The battle for holiness

Thank you to everyone who made yesterday’s service so incredible!! The worship and ministry were so powerful that by 12:45 we realized that it was a God service and no word from the lips of man were to come forth. I have to tell you – I haven’t felt that in a very long time and it feels like revival is about to break forth! All I could think of was “whirlwind” or “tornado” – when a warm front meets a cold heart – and God just simply has His way.

We are getting to the point where we are learning to use the weapons of the Lord – and one of them is the dance. The enemy hates it. He’ll let you or, I should say… will encourage you to dance in the world at social gatherings – and then when we get to church, the enemy wants you to feel shame in the dance before the Lord.

But in Psalm 149:3, it says – “Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.” LET THEM. To the powers and naysayers of darkness – it’s time that we bust through the shame – eliminate the embarrassment and proclaim… LET THEM PRAISE HIS NAME IN THE DANCE!!!!

As a precious sister in the Lord read that yesterday – it bore witness to what the Spirit was saying to the church… The Dance is a weapon of God’s vengeance – and it will put the enemy in chains and fetters of iron!! We sing… “As the Spirit of the Lord moves in my heart, I’ll dance as David danced” – and it’s so funny because we sing it in churches where there are no feet moving. Dance is defined as something where movement of the body is performed. To move your feet. How many have seen dancers dance without moving their feet??? I love the song that says that the dancers will dance upon injustice. The injustice is the enemy bringing shame to those who praise in the dance!

When we do… (move our feet) – it is fulfilling prophecy in Genesis that we will “bruise Satan’s head.” Oh, Glory to God!!!

Now… early this morning as I am watching and meditating on the Lord, I hear a clarion call from the throne of grace that there is a battle raging in the heavenlies. It is a battle for holiness. The enemy doesn’t care if the church is righteous – he just doesn’t want it holy. Righteousness and Holiness are two very different things.

There is a difference between righteousness and holiness. As we study the church at Ephesus, we find a church that is staunchly practicing righteousness and performing righteous acts… but there is no holiness there. And without holiness they are in danger of losing their day. Their day to eat from the tree of life.

In some churches, holiness is defined as how one dresses or appears on the outward (categorized by the eyes of man) – but God is looking for holiness – and that is only found in the heart. “…for the LORD sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” I Samuel 16:7

There was a King named Amaziah who ruled and reigned in Israel for 29 years, and his appearance was very good. His acts were in the right place. He did and said all the right things… being a righteous king… BUT – He lacked holiness which is of the heart.

II Chronicles 25:2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.

David referred to this area of a man’s maturity as “presumptuous sins” – hidden in the heart – and far from the eye of man. Sins that hide there can be jealousy or bitterness or lust or gossip or perversion or anger… the hits just keep on comin’!

When God has you doing all the right things… that is a very good place to be – but not a place of a finished work. He will then go forth and deal with the hidden sin and the perverse thoughts and the illegal motives – the place of holiness. If you are the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 3:16) then the holy of holies… or “the place where holiness dwells” is deep within your heart.

And thus… the battle for your holiness. Definition of a “shame” is doing everything the right way but with an errant and hollow heart.

Now… this is an area that man cannot see or deal with. We can fool people with our actions, but our intents and motives and thoughts of the heart are only seen of the Lord. And trust me… He does see them. Whether you want to live in the denial or not… He does see them.

Ask the Holy Spirit to come and reason with you concerning holiness.

Leviticus 20:7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.

1Peter 1:16 Because it is written, be holy; for I am holy.

To accomplish and fulfill those scriptures, your prayer must be as David’s prayer: Psalm 19:13-14 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer.

A watchman will warn you ahead of time… and the word that I hear so loud and so clear AGAIN is that there is a battle in the heavenlies for your holiness. Be alert and vigilant… the battle lines are forming and the enemy has long ago begun to engage in battle.

Ephesus had no light on its wick – and there was a real threat of losing their salvation. Blood needs to cover both your deeds and the thoughts of your heart. You may be angry and you may bite your tongue and feel proud of yourself that you didn’t say or do the wrong thing… but the very fact that it existed in your heart is a red flag that a presumptuous sin is lurking… and that a sin running rampant has not been covered with blood.