Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus)

I’m praying, God come
And turn this thing around
God, turn it around
God, turn it around
God, turn it around

I’m calling on the name
That changes everything, yes
God, turn it around
God, turn it around
God, turn it around

We sing the song, “God Turn It Around”, by songwriters: Anthony Skinner, Jess Cates, Jon Reddick, asking God to turn our lives around.  The song is personal.  It’s about God and what He does in and through us.  But do we praise Him for turning our thinking around that drives our behaviors?  Yes, I like to think beyond the song to what we really and truthfully know when we sing.  Yes, it’s a great song with great lyrics and a wonderful catchy tune.  But come closer friends to read the words, catch the message of not only what God does for us but realize Who God is.  There is no one like our God.

According to Ezekiel, God also turns life around for the arrogant and proud, too.  He turns the tables on their behavior of grudge-holding, sneering, mocking, and kicking a defeated people who have nothing left.

Are we sometimes like the people of Edom who kick you when you’re down? Do we sing our songs of praise to God, emotionally tell God thank you for saving us, but then hold the secret to His salvation to ourselves?  Do we kick someone who is already down and at their wits end with pious Christian phrases like, “if only you were like me.”  Or we might offer comfort with, “come to church, you’ll feel better.” 

AND do we hold grudges against people so deep that we cheer when they fall?   Surely not.  Yes, God turns it around, but maybe not in the way we expected Him to do it.  God will be known for who He is and what He can do so mankind will realize, without doubt, that He is God.

Ezekiel 36, The Message

A Pile of Rubble

^1-4 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, confront Mount Seir. Prophesy against it! Tell them, ‘God, the Master, says:

“‘I’m coming down hard on you, Mount Seir.
    I’m stepping in and turning you to a pile of rubble.
I’ll reduce your towns to piles of rocks.
    There’ll be nothing left of you.
    Then you’ll realize that I am God.

^5-9 “‘I’m doing this because you’ve kept this age-old grudge going against Israel: You viciously attacked them when they were already down, looking their final punishment in the face. Therefore, as sure as I am the living God, I’m lining you up for a real bloodbath. Since you loved blood so much, you’ll be chased by rivers of blood. I’ll reduce Mount Seir to a heap of rubble. No one will either come or go from that place! I’ll blanket your mountains with corpses. Massacred bodies will cover your hills and fill up your valleys and ditches. I’ll reduce you to ruins and all your towns will be ghost towns—population zero. Then you’ll realize that I am God.

^10-13 “‘Because you said, “These two nations, these two countries, are mine. I’m taking over” (even though God is right there watching, right there listening), I’ll turn your hate-bloated anger and rage right back on you. You’ll know I mean business when I bring judgment on you. You’ll realize then that I, God, have overheard all the vile abuse you’ve poured out against the mountains of Israel, saying, “They’re roadkill and we’re going to eat them up.” You’ve strutted around, talking so big, insolently pitting yourselves against me. And I’ve heard it all.

^14-15 “‘This is the verdict of God, the Master: With the whole earth applauding, I’ll demolish you. Since you danced in the streets, thinking it was so wonderful when Israel’s inheritance was demolished, I’ll give you the same treatment: demolition. Mount Seir demolished—yes, every square inch of Edom. Then they’ll realize that I am God!’”

He is up to something
He is up to something
God is doing something right now
He is up to something
He is up to something
God is doing something right now…

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

DID YOU KNOW—

Mount Seir is another name for Edom, the nation founded by Esau, Jacob’s twin brother. “Edom” means “red” and was a nickname given to Esau (Genesis 25:30). The Lord reminded the Edomites of their great sin against their brothers when they assisted the Babylonians in attacking the Jews during the siege of Jerusalem. The Edomites carried on a perpetual hatred against Israel, so the land of Edom would receive a perpetual desolation. Edom would be no more.  Yes, God turned it around.

He is moving mountains
Making a way for someone
God is doing something right now, right now
He is moving mountains
Making a way for someone (yeah)
God is doing something right now, right now…

The Edomites weren’t blaspheming people; they were blaspheming God and boasting in their pride as though they would escape judgment. In their arrogance, Edom had rejoiced over the fall of Israel; but one day, the whole earth would rejoice over the fall of Edom.  Yes, God turned it around, crumbling their arrogant pride to a pile of humbled rubble.

Nations of evil are defeated when God turns things around.  God moves evil out the path of believers devoted to Him.  He did it then, He’ll do it again—and again!

God ultimately turned the world upside down when He sent Jesus, His One and Only Son, to save humanity from all sin and taught them how to live for him believing and knowing, without doubt, that HE is God.  Finally.  Once and for all, sin is defeated.  So, believe and be saved.  Return no more to the scene of the crime of sin.  Move forward, leave grudge holding, hate, sarcasm, meanness, behind as God turns it around for each one of us.  Tell His story for His glory so others will know that He is God, the One and Only who saves us from ourselves and our own sin.  Jesus changes everything and every person.

All of my hope
Is in the name
The name of Jesus
Said, breakthrough will come in the name
Come in the name
The name of Jesus

God, turn it around
Turn it around
Oh, oh
God, turn it around
Turn it around
Turn it around…

Lord,

Turn me around.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

I tearfully confessed to God today that I did not feel the love by other sheep who say they know God but cluster as if no one else can know God with them.  After prayer, comes God’s message.  He does this every time!  This passage in Ezekiel comes up next exactly the day I need it most.  Why the confession?  Because of what I recently heard said and portrayed by “sheep”. 

Fellow Sheep, it breaks my heart to hear the sheep say, “We like our small pen where we are fed (church), because it feels true and right.”  “Churches with a lot of sheep can’t be right or good—people just get lost in them.”  “How can people really know each other in a largely attended church?”  Because I had recently concluded a work as a connections director in a larger, not a mega church who loves people beyond themselves, I knew exactly how they can know each other!  My heart sank.  Tears came to my eyes at hearing sheep put down other sheep who leave the 99 to go after the lost, who provide healing for wounds in Jesus Name, and who show love to those who feel unloved.

I know what you’re going to say.  I realize that no church is perfect because we are sheep and sheep are not the brightest animals in the pasture.  Sheep follow whoever is in front of them.  Sheep copy what has been said for centuries whether it is right or wrong.  Sheep come to the trough out of habit expecting to be fed with whatever is placed before them without question or graze wherever the head sheep takes them.  I understand the habitation of sheep.  But, we can and should strive to be better!

Recently, Randy and I have been attending a sheep pen in a very traditional, smaller attended environment.  The sheep look straight ahead without notice of other sheep in the pen.  The sheep cluster in very intimate groups who look and talk just like them. The sheep rarely talk to anyone else.  There are less than one hundred attending in a beautiful “pen” that could accommodate more sheep seeking to be fed and sent.  The music is meditative and seems sincere. The message is spoken with clarity from God’s Word.  We are told what we should do but not so much with how to “just do it.” Randy and I, veteran church servants, don’t understand the “family meeting” language with other terminology used that seems to exclude us.  How much worse it is to someone seeking the Good Shepherd.

Fellow sheep, we are not new to the sheep pen.  We are not new to being the “sheep of His pastures.”  We grew up attending, serving, teaching, and preaching with and to sheep while leaving the pen to help sheep who have lost their way.  We still go where Our Good Shepherd calls us and leads us.  In my heart, I’m only sharing today the hurt God shares in His Word when we don’t feed and care for His sheep (each other) as well as those who are lost and hurt by other sheep.  This breaks His heart so it breaks our hearts.  And it should.  God thought it important enough for us to know the work of Shepherd and Sheep to explain it here through Ezekiel, followed by David and other prophets.  God then He sent His Son to explain it again…and again!  When will we get it, sheep friends?

Ezekiel 34, The Message

When the Sheep Get Scattered

^1-6 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherd-leaders of Israel. Yes, prophesy! Tell those shepherds, ‘God, the Master, says: Doom to you shepherds of Israel, feeding your own mouths! Aren’t shepherds supposed to feed sheep? You drink the milk, you make clothes from the wool, you roast the lambs, but you don’t feed the sheep. You don’t build up the weak ones, don’t heal the sick, don’t doctor the injured, don’t go after the strays, don’t look for the lost. You bully and badger them. And now they’re scattered every which way because there was no shepherd—scattered and easy pickings for wolves and coyotes. Scattered—my sheep!—exposed and vulnerable across mountains and hills. My sheep scattered all over the world, and no one out looking for them!

^7-9 “‘Therefore, shepherds, listen to the Message of God: As sure as I am the living God—Decree of God, the Master—because my sheep have been turned into mere prey, into easy meals for wolves because you shepherds ignored them and only fed yourselves, listen to what God has to say:

¹⁰ “‘Watch out! I’m coming down on the shepherds and taking my sheep back. They’re fired as shepherds of my sheep. No more shepherds who just feed themselves! I’ll rescue my sheep from their greed. They’re not going to feed off my sheep any longer!

^11-16 “‘God, the Master, says: From now on, I myself am the shepherd. I’m going looking for them. As shepherds go after their flocks when they get scattered, I’m going after my sheep. I’ll rescue them from all the places they’ve been scattered to in the storms. I’ll bring them back from foreign peoples, gather them from foreign countries, and bring them back to their home country. I’ll feed them on the mountains of Israel, along the streams, among their own people. I’ll lead them into lush pasture so they can roam the mountain pastures of Israel, graze at leisure, feed in the rich pastures on the mountains of Israel. And I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep. I myself will make sure they get plenty of rest. I’ll go after the lost, I’ll collect the strays, I’ll doctor the injured, I’ll build up the weak ones and oversee the strong ones so they’re not exploited.

^17-19 “‘And as for you, my dear flock, I’m stepping in and judging between one sheep and another, between rams and goats. Aren’t you satisfied to feed in good pasture without taking over the whole place? Can’t you be satisfied to drink from the clear stream without muddying the water with your feet? Why do the rest of my sheep have to make do with grass that’s trampled down and water that’s been muddied?

^20-22 “‘Therefore, God, the Master, says: I myself am stepping in and making things right between the plump sheep and the skinny sheep. Because you forced your way with shoulder and rump and butted at all the weaker animals with your horns till you scattered them all over the hills, I’ll come in and save my dear flock, no longer let them be pushed around. I’ll step in and set things right between one sheep and another.

^23-24 “‘I’ll appoint one shepherd over them all: my servant David. He’ll feed them. He’ll be their shepherd. And I, God, will be their God. My servant David will be their prince. I, God, have spoken.

^25-27 “‘I’ll make a covenant of peace with them. I’ll banish fierce animals from the country so the sheep can live safely in the wilderness and sleep in the forest. I’ll make them and everything around my hill a blessing. I’ll send down plenty of rain in season—showers of blessing! The trees in the orchards will bear fruit, the ground will produce, they’ll feel content and safe on their land, and they’ll realize that I am God when I break them out of their slavery and rescue them from their slave masters.

^28-29 “‘No longer will they be exploited by outsiders and ravaged by fierce beasts. They’ll live safe and sound, fearless and free. I’ll give them rich gardens, lavish in vegetables—no more living half-starved, no longer taunted by outsiders.

^30-31 “‘They’ll know, beyond doubting, that I, God, am their God, that I’m with them and that they, the people Israel, are my people. Decree of God, the Master:

    You are my dear flock,
        the flock of my pasture, my human flock,
    And I am your God.
        Decree of God, the Master.’”

WHAT WE LEARN—HOW WE RESPOND

Was there any hope for God’s scattered people? Yes, because the Lord would come to deliver His flock from their oppressors and gather them to himself. In Ezekiel’s time, the Lord brought His people back from Babylon; but the picture here is certainly much broader than that because God spoke about “foreign countries”. Ezekiel promised that in the end times, the Lord would gather His flock “from all the places where they were scattered” and bring them back to their own land where He would be their Shepherd.

Jesus is the One and Only Good Shepherd who came to save the flock and set things right between individual sheep and God.  Jesus came to earth seeking the lost sheep to heal their wounds, give strength to the weaker ones and to save them from the wolves of religion who knew not God.  Jesus helps his sheep understand His love and care for them while teaching them what is coming.  Jesus foretells what will happen to goats and sheep that parallels the words by the prophet Ezekiel.  Jesus teaches;

““When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” 

Matthew 25:31-46, NIV

Do we love The Shepherd?  “How deep the Father’s love for us”, we sing readily but how deep is our love for Him?  In the gospel of John, we read where Jesus reiterated His call to Peter for Peter will become a shepherd later to thousands of new sheep. We learn that what proceeds the work of a shepherd is answering the question —“Do you love me?”  The love of Jesus is the qualifier for His work in and through us.  Read slowly and prayerfully…

“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.’” –John 21:15-17, NIV

Oh Lord,

We sheep muddy the waters of your intentions of extending love, mercy and grace.  I’m ashamed and humiliated.  I repent of all we have done or said that left seeking sheep on the sidelines to fend for themselves in this world.  Continue to break my heart of what breaks your heart in our behaviors.  Change me. Transform me to be and do all you created me to be.  I do love you, Lord with all that is in me.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

I listen to the Trumpet of Jesus
While the world hears a different sound
I march to the trumpet of God Almighty
While the others just wander around
I’m a member of the Holy Ghost traveling band
I’m moving up to a better land
I hear the voice of a Supernatural Savior
Like only those who know Him can…

(Russ Taff, composer, Trumpet of Jesus)

God has called Ezekiel to be a prophet of warning to His people.  In this chapter, God is reminding Ezekiel of his specific job description with what to say to people who are calling God unfair in His ways, while the people continue to sin in their perverted ways.  God reminded His prophet that he had been commissioned to be a watchman with the task of protecting and informing the people of impending danger by keeping his eyes open to what was happening and his ears open to what God was saying.

One sweet sound makes
A whole world of difference
When the world seems indifferent to you
His Melody of love calls you to be great
when mere content was all you thought you could do
So if you’ve been playin’ all your days by ear
Never knowin’ what your song was to be
Then pull up a chair, let down your hair
And take a few lessons from me…

(Russ Taff, Composer, Trumpet of Jesus)

Ezekiel 33, The Message

You Are the Watchman

^1-5 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, speak to your people. Tell them, ‘If I bring war on this land and the people take one of their citizens and make him their watchman, and if the watchman sees war coming and blows the trumpet, warning the people, then if anyone hears the sound of the trumpet and ignores it and war comes and takes him off, it’s his own fault. He heard the alarm, he ignored it—it’s his own fault. If he had listened, he would have saved his life.

⁶ “‘But if the watchman sees war coming and doesn’t blow the trumpet, warning the people, and war comes and takes anyone off, I’ll hold the watchman responsible for the bloodshed of any unwarned sinner.’

^7-9 “You, son of man, are the watchman. I’ve made you a watchman for Israel. The minute you hear a message from me, warn them. If I say to the wicked, ‘Wicked man, wicked woman, you’re on the fast track to death!’ and you don’t speak up and warn the wicked to change their ways, the wicked will die unwarned in their sins and I’ll hold you responsible for their bloodshed. But if you warn the wicked to change their ways and they don’t do it, they’ll die in their sins well-warned and at least you will have saved your own life.

¹⁰ “Son of man, speak to Israel. Tell them, ‘You’ve said, “Our rebellions and sins are weighing us down. We’re wasting away. How can we go on living?”’

¹¹ “Tell them, ‘As sure as I am the living God, I take no pleasure from the death of the wicked. I want the wicked to change their ways and live. Turn your life around! Reverse your evil ways! Why die, Israel?’

^12-13 “There’s more, son of man. Tell your people, ‘A good person’s good life won’t save him when he decides to rebel, and a bad person’s bad life won’t prevent him from repenting of his rebellion. A good person who sins can’t expect to live when he chooses to sin. It’s true that I tell good people, “Live! Be alive!” But if they trust in their good deeds and turn to evil, that good life won’t amount to a hill of beans. They’ll die for their evil life.

^14-16 “‘On the other hand, if I tell a wicked person, “You’ll die for your wicked life,” and he repents of his sin and starts living a righteous and just life—being generous to the down-and-out, restoring what he had stolen, cultivating life-nourishing ways that don’t hurt others—he’ll live. He won’t die. None of his sins will be kept on the books. He’s doing what’s right, living a good life. He’ll live.

^17-19 “‘Your people say, “The Master’s way isn’t fair.” But it’s the way they’re living that isn’t fair. When good people turn back from living good lives and plunge into sin, they’ll die for it. And when a wicked person turns away from his wicked life and starts living a just and righteous life, he’ll come alive.

²⁰ “‘Still, you keep on saying, “The Master’s way isn’t fair.” We’ll see, Israel. I’ll decide on each of you exactly according to how you live.’”

* * *

²¹ In the twelfth year of our exile, on the fifth day of the tenth month, a survivor from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city’s fallen.”

²² The evening before the survivor arrived, the hand of God had been on me and restored my speech. By the time he arrived in the morning I was able to speak. I could talk again.

^23-24 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, those who are living in the ruins back in Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man and he owned the whole country. But there are lots of us. Our ownership is even more certain.’

^25-26 “So tell them, ‘God the Master says, You eat flesh that contains blood, you worship no-god idols, you murder at will—and you expect to own this land? You rely on the sword, you engage in obscenities, you indulge in sex at random—anyone, anytime. And you still expect to own this land?’

^27-28 “Tell them this, Ezekiel: ‘The Message of God, the Master. As sure as I am the living God, those who are still alive in the ruins will be killed. Anyone out in the field I’ll give to wild animals for food. Anyone hiding out in mountain forts and caves will die of disease. I’ll make this country an empty wasteland—no more arrogant bullying! Israel’s mountains will become dangerously desolate. No one will dare pass through them.’

²⁹ “They’ll realize that I am God when I devastate the country because of all the obscenities they’ve practiced.

^30-32 “As for you, son of man, you’ve become quite the talk of the town. Your people meet on street corners and in front of their houses and say, ‘Let’s go hear the latest news from God.’ They show up, as people tend to do, and sit in your company. They listen to you speak, but don’t do a thing you say. They flatter you with compliments, but all they care about is making money and getting ahead. To them you’re merely entertainment—a country singer of sad love songs, playing a guitar. They love to hear you talk, but nothing comes of it.

³³ “But when all this happens—and it is going to happen!—they’ll realize that a prophet was among them.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“The most important characteristic about prophets is not that they have hindsight or foresight but that they have insight. Prophetic hindsight is important because it helps us deal with the past and understand better what God did and why He did it. Foresight helps us avoid trouble and have hope for the future. But insight helps us better understand ourselves and those around us, and what we must do to become better men and women who do the will of God.” –Warren Wiersbe  (Emphasis mine.)

Ezekiel tells the people exactly what God expects from them concerning their sins.  Repent and live.  Act like you are good but still sin and you will die.  It’s pretty simple language with an explanation of outcomes for those who sin.  It all seems pretty fair but people who can’t see or hear God above their sins think God is completely unfair. 

From time to time, we hear ourselves say, “Why is this happening to me?”  “How long must I go through this storm?” Some hindsight and foresight along with some insight, asking God for wisdom and understanding might go a long way to explain our current circumstances.  But beyond the circumstances we must believe that God is fair and God is there—when we repent and ask for His help in it and through it.  In the getting “through it,” He teaches us and transform us to be better and live better by coming alive in Him. 

Today, God’s salvation and transformation plan for us is Jesus.  Jesus, Holy and Perfect Son of God, came down to earth to pay our debt of sin.  Completely and forever.  Our part is to repent, believe and follow with an honest and sincere heart, clear mind and filled soul.  God gives us his saving grace, what we do not deserve and did not earn. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”  John 3:16-17

Yes, what God has done through Jesus seem more than fair…how about you?

A spiritual fanfare has a sound all it’s own
At the birth of a lasting song
It’s been two thousand years since Jesus was born
And still the celebration goes on
If you feel the need to get your life in tune
‘Cause you’re tired of the drudge every day
Then turn yourself around,
Put your feet on the ground
and just hear what I have to say…

I listen to the Trumpet of Jesus
While the world hears a different sound
I march to the trumpet of God Almighty
While the others just wander around
I’m a member of the Holy Ghost traveling band
I’m moving up to a better land
I hear the voice of a Supernatural Savior
Like only those who know Him can…

(Russ Taff, Composer, Trumpet of Jesus)

Listen for the trumpet call to come to Jesus!

Lord,

God you are not mere entertainment to us.  What you say is holy.  What you tell us do is imperative for us to grow in our faith, hope and love.  Thank you for saving us and making us whole. Thank you for cleansing us of all that offends you.  Continue to give us wisdom, insight and understanding to know sin when it presents itself so that we can avoid it at all costs. We know this is a matter of life or death with you.  Don’t allow us to think we are “good” when only you are good because only you are God.  We are not.  We need you every hour of every day.  I’m listening for you, Lord.  Help me to warn others!

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

When we watch movies with a good story, that story nearly always is a battle between the good guy and the bad guy.  Sometimes we can’t tell at first who the “good guy” is because the bad guy is making everyone so happy, doing good things for the community while giving aid to those in trouble. 

But in the wings, they terrorize their families and those who work for them.  Those close to the bad guy sees the real person in all their self-made glory that produces their arrogant pride but feel they cannot do anything to stop the evil.  The bad guy begins to think they can get away with anything because they have manipulated the populous and have something on everyone in order to control them. 

As the plot rises to a peak, suddenly things happen and the fall begins.  The bad guy’s rise to fame begins to crumble when others begin to point out the flaws and failures.  The bad guy’s character is seen for what it really is when pushed into a corner.  The good guy comes forward with evidence of all the evil the bad guy has done.  The bad guy is exposed and all the world will know the truth.  And the truth sets the once manipulated free from the hold of the bad guy. 

The plot never changes.  Storytellers will create different ways to portray the battle but the battle is always the same.  That’s life.  All that is not of God become weapons for the battle against Him.  Pride and arrogance are the first tools used to terrorize a group of people into submission.  Do we fall for it?  Are we the terrorizers and manipulators of others’ emotions?  Is our pride beginning to become or downfall?  Or are we trusting and obeying God’s command to love Him and to love each other like He loves us?

God knows hearts.  He delivers us from the “bad guys” who are controlled by evil.  He says to Pharoah, one of many “bad guys” throughout the story of God, “You’re going down!”  God will show people He is God and God alone in the process of taking evil down. God wins.  Every time, God is in control and we win who believe in Him.

Ezekiel 32, The Message

A Cloud Across the Sun

^1-2 In the twelfth year, on the first day of the twelfth month, God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, sing a funeral lament over Pharaoh king of Egypt. Tell him:

“‘You think you’re a young lion
    prowling through the nations.
You’re more like a dragon in the ocean,
    snorting and thrashing about.

^3-10 “‘God, the Master, says:

“‘I’m going to throw my net over you
    —many nations will get in on this operation—
    and haul you out with my dragnet.
I’ll dump you on the ground
    out in an open field
And bring in all the crows and vultures
    for a sumptuous carrion lunch.
I’ll invite wild animals from all over the world
    to gorge on your guts.
I’ll scatter hunks of your meat in the mountains
    and strew your bones in the valleys.
The country, right up to the mountains,
    will be drenched with your blood,
    your blood filling every ditch and channel.
When I blot you out,
    I’ll pull the curtain on the skies
    and shut out the stars.
I’ll throw a cloud across the sun
    and turn off the moonlight.
I’ll turn out every light in the sky above you
    and put your land in the dark.
        Decree of God, the Master.
I’ll shake up everyone worldwide
    when I take you off captive to strange and far-off countries.
I’ll shock people with you.
    Kings will take one look and shudder.
I’ll shake my sword
    and they’ll shake in their boots.
On the day you crash, they’ll tremble,
    thinking, “That could be me!”

To Lay Your Pride Low

^11-15 “‘God, the Master, says:

“‘The sword of the king of Babylon
    is coming against you.
I’ll use the swords of champions
    to lay your pride low,
Use the most brutal of nations
    to knock Egypt off her high horse,
    to puncture that hot-air pomposity.
I’ll destroy all their livestock
    that graze along the river.
Neither human foot nor animal hoof
    will muddy those waters anymore.
I’ll clear their springs and streams,
    make their rivers flow clean and smooth.
        Decree of God, the Master.
When I turn Egypt back to the wild
    and strip her clean of all her abundant produce,
When I strike dead all who live there,
    then they’ll realize that I am God.’

¹⁶ “This is a funeral song. Chant it.
    Daughters of the nations, chant it.
Chant it over Egypt for the death of its pomp.”
    Decree of God, the Master.

^17-19 In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the first month, God’s Message came to me:

“Son of man, lament over Egypt’s pompous ways.
    Send her on her way.
Dispatch Egypt
    and her proud daughter nations
To the underworld,
    down to the country of the dead and buried.
Say, ‘You think you’re so high and mighty?
    Down! Take your place with the heathen in that unhallowed grave!’

^20-21 “She’ll be dumped in with those killed in battle. The sword is bared. Drag her off in all her proud pomp! All the big men and their helpers down among the dead and buried will greet them: ‘Welcome to the grave of the heathen! Join the ranks of the victims of war!’

^22-23 “Assyria is there and its congregation, the whole nation a cemetery. Their graves are in the deepest part of the underworld, a congregation of graves, all killed in battle, these people who terrorized the land of the living.

^24-25 “Elam is there in all her pride, a cemetery—all killed in battle, dumped in her heathen grave with the dead and buried, these people who terrorized the land of the living. They carry their shame with them, along with the others in the grave. They turned Elam into a resort for the pompous dead, landscaped with heathen graves, slaughtered in battle. They once terrorized the land of the living. Now they carry their shame down with the others in deep earth. They’re in the section set aside for the slain in battle.

^26-27 “Meshech-tubal is there in all her pride, a cemetery in uncircumcised ground, dumped in with those slaughtered in battle—just deserts for terrorizing the land of the living. Now they carry their shame down with the others in deep earth. They’re in the section set aside for the slain. They’re segregated from the heroes, the old-time giants who entered the grave in full battle dress, their swords placed under their heads and their shields covering their bones, those heroes who spread terror through the land of the living.

²⁸ “And you, Egypt, will be dumped in a heathen grave, along with all the rest, in the section set aside for the slain.

²⁹ “Edom is there, with her kings and princes. In spite of her vaunted greatness, she is dumped in a heathen grave with the others headed for the grave.

³⁰ “The princes of the north are there, the whole lot of them, and all the Sidonians who carry their shame to their graves—all that terror they spread with their brute power!—dumped in unhallowed ground with those killed in battle, carrying their shame with the others headed for deep earth.

³¹ “Pharaoh will see them all and, pompous old goat that he is, take comfort in the company he’ll keep—Pharaoh and his slaughtered army. Decree of God, the Master.

³² “I used him to spread terror in the land of the living and now I’m dumping him in heathen ground with those killed by the sword—Pharaoh and all his pomp. Decree of God, the Master.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Ezekiel repeated the prophecy that the sword of Babylon would leave Egypt desolate and that all of Egypt’s pride and pomp would vanish. Sometimes God decides that desolation is the most effective way to restore a land that has been polluted by its inhabitants.

God does what He knows is best for His people.  Trust Him.  No matter what, trust God.

Lord,

I trust you with all that is in me for you are life.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

Today, when a hero is dubbed “the G.O.A.T” it means he or she is the “greatest of all time,” the greatest the world as ever known.  Whatever the achievement, if you are proclaimed the GOAT, you have done extremely well.  You are at the top of your game.

Pharoah is proclaimed the goat in God’s word for learning today and it makes me smile because it is God calling him out as a goat!  God has called him a “pompous old goat” to be exact with a message of doom and destruction for his country of Egypt and for the surrounding nations, including Israel, who have depended greatly on the “goat.”  This goat is in trouble.  He is full of pride, evil in character, and causes more trouble than help.  God will take care of the “GOAT”.

The Big Tree.  In Scripture, a tree is sometimes used as the image of a nation or an empire. The argument the prophet presented was simple. Egypt boasted in its greatness, yet Egypt wasn’t as great as Assyria, and Assyria was conquered by Babylon. Conclusion: If Babylon can conquer Assyria, Babylon can conquer Egypt.

God will not allow evil to consume His people.  God will step in and bring down those who arrogantly think they are the G.O.A.T.

Ezekiel 31, The Message

The Funeral of the Big Tree

31 ^1-9 In the eleventh year, on the first day of the third month, God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt, that pompous old goat:

“‘Who do you, astride the world,
    think you really are?
Look! Assyria was a Big Tree, huge as a Lebanon cedar,
    beautiful limbs offering cool shade,

Skyscraper high,
    piercing the clouds.
The waters gave it drink,
    the primordial deep lifted it high,
Gushing out rivers around
    the place where it was planted,
And then branching out in streams
    to all the trees in the forest.
It was immense,
    dwarfing all the trees in the forest—
Thick boughs, long limbs,
    roots delving deep into earth’s waters.
All the birds of the air
    nested in its boughs.
All the wild animals
    gave birth under its branches.
All the mighty nations
    lived in its shade.
It was stunning in its majesty—
    the reach of its branches!
    the depth of its water-seeking roots!
Not a cedar in God’s garden came close to it.
    No pine tree was anything like it.
Mighty oaks looked like bushes
    growing alongside it.
Not a tree in God’s garden
    was in the same class of beauty.
I made it beautiful,
    a work of art in limbs and leaves,
The envy of every tree in Eden,
    every last tree in God’s garden.’”

^10-13 Therefore, God, the Master, says, “‘Because it skyscrapered upward, piercing the clouds, swaggering and proud of its stature, I turned it over to a world-famous leader to call its evil to account. I’d had enough. Outsiders, unbelievably brutal, felled it across the mountain ranges. Its branches were strewn through all the valleys, its leafy boughs clogging all the streams and rivers. Because its shade was gone, everybody walked off. No longer a tree—just a log. On that dead log birds perch. Wild animals burrow under it.

¹⁴ “‘That marks the end of the “big tree” nations. No more trees nourished from the great deep, no more cloud-piercing trees, no more earthborn trees taking over. They’re all slated for death—back to earth, right along with men and women, for whom it’s “dust to dust.”

^15-17 “‘The Message of God, the Master: On the day of the funeral of the Big Tree, I threw the great deep into mourning. I stopped the flow of its rivers, held back great seas, and wrapped the Lebanon mountains in black. All the trees of the forest fainted and fell. I made the whole world quake when it crashed, and threw it into the underworld to take its place with all else that gets buried. All the trees of Eden and the finest and best trees of Lebanon, well-watered, were relieved—they had descended to the underworld with it—along with everyone who had lived in its shade and all who had been killed.

¹⁸ “‘Which of the trees of Eden came anywhere close to you in splendor and size? But you’re slated to be cut down to take your place in the underworld with the trees of Eden, to be a dead log stacked with all the other dead logs, among the other uncircumcised who are dead and buried.

“‘This means Pharaoh, the pompous old goat.

“‘Decree of God, the Master.’”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Who is the GOAT for you?  Who do you look to first for help in trouble?   

Learn from Israel about what NOT to do. They turned from God who truly is the greatest of all time because He created all and is in all to Egypt for help when the enemy came knocking.  They ran to the Pharoah, a pompous, arrogant goat of his own making for help.  God teaches them that HE is the one and only to turn to for real help, powerful protection, relentless love, abounding mercy, and constant provision.  Great is His faithfulness!  Forever!

God is jealous of anything we worship that is not Him.  However, God’s jealousy comes a love that is unlike any human’s capacity to love.  God’s deep love wants the best for us—not our worst from our puny efforts.  God wants us to simply love Him back.  He wants to show us His glory at work in and through us and around us for our good because only God is good.  God’s blessings are unleashed when we realize the depth of His love for us!

From a position of great strength, the Egypt’s kingdom would fall into utter weakness, and from sustaining the lives of others to experiencing death and decay.  The GOAT has fallen.

Run to Jesus. Repent to the One and Only Son of God sent to save us from our own sins.  Believe and be saved for all time and eternity beginning the nanosecond you say yes to Him—who is truly the greatest love for now and all eternity. 

Jesus is the name that billions of people in this world turn to when they face all sorts of challenges. Christians going through wars such as the war in the Middle East turn to this name for safety. Where else would they go when going through such crises that they have no control over but to Master, Savior, Jesus.  When people are on their deathbeds they turn to this name. Jesus is the Savior and Lord to them as they face their end. Even those that have few problems can turn to him to praise Him for all the blessings that they are experiencing. There is indeed something about that name.

Join with me in worship…

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus; there’s just something about that name.
Master, Savior, Jesus, like the fragrance after the rain;
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, let all Heaven and earth proclaim
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away,
But there’s something about that name.
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away,
But there’s something about that name.

(Written by Bill and Gloria Gaither)

Lord,

You are always up to something new for us so that we may know you more, lean on you with confidence as we love you back with all that is in us.  I believe.  All my hope and trust in sin You, dear Jesus.  Continue to cleanse my heart, renew my spirit, refresh my soul as you daily restore the joy of your salvation at work in me.

In Jesus Name, Amen

“The day of the LORD” is a biblical phrase found repeatedly in some translations that describes any period of divine judgment, such as the judgment of Egypt. It particularly refers to the time of tribulation in the last days when the Lord will punish the nations before He returns to earth to establish His kingdom. Whether this judgment is local, as with Egypt, or global, as in the last days, it is the Lord’s work, and nobody can stop it or control it.

The day of the LORD also refers to the Presence and power of God’s Holy Spirit.  God’s Spirit cannot be stopped or controlled in any way either.  We’ve seen it happen in a profound way this past month!  God’s Holy Spirit stepped in and took control on a college campus during a routine chapel service.  People bowed down in “radical humility” (their testimonies) when His Holy Presence came and remained among those gathered.  God sent others to the place of Presence to be saved and healed.  The crowds grew.  People are in awe, not of the students, but of God! 

Judgment or salvation?  When God steps in, who will be saved?

Ezekiel 30, The Message

Egypt on Fire

^1-5 God, the Master, spoke to me: “Son of man, preach. Give them the Message of God, the Master. Wail:

“‘Doomsday!’
    Time’s up!
    God’s big day of judgment is near.
Thick clouds are rolling in.
    It’s doomsday for the nations.
Death will rain down on Egypt.
    Terror will paralyze Ethiopia
When they see the Egyptians killed,
    their wealth hauled off,
    their foundations demolished,
And Ethiopia, Put, Lud, Arabia, Libya
    —all of Egypt’s old allies—
    killed right along with them.

^6-8 “‘God says:

“‘Egypt’s allies will fall
    and her proud strength will collapse—
From Migdol in the north to Syene in the south,
    a great slaughter in Egypt!
    Decree of God, the Master.
Egypt, most desolate of the desolate,
    her cities wasted beyond wasting,
Will realize that I am God
    when I burn her down
    and her helpers are knocked flat.

⁹ “‘When that happens, I’ll send out messengers by ship to sound the alarm among the easygoing Ethiopians. They’ll be terrorized. Egypt’s doomed! Judgment’s coming!

^10-12 “‘God, the Master, says:

“‘I’ll put a stop to Egypt’s arrogance.
    I’ll use Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to do it.
He and his army, the most brutal of nations,
    shall be used to destroy the country.
They’ll brandish their swords
    and fill Egypt with corpses.
I’ll dry up the Nile
    and sell off the land to a bunch of crooks.
I’ll hire outsiders to come in
    and waste the country, strip it clean.
    I, God, have said so.

^13-19 “‘And now this is what God, the Master, says:

“‘I’ll smash all the no-god idols;
    I’ll topple all those huge statues in Memphis.
The prince of Egypt will be gone for good,
    and in his place I’ll put fear—fear throughout Egypt!
I’ll demolish Pathros,
    burn Zoan to the ground, and punish Thebes,
Pour my wrath on Pelusium, Egypt’s fort,
    and knock Thebes off its proud pedestal.
I’ll set Egypt on fire:
    Pelusium will writhe in pain,
Thebes blown away,
    Memphis raped.
The young warriors of On and Pi-beseth
    will be killed and the cities exiled.
A dark day for Tahpanhes
    when I shatter Egypt,
When I break Egyptian power
    and put an end to her arrogant oppression!
She’ll disappear in a cloud of dust,
    her cities hauled off as exiles.
That’s how I’ll punish Egypt,
    and that’s how she’ll realize that I am God.’”

* * *

²⁰ In the eleventh year, on the seventh day of the first month, God’s Message came to me:

²¹ “Son of man, I’ve broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And look! It hasn’t been set. No splint has been put on it so the bones can knit and heal, so he can use a sword again.

^22-26 “Therefore, God, the Master, says, I am dead set against Pharaoh king of Egypt and will go ahead and break his other arm—both arms broken! There’s no way he’ll ever swing a sword again. I’ll scatter Egyptians all over the world. I’ll make the arms of the king of Babylon strong and put my sword in his hand, but I’ll break the arms of Pharaoh and he’ll groan like one who is mortally wounded. I’ll make the arms of the king of Babylon strong, but the arms of Pharaoh shall go limp. The Egyptians will realize that I am God when I place my sword in the hand of the king of Babylon. He’ll wield it against Egypt and I’ll scatter Egyptians all over the world. Then they’ll realize that I am God.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

When God steps in, things happen beyond our imaginations!  We are reminded of Peter’s explanation to the curious crowds who gathered to see the responses of men and women when the promised Holy Spirit came, filled and rested on the believers—just as the Lord said.  We have read that in the last days before Jesus returns to earth to claim His own that this would happen.  God is doing it again and again—so the world will know that He is God.

Peter refers to the prophet Joel and told the crowds…

“This is what the prophet Joel announced would happen:

“In the Last Days,” God says,
“I will pour out my Spirit
    on every kind of people:
Your sons will prophesy,
    also your daughters;
Your young men will see visions,
    your old men dream dreams.
When the time comes,
    I’ll pour out my Spirit
On those who serve me, men and women both,
    and they’ll prophesy.
I’ll set wonders in the sky above
    and signs on the earth below,
Blood and fire and billowing smoke,
    the sun turning black and the moon blood-red,
Before the Day of the Lord arrives,
    the Day tremendous and marvelous;
And whoever calls out for help
    to me, God, will be saved.” –Acts 2:14-21 MSG

A FEW TRUE FACTS

• God is God, the Only God.  We cannot save ourselves.  God sent His Son to save us.  When we call out to God in Jesus Name, we will be saved. 
• When God steps in, He is in control and no one can stop Him. 
• Whoever calls out for help will be saved.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
• Repent, be saved by Jesus, His Son who came not to judge but to save the lost from death.  There will come a day when judgement will come.  Jesus is coming back.

Egypt did not and would not call out to God to be saved.  For Egypt and the surrounding nations, it was too late. 

Don’t let it be too late for you.

Lord,

Come and abide in me. Transform me to be all you created me to be.  I believe.  I repent.  Restore the joy of your salvation at work in me.  I know You have and you will continue until you come back.  And again, I say rejoice.  The day of the LORD is here!

In Jesus Name, Amen

Leaning, leaning,
Safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Ladders.  We talk about “climbing the ladder,” step by step to success at the top.  Sometimes, however, when we finally reach the top we discover our ladder is leaning against the wrong wall.  Ugh.

Who or what are we leaning on as we put one foot in front of the other?  Where are we going?  How will we know when we get there?  We need direction, wisdom, and confidence.  Who is that in our lives today?  Who do we count on because of the power we think they have?  What do give up in order to have what the “powerful” say we should have to be like them?  These are all questions that each one of us need to answer in order to know, without a doubt, who we are leaning on for life or death.

God who told Israel exactly what to do to be safe while He cleansed the land of wickedness.  But instead, Israel leaned on Egypt for help to survive.  Their ladder of pride in going with their own plan crumbled as it was leaning on the wrong wall for protection, provision, and ultimate survival.  God will show them again what His best is for them through “fresh hope and deliverance.” That’s who God is—lean on Him!

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms…

Ezekiel 29, The Message

Never a World Power Again

^1-6 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day, God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, confront Pharaoh king of Egypt. Preach against him and all the Egyptians. Tell him, ‘God, the Master, says:

“‘Watch yourself, Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
    I’m dead set against you,
You lumbering old dragon,
    lolling and flaccid in the Nile,
Saying, “It’s my Nile.
    I made it. It’s mine.”
I’ll set hooks in your jaw;
    I’ll make the fish of the Nile stick to your scales.
I’ll pull you out of the Nile,
    with all the fish stuck to your scales.
Then I’ll drag you out into the desert,
    you and all the Nile fish sticking to your scales.
You’ll lie there in the open, rotting in the sun,
    meat to the wild animals and carrion birds.
Everybody living in Egypt
    will realize that I am God.

^6-9 “‘Because you’ve been a flimsy reed crutch to Israel so that when they gripped you, you splintered and cut their hand, and when they leaned on you, you broke and sent them sprawling—Message of God, the Master—I’ll bring war against you, do away with people and animals alike, and turn the country into an empty desert so they’ll realize that I am God.

^9-11 “‘Because you said, “It’s my Nile. I made it. It’s all mine,” therefore I am against you and your rivers. I’ll reduce Egypt to an empty, desolate wasteland all the way from Migdol in the north to Syene and the border of Ethiopia in the south. Not a human will be seen in it, nor will an animal move through it. It’ll be just empty desert, empty for forty years.

¹² “‘I’ll make Egypt the most desolate of all desolations. For forty years I’ll make her cities the most wasted of all wasted cities. I’ll scatter Egyptians to the four winds, send them off every which way into exile.

^13-16 “‘But,’ says God, the Master, ‘that’s not the end of it. After the forty years, I’ll gather up the Egyptians from all the places where they’ve been scattered. I’ll put things back together again for Egypt. I’ll bring her back to Pathros where she got her start long ago. There she’ll start over again from scratch. She’ll take her place at the bottom of the ladder and there she’ll stay, never to climb that ladder again, never to be a world power again. Never again will Israel be tempted to rely on Egypt. All she’ll be to Israel is a reminder of old sin. Then Egypt will realize that I am God, the Master.’”

* * *

^17-18 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, has worn out his army against Tyre. They’ve worked their fingers to the bone and have nothing to show for it.

^19-20 “Therefore, God, the Master, says, ‘I’m giving Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He’ll haul away its wealth, pick the place clean. He’ll pay his army with Egyptian plunder. He’s been working for me all these years without pay. This is his pay: Egypt. Decree of God, the Master.

²¹ “‘And then I’ll stir up fresh hope in Israel—the dawn of deliverance!—and I’ll give you, Ezekiel, bold and confident words to speak. And they’ll realize that I am God.’”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.,,

Realize that He is God and there is no one else is like Him!

If we really believe that what God says is really real, lean fully on Him.  Seek God.  Repent.  Forgive as He forgives us.  Love God.  Love others like He loves us.  Ask for wisdom.  He is waiting to hear from us.  He is ready for us to lean all our hopes on Him.  He is our Deliverer, Savior and Lord!   

By leaning on God, we become close enough to hear his heartbeat, his whispers of hope, and his wisdom words of direction.

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms…

Lord,

Thank you for being the One and Only I can lean on with confidence that you will do what is best for my life—for you are life to me!  Leaning, leaning, Safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, Leaning on the everlasting arms.

In Jesus Name, Amen

(Leaning on the Everlasting Arms was written by E.A. Hoffman in 1894)

“A biblical understanding of spiritual maturity is not based on knowledge but on the size of the gap between knowledge and obedience. A Jesus-follower with limited knowledge that is matched by obedience is more mature than a person with lots of knowledge but little obedience.  As the gap between knowledge and obedience becomes greater; spiritual power decreases.”  Steve Moore, Author of The Top Ten Leadership Conversations in the Bible. 

God, through Ezekiel, his spokesperson, reprimands and punishes Tyre not for their knowledge, business success and wealth but rather their lack of respect, obedience and gratitude to God, the only God.  Their wealth has gone to their heads.  They worship the money made instead of the One who created them.  Pride has settled into their beings and produced the attitude that because of their successes, no one can match what they have done.  Hearts filled with pride declare, I am a god! 

Do we fall prey to this temptation in our work God has assigned us to be and do?  Yes, for “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” by not giving God all the glory!

“Success brings recognition. Someone has to accept the reward. The danger is believing that because you get the reward you were solely responsible for the work.”     –Steve Moore

Yikes!

Remember the Titanic scene…I am recalling the time Jack who took his friend to the highest point of the ship.  With outstretched arms raised upward to the heavens, he declares, “I am King of the World!”

Pride never goes well for those who declare they are above God and are God. 

Ezekiel 28, The Message

The Money Has Gone to Your Head

^1-5 God’s Message came to me, “Son of man, tell the prince of Tyre, ‘This is what God, the Master, says:

“‘Your heart is proud,
    going around saying, “I’m a god.
I sit on God’s divine throne,
    ruling the sea”—
You, a mere mortal,
    not even close to being a god,
A mere mortal
    trying to be a god.
Look, you think you’re smarter than Daniel.
    No enigmas can stump you.
Your sharp intelligence
    made you world-wealthy.
You piled up gold and silver
    in your banks.
You used your head well,
    worked good deals, made a lot of money.
But the money has gone to your head,
    swelled your head—what a big head!

^6-11 “‘Therefore, God, the Master, says:

“‘Because you’re acting like a god,
    pretending to be a god,
I’m giving fair warning: I’m bringing strangers down on you,
    the most vicious of all nations.
They’ll pull their swords and make hash
    of your reputation for knowing it all.
They’ll puncture the balloon
    of your god-pretensions.
They’ll bring you down from your self-made pedestal
    and bury you in the deep blue sea.
Will you protest to your assassins,
    “You can’t do that! I’m a god”?
To them you’re a mere mortal.
    They’re killing a man, not a god.
You’ll die like a stray dog,
    killed by strangers—
Because I said so.
    Decree of God, the Master.’”

^11-19 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, raise a funeral song over the king of Tyre. Tell him, A Message from God, the Master:

“You had everything going for you.
    You were in Eden, God’s garden.
You were dressed in splendor,
    your robe studded with jewels:
Carnelian, peridot, and moonstone,
    beryl, onyx, and jasper,
Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald,
    all in settings of engraved gold.
A robe was prepared for you
    the same day you were created.
You were the anointed cherub.
    I placed you on the mountain of God.
You strolled in magnificence
    among the stones of fire.
From the day of your creation
    you were sheer perfection . . . 
    and then imperfection—evil!—was detected in you.
In much buying and selling
    you turned violent, you sinned!
I threw you, disgraced, off the mountain of God.
    I threw you out—you, the anointed angel-cherub.
    No more strolling among the gems of fire for you!
Your beauty went to your head.
    You corrupted wisdom
    by using it to get worldly fame.
I threw you to the ground,
    sent you sprawling before an audience of kings
    and let them gloat over your demise.
By sin after sin after sin,
    by your corrupt ways of doing business,
    you defiled your holy places of worship.
So I set a fire around and within you.
    It burned you up. I reduced you to ashes.
All anyone sees now
    when they look for you is ashes,
    a pitiful mound of ashes.
All who once knew you
    now throw up their hands:
‘This can’t have happened!
    This has happened!’”

* * *

^20-23 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, confront Sidon. Preach against it. Say, ‘Message from God, the Master:

“‘Look! I’m against you, Sidon.
    I intend to be known for who I truly am among you.’
They’ll know that I am God
    when I set things right
    and reveal my holy presence.
I’ll order an epidemic of disease there,
    along with murder and mayhem in the streets.
People will drop dead right and left,
    as war presses in from every side.
Then they’ll realize that I mean business,
    that I am God.

²⁴ “No longer will Israel have to put up with
    their thistle-and-thorn neighbors
Who have treated them so contemptuously.
    And they also will realize that I am God.”

^25-26 God, the Master, says, “When I gather Israel from the peoples among whom they’ve been scattered and put my holiness on display among them with all the nations looking on, then they’ll live in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. They’ll live there in safety. They’ll build houses. They’ll plant vineyards, living in safety. Meanwhile, I’ll bring judgment on all the neighbors who have treated them with such contempt. And they’ll realize that I am God.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO RESPOND?

Dear friends in ministry—When spiritual fruit is seen from our labors, and others acknowledge it, a humble response would be to thank them for seeing the fruit. Then tell the observers that these outcomes are a result of God working in and through us that make the fruit grow.  Run from accolades that cause pride to grow in our minds but outwardly be polite and kind as we can teach others to give God all the glory.

The Origin of Pride.  Pride consumed one of God’s angels who wanted to be god.  He promptly fell from heaven to the depths to become our number one enemy against all that is God.  He has been called “prince of this dark world” by Jesus.  He is also the chief liar, mutilator of our emotions, and tormentor of our souls with all kinds of temptations and distractions to get us to leave God.  He is Satan.  Satan even tempted Jesus while in the wilderness who was there solely to seek direction from His Father, God, to accomplish the mission that would save us all from death.  It all began with pride.  Satan knows to “hit us” when we are hungry and weak.

Avoid pride at all costs.  The fall is hard.  Because of Jesus, however, as believers, we can rise up with Him in confidence because of the secret—Jesus comes to live in us.  (Colossians 1:27)  Humility becomes our new attitude as we imitate Jesus’ example. We learn to:   

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  –Philippians 2:3-11

Steve Moore shares;

•  “I have come to believe the ultimate prize for Satan is not the satisfaction of damning a human spirit to eternal fire. It is robbing God of the worship he deserves from that human spirit, forever.”
• “The greatest gift leaders can offer their followers is a life lived in the overflow of intimacy with God.”

Pause to repent.  Seek intimacy with God.  Love God with all that is you.  Listen to Him.  Obey.  Then give God all the glory that is rightfully His.

Oh Lord,

We see what pride as done and is doing over the ages of time since The Fall of Adam and Eve.  We see leaders in your church who often allow their own success in business, in ministry and in their very lives develop a pride that eventually destroys their original testimony of living for you.  I pray for all of us who fall for pride to rise up with you in resurrection power!  I pray for the continually defeat of the real foe in our lives!  I pray for our confidence in you to grow and bear the fruits of your Holy Spirit because of our growing intimacy with You each day.  YOU are GOD.  We are not.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

God is sovereign.  God takes notice of pride filled men and women who think they are in control of all that can happen on earth.  The arrogant shout, “this cannot happen, we did everything to avoid getting hurt”!  But then when it does happen, we realize we are not the “GOATS”, (greatest of all times) we thought we were.  As I read Ezekiel’s words from God that tell the story of the how the city of Tyre, the trading capital of the known world, sunk like a rock to the bottom of the sea, I think of the more modern story of the Titanic. 

The creators, builders and operators of the Titanic boasted greatly of this new ship engineered perfectly and completely “unsinkable.”  There was no way any ship could surpass it’s beauty and seaworthiness.  There was no way it could sink because of the way it was built.  The Titanic was the product of intense competition among rival shipping lines in the first half of the 20th century. In particular, the White Star Line found itself in a battle for steamship primacy with Cunard, a venerable British firm with two standout ships that ranked among the most sophisticated and luxurious of their time.  The battle was on for who was the best and fastest among the ships built in the early 1900’s.  (Reported by History.com)

On May 31, 1911, Titanic’s immense hull–the largest movable manmade object in the world at the time–made its way down the slipways and into the River Lagan in Belfast. More than 100,000 people attended the launching, which took just over a minute and went off without a hitch.  Absolute “unsinkable” was the boast of the designers and builders of this new luxury liners.  The “GOAT” of that time! a

It cannot and will not sink! –But then it did.

Factual Fatal Flaws—

According to some hypotheses, Titanic was doomed from the start by a design that many lauded as state-of-the-art. The Olympic-class ships featured a double bottom and 15 watertight bulkhead compartments equipped with electric watertight doors that could be operated individually or simultaneously by a switch on the bridge.  It was these watertight bulkheads that inspired Shipbuilder magazine, in a special issue devoted to the Olympic liners, to deem them “practically unsinkable.”

• However, the watertight compartment design contained a flaw that was a critical factor in Titanic’s sinking: While the individual bulkheads were indeed watertight, the walls separating the bulkheads extended only a few feet above the water line, so water could pour from one compartment into another, especially if the ship began to list or pitch forward.

Not enough ways to escape—

• The second critical safety lapse that contributed to the loss of so many lives was the inadequate number of lifeboats carried on Titanic. A mere 16 boats, plus four Engelhardt “collapsibles,” could accommodate just 1,178 people. Titanic could carry up to 2,435 passengers, and a crew of approximately 900 brought her capacity to more than 3,300 people.  Only a third could be saved in a lifeboat.

Titanic created quite a stir when it departed for its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, on April 10, 1912. After stops in Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown (now known as Cobh), Ireland, the ship set sail for New York with 2,240 passengers and crew—or “souls,” the expression then used in the shipping industry, usually in connection with a sinking—on board. 

Nothing can stop those in the city of Tyre, the magnificent trade merchant of the world.  Nothing can or will happen to the grand ships armed by soldiers and seafarers. 

“Oh, this has happened!”  What went wrong?

Ezekiel 27, The Message

Tyre, Gateway to the Sea

^1-9 God’s Message came to me: “You, son of man, raise a funeral song over Tyre. Tell Tyre, gateway to the sea, merchant to the world, trader among the far-off islands, ‘This is what God, the Master, says:

“‘You boast, Tyre:
    “I’m the perfect ship—stately, handsome.”
You ruled the high seas from
    a real beauty, crafted to perfection.
Your planking came from
    Mount Hermon junipers.
A Lebanon cedar
    supplied your mast.
They made your oars
    from sturdy Bashan oaks.
Cypress from Cyprus inlaid with ivory
    was used for the decks.
Your sail and flag were of colorful
    embroidered linen from Egypt.
Your purple deck awnings
    also came from Cyprus.
Men of Sidon and Arvad pulled the oars.
    Your seasoned seamen, O Tyre, were the crew.
Ship’s carpenters
    were old salts from Byblos.
All the ships of the sea and their sailors
    clustered around you to barter for your goods.

^10-11 “‘Your army was composed of soldiers
    from Paras, Lud, and Put,
Elite troops in uniformed splendor.
    They put you on the map!
Your city police were imported from
    Arvad, Helech, and Gammad.
They hung their shields from the city walls,
    a final, perfect touch to your beauty.

¹² “‘Tarshish carried on business with you because of your great wealth. They worked for you, trading in silver, iron, tin, and lead for your products.

¹³ “‘Greece, Tubal, and Meshech did business with you, trading slaves and bronze for your products.

¹⁴ “‘Beth-togarmah traded work horses, war horses, and mules for your products.

¹⁵ “‘The people of Rhodes did business with you. Many far-off islands traded with you in ivory and ebony.

¹⁶ “‘Edom did business with you because of all your goods. They traded for your products with agate, purple textiles, embroidered cloth, fine linen, coral, and rubies.

¹⁷ “‘Judah and Israel did business with you. They traded for your products with premium wheat, millet, honey, oil, and balm.

¹⁸ “‘Damascus, attracted by your vast array of products and well-stocked warehouses, carried on business with you, trading in wine from Helbon and wool from Zahar.

¹⁹ “‘Danites and Greeks from Uzal traded with you, using wrought iron, cinnamon, and spices.

²⁰ “‘Dedan traded with you for saddle blankets.

²¹ “‘Arabia and all the Bedouin sheiks of Kedar traded lambs, rams, and goats with you.

²² “‘Traders from Sheba and Raamah in South Arabia carried on business with you in premium spices, precious stones, and gold.

^23-24 “‘Haran, Canneh, and Eden from the east in Assyria and Media traded with you, bringing elegant clothes, dyed textiles, and elaborate carpets to your bazaars.

²⁵ “‘The great Tarshish ships were your freighters, importing and exporting. Oh, it was big business for you, trafficking the seaways!

^26-32 “‘Your sailors row mightily,
    taking you into the high seas.
Then a storm out of the east
    shatters your ship in the ocean deep.
Everything sinks—your rich goods and products,
    sailors and crew, ship’s carpenters and soldiers,
Sink to the bottom of the sea.
    Total shipwreck.
The cries of your sailors
    reverberate on shore.
Sailors everywhere abandon ship.
    Veteran seamen swim for dry land.
They cry out in grief,
    a choir of bitter lament over you.
They smear their faces with ashes,
    shave their heads,
Wear rough burlap,
    wildly keening their loss.
They raise their funeral song:
    “Who on the high seas is like Tyre!”

^33-36 “‘As you crisscrossed the seas with your products,
    you satisfied many peoples.
Your worldwide trade
    made earth’s kings rich.
And now you’re battered to bits by the waves,
    sunk to the bottom of the sea,
And everything you’ve bought and sold
    has sunk to the bottom with you.
Everyone on shore looks on in terror.
    The hair of kings stands on end,
    their faces drawn and haggard!
The buyers and sellers of the world
    throw up their hands:
This horror can’t happen!
    Oh, this has happened!’”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

• Tyre was proud of its beauty and its success but didn’t give any praise to the Lord for His goodness.  Though many products were brought in and exported out for the good of many, the glory was placed solely on the efforts of mankind. 
• Tyre was the “ship of state”.  The ship metaphor included all that was a part of the city of Tyre, its agents and customers, its business, and the large trading network that it had developed in the Mediterranean world.
• In describing the ship’s crew, Ezekiel was actually naming some of the nations that had made it possible for Tyre to become such a great success.
• This passage has admiration turning to desolation. The storm arrived that was promised in Ezekiel 26:3, and the great ship was shattered in the mighty waters. No matter how efficient, rich, and beautiful the ship of state might be, when the Lord decides to sink it, nothing can stay His hand.

In tomorrow’s reading, chapter 28, we will more learn of the fatal flaws of Tyre, the trading capital of the world whose “ship” was sunk to the depths of the sea. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, you are probably noticing that pride has a lot to do with sinking our own ships of arrogance.

“Too much pride will destroy you.” Proverbs 16:18 CEV

Lord,

We repent of pride that gets in the way of spiritual growth.  Help us all to see ourselves as we are with a longing to transform our thinking to be more like you taught us, dear Jesus.  To you be the glory, honor and praise for all that is good.

In Jesus Name, Amen

The Walking Dead is an American post-apocalyptic horror drama television series based on the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard—together forming the core of The Walking Dead franchise. The leader is King Ezekiel!  Coincidence?  Maybe, maybe not. 

The series features survivors of a zombie apocalypse trying to stay alive under near-constant threat of attacks from zombies known as “walkers” (among other nicknames). With the collapse of modern civilization, these survivors must confront other human survivors who have formed groups and communities with their own sets of laws and morals, sometimes leading to open, hostile conflict between them. 

Zombie apocalypse is a genre of fiction in which society collapses due to overwhelming swarms of zombies. Typically, only a few individuals or small bands of survivors are left living. In some versions, the reason the dead rise and attack humans is unknown, in others, a parasite or infection is the cause, framing events much like a plague. Some stories have every corpse rise, regardless of the cause of death, whereas others require exposure to the infection.

The zombie apocalypse has been used as a metaphor for various contemporary fears, such as global contagion, the breakdown of society, and the end of the world. It has repeatedly been referenced in the media and inspired various fan activities such as zombie walks, making it a dominant genre in popular culture.

Common zombie themes—

• Initial contacts with zombies are extremely traumatic, causing shock, panic, disbelief and possibly denial, hampering survivors’ ability to deal with hostile encounters.
• The response of authorities to the threat is slower than its rate of growth, giving the zombie plague time to expand beyond containment. This results in the collapse of society. Zombies take full control while small groups of the living must fight for their survival.  (See also “I Am Legend” the movie!)
• The plot usually follows a single group of survivors caught up in the sudden rush of the crisis. The narrative generally focuses on the characters’ attempts to survive on their own, particularly the way the characters react to the catastrophe and how this affects the safety of the group.
• Zombies were repeatedly shown in slow-walking groups that demonstrate a herd behavior and are capable of overwhelming victims by the strength of their numbers.  (“All we like sheep…” comes to mind.)

WAIT, WHAT?!  Why the zombie lesson? 

With continued avoidance, disobedience, denial, while sarcastically mocking our Savior and denouncing Him as Lord of our lives, we as a society become the walking dead…in Christ.  We have no purpose, no plans, no power but our own to just keep following the herd.  We break the heart of God who created us for so much more. 

The city of Tyre becomes the walking dead for all the same reasons.  “I’ll push you down among those who go to the grave, the long, long dead. I’ll make you live there, in the grave in old ruins, with the buried dead. You’ll never see the land of the living again. I’ll introduce you to the terrors of death and that’ll be the end of you. They’ll send out search parties for you, but you’ll never be found.”  –God

Ezekiel 26, The Message

As the Waves of the Sea, Surging Against the Shore

^1-2 In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, Tyre cheered when they got the news of Jerusalem, exclaiming,

“‘Good! The gateway city is smashed!
    Now all her business comes my way.
She’s in ruins
    and I’m in clover.’

^3-6 “Therefore, God, the Master, has this to say:

“‘I’m against you, Tyre,
    and I’ll bring many nations surging against you,
    as the waves of the sea surging against the shore.
They’ll smash the city walls of Tyre
    and break down her towers.
I’ll wash away the soil
    and leave nothing but bare rock.
She’ll be an island of bare rock in the ocean,
    good for nothing but drying fishnets.
Yes, I’ve said so.’ Decree of God, the Master.
    ‘She’ll be loot, free pickings for the nations!
Her surrounding villages will be butchered.
    Then they’ll realize that I am God.’

^7-14 “God, the Master, says: Look! Out of the north I’m bringing Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, a king’s king, down on Tyre. He’ll come with chariots and horses and riders—a huge army. He’ll massacre your surrounding villages and lay siege to you. He’ll build siege ramps against your walls. A forest of shields will advance against you! He’ll pummel your walls with his battering rams and shatter your towers with his iron weapons. You’ll be covered with dust from his horde of horses—a thundering herd of war horses pouring through the breaches, pulling chariots. Oh, it will be an earthquake of an army and a city in shock! Horses will stampede through the streets. Your people will be slaughtered and your huge pillars strewn like matchsticks. The invaders will steal and loot—all that wealth, all that stuff! They’ll knock down your fine houses and dump the stone and timber rubble into the sea. And your parties, your famous good-time parties, will be no more. No more songs, no more lutes. I’ll reduce you to an island of bare rock, good for nothing but drying fishnets. You’ll never be rebuilt. I, God, have said so. Decree of God, the Master.

Introduced to the Terrors of Death

¹⁵ “This is the Message of God, the Master, to Tyre: Won’t the ocean islands shake at the crash of your collapse, at the groans of your wounded, at your mayhem and massacre?

^16-18 “All up and down the coast, the princes will come down from their thrones, take off their royal robes and fancy clothes, and wrap themselves in sheer terror. They’ll sit on the ground, shaken to the core, horrified at you. Then they’ll begin chanting a funeral song over you:

“‘Sunk! Sunk to the bottom of the sea,
    famous city on the sea!
Power of the seas,
    you and your people,
Intimidating everyone
    who lived in your shadows.
But now the islands are shaking
    at the sound of your crash,
Ocean islands in tremors
    from the impact of your fall.’

^19-21 “The Message of God, the Master: ‘When I turn you into a wasted city, a city empty of people, a ghost town, and when I bring up the great ocean deeps and cover you, then I’ll push you down among those who go to the grave, the long, long dead. I’ll make you live there, in the grave in old ruins, with the buried dead. You’ll never see the land of the living again. I’ll introduce you to the terrors of death and that’ll be the end of you. They’ll send out search parties for you, but you’ll never be found. Decree of God, the Master.’”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Respond with turning our faces up to God, look full into His face, ponder who He is and what He has done and continues to do for us, humbly bow before Him in grateful praise and adoration and then ask Him to come into our lives and be the center of our being.  When we do, we are no longer the walking dead but alive to Christ!

“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” Romans 6:11-14, NIV

We no longer live in a zombie state of mind!

“Christ brought us together through his death on the cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility. Christ came and preached peace to you outsiders and peace to us insiders. He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father.” Ephesians 2:16-18

God is quite at home in us.  Because of saying yes to Jesus, we belong to Him!  We are no longer the walking dead, aimlessly searching to belong.

“You’re no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone.”  Ephesians 2:19-20 MSG 

“God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.”  Ephesians 2:20-22, MSG

And that’s not all….

“There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!”  Romans 5:3-5, MSG

Lord,

Come and do in us what you want.

In Jesus Name, Amen

EPILOGUE

Because Tyre was at the center of all merchandising along the Mediterranean coast and did business with every known country, her fall was devastating to the economy. More than a ripple effect, a tidal wave occurred! Their partners in business—called “princes of the sea” and “kings”—had lost everything and could only lament the great tragedy that had struck.

Ezekiel’s description of the victims’ descent into “the grave” gives us insight into the full extent of Tyre’s destruction. The Hebrew word bor means “a well, a pit, a cistern,” but it also refers to the pit of death and sometimes is an equivalent of Sheol, the realm of departed spirits. Tyre’s pride and evil attitude toward the Israelite people had tragic consequences.

Friends, let’s rise up with Christ get out that grave!  Yes, I’m singing that song of praise!  (Glorious Day by Passion)

… I was buried beneath my shame
Who could carry that kind of weight?
It was my tomb
‘Til I met You

… I was breathing, but not alive
All my failures I tried to hide
It was my tomb
‘Til I met You

… You called my name
Then I ran out of that grave
Out of the darkness
Into Your glorious day
You called my name
And I ran out of that grave
Out of the darkness
Into Your glorious day

… Now Your mercy has saved my soul
Now Your freedom is all that I know
The old made new
Jesus, when I met You, whoa, what a day…!