The Highway of Holiness

Well, I am just about recovered from the weekend enough now to reflect and tell you guys all about it! In a word....Brilliant! The weekend was titled 'The Highway of Holiness' and our focus was teaching regarding holiness for a believer. A difficult task I assure you, such a vast topic! The message we most desired to emphasise was 'inside-out-holiness'; meaning that instead of the law creating pharisaical, rule making, back-whipping, people who have to follow a set of obligatory laws to be made right with God, we are to be made holy from the inside. It is by grace that we have been saved, in light of knowing that there is a desire to grow close to the LORD and He is clear with what He has required of us; "Be holy for I am Holy".

The weekend comprised of  times of worship and a series of both practical and theoretical teachings which Mark lead. these included a friday night session on The Highway described in Isaiah 35, Saturday morning teaching on what it means to be holy, followed by a 'practical' session in which we split the boys and girls. After having the whole afternoon off for a lovely walk in the mountains we looked at the topic of music, a subject as you well know is dear to Mark's heart. In the evening, we set aside a time for questions and answers on anything regarding the faith and life as a believer. The leaders (Mark and I, Martin the pastor, and Kim and John Bottimore) formed a panel and we answered questions late into the night. We were extremely encouraged by the wealth of questions asked and the demonstration of hunger and thirsting for righteousness.

Of course, no youth retreat would be a youth retreat without fun and games...the golden oldies made a come back-'Big Chief Wackeroo' and the 'Bum Shuffle'!

As well as a fantastic game of sardines in the dark. Needless to say we came back exhausted...and yet refreshed.

It just goes to show that God is our source of strength! Once again we feel so privelaged to be here and part of the work, we are mere vessels that God is working through us. In fact, on the way there when we had our car absoulutely packed to the rafters and full of teenagers with their knees under their chins, I just looked out into the starry night as we drove through the mountains and turned to Mark with a big grin on my face.
 "What?" he asked,
"look at what we're doing..." I replied
"I know!" He said with an acknowledgement both of us understood; We cannot believe where God has brought us, and what He is doing with us here in this place.

When we simply put our hands in the hands of the One who is in control of everything, the journey He takes you on is an incredible one. Easy? Not so far! Without any bumps or hitches? Nope, we've had plenty. But incredible nonetheless. I encourage you, if you haven't yet surrendered your life to God, if you haven't trusted Him to take you on the Highway of Holiness you are missing out on the best that life has to offer.