Posted by: judyhitson | March 22, 2025

The Most Holy Place

The Most Holy Place
by Judy Hitson

Heb. 9:12 ERV Christ entered the Most Holy Place only one time—-enough for all time. He entered the Most Holy Place by using his own blood, not the blood of goats or young bulls. He entered there and made us free from sin forever.

When we come into the presence of God, it is the Most Holy Place. It is a time to bask in His presence and experience fullness of joy (see Ps. 16:11). He is worthy of our time and we are blessed to take it. We are not under law. We now live under God’s grace (see Rom. 6:14). Grace so amazing that we have the privilege to enter the Most Holy Place, the very presence of God.

When I first came to know the Lord, I met a woman at church who invited me to her weekly prayer group and soon after to a Women’s Weekend Bible Retreat. I learned the importance of having an early morning quiet time for prayer, Bible reading and Bible Study. This became a treasured time through the years that continues to be a daily discipline in my life.

After reading The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, teachings on The Secret Place and a study of The Four Keys to Hearing God’s Voice by Mark Virkler,  I practiced keeping a Two-Way Stillness Journal and gained understanding on the importance of the Most Holy Place. This wasn’t just a time of praying rote prayers, reading through or even studying the Bible but times of intimacy with my Lord and God Jesus Christ to worship and adore Him, to commune with Him in prayer, to hear His voice and follow Him day by day, even moment by moment. This takes time and practice.

As Christ entered the Most Holy Place by using His own blood to make us free from sin forever, I know in my heart and life I am covered by the blood of the Lamb. I am free from sin forever. Christ has set me free to walk and live with Him by His Spirit giving me life. Until He comes a second time, the battles of the flesh, world and devil can be disturbing. Yet, knowing the best is yet to come, it is worth persevering on this faith journey to the end. Christ will come again. I look for His appearing and occupy here on earth until He comes.

Prayer: Thank You, Father in Heaven, for sending Jesus to be the Savior of the world. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and giving me eternal life. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for giving me life to live Christ and to enter His presence, the Most Holy Place. Amen.

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Posted by: Administrator | March 4, 2025

Jesus Christ: Wholly Holy

Jesus Christ: Wholly Holy
Wholly God, Wholly Man, Wholly Devoted to You
by Brenda D. Flowers

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. Brethren, pray for us. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-25, NKJV)

The more I read the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, the more I see God’s holy, perfect plan for our redemption and sanctification. God’s word reveals how He is wholly devoted to us with a love that is beyond our full understanding.

This past month, I have been meditating on Scriptures with the synonym for the word, holy, (wholly). As I have done this, I have been amazed how God has revealed to me a greater understanding of His perfect plan to save us from sin and death and to give us His abundant life.

I have seen more and more how God shows his love to us by giving us the freedom to choose to honor, trust and obey Him.

While searching and meditating on these Scriptures, I have asked myself these questions:

 Am I trusting God with my whole heart?

 Is Jesus Christ truly my all in all?

 Am I wholly devoted to God as Jesus is to me?

As David prayed, I pray, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my thoughts; And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139: 23-24, NKJV)

Here are three scriptures that have been especially meaningful to me:

Jesus answered him, “… ‘…And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’  This is the first commandment…” (Mark 12: 29a-30, NKJV)

… Caleb, the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and his children I am giving the land on which he walked, because he wholly followed the LORD.’ (Deuteronomy 1:36, NKJV)

Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.

 (1 Timothy 4:15, KJV)

You may consider meditating on one of these Scriptures or another Scripture with the word, “wholly”. Ask God to speak to you as you read His word and to guide you to His truth. I trust that He will because He has done that for me.

I can testify to you that Jesus is faithful and true. … “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” (Isaiah 6: 3, NIV)

 Jesus loves you and is reaching out to you right now.

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Posted by: judyhitson | February 18, 2025

Be Holy

Be Holy
by Judy Hitson

1 Peter 1:16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

God is holy. The important thing for us is that He calls us to be holy.

I hear: “Holy is to be pure and unstained by the world.”

This is seen in 1 Peter 1:15 Amp. But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your conduct (be set apart from the world by your godly character and moral courage);

The following words of 1 Peter 2:1-5 reveals more understanding of God’s call on our lives to be holy.

1 Peter 2:1-5 Amp. So put aside every trace of malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander and hateful speech; like newborn babies [you should] long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may be nurtured and grow in respect to salvation [its ultimate fulfillment], if in fact you have [already] tasted the goodness and gracious kindness of the Lord. Come to Him [the risen Lord], as to a living Stone which men rejected and threw away, but which is choice and precious in the sight of God. You [believers], like living stones, are being built up into a spiritual house for a holy and dedicated priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices [that are] acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.

In my daily Bible reading I found the following words of Job that seemed to parallel the words of Peter above.

Job 27:3-6 NIV as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not say anything wicked, and my tongue will not utter lies. …..till I die, I will not deny my integrity. I will maintain my innocence and never let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live.

Oh that I could speak the words of Job 27:3-6 for my life and walk in the light of the exhortation of 1 Peter 2:1-5, but battles of the flesh, world and devil persist. Thank God for the precious reality of the Holy Spirit giving life to live Christ. This is worth fighting for as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Father in heaven, help us by Your Spirit in Jesus’ name to be holy as You are holy in all we do and wherever we go. Amen.

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Posted by: Administrator | February 4, 2025

God’s Holy Love

God’s Holy Love
by Brenda D. Flowers

…In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another….

And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. (1 John 4: 10-11 & 16, NKJV) 

Have you ever cleaned out a storage box and discovered a love note or letter from someone special in your life, possibly a person whom you have not seen in a long time? I recently discovered a note written by mother on a book of poems she had given me for my 31st birthday, over forty years ago. My heart was touched as I read her sweet note of love to me. 

I often think about how God reveals His love in the Bible. When I read His Word, I feel as though I am reading a love letter from Him.

Many people though are searching for love. Some search for God’s holy love in religions other than Christianity. In these religions, they have to work for God’s love or they have to be good enough to earn His love. 

Some may pray to “Loving God” but they do not seem to know God’s words of love as expressed in the Bible. Maybe it is because they have never taken the time to read the Bible or to search for Truth. 

I believe when people do not read His love words to them, God is grieved in His Spirit. 

   My husband, Eric, and I will celebrate our 47th wedding anniversary in June of this year (2025). I am thankful for the way God brought Eric and me together and for how He has intervened in our lives to keep us together. 

In August of 1976, I had been dating Eric for only a few weeks, when I had to move from Tennessee, where I was attending graduate school, to Georgia, where I was going to begin my first teaching position. 

Eric and I promised we would write each other. Young readers, this was a time before cell phones and even talking long distance by phone was considered a luxury. 

  I had been teaching several weeks and had not received a letter from Eric. I was waiting to hear from him before I would communicate with him.  I guess I wanted to see if he truly cared enough about me to pursue me. 

Finally one evening, I heard the phone ring. When I answered the long distance call, I heard Eric’s tender somewhat sad voice greeting me and asking me, “Why haven’t you written me?” I answered that I had not received a letter from him. Then he shared, with love and care in his voice, about how long he had spent writing his first letter to me. He had wanted me to know how much he missed me.

I never received Eric’s first love letter,  but I am thankful I was willing to answer his long distance call. 

I often wonder what would have happened if I had refused to answer Eric’s call. 

On January 21, 1976, I answered God’s call to me when I trusted Jesus as my Savior and Lord. I realized that day how much God loved me. Jesus was willing to die for me. 

I believe the Bible is God’s love letter to all of humanity. In my heart, I can feel God’s sadness when people reject His love or when they search for His holy love in the wrong places. 

I pray people, who have never read the Bible, and others, who only read scriptures out of context, will come to understand that God longs to have a close relationship with them as was His original intent for creating people in His image. 

God’s written word has been kept from being destroyed because He wants us, who live today, to know His great love for us.

 As I share this message, God is calling many. Are we willing to answer His call? 

I pray that during this year as we study God’s holiness, we may experience His holy love with a greater depth of understanding. God not only loves us, His essence is love. We can love because He first loved us.

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Posted by: judyhitson | January 21, 2025

God’s Holy Name

God’s Holy Name
by Judy Hitson

Matthew 6: 9 GNT …..Our Father in heaven: May Your holy name be honored.

This past year I had nights with difficulty sleeping. I asked the Lord about it. I said, “Lord, You say in Your word that You give sweet sleep,” Pr. 3:24.

He said, “Pray the Lord’s Prayer.”

This became a process and a pattern in my life to pray the Lord’s Prayer on those nights I couldn’t sleep.  Now it is a habit for me to pray the Lord’s Prayer when I lie down at night to sleep.

As a child I was taught to memorize this prayer and prayed it by rote, like meaningless repetition. After being born again as an adult, I was assisting a 6th grade Sunday School class where I helped the students one by one practice reciting the Lord’s Prayer. Suddenly, it was like a light bulb was turned on to consider each word of the prayer. It was at this time, it was no longer meaningless repetition for me but Jesus’s instructions for me to pray. This was a powerful transition in my life of prayer. The words of the Lord’s Prayer came alive as an intimate communion with my Father in heaven.

The night the Lord called me to pray the Lord’s Prayer when I had difficulty sleeping, the first thing that struck my heart were the words, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

In the midst of chaos and evil in this world at this time in history, it is wonderful to imagine God’s kingdom and will on earth as it is in heaven and to pray these words to come into being. “On earth as it is in heaven” are words that captured my heart. Then the Lord revealed in this prayer that He first spoke of addressing our Father in heaven asking His holy name to be honored.

Taking time to research what it means for His name to be honored, I see it is to hold His name in high respect, to revere, worship and glorify Him.

In other translations we find the words “hallowed be Thy name.” This is to make holy, venerated, revered, respected, distinguished, consecrate, sanctify. This is a call for believers to honor that holiness in their lives.

Greg Grandclamp’s quote from Christianity.com article, “Why do we say Hallowed be Thy Name?”:

“We are to glorify God’s holy name. That name is holy – set apart above all others. His name is to be worshipped by His creation above all other gods and authorities as the one, true God. Yahweh.”

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Posted by: Administrator | January 7, 2025

Bless Your Holy Name

Bless Your Holy Name 
by Brenda D. Flowers

New beginnings…
Opportunities…
Blessings…
Joy…

As I enter this new year, I feel anticipation and excitement. Why? I believe God is revealing His love to us in deeper ways. He wants us to see Him as He is. As we honor and bless Him and humbly seek to trust Him in our daily walks, we will experience new life in abundant ways. 

I believe Jesus was sent on mission to not only save us from our sin but to give us everlasting life… a new life that starts when we believe He is the way, the truth and the life. (John 3 & John 14:6)

God is holy and worthy to be honored. His way is holy.

The apostle Matthew recorded Jesus’s words when Jesus gave His disciples a template for a way to pray. It is important to recognize the deep meaning of each word in the prayer Jesus taught His disciples in the past and is teaching us to pray today:

 In this manner, therefore, pray: 
Our Father in heaven
Hallowed be Your name,
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven. … (Matthew 6: 9-10, NKJV)

I have often meditated on the word, “hallowed” and its meaning. This beautiful word has many meanings depending upon its context. I like to sum up its meaning as purposely recognizing someone or some experience as holy, separate, worthy to be revered or honored. 

God’s name represents His total being. God is wholly holy. 

I believe Jesus taught His disciples, and us, to see the importance of approaching our Heavenly Father, with respect and honor when we pray, seeing spiritually God’s majesty, His greatness. 

God is holy and worthy to be praised by the way we speak and by our actions.

When we pray, as Jesus taught us to pray, we choose to honor God as Holy. We recognize who He truly is. All creation came from Him. In Him, we truly live, move and have our being. (Acts 17:28)  God’s complete character is worthy to be honored and praised. 

In the Old and New Testament, we can read how people, who truly loved God, hallowed His name. I treasure how God shows us His holiness and teaches us how to become holy as we read and trust the Bible and as we follow Jesus. His Word is also worthy to be honored and praised. 

As we enter this new year, may we start each day, revering the one true God by reading His Word and by honoring Him with our praise. Let’s bless His holy name. 

Sing these words of David with me, 

Bless the LORD O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! (Psalm 103: 1, NKJV)

Heavenly Father,
Hallowed, holy and worthy to be honored, is Your name. This year may we learn more and more about You as we read and study the Bible and focus on Your holiness. You are worthy to be praised by our words and our actions. Thank you for sending Jesus to show us the way to holiness. Thank You, for Your Spirit who is Your gift of holiness to guide us into all truth. 

I pray each one who reads this post and prays this prayer knows You and is on a quest with me to live fully to give You honor, praise and glory. In Your Son’s, Jesus’s, victorious and holy name, we pray. Amen

If you don’t yet know Jesus as Savior, I believe He is calling you to follow Him right now. At His Father’s request, Jesus, God’s Son, humbled Himself and came to earth to rescue You from sin and death. He sure does love you! 

Reader,  
In 2024, the focus of our blog posts was on the word, grace. We, writers for this site, pray our past posts will touch you in new ways as you review them. This year, God has guided us to write about the word, holiness. Please subscribe and join us as we seek to honor Him with the words we write. Blessings to you and yours in 2025.

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Posted by: judyhitson | December 23, 2024

The Grace of Giving

The Grace of Giving
by Judy Hitson

John 3:16 NKJV For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Our Lord Jesus gave His all that we may have eternal life. He left His Home in heaven to live on earth as the Son of God and Son of Man. He sacrificed His life to die on a cross for the sake of sinners to be saved and live forever. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)

Father in heaven gave His only begotten Son because of His love for the world that whoever believes in Him may have everlasting life.

How can we follow in His steps?

Are we, am I, willing to surrender all to Him, sacrificing our lives for His sake that others come to know Him and serve Him, Lord Jesus Christ?

To follow in the steps of our Father in heaven for the grace of giving is to love the world and give Christ in us, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27) in sacrificial love that whoever believes in Him will have everlasting life. Some translations say eternal life.

In John 3:17 we learn Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world but that men might be saved through Him.

Let us bow down in worship of the King of kings and Lord of lords who gave His all for us.

Prayer: Lord help us deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow You Jesus Christ (Luke 9:23). Amen.

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Posted by: judyhitson | December 6, 2024

God’s Grace Settles Me

God’s Grace Settles Me
by Brenda D. Flowers

1 Peter 5:10 (NKJV)
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. (Bold font added for emphasis.)

During the week of Thanksgiving, I tried to start each day thanking God for the many blessings in my life. I want to always have a heart of love and thankfulness.

As I contemplated how God has blessed me, I thought about how He had been with me through good times and difficult times.

 Jesus truly is Immanuel to me.

I reflected on how God has used times of suffering in my life to mature me. His grace was and is at work, as quoted above, perfecting, establishing, strengthening and settling me.

Think about the word, settle, with me.

 God settles all those who trust His Word. He makes our hearts His home. He settles our wandering soul. No longer are we wayward. We find our resting place in Him. We are able to truly love because He first loved us.

What a great wonder and gift this is:

 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and his love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. (1 John 4: 12-16, NKJV)

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—-our faith. (1 John 5: 4, NKJV)

In these frantic times in which we live, God is calling us to Himself. He wants us to settle ourselves in His presence, trusting Jesus accomplished His mission. We are victorious in Him.

I pray you’ll pray this prayer with me:

Father in Heaven, thank You for Your grace and loving compassion. Thank You for settling us with Your Spirit as we trust You. May we live our lives in peace, overcoming the world. May we trust You with all of our hearts. What a present, Your presence is!

 We confess and believe:  Jesus is Immanuel! Thank You for Your great love in sending Your Son to save us and in giving us faith to believe. We want to live our lives to give You the glory. Amen

I’m praying if you don’t yet know Jesus as Immanuel, you will be granted faith to believe today.

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call His name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7: 14, NKJV)

May our testimonies of God’s grace impact many who have lost their way and need to come home this Christmas season and into the new year!

 We have good news to share! Let’s be on mission.

Merry Christmas!

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Posted by: judyhitson | November 18, 2024

The Grace of Thanksgiving

The Grace of Thanksgiving
by Judy Hitson

2 Cor. 4:15 NLT All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

The phrase, “All of this” caused my curiosity to read the previous verses in 2 Cor. 4 to understand the benefits we have in regards to God’s grace and offer thanksgiving to Him. This chapter refers to the treasure we have in our hearts through Jesus Christ to live a new life in a new way.

My first thought on the grace of thanksgiving is God’s grace and mercy to save sinners as He did for me. My heart is filled with thanksgiving for so great a salvation.

As the Bible says, though my sins were as scarlet, He made me whiter than snow (See Is.1:18; Ps. 51:7).

Recalling a dramatic conversion in my own life, I identify with a parallel to Lazarus when Jesus raised him from the dead. Lazarus was bound in grave clothes. Jesus said, “Loose him and let him go,” John 11:44.

I also think of the grace of thanksgiving for God’s blessings of deliverance and healing. Getting rid of doubts and unbelief to walk in newness of life was a challenge to depend on God’s power and not myself.

Praise and thanksgiving for things only God can do in and through me as I spend time in prayer, in the Bible through Bible studies, mentors, preachers and teachers.

How thankful I am to learn we have the mind of Christ, 1 Cor. 2:16, to think His thoughts in exchange of my thoughts, (see Is. 55:8-9; Phil. 4:8)

I am thankful for God’s healing and provisions in my life and the lives of my family.

As we read in our key verse, 2 Cor. 4:15b, I see grace is spreading through many that causes thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

Closing Prayer: Ephesians 5:20 NKJV giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Exhortation: 1 Peter 1: 14-15 NLT So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.

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Posted by: Administrator | November 5, 2024

Grace Personified

Grace Personified
by Brenda D. Flowers

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, (Titus 2: 11-13, NASB 1995)

When God sent His Son, Jesus, on His redemptive mission to earth, God was doing so to show humanity Himself in a way we could understand. Jesus embodied God’s grace and love perfectly. To say it another way, Jesus, fully Man and fully God, revealed in human flesh the grace of God.

God’s unmerited favor was bestowed upon us.

Do we fully realize the gift Jesus Christ is to us?

Do we fully understand that God gives us the substance of faith to trust His gift of grace?

I have been meditating on these truths.

When we repent from our sins and trust God for salvation and sanctification, we trust His grace to transform us. We are changed by the power of who He is in us.

When we trust Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we are changed immediately, yet we are also being changed, becoming more like Jesus each day. We are sealed by His Spirit. It is amazing to realize we embody grace.

I ask myself, “Is grace personified in me?”

“Do I show God’s grace by the way I live my life?”

Luke records some of Jesus’s last words to His disciples before His ascension, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24: 49, NKJV)

The Apostle Paul explained in his letter to the Galatians that through faith in Christ Jesus we receive the promise of His Spirit. (See Galatians 3: 14)

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Galatians 3: 27, ESV)

Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.  (Galatians 4: 7, NKJV)

We are an heir of God. We inherit His grace.

Father in Heaven, please help us to fully grasp our inheritance in You. May we manifest Your grace each and everyday of our lives and give You the glory. Thank You for Your promised gift, Your Spirit, who transforms us as Your sons and daughters.

May we honor You, God, with hearts of thanksgiving as we experience Your transforming power at work in us. In Jesus’s name, we pray and in Him may we live, move and have our being. Amen

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