HOLY AS HE IS HOLY

Originally written several years ago – some content may be dated but the message is timeless.

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Holy… have you ever wondered what it would be like to be Holy?  To be Holy as He is Holy?  God calls us to be Holy.  Read on and find out what God has laid on my heart.

As I sit here this morning and wonder what God wants me to share with you today, I am reminded of a story I read this morning in an email about an old cowboy visiting a big, beautiful church. It’s funny… when I read that story in that email God instantly laid on my heart to share it with you along with its message. I thought, at first, surely God has something else to share so I went to my list of older topics that I have never shared online before. I found some great ones. However, God just kept saying… “These are not for today.” After the third one, I figured I better listen to God and share this one. Yes, sometimes, I question God when I hear His voice. I am not sure why… but I know I can because He loves me and wants me to be as real as He made me. So, I guess I will continue to do that from time to time.

Today’s topic is about appearances… keeping up “Appearances” vs. being real. So as the story goes…

“One Sunday morning, an old cowboy entered a church just before services were to begin. Although the old man and his clothes were spotlessly clean, he wore jeans, a denim shirt and boots that were worn and ragged. In his hand he carried a worn-out old hat and an equally worn, dog-eared Bible.

The church he entered was in a very upscale and exclusive part of the city. It was the largest and most beautiful church the old cowboy had ever seen. The people of the congregation were all dressed with expensive clothes and fine jewelry. As the cowboy took a seat, the others moved away from him. No one greeted, spoke to, or welcomed him. They were all appalled by his appearance and did not attempt to hide it.

As the old cowboy was leaving the church, the preacher approached him and asked the cowboy to do him a favor. “Before you come back in here again, have a talk with God and ask him what he thinks would be appropriate attire for worship in church.” The old cowboy assured the preacher he would.

The next Sunday, he showed back up for the services wearing the same ragged jeans, shirt, boots, and hat. Once again he was completely shunned and ignored. The preacher approached the cowboy and said, “I thought I asked you to speak to God before you came back to our church.”

“I did,” replied the old cowboy.

“And what was His reply?” asked the preacher.

“Well, sir, God told me that he didn’t have a clue what I should wear. He said He’d never been in this church.””

I know we have all been in “those churches”. The ones that have a beautiful building, beautiful people, great choir, and the pastor even preaches what seems to be an “OK” message… but there just seemed to be something missing there. As the folks in this little story were, they just seemed more interested in what they and everyone else was wearing. The men talked of their stocks, boats and cars, and the women seemed to be worried more about if their shoes matched or if the purse matched the shoes or if it was a “designer” purse, etc. Oh, and then there is the conversation about which daycare, school, or club you belong to. They all seemed to be concerned more about what this world had to offer than what God wanted to say.

We as Christians can get wrapped up in the “trappings” of this world so easily. If we keep our thoughts and eyes on what the world has to offer and not what is eternal, it will drag us down into the “muck and mire” of a daily “grind” and not allow us to experience the freedom of knowing God, Jesus Christ, and The Holy Spirit. God calls us to be Holy!   1 Peter 1:15-16 – ¹⁵ But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶ for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

God wants us to have the freedom of not worrying about “things” on this earth. When we quit worrying about everything here and just know that God has our paths set out for us and we just have to pray, seek, and find Him in every moment of every day, then things of this world and the worry about them seem so … well, unnecessary. God loves us and wants the best for us here and in Heaven. We cannot hold on to things here and expect to live victoriously though. He calls us to be Holy as He is Holy!

God is Spirit. God is Eternal. God is Love. God is Holy.  He wants us to look to Him for everything we think, say, and do. When we finally “get” that… there is peace. It doesn’t matter anymore about this world and its offerings. We have that peace that surpasses all understanding!

Call out to God today and ask for that peace. Ask Him to help you be Holy as He is Holy. Tell Him you want His peace and to forget the things of this world. Tell Him you want to trust Him for His provision. He wants to hear from you. He loves you so much. After all, He calls you His beloved!

The Song – Holiness – Tom McCain

Leah,
Le**@My*******.com