WEDNESDAY'S WORD - CONSECRATE - 01/09/19 - Sadell Bradley - New Life Covenant Cincinnati

"It does not take great men to do great things; it only takes consecrated men."  - Phillips Brooks - American Clergyman    The lyrics of the Hymn, "I Am Thine, O Lord" are ringing in my Spirit today:   "I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice  and it taught Thy love to me,   But I long to rise in the arms of faith and be closer drawn to Thee.      Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord to the Cross where Thou hast died.   Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to Thy precious, bleeding side.  Consecrate me now to Thy service, LORD  By the power of grace divine Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope And my will be lost in Thine   CONSECRATE means to make something sacred; to dedicate formally for a Divine purpose. Churches set aside times of consecration - services with prayer, fasting and worship. Some people retreat for a time apart to commune with God in silence and solitude. With so many distractions, our inward ambitions, and cravings for entertainment; it can be a challenge to consecrate ourselves to the LORD. Consecration, the separation of our lives to God for His purposes, was not ever intended to be a segmented period of time, but a way of being. The LORD commanded the Levites, "Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God." (Leviticus 20:7) Consecration was not just for the clergy. Before entering the land of promise, "Joshua told the people, 'Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.'" (Joshua 3:5)    Perhaps Fanny J. Crosby, the writer of "I Am Thine, O Lord," was able to connect more closely to God because she was blinded at 6 weeks of age. Crosby became a teacher, an important advocate for the blind, and a friend of several presidents. The power of God's grace did indeed help her to flourish. Her consecration caused her to bear much fruit, writing over 8,500 gospel songs from age 6 to her death. She and her collaborator, William Doane, talked about the nearness of God in their lives. Stanza three exclaims, "When I kneel in prayer, and with thee, my God, I commune as friend with friend!"     The Scriptural reference for "I Am Thine, O Lord" is found in Hebrews 10:    "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God...Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."  (Hebrews 10:19-23)    How would your life look different if it was consecrated to the LORD? What would you do more of, or not do at all? What would you focus on, or not watch at all? How would your thoughts, attitudes and speech differ? How would you treat your body? or your decisions? How would you treat others? A consecrated life is a gift to God, a response to His loving gift of Jesus.

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