Ponderings on Holiness

• My holiness is a "walking out"- a process
• The completeness and wholeness is available without limit for me to walk in by God's grace- how much holiness will I choose?
• Do I have a limit to the degree to which I will follow Jesus?
• Is there a limit to my commitment?
• Will I do this, but not that?
• Do I put limits on the work I will allow God to do in my life?

To my sadness, my answer to many of these questions in all honesty is "yes." I limit what God can do in my life. I limit the closeness in our relationship.

I will always be incomplete-a work in progress. That is a fact for all of us as Believers. My goal is to move closer to Him daily. Looking more and more like Him with each step.

So I will accept the setbacks. Accept my human limitations. Hear from God. Act quickly to follow Him. Listen closely to the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Holy

Are you holy, as I Am Holy?

Do you seek not just My Hands,

But My Face?

Are you holy as I Am Holy?

Do you linger in My Presence;

Know My Mercy and My Grace?



Lord, Make me holy, as you are holy.



Then, I will seek not just Your Hands,

But Your Face.

I'll be holy, as You are holy.

I will linger in Your Presence;

Know Your Mercy and Your Grace.


Lord, I want to be holy.


As You are Holy.



Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.
Leviticus 19:2 & I Peter 1:16

Within the meaning of the word holy is the idea of wholeness and completeness. We are made complete in Jesus.

Glorify God

Be Glorified In The Heavens
Be Glorified In The Earth
Be Glorified In This Temple
Jesus, Oh Jesus
Be Thou Glorified

"....For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." I Corinthians 6:19, 20

"When we were born again, we were inwardly created to be a dwelling place of God...We were inwardly fashioned with rich spiritual ornamentations...Now live like the magnificently decorated cathedral of God's spirit you are." Rick Renner

His Righteousness

"So the Lord has rewarded me according to His righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight." Psalms 18:24

• If my righteousness was judged by man I would be destined to death.
• Do I consider others through HIS sight? Oh, Lord that I may see with your eyes.
• Jesus, Your obedience to the Father-Your suffering, death and resurrection-Your blood cleanses my hands.
• May I daily consider not only the cost of my salvation, but surrender and repent so that my life "...shall be blameless and innocent of transgression." Psalms 19:13

"May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalms 19:14

The Journey

I guess we, Believers, are all like Abraham going to a land we do not know. I never knew at the start what was going to happen. But does anyone? I suppose we have thoughts as to what we would like to happen or what we think might happen with our lives.


The journey itself though is a land we do not know. Stepping out in faith day by day. To be honest, I suppose I did not even know I was stepping out in faith. I was just going along, doing my best to obey God and living daily life...being a wife, caring for children, laundry, church, etc.


If I had known as a wife and mother at 21 that I was living a life based on faith I might have been afraid. Been so much more afraid than I was of making mistakes , of not pleasing God, of not being a godly wife and mother. It is kind of like when you ride a roller coaster. You get off then look back at what you just did. Oh my! Did I really go down that hill? Did I really turn upside down? What was I thinking?

Reality: I did it and it is fine. It is not that no thought went into the process. I went to the theme park, bought a ticket, stood in line in the sweltering Texas heat for 45 minutes and got on the roller coaster that had warning signs about heart conditions. And now I am surprised at what I did! That still amazes me...that we don't know what we have actually done until it is done.

Faith: Its primary idea is trust. A thing is true, and therefore worthy of trust. (Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary)

Trust is the key. I choose to trust the Lord in ALL things. Every huge accomlishment, every baby step is only through trust and the grace of God.


Hebrews Chapter 1 verses 1-3 The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. 2 The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. 3 By faith, we see the world called into existence by God's word, what we see created by what we don't see. (The Message)


This life full of serving God is an awesome journey.

More and More

The more answers I get from the Lord, the more I understand about Him, the more prayers He answers before I hardly ask, the more I seek Him.

Since arriving in Basel a month ago I have had no phone and very limited Internet access. I don't speak German, so my daily conversations with folks on this earth are minimal. The tv is in German, only CNN is in English. American news from a British perspective. No radio-you have to pay for it here. No meetings to attend. The children do not have lessons to be driven to and fro. A small apartment requires little up keep. Few possessions that require care. No garden to tend.

It took God moving me 5000 miles from what is familiar to slow me down, to regain focus I have not had in over 15 years. I can remember a time when I put my first two little ones down for a nap each day and spent time with the Lord. Intentional, purposeful time. I would read the Word and just listen.

After we had been here less than two weeks, Landon stated that when we return to Oklahoma we should get rid of all of the stuff we don't use. He realizes the simplicity.

Now, I am back to having intentional, focused, undistributed time with the Lord. In His goodness, because I did not make time for Him, He created an environment in which I do not have to make time. I don't have carve out a little place for Him. We, my Father and I, are in a wide open place. It is like sitting at a ten foot long banquet table. Him at the head and me at the other end. The feast before me beautifully prepared. I drink from His cup and eat of His bread. He gives generously. An unending meal. Silver trays, one after another, with every question, need and concern met.

I whisper my needs and He replies. The sweet voice of the Holy Spirit.

The book of Acts chapter 2 verse 33 : "Moreover, he has been exalted to the right hand of God; has received from the Father what he promised, namely, the Ruach HaKodesh; and has poured out this gift, which you are both seeing and hearing. "

This is a place I never want to leave. Not this physical place, this relationship.

Listen to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3GijrnfStk