Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus)

“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…!

As believing parents we love God back with all our hearts, minds, and souls.  God’s love grows in us as we realize the depths of His love to us daily.  This love, not like evil’s self-love, is prayerfully passed on to our children.  They may go their own way, but our love for them never changes because God’s love for us never changes.  Because of this love we teach our children and grandchildren how to love like Jesus taught us.  They see and learn by our example.  Most is “caught” as well as taught. 

Because our children and their children are so important to us, I pause to ask myself, what does my life look like to God and to them?  Do they know how much I love God?  Do they know that my worries and concerns are taken each morning to God and placed in His lap?  Do they know that my salvation comes from believing that Jesus paid for my sins?  Do they know that I am motivated by God to be who I am and do what I do in daily life?  Do they know that I pray for them but I also pray for my enemies instead of seeking revenge?  Does who I am in Christ translate to those around me?  These questions of living life can be answered by asking ourselves—do I really believe that who God is and what He says really real?

It is important to God, our Father in Heaven, that we realize that HE alone is God.

Ezekiel 25, The Message

Acts of Vengeance

^1-5 God’s Message came to me:

“Son of man, face Ammon and preach against the people: Listen to the Message of God, the Master. This is what God has to say: Because you cheered when my Sanctuary was desecrated and the land of Judah was devastated and the people of Israel were taken into exile, I’m giving you over to the people of the east. They’ll move in and make themselves at home, eating the food right off your tables and drinking your milk. I’ll turn your capital, Rabbah, into pasture for camels and all your villages into corrals for flocks. Then you’ll realize that I am God.

^6-7 “God, the Master, says, Because you clapped and cheered, venting all your malicious contempt against the land of Israel, I’ll step in and hand you out as loot—first come, first served. I’ll cross you off the roster of nations. There’ll be nothing left of you. And you’ll realize that I am God.”

* * *

^8-11 “God, the Master, says: Because Moab said, ‘Look, Judah’s nothing special,’ I’ll lay wide open the flank of Moab by exposing its lovely frontier villages to attack: Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim. I’ll lump Moab in with Ammon and give them to the people of the east for the taking. Ammon won’t be heard from again. I’ll punish Moab severely. And they’ll realize that I am God.”

* * *

^12-14 “God, the Master, says: Because Edom reacted against the people of Judah in spiteful revenge and was so criminally vengeful against them, therefore I, God, the Master, will oppose Edom and kill the lot of them, people and animals both. I’ll waste it—corpses stretched from Teman to Dedan. I’ll use my people Israel to bring my vengeance down on Edom. My wrath will fuel their action. And they’ll realize it’s my vengeance. Decree of God the Master.”

* * *

^15-17 “God, the Master, says: Because the Philistines were so spitefully vengeful—all those centuries of stored-up malice!—and did their best to destroy Judah, therefore I, God, the Master, will oppose the Philistines and cut down the Cretans and anybody else left along the seacoast. Huge acts of vengeance, massive punishments! When I bring vengeance, they’ll realize that I am God.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Background:

Israel had enemies who were always ridiculing them and treating them as beggars.  Sometimes they deserved it.  After the Israelites entered and occupied the land of Canaan, the neighboring Philistines became serious enemies. When the Israelite nation divided, the Philistines asserted their independence and became successful merchants and traders along with the Phoenicians. The Philistines cultivated a national hatred for the Jews and seized every opportunity to harass and attack them. Ezekiel wasn’t the only prophet who prophesied God’s judgment on the Philistines. 

The lesson is that nothing escapes the notice of God.  God will take care of His people.  God wants us to realize that He is God, alone, and is present with us.  What does God require of us?  Micah the prophet of God gives us a simple and direct command from God: “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

How do we be and do this?  Love God.  Love Others.  These are the greatest and most important commandments according to Jesus who explained and fulfilled all the commandments while he walked our earth. Believe in Jesus and be saved for eternity with God.  Revel in thanksgiving for His Holy Presence in our lives.  Do what He says because of our love for God and His Son.  Be attentive to His Holy Spirit who guides, confronts, leads, encourages, comforts and gives us peace in the midst of trouble.

God is the only judge and He will take care of evil’s attacks. That’s not our work.  We pray, asking for God’s help, and He does the rest.  When people hurt, maim, gossip, slander and abuse us, Jesus said to pray for them to find His salvation and be saved—as we did.  The consequences of our behavior will be experienced by all, but instead of cheering the downfalls of others—encourage.  Show love as Jesus showed love to us.

No one gets what we really deserve.  Praise God for His everlasting love, mercy, and grace! 

Lord,

I know and realize that you are God alone!  I believe in Jesus who came to save us and set us free from our sin debts.  I am grateful that you do not give us what we really deserve but instead you liberally and relentlessly love us—even while we were yet sinners.  We are still sinners saved only by your grace.  Thank you for being a merciful God! Thank you, Jesus, for saving us. Thank you, Holy Spirit for growing God’s love in our hearts, speaking to our hearts about what is pleasing and good, while transforming our minds and souls with how to live with God eternally.  We are so blessed!

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

The idiom “your goose is cooked” means is it is time to pay the consequences of our actions.  We use it to describe someone who has manipulated, bullied, harassed others into submission until the “tables are turned” and their “goose is cooked.”

Israel’s goose is cooked.  The pot is ready for the fire.  But cleanup is worse than anticipated because the stain and filth has blackened the pot.  It is too far gone and cannot be used again.  (I have pots like that, don’t you?)  They are getting exactly what they have dished out for ages because of turning from God and all that is good to evil beyond our wildest thinking.  

It’s going to get worse before it gets better!  But guess what?!  We are half way through the book of Ezekiel the prophet of God!  I checked to see how far we have come in this book that is filled with bizarre visions and puzzling revelations!  Are you intimidated yet but all we have read and learned?  Don’t be, we aren’t finished.  God is not finished with His people!  Let’s keep digging beneath the surface because God is leading us to even more timeless lessons about Him and our relationship with Him.  We are learning:

• He’d rather forgive us than judge us.
• He remains faithful even if we don’t.
• He can use anything—even something bad—to accomplish his greater good.

Ezekiel wrote this book to the Israelites living in exile. They needed to know that the God of Israel was still God even in pagan Babylon. Ezekiel warned the people that their idolatry would be judged. Later, after Jerusalem’s destruction, he wrote to encourage them that God would bring them back to Judah and Jerusalem. –And God did exactly as He said.  And He’s doing it again!

Ezekiel 24, The Message

Bring the Pot to a Boil

^1-5 The Message of God came to me in the ninth year, the tenth month, and the tenth day of the month: “Son of man, write down this date. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. Tell this company of rebels a story:

“‘Put on the soup pot.
    Fill it with water.
Put chunks of meat into it,
    all the choice pieces—loin and brisket.
Pick out the best soup bones
    from the best of the sheep in the flock.
Pile wood beneath the pot.
    Bring it to a boil
    and cook the soup.

⁶ “‘God, the Master, says:

“‘Doom to the city of murder,
    to the pot thick with scum,
    thick with a filth that can’t be scoured.
Empty the pot piece by piece;
    don’t bother who gets what.

^7-8 “‘The blood from murders
    has stained the whole city;
Blood runs bold on the street stones,
    with no one bothering to wash it off—
Blood out in the open to public view
    to provoke my wrath,
    to trigger my vengeance.

^9-12 “‘Therefore, this is what God, the Master, says:

“‘Doom to the city of murder!
    I, too, will pile on the wood.
Stack the wood high,
    light the match,
Cook the meat, spice it well, pour out the broth,
    and then burn the bones.
Then I’ll set the empty pot on the coals
    and heat it red-hot so the bronze glows,
So the germs are killed
    and the corruption is burned off.
But it’s hopeless. It’s too far gone.
    The filth is too thick.

^13-14 “‘Your encrusted filth is your filthy sex. I wanted to clean you up, but you wouldn’t let me. I’ll make no more attempts at cleaning you up until my anger quiets down. I, God, have said it, and I’ll do it. I’m not holding back. I’ve run out of compassion. I’m not changing my mind. You’re getting exactly what’s coming to you. Decree of God, the Master.’”

No Tears

^15-17 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, I’m about to take from you the delight of your life—a real blow, I know. But, please, no tears. Keep your grief to yourself. No public mourning. Get dressed as usual and go about your work—none of the usual funeral rituals.”

¹⁸ I preached to the people in the morning. That evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I’d been told.

¹⁹ The people came to me, saying, “Tell us why you’re acting like this. What does it mean, anyway?”

^20-21 So I told them, “God’s Word came to me, saying, ‘Tell the family of Israel, This is what God, the Master, says: I will desecrate my Sanctuary, your proud impregnable fort, the delight of your life, your heart’s desire. The children you left behind will be killed.

^22-24 “‘Then you’ll do exactly as I’ve done. You’ll perform none of the usual funeral rituals. You’ll get dressed as usual and go about your work. No tears. But your sins will eat away at you from within and you’ll groan among yourselves. Ezekiel will be your example. The way he did it is the way you’ll do it.

“‘When this happens you’ll recognize that I am God, the Master.’”

^25-27 “And you, son of man: The day I take away the people’s refuge, their great joy, the delight of their life, what they’ve most longed for, along with all their children—on that very day a survivor will arrive and tell you what happened to the city. You’ll break your silence and start talking again, talking to the survivor. Again, you’ll be an example for them. And they’ll recognize that I am God.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

As we ponder about what we will do even today along with who we will listen to for guidance, let us “reverse engineer” and think of the outcomes first.  What might happen if I do this or that?  We question our kids’ thinking all the time, however, we ask after the “thing” has been done with consequences to pay.  We admonished them with, “What WERE you thinking?”  Sometimes, I think God asks, but then He already knows, doesn’t He?

God called Judah “rebels” not only because they had broken His laws and violated His covenant, but also because Zedekiah had broken His treaty with Babylon, incurring the displeasure of Nebuchadnezzar.  What were they thinking?  Jerusalem was an evil city, filled with sin like a filthy pot encrusted with rust and scum. Jerusalem had shed innocent blood and hadn’t even been decent enough to cover the blood. The murderers had left the evidence for everyone to see and didn’t worry about the consequences.  What were they thinking?

“Today our society lives on delusions and myths because, like the Jews in Ezekiel’s day, the world won’t accept the authority of God’s Word. People still believe that might makes right, that money is the measure of worth and success, and that the aim of life is to have fun and do what we want to do. We can believe whatever we please about God, ourselves, and others, and life will turn out fine because no consequences exist. But one day God will expose the stupidity of these delusions, and the world will discover too late that what we believe and how we behave have consequences.” –Warren Wiersbe

What are we thinking?

The focus of Ezekiel’s ministry will now shift in subsequent chapters.  He had exposed the nation’s sins and announced her judgment. God will now give him His plans for the Gentile nations, including victorious Babylon.  Ezekiel will minister hope to the Jewish exiles and share with them visions of the kingdom yet to come. Ezekiel has been a faithful servant of God, even to the point of sacrificing his beloved wife so he could declare the Word of God. What an example of dedication!  Well done, Ezekiel, well done!

Lord,

May we hear your voice above all other voices and follow you with the same love and devotion of your servants who have gone before us with examples of holy obedience.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

Prostitution is defined as the practice of engaging in relatively indiscriminate sexual activity, in general with someone who is not a spouse or a friend, in exchange for immediate payment in money or other valuables. It is the unworthy or corrupt use of one’s talents for the sake of personal or financial gain.  I want what I want and I will do anything to get it is at the heart and desire of one who sells themselves in order to feel loved and protected. 

Ezekiel, led by God, gets the attention of his audience by getting to the heart of the matter—a broken covenant with God.  The image is that of prostitution, the nation breaking her “marriage vows” and, like a harlot, turning to other “lovers.” Ezekiel used this illustration in chapter 16 as well, however, the sin is idolatry, trusting the false gods of the pagans, while in this chapter, the sin is trusting other nations to protect her.

Oholah represents Israel, whose capital was Samaria, while her sister Oholibah represents Judah, whose capital was Jerusalem.  Both have sinned so violently, relentlessly and degradingly that it is destroying a nation from the inside out.  God’s people have broken their “marriage vows” over and over.  They have ignored God and His covenant with his “bride”.  God’s people, who used to believe, obey and rely on God for provision and protection has now sold themselves to the highest bidder to arrive at the lowest place in their lives—prostitution due to selfishness.

I am reminded of Jesus’ words, “What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?”  (Mark 8, MSG)

Ezekiel 23, The Message

Wild with Lust

^1-4 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother. They became whores in Egypt, whores from a young age. Their breasts were fondled, their young bosoms caressed. The older sister was named Oholah, the younger was Oholibah. They were my daughters, and they gave birth to sons and daughters.

“Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

^5-8 “Oholah started whoring while she was still mine. She lusted after Assyrians as lovers: military men smartly uniformed in blue, ambassadors and governors, good-looking young men mounted on fine horses. Her lust was unrestrained. She was a whore to the Assyrian elite. She compounded her filth with the idols of those to whom she gave herself in lust. She never slowed down. The whoring she began while young in Egypt she continued, sleeping with men who played with her breasts and spent their lust on her.

^9-10 “So I left her to her Assyrian lovers, for whom she was so obsessed with lust. They ripped off her clothes, took away her children, and then, the final indignity, killed her. Among women her name became Shame—history’s judgment on her.

^11-18 “Her sister Oholibah saw all this, but she became even worse than her sister in lust and whoring, if you can believe it. She also went crazy with lust for Assyrians: ambassadors and governors, military men smartly dressed and mounted on fine horses—the Assyrian elite. And I saw that she also had become incredibly filthy. Both women followed the same path. But Oholibah surpassed her sister. When she saw figures of Babylonians carved in relief on the walls and painted red, fancy belts around their waists, elaborate turbans on their heads, all of them looking important—famous Babylonians!—she went wild with lust and sent invitations to them in Babylon. The Babylonians came on the run, fornicated with her, made her dirty inside and out. When they had thoroughly debased her, she lost interest in them. Then she went public with her fornication. She exhibited her sex to the world.

^18-21 “I turned my back on her just as I had on her sister. But that didn’t slow her down. She went at her whoring harder than ever. She remembered when she was young, just starting out as a whore in Egypt. That whetted her appetite for more virile, vulgar, and violent lovers—stallions obsessive in their lust. She longed for the sexual prowess of her youth back in Egypt, where her firm young breasts were caressed and fondled.

^22-27 “‘Therefore, Oholibah, this is the Message from God, the Master: I will incite your old lovers against you, lovers you got tired of and left in disgust. I’ll bring them against you from every direction, Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, and all Assyrians—good-looking young men, ambassadors and governors, elite officers and celebrities—all of them mounted on fine, spirited horses. They’ll come down on you out of the north, armed to the teeth, bringing chariots and troops from all sides. I’ll turn over the task of judgment to them. They’ll punish you according to their rules. I’ll stand totally and relentlessly against you as they rip into you furiously. They’ll mutilate you, cutting off your ears and nose, killing at random. They’ll enslave your children—and anybody left over will be burned. They’ll rip off your clothes and steal your jewelry. I’ll put a stop to your sluttish sex, the whoring life you began in Egypt. You won’t look on whoring with fondness anymore. You won’t think back on Egypt with stars in your eyes.

^28-30 “‘A Message from God, the Master: I’m at the point of abandoning you to those you hate, to those by whom you’re repulsed. They’ll treat you hatefully, leave you publicly naked, your whore’s body exposed in the cruel glare of the sun. Your sluttish lust will be exposed. Your lust has brought you to this condition because you whored with pagan nations and made yourself filthy with their no-god idols.

^31-34 “‘You copied the life of your sister. Now I’ll let you drink the cup she drank.

“‘This is the Message of God, the Master:

“‘You’ll drink your sister’s cup,
    a cup canyon-deep and ocean-wide.
You’ll be shunned and taunted
    as you drink from that cup, full to the brim.
You’ll be falling-down-drunk and the tears will flow
    as you drink from that cup titanic with terror:
    It’s the cup of your sister Samaria.
You’ll drink it dry,
    then smash it to bits and eat the pieces,
    and end up tearing at your breasts.
I’ve given the word—
    Decree of God, the Master.

³⁵ “‘Therefore God, the Master, says, Because you’ve forgotten all about me, pushing me into the background, you now must pay for what you’ve done—pay for your sluttish sex and whoring life.’”

^36-39 Then God said to me, “Son of man, will you confront Oholah and Oholibah with what they’ve done? Make them face their outrageous obscenities, obscenities ranging from adultery to murder. They committed adultery with their no-god idols, sacrificed the children they bore me in order to feed their idols! And there is also this: They’ve defiled my holy Sanctuary and desecrated my holy Sabbaths. The same day that they sacrificed their children to their idols, they walked into my Sanctuary and defiled it. That’s what they did—in my house!

^40-42 “Furthermore, they even sent out invitations by special messenger to men far away—and, sure enough, they came. They bathed themselves, put on makeup and provocative lingerie. They reclined on a sumptuous bed, aromatic with incense and oils—my incense and oils! The crowd gathered, jostling and pushing, a drunken rabble. They adorned the sisters with bracelets on their arms and tiaras on their heads.

^43-44 “I said, ‘She’s burned out on sex!’ but that didn’t stop them. They kept banging on her doors night and day as men do when they’re after a whore. That’s how they used Oholah and Oholibah, the worn-out whores.

⁴⁵ “Righteous men will pronounce judgment on them, giving out sentences for adultery and murder. That was their lifework: adultery and murder.”

^46-47 “God says, ‘Let a mob loose on them: Terror! Plunder! Let the mob stone them and hack them to pieces—kill all their children, burn down their houses!

^48-49 “‘I’ll put an end to sluttish sex in this country so that all women will be well warned and not copy you. You’ll pay the price for all your obsessive sex. You’ll pay in full for your promiscuous affairs with idols. And you’ll realize that I am God, the Master.’”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

When we “sell” ourselves, we sell ourselves short.  We sell ourselves for far less than the price Jesus paid for us.  God’s blessings are in abundant.  How many blessings do we miss out on by doing life by ourselves, for ourselves, while selling our basic talents and giftedness given to us by God to others to use for evil?  What are we selling our souls for today, right now, for less than His best?

Let’s go to that passage in Mark and flesh out the whole context of what Jesus is saying to the “crowd” as well as his disciples:

“Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, ‘Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?

If any of you are embarrassed over me and the way I’m leading you when you get around your fickle and unfocused friends, know that you’ll be an even greater embarrassment to the Son of Man when he arrives in all the splendor of God, his Father, with an army of the holy angels.’”  Mark 8:34-38, MSG

This is behind true discipleship, a follower of Jesus!  In another translation it states, “Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” To lose yourself is not an act of desperation; it is an act of devotion. But we do not stop there: Personal devotion should lead to practical application, the sharing of the gospel with a lost world. “For My sake” becomes our new attitude and mindset that understands that by living for Jesus, we live to tell others.

Pause to pray and ask God to show us ways that we are “prostituting” our lives in ways that hinder our relationship with Him.  If we ask, He will answer.  Ask for wisdom to change, grow in wisdom, and mature in His love, mercy and grace to others.

Lord,

We need your help to remain focused on you alone.  Help us to not only believe but to behave in ways that make you smile, not in ways that break your heart for us.  We repent of selling ourselves for less than the price you paid to save our souls.  Oh Lord, thank you for paying my debt in full.  Continue to transform my thinking.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

In any group of people, put in place together, for any length of time, a pecking order will form along with a standard of how they will live together in community—or not.  It comes natural to people.  Self-appointed leaders will naturally begin to organize the group with enough charisma for others to follow their lead.  Those who want to impress the leaders will follow their lead with desire to be associated with the leader because in mere association alone, they feel important.  These are typically “second” in charge.  In the group will be people who are easy-going and want to just have fun.  And, finally there will be those who just want to be left alone.  There will also be those who want to be the leader but don’t have the energy for it, so they will complain about the ones doing the leading.  All in all, everyone seems to settle into a position.  But all want to have their own way and not be pushed around.  When pushed, they will begin to hurt each other, doing whatever it takes to get their own way.

God’s work in His created, who have choices over good or evil, is not easy.  When evil enters any group of people and has his way with them by their permission, all hell breaks loose and sin runs rampant.  But, God is still in control and rises above the chaos to bring judgement over those who defile His Name, His Holiness and His people.

We break God’s heart often with our choices even now.  Who will stand in the gap between good and evil?  Who will stand with God?

Ezekiel 22, The Message

The Scarecrow of the Nations

^1-5 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, are you going to judge this bloody city or not? Come now, are you going to judge her? Do it! Face her with all her outrageous obscenities. Tell her, ‘This is what God, the Master, says: You’re a city murderous at the core, just asking for punishment. You’re a city obsessed with no-god idols, making yourself filthy. In all your killing, you’ve piled up guilt. In all your idol-making, you’ve become filthy. You’ve forced a premature end to your existence. I’ll put you on exhibit as the scarecrow of the nations, the world’s worst joke. From far and near they’ll deride you as infamous in filth, notorious for chaos.

^6-12 “‘Your leaders, the princes of Israel among you, compete in crime. You’re a community that’s insolent to parents, abusive to outsiders, oppressive against orphans and widows. You treat my holy things with contempt and desecrate my Sabbaths. You have people spreading lies and spilling blood, flocking to the hills to the sex shrines and fornicating unrestrained. Incest is common. Men force themselves on women regardless of whether they’re ready or willing. Sex is now anarchy. Anyone is fair game: neighbor, daughter-in-law, sister. Murder is for hire, usury is rampant, extortion is commonplace.

“‘And you’ve forgotten me. Decree of God, the Master.

^13-14 “‘Now look! I’ve clapped my hands, calling everyone’s attention to your rapacious greed and your bloody brutalities. Can you stick with it? Will you be able to keep at this once I start dealing with you?

^14-16 “‘I, God, have spoken. I’ll put an end to this. I’ll throw you to the four winds. I’ll scatter you all over the world. I’ll put a full stop to your filthy living. You will be defiled, spattered with your own mud in the eyes of the nations. And you’ll recognize that I am God.’”

^17-22 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, the people of Israel are slag to me, the useless byproduct of refined copper, tin, iron, and lead left at the smelter—a worthless slag heap. So tell them, ‘God, the Master, has spoken: Because you’ve all become worthless slag, you’re on notice: I’ll assemble you in Jerusalem. As men gather silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin into a furnace and blow fire on it to melt it down, so in my wrath I’ll gather you and melt you down. I’ll blow on you with the fire of my wrath to melt you down in the furnace. As silver is melted down, you’ll be melted down. That should get through to you. Then you’ll recognize that I, God, have let my wrath loose on you.’”

^23-25 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, tell her, ‘You’re a land that during the time I was angry with you got no rain, not so much as a spring shower. The leaders among you became desperate, like roaring, ravaging lions killing indiscriminately. They grabbed and looted, leaving widows in their wake.

^26-29 “‘Your priests violated my law and desecrated my holy things. They can’t tell the difference between sacred and secular. They tell people there’s no difference between right and wrong. They’re contemptuous of my holy Sabbaths, profaning me by trying to pull me down to their level. Your politicians are like wolves prowling and killing and rapaciously taking whatever they want. Your preachers cover up for the politicians by pretending to have received visions and special revelations. They say, “This is what God, the Master, says . . .” when God hasn’t said so much as one word. Extortion is rife, robbery is epidemic, the poor and needy are abused, outsiders are kicked around at will, with no access to justice.’

^30-31 “I looked for someone to stand up for me against all this, to repair the defenses of the city, to take a stand for me and stand in the gap to protect this land so I wouldn’t have to destroy it. I couldn’t find anyone. Not one. So I’ll empty out my wrath on them, burn them to a crisp with my hot anger, serve them with the consequences of all they’ve done. Decree of God, the Master.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Ezekiel described the true character of the “beautiful city” and named some of the sins that the people in Jerusalem were committing even while he spoke. The people have fallen.  Their new sport is seeing how arrogantly they can sin against God and each other.  Who will stand for what is right? 

What does “standing in the gap” look like?  Let’s go back to the first dedication of the Temple of God built by King Solomon, David’s son and successor.  King David collected the materials.  It was Solomon’s mission to build the Temple of God.  When it was complete, Solomon had a visit from God the night before the dedication of the Temple.  Here is how God responded…    

“When Solomon had finished the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord and in his own palace, the Lord appeared to him at night and said:

‘I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.’

‘When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.’

‘As for you, if you walk before me faithfully as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to rule over Israel.’

‘But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them,then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. This temple will become a heap of rubble. Allwho pass by will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why he brought all this disaster on them.’”  2 Chronicles 7:12-22, NIV

God sent fire when Solomon the king offered his prayer and his sacrifices to the Lord. The people all responded by bowing to the ground in reverence to God. Imagine the sound of thousands of people shouting, “For He is good, for His mercy endures forever” (2 Chr. 7:3). God had accepted the prayer of the king and the worship of the people!

We know from reading the words of Ezekiel that the people did turn away from God and the Temple became a “heap of rubble”.  Tragically, after Solomon died the nation divided, and both kingdoms gradually declined until they were destroyed. God did what He said He would do.

God knew people for He created them.  God gave people choices.  God knew they would not always make the right choice.  So, God had a Plan.  “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  After a time, centuries later, God sent His Son to earth.

Jesus, God’s one and only Son, came so that our sins would be completely removed from us “once and for all”.  If we repent, humble ourselves, and seek God, His Holy Spirit comes to live in us.  Jesus/God/Holy Spirit, comes to reside and abide in a new temple—us!  We are the temple, heart/mind/soul bodies, fully alive in Christ, a walking around temple in which God desires to come in and dwell—a temple with the power of God! 

God still asks, who will stand in the gap between Him and sinful people so the punishment for sin can be averted and people saved for life eternal?  Who will stand for God, stand for what is right and good, as we listen to Him and do what He says?  Who will rise up and stand against the obscene behaviors, lewd thinking, sexual degradations that can only lead to disease and death?  People without God are destroying themselves.  This is what breaks the heart of God to the point He must put a stop to it.  A cleansing must happen.  Only God can provide it through Jesus, His Son.

Does our nation need a cleansing?  Yes!  Any and every nation of people need God.  Who will stand in the gap for our nation as well as other nations?  As we hear about God’s Spirit visiting a group of college students in chapel in the town of Asbury, Kentucky, we realize again that God is not finished with us yet.  God is still in control. God wants to not only visit but be present in our lives every day!

We talk quite a bit of “waiting on God” but the truth may be that HE is waiting on us to really get serious about believing who He is and what He can do and will do.  Do we really believe what God says to be really real?  The answer can be found in the depths of our humility.  Humility is expressed best uncomfortably on our knees, bowing low to God the Almighty, asking for a cleansing of our hearts from Him.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 

Oh, what a promise!  Oh, what a Savior!

Lord,

Thank you for teaching us this powerful message of hope, healing, and complete forgiveness by your saving mercy and grace—all because of your love for us.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

All of my hope
Is in the name
The name of Jesus
Breakthrough will come
Come in the name
The name of Jesus

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

The word “sword” is used nineteen times in this chapter to represent the invasion and attack of the Babylonian army. God had His eye on three targets: the land of Judah, the city of Jerusalem, and the holy place of the temple. Unfortunately, some of the righteous would suffer along with the wicked, but that often happens in times of war.

God commanded Ezekiel to perform another action sermon by sighing like someone experiencing great pain and grief. When the people asked him why he was sighing so, he would tell them, “Because of the terrifying news…”  The people will not like the discipline God wills as His way of cleansing the land of all the sins His people committed against God and against each other. 

The grief of sin.  We understand the grieving and sighing that emits from our souls when sins of disobedience stand in the way from having a loving and real relationship with God.  As believers, our hearts grieve when brothers and sisters, children, grandchildren, friends, leaders, servants go their own way and sin against God in blatant disobedience.  As sin affects everyone, so will God’s discipline be seen and felt by everyone.

Ezekiel 21, The Message

A Sword! A Sword!

^1-5 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, now face Jerusalem and let the Message roll out against the Sanctuary. Prophesy against the land of Israel. Say, ‘God’s Message: I’m against you. I’m pulling my sword from its sheath and killing both the wicked and the righteous. Because I’m treating everyone the same, good and bad, everyone from south to north is going to feel my sword! Everyone will know that I mean business.’

⁶ “So, son of man, groan! Double up in pain. Make a scene!

⁷ “When they ask you, ‘Why all this groaning, this carrying on?’ say, ‘Because of the news that’s coming. It’ll knock the breath out of everyone. Hearts will stop cold, knees turn to rubber. Yes, it’s coming. No stopping it. Decree of God, the Master.’”

* * *

^8-10 God’s Message to me: “Son of man, prophesy. Tell them, ‘The Master says:

“‘A sword! A sword!
    razor-sharp and polished,
Sharpened to kill,
    polished to flash like lightning!

“‘My child, you’ve despised the scepter of Judah
    by worshiping every tree-idol.

¹¹ “‘The sword is made to glisten,
    to be held and brandished.
It’s sharpened and polished,
    ready to be brandished by the killer.’

¹² “Yell out and wail, son of man.
    The sword is against my people!
The princes of Israel
    and my people—abandoned to the sword!
Wring your hands!
    Tear out your hair!

¹³ “‘Testing comes.
    Why have you despised discipline?
You can’t get around it.
    Decree of God, the Master.’

^14-17 “So, prophesy, son of man!
    Clap your hands. Get their attention.
Tell them that the sword’s coming down
    once, twice, three times.
It’s a sword to kill,
    a sword for a massacre,
A sword relentless,
    a sword inescapable—
People collapsing right and left,
    going down like dominoes.
I’ve stationed a murderous sword
    at every gate in the city,
Flashing like lightning,
    brandished murderously.
Cut to the right, thrust to the left,
    murderous, sharp-edged sword!
Then I’ll clap my hands,
    a signal that my anger is spent.
        I, God, have spoken.”

* * *

^18-22 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, lay out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take. Start them from the same place. Place a signpost at the beginning of each road. Post one sign to mark the road of the sword to Rabbah of the Ammonites. Post the other to mark the road to Judah and Fort Jerusalem. The king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road and he decides by divination which of the two roads to take. He draws straws, he throws god-dice, he examines a goat liver. He opens his right hand: The omen says, ‘Head for Jerusalem!’ So he’s on his way with battering rams, roused to kill, sounding the battle cry, pounding down city gates, building siege works.

²³ “To the Judah leaders, who themselves have sworn oaths, it will seem like a false divination, but he will remind them of their guilt, and so they’ll be captured.

²⁴ “So this is what God, the Master, says: ‘Because your sin is now out in the open so everyone can see what you’ve been doing, you’ll be taken captive.

^25-27 “‘O Zedekiah, blasphemous and evil prince of Israel: Time’s up. It’s “punishment payday.” God says, Take your royal crown off your head. No more “business as usual.” The underdog will be promoted and the top dog will be demoted. Ruins, ruins, ruins! I’ll turn the whole place into ruins. And ruins it will remain until the one comes who has a right to it. Then I’ll give it to him.’

^28-32 “But, son of man, your job is to prophesy. Tell them, ‘This is the Message from God, the Master, against the Ammonites and against their cruel taunts:

“‘A sword! A sword!
    Bared to kill,
Sharp as a razor,
    flashing like lightning.
Despite false sword propaganda
    circulated in Ammon,
The sword will sever Ammonite necks,
    for whom it’s punishment payday.
Return the sword to the sheath! I’ll judge you in your home country,
    in the land where you grew up.
I’ll empty out my wrath on you,
    breathe hot anger down your neck.
I’ll give you to vicious men
    skilled in torture.
You’ll end up as stove-wood.
    Corpses will litter your land.
Not so much as a memory will be left of you.
    I, God, have said so.’”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God used soothsayers to accomplish His purposes.  This is another example that God was, is and always will be in control of the circumstances.  God prepared the Babylonian army to be effective and efficient in carrying out His plans. God directs the army. God had willed that the army attack Jerusalem, so He overruled the soothsayers and diviners and made sure that their signs pointed to Jerusalem. This doesn’t mean that their system of divining was accurate or even proper, but that God the “things of this world” to accomplish His purposes.  If God says it, He will indeed do it!

Rebellion against God was the reason for His discipline.  Instead of becoming a holy nation to the glory of God, she became like all the other nations and failed to be God’s light to the Gentiles.  We read and rely on the verses in God’s Word that gives us confidence such as “If God is for us, who can be against us?”  (Romans 8:31) but if we are not for God, not trusting and obeying, then we are working for ourselves.  We are trying to do life from our own strength and devices!  God is a gentleman who does not step into the life of one who thinks they do not need Him.  God allows us to suffer the consequences of our own actions as a way of discipline today.  Our actions affect all those around us in a domino like fall. 

Does being for God, believing in Jesus, trusting, and obeying Him mean that life will always be fair and rosy for us?  No, but I would rather be obeying the One who is in control and knows what tomorrow brings than relying on my own wisdom to counter the disobedience of others that will affect me.  We are His light in a dark world.  Others will look to us when they are in trouble and need help.  Others will also look upon how we handle our own troubles.  Be the Light!  The truth of who we are inside will always be reflected in our behavior when up against troubles.

Hope comes in the morning.  Woven throughout this series of messages, (and throughout God’s Word) is the theme of Israel’s hope and our hope.  God will regather His people and send a Savior to all mankind.  That Savior is Jesus Christ just as He promised.  What God says, He will do!

Lord,

Thank you for teaching us beyond Ezekiel’s prophecies to hearts today who seek you.  Your promise still stands, “those who seek you will find you.”  Thank you for finding me, saving my soul and making me whole.  Teach me, for I am your servant.

In Jesus Name, Amen

In the mixture of deliberate disaster and undeserved hope we recall the truth,

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance” Psalm 33:12

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

‘Cause all of my hope
Is in the name
The name of Jesus
Breakthrough will come
Come in the name
The name of Jesus
God, turn it around
God, turn it around
God, turn it around

(Song by Church of the City)

What is the first thing that we would grab and carry out of a sudden fire in our home?  What is the most important to us to cling to for dear life?  What are we hanging on to now that we cannot and will not do without?

God’s people are hanging on to control for dear life.  They are addicted to going their own ways, doing their own thing, totally self-driven.  They are following all that distracts them from God who is all that is Holy and all that gives life, to pursue all that is not God which is unholy and obscene and leads to death. God looks over the situation and His heart is broken for His people.  They are forfeiting all that is best for all that brings out their worst.  His anger comes from a love that knows that His people are in danger because of turning away from Him and all that is good.  Fortunately, God’s anger does not last a lifetime but His love does.

The strong, human desire to be in constant control over all of life, is addicting.

Ezekiel 20, The Message

Get Rid of All the Things You’ve Become Addicted To

In the seventh year, the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, some of the leaders of Israel came to ask for guidance from God. They sat down before me.

^2-3 Then God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, talk with the leaders of Israel. Tell them, ‘God, the Master, says, “Have you come to ask me questions? As sure as I am the living God, I’ll not put up with questions from you. Decree of God, the Master.”’

^4-5 “Son of man, why don’t you do it? Yes, go ahead. Hold them accountable. Confront them with the outrageous obscenities of their parents. Tell them that God, the Master, says:

^5-6 “‘On the day I chose Israel, I revealed myself to them in the country of Egypt, raising my hand in a solemn oath to the people of Jacob, in which I said, “I am God, your personal God.” On the same day that I raised my hand in the solemn oath, I promised them that I would take them out of the country of Egypt and bring them into a country that I had searched out just for them, a country flowing with milk and honey, a jewel of a country.

⁷ “‘At that time I told them, “Get rid of all the vile things that you’ve become addicted to. Don’t make yourselves filthy with the Egyptian no-god idols. I alone am God, your God.”

^8-10 “‘But they rebelled against me, wouldn’t listen to a word I said. None got rid of the vile things they were addicted to. They held on to the no-gods of Egypt as if for dear life. I seriously considered inflicting my anger on them in force right there in Egypt. Then I thought better of it. I acted out of who I was, not by how I felt. And I acted in a way that would evoke honor, not blasphemy, from the nations around them, nations who had seen me reveal myself by promising to lead my people out of Egypt. And then I did it: I led them out of Egypt into the desert.

^11-12 “‘I gave them laws for living, showed them how to live well and obediently before me. I also gave them my weekly holy rest days, my “Sabbaths,” a kind of signpost erected between me and them to show them that I, God, am in the business of making them holy.

^13-17 “‘But Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They didn’t follow my statutes. They despised my laws for living well and obediently in the ways I had set out. And they totally desecrated my holy Sabbaths. I seriously considered unleashing my anger on them right there in the desert. But I thought better of it and acted out of who I was, not by what I felt, so that I might be honored and not blasphemed by the nations who had seen me bring them out. But I did lift my hand in a solemn oath there in the desert and promise them that I would not bring them into the country flowing with milk and honey that I had chosen for them, that jewel among all lands. I canceled my promise because they despised my laws for living obediently, wouldn’t follow my statutes, and went ahead and desecrated my holy Sabbaths. They preferred living by their no-god idols. But I didn’t go all the way: I didn’t wipe them out, didn’t finish them off in the desert.

^18-20 “‘Then I addressed myself to their children in the desert: “Don’t do what your parents did. Don’t take up their practices. Don’t make yourselves filthy with their no-god idols. I myself am God, your God: Keep my statutes and live by my laws. Keep my Sabbaths as holy rest days, signposts between me and you, signaling that I am God, your God.”

^21-22 “‘But the children also rebelled against me. They neither followed my statutes nor kept my laws for living upright and well. And they desecrated my Sabbaths. I seriously considered dumping my anger on them, right there in the desert. But I thought better of it and acted out of who I was, not by what I felt, so that I might be honored and not blasphemed by the nations who had seen me bring them out.

^23-26 “‘But I did lift my hand in solemn oath there in the desert, and swore that I would scatter them all over the world, disperse them every which way because they didn’t keep my laws nor live by my statutes. They desecrated my Sabbaths and remained addicted to the no-god idols of their parents. Since they were determined to live bad lives, I myself gave them statutes that could not produce goodness and laws that did not produce life. I abandoned them. Filthy in the gutter, they perversely sacrificed their firstborn children in the fire. The very horror should have shocked them into recognizing that I am God.’

^27-29 “Therefore, speak to Israel, son of man. Tell them that God says, ‘As if that wasn’t enough, your parents further insulted me by betraying me. When I brought them into that land that I had solemnly promised with my upraised hand to give them, every time they saw a hill with a sex-and-religion shrine on it or a grove of trees where the sacred whores practiced, they were there, buying into the whole pagan system. I said to them, “What hill do you go to?”’ (It’s still called ‘Whore Hills.’)

^30-31 “Therefore, say to Israel, ‘The Message of God, the Master: You’re making your lives filthy by copying the ways of your parents. In repeating their vile practices, you’ve become whores yourselves. In burning your children as sacrifices, you’ve become as filthy as your no-god idols—as recently as today!

“‘Am I going to put up with questions from people like you, Israel? As sure as I am the living God, I, God, the Master, refuse to be called into question by you!

³² “‘What you’re secretly thinking is never going to happen. You’re thinking, “We’re going to be like everybody else, just like the other nations. We’re going to worship gods we can make and control.”

^33-35 “‘As sure as I am the living God, says God, the Master, think again! With a mighty show of strength and a terrifying rush of anger, I will be King over you! I’ll bring you back from the nations, collect you out of the countries to which you’ve been scattered, with a mighty show of strength and a terrifying rush of anger. I’ll bring you to the desert of nations and haul you into court, where you’ll be face-to-face with judgment.

^36-38 “‘As I faced your parents with judgment in the desert of Egypt, so I’ll face you with judgment. I’ll scrutinize and search every person as you arrive, and I’ll bring you under the bond of the covenant. I’ll cull out the rebels and traitors. I’ll lead them out of their exile, but I won’t bring them back to Israel.

“‘Then you’ll realize that I am God.

^39-43 “‘But you, people of Israel, this is the Message of God, the Master, to you: Go ahead, serve your no-god idols! But later, you’ll think better of it and quit throwing filth and mud on me with your pagan offerings and no-god idols. For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, I, God, the Master, tell you that the entire people of Israel will worship me. I’ll receive them there with open arms. I’ll demand your best gifts and offerings, all your holy sacrifices. What’s more, I’ll receive you as the best kind of offerings when I bring you back from all the lands and countries in which you’ve been scattered. I’ll demonstrate in the eyes of the world that I am The Holy. When I return you to the land of Israel, the land that I solemnly promised with upraised arm to give to your parents, you’ll realize that I am God. Then and there you’ll remember all that you’ve done, the way you’ve lived that has made you so filthy—and you’ll loathe yourselves.

⁴⁴ “‘But, dear Israel, you’ll also realize that I am God when I respond to you out of who I am, not by what I feel about the evil lives you’ve lived, the corrupt history you’ve compiled. Decree of God, the Master.’”

Nobody Will Put Out the Fire

^45-46 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, face south. Let the Message roll out against the south. Prophesy against the wilderness forest of the south.

^47-48 “Tell the forest of the south, ‘Listen to the Message of God! God, the Master, says, I’ll set a fire in you that will burn up every tree, dead trees and live trees alike. Nobody will put out the fire. The whole country from south to north will be blackened by it. Everyone is going to see that I, God, started the fire and that it’s not going to be put out.’”

⁴⁹ And I said, “O God, everyone is saying of me, ‘He just makes up stories.’”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Admit it, confess it and get rid of it!  What is it?  The addiction of control.  God tells His People through Ezekiel that their addiction of control over life will lead only to death of themselves and their children.  But they feel if they spend enough on their idols, they will have control over life.  They even succumb to sacrificing their own first born to these idols for more control!  How low in life do we have to go before we lift our heads up to God and allow Him to step in to bring calm from the chaos of a life gone wild and woolly with no hope or solutions?

“None got rid of the vile things they were addicted to. They held on to the no-gods of Egypt as if for dear life…”

After centuries of rebellion, God made a way out of our own addictive desires to be in control, to be our own gods over what we cannot possibly control but think we are.  That way is Jesus.  Jesus purposely and willingly demonstrated his relinquished control on earth in response to His Father, God, who told him where to go, what to do when He got there with what to say!  See Philippians 2!  Here is a portion of that teaching…

“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!”  Philippians 2:5-8, NIV

For further understanding Jesus told his disciples…

“So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.”  John 5:19, NLT

Jesus came down from heaven’s throne and moved into the neighborhood of humanity.  Jesus came to give life, to seek and to save the lost who are hanging on to their addictions of control for dear life.  Jesus came NOT TO BE served, but to serve, relinquishing his position with God and mankind to demonstrate who we are to be in Him.

When we really think about it, we realize all our addictive vices come from our own tenacious desire for control.  Drugs and Alcohol?  I want to control how I feel.  Anger and Abuse?  I want to control those around me that get in my way.  Pride and Arrogance?  I want people to know I am boss of myself and everyone who comes near me.  Our selfish human desires demonstrate that there is no one like me or in control of me.

Then Jesus changes everything.  When Jesus has control of our being, humbled by His Presence and Glory, we think less of ourselves and think more of what is good and holy.  Only God is good.  Only God is Holy. He is who we hang onto for dear life!

Lord,

What a lesson of holiness versus human addictions!  Your Holiness is what I desire most and what I cling to for dear life, for you are life to me.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen.  I believe.

As believers in God’s church, we love to work with leaders who love God heart, mind, and soul.  We love to hear what God has said to them because we feel that if God chose them to lead us, they must have an “inside tract” to God.  We respect and admire their tenacity in pray and subsequent obedience to God.  We long to hear what God has to say from them.  We long for Godly people to be our example of faith and trust.  We watch them and want to be like them in the ways they follow Jesus.  But when we see red flags of disobedience, “shooting from the hip” in decision making with God, or watch them allow obvious sins be ignored, what do we do?  

“Whether we read secular or sacred history, we soon discover that people become like their leaders. The same people who applauded Solomon when he built the temple also applauded Jeroboam when he set up the golden calves and instituted a new religion. One of the most difficult tasks of Christian leaders today is to keep our churches true to the Word of God so that people don’t follow every religious celebrity whose ideas run contrary to Scripture. Apparently being popular and being “successful” are more important today than being faithful.” –Warren Wiersbe

Ezekiel 19, The Message

A Story of Two Lions

19 ^1-4 Sing the blues over the princes of Israel. Say:

What a lioness was your mother
    among lions!
She crouched in a pride of young lions.
    Her cubs grew large.
She reared one of her cubs to maturity,
    a robust young lion.
He learned to hunt.
    He ate men.
Nations sounded the alarm.
    He was caught in a trap.
They took him with hooks
    and dragged him to Egypt.

^5-9 When the lioness saw she was luckless,
    that her hope for that cub was gone,
She took her other cub
    and made him a strong young lion.
He prowled with the lions,
    a robust young lion.
He learned to hunt.
    He ate men.
He rampaged through their defenses,
    left their cities in ruins.
The country and everyone in it
    was terrorized by the roars of the lion.
The nations got together to hunt him.
    Everyone joined the hunt.
They set out their traps
    and caught him.
They put a wooden collar on him
    and took him to the king of Babylon.
No more would that voice be heard
    disturbing the peace in the mountains of Israel!

^10-14 Here’s another way to put it:
    Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard,
    transplanted alongside streams of water,
Luxurious in branches and grapes
    because of the ample water.
It grew sturdy branches
    fit to be carved into a royal scepter.
It grew high, reaching into the clouds.
    Its branches filled the horizon,
    and everyone could see it.
Then it was ripped up in a rage
    and thrown to the ground.
The hot east wind shriveled it up
    and stripped its fruit.
The sturdy branches dried out,
    fit for nothing but kindling.
Now it’s a stick stuck out in the desert,
    a bare stick in a desert of death,
Good for nothing but making fires,
    campfires in the desert.
Not a hint now of those sturdy branches
    fit for use as a royal scepter!

(This is a sad song, a text for singing the blues.)

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

This is a story of prose about leaders who stopped listening to God.  While Ezekiel clearly stated that individual Jews were responsible for their own sins, their leaders had also led them astray because they had rebelled against God. Jeremiah had told the kings of Judah to surrender to Nebuchadnezzar because he was God’s chosen servant to chasten Israel, but they had refused to obey.

Yes, “leaders are only human”, we say to give them a break or an excuse for sins.  But these humans, called of God, are held responsible for what God tells them to be and do.  Our calling from God as leaders is beyond human.  We think beyond ourselves to more of what God wants for we are now in God’s service.  It does not mean we are “sinless”, only Jesus was, is sinless; but we are to “sin less” because we have said yes to Jesus! 

Leaders serve—to become like Christ in every way.  Serving, which is the mind of Christ that we are to imitate, develops as we serve.  We lay down what we want or what we think should have or what we think should be done for God’s will (what we do) and His wisdom (how we do it).  And leadership friends, please understand this next statement:  We do what He says because He has entrusted us with carrying His message of salvation to a war-torn, battle weary, desperate world in need of a Savior. This is our mission from God.  This is our bottom line, our heart’s burning desire, our reason for living and leading! 

The message God has given us is to know Him first for ourselves because we cannot tell others what we, ourselves, do not know and live.  God calls us to tell others the “secret” as Paul explains as our Hope of glory!  And what is the “secret”?  Christ IN us!  We know that Jesus coming to live in our being changes everything about who we are as a human.  Jesus takes us beyond human birth and growth to the care and nurturing of the Divine after rebirth into His Kingdom thinking and behaving! 

“God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.  Colossians 1:25-27, NLT

When leaders go astray…pray for them.  Don’t follow them, but pray for their return to all that is God.  When leaders turn from God to their own devices, all are affected.  Pray for those who followed them to turn back to see Jesus and follow the truth of living in His ways.  (See Matthew 5-8 for growing in the way Jesus taught.)

“He(Jesus) is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.”  Colossians 1:28-29, NIV

Lord,

You teach us that disobedience does not go well for us as your servant leaders.  People are watching, looking for signs of hope and assurance that who we say we follow is really real to us.  I do believe in you.  I believe you live in me.  I will no longer fall back to the excuse, “I’m only human”, for you are in me, divinely maturing me as your child fit for your Kingdom.  I’m yours, Lord, everything I am and everything I’m not, for you to work out your salvation in me.  I’m not there yet, but you know that.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen