Be Ye Holy, For I Am Holy!

A revelation of Jesus Christ will compel the true believer to desire and seek after a life of holiness. Do not live according to the custom or pattern of this current age. We cannot follow the example of the world community and expect to draw near to God. The customs and behavior of our world system are repulsive to God. His command is, “Be ye holy; for I am holy,” 1 Peter 1:16. And again in 2 Cor. 2:16, “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,..”

Our standard should be modeled after the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. Jesus became the new template, the new and better way and He delivered the plan in person. He became the living example through which those desiring God are transformed and enter into a living personal relationship with Him.

This transformation is initiated by the renewing of the mind. The Word states, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” Phil. 2:5. Have the mind of Christ rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation and continuing instant in prayer. Walk in this life in Divine communion with the Father having continued access to His strength, power, wisdom, and deliverance. We cannot think like the world thinks and walk like the world walks and expect to be a citizen of the Kingdom of God and as such walk in unrestricted communion with Him. That is why we must experience a change in our temporal mindset, a spiritual transformation brought about by the Holy Ghost in response to our obedience and submission to Him. Thereby, we are restored to a level of communion that man experienced in the garden before his sin. We are regenerated by the Holy Spirit to walk in intimate, holy and unrestrained relationship with God.

The result of our intimate union with God is to know His perfect will for our life. God has a good, acceptable and perfect will for each life He has created. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” Jer. 29:11. The reason many people never fully understand and experience God's plan for them is they lack that intimacy with God.

Because of the mercy and grace of the cross, God will meet us where we are. The redemptive power of Jesus' blood will reach into the deepest darkness to rescue anyone, anywhere. But, we must be willing by the strength of the Holy Spirit to leave the darkness and step fully into the illuminating power of His Word. By embracing His Truth and walking in obedience, the door is thrown fully open for intimate communion and revelation to “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” The holiness of God will cause the believer to desire and seek after Christ's holiness revealed in the individual’s life. He is holy, therefore we can live a holy life in Him! Be Ye Holy, For I Am Holy!

The Peace Of Jerusalem! by Myra Boozer

This was written 3 years ago but is still so very relevant to our present time. The president of the United States has officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The United States Embassy to Israel has been moved to Jerusalem and officially opened for business in Jerusalem just last year.

It seems that few other countries want that to be. However, God wants it and that is the way it will be. Children of God, take notice of the events transpiring in our world and the corresponding prophecies of God’s Word relating to the consummation of all things! Be ready, Jesus can come at any hour!

At the time of my original article, I had gone to my desk to pull a notebook to write my Christmas menu down and I found this written on the first page. Psalm 122:6, “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee...” Added to that was this...Praying for the Peace of Jerusalem is really praying for Shalom or praying for the Messiah to come to earth. I knew I was to let this settle into my heart so I gave some time to it. I looked up the Psalm and read the chapter. Verse 7 says, "Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy palaces...” That is where true biblical peace is found...within!

The word Shalom also stood out to me. It is a Hebrew word and means much more that just Peace. Bill and I have often discussed the scripture, "Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem" and felt that it could have a double meaning. "Peace" is not only a lack of war but also for the Prince of Peace to come. For some time we have felt in our hearts that when we pray for the peace of Jerusalem we are really praying for Jesus to come and set up His kingdom.

"Today many are praying for the peace of Jerusalem due to the rising threat from Israel's enemies. However, this exhortation to pray is not so Israel can live without conflict. It is so that Jerusalem can fulfill its destiny as set by the only One who can bring complete RESTORATION to the city...It almost sounds like we are praying for the return of Israel's Messiah, the Prince of Peace, to establish His throne in Jerusalem...There are many other examples worthy of study regarding shalom. Peace is so much more than the world's one-sided definition. We must find our understanding of it through the Bible from the God of Israel. We will need it in the days ahead.” Doug Hersey

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy,

do you hear what I hear?

Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,

do you hear what I hear?

A song, a song, high above the trees

With a voice as big as the sea

With a voice as big as the sea.

And so goes the lyrics of a classic version of a favorite Christmas carol. The inspired thought is that all creation herald the birth of God's greatest gift to mankind. The little lamb in the stable depicts the lowly birth of the King. The glorious news would not be concealed in the humble stable but has become a universal message of hope. The Good News, first proclaimed by the glorious host of heaven, embraced by the common shepherd in the field and spread abroad by them as they went, has become the message to all people. A song trumpeted “high above the trees” resounding to the throne of heaven, “with a voice as big as the sea.” The song goes forth with such a thunderous roar, “with a voice as big as the sea,” that all other songs cease to exist for His voice condemns them to silence.

This is the message of Christmas! The message has echoed across history for over 2000 years. The message of celebration for the gift of God's only begotten Son given for the salvation of man. We have been given an enormous, undeserved gift. Let us not spurn the grace of God by rejecting His mercy. That is the song that the angels sang.

Do you hear what I hear? I hear that song but there is another which has taken on a new priority in recent days. Acts 1:11, “...this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Just as all the players executed their roles in Christ’s birth and First Coming, the players are taking the stage to execute their roles in His Second Coming. The Voice of God comes thundering through His servants, “a song, a song, high above the trees, with a voice as big as the sea.” The message will go into all the earth, then the end will come.

Do you hear? Can you hear? Open your heart and experience the glory of this season! Be ready Jesus can come at any moment. Luke 24:42, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Do You Hear What I Hear?

You Came Wrapped In Humanity! by Myra Boozer

GLORY to GOD in the highest and PEACE on earth to men! "MAY the song the Angels sang stir our HEARTS again," Helen Steiner Rice.

The shepherds, poor as they were, got to see the NATIVITY right up front. Had Jesus been born in the Inn where it was all warm and cozy, the shepherds would not have been allowed to enter. They were stinky, no doubt, for they had been in the fields working and caring for the sheep. God knew this all the time even before He allowed His precious Son to be wrapped in humanity and come to the earth. God had every person in mind when it came to offering His Son, the perfect sacrifice for all sin. He knew His Son would be offered on level ground for ALL, not just a few or the elite but for All men everywhere.

For some reason, the shepherds touch my heart more than the Kings. Maybe I can identify with them more because I have never been wealthy or royal. I have just been an ordinary person. Amazing, no one was left out from the lowly stinky people right up to royalty. Yes, JESUS CAME FOR EACH AND EVERYONE. But they all bowed down to this Holy Child, not because Mary and Joseph required it but because of REVELATION. The Shepherds had been visited by the Angels telling them to not be afraid but to go and see the Christ Child. The Kings knew the scripture from the prophets that a Child would be born and they were to follow the star leading them to the BABY JESUS.

Lord, I pray this year more than ever that men and women, boys and girls would receive a revelation of Your Coming to earth as a Baby and bow in humble adoration before YOU. You grew into a strong young man who willingly laid down Your life for all. Who also arose on the third day, overcoming death, hell and the grave, making it possible for us to be part of the Resurrection Day that is coming soon. When those who are alive and remain will be caught up with those who have died and forever we will be with YOU in Your HOME. No, it will not be a stable, it will be a Palace of great splendor. You are the King of Kings and we will BOW before you. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:14 KJV

Follow His Revelation In Faith!

Jeremiah 29:10, “For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.”

God's promise to Israel was “restoration.” After all they were to suffer because of disobedience, He promised to bring them back to their land with a renewed relationship with Him. God will fulfill His purpose in this world and in this age. Restoration has already begun and those people who will put their faith in Christ have an appointed end.

We can embrace our determined end because of the eternal nature of God's promises. His covenant is forever settled in heaven. What He has spoken will never change. We can put our faith in every word! 2 Cor. 1:20, “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” As we walk in the Holy Spirit, we can discern the events of our time as pieces of a much larger picture of God's eternal plan. Faith rises up in us. Faith compels and propels us forward into a future we don't completely understand. But because of our faith in the infallibility of God's Promise, we move with purpose, assurance, and confidence.

Faith places each person in charge of his own destiny. Our future is determined by our faith in God or lack thereof. Our faith in God will determine our obedience to Him and His plan for our lives. Subsequently, we determine our destiny by our submissiveness to His leading.

A ship adrift in calm seas is helpless. A ship adrift in stormy seas is catastrophic. We are facing the most tumultuous times of this age. We cannot risk our engines being dead in the water. Our survival is dependent upon the power of the Holy Spirit to help us navigate the raging seas just ahead. My cry is, “God fill us again and again with the power of the Holy Ghost.” Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will Follow His Revelation In Faith!

Godliness With Contentment Is Great Gain! by Myra Boozer

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out," I Timothy 6:6-7 KJV.

Just thinking about people and what life means to them. For some people, a new home in the country or on the lake means everything. For others, it may be money in the bank and plans to travel the world over to see the sights that many will never see. For some, it is all about an education, a wall filled with degrees showing the world how much they have learned. All this is great if they have put God first. If the home is filled with the joy of the Lord and peace because they have given to God by helping those who have much less.

On the other side of the world or maybe across town some are thrilled to get up in the morning and find a piece of bread. To find some clean water, with a place to lie down without someone robbing them of the few things they have gathered in a paper bag. Then there are those who may have their family on the run, walking a muddy road, climbing a steep hill pulling the little ones up as they fall behind. Tears may be falling because they have had no food today. But the parents, or maybe just a mom alone is doing her best to get them to a safe place away from the enemy who has burned their home and killed their dad.

Yes, we live in a world filled with much anguish, turmoil, fear, loss of property and life. People are being killed and everything they have ever gathered together to make a home for their family has just been ripped from them with nothing left. Some have lost all of their family to the enemy of their country. My heart breaks when I think of how we can go about our everyday life when people are struggling for their next bite of food or water, struggling to survive.

America has been blessed but it has not brought peace of mind or gratitude to many because they seem to never attain enough, always looking for something better, or bigger or more exciting. God help us, everyone, to bow tonight before Him and ask forgiveness for ever taking what He has blessed us with for granted. Jesus have mercy on this world, those who have it all and those who have lost it all. For we will all stand before you empty if we have not filled our hearts with love for you and for others.

Follow His Revelation In Faith!

Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” KJV. The New Living Translation states it thus, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” We must follow in faith the revelation of Jesus Christ as revealed in God’s Word.

The wise men of Matthew 2 followed the star by faith to find the Savior. Their understanding of scriptures and desire to experience the promise compelled them to seek out the truth of the prophecy. Matt. 2:10, “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”

The shepherds of Luke 2 were so driven by their experience of the revelation that they were compelled by their faith to seek out the truth of the angels proclamation. Luke 2:15, “And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.”

Faith is essential to our discovery of the promise of Messiah and our salvation! Our search of this revelation must be driven by faith in God’s promise. Our search must be deliberate and in no way influenced by the secular idea of “fate.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “fate” as a state or end that seemingly has been decided beforehand. Synonyms include circumstance, destiny, doom, fortune, kismet, lot, portion.

What is the difference in our lives being directed by faith or fate? People who allow fate to be their compass in life will go with the flow. Their lives are driven by the events that surround them much like rivers and streams rise and fall with the ebb and flow of the seasons. In the summer months, when there is less rainfall, these bodies of water remain restricted within their banks and appear to move effortlessly because water will choose the path of least resistance. In the winter and spring when there is typically more rainfall, the rivers and streams can escape their banks but still seek the path of least resistance. They escape their banks because of the sheer volume of water. The ebb and flow of the rivers and streams is determined by the events in weather and will respond accordingly always moving downstream with gravity.

Followers of fate live a reactionary life, simply responding to the events and conditions in their lives as they occur. We all react to the circumstances around us but circumstances cannot be our compass in life. As followers of Jesus Christ, faith is the driving force in our lives. We cannot seek the path of least resistance and most of the time we are called upon to move against the current. God's Word requires that we fight against the onslaught of public opinion and stand for Truth. As Believer's in Jesus Christ, we must call attention to the moral depravity that is running rampant in this world. With faith as our compass, we can move ahead with purpose, God's purpose. We will not be deterred by the negative events and conditions around us. Because our faith is in the finished work of Jesus Christ, we can see beyond our immediate future to our promised end. Follow His Revelation In Faith! (continued)