Tag: holy separation
Separated to God Alone!
Scripture reading for February 25th: Leviticus 19-20, Hebrews 7
Key Scriptures: Hebrews 7:22-26 “This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but He holds His priesthood permanently, because He continues forever. Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”
God declared on oath that His Son, Jesus Christ, would be a Priest forever. Since He rose from the dead, He is alive and will live forever. This sets Him apart from the Levitical priesthood. They were sinful men who died and were buried, thus unable to continue as priests. When anyone turns to Jesus as their Priest, they are eternally secure in Him and His intercession for them with His own blood. Praise the Lord!
Faith Confession and Prayer: I have strong confidence in my salvation and inheritance because God’s Word promises me that I possess it through faith in Jesus Christ, my ‘forever Priest!’ Help me today with holy separation from the world and separation to You alone!
Leviticus 20:24, 26 “But I have said to you, ‘You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples.” . . . .You shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.”
Godly sorrow brings repentance!
Scripture reading for August 5th: 2nd Corinthians 7
Key scriptures for over-comers: 2nd Corinthians 7:9-11 “. . .yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.”
Repentance is a word that is not always understood in the Christian community. It is often associated with sorrow and sadness concerning something that has caused brokenness or harm to another or to us. Sometimes, we feel that the sorrow is what God wants and continue to live under a spirit of oppression or depression because of what we have done. But God wants to set us free from condemnation through conviction of sin which brings the ‘godly sorrow’ that leads us to Christ for His mercy and cleansing. This delivers us from guilt and shame and enables us to change our action, attitudes and character to be more like Christ!
Observations for over-comers: Repentance and cleansing are a part of normal growth in the lives of over-comers as we allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify us and separate us from sin and its grip on our lives. “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your Presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.” (Psalm 51:10-12)
Holy Separation!
Scripture reading for January 20th: Exodus 3-6
Moses was picked by God to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. He knew of this early in his miraculous life. First, the Hebrew midwives spared his life; they feared God and hid him. Then God showed his parents a plan to save Moses’ life. He was placed in a basket and released in the Nile river. Pharaoh’s daughter was bathing just downstream. She “found” Moses, named him and paid his own mother and sister to raise him!
Moses grew up in Pharaoh’s household and was taught in Egypt’s schools. At 40 years of age, he tried to protect his Israelite brothers by killing an Egyptian who was mistreating them and ended up on the back side of the desert, a wanted man. He went from a prince in Pharaoh’s household to a fugitive wanted for murder in a story as bizarre as Joseph’s in Genesis. For forty years it appeared that he was forgotten by God!
God’s delays and detours are for His purposes and our preparation. When God appeared to Moses at the burning bush in the desert 40 years later, Moses was called to take off his shoes and deliver God’s people from slavery in Egypt. Moses was said to be the most “meek” of men. (Numbers 12:3) God honors humility and brokenness. Moses, after 40 years of separation from the culture of Egypt in the desert, had learned a valuable lesson. He couldn’t do anything on his own! He needed God for everything!
Are you open to learn humility and brokenness? What area of your life needs the most help right now? Submit it to the Lord and wait patiently on Him. He will take you through a course of ‘holy separation’ where you remove your shoes and submit totally.
All of you, clothe yourselves with humility towards one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 1st Peter 5:5-7