Category: Daily Walk with Christ

Dry Bones

October 19, 2016 by ChristianHolinessDaily Leave a Comment

In the classic Jimmy Stewart movie, The Flight of the Phoenix, a plane flies into a sandstorm and crashes in the desert, stranding a dozen or so passengers with little water and less options for rescue. Ultimately, they must rescue themselves by constructing a smaller plane from the least damaged parts of their damaged plane. Before they do, a few men take off across the desert to find help. They take only a small flask of water and no food. When they return, they are dying of dehydration.

I often find myself in a place where I have flown into a storm, crashed, and lost faith in my Savior. I take off on my own, determined that I can rescue myself, lead myself out of trouble. Soon, though, I return, dying of thirst, and begging for the Lord’s help.

I am reminded, note of Ezekiel in the Valley of Dry Bones, a passage that has been used for time eternal by evangelists preaching revival. I never tire of hearing this story, and never tire of praying it. Lord, bring these dry, brittle bones back to life. Revive me, dear Lord.

Ezekiel 37:1-14

The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”

Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”

So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.

Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, “Thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’ ”

Annual Day of Atonement

October 14, 2016 by ChristianHolinessDaily Leave a Comment

The Jewish holy day, Yom Kippur, has just passed. Christians might be more familiar with it if we call it the Day of Atonement, the annual day of repentance. Every year, every Jew is traditionally required to seek forgiveness for their sins. In Bible times, this required a sacrifice.

As Christians, we know the lessons of Yom Kippur, that sin separates us from God. That the high priest entered the Holy of Holies only on the Day of Atonement. That Christ has offered and given His life as sacrifice for our sins. That the veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple was torn down at the death of Christ. Yet there is another lesson that perhaps some of us overlook.

Yom Kippur is an annual event. That even the most well-intentioned Jew will sin again in the next 365 days and will need to repent again. Now, here is a key lesson for us, as Christians: Christ died once, to cover all our sins, past and future. His sacrifice is perfect and eternal. He dumped our sins in the sea of forgiveness, and separated us from them as far as the East is from the West. He washed us of our carnal nature, and, by filling us with His Spirit, empowers us to overcome sin, so that we may live like Him. Not us, but Christ in us.

Praise be to God, we are free… Free at last.

Worthy.. worthy… Worthy the lamb that was slain..

Change My Heart

September 24, 2016 by ChristianHolinessDaily Leave a Comment

I have often heard it said that everything will be revealed on Judgement Day, that even our deepest, darkest, nastiest secrets will see the light of day at the throne of God. That’s what I’ve been told.

This is, I believe, a distortion of the truth. While it’s clear that God will reward followers based on what they have done with the gifts He has given them, it is also clear that the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin.

Have you ever heard someone say, usually with disdain, “They’re only fooling themselves,” or “Who does he think he’s fooling?” We often – no, not often – MOST of us really do deceive ourselves MOST OF THE TIME, and try to put on our “best face” for others. A wise old man once told me, “Inside each of us are three people: there is the me that I see. There is the me that others see. And, there is the me that only God sees.

The Bible tells us that man cannot know his own heart, for it is “deceitful above all things.” God knows it, though. He sees all the closed doors, the locked up cabinets, the hidden passages, and the secret compartments. He knows us better than we know ourselves.

Now, here is the good news. He sees all our secrets and all our sins and loves us anyway.

One more thing…

If we want to follow Jesus… If we want to be holy as He is holy (which God expects of us)… Then we should ask God to search our hearts and reveal to us those places where we hide sins, and then to rid us of those sins.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from Your presence,

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

– Psalm 51:10

There is an old hymn that we sang when I was just a boy, Search Me, O God. It is my prayer:

Search me, O God, and know my heart today, Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray; See if there be some wicked way in me; Cleanse me from every sin, and set me free.- James Orr, 1936.