Tag Archives: holy

Jehovah-Maccaddeshem (Exodus 31:13), May 29, 2017

Today’s Podcast

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Topic Introduction with headline.
Scripture
1. Exodus 31:13
2. Eternal One: Speak to the Israelites and tell them, “You must be careful to observe My Sabbaths. For the Sabbath Day serves as a sign between Me and you for all generations, so that you will know I am the Eternal One who has set you apart from all the other nations.
Devotional
1. Jehovah-Maccadeshem, the Lord who makes you holy
  1. The King James translates this name, the Lord, who sanctifies [sanctifieth] you.
  2. NIV and several more modern translations, the Lord, who makes you holy.
  3. Easy to Read version, says, the Lord, who makes you his special people.
  4. We just read from The Voice, the Eternal One who has set you apart.
2. All have the same meaning, sanctify, set apart for sacred use, special people, holy, separate.
  1. The God we serve sets apart from the world
  2. He makes us different, special, sacred for His use
  3. He sets apart for His special use
3. Today, everyone wants to be unique
  1. It’s interesting because everyone who seems to want to be unique looks and acts just alike in the world
  2. Hippie movement, Gothic look, whatever fashion the world thinks sets you apart all look and act alike in their attempt to be special
  3. Doesn’t bring happiness because those attempts to form into what the world wants doesn’t satisfy, doesn’t fit the purpose for which we are individually created
4. Set apart for God’s purpose
  1. God gives unique skills, talents especially designed for the purpose He has for you
  2. Created you to fulfill a specific purpose within the scope of His will
  3. His will, that all will come to know Him as their personal Lord and Savior
  4. Uses people to carry out His will and fulfill His ultimate purpose
  5. Sets us apart to accomplish that mission
  6. Does He need us? No. Will He use us? Yes, if we let Him.
5. Jehovah – Maccaddeshem, the Lord who sanctifies you, who makes you holy, who sets you apart from the world. He is the God we serve.
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

It’s more than just rest (Mark 6:31) July 28, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Proverbs 13

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 6:31
Jesus (to the disciples): Let us go out into the wilderness for a while and rest ourselves.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

The fourth commandment is an interesting one. It tells us to honor the Sabbath and keep it holy. It tells us to do all our labor during the first six days of the week and to rest from our labor on the seventh day. When God gave Moses and the Israelites that command, they worked hard just to survive. Tilling the land, harvesting crops, preparing meals, protecting themselves from wild animals and marauding enemies, these men and women worked from before sunrise until after sunset at hard labor to survive. It’s not the same as what we think of as hard work today.

Even in our “hard labor” jobs, we have tools and mechanical aids that lighten the load significantly compared to what those Israelites used to eke out their existence. You’ll remember it was later in Israel’s history that the Philistines took away their metal tools, so they didn’t even have those to plow the land. Not like our tractors and combines and robotic factories today. No nail guns or power saws or machines to tamp and mix cement for construction. These folks worked hard.

God commanded them to rest from their labor on the seventh day. The interesting thing about that ancient Hebrew word for labor, though, it’s also used for serve, service to God, worship. The Israelites considered their everyday labor a means of worship. A way to serve God through the use of their hands every day. For six days they were to give their hard labor of service to God in a physical way, then on the sixth day, God commanded them to rest, set it apart, make it different, keep it holy.

We don’t do the kind of physical labor people did in Jesus’ day. I’m not sure we could keep up with them today. I’m not sure we could keep up with our grandparents in terms of physical labor on a day to day basis. We’ve gotten pretty soft as the generations have passed along. We think eight hour days are too long, even though a lot of us spend too much of that time stealing from our employers by checking our Facebook, Tweeting our friends, Instagramming with our social circle. Recent surveys tell us the average worker really actually works less than five hours of that eight they get paid for every day.

We think we need our four weeks of vacation and sick leave if we’re just tired of working. We figure fathers need paternity leave since mothers get maternity leave. We really don’t work like our ancestors did and I don’t think they complained nearly as much as we do about wages, time off, unfair working conditions, and all the other things we seem to complain about today.

Still, the commandment is valid. In our weakened condition, we still get overwhelmed by the stress and strain of the world just as our ancestors did. We don’t have to work as hard to survive anymore. God has allowed us to use our mental capacity to invent tools and equipment to ease the physical burdens of life. But we still suffer through the same temptations, emotions, and evil our ancestors did. In fact, we probably face more evil because we have more leisure time on our hands.

The question becomes, what do we do with that leisure time and what do we do when we rest from our labor? Now few people work six days a week at their jobs. 40 hours is the standard and most people have the whole weekend free. But what do you do with it? Do you honor it and make it holy? Do you remember, like the Israelites that your labor, whatever it might be, is service to God, and then your rest is a time to remember Him and should be made holy, set apart, different?

God didn’t need rest from the labor He expended to create the universe. He spoke and light appeared. He spoke and water separated the firmaments. He spoke and the sea stopped at the coastlines. He spoke and all the vegetation and animals in the world came into being. Then He made man in His image. God just said the words and things happened. God spoke. He didn’t need rest from what He did. But He commands us to honor the Sabbath because we need rest.

We need a Sabbath to stop from our self-imposed busy-ness and remember Him. We need a Sabbath to do something different from our every day labor to give our physical bodies and our minds a chance to recover from the labor we gave to Him the other six days of the week. We need a Sabbath. That’s why God commands us to remember it, use it, honor it, set it apart and make it different and holy.

How are you doing with that fourth commandment these days?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Abundant living (1 John 1), August 20, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready -1 John 1

Set – Jeremiah 48; Psalms 67; 1 John 1

Go! – Jeremiah 48-49; Psalms 67; 1 John 1

1 John 1
¹ We want to tell you about the One who was from the beginning. We have seen Him with our own eyes, heard Him with our own ears, and touched Him with our own hands. This One is the manifestation of the life-giving Voice, ² and He showed us real life, eternal life. We have seen it all, and we can’t keep what we witnessed quiet—we have to share it with you. We are inviting you to experience eternal life through the One who was with the Father and came down to us. ³ What we saw and heard we pass on to you so that you, too, will be connected with us intimately and become family. Our family is united by our connection with the Father and His Son Jesus, the Anointed One; ⁴ and we write all this because retelling this story fulfills our joy.
⁵ What we are telling you now is the very message we heard from Him: God is pure light, undimmed by darkness of any kind. ⁶ If we say we have an intimate connection with the Father but we continue stumbling around in darkness, then we are lying because we do not live according to truth. ⁷ If we walk step by step in the light, where the Father is, then we are ultimately connected to each other through the sacrifice of Jesus His Son. His blood purifies us from all our sins. ⁸ If we go around bragging, “We have no sin,” then we are fooling ourselves and are strangers to the truth. ⁹ But if we own up to our sins, God shows that He is faithful and just by forgiving us of our sins and purifying us from the pollution of all the bad things we have done. ¹⁰ If we say, “We have not sinned,” then we depict God as a liar and show that we have not let His word find its way into our hearts.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

John witnessed Me in the flesh. When he did and discovered what it was like to also have Me live in him, John could not help but tell the story. He wanted the world to know Me like he came to know Me. John was probably My closest disciple while I walked the earth. He probably understood My love better than any of My other disciples. Yet, until My Spirit came at Pentecost, the love he knew before that day was only a shadow of what was to come.

It is no wonder he starts his letter with a description of Me as pure light. I have a tendency to get to the heart of things. He watched Me cut through the smoke and mirrors people try to put up to hide the real issues they struggle with. He watched Me point to the sin and selfishness that causes people to push Me aside and fail to find fulfillment in their lives. He watched as I used My servanthood to demonstrate a side of God people did not understand. John wanted others to recognize Me and put their faith in Me. He wanted others to understand that as they shared their faith it would grow.

John also wanted others to see My perfect nature. People are sinful. I am holy. But the people who call themselves by My name will not continue to practice their sinful ways. They will strive for the holy life I practice before you. If you are My followers you will run from evil and sin. I command you to be holy because I am holy. I wouldn’t ask you to do something you cannot do without My help. You can do it, though, with My Spirit in you. I can help you find the exit when temptation tries to defeat you. Remember, you will never face a temptation greater than I can help you get through.

Until you get on My side of heaven, you will still make mistakes, fall short of my perfect holiness, need My forgiveness for your actions. But if you’ll consistently listen to Me and let Me guide you through My word and My Spirit, you will become more like Me each day. You will yourself being perfected each day until you finally come to be with Me forever. You can enjoy some of that now, though. You can let Me lead you along the path and enjoy My peace, My light, My holiness, My glory. All it takes is letting Me have control of your life.

I made you, I paid the penalty for your sins, I think I know what needs to be done to lead you along the best paths to make your life one of abundant living.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Be holy, because I am holy (1 Thessalonians 4:1-12), May 15, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
Set – 1 Chronicles 25; 1 Thessalonians 4
Go! – 1 Chronicles 25-27; 1 Thessalonians 4

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
¹ So finally, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus, we ask you, we beg you to remember what we have taught you: live a life that is pleasing to God as you are already doing. Yes, we urge you to keep living and thriving in that life! ² For you know the instructions we gave you, instructions that came through the Lord Jesus. ³ Now this is God’s will for you: set yourselves apart and live holy lives; avoid polluting yourselves with sexual defilement. ⁴ Learn how to take charge over your own body, maintaining purity and honor. ⁵ Don’t let the swells of lustful passion run your life as they do the outsiders who don’t know God. ⁶ Don’t violate or take advantage of a fellow believer in such matters. As we told you before and warned you: the Lord will settle the score with anyone who does these things. ⁷ Here’s why: God does not call us to live impure, adulterous, scandalous lives, but to seek holiness and purity. ⁸ If you ignore this message, then you’re not only rejecting us but you’re rejecting God, the One who has given His Holy Spirit to live in you.

⁹ Now there’s no need for us to send you instructions on caring for your faith family because God Himself has already taught you how to love outside yourselves. ¹⁰ And it’s evident you learned that lesson well by the way you love all the people of Macedonia. Brothers and sisters, we urge you to love even more ¹¹ and make it your goal to lead a peaceful life, mind your own business, and keep your hands busy in your work, as we have instructed you. ¹² That way you will live peacefully with those on the outside, and all your needs will be met without depending on others.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Paul understood My word clearly as he gave instructions to his brothers and sisters in Thessalonica. “Now this is God’s will for you: set yourselves apart and live holy lives;…” I told you how to do that, too. Love Me with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as you love yourself. The problem is too many think holiness is for someone else. They assume it’s only for those cloister in monasteries and convents or so old they can no longer enjoy life.

Paul understood the truth of living a holy life, though. It means living life in a way the world doesn’t necessarily agree and clearly doesn’t understand. It means helping others. It means succeeding in the areas I think important; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. You know these as the fruit of the Spirit. They don’t grow unless My Spirit lives in and controls your life.

People can fake the fruit or have cheap substitutes for a short period of time, but Paul and all My followers discover real holiness comes only from letting Me fully control your life. It means dying to self and living for Me. That doesn’t mean becoming a pastor or a monk or hiding yourself from the world. Paul still made tents as he shared the gospel in all the cities he visited. Peter still fished to make money. Lydia still traded as a merchant in purple dye.

But all of these with their occupational pursuits kept their minds on their vocation – spreading the gospel. All were compelled by their separateness, their holiness, their dedication to Me to share the gospel with those around them. They died to self and let My Spirit send them to places and people ready to hear the good news I had for them. They didn’t let their careers or their personal desires get in the way of My desires for them.

Interesting enough, though, as you read their letters and the stories of their lives, you do not find them complaining after they received My Spirit. You hear joy in their voices. You hear excitement in their speech. Time after time they give themselves over to My direction and find themselves in situations that look like dead ends – literally – only to become the instruments that win dozens or hundreds or thousands to the kingdom because of their testimony.

I ask you to do something that goes against the grain of this world. Be holy, because I am holy. I ask you to give yourself wholly to Me so that I can do great works through you. I ask you to invest yourself completely in My kingdom so that you can inherit the kingdom. The world will never understand being holy, loving Me with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, or loving others like you love yourself.

The world says, “Me first. Don’t worry about anyone else.”

I say, “Be holy, because I am holy.” Who will you listen to today?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.