What Does "Holy" Mean?

For the last few days, I have been fascinated with the word "Holy".  What does it really mean?  The word can be translated as separated.   I have looked up the word and what different people say about it.  It means more than just being good or separated from the world.  To say that God is "holy" is similar to saying that God is great, powerful, merciful, just, wise, loving, ect.... 

I really feel like Holiness is even more.  I do not know what Holiness is or how it relates to my life in its completeness but I want to find out.  So for the next few days I am going to concentrate on what Holiness is.  I won't be writing post for a while.

If you have any ideas on holiness, please tell me.  This is a quest I need to fulfill.

Living Waters

"Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." John 7:38

Living water does not mean that it is some kind of creature.  Living water is flowing like a river or stream.  The Jews would baptize using living water and not a tank of water like we usually do.  That is why John the Baptist would baptize people in the Jordan River.

Living water is a source of life.  Fish thrive in rivers and streams because it is aerated and clean.  Stagnate water has little air and is a pool where parasites and diseases can thrive.  It literally becomes a pool of death.

You are a reservoir meant to contain the living water of God.  The living water must continually flow in you by the Word and Spirit of God.  If you were to stop the flow by not listening to God and reading His word, your reservoir of living water would quickly dry up and you would spiritually thirst to death.  You would be living a worldly life instead of one of blessings and life from God.

If you were to stop the outflow of the living waters in your life, the world around you would thirst to death.  You were meant to water the lives of those around you.  You are full of the Life of God.  It was never meant to be dammed up inside you.  You might be the only source of the life-giving water of God that your friends and loved ones ever see.

Only living water will satisfy the thirsty soul.

The Non-Prodigal Son

The story of the prodigal son tells of him taking his inheritance, squandering it in wild living, and returning to a loving father.  The elder son is seldom talked about in sermons, but he is key to your life.

You as a Christ redeemed, Bible-believing Christian who seeks to do God's will in your life are the elder son.  You have done the father's will and stayed true to His word.  Hopefully, unlike the elder son in the story, you have rejoiced when others come to or return to God.

One of the first things said of the elder son in Luke 15:11-12 is that the Father divided his property between the two sons.  Did you catch that?  It was not only the younger son who received his inheritance but the elder son as well.  One-third of the estate would have gone to the younger and two-thirds to the elder. 

Wisely the elder son honored his father and cared for the estate, but he never utilized it as he could have.  He could have killed the fatted calf and held a grand celebration with his friends because he was now rich.  The father, in Verse 31, said, "...everything I have is yours."  Everything! The son held in his power all that the father owned.

We have not possessed Heaven yet but we have inherited from the father great riches while still in this world.  There is great power within our reach.  When we pray, we are calling down the power of God to work in this world.  The power of God to heal.  The power of God to protect.  The power of God to comfort.  The power of God to provide.  The power of God to guide.  The power of God to do the miraculous in our lives.

The power of God who sits on the Royal Throne of the Universe has given you Heaven and the power of God who is enthroned in Heaven.  Soon you will claim Heaven but until then all the power of God is your inheritance now.

"And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." John 14:13-14

What to Say When You're Speechless.

I have been thinking and praying about what to post today but have not felt comfortable about anything until now.

Instead of telling people something of God, I want to tell you Lord about us.  We are a sinful and rebellious people who seek out comfort and the easy way of life.  We are selfish and prideful.  We are not worthy of you and your love.

Thank you for loving us anyway.  Thank you for giving us your son.  Thank you for all the blessings you give to us even when we forget to thank you for them.

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 107:1

The Revolution

Throughout history, we admired the rebel who stood up to the corruption of an evil government.  We in the United States admire Geoge Washington and those who fought the war for independence from England.  The Scottish admire William Wallace's rebellion against England. And who can forget the slave Spartacus who led Roman Slaves in revolt against Rome?

There is a revolution in this world that covers the whole globe.  A revolt that permeates the very fabric of existence here on Earth.  This rebellion does not have noble leaders to admire.  It is the rebellion against God which started with Adam and Eve and continues to this day.

Christians are not rebels against the world. Just because there are much fewer Bible-believing Christians than there are non-Christians, does not mean we are the force rebelling against the evil of the world.  Christians are the loyal subjects of the eternal King of the Universe.  The world is rebelling against God, not the Christian against the World.

When a person commits a sin, Christian or not, they are committing rebellion against the King.  Every sinful act is an act of treason and punishable by death.  It does not matter how small or big we think a sin is, it is still rebellion and treason.

Are you a rebel?  Do you think a little white lie, a small piece of gossip or stealing that pen from work is too small to matter?  God takes our treasonous actions serious.  Shouldn't we?

"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft..." 1 Samuel 15:23a

No Faith in Heaven

If you stop to think about it there are a lot of things that you can do right now which you will never do in Heaven.  One is that you will never be able to live by faith in Heaven.  In Heaven, you will know God face to face. 

In Heaven, you will not be able to stand up against Satan, the world and those who oppose God.  You will never be able to choose to stand with God against the forces of evil.  You can never again bless God by turning your back on sin and self.  On Earth, you have the privilege and honor of telling the lost about salvation being found only in Jesus Christ.  In Heaven, you will never again experience the joy of praying with someone to accept Jesus as savior.

There are no needs in Heaven.  You will never have to trust God for your next meal, enough money for rent, or for anything at all.  You will not have the privilege of reaching out to those in need.  There are no charities in Heaven.  You will not be able to sacrifice anything of yourself to help meet the needs of others.

Heaven has nothing more to overcome.  There is nothing more to be victorious over because the victories are all won.  The place, for all those things, is here on earth, at this time and this time only.  Earth can be painful and hard.  There is much evil here and suffering, but this is where you have the awesome ability to express your faith.

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

Photo Credit: Faith by Art4TheGlryOfGod by Sharon

A Fool for Christ

One of the titles the world has given to Christians is "fool".  From the view point of the world we seem to be crazy, delusional people who will believe the most idiotic things imaginable.  To us it is rational but to them our beliefs are totally irrational.  Do these 12 things sound sensible?

1. Creation took six days and not billions of years.

2. Death began throughout all of the universe because a man and woman ate a fruit.

3. God became a man.

4. A loving God kills whole nations.

5. Jesus was killed, rose from the dead and lives now in Heaven.

6. By simply repenting and accepting Jesus as Savior anyone can go go Heaven.

7. Jesus is coming back to rule for 1000 years.

8. The Bible is inerrant.

9. The sun stood still so a battle could be waged.

10. Moses divided the Red Sea.

11. Jesus walked on water.

12. Jesus fed thousands with a few fish and loaves of bread.

Believing those things are actually true seems crazy to the world.  Believing that prophecies in the Bible are taking place today is also seen as crazy.

Am I crazy simply because I believe and trust in God and what He says?  If that is a fool then may I be the worse of fools. 

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18

Photo Credit: Easter_EmptyTomb by Donut_Diva