One Year Bible
Old Testament passage for Saturday, November 16, 2013: Ezekiel 33:1-34:31
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, "Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: 'Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?'" Ezekiel 34:2 (NKJV)
There are a number of images used in Scripture to describe the relationship between God and His people. One of the most vivid is that of the shepherd and his flock.
Throughout the Bible, from beginning to end, the idea of shepherd and sheep is used to describe not only God and His people, but also all leadership and ministry. The Bible regularly describes God as Shepherd. One of the most familiar passages, Psalm 23, begins, "The Lord is my shepherd." Jesus describes Himself as "the Good Shepherd" (John 10:11,14).
All leadership, in some way, reflects this basic idea of shepherd and sheep. Churches today have pastors (another word for shepherds). All eldership is rooted in the shepherding motif. Even secular leaders are depicted as under-shepherds -- "ministers of God" (see Rom. 13:4-6). When Ezekiel or Jeremiah address "the shepherds of Israel" (Ez. 34:2), they are not just speaking of the priestly order. They are indicting the kings and leaders of Israel.
According to Ezekiel 34, leaders are charged with three basic responsibilities: GUIDANCE, PROVISION, and SAFETY.
GUIDANCE
The job of leaders is to LEAD!!! Ezekiel's most scathing indictment of bad shepherds is their lack of guidance. Repeatedly he says the sheep are "scattered" and they "wander through the mountains" (34:5-6). The sheep have no direction and therefore they fall away.
By contrast, the good shepherd searches for the sheep and "brings them out" (34:13). The good shepherd gives good leadership that gathers the flock. He leads to greener pastures and refreshing waters (Ps. 23:2).
Much needs to be said here, but I will quickly say that Satan's primary tactic is to neutralize, nullify, or disqualify God's leaders. It takes incredible courage to lead. Leadership takes us into a preferred future, but it requires breaking out of old patterns in order to embrace the new.
Leadership is never based on where we are. It is based on where God wants us to go. That is not "maintenance thinking." It is "future thinking."
PROVISION
The job of leaders is to FEED. Healthy people will require healthy food. Good shepherds feed their flocks well. No fast food here!
Needless to say, in a day of sound bites and slogans, the need of the hour is exposition and clarity. What would it look like for a church, a community, a city, a nation to be built on Truth?
Leadership is not satisfied with raking leaves, when we can grow a tree.
SAFETY
Leaders are called to CARE. In the mass of human need, it is so easy to become callous and uncaring. When we come face-to-face with the stupidity of sin and the blindness of many human hearts, there is the temptation to "circle the wagons" and shut out the pain.
Shepherds cannot do that. In the words of Ezekiel 34, we are called to "bind up", "strengthen", and "save" (34:4,16,22). The shepherd does not think first of his own safety, but rather of the sheep.
So many wolves circle the flock these days. Whether it be false teaching or flirtatious media -- whether it be financial distress or family disorder -- the heat is on. God's "secret weapon"against the wolves is a godly shepherd.
IN CONCLUSION
Leadership is under attack in our day. The world, the flesh, and the devil conspire to neuter all leadership and render it token.
If you are a leader, please join with me in re-dedication to LEAD -- no matter what happens. If you have someone over you that is called to lead, please SUPPORT them. Satan wants to pick them off. Israel fell because leaders failed. In the famous words of John Maxwell: "Everything rises and falls on leadership."
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Friday, November 15, 2013
Where Did Satan Come From?
One Year Bible
Old Testament passage for Wednesday, November 13, 2013: Ezekiel 27:1-28:26
14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. Ezekiel 28:14-15 (NKJV)
Who is Satan and where did he come from? This is an important biblical question. There are two key places in the Old Testament that can give us answers: Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28. Most places in the Bible describe the devil simply by his activities (see Job 1). But these two chapters take us further.
While prophesying to earthly kings (Babyon and Tyre), these two chapters take a different slant. It is obvious they are addressing someone more than these earthly rulers.
Ezekiel addresses the king of Tyre, but then goes to a higher level. He says, "You were the anointed cherub that covers" (28:14). This is obviously NOT the king of Tyre. This individual was "the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty" (28:12). Uniformly, biblical scholars agree that Ezekiel is speaking of an angelic being originally called Lucifer (Is. 14:12). Ezekiel says of him, "You were in Eden, the garden of God" and goes on to describe an array of precious gems that adorned him. In both Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28, musical instruments are associated with him (Is. 14:11 -- "your stringed instruments"; Ez. 28:13 -- "your timbrels and pipes"). Since worship surrounds the throne of God and this angelic being was "the anointed cherub that covers", some have speculated that Lucifer was originally some sort of heavenly worship leader.
In both passages, something goes wrong. Evil is invented. Lucifer was not tempted, he created temptation. He was not seduced into sin, he created sin. No doubt, this points to one of the most profound theological and philosophical questions of the universe. How could a good, sovereign God allow such evil to exist?
We will not here fully answer this profound question, but I can make a few observations.
1. FREE WILL. This is a historically debated topic, but it is clear that Almighty God allowed Lucifer the ability to think on his own. As such, this archangel concocted rebellion. God chose not to dominate and suppress this free choice, but rather to allow it along with its appropriate consequences.
2. VULNERABILITY. If Lucifer could be so close to the throne and yet still fall, we ought to realize that each of us is also vulnerable. Lucifer fell prey to his own pride. That can happen to us, too.
3. FOCUS. The center of the universe is our great God. Paul writes, "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to Whom be glory forever" (Rom. 11:36). Lucifer took his eyes off God and became centered on himself. Isaiah is most descriptive of this. Five times, Lucifer says, "I WILL" (Is. 14:13-15). The essence of sin is not just breaking the law, but of centering on self. Today, someone may keep virtually all the laws and yet still ultimately have "self" on the throne.
Who is Satan? He is a fallen angel who leads a cosmic rebellion against Almighty God. There is absolutely no question as to Satan's future. He actually has already lost the war. He simply goes about seeking further destruction prior to his final demise.
Someone once said that if we realized how sigificant free will is, we would immediately give it totally to God. Satan fell because of self-centered rebellion. We can stand and be strong by whole-hearted faith and surrender. May God strengthen each of us to be always GOD-CENTERED. "To Him be the glory!"
Old Testament passage for Wednesday, November 13, 2013: Ezekiel 27:1-28:26
14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. Ezekiel 28:14-15 (NKJV)
Who is Satan and where did he come from? This is an important biblical question. There are two key places in the Old Testament that can give us answers: Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28. Most places in the Bible describe the devil simply by his activities (see Job 1). But these two chapters take us further.
While prophesying to earthly kings (Babyon and Tyre), these two chapters take a different slant. It is obvious they are addressing someone more than these earthly rulers.
Ezekiel addresses the king of Tyre, but then goes to a higher level. He says, "You were the anointed cherub that covers" (28:14). This is obviously NOT the king of Tyre. This individual was "the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty" (28:12). Uniformly, biblical scholars agree that Ezekiel is speaking of an angelic being originally called Lucifer (Is. 14:12). Ezekiel says of him, "You were in Eden, the garden of God" and goes on to describe an array of precious gems that adorned him. In both Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28, musical instruments are associated with him (Is. 14:11 -- "your stringed instruments"; Ez. 28:13 -- "your timbrels and pipes"). Since worship surrounds the throne of God and this angelic being was "the anointed cherub that covers", some have speculated that Lucifer was originally some sort of heavenly worship leader.
In both passages, something goes wrong. Evil is invented. Lucifer was not tempted, he created temptation. He was not seduced into sin, he created sin. No doubt, this points to one of the most profound theological and philosophical questions of the universe. How could a good, sovereign God allow such evil to exist?
We will not here fully answer this profound question, but I can make a few observations.
1. FREE WILL. This is a historically debated topic, but it is clear that Almighty God allowed Lucifer the ability to think on his own. As such, this archangel concocted rebellion. God chose not to dominate and suppress this free choice, but rather to allow it along with its appropriate consequences.
2. VULNERABILITY. If Lucifer could be so close to the throne and yet still fall, we ought to realize that each of us is also vulnerable. Lucifer fell prey to his own pride. That can happen to us, too.
3. FOCUS. The center of the universe is our great God. Paul writes, "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to Whom be glory forever" (Rom. 11:36). Lucifer took his eyes off God and became centered on himself. Isaiah is most descriptive of this. Five times, Lucifer says, "I WILL" (Is. 14:13-15). The essence of sin is not just breaking the law, but of centering on self. Today, someone may keep virtually all the laws and yet still ultimately have "self" on the throne.
Who is Satan? He is a fallen angel who leads a cosmic rebellion against Almighty God. There is absolutely no question as to Satan's future. He actually has already lost the war. He simply goes about seeking further destruction prior to his final demise.
Someone once said that if we realized how sigificant free will is, we would immediately give it totally to God. Satan fell because of self-centered rebellion. We can stand and be strong by whole-hearted faith and surrender. May God strengthen each of us to be always GOD-CENTERED. "To Him be the glory!"
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
IDENTITY: "I am Victorious"
Here are the notes from Sunday's message at New Life Community Church. This was the last is the series IDENTITY and is entitled "I am Victorious". If you would like to listen to this message, you may do so by going to our website at www.newlifesite.com. God bless.
Context of TRUE VICTORY is
IDENTITY, Part 6 Sunday,
October 27, 2013
“I am Victorious”
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. II Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
Three questions:
1. Who
do you think you are?
2. Who
does God say that you are?
3. Who
does Satan say that you are?
Old
Game Show: To Tell the Truth. Three individuals who claimed the same
identity. Four panelists asked questions
to determine who the real one was.
Will
the real _________ please stand up?
I have been crucified with Christ;
it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I
live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)
Dietrich
Bonhoeffer: "When
Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die."
Inability
to live “the Christian Life”
But thanks be to God, who gives us
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 15:57 (ESV)
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us
in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge
of him everywhere.
II Corinthians 2:13 (ESV)
Yet
in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37 (NKJV)
Question: What things?
35 Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or
distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day
long; We are accounted as sheep for the
slaughter.” Romans 8:35-36
(NKJV)
7 But
we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may
be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed
on every side, yet not crushed; we are
perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— II Corinthians 4:7-9 (NKJV)
1. Victory comes from what you SEE
16 Therefore we do not lose
heart. Even though our outward man
is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For
our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of
glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen,
but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. II Corinthians 4:16-18 (NKJV)
2. Victory comes from what you KNOW
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; Hosea 4:6 (ESV)
3. Victory comes from where you FELLOWSHIP
Do not be misled: “Bad company
corrupts good character.” I Corinthians 15:33 (NIV)
Whoever
walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. Proverbs 13:20 (ESV)
The righteous should choose his
friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray. Proverbs 12:26 (NKJV)
The Miracle of Fulfilled Prophecy
One Year Bible
Old Testament passage for Tuesday, November 12, 2013: Ezekiel 24:1-26:21
1 In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: ... 3 ... therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. 4 They shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers, and I will scrape her soil from her and make her a bare rock. 5 She shall be in the midst of the sea a place for the spreading of nets, for I have spoken, declares the Lord God. Ezekiel 26:1, 3-5 (ESV)
Fulfillment of prophecy is one of the most convincing proofs of the divine inspiration of the Bible. Ezekiel 26 is one of the best examples of this. I first read about this many years ago when I picked up Josh McDowell's Evidence That Demands a Verdict. He lays it out over several pages.
Over the years, Ezekiel 26 has been hotly debated by skeptics and believers. The truth remains. God spoke a six-part word over the mighty city of Tyre, and history shows exact fulfillment.
1. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, would attack Tyre and destroy the mainland city (26:7-8)
2. Tyre would be attacked by many nations (26:3).
3. Her buildings would be flattened and the city would become like the top of a rock (26:4)
4. The debris of the city would be dragged into the sea (26:12)
5. Fishermen would dry their nets where once the city had stood (26:5, 14)
6. The city would never be rebuilt (26:14)
History records that each of these prophecies have been literally fulfilled! Thirteen years after Ezekiel prophesied, Nebuchadnezzar laid siege and destroyed the mainland half of Tyre. Over the years, Alexander the Great, his successor Antigonus, not only attacked Tyre but drug all the broken rocks into the sea to make a causeway to the island half of Tyre. Later, the Muslim Seleucids would also attack. Today, there is in fact a city of Tyre, Lebanon. But it is south of the original cite of the city. The original city was never rebuilt. Today, a fishing village borders the place where once a bustling, world-class city had stood. Daily fishermen lay their nets out to dry on the flat rock area once called Tyre.
This is but one of many examples of the truthfulness of Scripture. We often speak of the miraculous power of God. One of the greatest miracles God has ever performed is right in your hands. It is the Bible.
We can trust the Word of God. He never lies. His Word is truth.
Old Testament passage for Tuesday, November 12, 2013: Ezekiel 24:1-26:21
1 In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: ... 3 ... therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. 4 They shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers, and I will scrape her soil from her and make her a bare rock. 5 She shall be in the midst of the sea a place for the spreading of nets, for I have spoken, declares the Lord God. Ezekiel 26:1, 3-5 (ESV)
Fulfillment of prophecy is one of the most convincing proofs of the divine inspiration of the Bible. Ezekiel 26 is one of the best examples of this. I first read about this many years ago when I picked up Josh McDowell's Evidence That Demands a Verdict. He lays it out over several pages.
Over the years, Ezekiel 26 has been hotly debated by skeptics and believers. The truth remains. God spoke a six-part word over the mighty city of Tyre, and history shows exact fulfillment.
1. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, would attack Tyre and destroy the mainland city (26:7-8)
2. Tyre would be attacked by many nations (26:3).
3. Her buildings would be flattened and the city would become like the top of a rock (26:4)
4. The debris of the city would be dragged into the sea (26:12)
5. Fishermen would dry their nets where once the city had stood (26:5, 14)
6. The city would never be rebuilt (26:14)
History records that each of these prophecies have been literally fulfilled! Thirteen years after Ezekiel prophesied, Nebuchadnezzar laid siege and destroyed the mainland half of Tyre. Over the years, Alexander the Great, his successor Antigonus, not only attacked Tyre but drug all the broken rocks into the sea to make a causeway to the island half of Tyre. Later, the Muslim Seleucids would also attack. Today, there is in fact a city of Tyre, Lebanon. But it is south of the original cite of the city. The original city was never rebuilt. Today, a fishing village borders the place where once a bustling, world-class city had stood. Daily fishermen lay their nets out to dry on the flat rock area once called Tyre.
This is but one of many examples of the truthfulness of Scripture. We often speak of the miraculous power of God. One of the greatest miracles God has ever performed is right in your hands. It is the Bible.
We can trust the Word of God. He never lies. His Word is truth.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Spiritual Idolatry and Sexual Chaos
One Year Bible
Old Testament reading for Monday, November 11, 2013: Ezekiel 23:1-49
1 The word of the Lord came again to me, saying: 2 “Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. 3 They committed harlotry in Egypt, they committed harlotry in their youth; their breasts were there embraced, their virgin bosom was there pressed. 4 Their names: Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister; they were Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah. Ezekiel 23:1-4 (NKJV)
Like all great literature, the Bible employs vivid illustrations to drive home its point. Ezekiel makes a powerful comparison between adultery and idolatry -- between sexual promiscuity and spiritual purity. In the first 21 verses of Ezekiel 23, there are 24 references to "harlotry", "lewdness", "lust", and "immorality."
The prophet describes Samaria and Jerusalem as sisters, Oholah and Oholibah, who fall into a terribly destructive life of harlotry. This is a picture employed often by the prophets of the Old Testament. Jeremiah decried Israel's whoredom (Jer. 3:6-10). Isaiah says "the holy city has become a harlot" (Is.1:21). Malachi said Judah had "married foreign gods" (Mal. 2:11). Perhaps most vividly, Hosea is commanded by God to "take a wife of harlotry" (Hos.1:2)! This illustrates of how God has remained faithful to unfaithful Israel.
The idea of marriage undergirds the entire Bible. Israel is married to God in the Old Testament. The Church is the Bride of Christ in the New Testament. Faithful, loving, healthy marriage relationships are a consistent image Scripture uses to describe God's plan for us (see Eph. 5:22-33).
There are so many important lessons we can draw from this picture of marriage to God. Just as faithful, monogamous marriage is an illustration of a healthy relationship with God, so also a life of promiscuity and sexual indulgence is indicative of destruction. Adultery is paralleled with idolatry. Promiscuity is an invitation to destruction. If Ephesians 5 is a description of how it goes right, Ezekiel 23 is a graphic depiction of how it can go wrong.
The first half of Ezekiel 23 is about Jerusalem's sin. The second half is about God's judgment. I do not think it is a stretch to make a connection here. There is a mirror relationship between the spiritual and the practical.
I believe the spiritual decline of America is tied to the rise of sexual chaos. I do not have the space here to describe the horrendous increase of sexual weirdness rising around us. For starts, USA Today in its Oct. 25 edition a few weeks ago, describes in a front page article what is called the "pornification" of our culture. Suffice to say that practices that once were considered aberrant and wrong are now considered mainstream. We are witnessing the normalization of destructive sexual patterns. We are living out the sequence of Ezekiel 23. The result can only be the judgment of God.
One last note: you might wonder why sexual sin is isolated as "worse" than other sins. I believe that all sin is equally offensive to Holy God. There are no minor sins in the sense that some sins are acceptable and others not. But, different sins have differing impact on those who commit them. They are all equally repugnant to God, but they differ in their devastation upon men and women.
Sexual sin strikes deeply into the core of those who engage in it. I Corinthians 6:12-20 describes this. I think this is what Paul means when he writes, "Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body" (I Co. 6:18).
Hopefully, I will write further in the next few days about the incredible rise in sexual libertinism. Pop stars are practically performing sexual acts on stage. As a culture, we have nearly lost our ability to blush. Without sounding like a Puritanical prude, I must say that SOMETHING NEEDS TO STOP about this ridiculous slide to depravity.
I will leave such thoughts for further development another day. Meanwhile, may we who know our God and be ready to stand up for truth in our day. Amen!
Old Testament reading for Monday, November 11, 2013: Ezekiel 23:1-49
1 The word of the Lord came again to me, saying: 2 “Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. 3 They committed harlotry in Egypt, they committed harlotry in their youth; their breasts were there embraced, their virgin bosom was there pressed. 4 Their names: Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister; they were Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah. Ezekiel 23:1-4 (NKJV)
Like all great literature, the Bible employs vivid illustrations to drive home its point. Ezekiel makes a powerful comparison between adultery and idolatry -- between sexual promiscuity and spiritual purity. In the first 21 verses of Ezekiel 23, there are 24 references to "harlotry", "lewdness", "lust", and "immorality."
The prophet describes Samaria and Jerusalem as sisters, Oholah and Oholibah, who fall into a terribly destructive life of harlotry. This is a picture employed often by the prophets of the Old Testament. Jeremiah decried Israel's whoredom (Jer. 3:6-10). Isaiah says "the holy city has become a harlot" (Is.1:21). Malachi said Judah had "married foreign gods" (Mal. 2:11). Perhaps most vividly, Hosea is commanded by God to "take a wife of harlotry" (Hos.1:2)! This illustrates of how God has remained faithful to unfaithful Israel.
The idea of marriage undergirds the entire Bible. Israel is married to God in the Old Testament. The Church is the Bride of Christ in the New Testament. Faithful, loving, healthy marriage relationships are a consistent image Scripture uses to describe God's plan for us (see Eph. 5:22-33).
There are so many important lessons we can draw from this picture of marriage to God. Just as faithful, monogamous marriage is an illustration of a healthy relationship with God, so also a life of promiscuity and sexual indulgence is indicative of destruction. Adultery is paralleled with idolatry. Promiscuity is an invitation to destruction. If Ephesians 5 is a description of how it goes right, Ezekiel 23 is a graphic depiction of how it can go wrong.
The first half of Ezekiel 23 is about Jerusalem's sin. The second half is about God's judgment. I do not think it is a stretch to make a connection here. There is a mirror relationship between the spiritual and the practical.
I believe the spiritual decline of America is tied to the rise of sexual chaos. I do not have the space here to describe the horrendous increase of sexual weirdness rising around us. For starts, USA Today in its Oct. 25 edition a few weeks ago, describes in a front page article what is called the "pornification" of our culture. Suffice to say that practices that once were considered aberrant and wrong are now considered mainstream. We are witnessing the normalization of destructive sexual patterns. We are living out the sequence of Ezekiel 23. The result can only be the judgment of God.
One last note: you might wonder why sexual sin is isolated as "worse" than other sins. I believe that all sin is equally offensive to Holy God. There are no minor sins in the sense that some sins are acceptable and others not. But, different sins have differing impact on those who commit them. They are all equally repugnant to God, but they differ in their devastation upon men and women.
Sexual sin strikes deeply into the core of those who engage in it. I Corinthians 6:12-20 describes this. I think this is what Paul means when he writes, "Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body" (I Co. 6:18).
Hopefully, I will write further in the next few days about the incredible rise in sexual libertinism. Pop stars are practically performing sexual acts on stage. As a culture, we have nearly lost our ability to blush. Without sounding like a Puritanical prude, I must say that SOMETHING NEEDS TO STOP about this ridiculous slide to depravity.
I will leave such thoughts for further development another day. Meanwhile, may we who know our God and be ready to stand up for truth in our day. Amen!
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Standing in the Gap
One Year Bible
Old Testament passage for Sunday, November 10, 2013: Ezekiel 21:1-22:31
29 The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger. 30 So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Ezekiel 22:29-30 (NKJV)
Israel had experienced a colossal leadership melt-down. Four levels of leadership had failed:
1. Scribes (22:25)
2. Priests (22:26)
3. Princes (22:27)
4. Prophets (22:28)
As a result the people were in terrible shape. They were oppressed, mistreated, and impoverished. In response to this dire condition, God called for a man of God to step up -- "to make a wall and stand in the gap."
This call might be interpreted a couple of ways. I have always seen it in the light of PRAYER. "Standing in the gap" meant being a prayer warrior. Part of the reason for this is the phraseology. Ezekiel 22:30 says, "stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land." This means God wants us to stand before Him interceding in behalf of those who are in distress.
A good example of this is Genesis 18 where Abraham interceded for Sodom. By prayer, Abraham forestalled God's impending judgment upon that wicked town. He stood pleading in prayer for mercy and patience.
But there is a second way this might be interpreted. If Israel suffered by a failure of leadership, "making a wall and standing in the gap" might mean filling the leadership vacuum. This includes prayer, but goes much further.
Here are a few observations about "gaps":
1. The "gap" is the space between where we are and where God wants us to be.
2. A "gap" is a hole in the wall through which the enemy can attack.
3. "Gaps" never heal themselves. Unless fixed, they only get worse.
In God there are no "gaps". But in a fallen world, "gaps" are everywhere. When God sees a "gap", He sends a man or woman of God to fill it up. When Satan sees a "gap", he exploits it. He attacks. He uses it to work his evil plans.
In the days of Ezekiel, there was no one to stand in the gap. This is more than prayer. It is filling up the need of the hour. It is shoring up the points of vulnerability. It is rising to responsibility. It is being a man or woman of God in the midst of a dying and distressed world.
The call comes to you and me today. Will you answer? Will you step up? By the power of God's Spirit, you can do this. Say "Yes" to His call today.
Old Testament passage for Sunday, November 10, 2013: Ezekiel 21:1-22:31
29 The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger. 30 So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Ezekiel 22:29-30 (NKJV)
Israel had experienced a colossal leadership melt-down. Four levels of leadership had failed:
1. Scribes (22:25)
2. Priests (22:26)
3. Princes (22:27)
4. Prophets (22:28)
As a result the people were in terrible shape. They were oppressed, mistreated, and impoverished. In response to this dire condition, God called for a man of God to step up -- "to make a wall and stand in the gap."
This call might be interpreted a couple of ways. I have always seen it in the light of PRAYER. "Standing in the gap" meant being a prayer warrior. Part of the reason for this is the phraseology. Ezekiel 22:30 says, "stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land." This means God wants us to stand before Him interceding in behalf of those who are in distress.
A good example of this is Genesis 18 where Abraham interceded for Sodom. By prayer, Abraham forestalled God's impending judgment upon that wicked town. He stood pleading in prayer for mercy and patience.
But there is a second way this might be interpreted. If Israel suffered by a failure of leadership, "making a wall and standing in the gap" might mean filling the leadership vacuum. This includes prayer, but goes much further.
Here are a few observations about "gaps":
1. The "gap" is the space between where we are and where God wants us to be.
2. A "gap" is a hole in the wall through which the enemy can attack.
3. "Gaps" never heal themselves. Unless fixed, they only get worse.
In God there are no "gaps". But in a fallen world, "gaps" are everywhere. When God sees a "gap", He sends a man or woman of God to fill it up. When Satan sees a "gap", he exploits it. He attacks. He uses it to work his evil plans.
In the days of Ezekiel, there was no one to stand in the gap. This is more than prayer. It is filling up the need of the hour. It is shoring up the points of vulnerability. It is rising to responsibility. It is being a man or woman of God in the midst of a dying and distressed world.
The call comes to you and me today. Will you answer? Will you step up? By the power of God's Spirit, you can do this. Say "Yes" to His call today.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
The Mark of a True Christian
One Year Bible
Old Testament passage for Saturday, November 9, 2013: Ezekiel 20:1-49
11 And I gave them My statutes and showed them My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them.’ 12 Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. Ezekiel 20:11-12 (NKJV)
19 I am the Lord your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; 20 hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’ Ezekiel 20:19-20 (NKJV)
How do you know if someone is a real Christian -- a true believer -- a genuine follower of Jesus? What are the marks of a Christian? Are there any Scriptural indicators of a genuine faith? How should believers in Jesus stand out as different from the non-believing, hell-bound world surrounding us?
In the Old Testament, there were three indicators of being a genuine covenant-keeping Israelite. These three became huge issues in the life of Jesus and in the early church. They were circumcision, dietary laws, and Sabbath-keeping. For Old Testament believers, these were the signs, the markers of legitimacy.
God set it up that way. In making covenant with Abraham, He prescribed circumcision for every male as a seal to the agreement (Gen. 17:10-11). It was the sign of covenant fidelity. Refusal to be circumcised constituted rejection of the covenant.
Similarly, in Leviticus 11, God lays out a detailed list of kosher and non-kosher food items. Violation of these rules was considered an abomination (Lev. 11:10). This was then and is still today a mark of Jewishness.
The third Old Testament sign of fidelity is the most mis-understood. Because Sabbath-keeping is included in the Ten Commandments, confusion has persisted about how, why, and when this law is the be observed -- if at all. Among the reasons God tells Israel to keep the Sabbath is so that they will stand out against the un-believing world. This became more important during the days of Babylonian captivity. The Sabbath was not only a needed rest for God's people, it was also a sign to the world of genuine faith (Ex. 31:13, Ez. 20:12, 20).
These were the signs in Old Testament times. Are they the signs of true faith today? Must a man be circumcised in order to be a covenant-keeper? Must dietary laws be kept to avoid defilement commensurate with abomination? Is Sabbath-keeping the indicator of intimacy with God?
On a broader scale, are there any outward rules that define covenant relationship with God? I believe it is obvious that one may keep virtually every law and yet still be devoid of faith. Substitute any rule. Does going to church make you a Christian? Does paying tithes indicate real faith? Does moral purity prove bona-fide discipleship?
Herein is a major change in the marks of covenant fidelity. It is actually harder under the New Testament to measure true faith than it was under the Old. The singular marker Jesus used was agape love -- the God kind of love (John 13:35). He severely rebuked the best rule-keepers of His day, the Pharisees. He commended the forgiven prostitute who loved much (Luke 7:47).
No longer will the world watch our religious observances and be impressed with our spirituality. Instead, the Spirit of the Living God resting on us in humble acts of loving service will testify to the world that God is truly in our midst.
Jesus' kind of martyr love. That is the mark of the Christian.
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