Remember WE HAVE a Supernatural Heavenly Father (Job 42:1-2, Jeremiah 32:17, Isaiah 26:4-5, Matthew 23:9, Ephesians 1:19, 4:4-6; Revelation 19:6) who has Supernaturally and miraculously chosen and adopted us (Ephesians 1:5, Galatians 4:5-7, Romans 8:14-19, 9:8; 1 John 3:1), and we are Supernaturally anointed by our Supernatural Heavenly Father and Supernaturally sealed by His Supernatural Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 1 John 2:20) and endued with a Supernatural Power from on High (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8, Romans 8:37, Philippians 4:13 ), and we have been given Supernatural Instructions to live a Supernatural life all laid out for us in a Supernatural Book (Matthew 4:4, Ephesians 6:17, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 4:12) called The Scriptures also known today as The Holy Bible (Mark 4:12, 9:12; Romans 1:17 ).
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God is bigger than what we think, and He is great than what we feel.
“…God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.”
1 John 3:20
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God does NOT think like you, and feelings are fleeting and change continually; Your trials are temporal. However, God’s truth stands forever and His truth is unchanging.
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“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.”
Isaiah 55:8
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You are His child; You are sealed with His Holy Spirit.
His Word goes out, and His Word does not come back void.
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HE IS WORTHY OF ALL GLORY; Magnify the Lord. Your responsibility is to wait on Him, to seek Him first and His righteousness, to keep your focus trained on Him, and to do what He has called you to do. Pick up the Sword of the Spirit, learn to wield the Sword of the Spirit in all areas of your life, speak His Word, and stand on the promises of God. Move out of the way and let Him fight for you. He will bring about what He has purposed for your life.
Linda Agnes Knowles
O CALVARY’S LOVE
By Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles
O Calvary’s Love,
Who set me free,
Thank you for your grace
That you’ve bestowed upon me.
O Calvary’s Love,
My God and King,
You have chosen me,
And called me out,
My heart, O God, bows to you alone.
O Calvary’s Love,
My hope and trust are in you,
For you never disappoint;
My Jesus, you never fail.
O Calvary’s Love,
You have granted me liberty.
O Calvary’s Love,
Thank you for loving me;
Thank you for granting me,
Overwhelming victory.
O Calvary’s Love,
I call to you to wash me clean,
And to make me whole,
By your redemptive power,
Found in that crimson flow.
O Calvary’s Love,
Who set me free,
My Lord, My God,
My Everything!
O Calvary’s Love,
Thank you for giving me
This song to sing.
broken chain
“For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.” -Romans 5:10
“He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.” -2 Corinthians 5:15
Our chains are gone, and we’ve been set free. We’ve been bought with a high price; That price being Christ dying on the cross, shedding His blood for us. Since Christ made the ultimate sacrifice, His sacrifice is infinitely greater than any sacrifice or offering ever made. Before God, we stand redeemed, are reconciled to, and restored by God.
After all the Lord has done, our response can only be, “Thank You, Lord, for setting me free to live for You. I’m Yours, O Lord. Do with me as You will.”
Linda Agnes Knowles
When it comes to God’s grace, there is no quick exercise. Grace is a gift bestowed upon us as children of God. Grace is not inexpensive; It is costly. Grace came at the cost of Jesus giving up His life for us. Grace is given freely to us, but we are not to take advantage of His grace. We ARE SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH not by works. Ephesians 2:8-9 states, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” We can NEVER boast about earning God’s grace because grace is a gift. Rewards/Awards are earned. Gifts are NOT earned; Gifts are given.
2 Corinthians 12:9 states, “Each time he said, ‘my grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ can work through me.” What does that tell you? That verse is telling you that you need God’s grace, and His grace is all your need. Basically, we can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). No matter what situation or obstacle comes your way, you ARE victorious. Despite all these things–trials, heartache, pain, sorrow, tragedy, death, and the like–overwhelming victory is ours through Christ (Romans 8:37). You ARE an overcomer.
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EITHER YOU CHOOSE TO OBEY OR YOU DON’T. GOD WANTS WHOLEHEARTED OBEDIENCE.
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Here is what the Word of God says in Deuteronomy 30:19, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” Obedience is a choice, and as believers, we have the Holy Spirit who empowers us to live a holy and obedient life as commanded by God. You can choose life which includes blessing and being in right relationship with God and seeking after Him, or you can choose death which means you are out of right relationship with God, living for yourself. God is the One who sets the standard to live by, and His standard is holiness (1 Peter 1:16) “Be holy for I am holy.”
In John 14:15, Jesus said, “If you love me, obey my commandments,” and in John 15:5, Jesus says, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. FOR APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING.” If you rely on self-effort and self-reliance to try to obey God, that is all it will amount to. Trying to obey, anything based on man-made wisdom and understanding will collapse, amounting to absolutely nothing. We are also told in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
The things of the Spirit are spiritually discerned. The bible is not something we read with our carnal understanding. As children of God, we have the mind of Christ, and we should be asking the Lord to help us to understand by leaning on the Holy Spirit who helps us to understand the truth of God’s Word as shown in John 16: 13 which states, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.” When the Holy Spirit helps us to understand the words in Scripture, we are getting understanding and wisdom from God. With the mind of Christ, we are able to understand the things of the Spirit. The Apostle Paul had this to say, in 2 Corinthians 2:13-16, “When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, ‘Who can know the LORD’S thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?’ But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.”
God does NOT make suggestions. God gives commands, and His commands are clearly laid out in Scripture such as the Ten Commandments. When God says, “Don’t lie,” that’s a command. Make no mistake about it. The Creator of the Heavens and the Earth DOES make commands. You are merely the clay in the Potter’s hands. You don’t get to tell the Creator who created you what to do.
The Scriptures demand you make a choice. The Word is meant to be applied to our lives. Even King David the Psalmist recognized this as he meditated on the law of God day and night. King David understood God gave commands; “I will pursue your command, for you expand my understanding,” Psalm 119:32. Also, King David understood the importance of believing in God’s commands. He states in Psalm 119:66, “I believe in your commands; now teach me good judgment and knowledge.” Understand and see God lays out His commands in the Scriptures. However, when reading and studying God’s laws, His commands, His precepts, His demands, you are faced with having to make a decision. Will you or won’t you obey the commands of God? Choosing God’s way is choosing life. Choosing your way only leads down the broad road to death, hell, and destruction.
CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE!
The Creator has made Himself very clear. Now follow His laws and commands. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ our Lord.
Second Corinthians 5:15 shows us, “He did for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.” According to that verse, we, as children of God, do NOT live for ourselves because we are not your own, and we have been bought with a price. Christ did the will of the Heavenly Father and stated why He had come, “For the Son of Man came here not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45).
Follow His example. See Jesus for whom He is (John 4:26), “I am the Messiah!” And we are to follow Him (John 8:12), “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, ‘I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.’”
Walking the narrow road takes our willingness. It’s not easy, but it is worth it all. Count the cost. Pick up your cross. Carry your cross. Follow HIM.
Linda Agnes Knowles
“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
“For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.” ~2 Timothy 4:3-4
We are never to water down the Gospel, never to undermine or underestimate the work of the Holy Spirit, and never to distort the simple plain reading of the Word of God. We are not to mix New Age into the Bible because New Age is a mix of religious and spiritual beliefs having to do with mysticism inclusive of phrases such as “Consciousness of Sin” or “Consciousness of Christ,” or “The Greater Consciousness.” The New Age is a free-flowing spiritual movement and includes the practice of witchcraft – tarot cards, fortune-telling, astrology, horoscopes, crystals, healing runes, and the like – as well as philosophies, rituals, and traditions from various ancient cultures and traditions.
Revelation 22:14-15 tells us about those who are believers and warns us about what happens to those who practice any lifestyle of sin, “Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol-worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.”
Today’s world views have infiltrated modern churches. Candied doctrine has replaced sound teaching. Modern churches have exchanged the Truth of God for a lie. There are people within the places of worship looking to be made comfortable in their sin, desiring to live whatever way they want without being held accountable. They are choosing to be willfully ignorant and defiant to the laws of God. Any church leader and any child of God MUST preach and proclaim the full counsel of God, which means they must preach against sin. In order for the Issues of Holiness and Righteousness to be addressed, the issue of sin HAS TO and MUST BE addressed.
Repentance and confession of sin to God are absolutely essential, and we are not to take advantage of God’s mercy and grace. The Scriptures say in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The first chapter of 1 John speaks about living in the Light, verses 5-10, “This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts,” and the Psalmist King David declared, “The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.”
There seems to be a misconception when it comes to the Holy Spirit as well. Jesus spoke about the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17), “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.” John 16:5-15 details “The Work of the Holy Spirit.” Please note verse 8 tells us the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, “And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment,” and verses 14-15 tells us the Holy Spirit points us to Christ, “‘He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’” Note the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin and points people to Christ. The Holy Spirit will NEVER take our focus off of Jesus. NEVER. The Holy Spirit will ALWAYS point us to Jesus.
Since the Scriptures are God-breathed, it’s important to note, that the Word is written to us. The Scriptures tell us the good, the bad, the best, the worst, the beautiful, and the ugly.
The Holy Spirit also called the Spirit of Prophecy does NOT always give flowery or sugary messages. We see this throughout the Scriptures which speak of true repentance with humility before God (Micah 6:8), “No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
As children of God, we are to read and study the Scriptures and check out any preaching or teaching with the Word of God so we don’t go astray and fall for “doctrines of demons.” The reason those within the church get deceived is that they are not studying the Word of God for themselves. The bible is clear on this as well, 2 Timothy 2:15 tells us, “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” DO YOU WANT TO HEAR GOD SPEAK TO YOU? ARE YOU LOOKING TO HEAR THE VOICE OF THE SHEPHERD? NEED A WORD FROM THE LORD? OPEN THE BIBLE AND STUDY THE BIBLE. The Word is an Instruction Manual. The Bible tells you everything you need to inherit eternal life, how God wants you to live, and tells you the thoughts of God. DO YOU WANT TO KNOW THE WILL OF GOD FOR YOUR LIFE? OPEN THE BIBLE AND STUDY THE BIBLE. If you leave your bible on the shelf or table to collect dust, you will fall into sin. “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you,” (Psalm 119:11), and “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path,” (Psalm 119:105). DO YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW TO TELL RIGHT FROM WRONG? DO YOU WANT TO KNOW IF WHAT SOMEONE SPEAKING IS IN THE BIBLE? OPEN THE BIBLE AND STUDY THE BIBLE. Always pray before reading God’s Word. Ask Him to show you what His Word is saying. Ask Him to guide you. Let your mind be controlled by the Holy Spirit as spoken of in Romans 8:1-17.
The prophet Isaiah had this message from God (Isaiah 50:11), “But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from me: You will soon fall down in great torment.”
The Apostle Paul addressed the believers in Galatia about the false teachers and preachers coming into their midst; Galatians 1:8 states, “Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you.” The only Sure Foundation for our lives, the only Sure Foundation our faith is built on is Jesus Christ. Look to Christ. Look to your Heavenly Father. Shift your focus, and keep your focus set on HIM!
“Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer a great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames. Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” ~1 Corinthians 10-17
“Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please me, I would not be a servant of Christ,” Galatians 1:10. As children of El Shaddai, let us press on, dropping whatever it is that would easily entangle us, cherish and cling to the truth of God’s Word, and keep our eyes on Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, who is the Author and the Finisher of our faith. Let us be found faithful, uncompromising, and unwavering. Let us stand firm, rooted in Christ, and grounded in the Word. Let us seek not the approval and applause of men, but let us seek approval from God alone.
Linda Agnes Knowles
“For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to the children, that the coming generation would know them-even children yet to be born-to arise and tell their own children that they should put their confidence in God, not forgetting His works, but keeping His commandments. Then they will not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose heart was not loyal, whose spirit was not faithful to God.” -Psalm 78:5-8
Note the contrast in these verses. Those who have hope have put their confidence in God. They are the ones who are trusting in God, believing in Him, following His commands and laws. They are the ones having communion with God. Then, there are the rebellious and stubborn. Those who are hostile and defiant toward God. They are without loyalty or faithfulness.
Let me just talk about backsliding for a few moments. The Bible says this about turning back (backsliding), “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him,” (Proverbs 26:11-12).
We are to guard our hearts because every decision, every issue of life flows out of our hearts. So, the Scriptures warn us and command us to guard our hearts will all diligence. We are told to be sober-minded as well, clear-headed. Backsliding occurs when a person is set on living a life of impurity. Backsliding can happen when we begin making the smallest of compromises. “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself,” (Proverbs 14:14). The English word “backslider” comes from the transliteration of the Hebrew word, “sûḡ,” which means “apostatize.” Apostasy means to embrace lies instead of truth. Backsliders are those who fall from grace. They are those that apostatize. They are the ones who deviate from the narrow road onto the broad road that leads to destruction. Backsliders go back to their sins just like a dog returns to its own vomit. Backsliders are those who get what they deserve; they will eat the fruit of their own way (Proverbs 1:31). They are filled with their own devices, insistent on living a life of immorality and impurity. For those who backslide and believe they will have time to come back to God, we are not guaranteed our next breath. We don’t know if we will have another chance to repent or come clean before God simply because we are not guaranteed our next breath. God does NOT play games. I’ve said this before I will say it again: there is no neutral ground when it comes to living for God. We must remain steadfast, press forward, without looking back. We must keep our eyes fixed Jesus, looking straight ahead. Don’t look to the right or the left. Continue onward in holiness and righteousness.
“My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body. GUARD YOUR HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE, FOR FROM IT FLOW SPRINGS OF LIFE. Put away deception you’re your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech. Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil,” (Proverbs 4:20-27)
Our hope is found in Jesus. He is the Author and Finisher of our Faith. He is our Risen Lord and Savior. Those who are putting their faith and trust in Him, believing in Him as their Redeemer will not be put to shame. Our hope is found in no other. Our hope is found in nothing else. Look to Jesus. Obey the commands of the Lord, and march forward, Saints of the God. He alone is our Hope and our Salvation.
“Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the LORD. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you.” -Joshua 7:13
Years ago, I was talking with someone who said this, “Linda, I know I’m going to Hell. What is the point of me serving God when I want to do what I want to do? If I serve God, then I can’t do what I want.” I sat there in complete silence. “I know I’m going to Hell…If I serve God, then I can’t do what I want.” What could I have said? We had already talked about heaven and hell. We had already talked about what the Bible had to say about life of sin the person was in. Yet there was that statement, “If I serve God, then I can’t do what I want.” I left the person’s house that day shaking my head. There was nothing more I could say. The person chose misery over living for God. The person chose death and destruction over eternal life. That person to this day, years later, is still locked in a life of sin, believing their sin is okay in the eyes of God.
Sin of any kind is detestable in the eyes of God. Like the Israelites, until sin is removed from our life, we will be defeated. We cannot be steeped in sin and expect God to work on our behalf to give us victory.
The Lord had given a command to Joshua just before they went in to conquer Jericho, “Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury,” (Joshua 6:18-19). Achan, however, decided to disobey the command the LORD gave through Joshua. In chapter 7, the Israelites went to conquer the city of Ai and got defeated because sin was found in the camp. Achan had the things devoted for destruction including things that were to be brought into the Lord’s treasury. He hid them under his tent. His sin didn’t just affect him. The results of his sin cost the Israelites victory in conquering the city of Ai. Joshua and the elders fell on their face before God because they were defeated at the battle of Ai. That is when God said this, “Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings. That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction,” (Joshua 7:10-12).
What is in your camp (life, heart) that needs to be removed? When we speak about consecration to God, we are speaking about being set aside for His service. We are speaking about being made holy. We are talking about being sanctified. It is essential for us to understand God is absolute perfection. He is holy, and He says, “Be holy for I am holy.” He doesn’t command us to do the impossible. Apart from Christ, we can do nothing. However, in Christ, we are given all we need to live holy lives for the Lord.
The Lord gave a specific command in Joshua 7:13, “Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the LORD. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you.” The Israelites needed to purge their encampment of sin. They needed to go before God and purify themselves. They needed to set themselves apart for service for God. Achan’s sin affected him, the nation, and his clan. Once the sin was confessed, the sin was purged from the camp. Achan and his family paid the consequences of Achan’s sin: death. His sin brought death and destruction to his family. After Achan and his family were put to death, Joshua and the Israelites went to battle the city of Ai again and were victorious. They conquered Ai.
We would do well to learn from Achan and not hide sin that may be in our life.
“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness,” (1 John 1:9). When we confess our sins before God, we can trust and know He will forgive us. We can know and trust that He is Yahweh M’Kaddesh, the Lord Who Sanctifies. Though God’s mercies are new every morning and His compassion never fails, we are never, never, never to take advantage of God’s mercy and grace.
When King David had repented before God, he stated this, “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me,” (Psalm 51:7-11). God doesn’t reject a broken spirit or a contrite heart that comes before Him in genuine repentance and humility. When we consecrate ourselves before God, we are coming out from amongst them. We are separating ourselves apart for His service. Before God, we must make a decision.
Will we consecrate ourselves before Him? Will we rend our hearts before Him? Will we live for Him in wholehearted devotion and in service to Him? Will we allow ourselves to be used by Him in whatever capacity He chooses? Choose you this day whom you will serve.
We are a Royal Priesthood. First Peter 2:9 states, “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” Since we are a royal priesthood, we must go before God and consecrate ourselves before Him. When we consecrate ourselves before God, we empty ourselves before Him; in other words, we pour ourselves out before Him.
I cannot stress this enough: holiness and worldliness do NOT mix. You cannot be a friend of God and a friend of the world. The foundation of our lives must be built on Christ. He is the Solid Rock, and there is no other. We cannot escape from Him. He is the Fountain of Living Water. He is the Manna (Bread) of Heaven. And He is more than enough. We cannot speak about being consecrated to God without discussing holiness. When we consecrate ourselves to God, we are literally giving ourselves over to His service. We are pouring ourselves out before God just as the woman with the alabaster jar did when she broke the bottle of nard over Jesus. We consecrate ourselves to God in complete abandonment.
Linda A. Knowles
Stained Glass Confessions 