Month: September 2019

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Trusting God in the Impossible

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Daniel 1 to 3 Testing of our faith produces endurance so we are complete. When we need wisdom we should come believing and ask God just as Daniel and his three friends did.

Daniel believed God. He believed God’s heavenly windows are open 24/7, 365 days a year no matter where he was or what he was facing.  He knew this truth: “God did not give us a Spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control.” Believing that principle, Daniel appealed two times; once to eat only vegetables and water and the second for time to pray for an answer to the king’s demands of “Tell me the dream!”

Many times, like Daniel, we say we believe, we make appeals and even have prayer meetings but our words seem to float off into eternity with no answers. But, God doesn’t work on our 24 hr. clock. He answers in His perfect time and often when we least expect it—sometimes, even in the middle of the night as He did for Daniel!

God brings tests into our life to test our faith and to reveal His power and His majesty to a world that does not honor Him. These young men faced tests with seemingly impossible odds yet God did just as Malachi said: I will open my windows and pour out my blessings upon you.

How about you? Do you trust God in the impossible?

 

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There is a fountain….

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Ezekiel 47 “Deep and Wide”

As a young child in Sunday School, we were taught a little song complete with hand motions simply titled “Deep and Wide.”  It begins: Deep and Wide; Deep and Wide; there is a fountain flowing deep and wide. It is a picture of the believer’s faith.

Ezekiel saw a trickling stream flowing from under the new Temple’s threshold. It began as a trickle and then it grew until it was a mighty river. It was a river with healing powers and provided nourishment for the trees along its bank. Truly it was a fountain flowing deep and wide and along the river bank were trees with healing powers! In Psalm 1 the author likens a man to a tree planted by a flowing stream. Because of its healing power, the tree is able to produce fruit and healing leaves much like the ones Ezekiel saw. The gospel message heals and adds to the present trickling stream until it becomes a river; a river of men and women healed by its message.

When the Holy Spirit indwells us, our faith starts as a little trickle but then it expands and seeks to heal those waiting to hear the gospel message of healing. We can stop at the threshold of the Temple or we can let our love overflow and heal the “Dead Sea” filled with dead men with the gospel message.

Is your fountain deep and wide or still just a trickle?

 

 

 

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Have you seen the Glory of the Lord?

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Ezek 43 Ezekiel, more than any other OT prophet, gives us a front-row seat to see the action of God amongst his people in regards to the Temple. He begins in chapter one with the vision of God’s glory and His voice telling him to “go and tell.” In chapter 10 we encounter it again but this time the glory of the Lord is leaving the Temple. Now in chapter 43 Ezekiel again sees the glory of the Lord, but this time he is seeing the Lord returning to the Temple.

What must it have been like to encounter the glory of the Lord? When the Shekinah glory overshadowed the Temple all the people prostrated themselves. Then, Isaiah, like Ezekiel, saw it and like him, he fell on his face. The three disciples, James, John, and Peter saw it when Christ was transfigured and they fell prostrate. John saw it again on the Isle of Patmos and he prostrated himself as well. So, you ask, what is the point? The point is that when we come face to face with God and see His glory something should happen. For each of us, that may be different but in humble adoration, we are to reverence His presence.

If you ever find yourself saying I wish I could be like those who have seen, stop and consider God’s creation, a newborn babe, a new born again believer and more. God’s glory is all about us if we just look.

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Being a Tour Guide

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Ezekiel 40  Many of us have visited museums or art galleries where a tour guide or an audio guide “fills in the blanks” that we might miss. The prophet Ezekiel is in Jerusalem and encounters a man who will be Ezekiel’s tour guide of the new Temple. Before he begins the tour he gives Ezekiel these instructions:

“Son of man, watch closely, listen carefully, and pay attention to everything I show you, for you have been brought here so that I can show it to you. Tell the house of Israel everything you see.”

Jesus was the disciple’s tour guide for three years. He told them to have open ears and open eyes because they would be tasked to tell the good news after he would be gone. But, God would not leave them without a new tour guide in this new task. Their new tour guide would  be “ the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name; He will teach you everything, and will cause you to remember everything I said to you.” [Jn 14]. and like the healed demoniac, they were to: “Go to your home and to your people and tell them what the Lord has done for you, that he had mercy on you.” The task is the same for us:

We know who we were and who we are now.

Pray for opportunities to be a tour guide to those who need to hear the gospel message.

Image Credit: Flickr

 

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Ezekiel: Pointing Fingers

ezeki 38 pointing fingersReading Ezekiel is like listening to the NYT or the Washington Post either in print or online but is surely not like the “good ole’ days.”  Today’s big news was the destruction of the oil refineries in Saudi Arabia with Yemen taking credit but Pompeo saying Iran was at fault. Pointing fingers and making accusations is a daily menu item for the Middle East.  But, when God unleashes his fury there will be no second-guessing. The entire world will know that He is the Lord.

This chapter speaks from the heart of God to the enemies of His children. God describes Himself:  rage in my anger; zeal in the fire of my fury. Peter asks the exiles to whom he was writing what will be the fate of those who are disobedient to the gospel of God? [1Peter 4:17] But, Paul writing to the Romans reminded the believers that nothing can come against God’s children even when God unleashes all of his anger against the unbeliever. Until such time know this truth:  With flaming fire, he will mete out punishment on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus [2Thess 1] but also this: believers are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. [1Peter1]

Beloved, when God unleashes his fury where will you be? Will you be sheltered under his wings or experience his wrath?

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Are You Living in Death Valley?

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Ezekiel 37 God’s love is beyond our ability to comprehend but the evidence is before us and is clearly seen in creation. But, often our eyes are focused on the “valley of dry bones,” our Death Valley. We say “I know God can do anything, “but in the next breath we say “I fail to see how God can work in this situation.” Martha stood by the tomb of Lazarus and thought those very words.

Martha wanted Jesus to do something because, like her, we are more comfortable “doing” than “believing.”  Perhaps that is why we keep our idols of busyness, pleasure, and materialism.  Like the pioneers of old, who wandered into Death Valley and had to be rescued, we find ourselves wandering, wondering how we too will be rescued.  Martha stood before a closed tomb;  Ezekiel stood in a valley of dead bones. Both were left speechless when God asked: can these bones live?  But, God in his mercy watched and heard God say: I am about to infuse breath into you and you will live!

Jesus, from eternity past, determined to be our rescuer from our death valley. He saw, He came and reminds us:  I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies, and the one who lives and believes in me will never die.

Do you believe this?

Photo: Millennialpastor.net

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What’s Your Excuse?

Ezekiel 33  We have become a culture in which blameshifting and judging is as commonplace as yesterday’s news.

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The exiles come to hear Ezekiel’s preaching but then behind his back they gossip about his words—and who knows what else. Many go to “church” and say what a great message, but later tear the preacher apart. The preacher’s message was clear; “Turn back, turn back from your evil deeds!” Instead, they say,  It’s not my fault we are in this fix! If it isn’t your fault, whose fault is it? Or, others say: God isn’t fair. Really? How about your fairness to God when you hear what to do and don’t do it? James says if you know what to do and don’t do it, it is sin.[James 4:17]  And then there is this argument: See, I told you, there is no hope, what’s done is done. Are you deaf? God is not willing any should perish. The answer is to turn and repent of your sin!.

All of this sounds so familiar. What goes around comes around. Pilate heard Jesus say I am the truth and scoffed: what is truth? Instead of listening he turned and walked away thinking he could just wash his hands and all would be well. The exiles were like Pilate.

Dr. Constable is right: When we are fairly comfortable it is easy to listen to preaching and to critique the preacher but do nothing in response to what he has said.

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Satan’s Lies Never Change!

Ezekiel 28 Recently a rich and powerful man was found in sin. He was incarcerated and found that when all was said and done, his piled-up riches, and wisdom were unable to protect him from the enemies crouching at his door. His false façade of “self-exaltation” came crashing down and in that cold cell he, like the leader of Tyre, died alone. Satan’s lie never changes.

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Satan has dangled this lie before men: “you will be like God.”  Like many, the rich man and the leader of Tyre, fell hook, line, and sinker trusting in their riches, position, power, and wisdom. Satan’s lies never change. James reminds us that when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin and when sin is full-grown, it gives birth to death. Have you fallen for Satan’s lie? Do you think all your riches, good works, and worldly wisdom will prove you are righteous? Beloved, God says there is none righteous, no not one. Your one-way ticket to heaven is through Jesus alone. He is the way, the truth and the life and no man comes to the Father but by Him.

Over and over God has said to men, I have left you here so you will see and know that I am the Lord. Like Pharaoh’s magicians, the rich man and the leader of Tyre saw the finger of God but chose to believe Satan’s lie and now face an eternity apart from Christ. Beloved, gods don’t die but humans do and apart from Christ will face eternal separation from God.   Learn this lesson: he who exalts himself shall be humbled.

What will you choose?

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I am sick of all this hate!

Ezek 22 to 25 hateEzekiel 25 to 27 You can almost hear God’s voice echoing those words! He observes and hears the nations around his beloved Judah saying how much they hate Judah. Then when he pronounces His discipline on Judah He doesn’t hear; oh so sorry BUT now is our time to take their land and the riches left behind. They, like many today, hated that God chose Judah and not them. They were boastful when the Babylonians were allowed to discipline them. They had scoffed at Judah, hated them and sought to destroy them. Today we hear such words as “we will wipe them off the map.”  It is time to be reminded of God’s promise to Abraham and the warning from James:

“And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.” [Gen 12]

 

“But as it is, you boast about your arrogant plans. All such boasting is evil.” [James 4]

 

We remember the parable of the prodigal son as a reminder that we have a choice. We can hate or love. The father loved his errant child as much as he loved the older son. And when the errant child came home from his foray into the world, he did not ask to be forgiven, but the father did. The older son, like the nations around Judah, turned and scoffed. He would not welcome him home or celebrate his return. He hated his brother. And so God is saying to the older brother and to us: “I am sick of all this hate!”

What will God hear us say? 

 

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Who is Lord of your life?

Ezekiel 22 – 24 “Who is Lord of your life?”

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People are waiting for the movie Downton Abbey to be released. People already have purchased tickets and are counting down the days. Why are people drawn to this fictitious story? One reason may be that one character, the stuffy butler, captures our heart. Like in feudal times the butler understood his role as servant and he obeyed.  In the NT Peter has a vision in which he is told to rise up and kill but he responded: “Surely not, Lord!”  How often are we like Peter and not like the butler when we say “but Lord?” or “why me Lord.” Could it be that we don’t understand our role as a servant?

The Lord prepared Ezekiel for the death of his wife. He told him:

“I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you with a jolt, but you must not mourn or weep or shed tears.”

And it happened just as the Lord had said; in the evening his wife died and Ezekiel did just as the Lord commanded. Ezekiel did not question:  “but why Lord?” or as Peter said, “Surely not, Lord!” Ezekiel, like the stuffy butler, obeyed without question because he knew his position as servant and he trusted the Lord to take care of the details.

How about us? Do we trust God enough to be obedient even when we don’t understand the reasons behind his request?

Who is Lord of your life?

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