God Is Holy

From The Captivating Pressnce by Albert Edward Day

When we say that God is holy, we are not naming an attribute among many others such as love and mercy and wisdom and power. We are attempting to designate something that applies to all his attributes, something that gives them an awesome dimension. We are saying that he is the changeless one. His love never fluctuates; his mercy is inexhaustible; his wisdom cherishes all that is truly good; his power can always be trusted to act redemptively. The supreme wonder and unrivaled glory is that he is all that he is, unchangeably.

"In him is no variableness", is the New Testament assurance.

So we need not speculate what will be his response whenever we turn to him, whether it be from an hour of victory or from a night of defeat; from an act of which we are proud, or from one of which we are heartily ashamed. Our heads may be held high or bent very low. We may come jubilantly to thank him for what he has done or to barely under a faint cry for help. It matters not who we are or where we are, a holy God is a God in whom there is nothing to adulterate or diminish or alter the transcendent qualities which our weakness or our sinfulness need. He is always God. Nothing is ever missing from him if he is to be what all mankind must have to make and keep it truly human on the way to its fulfillment in him. Sometimes the best of us have days when our dearest friend must say, "you are not yourself today". The fact gives them a hard time and sends them away deprived of what they should have from us.

BUT GOD IS ALWAYS GOD. 

Phone Issues

For the past few weeks I have been dealing with "phone issues". 

It is standard practice to, each evening, plug the charging cord into my phone and lay it on my nightstand, allowing it to charge overnight. Yet several weeks ago simply plugging the cord into the phone was not enough. After plugging the cord into the phone, I wiggle the cord until it would make a connection with the phone. Days later wiggling the cord was not enough. After plugging the phone in, I would wiggle the cord until it would make a connection and then I would prop the phone up allowing e weight of the phon to rest on the charging cord. More recently, the weight of the phone was not enough. In recent days I have used stacks of books - even a gallon of milk - to offer more weight and make a connection to charge the phone. 

And then it happened, on Wednesday evening, my phone refused to charge. After a couple hours of plugging and unplugging, wiggling, wiggling, and wiggling some more, using a stack of books, a gallon of milk, and an iron to bring weight, I was unable to make a connection - unable to get a charge. 

So, I pulled out an old phone, changed the SIM card, plugged it in and, "DING", I was back in business. After a few adjustments and updates on Thursday morning I had all of the functions of my phone back. I had my phone back, that is, until today.

This evening, as I plugged the phone in, to charge, nothing. I went to work, doing everything that I could to get the cord to make a connection and bring a charge to my phone but nothing worked. Finally, around 8:00 this evening, as I watched the final bit of battery drain from my phone, with no other options, I accepted the reality that I would be without a phone. 

Moments ago, I laid down in bed, looked over at my nightstand and decided to give it one more shot, I gently plugged the charging cord into my phone and, "DING", it's charging. 

Amidst the rejoicing over my phone - now gaining battery life by the minute - I began to think about another source of power, the is The Holy Spirit. As a Christian I believe that all power comes from The Holy Spirit and that apart from Him I have no power to live, to act, and to to succeed.

I began to reflect on the amount of work I put into getting a phone to charge - the amount of work I put into getting the power to my phone. And I began to reflect on the lack of work I sometimes put into gaining the true and total power of The Holy Spirit in my life. Often times, when things get difficult, I stop pursuing His power in my life.

I believe that what God calls us to is a commitment and a dedication to pursuing His presence and His power in our lives. I believe that Gos calls us to pursue His presence despite difficult time - in spite of difficult times. However, we do not find His complete power through our labor - just as I did not find a charge for my phone through the hours of labor that I put forth. Instead, God grants us His power after we have shown complete commitment - and complete dedication - to Him. Yet God grants us His power once we stop labor intensive on our own and gently allow Him to take control. 

So, as I lay down to rest tonight - my phone charging nearby - I will let go and let God take control. 

Notes from Thursday Evening's Service

Family Camp 2014: Thursday evening service - Pastor Mark Van Valin

1 Corinthians 10:1-11;  For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 

Exodus from Slavery is a 5 Act Play:

Act 1: "Slavery" (Exodus 1:12-14) The Israelites had been in Egypt - in slavery - for 430 years. In this 430 years they had lost everything - their vision for the future and their vision for any freedom. The only vision they had after 430 years was a vision of slavery - 24/7 work and bondage. The Apostle Paul writes that we are all in slavery. John Wesley preached that we are asleep. 

Act 2: "Awakened Cry" (Exodus 2:23-27) When we are awakened from our slavery - or our sleep - we cry out. This awakened cry is a cry for acceptance and repentance. However, a person never cries out for what could be until they first catch a vision for it. In the same way, we are all content in our sin until we catch a glimpse of God's grace, holiness, and glory. 

Act 3 (scene 1): "When I See The Blood" (Exodus 12:13) When God sees the blood of the lamb He will pass over our slavery. This "passing over" by God comes through the blood of Jesus. This is our justification. 

Acts 3 (scene 2): "Baptism through the Red Sea" (Exodus 14:13-15) Baptism is a new birth. It is not enough to be promised deliverance from slavery - we must be delivered and baptized in a new birth. 

Act 3 should have been the last act. But it is not the end, it is not even the middle. In the same way that "finding Jesus", accepting His salvation, and being baptized into the family of God is not the end of the story for us. 

Act 4: "Wilderness"(Deuteronomy 8:2-5) For 40 years the Israelites walked in the wilderness. For 40 years they tried to recreate Egypt in the wilderness. For 40 years God aimed to discipline the idolatry out of the Israelites. We can be taken out of the slavery situation but it is a process of taking the slavery mindset out of us. 

In 1 Corinthians 10 The Apostle Paul writes about a wilderness that exists past an individual's salvation.

We must ask, why do we choose to stay in the wilderness. John Wesley erote that is came down to negleglct - from prayer and Scripture - sin - we can't imagine a life away from it - or ignorance - we don't know a life apart from it. 

Therefore our options are threefold; we can choose to go back to "Egypt" - that is our venue of slavery, idolatry, and sin (Exodus 16:3), can stay in - and die in - the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:5), or we can take possession of the promised land. 

Act 5: "Take Posession" (Deuteronomy 8:1, 6-9) This is the land that God has promised to each one if us. This is the land of sanctification and holiness that God is calling us to. 

Show Me Your Glory

I continue to come back to one question; Do you want to see the glory of The Lord? If we could see - even a glimpse of - the glory of God, it would transform us. And the things that seems to matter so much now would fade into the background.  






I caught a glimpse of Your splendor
In the corner of my eye
The most beautiful thing I've ever seen
And it was like a flash of lightning
Reflected off the sky
And I know I'll never be the same
Show me Your glory
Send down Your presence
I want to see Your face
Show me Your glory
Majesty shines about You
I can't go on without You, Lord
When I climb down the mountain
And get back to my life
I won't settle for ordinary things
I'm gonna follow You forever
And for all of my days
I won't rest 'til I see You again
Show me Your glory
Show me Your glory 
I can't live without You

Encouragement for Believers

Are you looking for some encouragement?

Read the Apostle Paul's exhortation to the church in 1st Corinthians 1:1-9. The following at truths for every follower of Jesus Christ, who holds Him as their Lord and Savior.

You are sanctified in Christ Jesus
You have been set apart by Jesus for a special purpose.
You have been marked by the blood of Jesus to accomplish His distinct purpose.

You are called to be holy
You have been invited - urged - to be the most holy thing. You have been called to be a saint.

You have been enriched in every way
You have been made rich - given spiritual riches

You do not lack any spiritual gift
You have been given every gift you need
You are lacking nothing that is required

Jesus will keep you strong to the end
Jesus will confirm you to the final days - bringing you confidence and assurance in your faith

You have been called by God
This call that you have been given is a personal invitation, given to you by God, your heavenly Father.

God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, is faithful.

Pentecost Sunday

Today is Pentecost Sunday, a special day in the life of The Church. It was on Pentecost Sunday (40 days after Jesus' resurrection, and 10 days after His ascension) that the Holy Spirit of God came to rest on and in believers. The account of this day can be read about in Acts 2:1-4 (and 5-41);

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

The men that were gathered int he upper room on the day of Pentecost were gathered, waiting and praying. We see that throughout the Bible, especially the New Testament, powerful things happened when believers gathered together to pray. As Rev. Jim Cybala says, "when God's people pray things happen". And, on this particular Sunday, some 2,000 years ago, when God's people prayed His Spirit moved upon them. But, these men weren't simply praying for their needs or for themselves, these men were praying for God's Spirit to move. 

In order to better grasp this, it is important that we look back to Acts 1, to Jesus last words on this earth, and to His direct instructions to His disciples. 

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 

The men that were gathered in the upper room on this particular Sunday were waiting just as Jesus had told them to. And, as these men waited, they prayed. They were praying for this gift that Jesus had promised to them as He spoke His final words. They were praying for the baptism of  the Holy Spirit that Jesus had told them about. And, they were praying for the power (more literally the strength or the ability) to carry out the mission and the ministry that Jesus had called them to. 

On this Pentecost Sunday we, as faithful believers, need to pray as well. We need to pray that this gift that Christ has promised us would be made real to us. We need to pray that the baptism of the Holy Spirit would come over us. And, we need to pray for the power (the strength and the ability) to carry out our mission and Christ's ministry would be granted to us.

Without the Holy Spirit nothing makes sense. Without the baptism of the Holy Spirit we do not have the gifts to carry out the ministry of Jesus. Without the power of the holy Spirit we do not have the power to achieve the mission of Christ. And without prayer we will not be given any of these!

Perfection on your Knees

I enjoy cleaning! I am not entirely sure why this is. Perhaps it has to do with the fulfillment of knowing that the job is complete, once a room has been cleaned you can move on and know that it has been done! Perhaps it has to do with the gratification of looking at a clean room and knowing that it is, in fact clean. But, for whatever reason, I like to clean!

The other day my my wife, Kim, asked me if I would sweep the kitchen floor. So I swept the kitchen floor. I picked up the rugs, I pulled the trash can out, I pulled the refrigerator out, I pulled the kitchen table and chairs out, and I swept the kitchen floor. Then I grabbed a mop and I mopped the kitchen floor. It looked perfect! It was done! So, I moved on to the bathroom...

The next afternoon, however, I walked into the kitchen and noticed some crumbs under my feet. How could this have happened? This floor was perfectly clean yesterday! Soon I found myself on my knees picking up the most minuscule crumbs off the floor. I know this sound ridiculous, and believe me it is, but I wanted this floor to stay perfectly clean for at least twenty-four hours. So, I stayed on my knees until the crumbs were picked up and the floor was perfectly clean once again.

That is when the thought occurred to me. If we want to keep certain things perfect, we must get on our knees and take the time to labor, making things right until everything is perfect once again. This applies to a clean kitchen floor and to our life as believers in Jesus Christ.

At church these last few weeks we have been focusing on holiness and Christian perfection. And, in order for Christian perfection to be a reality for us we must get down on our knees, lifting our praise, our needs, our concerns, our trials, and our burdens to Jesus. And, this must happen daily.

If we want to keep our Christian lives perfect we must get on our knees and take the time to labor, communicate, and fellowship with our Lord, and we must make things right with Him until everything is perfect once again. Only Christ can bring a person to perfection. It is vitally important that we get on our knees with Him regularly.

"It is hard to stumble when you're on your knees."

Setting Your Heart for Holiness

Holiness is possible! If it wasn't God would be a liar (Romans 6) and there would be no hope of heaven (Hebrews 12:14).

Set your heart on Christ-like peace

 John 14:27; Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. 

John 16:33; I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

o   This is a heart that has the peace and knowledge that Christ was victorious over death

o   This is a heart that has the assurance and faith  in Christ’s  promise to us that He will grant us victory as well

o   This is a heart that is confident that Christ is in control of the large and small matters of life.

Set your heart on Christ-like worship

Matthew 15:8-9; “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.”

o   This is a heart prepared to receive the God of all creation

o   This is a heart that craves more of Jesus

o   This is a heart that is deeply connected with His Spirit

Set your heart on Christ-like treasures

Matthew 6:19-21; Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

o   This is a heart that is concerned with matters of heaven

o   This is a heart that desires to build the Kingdom of God

o   This is a heart that longs to do the will of Jesus

Set your heart on Christ-like thoughts

Matthew 15:17-20; Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’  For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean’

o   This is a heart that has been cleansed from selfish desire

o   This is a heart that is aligned with the will of God

o   This is a heart that has pure motives and actions always.

Set your heart on Christ-like speech

Matthew 12:33-37; “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

o   This is a heart that seeks to honor God with respect

o   This is a heart that aims to encourage fellow believers

o   This is a heart that strives to inspire others with truth

Holy living is all of this – holiness is a heart that is Christ-like. And setting your heart for holiness is all about motive.  

So, what is the motive –  the intent – of your heart?

Remember Hebrews 12:14; “without holiness no one will see the Lord.”

Jesus said it a different way in Matthew 5:8; “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

What motives of your heart must you give up - and do away with - for holiness to be a possibility in your life? 

What motives of your heart must you embrace - and better take hold of - for holiness to be a reality in your life?

Being Children of God

1 Peter 1:13-16 states; "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy."


There are several words that stand out as we read 1 Peter 1:13-16, but one stands out the most – "CHILDREN" – we are God’s children. Think about this remarkable truth for a moment;  It is God’s desire that we be His children.

 But, God has a broader desire than that we simply be His children.  So He gives us several adjectives in 1 Peter to tell us what kind of children He desires for us to be.

• Obedient children; Following His commands and directives for our lives – because they are what are best for us.
•  Prepared children; Prepared for action today and prepared for heaven tomorrow.
• Active children; Active in the body of Christ.
• Self-controlled children; Self-controlled and disciplined
• Hopeful children; Hopeful and faithful that Jesus Christ will return and all glory will be given to Him. 
• Alert children; Informed in the wills and ways of God - Alert and conscience of the evil in this world
• Called children; Called by God and set apart for a special purpose.
• Holy children; Without holiness no one will see God. 

All Done

My wife has taught each of our three children sign language early in their lives as a way for them to communicate with us. It has made things a lot easier and less frustrating for all parties involved. My youngest son's favorite sign right now is "all done". He will tell us when he is all done playing, all done sitting, all done eating, and on and on. It is funny to see him give the sign that he is all done, but it is a necessary step as we all need to learn how to say "all done" at some point in our lives.

As a Christian and as a pastor, I am convinced that one of the hardest things for us to do as humans is to be "all done".

So many people call themselves Christian because they have decided to allow Jesus into their lives, they have established a habit of attending church, praying, and even reading the Scriptures. But, Jesus called Christians to so much more than that.

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”   John 8:12

You see, if we accept the first part of Jesus statement, that He is the light of the world, than we will desire the last part of His statement, the light of life. But, in order to have this "light of life" we need to follow Jesus, who is the light of life. And, when we follow Jesus, we will not walk in darkness because Jesus will never lead us into darkness.

"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth."   1 John 1:5-6

So, the key is following Jesus, and that is walking in Him, walking in His light. But, in order for us to follow Him, Jesus demands that we say "all done" to everything that is not pure, Jesus demands that we say "all done" to everything that is not holy. 

Jesus is the light of the world, but it makes no real difference to you unless He becomes the light of your world.