His feelings about you. His greatest desire is to have you where He is for all eternity. Turn not away from that embrace. Turn inward to Him. Let His love wash over you. Let His healing balm restore you. Today is not too late. Turn to the shining Son and walk in His light. Feel the warmth of His radiant countenance smiling upon you once again.

Wanderer, refuse not His call. Refuse not Him who loves you so. While all people matter to God, you matter too. Experience His compassion of salvation offered through our Lord Jesus Christ. Please, come home and make the great return today. The Shepherd of your soul awaits (1 Peter 2:25).

“How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.” (Matthew 18:12-14)

“Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19-20, NKJV)

“What Would Jesus Say?” – part 3

September 28, 2022September 22, 2022Leave a comment

“The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.” Isaiah 50:4

Coming to the conclusion of this three-part mini-series, we see the importance of filling ourselves with the right words so that in return we will be able to speak the right words when the time comes.

In part one, we covered “the tongue of the learned,” and here we see the focus is on the “ear to hear as the learned.” While the tongue’s job is to speak the right words, the ear’s job is to focus on hearing the right words. One can never pour out of themselves what they are not taking in. A healthy lifestyle will not evolve from eating junk all day. It will only come by way of discipline to make sure the body is receiving good so that it can put out that which is also good.

In an article titled Watch What You Eat!, I wrote:

“What we put into our body matters. The foods we eat can either help or hinder our health. Sometimes, in our house, we stop at fast food restaurants to eat, but it is not an everyday occurrence. I value what goes in my body. Is every food choice the best choice? No, but I try to make it a point to have the majority of what I eat to be of nutritional value; to be something that will build me up and not tear me down.

Our spiritual lives work in the same manner. We are what we eat, spiritually. If all that we ever digest is the negatives of this world then we are robbing our spirit of the vital nutrients that can increase our awareness and spiritual health. The Bible says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,” (Rom. 10:17). What we assimilate in our being is what will be produced in our spirit and in our lives.”

And Jesus knew this very well. He did not allow just anything to dominate His hearing. Our chosen verse above focuses on this by saying, “he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.” It was a daily thing for Jesus to have His ear tuned into the Father’s mouth, to hear what He has to say, and express the very words He “learned.”

Many words came into the hearing of our Lord, but that doesn’t mean He was tuned in to them. Every voice wasn’t welcomed into His space. Every conversation wasn’t one He joined. Jesus knew, and we know that every message and every voice we allow to take up space in us is something that will fill us with positive or negative potential (click here for more).

Who are we listening to daily? What words are filling our hearts, minds, and world?

When people diet to gain a healthier lifestyle they know that there are going to be restrictions on what they can and cannot have. We cannot be positive, being filled with negatives. We cannot be supportive, being filled with hatred. We cannot be loving, being filled with evil thoughts.

Stand guard against what you allow to be fed into your hearing. For what enters your hearing enters your thoughts, and what enters your thoughts affects the spirit man. Today, make a conscientious effort to tune in to what God is saying through His Spirit and through His Word and tune out anything negative that speaks against His truth. Let Him be your spiritual earplugs (click here for more).

It may seem overwhelming to learn to speak like Jesus in this manner. But, if we take everything into consideration and then look at what James taught in his book: “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” (James 1:19), following this, may help us to learn to have an ear as the Servant (Jesus), and be able to speak with words of grace (Ephesians 4:29).

In these three parts of study, important lessons were learned about the way Jesus spoke. The way He spoke was governed by how He valued words and chose to use them carefully and in a healthy manner that was God-honoring. Jesus also used His words with intentionality and purpose. Never a stray word got away from Him. And in this third part, Jesus was able to speak the right things because He tuned into the right things, He tuned into God. His tongue was learned because His ear was learned.

Our words are powerful! They can be used to hurt or to heal; to edify or to tear down. We are encouraged to choose life with the words that we speak. It is up to us to take the high road and control what is coming out of our mouths. If we need help, we can pray the prayer of the psalmist and say, “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips” (Ps. 141:3).

This three-part mini-series is adapted from a Sunday School Lesson I previously published titled 4 Ways to Use Words Better. You can click on that link if you are looking for a deeper study on this topic.

“What Would Jesus Say?” – part 2

September 26, 2022September 22, 2022Leave a comment

Purpose. Purpose. Purpose. This is how Jesus spoke.

Continuing to cover this verse in Isaiah, we see that Jesus never used words in a flyaway fashion. With everything He spoke, it was either with a purpose, for a purpose, or to fulfill a purpose – or all three in one.

When we think of “with a purpose”, we can think along the lines of healing, miracles, and deliverances. Jesus, in those instances, spoke with the intent to deliver an individual from some illness, or spiritual oppression, or to perform a miracle such as the feeding of the five thousand.

When we think in terms of “for a purpose”, we can think along the lines of the parables He taught. In those instances, He spoke for His audience to gain a greater understanding of something, particularly Kingdom principles.

And, when we think in terms of Jesus speaking to “fulfill a purpose”, we can easily associate this with prophecies such as the one He spoke from the cross: “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Those exact words open the Messianic psalm found in Psalm 22:1.

Jesus used His words with exactness and preciseness. In this chosen verse in Isaiah, we see His words were carefully chosen “that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary.” The right words at the right time, especially for the weary worn, are a special kind of sweetness to a soul that dreadfully needs it. Proverbs 16:24 says, “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones,” and nobody could do this better than the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, “…the word that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life,” (John 6:63).

Becoming more aware of the intentionality of our words can help us to use our speech in a way that mimics that of our Savior. Words without aim tend to get us in trouble. The Bible encourages us that “He that hath knowledge spareth his words. . .” (Proverbs 17:27), while opposite that it warns, “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin. . .” (Proverbs 10:19a).

A wise person, Proverbs continues to teach, is one that “that refraineth his lips” (Proverbs 10:19b). Not only does this one refrain speech from being unnecessary and unprofitable but a person who acts with this sort of discipline can also be seen as one who will train their words.

Previously, I wrote,

“James gives us the best possible illustrations of the power of the tongue by referencing it to two things we can easily understand. In James 3:3-4 he writes, “Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.” Through these two examples using a horse and a ship, James shows that mankind has down through the years discovered ways to bring these powerful objects under control.

Both of these instruments are used for control. They both direct the course of which way the operator wants each to go, be it a rider or the governor.Both are great examples of how these large and strong objects can be made to comply with the will of him who is controlling that little, vital piece. If these little things under proper control can move great objects into obeisance at its master’s will, what more of the little tongue?” (Word for Life Says/ Don’t Speak Against the Destiny God Has For You!)

We may sometimes struggle with guiding our tongue in which way to go, but Jesus’ tongue was always controlled with purpose and aim, and just as His Father, those words were spoken with the intention to see them fulfilled (Isaiah 55:11).

We have the power to discipline our speech, to train our words in which way they should go. The Holy Spirit is our guide and if we are actively applying the fruit of the Spirit principles found in Galatians 5:22-23, the whole of our lives, including the way we speak, will have a good aim and be filled with good purposes.

How we direct our mouths is up to us. When our lips part to speak, may they speak the same way Jesus would.

This three-part mini-series is adapted from a Sunday School Lesson I previously published titled 4 Ways to Use Words Better. You can click on that link if you are looking for a deeper study on this topic.

Count Your Blessings!

September 23, 2022September 22, 20221 Comment

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:” Psalm 103:2

I love Autumn. To me, it is a season of tucking in. The air turns a little cooler, with just a hint of crispness touching you amid the fall breezes. Smells change as we turn from super floral fragrances to that of cinnamon, spice, and everything nice. Schedules, prayerfully, slow down a bit as the run around of summer dissipates and more time is gathered around home and family.

For me, the feeling of fall brings an added bonus. It seems that with the shifting of seasons we become more reflective and our hearts turn more to being appreciative of what we have and have been blessed with.

One day recently, things did not go according to plan. My schedule was shot and the things I had on my agenda for the day – well, most of them didn’t happen. But, as I spent time thinking about it, I just began to mentally thank God for all the things He did allow me to do. Although my plans went awry, I was able, in those moments, to be there for others, to support them, and help them.

Lately, I have felt a strong impression on my heart to literally count my blessings. Not by number, but by being more appreciative of daily things. The day may have been hard and full of work that was strenuous, but I thank God that I was able to work it. I may not have gotten the whole house clean, but I thank God for the small chores that I was able to accomplish. The food on the table may not have been food cooking show worthy, but I thank God, not only for the food but for the opportunity to serve my family in this capacity on this day.

In the little things, as well as the big things in life, there are so many reasons to be grateful. If we truly took a moment to reflect, we would readily say that God has been so good to us.

Life is going to happen. And while we are living, it’s going to happen to us all. Some days are going to go off perfectly, without a hitch, and we’ll feel like we can take on the world. Other days may feel like a constant struggle – just making it through – can’t wait until bedtime comes and bring this day to a close.

Whatever the day brings, may our hearts find reminders of gratefulness in it. Focusing more on God and the blessings that He has already provided can tip the scales, allowing the counting of blessings to far outweigh any negatives we may face.

How does Autumn speak to you? Do the changes of the seasons stir special feelings inside you?

Whatever this season brings you, I pray God’s best for you in it all.

Blessings ~

“Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;” Psalm 105:5

“What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?” Psalm 116:12

“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” Psalm 118:29

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17

Word For Life Says…

God's Word for Your Life Today!

Category: religion

“Resetting Holiness!”

Father God, on You do I wait. . .

In God, we are blessed!

Today, You are held!

Rebuilding Ruins

The Sound of the Trump

Wanderer, Come Home

More Inspirational Reads:

“What Would Jesus Say?” – part 3

“What Would Jesus Say?” – part 2

Count Your Blessings!

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