Ezekiel 14-16 [The Message]

As I listened to God’s indictment against Jerusalem for her idolatrous behavior, I kept thinking of how the U.S. has gone back on many of her ideals and become similarly idolatrous. Unless there is a wholesale repentance and turning, our nation is headed in a dangerous direction.

Our only solution is the advice God gave in 2 Chron. 7:14;

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

Ezekiel 12, 13 [The Message]

There were no doubt false prophets in Ezekiel’s day who garnered a following by telling the people what they wanted to hear. They tickled the ears of their audience … similar to many preachers and politicians of our day. Ezekiel’s messages were hard to receive because they contained judgement and hardship.

Football coaches who soft-pedal their message and promise victorious results with no hardship or pain are lying and dreaming. They are not preparing their players for a difficult battle ahead. The result … when hardship shows up, the players wilt.

This is no enlightened prediction of our future … but let’s face it, we’ve had it too good for too long. We may be wise to hunker down and prayerfully anticipate some hardship in our nation. The best preparation we can make is to strengthen our prayer and Bible-study habits. God is looking for men and women who listen to His every command and take seriously his warnings.

Christ said, “In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” [Jn. 16:33]

Ezek. 11, 12 [The Message]

As I listen to Ezekiel’s prophecy, I am impressed by his availability to hear God’s Voice and relate it to his audience. No doubt, God had selected him to be the blessed recipient of such impactful revelations. What about you and me? Are we also available to hear God and share His Word with those around us? I THINK SO!

Here’s a verse that changed my life: 

Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. [Pr. 8:34]

Watching daily: When we have a daily routine of seeking the Lord through prayer and study of His Word, we are ripe candidates to hear His Voice.

Waiting at the posts of (His) doors: My brother Gary had a Golden Retriever named “Josh.” After Josh had done his business in the back yard, he would lay on the ground with his head resting on his paws, looking intently at the back door of the house. He was “watching and waiting” for Gary. This needs to be US watching and waiting to hear God’s Voice.

Ez. 6-10 [The Message]

Ezekiel had several visions of God’s presence filling the Temple. God had dealt with the sin in Israel and had removed the offenders.

Let each of us examine ourselves and confess our sin. Then, let’s prayerfully ask God to reveal His Holy Presence in our gatherings. Let’s hunger and thirst for righteousness. Jesus promised we would be blessed and filled.  [Matt.5:6]

Ezekiel 4, 5 [The Message]

Ezekiel must have been the forerunner of contemporary Christian church drama. God had him do out-of-the ordinary things to communicate a message to the backslidden Jews. The point: God CAN speak through staged drama.

For many years, I prepared and performed big dramatic music productions at Christmas and Easter and even on the 4th of July. Each had a poignant message to communicate some aspect of the Gospel. Many hearts were touched and drawn further into God’s Kingdom.

Use drama.

Ezekiel 3 [The Message]

God instructed Ezekiel to “eat the Book,” His Word. He said “Make it your own.” God’s Word can displace our corrupt thinking and establish Kingdom thought patterns and values that yield us a vessel God can use. Opinions? What good are they if they’re grounded in our finite understanding?

As Headmaster of Trinity Christian School, my greatest desire was that each student, faculty member, or parent would read God’s Word EVERY DAY. I continue to pray that this could happen.

Ezekiel 2 [The Message]

God knew His Chosen Nation was a bunch of rebels. Still, He loved them with an eternal love and sent messengers to them such as Ezekiel. The prophet was instructed to relate God’s message to them, but “Don’t become like them.”

You may know a rebellious person or have a rebellious son or daughter. Do what God did. Give them the message they really need to hear, i n a loving and merciful tone.

By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone. [Pr. 25:15

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,  In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; [2 Tim. 2:24, 25]

Lam. 4, 5; Ezekiel 1 [The Message]

Try reading or listening to Ezekiel in a contemporary translation. If an Old Testament prophet had never seen or heard a jet airplane, I think that’s how he would have described it.

Living as we do in the U.S., we never see or feel the sting of abject poverty or hunger as described by Jeremiah in his lament. Yes, there are countries such as Haiti who live in very bad conditions, but we probably have never seen it ourselves.

First, we should be extremely grateful for the blessings we consider normal. Secondly, we can pray for those in suffering right now and support benevolence organizations who provide aid. Although it’s inconceivable, we should pray for our future and that of our offspring that they will escape suffering in future days.

The Lord looks after His own.

Lam. 3 [The Message]

In absorbing Jeremiah’s lament, its clear to me that he felt pain for the sinful condition of Go[s people. This association with the nation’s condition put his emotions into an accurate frame of reference when he declared God’s messages to them. 

If we love our country, maybe we should also take up a lament for the moral and spiritual decline we see all around us. If we don’t, WHO WILL?

Lam. 2 [The Message]

Chapter two actually describes human slaughter like what the Jews suffered on Oct 7. When you read about such horror, it seems like a scary movie so bizarre, it can’t be real. This is why Christian need to keep praying for Israel. No person should suffer death in such a brutal way. Pray!

I also have a prayer request. Someone dear to me is suffering some issues in their health. Please pray!