"...The holy angels..." - Luke 9:2

This AnGeL is expected...commanded...to be holy.  As much like Jesus as I can be.  Separate from sin.

I'm reminded of this vital necessity as I sit in the cardiovascular waiting room of our large county hospital.  My husband, Danny, is undergoing his second heart catheterization.  After the first procedure ten days ago, the doctor took me into a small, dark room, booted up his computer, and showed me a video of Danny's heart.  What I saw looked like a road map filling the screen, with major arteries looking like interstates, and secondary vessels looking like county roads.  The entire picture jerked every second, and I realized I was watching my husband's heart pumping.

Dr. Rose then pointed out something I would never have seen without his highly trained eye to guide mine.  Danny had three blockages, two on major arteries, the other on one of the "country roads."  The main frontal artery had been almost totally clogged by a blockage nicknamed "the widow-maker."  A stent had been inserted to improve the blood flow.  To lessen the adverse effects of the "dye" necessary to do the catheterization, Danny is having another procedure today.  But during the past week, just having the one stent in place made a dramatic difference in how he felt.  He felt great!  And he then realized, even though he hadn't known of the blockage, it had not only been a potential silent killer, it has sapped him of his strength and energy.

I think that the Body of Christ...which certainly includes me...needs a heart catheterization.  I believe we may have more than one artery clogged by sin...pride, selfishness, jealousy, unforgiveness, bitterness, doubt, lying, as well as many others...acting like spiritual cholesterol.  The blockage is a silent killer, threatening to extinguish our joy, love, peace, and the fullness of God's blessing and power in our lives.  Without realizing it, the sin has sapped us of vitality in our relationship with God, energy in our service to others, and vibrancy in our faith.  Only the Holy Spirit, using the instrument of God's Word, is highly trained enough to pinpoint the sin in our hearts.  Once He does, then we must confess it and ask for cleansing so that once again the Life can flow freely.

I'll be honest.  Danny did not want to go through this procedure.  He was apprehensive about it.  But the doctor was insistent.  If he wanted to continue to live with any quality of life, he had to submit to it.  And I'll be even more honest...I dread a spiritual heart catheterization.  It's not comfortable.  In fact, I've had them before from time to time and they can hurt.  But the results are more than worth it as His life, once again, flows freely through mine.  So would you join this AnGeL and ask God to examine your heart?  Ask Him to pinpoint the sin that is threatening the quality of your spiritual life.  Name it for what it is, and ask Him to cleanse you.  The enjoy experiencing a new lease on a holy life.  And because God says, "without holiness no one can see the Lord," (Hebrews 12:14) now open your eyes...to Him!

Instruction

Read Exodus 33:18-23

• What did Moses ask God? v. 18.  Put his request in your own words.
• How did God answer Moses in v. 19?  How did God define His glory?  What does that teach you?
• When did God say Moses would see the Lord?  How is this contrary to what we think?  v. 22-23
• What cleft of a rock ... what hard place have you been stuck in?
• In what way did you come to know God better in a hard place?  List His characteristics that were revealed and any blessings that you experienced while there.

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