"The Lord Went Up From The Midst Of The City"

"Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple.  And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer's inkhorn at his side; and the Lord said to him, 'Go through the midst of the city...and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.'...Then the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple....And the cherubim lifted their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight...and the glory of the God of Israel was above them....And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain, which is on the east side of the city.  Then the Spirit took me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea/Babylon."  (Ezekiel 9:3, 4, 18, 22)

This is one of the saddest days in the history of the Covenant People.  Rebellion, rejection of God's reign, had brought this day.  It must have been a terrifying sight for Ezekiel to see, "....the glory of the God of Israel," slowly leaving the city of Jerusalem.  What a dire picture for humanity.

What application we can make to the Church today I'm not sure, but if we are honest with ourselves, we can notice times in our lives when, even if Jesus did not "depart," we had some strain in "sensing" His Presence.  Could our text have some application to that?  Disobedience breaks the Heart of our Savior, Jesus, as it should ours.

Notice in our text that we read of the command to the writer to take special note of those who weep over the lost state of the Covenant People, "....put a mark on the foreheads."  This is also a call to you and me today.  Jesus Christ so hates sin and rebellion and what it does to you and me, that He took our sin and rebellion to Golgotha to deal it the final death blow.  At the Cross, Jesus', "It is finished," did indeed finish the work of empowering forgiveness.  Now, you and I are called to walk in, "a mark on foreheads."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I want Your Heart for Your People and all humanity.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"Fill Your Stomach With This Scroll"

"Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month,..as I was...by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God....Then the Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet....'Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll and go, speak to the house of Israel....Fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.'  So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness."  (From Ezekiel 1, 2, 3)

You may recall that I wrote some time ago about an "incident" which occurred when we were coming back from a conference in Miami Beach, Florida, back in the Fall of 1972.  Jesus spoke to my heart and said, "Get into Ezekiel."  Now I have had some indications over the decades since as the a "why," but here I am now in the present reading schedule.

Ezekiel 1-3 have to do with introductory visions.  Notice, "Stand up on your feet and I will speak to you."  We are going to have a talk?  We then read, "As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet. He said: 'Son of man, I am sending you to...a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me...." (and a Church?)  I do not excuse my preaching over the years which at times was harsh, "in-your-face," or a high number on the tonal decibels scale.  But I have seen from an early age this prophetic "note" in me.  I encourage you to read Ezekiel again and see if the Words of Jesus here are not applicable to the Church and the nations in this Twenty-First Century, and notice the wonderful, glorious promises!

"Stand up on your feet, and I will speak to you."  This is staying with me today.  You and I need to battle against any "business as usual," just "marking time," doing day by day life with little expectancy of, "....and I will speak to you."  I wonder if it would be theologically "correct" to say that as we look at world events and our daily lives that the Scriptures is the Great "Editorial Opinion" on the "news."  Regardless, the prophetic time table is like that tether ball game.  The close the rope gets to the end, the faster the ball goes.

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You that Your Words have, "gone forth to the ends of the world," and still are "going."  Amen.

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DOCTOR VISIT:  He gave me a shot of cortisone in one of the shoulders and I'm to go back in 6 weeks.  Please pray that this "works." 

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

Jesus, "Turned The Hard Rock Into Springs of Water"

"Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, Who turned the rock into a pool of water, the hard rock into springs of water."  (Psalm 114:7, 8)

The Living Triune God is the Eternally Present One, everywhere, all the time, and gloriously, in the Follower of Jesus.  As the psalmist says, "Fret not thyself!..."  And just in case the Earth is not aware, "Tremble, O Earth, at the presence of the Lord...."!

My different reading schedule has me in our text today.  It was an extraordinarily, powerful moment when I read this; still is.  What a demonstration of Provisional Mercy and Grace.  The Covenant People complained about their lack.  Now one could easily understand that a rebuke could be in order here, but instead, our Father, "....turned the rock into a pool of water, the hard rock into springs of water."  This is just as a Black preacher once said of Jesus' giving Mary to John and John to Mary, "Always providing."  

What mercy!  How, "Faithful and True," is our Lord Jesus!  Furthermore, Paul reminds us that they, "....all drank the same spiritual drink.  For they drank of that spiritual Rock which followed them, and that Rock was Christ."  Think of it today.  Jesus is always "following" you and me.  Thirsty, weary though we may be or become, no matter how impossible that, "....hard rock..," may be, Jesus turns our sufferings, our heartaches, fears and anxieties, "....into a pool,..into springs of water."

Father, in Jesus' Name, nothing and no one comforts and strengthens as You and Your Words.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"The Lord Is With Me Like A Mighty Warrior"

"But the Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome One.  Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail.  They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper.  Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten."  (Jeremiah 20:11)

The NIV says, "like a mighty warrior...."  I found another prayer to pray for the American President, Donald Trump.

But there is also the great promise here for you and me.  Jesus Christ is, indeed, our, "Mighty, Awesome One," our, "Mighty Warrior."  Now sometimes in life the following Words don't seem to "come to pass," viz., "Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail."  Do you know my take on Words of God which don't seem to come to pass as in what seems to be the obvious interpretation?  I know there is something there which I don't see.  I do not take the path of too many who believe the Words are just not true if what they say "does not happen."

There is no doubt that the, "persecutors," of the Church, "will stumble, and will not prevail."  It is not a cliche to say, "Their day will come."  It will.  Their shame, "Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten."  Now our "flesh" wants that to happen so we can see it.  "God is not mocked," however, and whatever the Bible says has happened, is happening, and will happen.  And never forget that if their, "confusion," is, "everlasting," the much greater reality is that our life in Jesus Christ is, "everlasting." 

Jesus, my Fellow Traveler, "....is with [you and] me like a Mighty Warrior," right now, right there, eternally.

Father, in Jesus'  Name, how I love and praise You, my, "Mighty Warrior."  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"....The Habitations Of The Wilderness A Lamentation"

"For the mountains I will take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beasts are fled; they are gone."  (Jeremiah 9:10, KJV)

Some refer to Jeremiah as "the weeping prophet."  Are there any today?

I would say that if the Church does not weep for the nations, the Church is in need of "weeping anointing."  I know that sometimes when I read of some events, think of some situations in my sphere, as well as the nations, I have experienced weeping.  I'm thinking today, however, that it does not happen enough.

Our text, however, does not just reveal something of Jeremiah's heart; this is also a revelation of the Heart of the Living Triune God.  We read throughout the, "God-Breathed," Word of God's Broken Heart over the rebellion/sin of humanity, His Covenant People particularly, and their calamitous scenarios.  We read in several passages that after their Shepherd, Jesus, "led them through the depths, as through the wilderness....He led them through the deserts....Who led them through the deep, as a horse in the wilderness, that they might not stumble....But My People would not heed My Voice, and Israel would have none of Me."

I think humanity would do well to remember that the judgment, the anger of the Lord God which we read of in Scripture is in a "weeping mode."  The Bible tells us that Jesus, "does not afflict willingly," literally, "from His Heart."  Jesus' Heart is revealed, "in His Cross," when He says, "Father forgive them, for they do not know that they do."  I pray none reading this will ever succumb to Sergeant Murtaugh's life philosophy, "God hates me;" that's why all this happens to me.  If that ever comes your way, know beyond a doubt, that is a supreme lie.   

So, what is the conclusion of the matter today?  Whenever you and I are frustrated with the way Jesus works in our lives, or seems to allow things to happen which are not to our benefit, and we have some of what the hymn writer said, "Prone to wonder, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love," when we are treading, "through the valley of the shadow," remember what is, "from [Jesus'] Heart," is our well being, our good, our deliverance, as in, "that where I am you may be also.., raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus," with our names written, "in the Lamb's Book of Life," while for eternity, you and I are sitting, "....with Me in My Throne, as I also sat down with My Father in His Throne."  That should do it!

Father, in Jesus' Name, I confess that You, "are Faithful."  Amen. 

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2