Praying and Pondering - Exodus 19:23

Exodus 19:23 Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, ‘Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’” (NIV)

            Sad to write, but I think we’re losing our sense of what is meant to be holy and kept sacred. This morning I saw a cartoon post from one of my pastor friends in which God was depicted as using profane language to get his point across. I know why he did it, but it irked me and caused me to question how far we have strayed from the holy Creator Father that the Bible presents to us.

            Now I’m not advocating that we should all become saints and lead puritanical lives – I’m the least person who could accomplish that – but what I’m expressing is a re-forming of our ideas, opinions, and beliefs in order to recapture the true wonder and awe that holiness and sacredness are meant to inspire.

            Praying and pondering on a daily basis is perhaps a good place to start. We all lead intensely busy lives that working God into our timetables is something we resist, push back against, or ignore. We all want to live healthy and happy lives, but at what cost to our spirits and unique relationship with God? We are meant to keep that deep part of us in a special way, and set respectful boundaries, much like the limits that were imposed on the Hebrew people when God came down to them at Mount Sinai. I personally believe if we could accomplish that personal level of holiness, our fractured lives would be healed and our souls would experience a lasting happiness. Perhaps today would be a good time to start.

Point to ponder

Have I scheduled some holy time to quietly be with God today? Am I willing to try?

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, every day You set aside time to be alone with God for prayer, guidance, and support. If You needed those sacred moments, then how much more do we require them in our lives? Give us the determination and focus to re-form our relationship with our Creator. Allow us the blessing of true holiness in His presence. In Your Sacred Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the Scottish pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com. You may read the church website at www.erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s crayons drawings of the Smoky Mountains called ‘Heaven meets Earth.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Mountain.

Human Holiness - Hebrews 10:10

Hebrews 10:10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (NIV)

            Holiness is not something that human beings are known for, unless you ascribe it to Bible characters, New Testament saints, or noble historical people like Francis of Assisi, Father Damien of Molokai, or Mother Theresa of Calcutta. Holiness, however, is what we need if we are to eventually come into the sacred presence of God. Without it, we will be separated from our Creator forever.

            Thankfully, even though we cannot earn, produce, or obtain this holiness for ourselves, Jesus has enough holiness to cover our sins and make us sacred in God’s eyes. This process has a church word for it – it’s called Sanctification. Jesus sanctifies us through His own sacrifice and makes us holy with His Cross. This is unbelievably simple and something which a number of people will never understand. We are so used to accomplishing tasks for ourselves or getting what we want by working for it, that we find it difficult to accept Christ has already fulfilled what is eternally required. However, think about it this way: what more can we add to what Christ has done? Nothing – absolutely nada. If there was something we could add, then Christ’s sacrifice would be incomplete. If there was something else we could achieve to merit sanctification, His offering would be imperfect.

            So today, let’s celebrate our sanctification and cheerfully embrace Christ’s holiness as our own. By His sacrifice, we are reconnected to God and restored to His dream forever.

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, thank You for receiving us as human sinners and transforming us into holy children of God. Your sacrifice perfectly restored us to our Creator. Your death decidedly reconnected us to God. In Your Holy Name, we gratefully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Please feel free to send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest crayon drawings called ‘Moonlight Waves.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Waves.