Tag Archives: holy

Pure

by

0


In the early days of Christianity the word pure did not have the same definition as it does today. Today we might think about pure sugar, pure water, pure chemicals and the like.  These things are edible or usable because they are pure. But we say “pure” from our own perspective.  We who are impure call something better by a word that does not apply to us.

We all die and we will all appear before the Pure God.  Most people are aware of this truth.  But few give the concept the priority it demands.  To clarify what I’m trying to say let me play with a concept for a minute.

Let’s say I had a disintegrator gun and it was set to simply remove impure attributes. You consent (by signing 437 consent forms) and I begin to remove from you the things that are impure.

First the ray works on your clothing for it was made with impure thread.  Then the dirt on your skin is its object, for the dirt is impure.  When it reaches the end of the dirt it find your skin but your skin is not pure, it is removed.  Next your bones and organs until finally all that is left is your soul.  But will the ray stop there?  Sadly no.  Now it goes after lies of every sort.

When the ray is finished we take note of you that you are a micro- scopic speck of existence. That’s all of you that was true.

While I’m finishing up this article someone says “wait”! The scientists who were wielding the gun come running to me.  “Sir I’m sorry we have to admit to an error. The speck of life form we detected is not the person we begin with. Apparently the speck is simply the essence of life.  We have determined that the speck belongs to God.  Sir there is nothing left of the person we begin with”.

My bad,………………

Describing the Unseen

by

0


I have heard people use the story of the blind men and the elephant as a way to describe our differing views of the nature of God.  I have known that there is something wrong with that approach.  And just this morning I have come to an understanding of why that story fails.

Man is the reason that story falls short.  In describing the elephant, the blind men are speaking of that which they are able to sense.  But God is not like man.  There is nothing about Him that we can speak with

Blind men and an elephant

Image via Wikipedia

certainty, except to say that He Is.  All true faith comes from Him alone.  And we are not to speak of Him in terms of man.  Our problem is that all our understandings come from the world experience.  And in this we are severely limited.

So, yes, we speak of Him as we are given to know.  But in this “knowing” we are to recognize our limitations.  Let us be very careful not to bring God down to our level.  Not one of us knows the Holiness that is God, yet.  If we speak of Him, let us speak the words of God.  Let us speak those words which are given to us by His Holy Spirit.  Who knows the mind of God but the Spirit of God?  And who can speak the Holy words of the Spirit but those who have the Spirit?

There is so much more to say regarding this.  But it is God who speaks the rest of this truth to all men.  So I will leave the “rest” to the Lord.

 

By His Grace.

Shoot for the Floor and That’s What You Hit.

by

0


Patio with stone tiled floor, Hawaii.

Image via Wikipedia

What right does someone who is yet not Holy have to speak of Holy things?  He not only has the right to speak of such things, he has an obligation.  After all, which of us has attained to the Holiness of God?  And what athlete trains with tinker toys when working toward fitness demanded by the olympics?  And if a thing is not yet perfected in it’s invention, do the inventors refuse to speak of the “ideal” product?

So what shall we conclude?  We are forced to say that to speak of anything less than Holiness will only cause us to approach the “something less”.  We attain toward that which is our ideal.  And we accomplish that attaining according to our desire. 

Let people speak of anything less than the Holiness of God  as their desire, and something less will be the outcome of their endeavors.  In short, we become more and more like the One we hold as our target.  The Christian world will often be caught holding up a small slice of Christ’s expectations for His people.  And to this standard the general Church aspires.  Items in the Christian experience such as mercy, generosity, prayer, truth, and a sinless obedience to Christ, are sincerely admirable.  But the over all goal is to give our best shot at becoming Holy.  And what shall we reply to the statement, “I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.”  (Leviticus 11:44)

May all God’s children aspire to what is “other” in this life.  The rewards of Christ hinge on our being separate from the world.

 

By His Grace.

Man’s Understanding of Holy Lacks a Bit.

by

0


Something interesting is appearing before me.  I posted an article regarding Glenn Beck being a part of the drama which will unfold as God raises up His two witnesses (as told in the book of Revelation).  I’ve watched a thread develop in which some speculate the issue.  All of us will ponder the advent of this prophecy.  And we are all correct to do so.  But something very interesting has presented itself in this thread.

It’s a human condition to try to identify a mystery by using the information we have at our disposal first.  We learn this from children’s games; “I spy with my little eye” and such other games.  But as we become adults we often try to find more information before we make guesses about things of such importance.  Why would Americans look to Americans as the source of God’s two witnesses?  Or even look to Obama as the anti-christ?  The world is a very large place.  But we look to what we know first, don’t we. 

Such a narrow field of candidates leaves a rather wide margin for the billions of “others” on this planet.  And it’s very likely that these two people are not Americans at all.  Consider one passage in that scripture regarding these two witnesses:  “They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”   Look how the Lord describes them.  He is using heavenly terms which indicate that they “STAND” before the Lord of Heaven.  They are not your every day average American.  They are Holy men.  Holy in the sense of God’s standards.  To ascribe this kind of Holiness to Glenn Beck or any other average American is a bit on the nonsense side.  These two men will be of a very special breed.  It is God, Himself, who has appointed His two witnesses.

Another issue regarding these two men has to do with the wickedness of man.  I got a feeling that if modern man met Elijah or Moses they would be sunk to their knees with the focus of God these men owned.  Remember how Elijah put to death the prophets of baal with the sword?  Blood was not unfamiliar to Elijah.  I don’t think he would fit into your local garden party crowd.  And consider Moses.  A man of firm conviction regarding obedience to God’s law.  How would the average group of modern men react to such a man in their Sunday morning service?

I think Americans (and thus many other modern people) miss the entire message of Holiness God is speaking.  It would be wise to discontinue speculation regarding these men if we are going to use our own frame of wickedness to pick them ourselves.

By His Grace. 

Related articles

Vain Superstitions

by

0


We are not called to frolic in the guestimations of the world regarding the Holiness of God.  We are called to join with Him in implementing His will among men.  While men make guesses regarding end times, the “Way”, the nature of Jesus’ salvation and glorification, God remains steady and sure.  He does not shift or change according to the limited understanding of man’s wicked contrivings regarding Holy.  God is.  And it is enough for us to live by the faith He gives each one of us.

Cease your constant wandering and rest.  It is God who works His will in His people.  Do not be swayed by all kinds of foolish words with which man builds his kingdoms.  They speculate about what is true.  It is God’s domain to KNOW what is true.  The one who follows Jesus will lay aside all this foolishness and pick up what is absolute.  God is willing to share wisdom to anyone who will ask.  And He will share this vast resource without judgment of any man’s history or bend toward wickedness.  Only, let us not give in to believing all the short sighted superstitions the world begs us to endure.  Hold firmly to Jesus and the truth He reveals.

Let those who will chase after vain knowledge; knowledge that is puffed up by the mind and wicked heart of man.  It is not the lot of Christians to cave to the foolish of the world around them who do not know the Lord of Glory.

By His Grace.

Cooking While Sleeping.

by

0


No one is useful to a task unless he applies everything he has to that task.  You can’t drive a car well if you’re busy texting.  You can’t do the dishes if you’re playing with the dog.  You can’t mow the lawn if you’re in the basement watching football.  And you can’t serve the Lord of Glory while you’re busy chasing after the things of this world.

To love the world is to be at war against God.  Yet to love God and seek His complete will for you is going to put you at war against the ways of this world.  A person must decide which side of the war is best.  God has said that He wins in the end.  And it will be those who have come under the leadership of Jesus who enter the victory celebration of God.  While the world will bow with perfect tears and sorrow, God’s army will enter with their heads held high and with great joy and singing.

For now we see things turned the other way.  The world looks down on those who serve the One who made us all.  But the day will come when they will be the ones to find their eyes unable to look up.

By His Grace.