Sunday Words of Encouragement April 30, 2023 - Holy Places

We had a local guest minister for our Sunday School this morning. He shared some testimony as well as a Biblical lesson, The Importance of Having Faith in Jesus.

Our service started with lovely praise and worship and I was touched when our Pastor went to his knees during the worship time. His sermon, titled Holy Places, was based on Exodus 3:1-6.
When Moses saw the burning bush, he turned aside to “see this strange sight….”
God spoke to Moses from the burning bush and told him “the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

As a young man, Moses stepped in on his own to deliver a Hebrew slave, during which he killed the Egyptian overseer. Then Moses ran away into the wilderness, where he became his Father-in-law's shepherd.

The burning bush was a God moment for Moses. It is arguably a theophany or Christophany.
A theophany is a manifestation of God in the Bible that is tangible to the human senses. In its most restrictive sense, it is a visible appearance of God in the Old Testament period, often, but not always, in human form. Christophany is the manifestation of Christ.

In the Old Testament, there are frequent “theophanies” and “Christophanies.” The word theophany comes from the Greek word theos (meaning “God”) and the Greek verb meaning “to appear.” So a theophany is an appearance of God. And a Christophany is an appearance of Christ.

There can be a lot of life lived between God encounters. Even if we don’t have continuous God moments or encounters, He is still there. God shows up to change lives, not just to provide a good feeling. For example, Salvation is beyond what we feel. But it is a promise through knowledge and faith.

We need to be aware of God moments in our lives. Where these occur, there is a Holy Place. Sometimes we have tarried at the altar to see what God is doing.

It is a moment when we are not just a fan, but we know the place is Holy because God occupies the place. Often the God encounter is to change the direction of life. Jacob met and wrestled with God at El Bethel (a place of worship). Joseph had several God encounters to become the father of Israel. Job had heard of God, then personally encountered Him.

God moments are not just for you but to share with others. The encounter generally has to do with the future. We need to recognize when and where God speaks. God moments and Holy Places are also where our perspective of God changes. We are struck with awe and God reveals Himself.

God revealed Himself to Moses as the great “I am”, from which we get Yahweh, or Jehovah.
Pastor acknowledged that he sometimes lives his life ‘in high voice’. This is the result of zeal for God, a passion birthed out of a Holy place.

As a cautionary word, we must be careful not to be tempted to stay there. (Like Peter at the mount of transfiguration.)

If you want to stay, you are missing the message to go out with the mission. Holy Places are places of launching. The woman at the well goes into the city to tell others.

Holy Place encounters are for us to give the message to others. To mobilize and be a witness to influence those around us.
When God shows Himself mighty in the wilderness as fire and smoke, we are to go and bring others back. We are to lead others to see our awesome God.

I found this song which I think fits today! Evidence.

Verses for Today:
Exodus 3:1-6 NIV
Moses and the Burning Bush
3 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”
4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
And Moses said, “Here I am.”
5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father,[a] the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.


Lord, help me to remember all the God Encounters of my past. Help me to be open to more. And help me to share them, to lead others to You.