206 Ezekiel 35 – 37; Acts 19.21 – 19.41
Israel was chosen to be a channel of redemption for the entire world. God was at work in and through Israel in order to bring blessing, goodness, and beauty to people who did not know Him. What did it mean to know and live for God? The answer could be gained by watching God’s people, Israel. Things did not go according to plan. Listen to God’s lament over His people.
Ezekiel 36:20-21 (MSG)
20 Wherever they went, they gave me a bad name. People said, 'These are God's people, but they got kicked off his land.'
21 I suffered much pain over my holy reputation, which the people of Israel blackened in every country they entered.
God was not finished with Israel. They were being punished for their unrepentant heart at the time, but a day was coming that they would be restored. Chapter 37 is a famous passage of Scripture for people who teach and preach the Word of God. This portion of Scripture gives great hope to anyone who thinks they are dead in the water. Ezekiel is sent to preach in a valley of dry bones.
Ezekiel 37:4 (MSG)
4 He said to me, "Prophesy over these bones: 'Dry bones, listen to the Message of God!' "
By the way dry bones are a tough audience. The bones came together as seen in these verses,
Ezekiel 37:7-8 (MSG)
7 I prophesied just as I'd been commanded. As I prophesied, there was a sound and, oh, rustling! The bones moved and came together, bone to bone.
8 I kept watching. Sinews formed, then muscles on the bones, then skin stretched over them. But they had no breath in them.
They had no life in them and that is something else God has to do.
Ezekiel 37:10 (MSG)
10 So I prophesied, just as he commanded me. The breath entered them and they came alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army.
You have noticed that the prophet is speaking to dead people. Dead people cannot do anything to bring themselves back to life. This is all a work of God. This is a good image of how God spoke to us and brought us back to life spiritually. God touched us and brought us back to Himself through His Son Jesus Christ.
In the book of Acts a riot breaks out because of what Paul had been preaching.
Acts 19:23 (MSG)
23 But before he got away, a huge ruckus occurred over what was now being referred to as "the Way."
The people who were followers of Christ had been called people of the Way. The Way people claimed that there was only one God. In Ephesus they had silversmiths who mad a living making hand made gods. The making of these gods was a big source of revenue for the Ephesians. These people help start a riot in the city because they saw the Way people as threat to their source of income. Many times people don’t believe in Christ not because they believe it isn’t true but because it would change their lifestyle!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
205 Friday, July 24, 2009
205 Ezekiel 32 – 34; Acts 19.1 – 19.20
In our day and age people want a God that is benevolent, kind, and full of grace. I want that kind of God as well. However, that is not the God of Scripture. As you have been reading in these chapters God is going to punish these nations as well as His own people Israel. What we have lost is that God is not just a Father, but that the Lord is also a judge who has to bring justice to this earth. In chapter 33 we see a God who is a judge with a heart of compassion.
Ezekiel 33:11-13 (MSG)
11 "Tell them, 'As sure as I am the living God, I take no pleasure from the death of the wicked. I want the wicked to change their ways and live. Turn your life around! Reverse your evil ways! Why die, Israel?'
12 "There's more, son of man. Tell your people: 'A good person's good life won't save him when he decides to rebel, and a bad person's bad life won't prevent him from repenting of his rebellion. A good person who sins can't expect to live when he chooses to sin.
13 It's true that I tell good people, "Live! Be alive!" But if they trust in their good deeds and turn to evil, that good life won't amount to a hill of beans. They'll die for their evil life.
We need to understand that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. The Lord wants them to change their wicked ways and turn to Him in repentance. Choices are very important and reveal a persons heart. If a person says they repent but keep on sinning then they have not truly repented. If a person is in deep sin and turns from their evil ways then they will live. Today we can turn to Christ Jesus and know that we are forgiven and are alive in Him.
In our N.T. reading we find Paul teaching a group who had believed in the message of John but had not believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ. The difference is huge because it is through Christ one is born from above and is then filled with the Holy Spirit. In the next section we see Paul casting out demons and some Jews who thought they could just copy Paul without having the power of the Holy Spirit in their life. The Jews without the Spirit got beat up. Do you believe in Christ Jesus? Do you know the influence and power of the Holy Spirit in your life? Take a moment to pray and ask for His Spirit to control you. You may have to repent of some sin in your life.
In our day and age people want a God that is benevolent, kind, and full of grace. I want that kind of God as well. However, that is not the God of Scripture. As you have been reading in these chapters God is going to punish these nations as well as His own people Israel. What we have lost is that God is not just a Father, but that the Lord is also a judge who has to bring justice to this earth. In chapter 33 we see a God who is a judge with a heart of compassion.
Ezekiel 33:11-13 (MSG)
11 "Tell them, 'As sure as I am the living God, I take no pleasure from the death of the wicked. I want the wicked to change their ways and live. Turn your life around! Reverse your evil ways! Why die, Israel?'
12 "There's more, son of man. Tell your people: 'A good person's good life won't save him when he decides to rebel, and a bad person's bad life won't prevent him from repenting of his rebellion. A good person who sins can't expect to live when he chooses to sin.
13 It's true that I tell good people, "Live! Be alive!" But if they trust in their good deeds and turn to evil, that good life won't amount to a hill of beans. They'll die for their evil life.
We need to understand that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. The Lord wants them to change their wicked ways and turn to Him in repentance. Choices are very important and reveal a persons heart. If a person says they repent but keep on sinning then they have not truly repented. If a person is in deep sin and turns from their evil ways then they will live. Today we can turn to Christ Jesus and know that we are forgiven and are alive in Him.
In our N.T. reading we find Paul teaching a group who had believed in the message of John but had not believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ. The difference is huge because it is through Christ one is born from above and is then filled with the Holy Spirit. In the next section we see Paul casting out demons and some Jews who thought they could just copy Paul without having the power of the Holy Spirit in their life. The Jews without the Spirit got beat up. Do you believe in Christ Jesus? Do you know the influence and power of the Holy Spirit in your life? Take a moment to pray and ask for His Spirit to control you. You may have to repent of some sin in your life.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
204 Thursday, July 23, 2009
204 Ezekiel 029 – 031; Acts 018
He must be a crazy man! You are in a large city to witness all the beautiful sights and one sight you do not have to pay to see is the unshaven, unkempt man holding a sign that reads; “The world is coming to an end!” Ezekiel strikes me as that man. The difference is that Ezekiel is the man of God. Ezekiel is railing against Egypt, but only because God told him too. Why? Israel really wanted a king like the other nations, but that was not God's perfect plan. The Lord gave into their wishes. The Lord told them not to depend on other nations for their safety, yet they did. A nation Israel depended on for protection was Egypt. God is punishing Egypt for being an undependable nation and is making sure that Israel will not be tempted to trust in Egypt again. Trust in the Lord with all your heart--that includes the chosen nation as well. Israel made Yahweh look bad and untrustworthy by going out and making treaties with other nations so Israel would be safe. The chosen nation was to trust in the Lord for their safety. Have you made any alliances with others so you will be protected? Are these alliances God honoring? Trust in the Lord with all your heart!
I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When reading Acts 18 that is all I could think about. Paul was not ashamed and when one people would not listen to him, he went to other people. Paul wears me out! What an inspiration to all of us to remember that we only have so much time and that time needs to be invested in the eternal.
He must be a crazy man! You are in a large city to witness all the beautiful sights and one sight you do not have to pay to see is the unshaven, unkempt man holding a sign that reads; “The world is coming to an end!” Ezekiel strikes me as that man. The difference is that Ezekiel is the man of God. Ezekiel is railing against Egypt, but only because God told him too. Why? Israel really wanted a king like the other nations, but that was not God's perfect plan. The Lord gave into their wishes. The Lord told them not to depend on other nations for their safety, yet they did. A nation Israel depended on for protection was Egypt. God is punishing Egypt for being an undependable nation and is making sure that Israel will not be tempted to trust in Egypt again. Trust in the Lord with all your heart--that includes the chosen nation as well. Israel made Yahweh look bad and untrustworthy by going out and making treaties with other nations so Israel would be safe. The chosen nation was to trust in the Lord for their safety. Have you made any alliances with others so you will be protected? Are these alliances God honoring? Trust in the Lord with all your heart!
I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When reading Acts 18 that is all I could think about. Paul was not ashamed and when one people would not listen to him, he went to other people. Paul wears me out! What an inspiration to all of us to remember that we only have so much time and that time needs to be invested in the eternal.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
202 Tuesday, July 21, 2009
202 Ezekiel 026 – 028; Acts 17.16 – 17.34
Pride of what you know, have done, and what you think you are going to do. The prince of Tyre thought he was a god. Ezekiel puts this statement to him, "Look, you think you're smarter than Daniel." People knew who was interpreting the dreams and solving the riddles, it was Daniel not the prince of Tyre. So goes the leaders of a nation many times, most of the time, so goes the nation. In Israel, as in Tyre, the leaders had become corrupt and would not change. In Israel even the spiritual leaders had become corrupt and would not listen to God's Word. They even started making up the word of God to suit their lifestyle. The other place to get it is Sidon. Do you recall that Jesus went to Tyre and Sidon to work miracles and could do very little because of their unbelief. The Lord said that the judgment for them (Tyre and Sidon) would be worse than that of Sodom and Gomorrah. Why? Tyre and Sidon saw Jesus Christ and heard his words and that is more than Sodom and Gomorrah ever got to witness.
Returning to the spaces of Areopagus is a great goal. It is here that Paul showed us how to take the Gospel into dark and non pre-evangelized places. These Greeks had no idea what Paul was talking about. Paul starts by listening and then talking to them about a shrine dedicated To The God Nobody Knows. Read Paul's witness carefully for it is full of insight of how we can approach some of our friends.
Pride of what you know, have done, and what you think you are going to do. The prince of Tyre thought he was a god. Ezekiel puts this statement to him, "Look, you think you're smarter than Daniel." People knew who was interpreting the dreams and solving the riddles, it was Daniel not the prince of Tyre. So goes the leaders of a nation many times, most of the time, so goes the nation. In Israel, as in Tyre, the leaders had become corrupt and would not change. In Israel even the spiritual leaders had become corrupt and would not listen to God's Word. They even started making up the word of God to suit their lifestyle. The other place to get it is Sidon. Do you recall that Jesus went to Tyre and Sidon to work miracles and could do very little because of their unbelief. The Lord said that the judgment for them (Tyre and Sidon) would be worse than that of Sodom and Gomorrah. Why? Tyre and Sidon saw Jesus Christ and heard his words and that is more than Sodom and Gomorrah ever got to witness.
Returning to the spaces of Areopagus is a great goal. It is here that Paul showed us how to take the Gospel into dark and non pre-evangelized places. These Greeks had no idea what Paul was talking about. Paul starts by listening and then talking to them about a shrine dedicated To The God Nobody Knows. Read Paul's witness carefully for it is full of insight of how we can approach some of our friends.
Monday, July 20, 2009
201 Monday, July 20, 2009
201 Ezekiel 023 – 025; Acts 17.1 – 17.15
If you haven't noticed there are a lot of comparisons between sex and worship. Why? Worship is intimate and so is sex. Worship is about adoring the other person, in our case Christ, and sex can and should be about adoring the other person. Worship is about putting someone else first and sex i.e. in giving of pleasure, should be about that as well. The chosen chased after other gods and wanted to be like other nations and so this is a form of adultery. These are very ‘in your face’ words and God holds nothing back. Wow!
Ezekiel's wife passes away and there is no grief time in order to preach to the chosen about there fate. This is tough stuff. This is prophetic preaching at its best and most intense. This is up close and personal. Have you ever had an occasion to witness like this?
“Out to destroy the world!” that is what they were yelling. Amazing! You hear the same thing today. Some atheist has a book out that says Christians are to be most feared. Under cover Paul and Silas leave this town. It is okay to sometimes get out of dodge. By the way are you a dangerous Christian or one that can be ignored?
If you haven't noticed there are a lot of comparisons between sex and worship. Why? Worship is intimate and so is sex. Worship is about adoring the other person, in our case Christ, and sex can and should be about adoring the other person. Worship is about putting someone else first and sex i.e. in giving of pleasure, should be about that as well. The chosen chased after other gods and wanted to be like other nations and so this is a form of adultery. These are very ‘in your face’ words and God holds nothing back. Wow!
Ezekiel's wife passes away and there is no grief time in order to preach to the chosen about there fate. This is tough stuff. This is prophetic preaching at its best and most intense. This is up close and personal. Have you ever had an occasion to witness like this?
“Out to destroy the world!” that is what they were yelling. Amazing! You hear the same thing today. Some atheist has a book out that says Christians are to be most feared. Under cover Paul and Silas leave this town. It is okay to sometimes get out of dodge. By the way are you a dangerous Christian or one that can be ignored?
Sunday, July 19, 2009
200 Sunday, July 19, 2009
200 Ezekiel 021 - 022; Acts 16.16 – 16.40
Sorry...
"Sex is now anarchy," are words found on page 979, written to the chosen. What comes first sexual anarchy or idol worship? What may be hard for us to fathom is that in other nations sexual shrines still exist. Sex is a part of the worship service, but only for the men. Statistics reveal that divorce rate is higher in the church and that adultery is at about the same percentage as the world. Has idol worship crept into the church? If so, what is it? Perhaps the idol worship is about feeling good. This makes me feel good about myself. What do you think?
In Ezekiel 16, the next to last paragraph, we discover the words "they say." They say that God says, so and so, and Ezekiel lets the people know that is not so. It is an age old question, who speaks for God? It might be one of the more important questions to ponder. For today it has to do with Biblical revelation and the doctrine on who Jesus Christ is according to the Bible.
Money and religion go hand and hand. People spend their money on what they think brings them salvation. A slave girl, who was a psychic, was making her owners a lot of money and then she goes and gets delivered from the demon that possessed her. Oops--no more money. By the way, she was not seeking to be delivered, at least that is not in the text. Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown in jail. The Lord rocked the jail and out came Silas and Paul. This is some of the history of the church at Philippi. Yes, the jailer and his family were saved.
Sorry...
"Sex is now anarchy," are words found on page 979, written to the chosen. What comes first sexual anarchy or idol worship? What may be hard for us to fathom is that in other nations sexual shrines still exist. Sex is a part of the worship service, but only for the men. Statistics reveal that divorce rate is higher in the church and that adultery is at about the same percentage as the world. Has idol worship crept into the church? If so, what is it? Perhaps the idol worship is about feeling good. This makes me feel good about myself. What do you think?
In Ezekiel 16, the next to last paragraph, we discover the words "they say." They say that God says, so and so, and Ezekiel lets the people know that is not so. It is an age old question, who speaks for God? It might be one of the more important questions to ponder. For today it has to do with Biblical revelation and the doctrine on who Jesus Christ is according to the Bible.
Money and religion go hand and hand. People spend their money on what they think brings them salvation. A slave girl, who was a psychic, was making her owners a lot of money and then she goes and gets delivered from the demon that possessed her. Oops--no more money. By the way, she was not seeking to be delivered, at least that is not in the text. Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown in jail. The Lord rocked the jail and out came Silas and Paul. This is some of the history of the church at Philippi. Yes, the jailer and his family were saved.
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