Holiness is what I long for

There's a song that basically says holiness is what I long for, holiness is what I need, holiness is what You (God) want from me.  The song is "Take My Life", by Scott Underwood.  The writer goes on to also talk about faithfulness and righteousness, in the same terms as holiness.  According to Underwood, to see this holiness take place, here's what is required:

Take my heart and form it,
Take my mind and transform it,
Take my will and conform it
To Yours, to Yours, oh Lord.

(Copyright 1995 Mercy/Vineyard Publishing.  All rights reserved)

According to the Holman Bible Dictionary, holiness means to be set apart, to be spiritually pure, to be filled with the awesome power of God in the believer through the Holy Spirit.  In fact, it says that "the idea of holy is important for an understanding of God, of worship, and of the people of God in the Bible".  The Bible is very clear that God desires holiness in all believers (see 1 Peter 1:15-16).

As I reflect on Underwood's song, I realize several important things.  God desires holiness from me.  For me personally, as a believer in Jesus Christ, holiness is what I should long for, it's what I definitely need, and it's definitely what God wants from me.  To get it requires God's work in my life.  He must change or transform my heart, mind and will to His heart, mind and will.  I'm reminded of how God commands this in Scripture (Romans 12:1-2).  Here He calls us to "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God", calling this our "reasonable service", or like the NIV says, our "spiritual act of worship".  We can only do this "by the mercies of God", not in our own strength.  He goes on to say that we should "not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind".  Then we will be pleasing to Him.

I'm more convinced than ever that when we get a better understanding of worship, then holiness will begin to be more achieveable.  True worship permeates all areas of our lives, and when we surrender everything to God and His will, we can start realizing true biblical holiness that is acceptable to Him.

Here is an article I encourage you to read from Between the Times.  It also speaks on holiness and what we need to remember about it.  I also encourage you to pray specifically today to the Lord about holiness.  Ask Him to help you (as will I) to long for holiness and for Him to:

Take my heart and form it,
Take my mind and transform it,
Take my will and conform it
To Yours, to Yours, oh Lord.

http://betweenthetimes.com/2010/02/20/abraham-booth-on-holiness-and-perseverance/

Pastor Randy

Get Over It Already

So, there's been a lot of controversy in the news for a couple of weeks about the Focus on the Family commercial featuring Tim Tebow that will air during the Super Bowl.  Here is an article about this from Baptist Press.

http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=32136

There have been a number of people and organizations that have lined up to protest this ad and to demand that CBS not air it.  My response to these people:  get over it already!

In most cases, no one in our pluralistic, tolerant, post-modern culture even bats an eye about the ridiculous things we often see on TV these days.  There are too many worldly themes to count woven into our TV programs and commercials.  These themes openly support such things as gay relationships/marriage, infidelity in marriage, murder, sex, sexually transmitted disease, open & applauded disobedience of the law & parents, abusive relationships & language, and a very negative view of churches & religion in general.  Just to name a few things.

Now that someone wants to potentially stand up for something that a large number of Americans believe in (right to life), the wolves are coming out of the woods to complain and make ridiculous demands.  I realize this is a characteristic of the culture we live in.  But it's time for Christians to stand up for what is right.

I also recognize that this isn't very different from what I read in Acts 3-4.  Peter & John heal a lame man, by God's power, and then they get arrested.  They are arrested because everyone is seeing the obvious miracle that God has performed, and the name of Jesus Christ is being proclaimed.  The net of the story is that when the Sanhedrin realize they can't really do anything about this, they threaten Peter & John.  "So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus" (4:18).  I like how they respond:  "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.  For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." (4:19-20).

I can't wait to see the ad on Sunday.  I'll be at church leading a Bible study, but I'll be sure we set the recorder before we leave.  My prayer is that it will be a testimony for Christ that impacts the lives of many Americans.  And I also pray that I can respond daily like Peter & John.

Pastor Randy