REV. TIMOTHY L. MELTON, PASTOR
CHEROKEE PENTECOSTAL HOLINESS CHURCH
“Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”
James 4:8 (NLT)
“Holiness is your part,” stated Rev. Timothy Melton. “When God is there, Peace is there. Your knowing that the Holy Spirit is there, means that Help has arrived. Take a deep breath.
Pastor Melton reminded us, “Only the holy will see God. This is what was spoken to the Church, ‘Cleanse your hands. Purify your hearts.’ He will then show up. ‘To the double-minded,’ God also says, ‘Cleanse your hands.’ Pastor prayed, ‘Father, send the words to touch every heart here.’”
“As was given In Genesis 21, Abraham paid a price for being blessed,” explained Pastor Melton, “Jesus paid the ultimate price. Step out and look at the sky. How many stars do you see? God then blessed Abraham with children, when he was 100 years old and his wife was 90 years old!”
“How good God is!’ In Genesis 22:1, it is stated that some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith, and Pastor added, ‘Abraham knew God’s Voice.’”
God told Abraham, “Take your, son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will show you.”
“With God, he knew he was to give Him Isaac or He might take him back. There can be no delay because God considers delay to be disobedience,” explained Pastor Melton, “so he rose up the next morning and went on that three-day journey. He saw the place afar off and walked step by step up that mountain. Holiness birthed the promise.’”
“It was a struggle, but he knew and trusted and lived up to the standard because he knew ‘God is able.’ “Quit being worried, have faith in God. With prayer and thanksgiving for supplying all our needs, we can believe Him for them,” Pastor encouraged, “Live up to the faith level you have.”
“As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father?”…
“But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”
Hebrews 12:7, 10b-11 (NLT)
(“Who loves his child more—the father who allows the child to do what will harm him, or the one who corrects, trains, and even punishes the child to help him learn what is right?…God’s discipline is a sign of His deep love for us. We should see it as a proof of His love for them, and so, we should also ask Him about what He wants us to learn to follow instructions the first time and the best way.”)
(“God did not want for Isaac to die, but He wanted Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, his son, in his heart so it would be clear that Abraham loved God more than he loved his promised and long-awaited son. God was testing Abraham. The purpose of testing is to strengthen character and deepen commitment to God and His perfect timing.)
(“After building an altar and laying the wood, Abraham placed Isaac on the altar and as he raised the knife, the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham and stopped him, ‘Do not hurt the boy in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from Me even your son, your only son.’”) {All within parentheses are from NLT notes.}
“Abraham then looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. It had come up on the opposite side of the mountain, step by step. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a sin burnt offering in place of his son. He also named that place Jehovah-Jireh, ‘The Lord will provide.’ Because of all this, the Angel of the Lord called from heaven and swore by ‘My own Name that I will certainly bless you…’” Pastor Melton explained. (Read Gen. 22:15-18.)
Pastor offered in closing, “Know God, and know Peace beyond understanding. This I know, the God of Heaven wants us each to live holy lives and to live in peace. Magnify God—not the problem. Praise and worship Him! Rejoice! Worship Him!
