Be Daring ~ Be Different!
As I was listening to Jill minister to our daughter this evening, the LORD brought to mind a short testimony and piece of advice which I received from a sculptor who spoke into my life.
Upon hearing my plans for my future places of study, he gave me two sage pieces of advice, one of them being, “Be Daring ~ Be Different!”
For the past 50 years, these words have rung loudly in my life as I have lived them out. Indeed, the whole episode and story has become part of my personal testimony.
Then as I sat this evening with the two ladies and awaiting my turn to speak, the LORD put it in my heart to address what it means to “Be Different!” from a Christian point of view.
As the words “set apart” came to mind, I did an immediate Bible search on that phrase and was so surprised at the results – which are listed below, Just 12 results, including the 1 from the New Testament.
As I read the 12 verses, I came to a sudden and surprising conclusion, that the words from that dear sculptor were absolutely prophetic in nature, and in those short four words, he had spoken life into me, and that life is still on fire today.
Twice since, around 2009, I received what I can now see as being confirming words from prophets, as they referred to me being “set apart unto the LORD”. However I could not fit them into a bigger picture — until now.
But this evening, while talking to our daughter and while writing this testimony, the LORD has started to join up more of the big-picture jigsaw parts for me.
Suddenly, being set apart, has taken on a new and personal meaning for me, but the idea, the concept, of “set apart to Jehovah,” is just too much to handle at the moment, I do confess.
Suddenly also, I need to re-look at my life, to see how certain long distant inexplicable events and occurrences now look through the lens of that dear sculptor’s prophetic sowing into my life.
I just want to say now to The LORD again, thank YOU!
In just two words, you have changed me again and I am so grateful for it. Now I just need to work out what it all means and how to use it for His Glory and the expansion of His Kingdom on Earth!
“You shall set apart to Jehovah every one that opens the womb, and every first-born that comes of any animal which you have; the males shall be Jehovah’s,” Exodus 13:12.
“Say to them, Any man of all your seed among your generations who draws near to the holy things, which the sons of Israel set apart to Jehovah, if he has his uncleanness on him, that soul shall be cut off from My presence. I am Jehovah,” Leviticus 22:3.
“These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom he set apart to minister as priests,” Numbers 3:3.
“Because all the first-born are Mine. On the day that I struck all the first-born in the land of Egypt I set apart to Myself all the first-born in Israel, both man and animal. They shall be Mine. I am Jehovah,” Numbers 3:13.
“And he shall set apart to Jehovah the days of his separation, and shall bring a lamb of the first year for a guilt offering. But the former days shall be lost, because his separation was defiled,” Numbers 6:12.
“All the first-born males that come from your herd and from your flock, you shall set apart to Jehovah your God. You shall do no work with the first-born of your bull, nor shear the first-born of your sheep,” Deuteronomy 15:19.
“And they set apart Kadesh in Galilee, in the hills of Naphtali; and Shechem in the hills of Ephraim; and Kirjath-arba (it is Hebron) in the hills of Judah,” Joshua 20:7.
“Nor will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have set apart for your fathers; only if they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses,” 2 Chronicles 33:8.
“And afterward they offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons and of all the set feasts of Jehovah that were set apart, and of everyone who willingly offered a freewill offering to Jehovah,” Ezra 3:5
“But know that Jehovah has set apart the godly for Himself. Jehovah hears when I call to Him,” Psalm 4:3.
“Set apart a fast; call a solemn gathering; gather the elders and all the people of the land into the house of Jehovah your God, and cry to the Lord,” Joel 1:14.
“Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to the ones called in God the Father, having been set apart, and having been kept by Jesus Christ,” Jude 1:1.
~ Angus MacKillop
Wow, amazing. Thanks brother.