Our Children

He planted a witness in Jacob,
set his Word firmly in Israel,
Then commanded our parents
to teach it to their children
So the next generation would know,
and all the generations to come—
Know the truth and tell the stories
so their children can trust in God,
Never forget the works of God
but keep his commands to the letter.
Heaven forbid they should be like their parents,
bullheaded and bad,
A fickle and faithless bunch
who never stayed true to God.
Psalms 78:5-8 (Message)

Throughout the Bible, it speaks of passing things on to your children. The truth is that some things we can choose to pass on intentionally, and other things are passed on unintentionally. With or without our help, our children will pick things up from their parents.

Today, I took my daughter to the doctor, and they said she had swimmer's ear. I used to get that often as a child. Both of my daughters often get strep throat which I also had quite a bit as a child. While in town, I ran into a relative of mine. She couldn't help but notice how much my daughter looks like I did as a child. These are all things that I have passed on to my children without any effort on my part. That and a few other things, such as stubbornness and speaking too boldly at times.

Last week, my daughter was texting a friend of mine. I started reading her texts, and I noticed that she was giving spiritual advice. I couldn't help but think she sounded somewhat like me. I told the friend I thought that she sounded like me in her advice, and the friend said, "Yep, just like you." That is an example of something I have tried to intentionally pass on to her. I pray and hope that, through observing my actions and what I can verbally explain to her, she will grow up with strong faith and be rooted in God. It is my intention that she possess these traits from a young age rather than having to find them on her own when she is older.

The church also puts forth effort to intentionally pass faith onto children that may not even belong to them. The church itself offers programs that are specifically targeted to the child so that they may learn while they are young. At 3trees, we have hopes of a progressive program that will teach the child from birth through college. They are, after all, the future of the church. The things we pass on to them now determine how strong our church will be someday when today's children become tomorrow's leaders.

What sort of things have you passed on to your children? Do you intentionally try to teach them some of the things God has taught you in your lifetime? Do you make an effort to steer them away from lessons you have learned that are not good choices? What about the unintentional things?

Our children are going to inevitably glean both good and bad things from us. We just have to make an effort  to pass on as much of the good as we can in the process. We may not be able to determine that path for our children or the choices they make. However, we are still going to be accountable for the effort we gave while guiding them in the early ages.

Where the Spirit Dwells

Ezekiel 40:28-49 describes all the gates to the inner court,which was strictly for the priests and the Levites and their ministries. Jeremiah 36:10 refers to it as the "higher court," which indicates that it was was on higher ground than the outer court. To me, that seems like the place to be hanging out is in the inner court where you're on "higher ground." If I've got my choice of being in the valley or on "higher gound," I don't think I'm going to have a problem choosing which one.

In Ezekiel 43, the glory of the Lord is represented as returning to the temple. Verse 2 says "and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east." Then in verse 5, "then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple." When's the last time the Spirit lifted you up? Maybe not physically, but when you're having one of those days where you feel like nothing is going right, and you're about to claim that day as a failure, then the Lord shows up!!  We all know what happens when the Lord shows up---EVERYTHING changes! Your bad day just turned into a good day, and the mistakes that you made earlier don't even enter your mind because God has taken over. He has lifted you up!

Here's my encouragement for the day: The next time you think you're not blessed, look at a family that just lost their youngest daughter, their youngest sister, their youngest mentor or model. I find encouragement in those moments, and when I think of all I have, I can't even lift a finger to complain because I'm so blessed!! Don't let other people's "stuff" get in the way of you being thankful for what you do have. The reason you don't make as much money as your friend may be because God knows what you'd do with it, or maybe the reason you're stuck in a job that seems to have no escape is because God is preparing you to take hold of what's coming ahead of you in the future! God is always about preparation and he KNOWS exactly what he's doing. And by the way. . . God doesn't need our help in deciding how to direct our paths---He's already got it all layed out!

Don't Reject the Correction

¹ Shaphatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah was telling the people, namely: ²"This is God's Message: 'Whoever stays in this town will die—will be killed or starve to death or get sick and die. But those who go over to the Babylonians will save their necks and live.'   ³"And, God's sure Word: 'This city is destined to fall to the army of the king of Babylon. He's going to take it over.'" ⁴These officials told the king, "Please, kill this man. He's got to go! He's ruining the resolve of the soldiers who are still left in the city, as well as the people themselves, by spreading these words. This man isn't looking after the good of this people. He's trying to ruin us!"   
 Jeremiah 38:1-4 (Message)

Jeremiah was telling the people the truth. However, it wasn't the "truth" they wanted to hear. Since he wasn't speaking positive words to them, they said he should be put to death. The only crime this man committed at this time was to tell the people what God had said. It seems being put to death would be a bit drastic, wouldn't it?

Isn't that close to what we do today? It seems so many messages today are focused on motivation and encouragement---positive happy things. That is especially true of messages you might hear on television. Trust me, I love those messages as much as the next person. Some people are simply gifted to encourage, and there is a place in God's kingdom for that. We just can't determine that it is the only form of God's messages that we are willing to hear. Oftentimes, when we start to receive corrective words, then we are ready to run the minister "out of town" or at least away from the pulpit.

Truthfully, America needs some corrective prophesies right now, and I would assume they would be received about as well as Jeremiah was, in some places. I know it isn't easy, but we must also remember that there is a place in God's kingdom for correction and for speaking prophesies that warn us of negative consequences of our behavior. The two types of ministry must work hand in hand, and we must be willing to accept both of them into our lives.

That is not to say that everyone or anyone is ordained to give correction. No, such matters are so sensitive that they must only be birthed in prayer and given only by a man or woman called by God to do so. It is so important that a Word from the Lord to correct a generation be bathed in such prayer and that is often the difficult part. Fear of rejection will often hold back the prophet before he gets a chance to give the Word. We must do our part to pray for these men or women to have courage while we are also praying to prepare our own hearts.

Father, let us always be willing to accept words of correction as easily as we are willing to accept encouragement. I know that's a big request, for myself, for anyone. I also understand that a little pruning is essential for growth. Prepare our hearts to receive in love as you prepare the ministers and prophets in our nation to give in love.

Dawn of a New Day

"Perhaps we are brokenhearted because of bitter suffering in our family.  Maybe our once-good reputation has been ruined and now we are ashamed.  Or life has been taken captive and destroyed before the watchful eyes of friends and foes alike.  Jeremiah watched this happen to his beloved nation, Israel.  It's no wonder he is known as the weeping prophet.  The people of God refused to listen to Jeremiah's warnings, and they were taken captive by a heathen nation as a result.  Lamentations is a record of Jeremiah's lament over the shameful fate of God's people.  From Jeremiah's heart:

"I remember how I suffered and wandered.  I remember how bitter my life was. I remember it very well. My spirit is very sad deep down inside me.  But here is something else I remember.  And it gives me hope.  The Lord loves us very much.  So we haven't been completely destroyed.  His loving concern never fails.  His great love is new every morning.  Lord, how faithful you are!  I say to myself, "The Lord is everything I will ever need.  So I will put my hope in him."  

 (Lamentations 3: 19-24, NIRV) 

Turning our life over to God includes giving him our pain and suffering.  In our times of grief and shame, we can hope, knowing that God will help us overcome the problems we face.  God is strong enough to lift our burdens and loving enough to mend our broken hearts."     (a devotion of  "Hope" from the Life Recovery Bible) 

Broken Chains

"But today, Jeremiah, I'm setting you free, taking the chains off your hands. If you'd like to come to Babylon with me, come along. I'll take good care of you. But if you don't want to come to Babylon with me, that's just fine, too. Look, the whole land stretches out before you. Do what you like. Go and live wherever you wish. If you want to stay home, go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan. The king of Babylon made him governor of the cities of Judah. Stay with him and your people. Or go wherever you'd like. It's up to you."    

 (Jeremiah 40: 4-5, The Message)

Jeremiah was being held prisoner, but on this day, the captain of the bodyguard was setting him free.  "Go live wherever you like.  You're free!"    "Jeremiah was free to go anywhere.  In Babylon, he would have had great comfort and power.  In Judah, he would continue to face hardship.  In Babylon, Jeremiah would have been favored by the Babylonians, but hated by the Judean exiles.  In Judah, he would remain poor and unwanted, but the Judean remnant would know he was not a traitor.  Jeremiah returned to Judah."    (footnote from the Life Application Bible)

Even though the chains were broken off of Jeremiah, the choice to go to Judah was going to cause some hardships for him.  Jeremiah knew that was where he needed to go, in spite of the lures of Babylon.  Oftentimes, we are faced with decisions that would appear, by man's standards, easy to make.  The offer of a great job with a huge salary and benefits may be offered.  But, in return, it will require a lot of overtime and travel away from home.  Do you take it so your family can have more material things?  Or, do you refuse it so as not to jeopardize your marriage and home life?  Maybe God has set you free from addictions and bad home situations, but you still seem to want to be around those who  have a negative influence on you.  You're free to go live and do what you want.  Why are you choosing to still hang around?

Pray that God will give you the strength necessary to walk away from those things in your life that are pulling you away from God instead of drawing you closer to him.  Even though you may have to get out of your "comfort zone" or make some sacrifices, you will know, in the end, that you have found freedom---freedom in Christ!

"My chains are gone---I've been set free!"

Get Off the Throne!

"God's Message came to me, "Son of man, tell the prince of Tyre, 'This is what God, the Master, says:

"'Your heart is proud, going around saying, "I'm a god. I sit on God's divine throne, ruling the sea" — You, a mere mortal, not even close to being a god, a mere mortal trying to be a god."   

 (Ezekiel 28: 1-2, The Message)

"Pride cometh before a fall".  The chief sin of Tyre's king was pride---believing himself to be a god.  Satan believed that he was a god and was expelled from heaven because of it.  The first of the Ten Commandments states:  "Thou shall have no other gods before me."  God will not tolerate idolatry---worship of a false god. 

Ezekiel is prophesying towards the human king of Tyre.  However, vs. 12-19 may very well be describing Satan, the spiritual king of Tyre, whom the people were really following.  The people of  Tyre and Satan were doomed for destruction because of their sinful behavior and disobedience. 

We must be careful not to worship other gods, such as celebrities, careers, money, or self.  Anything that requires more of our time and allegiance than serving and worshipping the one and only true God, may very well become an idol.  There are those who will place themselves or others on a pedestal, believing they are better or above those around them.   Be careful lest you fall.  It would be wiser to remove yourself from a throne than to fall off of it! 

(For an additional post regarding idolatry, go to http://hpc40dayfast.blogspot.com/2010/03/no-other-gods.html)

Malice?

15 "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah, 16 therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Kerethites and destroy those remaining along the coast. 17 I will carry out great vengeance on them and punish them in my wrath. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I take vengeance on them.' " Ezekiel 25:15-17 NIV

As Ezekiel prophesies in the verses above, what stood out the most to me this morning is "because the Philistines took revenge with malice in their hearts, then..." It is a classic case of "if and then". For example, someone might say "If you choose to do this in this way, then I will have to do this". Or they could say, "Because you chose to do this in that way, I had to do this". It seems that because they acted with malice in their hearts, then now they must pay the consequences.

A further search on malice, brought me to this verse:
Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
but harbor malice in their hearts. Psalms 28:3 NIV

And, Websters defines it in this way:
Malice -- desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another, either because of a hostile impulse or out of deep-seated meanness: the malice and spite of a lifelong enemy.

I can think of several occasions when someone was speaking kind words, but behind those kind words they actually held malice in their hearts for the person they were speaking to. Sometimes people even use kind words to try and guide the person they are speaking to in the direction they want them to go, in order to see the results they are hoping for.

I have always heard, "kill them with kindness" and I will assure you that it works. If you will be kind to someone who is mean to you, then more times than not, they will start to also be kind. However, this verse sheds a whole new light on that advice for me. You may choose to be kind to them, and it may very well alter the situation. Still, if you continue to hold onto the malice in your heart for that person, then nothing has truly changed. It has only changed on the surface.

I think the better advice would be to allow God to do a work in your heart so that you truly do wish good things for this person, not that you just pretend you do. Then, pretending won't be necessary and good things will come out of it that are long lasting, not just superficial.

Sometimes it's hard to admit if we hold any malice in our hearts. In this world of being politically correct, we have been trained to say the right things, even if we don't feel the right things. The problem with that is God can see what's under the surface, and sometimes it isn't as pleasing to Him as what everyone else sees. Search your heart today to see if you hold any ill will against anyway. Ask God to help you see those things that you have pushed below the surface. And, if you find any, ask Him to help you love that person and seek good things for them. Ask Him to help you remove the negative thoughts. In the end, negative thoughts do us more harm than they ever do the other person anyway. In turn, good thoughts about others will build you up on the inside more so than the person you are thinking about. Take time today to see your heart as the Lord sees it.

Be Careful What You Ask For....

"The Lord has told you, 'Do not go to Egypt.' Be sure of this: I warn you today that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the Lord your God and said, 'Pray to the Lord our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.' (Jeremiah 42:19-20, NIV)

The remnant which is left in the land of Judah comes to Jeremiah (42:2) and pleads to him to pray to the Lord on their behalf so they will know what to do and where to go since they were once many, but now are few! This request for prayer seems to be sincere, but as we read on we can tell that this request was actually done in vain! Their hearts were not in it, and they weren't going to listen to everything the Lord told them. Have you ever prayed like this: "Lord, let me do whatever it is that will glorify you and bring praise to your kingdom but.....?" The one three-letter word that can shoot down everything is but! "Lord, I was going to do this, but...." or maybe "Lord, I want to do your work and glorify you, but...." Just a warning: When you get ready to submit yourself to God and to His works, you better leave the "buts" out of it! When God is ready to move and do something with your life, you won't have any excuse but to jump on board and let him lead!!

Jeremiah later gathers the whole remnant together and tells them what the word of the Lord has spoken to him (Jeremiah 42:9-18). It seems to me that because there would be no war nor would they be hungry for bread, the remnant people had already made up their mind that they were going to Egypt to live regardless of what the Lord spoke to Jeremiah. They asked that Jeremiah intercede in prayer for them and find out what would please God, and afterwards totally disregarded it as nothing! Just another warning: When God tells you to do something, do it!

Since the people disregarded the word of the Lord and chose to pursue their own happiness in a land with no war and where they would not be hungry for bread, they were told they would die by the sword, famine and plague! All of their plans may have worked out for them in Egypt, but they specifically asked for the Lord's guidance and then ignored it. They were going to settle in Egypt without the one major thing they needed:  God's Blessing!!

If you're ever at a point in your life when you need God to move and you begin to pray for his guidance, don't ignore the answer when it comes! Asking God to guide your steps and then moving in the other direction will bring consequences with it! Just as the remnant people of Judah were told they would die by the sword, famine and plague, God will deal justly with us if we ask for something, then ignore his answer! Don't question it---just do it!

Restoration

^10-11"Yes, God's Message: 'You're going to look at this place, these empty and desolate towns of Judah and streets of Jerusalem, and say, "A wasteland. Unlivable. Not even a dog could live here." But the time is coming when you're going to hear laughter and celebration, marriage festivities, people exclaiming, "Thank God-of-the-Angel-Armies. He's so good! His love never quits," as they bring thank offerings into God's Temple. I'll restore everything that was lost in this land. I'll make everything as good as new.' I, God, say so.

^12-13"God-of-the-Angel-Armies says: 'This coming desolation, unfit for even a stray dog, is once again going to become a pasture for shepherds who care for their flocks. You'll see flocks everywhere—in the mountains around the towns of the Shephelah and Negev, all over the territory of Benjamin, around Jerusalem and the towns of Judah—flocks under the care of shepherds who keep track of each sheep.' God says so. Jeremiah 13:10-13 (Message)

My father enjoys rebuilding and restoring old cars. Working on cars has been a hobby of his for all of my life. Today, he showed me a picture of a Mustang he recently finished. My mother was laughing as she remembered the day that "car" came to their house. You see, he told her he was going to pick up an old Mustang to work on, and he pulled in the driveway with a U-haul. The "car", as he put it, was in so many pieces that he had to box it all up and bring it home in the U-haul. My mother and sister never dreamed that those boxes would become the red and black mustang that now sits in their garage. They couldn't see any future for those broken pieces. My father always had a vision of what those pieces would become. It is the same with our Heavenly Father. He is our Restorer, and He knows exactly what he wants to make of all our broken pieces.

It's so easy for people to just write something off as useless when we no longer see hope for that situation. We also do the same for people. Often, we determine that a person will simply never have any good come from them, and then we are finished with them. The verses above show that God can bring restoration to any person or any situation. Even if our own eyes can not see the possibility of good, God still can. In fact, in many cases, God is the only pathway to restoration after a time of devastation. No matter how hopeless you may feel about anything or anyone, find joy in knowing that God has the power to restore everything and everyone!

No "Coattails" in Heaven

"The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness."   (Ezekiel 18: 20, NLT)

"I had a praying mother".  "My grandmother was so religious".  "I'm a third-generation preacher".  It's great to have a spiritual heritage.  So much can be passed down from generation to generation.  So much good---and so much bad.  Just because we had someone who lived before us that was good and holy, doesn't mean we'll turn out the same way.  Nor, does God look at your life, and says you get a ticket into heaven just because THEY received eternal life.

Last Friday, I posted "The Blame Game", taken from Jeremiah 31, and in reference to the proverb about "eating the sour grapes".   Here in Ezekiel, we find the same reference, and how we are all responsible for our own sins.  We cannot place the blame on someone else because of our sinful behavior.  And, in like manner, neither can we automatically assume that we are righteous before God because our parents were.  We must take responsibility for our own personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  We can't ride someone else's "coattails" into heaven! 

. . . And Which Sin is Greater?

"As surely as I am the living LORD God, the people of Sodom and its nearby villages were never as sinful as you.  They were arrogant and spoiled; they had everything they needed and still refused to help the poor and needy.  They thought they were better than everyone else, and they did things I hate. And so I destroyed them."    (Ezekiel 16: 48-50,  Contemporary English Version)

We find that Ezekiel is giving the people of Judah a message from the Lord.  He is comparing the sins of Sodom and Samaria with those committed in Jerusalem.  When we think of Sodom, we think of a city of total corruption.  When God completely destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, it was due to their wickedness.  We most often associate the sin of homosexuality with those cities, but that wasn't the only sin being committed there.   

Leviticus 20: 13 states, " 'If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable."   But, wait!  Have you read the entire chapter of Leviticus 20?  Do you see how many sins were displeasing to God and their due punishment?  There are many who would like to pick out the sin of homosexuality and make it appear that it is a worse sin than others.  Look at the above verse in Ezekiel 16.  God says Sodom did things that he hated, but He doesn't mention sexual perversion by name.  However, God mentions other things, such as pride, arrogance, and refusal to help the needy as being sinful behavior.  And, God destoyed the city of Sodom because of that. 

Since God is a fair God,  He has all the reasons in the world to destroy our nation.  Look at how much pride and arrogance abounds.  Look at all the poor and needy people.  Are we doing our part to help them?  God sent prophets with messages to warn the people to turn to him.  God is still using people today to get his message out: 

"Repent, for the time is at hand.  Come, it's level at the foot of the cross!"

Washed White

" ' "They lead my people away from me. They say, 'Peace.' But there isn't any peace. They are like people who build a weak wall. They try to cover up the weakness by painting the wall white."   (Ezekiel 13: 10, NIRV)

Developed before paint was readily available, whitewash was primarily used to protect exposed surfaces from the elements and to give everything a clean, well-tended appearance. Here, false prophets have come to the people of Israel, saying everything is okay, all is peaceful.  However, the Lord is sending messages through Ezekiel to warn the people that destruction is coming if they don't repent.  The false prophets were "whitewashing" the truth.   

We can try to “cover up” our sins or addictions, and, outwardly, we may appear to be “clean” and have it all together. But, inside, a deeper cleansing needs to take place. We may have weaknesses in our lives, but we strive to appear that all is well and to exhibit a strong image. Instead of trying to mask what is going on, admit your problem and your issues. What can wash away your sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

“You can’t whitewash your sins and get by with it; you find mercy by admitting and leaving them.”

Proverbs 28:13   (The Message Bible)

Eyes to See and Ears to Hear

1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people. Ezekiel 12:1-2 NIV

I have been reading a book by Jennifer Rothschild. If you don't know of her, she is a strong Christian woman who became blind at a young age. What I have learned from reading her story is that, while she may not physically be able to see as you and I do, she truly sees much more than you and I do. Perhaps, being sheltered from the overload of visual stimulation in the world has allowed her to let the Holy Spirit be her eyes in ways that we have not yet experienced.

In watching the news headlines lately, it seems the human race is currently acting more out of fear and anger right now than anything else. So many decisions are made either out of bitterness to someone or something else, or they are made because we fear not making them. We don't really know what to do, and so we allow our emotions to dictate most of our steps. Truly, is that any different than what we as individuals tend to do in these difficult times? It may seem the decisions are more important or more far reaching when they are made by someone important enough to be in the news. However, even the consequences of our own simple decisions will soon reach someone else.

It has recently come to my attention that what so many people are running away from or are afraid of is simply God, or their version of God. We fear what God thinks of us. We fear what God might do next. We fear that God judges us. We fear that God condemns us. We fear that God doesn't even understand us. It's really not all that simple. We fear a god who doesn't even exist. No, No, don't get me wrong. God does exist! The One and Only Immanuel, God With Us, Savior, Alpha and Omega, Beginning and the End---He very much exists!! However, what we fear is what we have made God out to be, and we have made him in our image! That isn't God! God wasn't made in our image. We were made in His image! He is unimaginable, but not unattainable! He is everything you could ever hope Him to be, and yet so much more. Sadly, He is not much of what we have trained ourselves to believe He is. And yet, He is so much more than we have allowed ourselves to believe He is!

Through the world, we have learned to only see and hear what the world wants us to see and hear. Like someone in hypnosis, we have allowed the Earth to become our cradle as we are rocked to sleep by the enemy of this world. We try to see God with our physical eyes. We try to determine what He sees based upon what we can see. We can only truly see God with our hearts, and we must trust in the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the falsehoods that surround us. We can not possibly know everything that God sees or what his next move might be, but the more we truly know him as He truly is, then the better we can understand what He does allow us to know.

"Think outside the box" is an old cliche that urges you to think about something in a different way than you normally would. Today, I believe that we have to start thinking "inside the Book." In other words, rather than determining that we already know enough about God, rather than determining that we already know what the Bible says, based upon whatever we have been taught, we should seek truth out for ourselves. We do this by reading his Word, praying for understanding of that word, and most of all praying that all preconceptions or misconceptions be revealed to us. I am not asking that we try to make something new. I am asking that we go back to the old. I am asking that we remove the weight of this world and find our way back to the freedom and peace that only the one true God can bring. That would be the God introduced in the Holy Bible, not the one explained by the world.

Father, we ask that you truly give us eyes to see and ears to hear. Help us not to be a rebellious people. Help us to be a light shining with Truth in a dark world. Amen

Judgment Is Coming!

Today’s reading (Ezekiel 23) talks about two sisters, Oholah and Oholibah, who became idolatrous. Oholah continued in her lustful ways and was eventually turned over to her lovers who killed her with the sword. Even though her sister Oholibah saw this, she was even more corrupt than her sister had been. She carried her corruption even farther by lusting after men portrayed on a wall, which symbolized idols. The Lord told her that he would stir up lovers against her and that they would come with weapons for her.

Verse 29 speaks to us very clearly because the Lord told Oholibah, “those you hate will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for.” Wonder why the Lord would be so harsh to her? Read verse 30 carefully. The Lord told her that she has brought this upon herself. God has mercy and grace for us and allows us a “grace space”, but when we totally ignore his presence, I believe he has to eventually deal with us accordingly.

Jumping down to Ezekiel 24:13-14, God gives us another example of his “grace space.” God has put up with idolatrous acts for a while now and tried to cleanse them for as long as he can. He says in verse 13, “I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed from your impurity,” so He then says that they would not be clean again until his wrath for them has settled. What if God no longer allowed you to ask for forgiveness and or allowed you to be cleansed from your sins? Even though these events took place long ago, it’s still hard for me to take in the following verse. The Lord spoke, “The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will not have pity, nor will I change my mind. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declared the Lord.”

It’s time we get our act together and quit playing games. God may be on his last straw with us before he says, “ENOUGH!” This world is filled with filth, hatred, and rebellious people, and I believe it’s about time that God says, “Enough!” If God is going to judge us by our conduct and actions, don’t you want to have yours in line? Let everything we do be done for the Lord!

A Change of Heart

"Well, tell them this, 'This is your Message from God, the Master. True, I sent you to the far country and scattered you through other lands. All the same, I've provided you a temporary sanctuary in the countries where you've gone. I will gather you back from those countries and lands where you've been scattered and give you back the land of Israel. You'll come back and clean house, throw out all the rotten images and obscene idols. I'll give you a new heart. I'll put a new spirit in you. I'll cut out your stone heart and replace it with a red-blooded, firm-muscled heart. Then you'll obey my statutes and be careful to obey my commands. You'll be my people! I'll be your God!  "'But not those who are self-willed and addicted to their rotten images and obscene idols! I'll see that they're paid in full for what they've done.' Decree of God, the Master." Ezekiel 11:16-21

I think the message here is clear. If we are willing to change, God is willing to change us. If we remain committed only to our own will and the idols we have, He will judge us accordingly.

What a loving God we serve! He is One who is willing to forgive us more than we deserve. He is One who is willing to constantly help us to become better, if we want Him to. He only asks us to allow Him into our hearts and to strive to serve Him. The Bible says that He will not put more on us than we can bear. Even though He requires for us to obey Him, He loves us enough to not make it impossible. He always gives us a way out of temptation when needed. He is willing to form us, like clay, over and over again. When we stray, He is willing to start over. All we have to do is to come back to Him.

Take this message to heart today. Don't be like those who are unwilling to change and conform to God's will. No! Instead, be the ones who cry out, "change me God, change me from the inside out!" Then, let Him do it!

The Blame Game

"The people will no longer quote this proverb:  ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children’s mouths pucker at the taste.’ All people will die for their own sins—those who eat the sour grapes will be the ones whose mouths will pucker."   (Jeremiah 31:  29-30, NLT)

Our actions will not only affect us, but those around us.  We may often try to place the blame on someone else as to why we behave the way that we do.  In Exodus, it speaks of the sin of the fathers being punishable to the third and fourth generations.  This was written during the time the Ten Commandments were given.  However, here in Jeremiah,  the Lord is making a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah.  Now, each of them will be responsible for their own sinful behavior.  If they ate the "sour grapes" or committed the evil deed, then they would be the one who would suffer, not their children. 

What excuses do you use for your sins?  Do you blame your spouse for making you have a bad attitude?  Are you harboring unforgiveness towards your parents for the way they treated you?  Is it everyone else's fault but your own?  Negative things may have occurred in your life.  They will impact how you currently react to situations.  However, God still holds you responsible for your behavior.  You may have to consciously work on problem areas in your life, but when you stand before God, you are the only one He will hold accountable for the deeds that you have done.   

Hope for the Future

"This is what the Lord says: 'You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.  For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.' "   (Jeremiah 29:  10-11, NLT)

Verse 11 of Jeremiah is probably one of the most quoted scriptures in the Old Testament.  I know it ranks quite high.  We want to know that we have a God who loves us and cares about us.  He wants our future to be bright!  But, in order for God's plans to succeed in our lives, we must seek out what they are and learn to understand God's will.

There were those from Judah who had been taken captive and sent into exile to Babylon.  They included the priests, elders, prophets, court officials, craftsmen, etc.  Jeremiah is writing a letter to them, as revealed to him by the Lord.  "Oh, by the way, you will be in Babylon for 70 years.  But, after that, good things are going to happen!"  I can see them now, "Oh, yea!  I can do that.  I can hold on for that long since I know good is coming."  Right!!

Psalm 90: 10 states, "Seventy years are given to us!  Some even live to eighty."  I know there are those who don't live to be 70 yrs. old.  But, basically, life is short when compared to eternity.  A letter has been written to us---God's Word.  Just like the captives in exile, we are given a certain number of days to live upon this earth, after which God will take us home.  We may have trials, sorrows, and disappointments.  Given what our future will be like in eternity with God, this life here is but a vapor, so we can endure.  God will give us a future and a hope---not only here on earth, but for eternity! 

Behind Closed Doors

"He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood." Ezekiel 8:3

It seems to me that God was anxious to show Ezekiel the detestable things going on behind closed doors in the house of Israel. He that has an ear, let him hear!

The elders of the house of Israel were performing outrageous acts in the darkness. Ezekiel had to dig into the wall to view the elders in their hideaway. I suppose that the elders felt that, in this area, no one, not even God, could see the images they had portrayed on the walls. They went to the point of saying,"The Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the land."

You may feel that the Lord has forsaken you, but it does not mean He is not watching over you. It's not God that forsakes us---we forsake God. God is the only constant in our daily life, and we are the ones that are the variables. Set your eyes upon Him and let Him give you stability. Don't hide out in the darkness of sin, but let His light invade it!

Rooted in Christ

 “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
 They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit."

(Jeremiah 17: 7-8, NLT)

This has been an extremely long, hot summer.  In fact, I think it started back in the spring.  Temperatures in the nineties, with heat indexes on some days over 100 degrees.  John and I like to landscape and plant flowers.  This year, we planted quite a few annuals.  Most did not make much of a showing due to this heat.  Even the petunias did not do well.  However, the perennials and shrubs are still making it, in spite of not much extra watering (except for the rains).  Their root systems are much stronger and deeper than the annuals, so they have been able to withstand this drought. 

Much like plants/flowers, so is our spiritual life.  We can water and nurture our spirit by feeding on God's Word and staying in daily prayer to Him.  Our walk with God will mature, becoming stronger and deeper as the days pass.  However, we can spend a minimal amount of time with God, and not have a very strong "root system".  Storms of life will come, swaying us back and forth.  Sometimes, the winds will blow so hard, "knocking us off our feet", pulling out the small roots that were there.  But, if our roots go deep in the Lord, even though we may bend until we think we will break, we will continue to stand.  That's why it's important to be grounded in Jesus Christ!

"Just like a tree that's planted by the waters, I shall not be moved."

Testing...

16 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes.They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.
17 They keep saying to those who despise me, 'The LORD says: You will have peace.' And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, 'No harm will come to you.'
18 But which of them has stood in the council of the LORD to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word?    Jeremiah 23:16-18 NIV

In this day and age, you can find a sermon just about anywhere you want to find one. You can find them on the TV, the radio, or the Internet. There are a lot of people that claim to have a Word from the Lord, but even fewer people who truly do. The Bible says, that in the last days, there will be many false prophets. There will be many who say they come in the name of Jesus, who have not been called by Jesus. There will be many who preach to the people and yet don't even know Jesus themselves.

With so much information floating around, feel free to test the things you hear. Study the Word and test the prophesies against the Word. As the verse above says, these prophets preached that those who despise the Lord will have peace. They were preaching that they can continue to follow the stubbornness of their own hearts and no harm would come to them. This is directly in conflict with the teachings of the Bible that say to love the Lord, to be humble, and to give up our old ways.

The Bible also says that you will know them by their fruits. The verses above state that the false prophets have not stood in council of the Lord or seen and heard the Word for themselves. Therefore, how can they proclaim to know what God is saying? The rest of this passage goes on to state that they were living ungodly lives. As you choose your teachers, test their lives against the Word, to check and see if they are fruitful.

It will become harder as time goes on to distinguish the true from the false. We will have to rely more and more on the Bible as our measuring stick. We must take the responsibility to study for ourselves so that we can recognize these things more easily.

Congratulations on making it to August in the Chronological Bible! This is a great step towards educating yourself in the Word. I know that it has helped me a great deal. Continue on this path, and by the end of the year, your heart will be full of the truth of His Word!

Joy Comes In The Morning!

"O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress."    Isaiah 33:2 NIV

Sometimes it seems that every day is a struggle and every morning brings new problems. "This too shall pass", but while we are waiting, remember our strength comes from the Lord.  Ask Him to be your strength today and your salvation in this time of distress!

Sorrow may last for the night, but JOY COMES IN THE MORNING!!!

More Than Words

"This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a clay jar. Then ask some of the leaders of the people and of the priests to follow you.  As these men watch you, Jeremiah, smash the jar you brought. Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: As this jar lies shattered, so I will shatter the people of Judah and Jerusalem beyond all hope of repair."     (Jeremiah 19:  1, 10-11a, NLT)

Shattered.  Shattered pieces.  Shattered pieces of our lives.  This photo may speak to you something differently.  Often times, photos or objects can represent a message that we are trying to convey to the people.  And, with something visual, they may get a better understanding of what we're trying to say to them.  

The people of Judah continued on in their sinful behavior, to the point where their worship of Baal included sacrificing their children, and even cannibalism.  Jeremiah's message was to warn them of what God would do if this behavior continued.  God would shatter them, just like Jeremiah shattered the clay jar.

In today's church culture, you see more and more illustrative messages being brought forth.  It's not necessarily a new idea since such a message was brought forth here.  However, with all the technology and creative arts available today, so many different things can be expressed through video, music, pictures, etc. The point of the message can really be highlighted.  And, if that's what it takes for us to retain what we've heard, or to gain a better understanding, I say "Go for it!"     

Questions

2 How long, O LORD, must I call for help,but you do not listen?Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save?
3 Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong?Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.
4 Therefore the law is paralyzed,and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.    Habakkuk 1:2-4 NIV

In this verse, Habakkuk is questioning God as to how long he has to endure the evil in his land.  As it goes on, God's response is that He is about to do something Habakkuk will not believe. He is going to raise up Babylonians to come against and punish Judah. After hearing this, Habakkuk questions God again. This time he wants to know how a good God could allow that to happen. How could He fight evil with evil?

"Habakkuk poses the profound theological question which must nag at anyone who is seriously listening to the prophets. It may even be a question which the various prophets themselves have considered.  How then can God permit these unrighteous nations to succeed in their evil oppressions?...How can a righteous God permit evil to exist at all?"

"Although God does not provide all the answers in His dialogue with Habakkuk, He does address the central question. His answer is that evil, wherever it is found, always bears within it seeds of its own destruction. Judah's sins have condemned it to inevitable destruction. The particular agency by which that destruction comes is of no consequence. The enemy may be a righteous or a wicked nation---it matters not. But likewise, if the oppressors themselves are evil---as the Babylonians are---then they too will face their own destruction. Only in righteousness is there life; sin always brings death."   (footnotes from The Daily Bible)

I think often times we feel we can not question God. Yet, we do question Him in our mind. We are just afraid to ask Him directly. I think that this passage proves that God knows we may have questions. And, I believe, that through prayer, He wants us to ask questions of Him so that He can better help us understand situations. He may not give us all of the answers, but He may give us enough answers to bring peace to our hearts.

In this particular situation, the answer to the question simply states that evil produces evil. Too often, when something bad happens, we feel hurt that God allowed it. Yet, evil things have been a part of the world since Adam and Eve left the garden. It's a part of where we live at the moment. We can find some solace in knowing that, even though it may appear evil is reaping rewards at the moment, the day will come for justice in that area as well. For some, the price may never be paid until the day of judgment. Rest assured, that one day all evil will answer for it's doings. It may have enjoyed rewards for a time, but it will not be for eternity.

For those of us who know Jesus as Lord and Savior, we can rejoice in knowing that, whatever hardship life brings us, we have an eternity of joy lying ahead of us. One day, good will reign where we live, and all of our questions will be answered.

Thank you God for sending your Son to rescue us and offering us eternal hope through the salvation made possible only by His innocent blood.

Time and Again

"Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people in Judah and Jerusalem, “For the past twenty-three years—the Lord has been giving me his messages. I have faithfully passed them on to you, but you have not listened.  “Again and again the Lord has sent you his servants, the prophets, but you have not listened or even paid attention.  Each time the message was this: ‘Turn from the evil road you are traveling and from the evil things you are doing. Only then will I let you live in this land that the Lord gave to you and your ancestors forever."   (Jeremiah 25: 2-5, NLT)

"If I have told you once, I have told you a thousand times. . ."  We may often hear this phrase coming from the mouth of a parent being spoken to their child.  More often than not, the instructions or advice have not been told a "thousand times".  But, then again . . . 

Can you imagine what it must have been like for Jeremiah?  For 23 yrs., God has given him a message to bring forth to the people of Judah:  "Turn from your wicked ways"---but, they won't listen.  I believe by this time, most of us would have given up and went on to another region with a different message.  But, not Jeremiah.  He believed in God.  He trusted Him.  Jeremiah knew what he was called to do, and that was get this message out so the people could be saved. 

Sound familiar?  Preachers, teachers, and evangelists have brought forth the message of  "Repent, for the time is at hand.  Jesus will soon return".  And, there are those who will continue to live their lives without no thought for tomorrow.  They continue to reject the message sent forth.  However, one of these days, and from the "signs of the times", that day may not be afar off, Christ is going to return. He's going to take His bride home to live with him forever.  Don't put off until tomorrow what needs to be done today!

BUT. . .

 “O Moab, they weep for you!  The people of the god Chemosh are destroyed!  Your sons and your daughters have been taken away as captives.  But I will restore the fortunes of Moab in days to come.  I, the Lord, have spoken!”   (Jeremiah 48:  46-47, NLT)

The entire chapter of Jeremiah 48 speaks of the sin and destruction of Moab, except for the very last verse.  And, then there's a "but".  Restoration will come!

The Moabites were descendants of Lot through an incestuous relationship.  Lot's oldest daughter gave him wine, he became drunk, and she lay with him in order to preserve the family line (Genesis 19).  The Moabites led the Israelites into idolatry (Numbers 25).  Chemosh was their main god, and child sacrifice was an important part of worship (2 Kings 3).  They were also very prideful, and God cannot tolerate pride.  From the looks of all this, I would say that God had plenty of reasons to order the destruction of Moab.  

BUT, even though God destroys, He restores.  This passage of scripture doesn't tell when or how Moab was restored, BUT since God promised that He would, then it must come to pass.  What a merciful God!  We find this time and time again.  God will allow destruction to come, BUT then show His loving kindness and mercy.  Even in our own spiritual lives, hardships and trials will occur.  There may be difficulties that come as a direct result of our sinful behavior, BUT it doesn't mean that God does not love us.  He just allows those things to happen for His perfect will to be manifested in our lives.   

Like An Army!

"The king acted immediately, assembling all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. Then the king proceeded to The Temple of God, bringing everyone in his train—priests and prophets and people ranging from the famous to the unknown. Then he read out publicly everything written in the Book of the Covenant that was found in The Temple of God. The king stood by the pillar and before God solemnly committed them all to the covenant: to follow God believingly and obediently; to follow his instructions, heart and soul, on what to believe and do; to put into practice the entire covenant, all that was written in the book. The people stood in affirmation; their commitment was unanimous."     2 Kings 23:1-3 (Message)

Last night, 3trees Church marched into our new facility and, symbolically, through the door of our future. I heard it said that we approached the moment, "like an army". When I read the above verses, one sentence stood out amongst the rest:  "The people stood in affirmation; their commitment was unanimous." 3trees Church stood unanimously last night and fell on our knees to seek God's forgiveness for where we may have failed in the past, to praise Him for all He has done, and to pledge our commitment to His will for our future. We did it without announcement, without ceremony, and without recognition. We did it only for God. For this, I believe we received the attention of heaven. Truly, greater things are yet to come! In just a few days, we begin our journey.  And, I believe, we can all agree---that it couldn't be more exciting!