(qadash) to be consecrated, hallowed, sanctified. Many scholars believe that this verb originally meant to separate, but that belief is made challengeable by the lack of occurrences of this verb in a secular context. in Akkadian this verb means to be clean or pure. The Biblical usage of this verb is pretty much on a par with the English verb to consecrate or be holy.
I was sitting in the rocking chair rocking Sam about 2 years ago and the Lord spoke the word, "Kadesh" to me. It was so clear I actually saw the word written in my head. I looked up the meaning then, but it really didn't apply to my life like it does now. I believe the Lord has shown me this week why He spoke this Hebrew word to me 2 years ago.
My husband and I attended a Baptist church for 7 years. We loved the congregation and served along side some amazing people. The Lord called us to leave 9 months ago. In that 9 months I have "seen" some things through spiritual lenses that I feel I must share.
I have a lot of very close friends that I love very much, but we are all different. I have a friend that has been my friend for 22 years that is a Messianic Jew. I have a close friend that is very dear to me that knows the deep things of God. I love listening to her wisdom. I love watching her serve her husband and children. I have learned so much from her, but she too is very different than me.
We can become so consumed with doctrine's and theology that we forget our main purpose and that is to win others to Christ. How do we win them? By our love.....
I heard on Christian talk radio recently about many pastors leaving the church because they have become non-believers. Many of them have attended Seminary and have degrees that line the walls of their homes. And many of them sadly are still preaching for the money. They were obviously never converted, but it goes to show you that head knowledge doesn't save you or bring you to repentance.
We all are so different and I am in no way saying doctrine isn't important. I am however, saying that if doctrine has replaced your love it has become your love. We MUST be steeped in the scripture lest we be deceived by false teachers. We HAVE to discern the preaching from the pulpit. We also have share what the Lord teaches us with humility. And our lives need to be a reflection of what we have learned.
God said, "to love Him with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength." He also said, "to love your neighbor as yourself." How can we be loving Him or our neighbor when all we do is judge our brother or sister's heart. We judge them on an external level when we have no idea where they are in the refining process. We think it is our job to sanctify them.
I'm writing this blog in hopes that you too will "see". We are all so different, but still His just the same. When we become puffed up with knowledge to the point we ourselves become unteachable, then we become like the Pharisee's that Jesus rebuked.
I have personally "seen" the fruit of all of the friend's I mentioned above. Even still I can't know their heart, only Christ Himself can. When we become the judge and jury of someone else's convictions, I believe we cross a line that is only to be crossed by the judge of the world, Christ.
We will stand before a Holy God, and no one will be there to blame for our life. We can't blame our pastor, husband, friends, or enemies for the way we lived our life. We must stop looking at other people and turn the mirror on ourselves. Is Christ really in us? Are we Kadesh? Are we set apart? Are we holy? Are we being sanctified?
There are so many "things" that can separate us from each other. Paul said he became like the Jews to win the Jews, he became like the Gentiles to win the Gentiles. He brought himself low to proclaim the gospel to the lost. This made me think, "what did Paul and Peter preach?" They preached the gospel, they preached Christ and Him crucified.
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was please through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things and the things that are not to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Jesus came to set the captive's free. It was His love that hung Him on a cross for our iniquity, for our sin, for our shame, for our healing. I think of His ministry here on earth. Does our ministry mirror His? He touched the untouchable, He healed the sick, He allowed a sinner woman to kiss His feet. Have you ever thought of that doctrine? A prostitute that earned her living by sleeping with men. Took the oil that was no doubt paid for by her earnings as a prostitute and lavished it on our Lords feet. Imagine sitting at a table full of very devout men, and in walks a women with immodest clothing, letting her hair down, (which was a disgrace), kissing the feet of Jesus, (a very intimate thing to do) and washing His feet with her hair. Does that make you bristle? Does it make you cringe? To think of a dirty prostitute washing holiness. He sat with the tax collectors and sinner's, and the Pharisee's rebuked Him for it. They called Him a drunkard and a wine-bibber.
We are all different, we have all been delivered out of darkness. I don't know what your darkness is. I don't know what the Lord has pulled you out of. So how can I judge you? As Christian's we all should be striving for holiness. Holiness isn't if you home-school or not, holiness isn't what day of the week you attend church, holiness isn't clothing or food. Only Jesus can produce holiness in our lives. True Kadesh!!!
I heard on Christian talk radio recently about many pastors leaving the church because they have become non-believers. Many of them have attended Seminary and have degrees that line the walls of their homes. And many of them sadly are still preaching for the money. They were obviously never converted, but it goes to show you that head knowledge doesn't save you or bring you to repentance.
We all are so different and I am in no way saying doctrine isn't important. I am however, saying that if doctrine has replaced your love it has become your love. We MUST be steeped in the scripture lest we be deceived by false teachers. We HAVE to discern the preaching from the pulpit. We also have share what the Lord teaches us with humility. And our lives need to be a reflection of what we have learned.
God said, "to love Him with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength." He also said, "to love your neighbor as yourself." How can we be loving Him or our neighbor when all we do is judge our brother or sister's heart. We judge them on an external level when we have no idea where they are in the refining process. We think it is our job to sanctify them.
I'm writing this blog in hopes that you too will "see". We are all so different, but still His just the same. When we become puffed up with knowledge to the point we ourselves become unteachable, then we become like the Pharisee's that Jesus rebuked.
I have personally "seen" the fruit of all of the friend's I mentioned above. Even still I can't know their heart, only Christ Himself can. When we become the judge and jury of someone else's convictions, I believe we cross a line that is only to be crossed by the judge of the world, Christ.
We will stand before a Holy God, and no one will be there to blame for our life. We can't blame our pastor, husband, friends, or enemies for the way we lived our life. We must stop looking at other people and turn the mirror on ourselves. Is Christ really in us? Are we Kadesh? Are we set apart? Are we holy? Are we being sanctified?
There are so many "things" that can separate us from each other. Paul said he became like the Jews to win the Jews, he became like the Gentiles to win the Gentiles. He brought himself low to proclaim the gospel to the lost. This made me think, "what did Paul and Peter preach?" They preached the gospel, they preached Christ and Him crucified.
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was please through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things and the things that are not to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
The gospel is so simple even a child can understand. It goes on in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 to say that there is a message of wisdom for the mature and in chapter 3 that we should advance from the milk of the word to the meat of the word. We absolutely must hide the word of God in our heart's, we must search out the deep things of God, we must learn from other godly men and women. But we can't become cold and indifferent to the cross.
We are all different, we have all been delivered out of darkness. I don't know what your darkness is. I don't know what the Lord has pulled you out of. So how can I judge you? As Christian's we all should be striving for holiness. Holiness isn't if you home-school or not, holiness isn't what day of the week you attend church, holiness isn't clothing or food. Only Jesus can produce holiness in our lives. True Kadesh!!!
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