It does not take great men to do great things; it only takes consecrated men.

Phillips Brooks

Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.

Joshua, to the people about to enter the Promised Land

"Consecrate" is a word we do not use much any more. It means to make perfect. It's meaning is in the context of setting yourself aside for a holy purpose. It is a word that we need to know because the Bible says that without holiness, no one will see the Lord. So how can we become, "consecrated".

The answer is one of the themes of the New Testament, for Christ Jesus came into this world to take away our sins in order that we might be holy before the Lord. The field of holiness, consecration, and the removal of sin, is extremely broad and we could hardly scratch the surface of the topic in a small article. Sufficient for the purposes of this brief writing is that we must be holy in order to see God, holiness is found only in Christ, and we are told that we can be placed into Christ through a faithful, penitent, baptism.

If this is a new teaching to you then please, please search these topics for yourself. You can get an exhaustive concordance just about anywhere and research these truths, in the Bible, for yourself.

Now, for the purpose of today's article: If you want to do great things for God, then you are going to have to first consecrate yourself for the task. The fact is that the worthwhile things in life require an intense commitment. I'm not talking about a mindless obsession; rather, a "magnificent obsession".

Once the people of Israel set themselves apart for God's purpose, being firmly decided in their own hearts and minds to follow Him in strict obedience - in other words, once they had consecrated themselves - they were given success by God.

You and I can do great things in our lives, but we won't do them because we are great ourselves, but because we have allowed God to do great things through us. So, what great things do you have to do? How about raising godly children? How about encouraging the discouraged? How about loving your neighbors? How about praying for your enemies?

How about living the rest of your life for God so that you can someday enter the land He has promised to the faithful?

Greatness in the eyes of the Lord is not about an accumulation of worldly goods, awards, or the various praises of men. It is about faith and hope and love. For those who realize these great truths, the Promised Land awaits, but it awaits only those who have consecrated themselves for the Lord's service.

Are you ready... for great and amazing things? Better consecrate yourself!

"And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name."

Acts 22:16