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THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS

"Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.  Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." (Psalm 29:1, 2).   What is it about worshiping the Lord in holiness that is so beautiful, anyway?   I have been preparing for a yard sale.   As I've been going through my attic, basement, and garage, I've found that things end up in one of three categories.   One pile is to discard - stuff I no longer need or want, and probably no one else will either.   Another pile is to put in the sale, try to make some money from it, and end up taking most of it to Goodwill.   The third pile, however, is to keep - stuff that I set apart because I intend to use it.   The best definition of holiness that I have ever heard is "set apart."   God has separated us from the world because He intends to use us.   We are HIS people, and the sheep of His pasture.   Not only has H...
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NEITHER GIVE PLACE TO THE DEVIL

"But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine.  When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.  For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour …" (Isaiah 43:1-7).   "And He said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." (Luke 10:18).     Ephesians 4:27 tells us, "Neither give place to the devil."   The implication is that we already possess certain ground in the Lord that we should not give up under any circumstances.   There is territory which God has given us, and we must hold it and not surrender it to the enemy of our souls.   Jesus secured victory over Satan through the sacrifice of His own life and blood, and...
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THE PARABLE OF THE WAFFLE IRON

In a previous message I used a waffle iron to briefly illustrate the principle of abiding in Christ, the True Vine.   God often uses the simplest of everyday things to speak His truth to us so that we can easily understand His ways.   The more that I have thought about this illustration, the more I have seen the powerful lessons and applications that it holds for simple-minded believers like me.   To God be the glory! The first U.S. patent for a waffle iron was issued on August 24, 1869 by Cornelius Swartwout.   Waffles had been around since the 14th century but were just two plates of metal hinged together and mounted on long poles so that they could be held over a fire.   It was Mr. Swartwout, though, who invented an improved design that could be used on a wood or gas stovetop.   In 1911, General Electric introduced the first electric waffle iron.   Every inventor/designer has a very specifi...
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