208 Monday, July 27, 2009

208 Ezekiel 40 – 44; Acts 20.17 – 20.38

Israel now can see that truly God is going to restore them. The biggest part to the restoration is not the temple being rebuilt, but that the glory of God returns to Israel. It is the glory of God that set Israel apart in the beginning. Lest we forget it is in the book of Ezekiel that the glory of God departed because of Israel’s sin and then punishment upon them by the invading nations. Once you see that the temple is going to be rebuilt the questions of all questions is God going to return and the answer is yes.
Ezekiel 43:1-5 (MSG)
1 The man brought me to the east gate.
2 Oh! The bright Glory of the God of Israel rivered out of the east sounding like the roar of floodwaters, and the earth itself glowed with the bright Glory.
3 It looked just like what I had seen when he came to destroy the city, exactly like what I had seen earlier at the Kebar River. And again I fell, face to the ground.
4 The bright Glory of God poured into the Temple through the east gate.
5 The Spirit put me on my feet and led me to the inside courtyard and—oh! the bright Glory of God filled the Temple!
Three times in these five verses we see the phrase “the Glory of God.” God in His full and abundant presence returns to Israel. Where is God’s glory today? If you said the church you are right. If you said in you, you would also be right. The believer carries in them the Holy Spirit which is to manifest the Glory of God in and through them. We as the church are to be the ones that the world looks to see who God is and what God is up to. Certainly people can look and see His glory is in His creation, but His spirit lives in His church.
In the N.T. reading we find Paul giving testimony as to his coming to Asia. Let us listen to some his words,
Acts 20:20-21 (MSG)
20 I didn't skimp or trim in any way. Every truth and encouragement that could have made a difference to you, you got. I taught you out in public and I taught you in your homes,
21 urging Jews and Greeks alike to a radical life-change before God and an equally radical trust in our Master Jesus.
Paul held nothing back from these people. He gave all he had. As you read more of the passage you see he is holding the leaders accountable who have been developed to carry on with the work of Christ. It is put up or shut time for Paul is leaving to go back to Jerusalem. One day we all leave the scene and it behooves us to make sure we leave somebody behind to fight the good fight of faith. Jesus trained his disciples and Paul trained people wherever he went. Are you being trained or are you training someone?