Set Apart As Special : Act Like It

As Jesus walked with His followers along the garden paths, His eyes looked up to heaven as He said, “Daddy, it’s time. Give glory to Your Son, Me, so that I can give all the glory right back to You. You have given Me the power to give forever-life to everyone You’ve given Me. And what is forever-life? Forever-life is knowing You and Me.

“I brought You glory on this earth by finishing the work You gave Me to do. And now, Dad, glorify Me at Your side with the glory that I had with You before the world was created.

“These special ones that You’ve taken out of this world and have given Me, I have shown You to them. They belonged to You, and You gave them to Me, and they’ve obeyed You.

“I’m coming to You, Holy Father. I won’t be in the world anymore. But since they’ll still be here, keep them safe, so that they may be One just as You and I are One.

“When I was with them, I kept them safe and watched over them.

“But now I’m coming back to You, Daddy. And I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them, because they’re not a part of this world, just like I’m not. But I’m not asking that You take them out of the world, just that You keep them safe from the evil one, satan.

“Just like I don’t belong to this world, they don’t either. Set them apart as special by the truth of Your word. Just as You sent Me into the world, so I am sending them into the world. And I set Myself apart for them, so that they too may be truly set apart.

Did you know?

All the people you see around you are part of the world. We are all in the world. But those who believe Him and are TRULY HIS, are not “of” the world. That means this world is not really their home. They’re just travelers, passing through this world on their way to Heaven.

They’re Heaven’s People. Abraham’s sparkling stars in the sky.

In God’s deal of rules and in His relationship with His shadow people, the Israelites… there was always a difference between the world and God’s Chosen People, wasn’t there? Yes, because God had chosen them to be special.

Does it sound like Jesus is telling His chosen followers that they are special? Absolutely. All those who are His, are meant to be Set Apart as Special — Wonderfully and Holy Different from the world.

When you have something that is really special to you, do you treat it the same as everything else or “differently”? Yes, differently. Even if it looks “normal” to others, it’s not to you, is it? And it doesn’t really matter what anyone else thinks or feels about it. You know that it’s special.

Part of what it means to be His People, His Family, is that you are different — Set apart as Holy.

And no matter what someone might look like on the outside, anyone who is a part of God’s Expression on Earth is not just a “normal” person. They are set apart to be special.

And did you know that now God calls everyone, everywhere to turn around and come to Him, and to BE Special?

From your very beginning, you were fearfully and wonderfully made. Everyone starts out unique and special. But sin dirties us and separates us from God. So then everyone has to decide whether they will live in the plans God has for them to become that special set apart person or not.

So don’t stop seeking Jesus until He washes away all your sin and calls you His very own set apart one.

In the world, but not of it — because those who are His are set apart as special, set apart as protected, set apart as safe, set apart as loved. He wants to surround us and envelop us in His walls of love and protection.

Jesus continued, “Father, I’m not only asking this for them but for everyone who will believe in Me because of their words and witnessing… so that all of them will be ONE, just as You and I are ONE, Daddy. I’ve given them the glory that You gave Me, so that they may be one in complete unity — joined as one together. Daddy, You are in Me, and I’m in You. And I pray that they will be in us. This way the world will believe that You sent Me and that You have loved them just as You have loved Me.

“Righteous Father, even if the world doesn’t know You, I know You, and these men know that You sent Me. I have made and will keep making Your name known to them, so that Your love will be inside of them, and that I may be inside them.”

What did He just say? Jesus… INSIDE His Followers… How’s that going to happen? What could be more SPECIAL than THAT?! Nothing!