The Coin Has Flipped

In the past the idea of God's "holiness" was all about what he isn't, and what we don't do as a result. The original word for Holiness actually means "Other" or "Set Aside" or "Beyond"... even "Very Strange"...

...and it's more like we use the word Special Ops for a mililtary unit that is one of a kind, and has a very focused purpose.

But like a Reserved Chair at a banquet, the reason it's so important the chair is kept empty, is only because someone very important is going to be there. It's not about the empty chair, it's about the chair being filled with someone who is very dear, not just any random guest that wanders by.

Now the coin of holiness has flipped, and God is revealing, that we have NOT set ourselves apart FROM a lot of things...

apart from the world's treasures,

apart from ugly entertainment,

apart from cheap friends...

We set ourselves apart FOR new things that are only from God - way more valuable and unique than anything man creates for himself.

Things that "holy men of old longed to look into". Plans and partnerships straight from the Father of Heaven. These gifts will indeed shine with the glorious fragrance of Heaven we could never see on our own.

Because we kept our chair carefully Set Apart for it.

In the Hebrews chapter about examples of faith, it talks about what they all did, not about what they didn't do. I'm sure Noah kept away from all kinds of terrible activities that the whole world was bathed in, but it only talks about how he built an ark to save his family. Woman got their dead children back, some defeated lions and even kings.

Rain was something that never happened in all of history until Noah finished the ark.

The same way, the rain of change and glory that is coming is not something we've seen before. We will exclaim with astonishment that we if we knew that this is what was going in that empty chair, we would not have felt so burdened in keeping it ready.

So, let us stand at the window and keep looking with excitement for what God is going to put in our chairs!