DEVOTIONAL

Prayer: Father God, I come before your throne of grace and mercy, I confess and acknowledge I have sinned against you in thought and deed, today I ask to forgive me and, in your grace, purify my heart, cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. And in your great love lead me and help me to walk in the paths of righteousness, so that I may bring glory to you the one triune God. Lord, have mercy, Christ, have mercy. I now receive your forgiveness and mercy in the name of my Lord and saviour, Jesus Christ.

Scripture Reading for Prayer and Praise: Psalm 145:1-3 

"I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.” 2 Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.” 3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.” 

Worship Song Sung or Said: Holy Is The Lord (Anonymous)

https://youtu.be/FIwMYktdBg8

We stand and lift up our hands

For the joy of the Lord is our strength
We bow down and worship Him now

How great, how awesome is He

And together we sing

Holy is the Lord, God Almighty

The earth is filled with His glory
Holy is the Lord, God Almighty

The earth is filled with His glory

The earth is filled with His glory

We stand and lift up our hands

For the joy of the Lord is our strength
We bow down and worship Him now

How great, how awesome is He

And together we sing

And everyone sing

Holy is the Lord, God Almighty

The earth is filled with His glory
Holy is the Lord, God Almighty

The earth is filled with His glory
The earth is filled with His glory

Yeah, it's rising up all around It's the anthem of the Lord's renown
It's rising up all around It's the anthem of the Lord's renown

Together we sing

And everyone sing

Holy is the Lord, God Almighty

The earth is filled with His glory
Holy is the Lord, God Almighty

The earth is filled with His glory
The earth is filled with His glory

The earth is filled with His glory

Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty Holy, Holy
Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty Holy, Holy

Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty Holy, Holy

God’s Word for Today: 1 Thessalonians 4:7

"For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.”

Devotion/Study: (Part 1)

The next couple of devotions, I want to reflect on Gods holiness and our unholiness. I know and we all know that we don’t live that life of holiness that God has called us too. However, we cannot live that life of holiness unless we understand the holiness of God and are open to the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and allowing Him to do whatever He needs to do to change us into the likeness of Christ. The more we are like Jesus the more we will reflect the holiness of God.  God’s word teaches us that God is Holy and when you read the Old Testament you discover the deep beauty and the awesomeness of Gods holiness and how righteous and good, He is. I have to say I am so proud to believe in in the God of the Bible. 

I want to declare what Hanna declared in 1 Samuel 2:2 "There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” 

The Holy Bible teaches us the one true God is a holy. The idea behind Holy is separation. It comes from a word meaning to separate or cut off. 

What we need to grasp is that God is pure and completely separate, or cut off, from everything that is sinful. Because of Holiness He cannot tolerate sin. 

John wrote this truth in figurative language. He says in 1 John 1:5 "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” When we talk about God is light, we are saying that He is perfectly Holy and true there is absolutely nothing impure or dark in Him. 

I must confess I love the Old Testament because it reveals Gods character of holiness. For example, when Moses met with God on the mountain, He said through a burning bush in Exodus 3:5-6 "Do not come any closer, God said.” Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.” 

Later in Exodus after God had saved Israel by parting the sea Moses and the Israelites worshipped God in song. They recognised and acknowledged the greatness of God and in their worship, they said in Exodus 15:11 "Who among the gods is like you, LORD? Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome In glory, working wonders.” 

When we look back at our own lives, praise God for saving us from hell and bringing us into the kingdom of His Son. (Can I encourage you know to take a few moments and give thanks to God for saving you and for all that He has done in your life).

You may just want to sing or say these words. “Thank you for saving me, what can I say? You are my everything, I will sing Your praise You shed Your blood for me, what can I say? You took my sin and shame, a sinner called by name Great is the Lord Great is the Lord For we know Your truth has set us free You've set Your hope in me.” 

Because God is Holy, He called the nation to be Holy and reminded them of His holiness 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.”  And once again, he tells them in Leviticus 20:26 "You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.”

Brothers and siters I feel the church in the UK has lost sight of Gods holiness. What about you and me have we lost sight that the God whom we believe in is absolutely perfect in who He is and what He does? God is so Holy; He cannot look or even tolerate sin or any kind of wickedness and evil. 

The Psalmist said in Psalm 5:4-6 "4 For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness; with you, evil people are not welcome.” 5 The arrogant cannot stand in your presence.” You hate all who do wrong; 6 you destroy those who tell lies.” The bloodthirsty and deceitful you, LORD, detest.” Brothers and sisters, we need to take time in our busy lives and ask God to show us the darkness in our hearts. 

As we look at the New Testament, we will discover direct statements about God's Holiness. In Johns gospel when Jesus was praying to God His father for His disciples, He said in John 17:11 "I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name - the name you gave me - so that they may be one as we are one."

Peter the apostle said in 1 Peter 1:15 "But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.” I am discovering the more I know of the Holiness of the triune God, the more I see the darkness in my heart. I think if we saw more of the holiness of God the less, we would sin. The challenge for us is to spend more on worshipping the Lord in the beauty of His Holiness as the Psalmist said in Psalm 29:2 "Give unto the Lord the glory due to his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” 

I don’t know about you I just spend don’t enough time in worshipping God for who He is and acknowledging His Holiness in praise. 

We read in Revelation 4:8 "Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings.” Day and night they never stop saying: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” I believe the more we get to know the triune God, Father Son and Holy Spirit in all His Holiness the more we will discover that He is perfect in all He is and that He does and therefore because He is perfect in His nature, He is always, always does what is true and good and right. 

Brothers and sisters, Holiness is something wonderful and nothing negative. And what is amazing god the Holy one invites us to be holy because He is Holy because He wants us to restore us into His likeness. Living a holy life is not thinking we are better than anyone else.

We should delight in Holiness and aim in the power of the Holy Spirit live a separate life to the way the world wants us to live. 

This is really hard but this is Gods call on our lives to be holy because he is holy. We are to live a life that set apart for the glory of God. Let me say to live separate from everything that is sinful and evil and unrighteous is extremely difficult. we can only live a holy life through in the power of the Holy Spirit. The question for us is do we desire to be Holy? This needs some reflection; can I suggest to take some time now and mediate on this.

Personal Prayers: