HOW TWEAKED IS OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOLINESS?

Our son Caleb who lives in Ukraine with his family where he teaches the Bible.

Our son Caleb who lives in Ukraine with his family where he teaches the Bible.

During the past couple of weeks I've been trying to find time to help edit Caleb's newest book.  My biggest problem with editing is that I get so caught up in the content of what I'm reading that I gloss right over errors.  Once again I'm getting hooked on the content and just couldn't resist sharing this excerpt with you.

Quoted from "Is God Calling Me to Missions?" by Caleb Suko--- Our problem with holiness is that we often see it as a stringent list of rules, a stuffy, tight collar, joyless type of living. Our problem with how we view holiness is that we look for it in the lives of people instead of in God’s character.

A.W. Tozer wonderfully describes God’s holiness this way: 

“God’s holiness is not simply the best we know infinitely bettered. We know nothing like the divine holiness. It stands apart, unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible and unattainable. The natural man is blind to it. He may fear God’s power and admire His wisdom, but His holiness he cannot even imagine...

Holy is the way God is. To be holy He does not conform to a standard. He is that standard. He is absolutely holy with an infinite, incomprehensible fullness of purity that is incapable of being other than it is. Because He is holy, His attributes are holy; that is, whatever we think of as belonging to God must be thought of as holy. God is holy and He has made holiness the moral condition necessary to the health of His universe.”

May these be challenging thoughts for all of us as we begin a brand new year!

CHRISTMAS THEN AND NOW

Me, my brother Lyle, my sister Marcia, and my brother Mark.

Me, my brother Lyle, my sister Marcia, and my brother Mark.

What was Christmas like for a little farm girl in the early 1950's?  Oh, those were magical days.  Early in the evening on Christmas Eve my mom would send us four kids out to the barn so that "Santa" could come.  I remember the dim lights of our milking barn, the good fragrance of the alfalfa hay mixed with the sweet smell of molasses that was always added to the grain that time of year.  There was always a mother cat meowing with her little kittens trailing close behind her and the cows munching on their grain and hay with an occasional low mooing.  Us kids would run around in the area where hay was stored--excited about what possibly Santa would be bringing us, but, always careful to not peek out the door to try to see him, because , of course, then he wouldn't leave us any presents.  Realizing that we would only be getting one gift anyway, we sure didn't want to take any risks.  When Mom finally called out that Santa had come and gone, we ran to the house for all we were worth!

What happy days those were.  But, Christmas is so much more for me today.  Oh, the depth of the beauty and wonder that God came to earth, lived a humble life and died for everything wrong I have ever done so that I can one day live with Him forever.  This overwhelms my soul!  My favorite event at Christmas is our Christmas Eve service at church.  The contemplation of what happened that first Christmas night makes me rich and joyful and thankful deep within.  Christmas is beautiful--because of Christ!

Be sure to join me Christmas Eve at 6 for a wonderful service remembering the birth of our Savior.  Then on Christmas morning we will rejoice together again as did the shepherds, Mary and Joseph that first Christmas.

ANNA--A PATTERN OF PASSION

What a beautiful depiction of what it may have been like when Simeon and Anna marveled and rejoiced in the Temple when the long awaited Messiah was brought to them.  This week as I have been studying the three short verses about Anna's amazing devotion to God I have beenchallenged to continue on in happily serving Him for as long as He gives me strength and ability.  Life is short; every day is a precious gift that we don't want to waste on selfish ambitions.  Anna inspires me to rejoice in the Messiah during this busy season and live with passion for God.

Ladies, this is our last Thursday morning Bible study for 2016.  I'm looking forward to seeing you and sharing a time of encouragement in our faithfulness to God in our daily lives.