A Word on WednesdayCFA Praise and Worship Team

We recently began opening our Wednesday evening services fifteen minutes earlier with a time of praise and worship before prayer and Bible study. Tonight as we sang the chorus:

I want to be clean. I want to be pure.
I want to be holy. I want to be yours.
Purify me, Jesus. Purify me, Lord.

There was such an awesome awareness of God's presence as we sang. It was more like a praying to music, as the song flowed from our hearts. Then we received a word from the Lord that I want to share with you here. The Lord said to us:

I want purity and holiness from you,
not just an outward holiness for the benefit of others
or because of your sense of responsibility to others,
but true inner holiness that flows out of your passion for me,
a passion that causes you to long for my presence.

God doesn't just ask us to be holy and pure. He commands it! Listen to what He says in Leviticus 11:44-45

I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy,
because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any
creature that moves about on the ground. I am the LORD
who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God;
therefore be holy, because I am holy.

Not only does God give this strong word to the children of Israel in Leviticus, but He also reminds us in the New Testament in Hebrews 12:14 that holiness is not optional!

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

Tonight the Lord not only reminded us of this truth, but told us that holiness can flow out of an inner passion for Him. If you're struggling with living the holy life, then I want to encourage you to let God give you a fresh baptism of His love and stir your passion for His presence. Out of that passion you will be empowered to live a pure and holy life. Get ready, now, you are about to experience the awesome holiness of God! Have a blessed day.