A Shift To Set Apart For…

Morning!

Raises his cup of coffee

It is Thursday April 10th of 2025.  It is a cloudy, cool morning with a high of 57 forecast.  Looks like we might have some rain today as well later this evening.

How did we do with evil speaking yesterday?

Proverbs 3: 11-12

“My son, do not despise the chastening of The LORD, nor detest His correction; for whom The LORD loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights.”

The chastening of the LORD.  There is personal chastening, and then there is group chastening.  But every group—every church, every family, every nation—is made up of individuals.  The group dynamic changes when each individual turns their heart in a different direction—and then comes together again corporately.  So what we have here is, in a way, a roadmap of Biblical change.  We might even call it: revival.

This morning, let’s get started with a prophet.  We’re going to take a brief look at Jeremiah.  Jeremiah is often referred to as the weeping prophet—but he could just as rightly be called the willing prophet. He is traditionally understood to be the author of Lamentations, a book filled with deep sorrow and reflection.  Jeremiah was a prophet called to speak on behalf of the LORD—and he was called to speak in the temple. He wasn’t removed from the people. He wasn’t distanced from the suffering. He was boots on the ground.  He was involved in both the spiritual and political events of his time.

Jeremiah 26: 1-6

“In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this Word came from the LORD, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: ‘Stand in the court of the LORD’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them.  Do not diminish a word.  Perhaps everyone will listen and turn from his evil way, that I may relent concerning the calamity which I purpose to bring on them because of the evil of their doings.’ And you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD: ‘If you will not listen to Me, to walk in My law which I have set before you, to heed the words of My servants the prophets whom I sent to you, both rising up early and sending them (but you have not heeded), then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.’”

So.

The Israelites were taken into captivity.  And what was their sin—their crime, if you will?  Spiritual adultery.  Israel had compromised their holiness.  They had allowed themselves to stray from the Law of the LORD, from keeping Him as their only God.  Israel is a holy people, set apart for a purpose by God.  God wrought a covenant with Israel—a promise that came with terms.  And the New Covenant in Jesus has terms as well.

Not terms of earning grace, but of walking in faith and covenant relationship.  And the first—and foremost—is this: We must believe with all our heart, all our mind, and all our strength that Jesus is Lord.  He is Messiah.  The Son of God.  Crucified and died.  Raised after three days.  Defeater of death.  If we start here— Then sanctification follows.

I can’t help but see the similarities between Jeremiah’s time and our own.  Because what else was Jeremiah trying to do but… make Israel great again?  Israel had fallen—and not just in any general sense.

Israel had fallen in a very specific way.  They had fallen out of favor with God—because they had stopped acting like God was their God.  They turned to idols, to philosophies, to behaviors, and to spiritual practices that were not what God had commanded or desired.  So how does God speak to His people?  He sends prophets.  And where does He send them?  He sends them to speak at church.  Prophets He has ordained.  Prophets who will speak His Word without compromise.  Prophets who are faithful—to Him and to His Word.

Jesus says in Revelation…

Revelation 2: 12-17

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: ‘I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is.  And you hold fast to My Name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.  But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.  Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.  Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat.  And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”

Pergamos is known as the compromising church.  They were adding doctrine that was not from Jesus to their teachings.  They were consuming things sacrificed to idols and committing sexual immorality.  They were also practicing the doctrine of the Nicolaitans— which, if we remember, was a group that attempted to combine Christian teaching with pagan spiritual practices.  A thing which, Jesus says clearly, He hates.

Does this sound familiar?

Paul teaches…

2 Timothy 4: 1-5

“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His Kingdom: Preach the Word!  Be ready in season and out of season.  Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and teaching.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.  But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

Part of the work of every Christian is to do our part to keep the church—and its doctrine—pure.  But in order to avoid the corporate chastening of the LORD, it is necessary for each individual not to harden their heart with unbelief and drift away from God and His Law.  For the Spirit that dwells within us yearns for us jealously.

Which brings us to our Psalm 119 challenge of the day!

Psalm 119: 129-136

“Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them.  The entrance of Your Words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.  I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for Your commandments.  Look upon me and be merciful to me, as Your custom is toward those who love Your Name.  Direct my steps by Your Word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me.  Redeem me from the oppression of man, that I may keep Your precepts.  Make Your face shine upon Your servant, and teach me Your statutes.  Rivers of water run down my eyes, because men do not keep Your Law.”

God’s Ways and God’s Words are Wonderful.  It is full of wonders, wisdom, and understanding.  God’s Ways are Ways of life they are Ways of peace.  All who are weary, all who open their mouth and pant for Truth, will find the Living Water they seek through the Word of God.  God’s Word holds wisdom like hidden rubies and will crown him who seeks Him with sapphires of life, the tree we will find our rest under will not wither, but instead, rooted in the Word, we find perfect peace through trusting in The Lord.

Whom the Lord loves the Lord Chastens.

Proverbs 29: 18

“Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law.”

Holy means to be set apart and our doctrine and spiritual practices need to be holy and set apart.

Paul teaches…

1 Corinthians 12: 1-11

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led.  Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.  There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.  And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.  But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He Wills.”

Have we considered what our ministry is lately?  Or does our soul curse Jesus when we think about it?  Are we a Paul going where we are sent or are we a Jonah hiding in the belly of a whale?

Romans 12: 1-8

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.  For as we have many members in one body, but all the same members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.  Let love be without hypocrisy.  Abhor what is evil.  Cling to what is good.”

Where there is no revelation the people cast off restraint.  How will there be revelation if the Word is not preached?  And how is the Word preached if there is no preacher?  And how does a preacher preach if he does not know the Word?

Therefore, to follow the direction of Paul— what must we do to preach the Word?  We are to be ready—in season and out of season.  We are to know the Word so we can convince.  We are to know the Word so we can rebuke.  We are to know the Word so we can exhort.  And we are to do this with long-suffering—while we are teaching.  We are to be watchful in all things.  We are to endure afflictions.  We are to do the work of an evangelist.

We are to fulfill our ministry.

So what does that mean?

We have been studying holiness, and as we’ve learned, holy means to be set apart.  We are set apart from sin and the world— and set apart for worship and service to God.  Half of the work of sanctification is the setting ourselves apart from sin.  But once we have done that— once we’ve laid down the old— we are left with the question: What are we setting ourselves apart for?

Our ministry.

So.

Today.

Let’s continue to work on evil speaking and let’s continue to work on our hypocrisies.

Always remember…

Rejoice.

Pray without cease.  I mean it, don’t stop praying.

Give thanks in everything.

Let’s pay particular attention today to not quenching The Spirit.

Cling to what is good.

Abhor what is evil.

For He who calls us is faithful to finish the Work He does in us forever more.

I think that’s a good place to start for the day.