Leviticus 19:2 – “… You shall be holy, for I, Yahweh your God, am holy.”

As I prayed, read, and meditated on the Word, I almost immediately read something that challenged my heart: Leviticus 19:2.

This was not a suggestion but a command.  I had several questions that I know I will be contemplating for days to come.

• Can we simply decide to be holy?
• What is being holy?
• What does it look like?
• How do we become holy?

I will not attempt to exegete those questions except to say, “GOD IS HOLY.”

As I continued reading, I read 1 Corinthians, and these questions began to unfold for me. The beginning of Revelation, in seed form, began to be planted in my consciousness.

1 Corinthians 1:2 – “For you HAVE BEEN made pure, set apart IN the Anointed One, Jesus…”   [Emphasis mine]

1 Corinthians 1:4 – “…He HAS GIVEN you such free and open access to His grace THROUGH your union with Jesus, the Messiah.”  [Emphasis mine]

1 Corinthians 1:17 – “For I trust in the ALL-SUFFICIENT Cross of Christ alone.”  [Emphasis mine]

1 Corinthians 2:30 – “And NOW He IS our God-given wisdom, our virtue, our holiness, and our redemption.” HE IS, and because He is, we are!  [Emphasis mine]

1 Corinthians 3:9 – “…you ARE God’s Cultivated Garden, the house He is building.”  [Emphasis mine]

1 Corinthians 5 speaks of inappropriate tolerance of sin, calling it superior grace.

1 Corinthians 5:6 – “Boasting over your tolerance of sin is inappropriate. Don’t you understand that even a small compromise with sin permeates the entire fellowship, just as a little leaven permeates a batch of dough?”

God’s heart is always reconciliation and restoration. God hates gossip, backbiting, bitterness, and perversion. God hates sin! God is love and desires that we love with His love.

We must never forget that God is loving, merciful, just, and holy.

Romans 11:22 – “So fix your gaze on the simultaneous kindness and strict justice of God.”

If we are to become all He desires and has provided, we must move beyond being dominated by the mindset of the flesh (1 Cor. 3:1-3).

We can manifest that we are becoming “God’s Cultivated Garden.”

1 Corinthians 3:22- 23 – “… everything belongs to you (us). 23 AND NOW you are joined to the Messiah, who is joined to God.”

Who we are is not necessarily our current manifestation. In being holy, we experience the process of ridding ourselves of the weights and hindrances of fleshly thinking and living and embracing God’s character.

Being holy is not an impossible dream but a place of relationship with Him who is holy.   We Are in Him, and as He lives His life through us, we Become!

You are more than you have become!  Become more than you are now manifesting.  He is in you, with you, and through you.  The life you NOW live in the flesh, you live by the faith of the Son of God. Christ in you is your Hope!

Today is your day to embrace the fullness of Who God says you are and allow the Holy Spirit to bring that into reality in your life!  

God Bless you. Have a fantastic day in Jesus!

2 Samuel 12:7 — “Nathan then said to David, “You are the man! “

The matter of self-deception must be addressed to be victorious in Jesus!  In 2 Samuel 12, we have the after story of David’s tryst with Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of her husband. Nathan, the prophet, brought him a story of abuse.   David became furious and demanded justice for the abuse.  Nathan took his life in his hands and said, “You are the Man!”

Where was the self-deception? David was at ease with his actions until that moment. We sometimes hear the voices we want to hear. It is what we want. It elevates and gratifies us. Many factors are interlaced: pride, self-evaluation, faux piousness, and blindness.

David saw what enticed him: a beautiful naked woman. He was king, and nobody would refuse his requests. God installed him. He walked in God’s anointing. He was well respected. 

Self-deception had produced an entitlement mentality. He had the power and ability to do whatever he wanted, and nobody would challenge him.  No human dared challenge him, but God did.   David repented, but there was a price to pay.  The child died.

We deceive ourselves by listening to voices that say what we want to hear.   We then twist what we want to hear into being decrees and promises from God.  Deception destroys.  Once it takes root in one area, unless checked, it will spread. 

God never removes choice from the mix.  He did not, even with Jesus.  Jesus chose to obey.  Obedience may mean swallowing our pride and walking away from the hope we created.  But, unless we deal with all deception, we will be destroyed.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, the Light, and the Life.

We need to examine our hearts, and maybe we will say, “LORD, THAT’S ME. FORGIVE ME!”  God wants to set us free. I have things in my heart that anchor this, but I have no release to say them now.

Beware of deception, and pray that you will not become self-deceived.   Examine what you are pursuing and ask for revelation about and deception.   Confession brings freedom, and I believe God will give you more legitimacy.

If we walk in total openness and honesty before Him, He will give us the Kingdom and the desires of our hearts. Beware of deception.   Deceivers can seem good and righteous.  Deception does not wear a warning sign.

Allow the Holy Spirit to give you discernment and the courage to own your sin, give it to Jesus, and become free!

Luke 22:31-32 – “And Jesus said to Simon, Simon, behold, Satan wants to sift all of you like wheat; But I have made supplication for you that your faith may not weaken; and even  you in time will repent and strengthen your brethren.”

As Jesus prepared to go to the Cross, He reminded the disciples of His intent to give them His Father’s kingdom and told them what was about to happen. Then, almost as an aside, He said to Peter something we need to remember.

The devil wants to sift us as wheat, but God wants to make us unsiftable.

There are three dimensions I want to mention for your consideration:

• The War – Satan’s desire to destroy us.
• The Provision – Jesus has prayed for us.
• The Protection – the Indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

What is Jesus praying for us? He is not praying that we will not be attacked by the devil and the powers of darkness and that we will not face difficulties, disappointments, or defeats. He is praying that our faith (confidence in God) will not weaken.

We need to embrace what He told Peter. In time, we will return and strengthen others through repentance and recommitment. We will have the ministry of reconciliation and pull-down strongholds.

God’s promise to save us and our house was not idle talk.  That promise is guaranteed if we believe it.

Proverbs’ declaration that we should train our children in the way of God and that they will return is not a fantasy if we believe.

• We have the Word, the Name, and the Holy Spirit.  
• We have the Authority.  
• We have ALL Spiritual Blessings given to us.
• We are Heirs of God and Joint Heirs with Jesus. 
• We are IN Him, and He is IN us.

What do we do?  Pray and believe that He is telling the truth.  HE IS!  Do not fear the War because you have the Provision and Protection.

This is your victory, even your faith.   See it, believe it, pray for it, and proclaim it.  Seize the day and the promise.   IT IS YOURS!

Luke 18:40-41 – “Suddenly Jesus stopped and directed those nearby, “Bring the man over to me.” When they brought him before Jesus, he asked the man ^41, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Master,” he said, “please, I want to see.”

The question Jesus asked Bartimaeus is ringing in my heart.   The account found in Luke 18:35- 43 is powerful and revelatory.   The blind man heard that Jesus was near.  He acted upon what he heard and cried out to Jesus for mercy.   He did not specify what he desired, only mercy.   Sometimes, we are so focused on what we want that we fail to focus on Him.  In His presence is fullness of joy.

Those around the blind man tried to silence him, but he persisted. Jesus heard him and stood still. Imagine that! Our prayers get Jesus’s attention and cause Him to stand still. Wow!

Jesus called him over and asked a question that He is asking us today.   (V.41) – “What do you wish Me to do for you?”  Specificity is needed.  What did He want?  What was the most important to him at that moment?  Jesus saw he was blind but ignored the obvious and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”

That is the question for each of us today, “What do you truly want from Jesus?”  Do not break out your shopping list of desires, just the most important thing right now.   The blind man said, “That I may see.” 

Consider the progression of things with him:

• He heard that Jesus was passing by.
• He took action and prayed.
• He responded to the Lord’s call.
• He received.  

He asked with specificity and expectancy, and he received.

Today, Jesus is asking, “What do you want Me to do for you?”   Do you believe?   All things are possible to those who believe.

• We must answer His question.  
• We need to be specific and expectant. 

He does not ask rhetorically but with the intent and desire to answer.

Can you Hear Him?  Then, ask for what you truly desire or need.  Receive from Him that which He offers.  Remember that Jesus said that all He has is ours and wants us to have what we need.

Be specific and bold.  He has invited us to come and call upon Him!  Have a fantastic day!

Proverbs 16:18-19 – “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.  19 It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud.”

Humility and Pride are diametrically opposite.  One is healthy, the other destructive.  One leads to fullness, the other to emptiness.   One leads to success, the other to failure.   Have you guessed which one?  If you haven’t, I will let you muse on it a bit.

When Samuel informed Saul that God was taking the kingdom away from him and giving it to someone after His heart, he said, “When you were little in your own eyes…”   The Bible does not teach unhealthy self-rejection but the proper association or comparison of who we are and on whom we are to be dependent. 

Saul went from being humble to arrogant and proud.   He transitioned from being dependent upon God and recognizing his own insufficiency to becoming self-sufficient.  He evolved into a person whose promotion produced a sense of entitlement and brought about his destruction. 

We Americans are known for being independent and proud.  That is okay as long as we never forget who we depend on and take pride in what He has done and enabled us to do, not proud and arrogant. 

• The humble seek God’s help to better others. 
• The proud envision themselves as the most important and often demand that others recognize them, praise them, and grovel at their feet. 

It is the attitude that says, “Look what I have done.”  It is the view of the heart and often the mouth that exalts the self. We sometimes forget that every gift is from God, and none of us has anything that was not the result of His grace and mercy. 

Today, as we reflect on God’s Greatness and Goodness, we should also reflect on His Blessings and be Thankful. We have what we have by the grace of God. We have All Things in Him, and without Him, we have nothing! 

My Prayer: 

“Thank You, LORD, for Your goodness to us.  I ask that You bless each of my friends and keep them safe.  I ask that You provide for whatever we need and enable us to achieve the dreams, desires, and goals You have put in our hearts and minds.  I ask that You make this day a day of rejoicing for each of us!  Amen!”

Have a great day, and remember that you are what you are by the grace of God.  If you can be better, be better with His help.  If you are successful, be thankful.  If you are struggling, remember His promise is never to leave nor forsake us! 

God bless!