Marketplace Ministry Success Mentors

If you said “unholy” bzzzzz! Wrong Answer! One of my mentors, Craig Hill (http://www.familyfoundations.com/) has taught us that the opposite of “holy” is nothing less than “Common.” But God told Ezekiel that the priests must teach the people the difference between the holy and the common:They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean. Ezekiel 44:23 NIV

I suppose you and most people know that the literal meaning of “holy” is separated, set apart, dedicated, committed, etc. All these words are followed by a “to” or “unto”. We are “separated to” something, “dedicated to” something, “committed to” something. That “something” will really identify who we are. Craig uses a couple of illustrations:

• Some churches have a specially marked pew  seat for the pianist so that she or he can sit close to the piano or organ. That seat is “holy” unto the pianist. If anyone else uses that seat it becomes “common” because that person has usurped the “holiness” of the one who should be sitting there - the pianist.
• A husband is “holy” unto his wife, and a wife is “holy” unto her husband. If adultery occurs there is an “unholy” alliance with another. But the plan of God is for there to be a “holy” alliance, or covenant between spouses. The husband is wholly (homonym intended!) dedicated to his wife and vice versa. The “common” or unholy thing is for an adulterous affair to destroy that marriage.

 God commands us to “Be Holy just as I am Holy.” I was thinking about that one day. Usually we think of “holiness” as purity of thought and actions. I sometimes think of a “holy” man sitting in a monastery praying all day and not speaking to anyone else. Or you hear of so called “holy” men in India or the middle East who spout words of wisdom, and are very skinny. So what is the true God of the universe talking about here? If “Holy” means separated to, who is God “separated to”? As I thought about this, I came to the conclusion based upon my knowledge of the Word of God, that God is Holy unto me! Unto you, unto every lost soul.

So when or if we are “holy” what are we supposed to be “holy” unto? God, of course! If God is holy unto us then when we are holy unto God we will think twice before entering into any type of sinful activity. When we do we have just become common.

There is so much more on this topic, which I plan to write about in a future blog.

May God bless you and have a great day.

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After listening to this radio broadcast you may want to check out your 60’s bomb shelter.

http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/radio-show-episode.php?EpisodeID=2184

OK, this is just a short test to see if my Gcast Podcast is working. I’ll try to put a real podcast up in the next few days. Just click on the top podcast play button - be sure the volume is turned up. The other podcast below this one is the CrusaderX podcast of my friend Eric Standlee.

Did you ever wonder why we have to put up with so much pain and suffering in this life? I can remember several times in my life when things looked so glum that they just had to get better. But the Bible is clear regarding adversity, trials, and tribulation: We Shall Have It!

Jesus said “In the world you shall have tribulation, but fear not, I have overcome the world.” Paul said, “Who can separate us from Christ’s love? Can trouble, distress, persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger, or a sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all day long. We are thought of as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through the one who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor anything above, nor anything below, nor anything else in all creation can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39 ISV

“Just come to Jesus Christ and everything will be ALL RIGHT.” has been the message many well meaning evangelists have told us. But the message Jesus gave us was “You are blessed even when men persecute you.” Peter said “On that day you will be glad, even if you have to go through many hard trials for a while. Your faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire. And these trials will prove that your faith is worth much more than gold that can be destroyed. They will show that you will be given praise and honor and glory when Jesus Christ returns. You have never seen Jesus, and you don’t see him now. But still you love him and have faith in him, and no words can tell how glad and happy you are to be saved. That’s why you have faith.” 1 Peter 1:6-9 CEV

One of the reasons we have such adversity is so that we will learn how to resist. We learn how to engage in warfare by engaging in warfare. There is a principle found in Judges 3 which I believe carries through to our spiritual battle: “And the LORD had another reason for letting these enemies stay. The Israelites needed to learn how to fight in war, just as their ancestors had done. Each new generation would have to learn by fighting the Philistines and their five rulers, as well as the Canaanites, the Sidonians, … Moses had told the Israelites what the LORD had commanded them to do, and now the LORD was using these nations to find out if Israel would obey.” Judges 3:1-4 CEV.

So faith is increased through our adversity; we learn to do battle (I am talking about spiritual battle in this context here, although it is just as true in the physical realm - just ask any soldier who has been through one or more battles.); also our hope grows. Romans 5 says it best: “But that’s not all! We gladly suffer, because we know that suffering helps us to endure. And endurance builds character, which gives us a hope that will never disappoint us. All of this happens because God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:3-5 CEV

So if you are a Christian and you are going through trials, just rejoice, and trust God’s infinite wisdom. You will be strengthened for the next trial may be even more difficult than the one before and you will need that strength. It will get better - eventually!

This is another podcast which I did today with Eric Standlee on podcasting. In it he explains how to get started. Just hit the “posts” button and scroll down to my interview with Eric. In order to place this podcast on your website, you can click on the  “get podcast” button on the right.

Have a listen to  this podcast from Eric Standlee - this is an amazing and exciting concept. When I heard of this recently I was shocked and mad that I did not know it sooner.

New Podcast with Eric Standlee and Tim Darnell

Here is an interesting story sent to us from Tim Darnell:

We estimated our expected tithe.  It was unusual, but we estimated the amount of income we wanted for the next year.  Then, starting in January, we tithed on that amount monthly.  (We estimated the income, divided it by twelve, and tithed that mount).  Guess what?  At the end of the year that amount of our business profit was exactly what we had estimated. 

The next year we increased our estimated income, and we tithed on that increased amount each month.  That year, the same thing happened; we made that income.  The third year, we increased the estimate again.  But something went wrong.  We blew a fuse!  We made far more profit than the estimated amount. 

God surprised us.  He is wonderfully exciting.  Over the years, He has surprised us again and again. 

We are saved by faith.  We are healed by faith.  We get answers to prayers by faith.  Our finances are blessed because of faith.  God blesses our homes and families because of our faith. 

As my friend, the late Dr. Edwin Cole, once said, “Faith never limits God, and God never limits faith.” 

Don’t allow low expectations.  Lack of expectancy is evidence of little faith.  Faithlessness is irreverent.  The element of expectancy is the basic DNA of faith.  Things seen are temporary and subject to change. 

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”  II Cor. 4:18 

Faith is not ‘trying’ to believe; faith never ‘tries’.  Faith speaks.  Faith commands.  Faith expects.  Faith receives. Faith refuses to compromise.  Faith praises.  Faith doesn’t waver.  Faith wins! 

From “Millionaire in the Pew” by Don Ostrom