Breakfast: Be Holy

Good morning! Welcome to our day of prayer and fasting. I pray that you will find time to set aside for prayer and meditation, today. It is Holy Week, so there will be an emphasis on preparing ourselves for the days ahead — Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter.

Leviticus 19: 1-2

The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

Two years ago, I was invited to join a small group of men to study The Pursuit of Holiness, by Jerry Bridges. My first thought was, "Holiness? That sounds kind of like something for pastors, great religious leaders, or at least somebody other than me!" I simply did not see myself as ever being holy.

To help confirm my thinking, the verse above was one of the first I read. It kind of confirmed to me that this entire holiness idea was an Old Testament teaching, superseded by Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. The book, and its roots in scripture, taught me otherwise. Consider these (New Testament) words from Paul to Hebrews:

Hebrews 12:14

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. (emphasis added)

Sure, I read that verse before, but must have glossed over it. Reading Bridge's book, which repeatedly referred to passages like this one, changed my way of thinking to, "I want to be holy! I want to see the Lord!"

Of course, I am only human. It is impossible for me to be holy like God. Fortunately, Jesus atones for my sins, and with His forgiveness, makes me appear holy to God. Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross, and rising again to proclaim victory over satan.

    My heart's one desire
    Is to be holy
    Set apart for You, Lord
    ~Refiner's Fire, Brian Doerksen



Pray

• If you are ready, tell God that you want to be holy

• Ask for the forgiveness of your sins

• Thank God for advancing Adam to a new level of care in Orlando

• Thank God for all of the miracles that He has performed in Adam's life over the past 11 months.

• Ask God to strengthen the family bond between Adam, Amy, and Mackenzie in their new environment

For Holy Week, we will revert to our "old schedule." There will be a mid-morning post that will include a verse and worship song.