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Rebellious 

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Ezekiel 12:2
“Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house.”

Rebellion is an interesting thing. Most people, who are in rebellion, don’t see themselves as rebels, but  have justification for their behavior. Children do it with their parents, adults do it with their superiors, and all of us do it with God. I think it might be helpful to note that Ezekiel gives us a Biblical definition of rebellion, so we can recognize whether or not we are currently rebelling against God. He says, a rebel is one who has eyes but does not see and ears but does not hear. In other words, if we know what we are doing is unacceptable to God and we are doing it anyway, then we are in rebellion against God.

Often, we complain that God is silent. We want to hear from Him about a decision we are trying to make, but He does not seem to answer us. This may be because He has been speaking to us, about something we are doing (or not doing), and we have refused to listen. We are rebelling, yet hoping to get marching orders. This happened to King Saul. For years God had been telling Him to give up the throne and pass it on to David. Instead of obeying, he rebelled and did everything he could to silence the voice of God. Then when the Philistine army was approaching, he sought God for instructions on how to defend Israel. His seeking was met with silence. God refused to give marching orders to a rebel.

God’s word gives clear parameters for relationships. If you are violating these parameters, no matter how often you attend church or read your Bible, you are still a rebel. It is time to stop doing what He forbids, and start putting yourself under His authority.

Pastor Jim

Little Sanctuary 

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Ezekiel 11:16
“Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Although I have cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet I shall be a little sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.”‘”

The children of Israel were facing the darkest time in their history. They had endured great hardships in the past when enslaved in Egypt or wandering in the wilderness, but nothing compared to the darkness of being taken captive by Babylon, and knowing the city and Temple would soon be burned to the ground. If anything ever seemed to point to the end of relationship with God, that did. I am once again amazed at the mercy and grace of God, as He promises through Ezekiel, that in their darkest hour, He will be a little sanctuary to them.

The idea of a sanctuary is not just a hiding place from trouble, but also a meeting place with God. During the wilderness journey, Moses took his tent outside the camp and turned it into a sanctuary, where all who wanted to meet with God could come. As time passed, they erected the Tabernacle that was designed as a meeting place.

Moses was told in Exodus 25:22 “And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.”

God promised the Tabernacle would be a place where He would meet with them and speak to them about everything. Now as the Temple is being destroyed, God promises to still be a meeting place for His people. No matter how far you have fallen or how dark things may appear, Jesus has made it possible for you to have a hiding place where you can meet with God. It is not necessary to travel to get there. Right this moment, wherever you are, you can access the little sanctuary and encounter the Lord.

Pastor Jim

 

Departing 

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Ezekiel 10:18
“Then the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim.”

The day Solomon’s Temple was built was one of the most glorious days in the history of Israel. It marked the completion of many of the promises God had given to His people down through the centuries. From a single man with a barren wife, a mighty nation had been formed, that now occupied the land that was promised to them. Their enemies had been defeated and held at bay, the people were experiencing a prosperity they had never dreamt would be possible, and the Tabernacle that spoke of mobility, was now replaced with a glorious, permanent Temple. On the day the Temple was dedicated, something quite remarkable took place. We are told, “the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.” God’s presence was so “thick” the priests had to stop their ministry. It seems all they could do was fall down before the glory of God. Ezekiel lived about 300 years later and he too saw the Temple and the glory of God. This time, however, the glory was not filling the Temple, but rather was departing from it. He watched as the same glory that once filled the Temple, began to rise from it and slowly depart.

The sin of Israel and Judah had many devastating consequences. The nation was divided, the enemies they once conquered, began to conquer them, the witness they had in the world was lost and the people began to suffer many unnecessary consequences for sin. However,  the greatest tragedy of their sin was when the glory, that once filled the temple, was removed. This happened on a personal level with King Saul. He had once been filled with the Spirit of God, in such a powerful way, that he “became another man.” He was still Saul, but there were striking changes within him that were brought about by the work of the Spirit of God. Years later, as a result of persistent sin we read that the Spirit departed from Saul (1 Samuel 16:14). He lost the peace and presence of God, and when he needed it most, had lost the ability to hear the voice of God.

If you are a believer in Christ, then you have been filled with the Spirit of God. You do not need to fear that He will forsake you, but it is possible, through persistent sin and disobedience, to lose the benefits of fellowship with God. Sin can harden your heart and deafen your ears. Sin can make it seem as if God is far from you, and even make you feel forsaken. The remedy, however, is quite simple. All you need to do is confess your sin and return to following Christ. You may feel miles away from God, but in reality, you are only one confession away. If you turn to Him, He will forgive and restore, and you will begin to once again experience the sweetness of fellowship with God.

Perhaps praying something like this, “Jesus, I am sorry for my sin. I ask that You would forgive me, cleanse me and help me lay this aside and return to walking with you.”

Now that it is laid aside, don’t pick it back up. Instead, get plugged into reading the Bible and a healthy church.

Pastor Jim

 

Achilles’ Hill

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Ezekiel 6:11

“Thus says the Lord God: ‘Pound your fists and stamp your feet, and say, “Alas, for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! For they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.”‘”

When I read of the fall of Judah I am reminded of Achilles, who was one of the more famous characters in Greek mythology. He was the central figure of Homer’s Iliad, and the hero of the Trojan wars. The legend tells the story of Achilles, who was held by the ankle and dipped in the river Styx, providing him with supernatural protection in battle. As a result, his only weakness was his ankle that was not covered by the magical waters. It was this weakness that ultimately cost him his life.

Unlike the story of Achilles, Israel truly had supernatural protection. The great armies of Egypt, Canaan, and Assyria were no match for a nation who received its protection from the Lord. Their safety was never in their vast armies, high walls, or military ingenuity. It was the Lord, who was a mighty fortress protecting His people against their foes.

Tragically, Israel had an Achilles’ heel; an area of weakness that would ultimately destroy the nation. That weakness was their wandering heart. Like Samson of old, their strength lie in their commitment to the Lord. Each time they set aside the Word of God and picked up another practice of the surrounding nations, they came one step closer to their fall. Over the years they had come to the brink of disaster, only to call upon God, receive his mercy, and in essence, a stay of execution. This mercy caused them to misunderstand God and sin, thinking of themselves as indestructible. Even with the Babylonian army encamped about the city, they still foolishly thought deliverance would come. What they failed to realize was, sin will weaken an individual and a nation.

As a child of God, you are protected against the wiles of the devil. All of his attacks are shielded by the grace of God. There is no weapon formed against us that can prevail (Isaiah 54:17). That, however, does not mean we are indestructible. That does not give us license to sin or compromise, thinking we cannot be defeated. Like Achilles and Israel, we all have a weakness and that weakness is sin. The solution is to remove it from our lives and cling tighter to the promises of God’s Word.

Pastor Jim

 

Attention-getters 

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Ezekiel 1:28
“Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.”

Ezekiel has one of the most amazing and yet puzzling visions of God, of any of the prophets. He saw a whirlwind coming towards him, and out of it four multi-headed beings with faces like men, oxen, eagles and lions. Next to these creatures, he saw wheels within wheels, giving them movement in all directions simultaneously, and as they moved, it sounded like the movement of an army or that of rushing waters. While we might have many questions about what that experience must have been like, and what this imagery represents, Ezekiel does not leave us wondering about how he reacted.

“So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.”

Over the centuries, God has used a variety of means to get the attention of men. Abraham heard a voice, Moses saw a burning bush, Joshua met a sword-wielding general, Gideon met the Angel of the Lord, and Saul of Tarsus saw a bright light that knocked him from his horse. While the attention grabbers may vary, the purpose is always the same. God interrupts our world to get the attention of people, in order to call them to Himself and His service. Once Ezekiel saw this vision, he fell to the ground and listened to the word of God.

I wonder, what sort of things God has used to get your attention? Maybe He has brought a coworker into your life who is encouraging you to come to church, or perhaps He has allowed things to become somewhat difficult at home or with your health or finances. Whatever means He has used, our response should always be the same. We, like Ezekiel, should bow before Him, recommitting ourself to Christ, and listening to His call for our life.

Pastor Jim

 

Self-Inflicted 

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Jeremiah 44:7
“Now therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel:‘Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves…”

God warned the people not to flee to Egypt for help. He knew the Babylonians would soon defeat Egypt and any who were In allegiance with her. Despite these warnings, many of the people chose to depart from Jerusalem and Judah, making their way to Egypt. When questioned by Jeremiah as to why they chose to disobey the clear commands of God, they responded that life was easier when they worshipped the “queen of heaven.” The real reason they fled the commands of the Lord was they wanted to worship other things.

Often, an unbeliever or backslidden Christian will bring accusations against God and His Word. They will claim the Bible is difficult to understand or that there are many interpretations. While there are some Biblical texts that require careful study in order to rightly understand, most texts are plain, clear and simple. The real reason for abandoning them is not because we are not sure what they say, but because of what they clearly say.

God’s word is abundantly clear; worshipping other things is forbidden. His word is also clear that the lifestyles connected with these pagan worship practices are sinful and not pleasing to The Lord. The people did not worship false gods because they thought they were more believable than God, but because these false systems allowed them to behave in ways God had forbidden.

It is important that we do not follow the pattern set by those of Judah. These men and women chose to walk outside the parameters of Scripture, only to find they were sinning against their own souls. It would not be long before they found their sin had cost them their freedom, their lives, and their families.

Pastor Jim

 

Mighty Things 

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Jeremiah 33:3
“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

Each stage of life takes us down a road we have never traveled before. When I was first married, I had never been a husband and Kristie had never been a wife, when our son was born we had never been parents, and with each additional child, we had never met them before their birth. As they grew, we had to grow alongside them, facing each stage of their life for the first time. One of the great truths that guided us along this journey is recorded in this verse by Jeremiah. God makes a simple promise, that if we take it  to heart, and apply it  to life, we will begin to realize the sweet intimacy He desires to have with us.

Jeremiah 33:3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’

The first thing I notice is the promise is conditional. That means the promise will not be granted, unless a basic condition is met. The condition is quite simple, we must call upon the Lord. Years later, and in very different circumstances, James recorded a similar promise when he wrote, “you have not because you ask not” (James 4:2). In both cases, we find the solution is hidden with God and is accessed through simple prayer. God desires to intervene in our lives and provide what is lacking. The problem is, we often neglect to ask God, or we become impatient and expect His answer in our timing.

The second thing I notice is, the promise is in two parts. God not only promises to answer, He also promises to show us certain things. He calls the things He wants to show us ‘great and mighty things which you do not know.’ The idea is, God not only wants to answer the questions life throws at us, but He wants to do it in a way that teaches us things about Himself. As we go through life, we try to avoid any circumstances that would make us dependent upon God. We are careful to maintain our health, store up adequate savings for emergencies, and plan for retirement. When something interrupts our plans, it often sends us spinning out of control. We wonder where God is or how He could love us and allow such a thing. What we are often forgetting is that God wants to teach us eternal things, He will sometimes interrupt our comforts, in order to teach us great and mighty things about Himself. I have often wondered, if we were to ask Daniel about the worse day of His life, if he would tell us about the day he was arrested and thrown to the lions. That certainly sounds like a bad day. I wonder if we asked about His best day, if he would tell us about the time God sent His angels and protected him from the lions. Without that trial, Daniel would never have learned of the great and mighty things of the Lord.

Whatever you are facing today, look up, and call out to God for help and instruction.

Pastor Jim

 

Locked Up

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Jeremiah 32:2
“For then the king of Babylon’s army besieged Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah’s house.”

Judah was on the brink of disaster with the armies of Babylon were camped outside the city walls. Food, water and morale, were at risk of running out, and the only hope for the nation was locked away in a prison cell. The people were neglecting the one thing that could ensure victory over the enemy they were facing. That victory would be found in obeying the Word of God, spoken by the prophet Jeremiah.

Times have changed and circumstances differ, but we do the same thing today. When faced with a problem, trial, temptation or personal struggle, we often look everywhere else, before we resort to the promises of God. We think money, medicine, counsel, or some other natural thing, will provide us with deliverance. We neglect to go to the pages of God’s Word where we meet the Lord face to face.

Part of the reason Judah ignored the Jeremiah’s message was they did not like, nor want to hear, what he declared. His message was one that involved surrender, and God dealing with personal and national sin. He told them the secret to victory was in surrender to Babylon. Rather than accepting the ways of God, they chose to silence the Word of God.

Again, this is common today. Many who refuse to seek counsel from the Word, do so because they already know what God will say. His message will include a solution to the problem, but the solution will involve dealing with the sin that caused the problem.

If you are facing difficulty, don’t run away from the Word of God, instead run toward it. Open the pages of your Bible and allow God to speak into your life. Some of what He declares may be hard to handle, but in the end, He will always lead us in triumph through Christ.

Pastor Jim

 

Promises

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Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

The Bible is like a treasure chest filled with great and precious promises. It is designed to help the child of God navigate his way through life, and provide comfort during times of difficulty. While these promises are seemingly endless, there are certain ones that have had tremendous impact upon believers, down through the ages. Jeremiah 29:11 is one such promise. Written to a group of believers facing dark and difficult times, this verse is designed to provide hope, help and consolation.

Due to years of wandering from the ways of God, the people of Israel were overthrown by Babylonian forces. In accordance with the practices of the day, the defeated were taken captive to Babylon. Now, living as prisoners of war in a foreign land, where they did not speak the language or know the customs, all seemed hopeless. The natural response would be to wallow in self pity, for how they had failed God and ruined their lives. Instead of writing a message to condemn them, Jeremiah gives them a promise that includes hope for now and for generations to come. He promises them that God not only thinks about them, but He thinks good thoughts that will provide them with a future. In a similar passage, Paul wrote concerning the child of God;

Ephesians 2:10

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Those in a relationship with Christ, are now walking a path that will lead them into the plans God has designed for them. We will find abundant life and a purpose for living when we begin to walk according to the ways of God. We will begin to see crooked ways made straight, as God repairs relationships we destroyed, through a lifestyle of selfishness and sin. We will see God transform our homes, and make us a witness to others of His grace, love and goodness.

As beautiful as these promises are, they have no meaning if we are not willing to surrender our ways to the Lord. Those in Babylon who refused to trust God and obey His word, lived as those these promises were never given. They had the living Word of God at their disposal, and were unaffected by its promises. It might be worth taking a few minutes to evaluate yourself in light of the promises of God. Have you surrendered your life to Christ? Have you removed things that are not pleasing to Him from your lifestyle? Are you seeking to live a life that pleases Him? As you do, He will unwrap these promises and work them into your life.

Pastor Jim

 

Trust In A Lie

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Jeremiah 28:15
“Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, ‘Hear now, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie.'”

As far back as we have recorded history, we have people supposedly speaking for God. Here we find a self-proclaimed prophet named Hananiah, claiming God is OK with the behaviors of the people of Judah, and the warnings of judgment for sin should be ignored. He even went so far as to claim that the current lifestyle of the people would in fact result in the blessing of God, rather than His curse. It is interesting to look back and observe some of the things that culture has promoted as acceptable, while the Word of God has remained the same. There was a time when people of African descent were considered by culture to be less than fully human. This was never the position of the Bible, but of the culture. There were even those, like Hananiah, who twisted the Bible to fit their cultural view.

Today, culture has many views that are diametrically opposed to the teaching of the Word of God. There is no shortage of Hananiahs, who are willing to twist the Bible to make it support their view. I am not sure how much longer God will tarry before His Son returns, but I am sure that if He does, future generations will look back on much of what our culture claims as right, and be as embarrassed by it as we are of Manifest Destiny and slavery. Instead of letting culture shape the way we see life, let’s let the Bible shape our view of culture.

Pastor Jim