4-30-2022 Devotion: Providence

 Isaiah 46: 10: "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." We will spend a few days on the Sovereignty of God. This subject embraces topics such as miracles, providence, free will and others. The verse can be paraphrased as "What I say goes, I will do what I want. No one can stop Me." The Bible teaches that God is at work in everything that happens and nothing occurs outside of at least His permissive will. Permissive will means that if something occurs, God at least tacitly permitted it because it occurred. Everything occurs so that God will accomplish His own ends. Two words are used to describe God's work: miracles and providence. A miracle is when God suspends natural law and intervenes supernaturally. Providence is when He takes natural events, millions and millions seemingly unconnected and puts them together to create what He wants, without violating natural laws or human actions. As you go about your day, watch how things just work together. God is at work in everything happening. His way is Perfect. 

4-29-2022 Devotion: Bring It

 Mark 1: 1: "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God...." What is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ? The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, or the Gospel of God, is the fact that Christ died on the cross as our Substitute, was buried as our Scapegoat, rose as our Justifier, and is revealed to the heart by the Holy Spirit. The Gospel is good news only to a guilty, lost sinner. If a sinner never stands before God guilty, with his mouth shut, which indicates he acknowledges he is guilty, the Gospel never becomes good news to that individual. In the average congregation today, you do not find guilty sinners. For a sinner to be awakened to the fact he is lost is something unheard of in the average church. They have played church so long, and folks have gotten used to playing church, until they do not want anything else. Then when Holy Spirit conviction falls upon that audience, rebellion against God and His Word begins to be manifested. They have played church so long in their empty religious profession, until when a lost sinner comes into their midst, it is something unheard of. In the average seminary and Bible school they know nothing about lost sinners, or sinners being awakened to their lost condition. We need to stand for truth, speak the truth, and uphold the truth. When we do so, we will be persecuted. Stand against LGBT, homosexual marriage or abortion and you will feel the wrath of sinners. I say, "Bring it!"

4-28-2022 Devotion: Know So

 Ezekiel 18: 4: "Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die." The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ recognizes that the sinner is under the law, has transgressed the law, and God's Word says, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die" (Ezek. 18:4). The Gospel recognizes every sinner as guilty, judged guilty, and the sentence is death, but the Gospel has made provision for that guilty sinner in the death and resurrection of our blessed Lord. Christ died for guilty sinners, but the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus means nothing to that sinner who has never been convicted by the Holy Spirit and made to see and made to feel the keen sword of justice and the sword of total depravity in the depths of his own heart. That sinner will continue to play church until he sees the depths of wickedness in his own heart, and that his own soul is just a bottomless pit of Hell. The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ recognizes the totally-depraved condition of every man and does not seek to mend or add to or make over or renovate that life, but the Gospel demands and gives a new creation in Christ Jesus. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to make the blessings of the atonement effective and real in the hearts of God's children. But the average church member today has no clear concept of salvation in Christ: it's a "hope so," a "maybe so," a "think so;" and they live under the supposition that maybe they will be saved and go to Heaven when they die. The good news, no the great news, is that you can know for sure that you are born again and headed to heaven for all eternity. Make sure He is your Lord and Savior!

4-27-2022 Devotion: Speak Up

 Romans 1: 16: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth," will not bargain with the world. God does not negotiate with the sinner. The glory of Adam's flesh and yours must and will pass away, must and will come to an end. The Holy Spirit must and will wither the flesh of every sinner, through Holy Spirit conviction, whether in or out of the church in bringing that individual to Christ. He will come to the end of all flesh, because Gal. 6:14 says, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." When God gets ready to save a sinner, He sets aside everything that sinner is by nature, or ever hopes to be, and makes a new creation. Salvation is wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit through the Word. Jonah 2:9 says, "Salvation is of the Lord." The only part we play in getting saved is to bring our sin to the cross. Sadly, modern churches are "playing church." They have Easter egg hunts, board game nights, trips to amusement parks, all while people are in route to hell. The true church, the remnant, needs to speak up and speak the Word of God. Let us be counted in that group.

4-26-2022 Devotion: More Playing Church

 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4: “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures….” The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth," will not bargain with the world. God does not run a bargaining counter. The glory of Adam's flesh must and will pass away, must and will come to an end. The Holy Spirit must and will wither the flesh of every sinner, whether in or out of the church in bringing that individual to Christ. He will come to the end of all flesh, because Gal. 6:14 says, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." When God gets ready to save a sinner, He sets aside everything that sinner is by nature, or ever hopes to be, and makes a new creation. Salvation is wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit through the Word. Paul said in Gal. 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God..." No sinner is ever saved until they take responsibility for their sin. It is our responsibility to preach the Word of God to the lost. The Holy Spirit will apply that Word to the heart of the unbeliever. That is called Holy Spirit conviction.

4-25-2022 Devotion: Playing Church Part 3

 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4: “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures….” The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, or the Gospel of God, is the fact that Christ died on the cross as our Substitute, was buried as our Scapegoat, rose as our Justifier, and is revealed to the heart by the Holy Spirit. The Gospel is good news only to a guilty, lost sinner. If a sinner never stands before God guilty, with his mouth shut, which indicates he acknowledges he is guilty, the Gospel never becomes good news to that individual. In the average congregation today you do not find guilty sinners. For a sinner to be awakened to the fact he is lost is something unheard of in the average church. They have played church for so long, and folks have gotten used to playing church, until they do not want anything else. Then when Holy Spirit conviction falls upon that audience, rebellion against God and His Word begins to be manifested. They have played church so long in their empty religious profession, until when a lost sinner comes into their midst, it is something unheard of. In the average seminary and Bible school they know nothing about lost sinners, or sinners being awakened to their lost condition. Church has become a business. It is no longer a soul saving station. We need a return to the simplicity of the gospel.

Third Lesson of the Quarter: The Holiness of God Part 3: Holiness and Justice (Fairness)

 The Holiness of God Part 3: Holiness and Justice (Fairness)

This is Part 3 of a series on the Holiness of God. Each week we will study a different aspect of God’s holiness. When you have completed the series, you may experience a change in how you worship, speak, and pray.

Leviticus 10: 1-3: “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.”

I studied and received a law degree from the College of William and Mary located in Williamsburg, VA. One of the subjects we learned was cruel and unusual punishment as set forth in the United States Constitution. Since man is corrupt we need to guard against such punishments. However, the LORD is perfect and is perfectly just. God will demonstrate His holiness through His judgments. In this study we will look at Nadab and Abihu, Uzzah the Kohathite, and Ananias and Sapphira. As we study, be ready to answer the questions:

1. Where was the most violent expression of God’s wrath, Old or New Testament?

2. What is the real mystery about God’s wrath?

3. Does God ever give injustice to anyone?

4. What is most surprising about God’s wrath?

Answers:

1. The most violent expression of God’s wrath is found in the New Testament. It is in the cross. If anyone could complain about injustice, it would be the Lord Jesus Christ. He was 100% innocent, yet He was punished by His Father as a substitute for our sins. He paid our price. When you are thinking about the wrath of God, think about the cross.

2. The mystery is not that God would display His wrath in the exercise of Divine judgment, but rather that He tolerates our continuous rebellion against Him. We should not be surprised about His wrath, but rather about His mercy. 

3. God never gives injustice to anyone. To some He gives grace and mercy and to others they get justice. However, no one gets injustice. God sends grace to the hearts of His people and they respond with faith and repentance. They get mercy. Others do not and they get justice.

4. The most surprising thing about God’s wrath is that He doesn’t express it to everyone. Every sin we commit is an act directly challenging God’s authority. Our sins tell God that we have moral rights that fall outside the scope of His authority. I’m surprised He does not cast us all into hell.

What do we know about the sin of Nadab and Abihu? They sinned by offering “strange fire.” God had not told them to do that. Also, we can assume from God’s Words to Moses that they had not “sanctified” God. They failed to regard Him as holy. This should cause you to stop and think about the next time you are worshiping God corporately. Are the church leaders giving the occasion the proper respect? I remember being at a conference in the 1980s and the worship team included two people dressed up as Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny. They were dancing around having a good time. I suggest to you that it was “strange fire” and we are fortunate that God did not reveal His wrath.  We as believers need to take worship very seriously. Why? Because the LORD God does!

The story of Uzzah and the Ark of the Covenant is found in 2 Samuel 6: 1-7. As the ark was being transported, the oxen pulling the cart stumbled, and a man named Uzzah took hold of the ark. God’s anger burned against Uzzah and He struck him down and he died. What was Uzzah’s offense? In attempting to stabilize the Ark and keep it from falling to the ground, he assumed that his hands were less polluted than the dirt of the ground. The earth was not defiled. It was Uzzah that broke the law of God (Numbers 4:15; they were taught not to touch the holy things of God). 

In Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead in a worship service because they lied to the Holy Spirit about the money they received from the sale of their property. They wanted everyone to believe that they were giving all the sale proceeds from the sale of their land, but they kept back some for themselves. The testimony of the entire church was at stake and God brought forth His wrath on those that had lied to Him. The questions I ask, I know that this happens much in our day, why has God stopped releasing His wrath? Could it be that the modern church is so corrupt that God has “given them over” and will await the final judgment to act in accordance with His holiness and righteousness? However, the point is that God takes worship very seriously. 

The preachers in the early church in America preached messages that included an emphasis on God’s wrath and the sinfulness of man. The following are some quotes from Jonathan Edwards’ “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God:”

1. There is no want of power in God to cast wicked men into hell at any moment. Men’s hands cannot be strong when God rises up. ...

2. They deserve to be cast into hell; so that divine justice never stands in the way, it makes no objection against God’s using his power at any moment to ...

3. They are already under a sentence of condemnation to hell. ...

4. They are now the objects of that very same anger and wrath of God, that is expressed in the torments of hell….

As we conclude this study, remember that God’s wrath is real. The fact that He withholds that wrath from us is not an excuse to sin. Know that God takes sin very seriously. God does not give “cruel and unusual punishment.” We deserve punishment for our rebellion and some will receive that punishment. They will receive justice from God. To those of us who have made the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives, we will receive mercy and grace. However, no one receives injustice from God.

 

Prayer

1. Praise God for grace and mercy that He extends to sinners.

2. Confess and repent that you sometimes presume His grace and mercy. 

3. Thank Him that He sent His Son the Lord Jesus Christ to die for your sins.

4. Ask God to help you see more and more of His grace in your life.

 

4-24-2022 Devotion: Playing Church Part 2

 “But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children" (Matt. 11:16-19).  Yes - playing church! I am wondering, if the Lord Jesus Christ should come on the scene today and walk in our midst, whether He would not quote the same words, "You are like children playing church." We gather for services on a Sunday morning in what we call our Sunday School classes, and the opening of the class is taken up with discussion about the parties or dances of the week past, or planning for the socials for the week to come. Very little time is given to the teaching of the Word. Then in the average class the Bible is not used, they have what is called the Sunday School Quarterly, if they haven't lost it. Pharisees and Sadducees were doing the same, focusing on traditions and not the Word of God. You face those teachers with the truth of God's Word and impress upon their hearts and minds the fact that they must become lost sinners before they can know the grace of God in salvation in Christ Jesus, and they think you are crazy, because this present religious generation knows nothing about Holy Spirit conviction. The average teacher in our Sunday Schools today has no time for prayer life; no time to develop spiritual life. Just playing church. My friend, are you "playing church?" It is time to examine ourselves to make sure we are bringing the gospel to the lost. What is the gospel? Christ crucified. Christ buried. Christ resurrected. Christ ascended. Christ coming again. That is our message. Is that the message of your church, are you just "playing."

4-23-2022 Devotion: Playing Church

 “But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children" (Matt. 11:16-19). Today, we begin a study of "Playing Church." There are many (when used in the New Testament, "many" means "most."    These words were addressed to the Pharisees and Sadducees, the religionists and churchgoers of Christ's day. He said to them, "Whereunto shall I liken this generation" of religious leaders? Then Christ answers His own question, "You religious leaders are like children sitting in the markets, calling unto their fellows, and playing church. You are just playing at the game. You are like a bunch of children who would sit down and play dolls or a game of marbles, or to imitate a dance. You are inventing everything in the world to try to attract the attention of your fellows. Here came John the Baptist fasting and preaching repentance, and you say he has a devil, or he's devil possessed: 'We'll not have him; we do not want his message. Who does he think we are - children.' " Christ said, "That's exactly what you are; just a bunch of children playing church." We need to take the matter of church seriously. It is not a game. Let us examine ourselves over the next week. Ask yourself this question, "Am I playing church?"

4-22-2022 Devotion: Pray Without Ceasing

 1 Thessalonians 5: 17: "Pray without ceasing." This verse does not mean to pray repetitiously or continuously without a break, but rather to pray consistently and regularly. We have been reading about Holiness and the Lord Jesus Christ. Here are some prayer suggestions on the subject: 

1. Praise the Lord Jesus Christ for His mighty power over all things, both visible and invisible.

2. Confess your pride and any trust you have placed in your works to be holy. Rely solely on the finished work of Christ.

3. Thank God for the grace given to us that we might believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

4. Thank God for the gift of His Son that you might receive His Righteousness.

5. Ask God to use you to reach the lost and show them their need to be covered by the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

4-21-2022 Devotion: Be Light

 Luke 5: 8: "When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord." Over the last few days we have looked at Holiness and Christ. We are to strive to live holy lives for Him. There may be a cost in doing so, in fact, let me state there will be a cost to being His disciple. Sometimes unsaved people are uncomfortable around real Christians. This is not because we are holy, but because who we represent One Who is. As Christians, we should be a reminder to unbelievers about the reality of God and His Holiness. On occasion, someone has said a curse word around me or told a joke only to apologize to me for their speech. I say it is not me to whom the apology is due. Every believer knows there is a place where one can be vulnerable before the holiness of God while at the same time without fear in the Presence of Christ. By abiding in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are accepted into God's Holiness despite our natural fear of it as sinners. Let us be ambassadors for the Lord Jesus Christ to all those people He brings into our lives. 

4-20-2022 Devotion: Holy

 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead." (Revelation 1: 17)  Let us remember the experience of John, the beloved disciple, when he met the risen Lord Jesus Christ: " And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last...." (Revelation 1: 12-17) What do you think about the description John provides under inspiration of the Holy Spirit? The Lord Jesus Christ is Holy and to be in His Presence is to be reminded of how unholy we are. I know people today in certain groups that think they are holy because of their dress. I believe these people, while sincere, are making a dangerous error. We are not holy except the holiness provided to us through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ! I am thankful that when the Father looks at me, He sees the righteousness of His Son. I take no credit for anything in my life that could be considered "holy."

4-19-2022 Devotion: Resting

 Matthew 8: 27: "What kind of man is this?—even the winds and the sea obey Him!" The response of Jesus' disciples to His calming of the storm reveals something about the human heart. Sigmund Freud believed that the first step in the evolution of religious belief was the personalization of nature to mitigate the fear of natural forces. If Freud's theory was correct, the disciples would have been relieved after the storm ceased. Instead, rather than being assuaged, the fear of the disciples was intensified because they were in the Presence of the One who is Holy. More than fearing an impersonal force of nature, the human heart fears that which is Holy. The disciples would not have had an explanation for how the Lord Jesus Christ calmed the sea. They would not have understood the display of power they had witnessed. The disciples felt fear because they realized how very different Jesus was from them. They knew He was holy and they were not. This is a good lesson for us. We are not holy, He is. As I get older, that is a great comfort for me. I am not working my way into heaven, I'm resting in the blood redemption provided by my Lord Jesus Christ. Follow me.

4-18-2022 Devotion: Depart From Me

 Luke 5: 8: "When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord." During the Lord Jesus Christ's earthly ministry, there were times that His disciples reacted in fear in His Presence. Notice how Peter's response ("Depart from me for I am a sinful man.") is similar to Isaiah's response ("I am undone."). Just as Isaiah said that he was a man of unclean lips, so Peter declares himself to be a sinner, even to the point of asking Jesus to depart from him. Like Isaiah, Peter recognized that he was in the presence of the Holy One. As believers, we need to remember that the Lord Jesus Christ has ascended into the glories of heaven and His appearance is breathtaking. The beloved disciple John fell at His feet as dead when he saw Him. There is too much familiarity in the church and it has caused us to reduce the sacredness and terror of our God to a friendly "grandpa." This should not be our approach. We need to take some time and in prayer remember Who we are talking with. He is Holy and we are not. We are sinners saved by grace. It wasn't our work that saved us. This is comforting news, but not so comforting that I should take it for granted. "Salvation is of the Lord." (Jonah 2:9) Don't forget that.

Resurrection Sunday 4-17-2022

 Today, many in the world of Christianity celebrate Easter. The purpose of this article is to state some interesting facts about Easter and some of the ways people celebrate it. Let me be clear from the outset, I believe every day is Resurrection Day if you are born again. We should not pick out just one day to celebrate the Lord Jesus Christ conquering death, hell and the grave. 

Consider the following:

1. Nowhere in the Bible are we instructed to celebrate the resurrection as a special day.

2. The early church did not celebrate Easter until the middle of the 2nd century.

3. We are not to adopt the customs of pagans and bring them into the church. See Deuteronomy 12:4; 18:9. "When you enter the land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations."

4. In America, Easter was not generally celebrated until after the Civil War in the late 1800s. The Puritans and Pilgrims did not celebrate Christmas or Easter as a general rule. 

We need to make an honest search to inquire about the customs of those who actions we have brought into the church. Below are some "Easter Errors:"

1. Easter has ancient roots. It predates Christianity and was a widely observed pagan celebration of fertility and the sun's rebirth. After a long cold winter, pagans ushered in spring observing the identical customs the church observes today in its Easter traditions.

2. The word "Easter" is actually the proper name of a pagan god. Its name derives from Eostra, a Teutonic goddess of spring. Her festival was celebrated at the time of the vernal equinox (means "equal night" because the daylight hours and night hours are the same). 

3. Another reference work states: "Easter is nothing else than Astarte, one of the titles of Beltis, the queen of heaven, whose name is identical as pronounced by the people of Nineveh. Easter is a modern form of Ishtar, Eostre, Ostera, or Astarte. 

4. The egg was a sacred symbol among the Babylonians. The ancient Egyptians, in one of their creation myths, believed the universe was created from an enormous egg. In Rome, pregnant women wore eggs around their necks to ward off evil. As far back as 722B.C., the Chinese were decorating eggs for their spring festival. So how did the eggs become part of our religious practice? The answer is simple. When Christianity reached the Teutons (ancient northern European tribe), the old pagan traditions were ingrained into the hearts of the people. The Catholic Church adopted the pagan customs and incorporated them into the church's liturgy. The church mingled the abominable practices of idolatrous spring festival worship with the purity and truth of Christianity.

5. The rabbit has long been a heathen symbol of fertility since they multiply rapidly. The rabbit is associated with the moon in the legends of ancient Egypt and other peoples. The rabbit was the animal of ancient times associated with Eostre and was a symbol of fertility.

6. What about wearing new clothes? Tradition states one should wear new clothes at Easter. The pagans considered it unlucky not to wear some new article of clothing or personal adornment on Easter. Since the earth seemed to put on "new garments" in the spring, it was considered lucky to wear something new at spring festivals.

7. The Easter Lily is used to decorate churches worldwide. However, the "Easter Lily" has long been revered by pagans of various lands as a holy symbol associated with the reproductive organs. It was considered a phallic symbol!

8. Regarding the 40-day period known as Lent, this forty-day abstinence period was directly borrowed from the worshippers of the Babylonian goddess. It is still observed by the Yezidis or pagan devil-worshippers of Koordistan, who inherited it from their early masters, the Babylonians. Lent is not in the Holy Scriptures, nor did the early church practice it. 

9. The Easter sunrise service is a modern reenactment of an ancient sun worship ritual. The early church did not hold sunrise services at Easter. Easter Sunday was observed no differently from any other Sunday. 

Deuteronomy 12:32 states: "What thing soeverI command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." Easter is an unscriptural addition to the church and the Bible. Let me contrast Easter pagan practices with the rainbow. The rainbow belonged to God's people. It was a reminder of God's promise. However, in our day, homosexuals have adopted the symbol for themselves. We don't abandon the rainbow because it was a practice belonging to us first. To the contrary, Easter practices were borrowed from the pagans. You can't "Christianize" them. To that one who might argue, "But what about all the good that comes from people celebrating Easter with the bunnies and eggs?" My response is that it is better to obey God than man.  

"When you enter the land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations." (Deuteronomy 18:9) God has instructed us to not imitate the practices of the pagan nations, but that is exactly what the church has done. 

I leave you with one Scriptural admonition:  "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." (2 Cor. 6:17)

For me and my house, we will choose to celebrate every day as Resurrection Day!

4-17-2022 Devotion: Risen

 Matthew 28:6: "He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." Today is the day that many in the Christian church call "Easter Sunday." The Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins and made an atonement (means payment) for our sins. As a result of what He did, we can be forgiven. However, it was the resurrection that conquered death. The Lord Jesus not only died for your sins, He rose from the dead so we might have the same opportunity. We can live forever because He rose from the dead. This is not about eggs, bunnies, or hot cross buns. It is about the most important event of all time. The Lord Jesus Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! You can now live forever! Rejoice in Him today!

4-16-2022 Devotion: Transcendence

 Leviticus 11:45: "For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy." Holy has different meanings. Popularly, holy means moral purity and righteousness. While this is certainly true, it is the secondary meaning in Scripture. The primary meaning of holy in Scripture is “separate.” When the Scriptures speak of God’s holiness, it is primarily referring to God’s transcendence. “Transcendence is a theological term that, when referring to the Christian God, states that God is outside of the universe and is independent of it and its properties. God is ‘other,’ ‘different’ from His creation. He is independent and different from His creatures (Isaiah 55:8-9). He transcends His creation. He is beyond it and not limited by it or to it.” While we will never be holy in this life, we are called to exercise moral purity and flee from temptation. We are to avoid sin at all costs. However, in the true sense of holy, in God's transcendence, we are not able to imitate that. However, we are to revere God's Name, have a reverential fear and respect for His sacredness, and walk in a holy terror of His Perfection. He is the reason we can take the next breath. Let us never forget that.

4-15-2022 Devotion: God’s Name Part 3

 Leviticus 24: 15-16: "And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin. And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death.” God demands that His children love and respect His Name. In prayer, worship and Bible study, we are to enter into the time with a deep sense of awe and respect the sacredness of the occasion. I urge you to take some quiet time just to meditate (literally: mutter to yourself quietly) on God’s Name and His Holiness. In doing so, we are demonstrating how serious the matter is and our respect for the living God. Respecting God’s Name in our private devotional life will support our living our lives as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we want to walk in holiness, start with how you treat His Name. Suggestions for prayer:

1 Praise God that He is both transcendent and close enough to you to hear your prayer and praise.

2 Confess ways you have not honored God’s Name as holy in thought, word, or deed. 

3 Thank God that the Lord Jesus Christ has revealed to you the priority of His Name in prayer.

4 Ask God to manifest His will in your life by His Holy Spirit through your reverence of His Name.

4-14-2022 Devotion: God’s Name Part 2

 1 Chronicles 16: 29: "Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness."

We need to honor and hold sacred God’s Name. The Lord Jesus Christ taught us about the importance of God’s Name in prayer. In the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6: 5-15), the Lord Jesus Christ taught that “Hallowed be thy name” is the first petition of the prayer. It was not part of the formal address: “Our Father, which art in heaven.” Some believe that there is a connection between the first two petitions in the Lord’s Prayer: “Hallowed be thy Name” and “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” The logical connection is that the kingdom will not come, nor His will be done, until His Name is first revered by His people. If it was part of the formal address, it would have been, “Hallowed is thy name.” In the Ten Commandments, God commanded that His Name was not to be taken in vain ever. To blaspheme the LORD, is to commit an offense against His Holiness. How we use God’s name reveals our deepest attitudes about Him. If you have a flippant casual attitude toward His Name, you will have a flippant casual attitude about Him. If we are going to be a Christ disciple, we will reverence God’s Name. God’s people revere His Name. 

4-13-2022 Devotion: God’s Name

 Leviticus 24: 15-16: "And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin. And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death.” There is a connection between the holiness of God and His Name. In this passage,  a man born of an Israelite woman and Egyptian father cursed the LORD and blasphemed His Name. The LORD told Moses to have the people stone him to death. This is how serious God is about how people treat His Holy Name. We don't hear much about that today. Today, many in the church act like God has softened some as time has evolved. I tell you He has not! This shows you how serious an offense it is to curse God. God holds His Name in such high regard that death was the appropriate penalty for cursing Him. Think about this word when you hear people dishonor God’s Name. Make a special effort to reverence and show respect for the Name of our LORD. While God may tolerate disrespect today, there is a time coming when He won't. Judgment is coming.

4-12-2022 Devotion: God’s Wrath

 Psalm 7: 11: "God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day." When was the last time you heard that message from your "pastor?" I put pastor in quotes because I am convinced that most are hirelings working for the money. Plus, they have been placed in these positions by Satan to infiltrate the church. They don't preach the whole gospel. They only want to talk about the love of God. Yes, talk about the love of God but not to the exclusion of the wrath and justice of God. As we conclude this focus on the holiness and justice of God, remember that God’s wrath is real. The fact that He withholds that wrath from us is not an excuse to sin. Know that God takes sin very seriously. God does not give “cruel and unusual punishment.” We deserve punishment for our rebellion and some will receive that punishment. They will receive justice from God. To those of us who have made the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives, we will receive mercy and grace. However, no one receives injustice from God. Tell someone you care about.

4-11-2022 Devotion: Wrath

 Psalm 96: 9: "Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth." (HCSB) Notice the word "tremble." The Hebrew word includes the concepts of trembling, trusting, and tarrying. Preachers years ago understood that. There should be a healthy fear of God. The preachers in the early church in America preached messages that included an emphasis on God’s wrath and the sinfulness of man. The following are some quotes from Jonathan Edwards’ “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God:”

1 There is no want of power in God to cast wicked men into hell at any moment. Men’s hands cannot be strong when God rises up. ...

2 They deserve to be cast into hell; so that divine justice never stands in the way, it makes no objection against God’s using his power at any moment to ...

3 They are already under a sentence of condemnation to hell. ...

4 They are now the objects of that very same anger and wrath of God, that is expressed in the torments of hell….

As you worship, study the Bible or pray, it should be done with an understanding of exactly Who you are worshipping and speaking to. 

Second Lesson of the Quarter: The Holiness of God Part 2: Traumatized

 The Holiness of God Part 2: Traumatized

This is Part 2 of a series on the Holiness of God. Each week we will study a different aspect of God’s holiness. When you have completed the series, you may experience a change in how you worship, speak, and pray.

“Then Job answered the Lord, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:1-6

I am amazed the way I hear some “Christians” talk about being in the presence of God. It seems like a spectrum between sitting peaceably by a lake with soft music in the background or shaking uncontrollably, acting drunk, and falling down when the minister touches you. I believe an encounter in the presence of God is to encounter His holiness. When that occurs, you may expect some trauma. Trauma can be defined as a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. Some say, “Oh no, being in God’s Presence is all love. It feels so good.” Let’s direct ourselves to the Word of God. We will want to search the Scriptures to see what it says about what happens when unholy flesh meets Perfection in Holiness. We will read the accounts of Isaiah, Job, Habakkuk and the Apostle John.

1 Isaiah: “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, 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 mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” Isaiah 6: 1-5

When Isaiah sees the Lord, he cries out “Woe is me!”  He says he is “undone.” Another translation says, he is ruined. When Isaiah is in the presence of the Lord, he immediately recognizes how unholy he is. This should be the response of anyone who is in the presence of the Lord. It is not a soft relaxing feeling like sitting on a cloud. You are confronted with the absolute perfection and holiness of our God. We should cry out like Isaiah, “I am undone.” How does this compare with those who claim to be in the presence of the Lord? It doesn’t! If we are in the presence of the Lord, we are on our faces. We are traumatized!

2. Habakkuk: “Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, through the heap of great waters. When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.” (Hab 3:15, 16)

Habakkuk trembled before the perfection and holiness of our Lord. He recognized his own sin. Habakkuk described his experience in response to the works of the Lord: “I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters my bones; my legs tremble beneath me.” That is one of the characteristics of being in the presence of the Lord, you recognize your unholiness. You tremble with fear at the holiness of God. How does this compare with what passes today for the “presence of the Lord?” 

3. Job: Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?Brace yourself like a man.  I will question you, and you shall answer me. (Job 38: 1-3)

What was Job’s response to the presence of the Lord? “Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42: 6) After God appeared to Job in the whirlwind, Jod is humbled and sees his lack of holiness in comparison to the holiness of God. This should be our response if we claim to be in the presence of the Lord. His Perfection and Holiness is so intense that it should drive us to repent. How often do you hear this response? Rarely. People talk about Jesus wanting to go on walks with them or crawl into bed with them. These people are deceived and need to be genuinely converted. They are not saved. They are under a delusion.

4. John: “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last ....” (Revelation 1: 17) John, the beloved disciple, when he saw the risen Lord, he fell at his feet as dead. I would call that traumatized. This is the response when people are truly in the presence of the Lord. Sinful flesh cannot handle the presence of the Lord.

There are people that call themselves “holiness people.” They say this because of their manner of dress (primarily fixated on the USA in the mid 1950s). Women wear long dresses, don’t cut their hair, wear panty hose at all times outside, and wear long sleeves to cover their elbows. I once heard a woman say, “This is holiness,” referencing how she was dressed.  That frightens me. I love the Lord but I am not holy as He is holy. I want to be and one day I will be. However, when I am clothed in sinful flesh, I live a life of daily dying and renewing my mind to be more like Him. Holiness is much more than appearances. 

Why do many preachers soften the true picture of God’s holiness? It is because the holiness of God is traumatic to unholy people. In an effort to spare people the trauma, they emphasize other attributes of God like love, to the exclusion of other attributes. After all, if we want the unholy to join our church, pay money and “help the cause” we don’t want them to feel uncomfortable. 

We comfort ourselves by comparing ourselves with others.  Instead of doing that, we should look to the perfection of our Lord, die daily, live a life of brokenness and repentance. When we do that, we won’t have perfect holiness, but we will be living a sanctified life and growing daily into His image. 

We say we want to be in God’s presence, but if you do, be prepared to be traumatized. As we seek the Lord, we should do so in a state of repentance and brokenness. Don’t settle for an emotional man made experience that is most likely being in the presence of demonic spirits. But that is a different lesson for a later date. 

Prayer

1. Praise God for His pure and perfect Holiness.

2. Confess the sins of your tongue that you struggle with.

3. Thank God for His forgiveness.

4. Ask God to use you for His glory.

 

4-10-2022 Devotion: Lying

 Acts 5: 1-5: But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things." In Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead in a worship service because they lied to the Holy Spirit about the money they received from the sale of their property. They wanted everyone to believe that they were giving all the sale proceeds from the sale of their land, but they kept back some for themselves. The testimony of the entire church was at stake and God brought forth His wrath on those that had lied to Him. The questions I ask, I know that this happens much in our day, why has God stopped releasing His wrath? Could it be that the modern church is so corrupt that God has “given them over” and will await the final judgment to act in accordance with His holiness and righteousness? However, the point is that God takes worship very seriously. We need to take worship seriously as well.

4-9-2022 Devotion: Upgrade

 2 Samuel 6: 6-7: "And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God." David is bringing back the ark. There is a procession with singing, dancing and instruments. This is a moving worship service. As the ark was being transported, the oxen pulling the cart stumbled, and a man named Uzzah took hold of the ark. God’s anger burned against Uzzah and He struck him down and he died. What was Uzzah’s offense? In attempting to stabilize the Ark and keep it from falling to the ground, he assumed that his hands were less polluted than the dirt of the ground. The earth was not defiled. It was Uzzah that broke the law of God (Numbers 4:15; they were taught not to touch the holy things of God). If you are a true believer, reading this passage should encourage you to take the things of God seriously. We need  to remember that the LORD God is Holy, Holy, Holy. We need an upgrade in our reverential attitude toward our LORD. While Uzzah's intentions may have been pure, intentions never justify committing sin.

4-8-2022 Devotion: Strange Fire

 Leviticus 10: 1-3: “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord...." (Emphasis supplied) 

What do we know about the sin of Nadab and Abihu? They sinned by offering “strange fire.” God had not told them to do that. Also, we can assume from God’s Words to Moses that they had not “sanctified” God. They failed to regard Him as holy. This should cause you to stop and think about the next time you are worshiping God corporately. Are the church leaders giving the occasion the proper respect? I remember being at a conference in the 1980s and the worship team included two people dressed up as Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny. They were dancing around having a good time. I suggest to you that it was “strange fire” and we are fortunate that God did not reveal His wrath.  We as believers need to take worship very seriously. Why? Because the LORD God does! We live in a world where many even in the church have no respect for the LORD God. We need a return to the sacredness of God and respect for Him in His Holiness. Maybe if we do, we can have more real prayer meetings instead of board games and softball tournaments.

4-7-2022 Devotion: Tell the Truth

 Isaiah 6: 5: "Then said I, 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 mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." As we leave the general subject of the trauma of holiness, we come back to Isaiah's words. He says he is undone. This means he is ruined. The question we must ask, why do "preachers" not tell their congregation the truth about God's Holiness? Why do they soften the true picture of God’s holiness? It is because the holiness of God is traumatic to unholy people. In an effort to spare people the trauma, they emphasize other attributes of God like love, to the exclusion of other attributes. After all, if we want the unholy to join our church, pay money and “help the cause” we don’t want them to feel uncomfortable. We comfort ourselves by comparing ourselves with others.  Instead of doing that, we should look to the perfection of our Lord, die daily, live a life of brokenness and repentance. When we do that, we won’t have perfect holiness, but we will be living a sanctified life and growing daily into His image. We say we want to be in God’s presence, but if you do, be prepared to be traumatized. As we seek the Lord, we should do so in a state of repentance and brokenness. Don’t settle for an emotional man made experience that is most likely being in the presence of demonic spirits. But that is a different lesson for a later date. For now, respect the Lord Jesus Christ and what He has done for you.

4-6-2022 Devotion: True Holiness

 Revelation 1: 17: “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last ....” John, the beloved disciple, when he saw the risen Lord, he fell at his feet as dead. I would call that traumatized. This is the response when people are truly in the presence of the Lord. Sinful flesh cannot handle the presence of the Lord. There are people that call themselves “holiness people.” They say this because of their manner of dress (primarily fixated on the USA in the mid 1950s). Women wear long dresses, don’t cut their hair, wear panty hose at all times outside, and wear long sleeves to cover their elbows. I once heard a woman say, “This is holiness,” referencing how she was dressed.  That frightens me. I love the Lord but I am not holy as He is holy. I want to be and one day I will be. However, when I am clothed in sinful flesh, I live a life of daily dying and renewing my mind to be more like Him. Holiness is much more than appearances. When I see the LORD, I don't believe I will be cocky because of whatever I did on earth in an effort to be holy. My cry will be, "Don't look at me, look at your Son, my Lord Jersus Christ! He died for me!" Our holiness comes from Christ. We need to cling tightly to Him, but don't worry, He is clinging tightly to you and that is much more important!

4-5-2022 Devotion: Repentance

 Job 38: 1-3: " Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man.  I will question you, and you shall answer me." Job 42: 6: "Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." What was Job’s response to the presence of the Lord? “Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42: 6) After God appeared to Job in the whirlwind, Job is humbled and sees his lack of holiness in comparison to the holiness of God. This should be our response if we claim to be in the presence of the Lord. His Perfection and Holiness is so intense that it should drive us to repent. How often do you hear this response? Rarely. People talk about Jesus wanting to go on walks with them or crawl into bed with them. These people are deceived and need to be genuinely converted. They are not saved. They are under a delusion. Another thing I do is listen to how they refer to the Lord Jesus Christ. Do they call Him, "Sweet Jesus," or "Jesus" or "My Jesus?" If so, there is a good probability they don't know Him. They are in the Matthew 7 category ("I never knew you.). What did Paul say on the subject in Romans 10: 9-10: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Emphasis Supplied) There is no salvation unless He is Lord of your life. That is the Savior, our Lord! 

4-4-2022 Devotion: Holiness

 Habakkuk 3: 15, 16: “Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, through the heap of great waters. When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.” Habakkuk trembled before the perfection and holiness of our Lord. He recognized his own sin. Habakkuk described his experience in response to the works of the Lord: “I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters my bones; my legs tremble beneath me.” That is one of the characteristics of being in the presence of the Lord, you recognize your unholiness. You tremble with fear at the holiness of God. How does this compare with what passes today for the “presence of the Lord?” What are the similarities you see between Isaiah, Job and Habukkuk? There is a reverential fear in being in the Presence of the Lord. It appears overwhelming. Also, the people have an understanding of how unholy they are. For years, I called myself a holiness preacher. My message hasn't changed except to become more rugged and primitive. However, I don't refer to myself as holy. The only holiness I have is the imputed holiness from my Lord Jesus Christ. I am striving to be holy but as long as I am clothed in flesh, I know that I will always be a work in progress. One day, I will be holy...in heaven!

First Lesson of the Quarter: The Holiness of God Part 1

 The Holiness of God Part 1

This is Part 1 of a series on the Holiness of God. Each week we will study a different aspect of God’s holiness. When you have completed the series, you may experience a change in how you worship, speak, and pray.

Isaiah 6: 1-5 reads:  “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, 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 mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” (Emphasis supplied) 

No true believer will deny the holiness of our God. Holiness is a very important topic. Holiness is a quality uniquely attributable to God.  However, when it comes to the Christians attempt to live holy lives, there are some extremes that should be observed. First, there is the camp that thinks they are holy because of their external dress, hair, and standards. I want to be clear that there is nothing wrong with following your personal convictions about how you should live for the Lord. At the same time, we should never confuse our human efforts to be holy with God’s holiness. Our holiness is through the application of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that He shed for us applied to our hearts.. We have His imputed righteousness covering our lives. Whatever holiness we think we have in our lives is really filthy rags. The second camp has elevated the status of man to a place that they are equal to or above God. They believe they have the right to declare things, to come against other problems, to decree certain events to occur, to call things forth into existence. They believe they are “little gods.” They believe they have the right to take authority over sin, sickness, and poverty and they command it to depart. This group is elevating themselves to a place of sovereignty equal to or above the LORD. The third camp thinks they are in His Presence when they sway back and forth and sing some worldly sounding song. Their idea of worship is to have a good sensual experience of worship for themselves. They may want to “wait in His Presence and soak.” They may have thoughts, visions, or dreams of Jesus laying down next to them, crawling into bed with them, or going for long walks. These camps are missing the true nature of God’s holiness. This study advocates the position that according to the Scriptures, God’s holiness is so perfect and glorious that if a man experienced it, he would be almost traumatized.by the experience. Holiness is an important subject and we want a Biblical understanding of it. 

Questions to answer:

1. Does the Bible describe a dress code or standards as a condition of being holy?

2. Does the Bible authorize you to declare and decree things to occur?

3. What was Isaiah’s physical reaction to being in the Presence of the LORD?

4. How should God’s holiness affect your worship of Him?

5. Do you think you are holy?

When Isaiah had his encounter with a thrice-holy LORD, he cried woe to himself. Even while he was about to be commissioned as a prophet of the LORD for His people, Isaiah said he was undone (means ruined) and had unclean lips. This is a far different reaction than many claim to have when they are “in the presence of the Lord.” Isaiah saw “the train of his robe filled the temple.” In Biblical times, the dress of a monarch was a measure of their status. The material of their robe whether sable, mink, or canvas determined that status. Isaiah saw God’s robe completely filling the temple which was a visual experience of the majesty of His garments, which were far above any dress of an earthly monarch.

The seraphim had six pairs of wings. The multiple pairs of wings were for service. Two wings enabled them to fly. Two wings covered their faces from the brightness of the LORD’s glory.  Two covered their feet as a symbol of their creatureliness. Their threefold repetition of “holy, holy, holy” demonstrates its importance. Repetition in the Bible is used to call attention to something that is uniquely important. Holiness is the only attribute of God given this threefold repetition. God is love, but nowhere do we read that God is love, love, love. Only holiness receives that status.

The vision of Isaiah helps us see how we should approach the LORD in worship. Whenever we come to God in worship, we should be reminded to approach Him with the appropriate reverence, awe, fear, and thanksgiving. Much of what passes today for worship, e.g. light shows, comedy skits, jokes, laughter, etc. shows a lack of respect for the thrice-holy LORD.

Prayer

Consider what you have read above into your prayer time:

1. Praise the LORD because He is holy, holy, holy.

2. Confess that you have approached God without proper respect for His Holiness.

3. Thank God for His promise to sanctify you wholly through the Holy Spirit so that you might approach Him the way you should. 

4. Ask the Holy Spirit to impress upon you the majesty of God’s Holiness as you study this subject over the next five weeks.

4-3-2022 Devotion: Being Undone

 Isaiah 6: 1-5: “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, 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 mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” Today, we look at Isaiah and his experience in the presence of the Sovereign Lord. When Isaiah sees the Lord, he cries out “Woe is me!”  He says he is “undone.” Another translation says, he is ruined. When Isaiah is in the presence of the Lord, he immediately recognizes how unholy he is. This should be the response of anyone who is in the presence of the Lord. It is not a soft relaxing feeling like sitting on a cloud. You are confronted with the absolute perfection and holiness of our God. We should cry out like Isaiah, “I am undone.” How does this compare with those who claim to be in the presence of the Lord? It doesn’t! If we are in the presence of the Lord, we are on our faces. We are traumatized! The 21st Century church needs to begin to see the LORD as the Sovereign God and not as a soft sissified grandfather or emasculated male that only seeks to please mankind. Our God is not sitting on the sidelines. He is actively involved in everything that is taking place in His world.

4-2-2022 Devotion: Presence

 Job 42: 1-6: “Then Job answered the Lord, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Emphasis supplied) I am amazed the way I hear some “Christians” talk about being in the presence of God. It seems like a spectrum between sitting peaceably by a lake with soft music in the background or shaking uncontrollably, acting drunk, and falling down when the minister touches you. I believe an encounter in the presence of God is to encounter His holiness. When that occurs, you may expect some trauma. Trauma can be defined as a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. Some say, “Oh no, being in God’s Presence is all love. It feels so good.” Let’s direct ourselves to the Word of God. We will want to search the Scriptures to see what it says about what happens when unholy flesh meets Perfection in Holiness. Over the next few days, we will read the accounts of Isaiah, Job, Habakkuk and the Apostle John. Look for the similarities. For today, know that you are embarking on a journey to know as much as you can, about the holiness of God. When Job was in His presence, he abhorred (means to regard yourself with disgust and hatred) himself and desired to repent. If you find yourself seeking more and more of God, the more humble you will become. However, you will be amazed that a Holy God could want you. Be thankful today.

4-1-2022 Devotion: Trauma

 Isaiah 6: 1, 5: "In the year king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train (robe) filled the temple. Then said I, 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 mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." We have looked at two errors regarding being in the presence of God and His holiness and today we look at a third. The third camp thinks they are in His Presence when they sway back and forth and sing some song they like. Their idea of worship is to have a good sensual experience of worship for themselves. They may want to “wait in His Presence and soak.” They may have thoughts, visions, or dreams of Jesus laying down next to them, crawling into bed with them, or going for long walks. These camps are missing the true nature of God’s holiness. I stake my eternal destiny that according to the Scriptures, God’s holiness is so perfect and glorious that if a man experienced it, he would be traumatized by the experience. Holiness is an important subject and we want a Biblical understanding of it. We need to approach God with reverential fear and awe. For the most part, we have become too comfortable in our prayer and worship. He is not, "the man upstairs," "the old man," "the universe," or some other common name. He is Yahweh, the LORD God Almighty, and we need to fear Him when we pray and worship. how ministers can tell jokes from the pulpit or funny stories when people are dying and going to hell, is beyond my capability to understand. Let us be serious about our faith. In prayer, ask God to use your experience of His great mercy for His glory.