Holiness!

Holiness adorns Your house (Psalm 93:5, NKJV).

            What kind of impression does your house make?  What strikes people when they first step inside your house?  Millions of dollars are spent by homeowners trying to achieve that just-right impression.  What if your home is a former church?  Lee Eclov writes about an actual real estate listing in Dallas, Texas about a home converted from a church:

It was an online description of a real estate listing in Dallas. The headline just said, "Converted church." Once it had been a church, now it was somebody's house. According to John Whiteside, the realtor showing the house, "De-sanctified churches are the number-one type of building converted to residential use." Whew! That's something of a mind-bender for Christians who call each other brother and sister, and talk about their church home.  The article said, "The altar has been adapted for use as a granite and stainless steel themed kitchen, in homage to the cooking gods." That's the words they used—"in homage to the cooking gods"! It went on, "The choir loft has been rewired for a home theater." There was no baptistery, but there was a soaking tub—and, among other things, a game room, a music room and an exercise studio. All this for about $2 million!

           

            I don’t know about de-sanctified churches, but I do know about sanctified homes.  Is your home a place which reflects the presence of the Lord?  If holiness adorns the Lord’s house, what about your house? For many of us, our home is the biggest investment we will ever make.  Why not let it make a statement for the Lord?

His!

For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:36, NKJV). 

How much of this world, even universe, belongs to us?  How much of it belongs to God?  Creation usually belongs to the Creator.  Since God created it all, shouldn’t all rightfully belong to Him? Abraham Kuyper, a towering theologian, journalist, professor and pastor who was elected Prime Minister of the Netherlands at the end of the nineteenth century, once remarked on the sovereign right of ownership of Christ over His creation when he wrote:

Oh, no single piece of our mental world is to be hermetically sealed off from the rest, and there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry:

“Mine!"

If all belongs to Him, shouldn’t that impact how we live?  Do we praise Him for His grace expressed to us?  Paul counseled the Romans: For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever.  Amen!” (Romans 11:36).  Will you ascribe praise to Christ and acknowledge His Lordship and ownership over your life?  You’re His!

Praying Times

But [Peter], seeing that the wind was strong, feared and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30). 

Recently, I preached a message entitled, Whitewater.  My text, Matthew 14:22-33, focused on Jesus walking on the water to meet His disciples who were caught in a storm on the Sea of Galilee.   The text highlights Peter walking on the water until he began to fear.  His fears weighted him down like lead.  What did he do?  He prayed.  Charles Spurgeon writes,

Sinking times are praying times with the Lord’s servants. . . .  Heaven’s great harbor of refuge is prayer; thousand of weather- beaten vessels have found a haven there, and the moment a storm comes on, it is wise for us to make for it with all sail. . . .  Short prayers are long enough.  There were but three words in the petition which Peter gasped out, but they were sufficient for his purpose.  Not length but strength is what is important.  A sense of need is a mighty teacher of brevity.  If our prayers had less the tail feathers of pride and more wing they would be all the better. . . .  Our extremities are the Lord’s opportunities. . . .  At the last moment we appeal to our Master, but His swift hand makes up for our delays by instant and effective action.

Are you in a whitewater time?  Pray!  Our Lord will lift you up.