Parashat Kedoshim 2022

Lev 19:1-20:27

Set apart, but not sheltered

Whatever it is I have to fight out, God will fight it out with me. Whatever I have to walk out, God will walk out with me. Wherever I have to abide, God will abide with me. He links hand and arm in every place we confront in life. We do not always see the miraculous intervention we would like to see, but God always accomplishes his will through us, if we won’t stop serving him. He is always building a unique testimony in our places of pain and forming strong faith in our places of need. One of the things that mark us as a holy people is that the God of Heaven accompanies us through every part of lives and works out his will. Our trials are not unique. All people suffer, but our lives have the aim of manifesting the grace of God and testifying of his power. Even our suffering and trials have a holy aim.

God does not shield us from the worst life has to impose. He does strengthen us, we do see miracles, and he gives us his wisdom and direction. He responds to our faith and as he unfolds his will for us, we find that our gracious God even planned for our imperfections, problematic church members, the evil in the world, and life crises. Because of his love for us, we can stand secure in him. God takes our small efforts that only amount to bringing our “loaves and fishes to a multitude" and he uses that to heal the world and bring light to every dark place. Remember, God’s first act in scripture was to separate light from dark. That was an act of holiness and God calls us to do the same as we live through the good and the bad. One mark of holiness is our ability to pray and confront the darkness. This is one reason why God does not shield us from the darker part of life. He intended for us to fight it directly.

God has called us to many things, but the main thing he wants in every place we stand is for us to simply love him, seek him, serve him, and manifest his glory in a way that attracts others. Another mark of holiness is how we reflect the person of God in our hearts. We are to be holy as God is holy. It is the love, compassion, and mercy of God that is evident in our actions and words. A loveless, uncompassionate, and mercy deficient people are a faithless people that cannot bear the glory of God to the nations. If we are to be salt and light, our godly response to a fallen world is the strongest testimony we have. It only comes as we make room for God, are obedient, consecrate ourselves, and pray.

We are to be holy and set apart, but not sheltered. We cannot manage our spiritual battles from a distance or be a "spiritual office worker", never soiling our hands or garments. God has called us to be like him so that we can be an active part of his purpose. The trial cannot sink you if you are seeking God’s purpose in it. Being a holy people comes with a price. That price will seem small in heaven when you see that your testimony did sow faith in the lives of others, and you look behind you to see a line of people you helped reach toward God. Look up, be watchful, and pray hard.

Calev Lehrer

Apostolic Messianic International-Gulf Coast

Locals, Parler, Rumble and Facebook

Website: https://amigulfcoast.wixsite.com/amigc