Ezekiel

Blow the Shofar! Repent and Live! {Ezekiel 18:21-32}

11:00 PM




Monday Sept. 30 Ezekiel 18:21-32

This week’s theme of repentance is very timely since Jews around the world are in the midst of celebrating the New Year festival of Rosh Hashanah. “Rosh Hashanah begins a ten-day period leading up to the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. These ten days are called the yomim nora’im or Days of Awe in modern Judaism. The sounding of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is a wake-up blast and a sobering reminder that the time is near for the Day of Atonement. It is a call to Teshuvah, which is repentance and turning back to the LORD. These ten days are ones of great introspection, heart-searching and self-examination.”....gotquestions.org

Of the many awesome attributes of God, one of the greatest is love. And no more is His love demonstrated than in His gift of repentance. Romans 6:23 tells us, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” From the beginning, it has always been God’s desire that we all practice “Teshuva” and receive His gift of salvation. His heart aches for the wicked to turn aside from the path of sin which leads to death, and back to Him and everlasting life. “Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! ‘For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies’, declares the Lord God. ‘Therefore, Repent and Live’.” (vs. 31,32)

When I read about the nation of Israel and their cycle of sin and repentance, I can easily relate; for I recognize that same pattern in my own life. Out of stubbornness, pride, and the desire of the worlds offerings, I too like the Israelites have thought my ways were better than God’s. And like them I have found the confession of sin much easier than the true repentance of that sin. But thankfully, also like them I serve a God of second chances. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lam. 3:22-23) 

God knows we are weak. He knows that even as Christians we still sin. Yet because He longs for us to be reconciled with Him, when we repent not only does God rejoice, He promises to be faithful in both forgiving us, and cleansing us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) As theologian Archibald Alexander once said, “However long you may have continued in rebellion, and how ever black and long the catalog of your sins, if you will turn to God by a sincere repentance, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you shall not be cast out.” 

Repentance isn’t easy, but if we truly have a remorseful heart we will follow Matthews lead and, “bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” (Matt. 3:8) That means not just being sorry for our sin but turning aside from that sin. And although we may not be able to change our behavior in our own strength, we know that through the strength of Jesus we are unstoppable! (Phil. 4:13) So wake up! The Day of the Lord is near! Blow the Shofar! Repent and Live! 



Ezekiel

SoulSearching Sunday~Spiritual discipline

12:00 AM




Sunday, August 12, 2018

Week Thirty-two

Welcome!  We pray that you have all had a precious time worshipping the Lord this morning!  Below you will find some thought provoking questions that will provide you a starting point to your journal writing to complete this week.  We hope that you will find this time soul satisfying!

Our reading this week was Ezekiel 39 - Hosea 10...

 1. What defenses do you have in place for your spiritual battle? What spiritual discipline in your life needs fortification right now? Devise a strategy to strengthen yourself to be battle-ready when Satan and his cohorts attempt to undermine your faith.

 Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heart in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.” (Daniel 10:12-13)

 2. Consider your own worship habits. What part, if any, of your worship is merely playing a part? How can you avoid a lifeless performance of insincere worship? Ask God to reprimand, restore, and redeem you in these situations.

 O Judah, do not join with those who worship me insincerely at Gilgal and at Beth-aven. Their worship is mere pretense as they take oaths in the LORD’s name. (Hosea 4:15)

 3. What hard ground do you need to break up today so that God may find the soil of your heart ready for planting and receptive to the best seed? Confess those areas to God, and ask that He will warm, water, and feed a righteous heart, willing and able to praise Him.

 Plant the good seed of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of my love. Plow sup the hard ground of your hears, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that He may come and shower righteousness upon you. (Hosea 10:12)
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Do you yearn to experience more of the love of Jesus in your life this fall? Come join our New Testament study with an eclectic group of women from around the world!

Together we'll read through the entire New Testament and grow to love our Lord & Savior even more! Trust in Him, and begin an adventure that will transform your life and maybe others as well!
Begins August 31st! on Women in the Word.










Day of The Lord

Profaned No More {Ezekiel 38:1-42:20}

12:00 AM


In chapters 38-42 not only does God give Ezekiel measurements for the new temple, He also tells him of a final attack that will happen against Israel in the last days. After the Jewish people have been regathered to their homeland and are living in peace, Gog comes up against them in war and is utterly destroyed by God. From that day forward Israel receives Jesus as her Savior (39:22), and the whole world sees firsthand the power and might of the Lord. “I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the Lord.” (vs. 38:23)

Throughout history people have denied the existence of God, and scoffed at His Word. They reject His gift of salvation calling it folly, and ridicule those who follow Him. His holy name, instead of being spoken with reverence, fear, and love, is used as a form of cursing, and thrown around like just another word. And when warned of the soon return of Jesus they mock the message saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” (2 Pet. 3:4)

Now if it were you or me being constantly discredited, our first response would be to fight back; to silence the critics. We would quickly want to prove them wrong and restore our honor. And because of our love for God, and out of concern for His glory and reputation, we want the same for Him. We wonder why God lets those who defame Him go unpunished, and we cry out, “How long will the enemy mock you, God? Will the foe revile your name forever? Arise, O God, and plead Your own cause; remember how the foolish man reproaches You all day long.”(Ps. 74:10,22) But we must remember that the Creator of time is not bound to it, and everything happens according to His timetable and not ours. 

But those who dare scoff at God and profane His name, would do well to not mistake His patience for weakness.  His patience comes from His perfect love and desire that everyone would receive the chance to accept His gift of eternal life. “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”(2 Pet. 3:9) But make no mistake. God will not wait forever. The day of the Lord will come, and on that day, “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" (Phil. 2:10–11)

Sooner rather than later, God promises, “My holy name I will make known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.” (vs. 39:7) On that day when Jesus returns and the truth can no longer be denied, the scoffers will forever be silenced, and all will say, “Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name!”

                     My soul is filled with joy
                     As I sing to God my Savior:
                    You have looked upon your servant,
                    You have visited your people.

                    And holy is your name 
                   Through all generations!
                   Everlasting is your mercy 
                   To the people you have chosen,
                   And holy is your name.
                                             (author unknown)


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 Do you yearn to experience more of the love of Jesus in your life this fall? Come join our New Testament study with an eclectic group of women from around the world!

Together we'll read through the entire New Testament and grow to love our Lord & Savior even more! Trust in Him, and begin an adventure that will transform your life and maybe others as well!
Begins August 31st! on Women in the Word.




Ezekiel

SoulSearching Sunday~His stubborn and powerful love

12:00 AM

Sunday, August 5, 2018



Week Thirty-one

Welcome!  We pray that you have all had a precious time worshipping the Lord this morning!  Below you will find some thought provoking questions that will provide you a starting point to your journal writing to complete this week.  We hope that you will find this time soul satisfying!

Our reading this week was Ezekiel 1 - 37...

 1. Consider God’s stubborn and powerful love. How does it feel to be loved so deeply? Ask God to help you comprehend this love in a new way. What can you do to become a more faithful worshiper and more devoted to loving Him.

 And when I passed by and saw you again, you were old enough to be married. So I wrapped my cloak around you to cover your nakedness and declare my marriage vows. I made a covenant with you, says the Sovereign LORD, and you became Mine. (Ezekiel 16:8)

 2. About what three trials in your life do you tend to complain or grumble? Make these struggles the focus of your own mini-praise service. Thank God for how He can teach you in the midst of these messes.

 Son of man, I am going to take away your dearest treasure. Suddenly she will die. Yet you must not show any sorrow. Do not weep; let there be no tears. (Ezekiel 24:16)

 3. What God-honoring desire do you sense deep in your soul? What have you done to realize that dream? Offer it completely to Christ as a sacrifice, and trust Him for what happens next. Ask Him to make His desire yours.

 And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart. (Ezekiel 36:26)



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Do you yearn to experience more of the love of Jesus in your life this fall? Come join our New Testament study with an eclectic group of women from around the world!

Together we'll read through the entire New Testament and grow to love our Lord & Savior even more! Trust in Him, and begin an adventure that will transform your life and maybe others as well!
Begins August 31st! on Women in the Word.

Angie Benjamin

Standing in the Gap {Ezekiel 22:1-26:21}

2:27 AM




And I should sought a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but found none.- Ezekiel 22:30

Just in like in Ezekiel's time, God is looking for people who will "Stand in the gap" for others today.

Need is everywhere, and God is giving us the opportunity to make the difference in someone else's life today.

If there is a gap in a person's relationship with God due to a particular sin in his or her life, we have the privilege of standing in that breach  and praying for him. Whatever this person's needs are, we can intercede for him to be comforted and encouraged as he waits for the answer.

During my life I've been blessed enough to have people around the world to pray with me in times of need. I don't know what I would do if they did not intercede for me.

I believe praying exclusively for our own needs says a lot about our character- also the fact of only filling our prayers with petition for the things we want overlooking praise and thanksgiving.

The more we are delivered from selfishness, the more we pray for others.



Quite recently it suddenly hit me. I got to understand the importance of praying for others. Look at it like this: Praying for others is like sowing a seed. We all know that we must sow a seed if we want to harvest (Galatians 6:7) Sowing a seed into the lives of other people is a beautiful and sure way to reap a harvest in our own lives. We can assure our futures by praying for others. After all,'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' " (Acts 20:35)
Our success as believers depends on this: helping someone else succeed by praying for him or her.

Would you like your ministry to prosper?, then pray for someone else's ministry.
Would you like your marriage to thrive?, then pray for someone else's marriage.
Pray for someone who has a similar need as yours.

While we are often tempted to judge others, it would make a difference in their lives and in our own lives to pray for them. For their sake and our own sake it is better to give people prayer instead of judgement. Are you willing to stand in the gap for someone today?

Let us bless someone today by praying for them and at the same time we'll make a faster progress towards fulfilling our own destiny.



Have a blessed weekend.

Angie B.

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 Do you yearn to experience more of the love of Jesus in your life this fall? Come join our New Testament study with an eclectic group of women from around the world!

Together we'll read through the entire New Testament and grow to love our Lord & Savior even more! Trust in Him, and begin an adventure that will transform your life and maybe others as well!
Begins August 31st! on Women in the Word.


Day of The Lord

Who Will Believed Our Message? {Ezekiel 12-15}

8:00 PM


Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, look, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’ Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “None of My words will be postponed any more, but the word which I speak will be done,” says the Lord God.’”- Ezekiel 12:26-28

I’m writing this post during the time when we’re studying Ecclesiastes and here's a perfect example of nothing new being under the sun, for since the beginning of time people have failed to heed God’s warnings. I can instantly think of the days of Noah and Isaiah crying out, “Who has believed our message?” in Isaiah 53:1. Even when God came down in the form of our Lord Jesus Christ, most chose to reject Him.

I thought Charles Spurgeon summed it up pretty well, “Men display great ingenuity in making excuses for rejecting the message of God’s love. They display marvelous skill, not in seeking salvation, but in fashioning reasons for refusing it; they are dexterous in avoiding grace, and in securing their own ruin. They hold up first the sword and then the shield to ward off the gracious arrows of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which are only meant to slay the deadly sins which lurk in their bosoms.”  Ezekiel knew this all too well.

Warnings about the future are still going unheeded today, though there have been many signs and many who are busy warning us that we are living in the end times.

Although, we’ve all heard the forecasts of the planet’s inevitable doom unless mankind goes green. Al Gore and others have become the world’s prophetic prophets concerning global warming, and in response to their message, millions have decided to go “green,” trying to do their part to stave off the  "climate-driven" apocalypse. We now have wind and solar energy companies popping up and electric automobiles. Yet, most still don’t seem to be concerned about their soul!

Do you also wonder why those who have heeded the warning about climate change are not willing to humble themselves to receive salvation and escape the coming “Day of the Lord”?

Perhaps, the biggest lie of our enemy isn’t that there is no God, but that there’s no need to hurry to follow Jesus right now. People  can take all the time they’d like to decide on whether they will follow God and His Word or not. This was precisely the message of the false prophets in today’s passage—the men who claimed to speak on God’s behalf. They claimed, “Ezekiel’s words are true, but not for our generation. The destruction he prophesies is far off.”

Sadly, that same lie is still circulating today! And a similar destruction is waiting for those who refuse to trust in Jesus. There will always be those who reject the gospel as foolishness, but there are also others who intend to follow Jesus, yet at a more convenient time.

It’s up to us to go to those who have decided to put off the day of their salvation with Ezekiel’s message “Repent! For the Day of the Lord is coming…”


I also think the warning to us found in Hebrews 3:7-8, 12-13 is one we need to take seriously,
So, as the Holy Spirit says:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
     do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
    during the time of testing in the wilderness,
 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness."

Today is the day of salvation, for none of us is promised another. 

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Do you yearn to experience more of the love of Jesus in your life this fall? Come join our New Testament study with an eclectic group of women from around the world!

Together we'll read through the entire New Testament and grow to love our Lord & Savior even more! Trust in Him, and begin an adventure that will transform your life and maybe others as well!
Begins August 31st! on Women in the Word.


Alarm

Reporting For Duty {Ezekiel 1:1-5:17}

12:00 AM





Ezekiel, whose name means “God strengthens”, was a priest who, along with Judah’s king Jehoiachin, and his fellow Jewish captives, lived in exile by the river Chebar. He was called to prophecy in the “fifth month of King Jehoiachin’s exile”, when he received visions from God in which the heavens were opened and the divine glory of the Lord shone so brilliantly, that when Ezekiel saw it he fell on his face in awe and worship. (vs. 1:28) 

God had a message to deliver, and Ezekiel was chosen for the job. “Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against me.” “I am sending you to them who are stubborn and obstinate children, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God’.” (vs. 2:3,4) 

God commissioned Ezekiel to be a watchman on the wall for the house of Israel. To blow a trumpet of warning to an unrepentant people about the danger of the Lord’s impending judgement. The same commission He gives to us. In Mark 16:15 Jesus commands, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” As God’s watchmen we are to sound the alarm, warning an unrepentant world about the danger of rejecting God’s gift of salvation, choosing instead to live in rebellion and disobedience.

The task appointed to Ezekiel wasn’t an easy one. He was to share prophecies of destruction to an already suffering people. And not only was he to preach an unpopular message, God asked Ezekiel to go to extreme lengths to deliver it; including writing the word Jerusalem on a brick and setting up a mock war against that brick to represent the upcoming siege of the city, lying down on the ground on his left side for 390 days, (one day for each year of the iniquity of Israel), and then flipping over and lying on his right side for 40 days, (for the 40 years of Judah’s iniquity). (vs. 4:4-8) Whatever God commanded him to do to get His message across, Ezekiel did so faithfully and obediently.

The task God appoints to us isn’t an easy one either. The message He wants delivered isn’t any more popular or well received today then it was in ancient times. But even so, we are to walk in obedience to the Lord. Even knowing beforehand that the house of Israel wouldn’t listen to or heed his warnings, Ezekiel still did all that God asked him to do and spoke every word God placed on his lips. Ezekiel's job, as is ours, was to obey and leave the results and the consequences to the Lord.

But Ezekiel wasn’t going it alone. Because he was obedient to God, the hand of the Lord was upon the prophet; strengthening him for the job at hand. “Behold I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. Like emery harder than flint I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, though they are a rebellious house.” (vs. 3:8-9) God gives strength to all who obey Him, and never commands us to do anything without giving us the ability to accomplish His will. 

In our roles as watchmen, we are charged with climbing the walls of society and shouting God’s message to all who will hear. A message not only of judgement, but one of love and salvation. So how about you? Are you willing to be God’s watchman on the wall; at your post sounding God’s warning to the world? Are you ready, able, and reporting for duty?

“Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; surely it is near.” (Joel 2:1)


Ezekiel

Scripture Saturday~My people, their God

12:00 AM

Saturday, July 28, 2018


Welcome to Scripture Saturday!

This coming week's memory verses are Ezekiel 11:19,20...

 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. (NIV)

 Have a blessed and precious day and week everyone!