HOLINESS OR HOLY-NESS?

Just what is holiness? A word often spoken, little understood, and even less implemented.

So often we see holiness as living a good life, following certain principles of living that we, or others seen as more 'holy' than ourselves, consider to be Christlike.

Yet is this really what true holiness is? What holiness is all about? Or is it simply 'Holy-ness'? Following certain rules and admirable patterns of behaviour that we believe are a reflection of how Jesus walked? A reversion back to the Old Testament 'Law' rather than a reflection of the grace of Jesus. For no matter how earnest, sincere and dedicated we are, we cannot achieve holiness 100% of the time through our own efforts. In fact, we are actually wide of the mark, because our motivation, however noble, is wrong.

I have recently come to understand that holiness is not a matter of good living, although that is a result of it, but rather a matter of submission and obedience to the will of the Lord. As we submit to Him, so He will make us holy. For true holiness comes from the Lord, not from within. And that is such a relief!

My namesake, King David, provided an excellent example of this. In today's Christian world, he would be considered a failure, an adulterer, murderer, with an out of control family. Not a particularly good resume for one whom God loved!

Yet David danced before the Ark of the Covenant in a simple white robe of righteousness, in probably, the single most graphic illustration of holiness in the Bible. For he truly loved the Lord with all of his being, and when he went wrong, was quick to repent and turn in the opposite direction. In contrast to King Saul, he listened to God and did what he was instructed by his heavenly Father. His life still had its ups and downs but as you read his Psalms, you can see how his trust, faith and obedience to his Father was deeply ingrained within.

"O lord, please take all of me today. May my will be your will. May I live my life totally for you."

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AN INDIAN EXPERIENCE

The other day we drove for 4 hours from Suryapet to Hyderabad, a distance of just over 200km. Now, as the mathematical can quickly work out, the average speed was not that great, at just round 50kph.

However one has to remember that this is India. Where the trip is like playing 'Russian Roulette' with a potential bullet in the head every 5 minutes. All you can do is pray and ask the Lord to remove the 'bullet' of ever present disaster!

But the 'best?' part is the unique Indian way of keeping speed down through unidentified 'speed humps'! For you will be driving happily along at 70kph and suddenly you have to 'slam on the anchors' to avoid 'mechanical suicide' as your vehicle races towards the car breaker looming out of the darkness. Just in time you manage to scrub off enough speed, leaving copious quantities of burnt rubber in your wake, and live, temporarily chastened, to fight another battle a few more kilometres down the road. Not for the faint hearted, but all part of the Indian Experience.

ANOTHER INDIAN EXPERIENCE

It is well known that as greater commitment is required, so the number of Christians willing to make the sacrifice dwindles.

However India has its own form of this particular spiritual principle. Based not on commitment, but food and gifts!

So if you run a Seminar, half may turn up, and half of those go home after the free lunch! Of course, if you have a gift to offer at the end of the day, more will stay!

It is pretty hard on the speaker, as he feels they are leaving because of the quality of the preaching! But once you realise that the real reason they have come is not to hear you, but for the free lunch, you feel much better! If you can impart a little while they are there, waiting for the lunch bell to ring, you have done well.

However, by the afternoon, you know that those left are genuinely receiving and absorbing the Lord's message. And although the numbers are less, the Spirit is more, and the satisfaction for the speaker, greater.

For the Lord is looking for those today who are prepared to commit themselves fully to Him. This is not for every Christian, but those who are sold out to accomplishing His final day purposes on the earth. The reality of this has been illustrated to me in such a practical way by my Indian Pastor friends. Eighty were invited, 40 came and 20 heard.

An interesting and revealing Indian experience!

FROM THE WORD

THE ‘LORD’ IN ROMANS (Part 5)
When Jesus is mentioned as ‘LORD’ (Capitals mine) in Romans, there is normally a special point being made. A sermon series here? Let’s have a look, shall we…

“God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: “LORD, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”? And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.” (Romans 11:2-5)

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36)

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the LORD.” (Romans 12:9-11)

DAVID’S DOODLINGS

TRUTH AND KNOWLEDGE (Part 5 of 5)

One of life’s challenges is learning to discern the difference between knowledge and truth. This need for this differentiation arose when satan convinced Adam and Eve that having knowledge would make both him and them like God. The deception and missing link in his offer was that truth was not part of the package. For God is truth and God’s truth is often at considerable divergence to human knowledge. As God followers we have the challenge of discerning between the two.


God’s truth is progressively revealed to those with a heart willing to embrace it.

oooOooo

Faith is built by embracing God’s truth, enabling further truths to be revealed.

oooOooo

Faith and truth are heavenly lovers.

oooOooo

Faith and truth is a marriage made in heaven.

oooOooo

Genuine faith revels in godly truth, but human faith is dependent upon earthly knowledge.

oooOooo

It is so easy to be beguiled by the complexity of knowledge when seeking the simplicity of true faith.

OooOooo

Knowledge is subject to change, while truth stands firm.

oooOooo

Man seeks truth. God is truth. Shouldn’t then, man seek truth through God?

oooOooo

The one who claims to have all the answers cannot have been asked all the questions.

oooOooo

Truth is perceived through our ‘life filters.’ Unfortunately no two filters are the same!

oooOooo

The greater the truth revealed, the more room for human error to be concealed.

oooOooo

Since God is the sole source of absolute truth, shouldn’t we seek the mind of God?

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LAUGHING AT OURSELVES

***Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused***

*** "Those who can't laugh at themselves leave the job to others." ***

205. CHURCH FOR FANATICS
I was a supply preacher for a small town Texas Church, coming in early Sunday, preaching a sermon to the congregation, and then leaving after lunch. Arriving early one Sunday I sat down at a local donut shop, opened my Bible and went over my sermon notes.

A man was sitting down the counter from me and he said, "You a preacher or something?"

I replied, "Yes I preach at the Christian Church here in town."

He got excited and said, "Hey, I'm a member of that church."

The church was small and I knew all the regulars so I said, "I've been preaching there for about three months and I've never seen you there."

He looked at me kinda strange and said, "I said I was a member of that church. I never said that I was fanatical about it!"

204. YOU’RE GOING TO DIE
The pastor started his sermon by saying, "Every member of this church is going to die." As the sermon progressed the minister noticed a gentleman gently smiling on the front row.

From time to time the minister kept pushing his theme by repeating, "Every member of this church is going to die." Each time the minister repeated the theme, the guy smiled even more while everyone else in the congregation had a very sombre look.

The preacher repeated it several more times forcefully, "I SAID EACH MEMBER OF THIS CHURCH IS GOING TO DIE." Each time the phrase was repeated, the man smiled more. This really got the preacher wound up and he preached even harder. The man still smiled.

As he neared the conclusion the preacher walked down off the platform to stand just in front of the smiling man and shouted, "I SAID EACH MEMBER OF THIS CHURCH IS GOING TO DIE." While everyone else was looking pretty grim from the prospects, the man was now almost laughing out loud.

After the service the preacher jumped down off the platform and worked through the crowd to find the man. The preacher said, "I don't get it. Every time I said every member of this church is going to die, you were laughing. I want to know why you did that?" The
man grinned confidently and replied, "I'm not a member of this church."

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FACTS FOR FUN

LAST WEEKS QUESTION: How is it we can hear the ocean in a seashell?

ANSWER: We can't actually. The roar we hear when we place a seashell next to our ear is not the ocean, but rather the sound of blood surging through the veins in our ear. Any cup-shaped object placed over the ear produces the same sea sound effect.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What animal goes bald? (Not the bald eagle - which isn't actually bald!)

Answer Next Week.

SOME FUN FACTS
891. BIG BIRD
The ostrich, the world’s biggest bird, can live as long as 70 years. It can run as fast as a horse and does not bury its head in the sand to avoid danger. (It’s humans that do that – in vain!)

892. SEE THE SEEDS
The seeds on a strawberry are on the outside of the berry. A single strawberry has about 200 seeds. (All designed to be eaten, with new plants being grown form runners. Foresight in God’s plan here.)

893. ELEMENTARY, MY DEAR WATSON!
Galileo realised that the earth was not the centre of the universe when he observed through his telescope that the moons of Jupiter passed in front of Jupiter. If the Earth was the centre of everything , as was believed in his day, then those moons couldn't have orbited a planet other than the Earth. (Now, why didn’t I think of that!)

A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
SEARCHING


SEARCHING

Answer at the end of A David Musing

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TABERNACLE TO TABERNACLE

How the pattern of the first Church, The Tabernacle of Moses, has applied to the Church through the ages and predicts the Church to come.

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THE WORLD’S GREATEST GROANS

FAST PUNS
1. A bicycle can’t stand on its own because it is two-tired.
2. What’s the definition of a will? (it’s a dead giveaway).
3. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
4. A backwards poet writes inverse.
5. She had a boyfriend with a wooden leg, but broke it off.
6. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
7. With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.
8. Show me a piano falling down a mineshaft and I’ll show you A-flat minor.
9. When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.
10. The man who fell into an upholstery factory is now fully recovered.
11. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.
12. You feel stuck with your debt if you can’t budge it.
13. He often broke into song because he couldn’t find the key.

NEW GROWTH
A detective who spent his entire career in plain clothes quit the police force and bought a farm.

"What kind of crops do you plan to grow?" the police chief asked the farmer-to-be.

"Carrots and potatoes," the man replied.

"Why carrots and potatoes?" asked the chief.

"Because," answered the ex-detective, . . . "I'm very fond of undercover crops."

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BE INSPIRED WITH A MESSAGE FROM INSPIRATIONAL TAPES

This amazing New Zealand resource has over 4,000 messages ranging from old classics to the latest revelation and teaching. A number of free MP3 downloads are available or you can order tapes and CD’s from the site for worldwide delivery at a most reasonable cost. Our free weekly MP3 download selections will be available again from mid-October.

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A FINAL INDIAN EXPERIENCE

After finishing speaking on Thursday evening, the Holy Spirit came down powerfully and the people were on their knees or faces for the next 4 hours. This, while wonderful in itself, is even more remarkable when you consider that the floors were concrete and covered only by a light mat! The Spirit won over the sore knees!

I thought it was wonderful after half an hour, had to leave after an hour and a quarter for another engagement, and was truly amazed when returning 3 hours later to find that they had only just finished.

A truly beautiful, final Indian experience. Thank you Holy Spirit, thank you India.

A DAVID MUSING

It has long been a dream of mine to jog on each continent. I know that it is stupid and meaningless, but sometimes life seems a bit like that too!

Having managed to pound the roads with my heavy footfall in Australia (The largest island or smallest continent – but very big to a New Zealander), Europe, North America and Africa, I have been left with only Asia and South America to accomplish my goal.

However, running in Asia is a problem, particularly in India! For it is hot, but that is the least of the problems! The major one is culture. You can run if you wish to cover yourself in a tracksuit, but my keenness to achieve my goal is not so great as to suffer from the resulting heat exhaustion!

So when last week, I came to the cooler, more 'liberated?' city of Hyderabad and saw some joggers in shorts out on the roads as we went for our early morning walk, I saw my big chance. So next morning, I got dressed in t-shirt and shorts and went for my 'morning mourning' – well it feels a bit like mourning when you haven't run for a while! Just attracted a few stares, but managed to avoid arrest. Another part of the dream accomplished.

So, South America here we come – when invited!

His servant and yours

David Tait

Today’s Word Puzzle Answer: Searching high and low.

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ABOUT US

WALKING WITH JESUS MINISTRIES is a non-profit, non-denominational, Bible based ministry located in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. A ministry dedicated to developing discipleship, fostering unity amongst God’s people to achieve the Great Commission, and in doing so, preparing for Christ’s return. It is securely based upon the foundational principles of the Apostles Creed while recognising the wide and rich diversity of beliefs amongst Christians in other areas. In accordance with the Lord’s direction, materials produced by the ministry are available, free of charge, to genuine enquirers upon request. The ministry is solely funded by donations, as the Lord provides. A list of materials available (plus some fun!) is obtainable and freely downloadable from our website
wwj.org.nz or by contacting us as follows.

Walking With Jesus Ministries
3 Hetley Crescent
Taradale
Napier 4001
New Zealand

Phone: (06) 8449-377 International (+64) 8449-377
Email: enquiries@wwj.org.nz
Web: wwj.org.nz

Our role is to bless and encourage those in ministry while promoting co-operation and unity of direction amongst the body of Christ, as emphasised 3 times by Jesus in His longest prayer, immediately prior to His arrest and crucifixion. "… so that they may be one as we are one." (John 17:12, 21, 23-4) Our website is currently being developed to encourage your participation one with another, to share resources, and to enable you to promote events and items of interest to the body as a whole – and have a smile while doing it!

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