DAILY VIDEO DEVOTIONAL
I hear many people talking today about extraordinary experiences with God. I think that any experience with God is extraordinary. For, after all, He is the Creator of the universe – the One who hung the stars in space and formed you and me out of dust. He’s the One who breathed into us and made us a living soul. He’s the Almighty God. But He’s much more than a powerful God. He’s holy.
Holiness is the very nature of God. “Holy” in the Scripture means to be set apart. God is set apart because there’s none like Him. He alone is the Creator. He alone is absolute perfection. And He alone is total purity. Therefore, it would be impossible to encounter the all-powerful God and then leave His presence without the sweet aroma of His holiness.
Holiness is at the very core of who God is. And it must be at the very core of any legitimate encounter with God. That’s why the author of Hebrews wrote, “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14 NIV). We can’t see the Lord today without holiness, and we’ll never see Him in the future without holiness.
God has been so gracious to allow me to meet Him in the private place of prayer so often. All of those times are special and some are so special that the fragrance of those moments lingers with me for years. They’ve shaped my beliefs, character and vision. Yet, those encounters have not always been “hallelujah shouting” times. Most often, they have been “Oh, God, have mercy on me” encounters!
Many years ago, I was preaching at a pastors’ conference in South Africa. I had spent time alone with God prior to the conference, and He impressed upon me how powerful He really is. The time with Him was one that left the sweet fragrance of His love and holiness upon me until this day. In fact, I had an artist in South Africa make a painting of that special place, and it’s hanging on a wall in my office today.
At the close of my message at the pastors’ conference, God met with us in an indescribable manner. We began to sing a song of praise and worship. But we found ourselves sobbing and weeping in the presence of a holy God. The leader tried to dismiss us, but no one could leave. We lingered for hours in the presence of God. Pastors who had held grudges against one another asked forgiveness. There was confession, then repentance; then forgiveness flowed from the throne of God. Oh, how wonderful it was to taste of His grace!
I’ve never forgotten that encounter with God. And I learned an invaluable lesson. To pursue God is to pursue holiness. For He alone is holy. A holy heart isn’t a proud heart, but rather a humble heart. And God only hears the cry of the humble heart. In all of your getting, get holiness! It comes from those sweet moments with Him.
Hebrews : Chapter 12
11) No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 12) Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13) “Make level paths for your feet,”[b] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. 14) Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15) See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16) See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.
Book of the Month
Sammy Tippit told his fiancée, “I can’t promise we’ll be rich, but life won’t be boring.”
Sammy had no idea what an understatement that would become. Beginning in the bars of Baton Rouge and the nightclubs of Chicago, Tippit has shared the news of life-changing faith in Christ all over the world – including in the middle of a revolution in Romania, the aftermath of genocide in Rwanda, and war in Burundi and the Congo.
Sammy’s lifelong adventure has come at a great price. He’s been cursed, threatened, arrested, deported, and blacklisted. He’s also been personally broken, ravaged with illness, and devastated by grief.
Yet he continues to preach to in stadiums, in open fields, and via satellite technology to hundreds of thousands around the globe. For all other books…
About Sammy Tippit Ministries
STM has been providing inspiration and help around the world for nearly 50 years. Sammy Tippit, founder and president, is a world renowned counselor, teacher and evangelist with experience serving and helping people in over 80 countries. Sammy provides materials that help people tackle a broad array of social, societal, psychological and spiritual issues. He is particularly passionate about making materials accessible to other countries around the world. Sammy is married to Debara “Tex” Tippit, and they have two children and five grandchildren.
Sammy Tippit Ministries is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization.
Contact: info@sammytippit.org
All Rights Reserved