Some Good Writing…

Daniel 2:24-30; Psalm 119:145-176; Proverbs 28:23-24

Seriously, it’s hard to beat God at writing about important truths…

What's your favorite God-written story?

Life and Death and Dreams

Daniel 1:1-2:23; Psalm 119:121-144; Proverbs 28:21-22

Have you ever tried to dunk a basketball? Run a 5K in 16 minutes or less? Explain quantum physics? Pretty hard. But not impossible. People—at least some people—can do these things.

Have you ever tried to interpret a language you’ve never learned? Communicate via telepathy? Interpret someone’s dream without their having told you what it was? Impossible.

Now imagine being asked to do the impossible, but told that if you can’t perform you will be killed. That’s the situation Daniel faced. King Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed something one night, and he wanted to know what it meant. But he wouldn’t tell anyone the dream:

The king replied to the astrologers, “This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble.” – Daniel 2:5

Of course, no one could tell him what his dream was. So all his wise men were facing the execution block. Daniel couldn’t tell the king his dream, either, but he asked for time and prayed to God, along with his three friends.

During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. – Daniel 2:19a

Daniel couldn’t do the impossible any more than you or I can. But God is not a man. What is impossible for men is possible for God. And God revealed to Daniel, a mere man, the things that only God could know. Even the king’s dreams.

Father, may we remember that what is impossible for us is easy for You. May we stop trying to do what we can’t do, and instead remember to ask for Your help.

For Yourselves and For the Aliens

Ezekiel 47-48; Psalm 119:89-120; Proverbs 28:19-20

I’m an alien. I admit it.

No, not an outer-space alien (though my citizenship is in heaven). An earthly alien. A foreigner to Israel. A Gentile.

Yet these words of promise and hope shine out to me from the midst of Ezekiel’s description of the new Israel, restored and revived by God:

"You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who have settled among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe the alien settles, there you are to give him his inheritance,” declares the LORD. – Ezekiel 47:21-23

God’s promises to Israel include even aliens—Gentiles, like me. Praise the LORD!

Father, thank You for including Gentiles in Your rejuvenated kingdom!

Don't Leave the Way You Came

Ezekiel 45:13-46:24; Psalm 119:65-88; Proverbs 28:15-16

Dirty people enter a shower to come out clean. Shaggy people enter a barber’s shop to come out trimmed. Hungry people enter restaurant to come out filled.

God invites us to come to Him as we are. Too often, though, we think that means He wants us to stay as we are. We couldn’t be more wrong.

God invites us to come to Him to be changed. To come sinful and leave righteous. To come filthy and leave pure. To come guilty and leave forgiven. To come as enemies and leave as sons. He’s not really interested in having us encounter Him and continue on our way unchanged.

Through Ezekiel, God gave the Israelites (and now us) an intriguing way of portraying the expectation of change:

When the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed feasts, whoever enters by the north gate to worship is to go out the south gate; and whoever enters by the south gate is to go out the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which he entered, but each is to go out the opposite gate. – Ezekiel 46:9

I can think of no other reason for this command than to remind the Israelites of something important: worshiping God changes us. When we don’t change, does that perhaps indicate that we haven’t truly been worshiping God?

Father, grow me. Change me more and more fully to be like Your Son Jesus Christ.

On My Face in Thanks

Ezekiel 44:1-45:12; Psalm 119:33-64; Proverbs 28:15-16

Then the man brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple. I looked and saw the glory of the LORD filling the temple of the LORD, and I fell facedown. – Ezekiel 44:4

Do you realize that the one true God’s glory is overwhelming? That no man can stand before Him unless God Himself makes the man stand? That He is so holy, so good, so majestic that all our sins and flaws are sharply highlighted by His ever-wonderful perfection?

When we come to God, we are not simply coming to some impressive human—a high school star athlete, a homecoming queen, a successful businessman, a winsome celebrity, or a prestigious politician. Some people are impressive in their own ways, but at some level we believe that they are reachable, touchable, knowable. They’re not so far removed from us that friendship is hopeless.

God is. We simply cannot deserve time with Him, conversations with Him, smiles from Him. God would be perfectly within His rights to despise us, avoid us, ignore us. Simply by virtue of God’s glory and our antiglory, we have no right to come to Him.

And yet it is this God who has invited us into His presence. It is this glorious God who has condescended to relate to us, who has lovingly reached out to us without reluctance by sending His own perfect and glorious Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross as a ransom for our lives. We can boldly approach Him, not because He’s reachable, but because He reached out to us.

If there’s any reason to give thanks today, that’s it!

Father, thank You.

Separated

Ezekiel 42-43; Psalm 119:1-32; Proverbs 28:14

I like things organized, properly set in their places. Some things just aren’t meant to go together—suits and screen-printed t-shirts, paper plates and crystal glasses, plastic jewelry and diamond-studded bracelets. Some items are for special occasions, and some are for… not-so-special occasions.

Ezekiel, describing the vision God gave him of a new temple in Jerusalem, writes this:

So he measured the area on all four sides. It had a wall around it, five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide, to separate the holy from the common.
– Ezekiel 42:20

God has a way of organizing the world. And He tells us that His design for His temple is to “separate the holy from the common.”

We who have been ransomed, forgiven, redeemed, regenerated, saved and sanctified by Jesus Christ are now God’s temple (1 Cor. 3:16-17). And what God intends is for His temple to be the site of holiness. Having been made God’s people, we are no longer to go on thinking, dreaming, envisioning, feeling, enjoying and acting in the ways common to this world. We have been separated from them—not by a wall, but by Jesus’ cross. Let’s live like people who have the mark of Jesus’ cross.

Father, make and keep me holy.

In My Frailty

Yesterday’s Reading: Ezekiel 39:1-40:27; Psalm 118:1-18; Proverbs 28:11

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 40:28-41:26; Psalm 118:19-29; Proverbs 28:12-13

Hiding. That’s what we feel like doing with our weaknesses—hiding them. But the truth is, we’re all weak. Not only weak, but sinful. We all fall short. We all fail. No one is a success 100% of the time. No one but God.

So I missed another day of keeping this blog—intended to help people with their devotions (if they need help)—up to date. I know that there aren’t many people depending on this blog for their daily spiritual encouragement, but anyone who knows about it and keeps up with it day to day can see one obvious truth: I missed another day.

Don’t worry. I’m not beating myself up over it. But that doesn’t mean that I’m ignoring the conclusion that springs from my neglect yesterday: I fell short. I fall short.

You might ask why I’m focusing so much on my weaknesses if I’m not beating myself up over it. What’s the point of talking about it so much? Here’s the simple answer: I am a man in need. And if I ignore my weaknesses, I can begin to deceive myself into believing I’m not in need. I don’t want to deceive myself. Those who aren’t in need don’t call for help. And my life is, fundamentally, a life of crying out for help.

I couldn’t make it day to day without Jesus, the one who answers my cries for help. Sure, I would go on existing and living my life each day, because Jesus sustains even the people who aren’t aware that He lives and who don’t cry out to Him. But my existence would be all about me. It would be a life of pretense, because I would be going through each day thinking I was something important, that I had created my own destiny, that I was a good enough guy and that I never needed help. I would be missing out on the joy of seeing the hand of Jesus Christ sustaining me, guiding me, cleaning me up, and helping me along. Life makes so much more sense when it’s lived honestly, recognizing my weaknesses, my failures and my sins. It makes so much more sense to see that God is holding the world together—and I’m not.

Good thing, too. If I were holding the world together, what would happen when I died? Jesus lives forever, and our lives are in His hands. Which matters, because we’re weak.

Father, thank You for helping me in my weakness through Your Son Jesus.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Meet Each Other's Needs Because God Meets Yours

The message covered Philippians 4:14-23, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. Paul commends the Philippians for their giving, but His praise ultimately goes to the gracious God whose riches in glory in Jesus Christ are the basis for their generosity. Note: This particular recording may not be the best, as the main microphone was not working and recording was done through a nearby microphone. Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

The Prophecy of Life

Ezekiel 37-38; Psalm 117; Proverbs 28:8-10

When is all hope lost? Let’s imagine ourselves sitting at the side of a hospital bed, hearing for the first time the news that our dad has advanced cancer and that it’s expected to end in death. Is hope lost right then?

Is hope lost a few months later, when radiation and chemo have sapped our dad’s strength away and the cancerous tumor, though smaller, is not quite gone?

Is hope lost a couple of weeks later, when the doctors say that they believe they were able to surgically remove the rest of the tumor—but then warn that this particular cancer usually returns within one year?

Is hope lost seven months later, when a checkup confirms that the cancer is back?

Is hope lost two months from then, when dad is again looking weak, but this time because of the cancer itself?

Is hope lost in another month and a half, when dad passes away? Is there any hope on that day?

Is hope lost when dad is laid in his casket and his casket is lowered into the tomb?

How about one hundred years from now, when dad has been in his tomb for a century? Is there any hope for him then?

There is hope. Even then, there is hope.

In Ezekiel 37:1-3, the prophet Ezekiel is faced with what seems to be a hopeless situation:

The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"

I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know."

None of us would dare look at this situation with any sense of hope in normal circumstances. When people are so long dead that their bones are all that is left, and even their bones have dried up, the situation for those people is basically hopeless. But Ezekiel sees a glimmer of hope in this dreadful picture. Ezekiel is not facing the atrocities alone. God is with him. And so Ezekiel, rather than saying there is no hope, says, “O Sovereign LORD, you alone know.”

And God tells Ezekiel to do something that sounds pretty much crazy:

Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, `Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.' " – Ezekiel 37:4-6

Prophesy to bones? Ezekiel obeys.

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. – Ezekiel 37:7-8

What good did that do? They’re still dead! Sure, they’ve gone from being bones to being bodies. But death is death! Death is hopeless! Death rules all! Right?

Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' " So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet--a vast army. – Ezekiel 37:9-10

Death does not rule over all. God rules over death. And God rules over the dead. And God can speak, and the dead will obey. The dead will hear His voice and will obey—though they have no life to do so—and they will live if God tells them to live! “I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live” (John 5:25).

Because God raises the dead, there is always hope. Pray for even the most hopeless causes—the people whose hearts are the hardest, whose wills are the most stubbornly unrepentant. Pray that God will speak and command the dead to live. If He does, they will live forever! Pray that God will charge you with the same command He gave to Ezekiel—pray that God will use you to bring life to dead bones.

Father, thank You for entrusting us with a prophecy that brings life to the dead. Thank You for bringing my spiritually dead bones to life, and thank You that after I die You will again bring my physically dead bones to life. Thank You that, with You, there is hope!

Trash Talking in God's Face

Ezekiel 35-36; Psalm 116; Proverbs 28:6-7

People just don’t get it. Our God is real. He’s not like an idol. He’s not like a fairy tale. He’s not like Santa Claus. He’s real, and He’s alive today.

But people talk today the way that the Edomites did. They refuse to believe in God, and they say all kinds of things to discredit Him as a result. They trash talk God.

One day they’ll find out that the God they talked trash about is real. Alive. And deadly. And He can hear every word they say.

You boasted against me and spoke against me without restraint, and I heard it. – Ezekiel 35:13

Don’t assume God isn’t listening. Don’t assume God doesn’t care. Don’t assume God is dead, or too impotent to do anything.

Father, may we honor You forever.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: How to Get Through Anything

The message covered Philippians 4:10-13, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. Paul received help from the Philippians—help that he attributed to Christ. And he warmly encouraged the Philippians to experience his contentment as he let them in on his secret: Jesus Christ is enough! Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

When Sheep Go Baaaaaaaad

Ezekiel 33-34; Psalm 115; Proverbs 28:3-5

Without the Bible, I probably wouldn’t think much about what sheep can do to hurt each other. After all, I’m not a farmer. But apparently, just like with humans, stronger ones can use their strength to push aside weaker sheep and take all the best grass and water for themselves.

As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet? – Ezekiel 34:17-19

God cares about the weak sheep, the sheep who don’t get the first pick of the food, or the second, but have to wait until after the whole rest of the herd has eaten before getting a bite. God cares. He goes on:

Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken. – Ezekiel 34:20-24

God sees the weak, and he sees how the strong treat them. And God cares. God will judge between them and save the weak from the strong. This lesson from the lives of sheep should be hitting home with us people. If God notices unfair practices between sheep, how much more does he notice injustice on our level? We don’t care about the weak very often, but if we did, we could find ways to help them. May God give us hearts of compassion!

Just to make it clear that God’s focus is not the sheep:
You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are people, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign LORD. – Ezekiel 34:31

Follow Him.

Father, guide us and teach us how to support the weak rather than harming them. Give us hearts that care about the less fortunate, hearts that pay attention to them even when those around us ignore them.

Terrorists Terrified

Ezekiel 31-32; Psalm 113 & 114; Proverbs 28:2

Terrorists.

The very word brings nightmares to our minds, calamities to our memories and dread to our hearts. But terrorists are mere men. Even a whole terror-working army of men is accountable to our God:

Assyria is there with her whole army; she is surrounded by the graves of all her slain, all who have fallen by the sword. Their graves are in the depths of the pit and her army lies around her grave. All who had spread terror in the land of the living are slain, fallen by the sword. – Ezekiel 32:22-23

Father, may we remember that even terrorists are mere men and not let them alternate the course of our lives. May we stay faithful to You. May we never fear men more than You, and may we remember that our only ultimate hope of lasting life and peace is found in Your Son Jesus Christ. Although we fear You, may our hope in You remind us that You are good and trustworthy, that we never need to fear men, and that even the men we fear need You. May we go about our work of telling people Your good news. No matter who they are.

What's It Gonna Take?

Ezekiel 29-30; Psalm 112; Proverbs 28:1

I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the LORD. – Ezekiel 30:26

“Then they will know that I am the LORD.” When? What will it take for them to recognize that the LORD is God?

“I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.” – Ezekiel 30:26

“…when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt.” – Ezekiel 30:25

“So I will inflict punishment on Egypt.” – Ezekiel 30:19

“…when I set fire to Egypt and all her helpers are crushed.” – Ezekiel 30:8

Why does it take so much for us to pay attention to the LORD our God?

Father, forgive us. Lead all people to know You and to voluntarily submit to You, before You have to take such drastic measures!

Sorry I Missed A Day

Yesterday’s reading was Ezekiel 24-26; Psalm 110; and Proverbs 27:21-22.

Today’s is Ezekiel 27-28; Psalm 111; and Proverbs 27:23-27.

Making Them an Example

Ezekiel 23; Psalm 109; Proverbs 27:18-20

Some people are role models. Some are not. But that doesn’t mean that they can’t be examples.

This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Bring a mob against them and give them over to terror and plunder. The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses.

So I will put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you. – Ezekiel 23:46-48

These verses were speaking of Samaria and Jerusalem (Ezek. 23:4), two cities whose people should have been faithful to God. But they were unfaithful. God describes them just like unfaithful wives—adulteresses. And their punishment is the same as what Israelite adulteresses experienced (not that adulteresses’ children would usually be killed—in this case, since the adulteresses are cities, the “sons and daughters” are involved in the spiritual adultery of the cities). Why?

“That all women (i.e., other cities, nations, etc.) may take warning and not imitate you.”

God doesn’t like to be cheated on. Let’s take our relationship with Him seriously.

Father, thank You for allowing us to have a relationship with You. Forgive us for ever wanting out of the relationship, for ever wanting to have experiences outside of our relationship with You. We need You to be involved in every aspect of our lives. Take away that part of our hearts that yearns to be free from You. Such freedom leads to sin. Such freedom leads to unfaithfulness. Such freedom leads to death. We need You. Teach us to love You. May we learn from the examples of Samaria and Jerusalem.

For your reading pleasure.

Ezekiel 21-22; Psalm 108; Proverbs 27:15-16

When Loving Leads to Loathing

Ezekiel 20; Psalm 107; Proverbs 27:15-16

We tend to be pretty pleased with ourselves. Not that we should be. We just are. We see other people’s faults, but we don’t see our own. We justify our behaviors, and we judge others as being “worse than we are.”

The Israelites were living in Babylon, exiled because of all their sins against God. Despite their punishment, they continued to sin. They thought they were doing just fine. But then they came to God in their self-congratulation and asked to inquire of Him. He wouldn’t allow it (Ezekiel 20:3, 31). But God had a message for them.

For the sake of His own name—not because of their worthiness—God would one day lead Israel out of Babylon. Many Israelites would be judged for their sins, but God would demonstrate His great love toward them by allowing a number of them to return to the Promised Land to serve Him (Ezekiel 20:32-44). The Israelites would see God’s love and God’s goodness to them, despite their sin. How would they respond?

There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done. – Ezekiel 20:43

They would loathe themselves. God’s love would bring self-loathing, because in the face of God’s goodness and love they would see how wickedly and sinfully they had behaved toward Him. And they would loathe themselves.

Anyone who enters a relationship with the living God is going to learn how wicked he or she has been. The more we know God’s holiness, His goodness, His provision for us, His love, the more our selfish, rebellious and sinful practices will show themselves to be despicable. And we learn to loathe ourselves. We are worthless before our ever-worthy God.

God is Good to the Repentant.

Ezekiel 18-19; Psalm 106:32-48; Proverbs 27:10-14

…even though we still want to see them punished for the things they repented of (Ezekiel 18). God is more righteous than we are. Of course, God can see people’s hearts and know how sincerely they’ve repented, too—a distinct advantage in making the right decision on these things. But for those of us who trust God, we can go through life forgiving people (even if we suspect insincerity) because we have a God who knows their hearts and will not let the guilty go unpunished.

Lord God, thank You for being good to me in my repentance, rather than repaying me for the trouble I’ve caused and the sins I’ve committed. Thank You for sending Jesus to take my punishment, instead. Help me to rejoice when other people find that same grace—even if their sins hurt me personally. You are good, and You are trustworthy. We praise Your name.

Just Enough Time.

Ezekiel 16:42-17:24; Psalm 106:13-31; Proverbs 27:7-9

Just enough time to post the Scripture for the day. Today is a non-devotional-thoughts day. But I hope as always that, if you’re not reading God’s Word at any other time, that you join me in the reading I’ve been doing.

Grace and peace –

Matt

No One Can Save Us!

Ezekiel 14:12-16:41; Psalm 106:1-12; Proverbs 27:4-6

Noah was the man through whom God saved enough humans and animals to repopulate the earth after the world-wide flood of judgment. Daniel was the man through whom God saved all the Babylonian magicians when the king was ready to kill them all. Job was the man who endured Satan’s attacks and through whom God saved the friends who had come to comfort him, but who had instead attacked Job and spoken falsely about God. Now hear what God led Ezekiel to write:

The word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its men and their animals, even if these three men--Noah, Daniel and Job--were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign LORD.

"Or if I send wild beasts through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate.

"Or if I bring a sword against that country and say, `Let the sword pass throughout the land,' and I kill its men and their animals, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.

"Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath upon it through bloodshed, killing its men and their animals, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness. – Ezekiel 14:12-20

The most righteous of men cannot save us from God’s wrath.

But God Himself wants to save sinners. And so He sent His divine Son, Jesus Christ—fully God—to earth. Jesus Christ came and lived among us—fully human—living a sinless life that far surpassed the righteousness of Noah, Daniel and Job. And Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Then Jesus rose from the dead, proving that He is the Lord God, the only sinless man, the perfect one that death can’t keep hold of. And He lives to make peace between God the Father and us. What Noah, Daniel and Job could not do by their righteousness, Jesus did by His righteousness: He saved not just a few others, but all who will come to Him and confess that He is the Lord God Almighty and confess their sins and seek His merciful forgiveness. There is no way to the Father except through Jesus.

Father, may many put their faith in Jesus Christ today. And may those who already hope in Him find their faith renewed, their peace assured, and their service empowered.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Find Peace in Christ

The message covered Philippians 4:2-9, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. We all ache for peace. We want peace with our families, friends, neighbors and co-workers; peace in our hearts when troubles come; peace with God Himself. Christ is our Peace—all the Peace worth having. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Imaginative Faith

Ezekiel 12:1-14:11; Psalm 105:37-45; Proverbs 27:3

Over the last couple of days, I’ve been involved in a forum online, debating the question of whether homosexuality, let alone homosexual marriage, ought to be permissible in the United States of America. One of the most frustrating and uninformed arguments that some of my opponents have made is this: “God made us gay, so He must want us to be gay. So homosexual behavior and homosexual marriages are right.”

Now before you get too upset with them, let me explain a bit more about why this argument is frustrating to me. I get frustrated by this argument because I see the kind of faith it is based on being the kind of faith a lot of Christians use to make their daily decisions. It’s an imaginative faith rather than a faith that listens to God.

What do I mean? Well, many people have something that they call faith. And these people believe many different things, some of them better things than others. True faith says, “I’m going to listen to what God has to say by listening to people who are repeating God’s words found in the Scriptures, or by reading through the pages of Scripture for myself. Since God spoke, I’m going to let Him tell me what He thinks is good and what He thinks is bad.” Imaginative faith says, “I believe there’s a God. I’ve heard that He wrote the Bible through His servants, the apostles and prophets. But I don’t think I’m going to read it much, or let people who have read it tell me what He says. I have a pretty good idea about what God is like without putting that much work into listening to Him and His servants.” And those with imaginative faith then go and live their lives however they want to, justifying their behaviors by whatever character traits they imagine God to have.

The word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: `Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! Your prophets, O Israel, are like jackals among ruins. You have not gone up to the breaks in the wall to repair it for the house of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the LORD. Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. They say, "The LORD declares," when the LORD has not sent them; yet they expect their words to be fulfilled. Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, "The LORD declares," though I have not spoken? – Ezekiel 13:1-7

God has spoken. If we believe in God but refuse to listen to Him and trust in what He says, then we are fools on the path to destruction. A relationship with Him is just like any other relationship—it requires spending time listening to His words and His heart. If we refuse to listen to God, it doesn’t matter how well we pretend to know Him. We’ll end up just as disappointed as a man who pretends to have a relationship with one of Hollywood’s most famous celebrities—rejected and humiliated, our relationships shown to be nothing but a childish, imaginative fantasy.

Get a real relationship with God rather than living in fantasy. Listen to Him.

Accurate Reporting

Ezekiel 10-11; Psalm 105:16-36; Proverbs 27:1-2

… and I told the exiles everything the LORD had shown me. – Ezekiel 11:25

Just one thought—God’s people are called to tell God’s truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Good news and bad news. If the LORD has revealed it, we must faithfully proclaim it.

Grace and peace, everyone!

Survivor

Ezekiel 7-9; Psalm 105:1-15; Proverbs 26:28

Survivor’s always been an exciting and entertaining reality show. But really, the contestants are pretty well protected. You know? Sure, they face some challenges from one another and from the hard work it takes to stay somewhat comfortable in the wilderness. But they know their time on the “island” or wherever is limited, and they’ll be back home in their comfy (if not cushy) homes soon enough.

What if they took the show to a whole new level? What if it was a matter of life and death—a real survivor show? What would be the most dangerous possible location?

How about this? “Survivor: The Wrath of God”

Who would survive?

Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the LORD called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it."

As I listened, he said to the others, "Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple. – Ezekiel 9:3-6

In some situations, those who want to honor God are powerless to act. Powerless to persuade others to obey the King. Powerless to do anything more than maintain their own righteous lifestyles and mourn the sin they see around them.

In Survivor: The Wrath of God, believe it or not, that ability and willingness to mourn over sin counts for something. Those who refuse to fall into sinful patterns, those who turn away from sinning even if it means missing out on time with friends or family members, those who mourn for the friends and family members (and the rest of the community) that they see dishonoring the Lord Jesus Christ will survive. Everyone else will die.

Father, keep my heart soft. Help me to love You enough to listen and obey. Help me to love others enough to weep when I see them disobeying You, knowing that they are preparing to get themselves killed. And may I be able to endure the tension until Jesus Christ comes again.

Leadership: A Chilling Responsibility

Ezekiel 3:16-6:14; Psalm 104:16-35; Proverbs 26:25-27

How would you like to hear this at the end of your job interview for CEO?

You’re hired. Here are your keys, here’s your office, here’s your authority, here’s your bank account… Oh! Just one more thing. If the board of directors points you toward an employee who’s thinking about quitting, and you don’t talk to them personally and they quit the company, you’re fired. Or if we’ve got a faithful employee and you don’t give them every reason to stay faithful, and they quit, you’re fired.

How would you like to hear that?

The responsibility God gives his ministers is a thousand times more sobering:

At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked man, `You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.

Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself. – Ezekiel 3:16-21

You. Ezekiel. I am going to send you to people. And you are to tell them that if they disobey me, they will face my judgment. If you don’t tell them, you die, too.

Whoa!

Father, these words are sobering. Help me to be faithful. Help me to speak up, to take sin seriously and to speak out when you call me to speak up. Men’s consequences are meaningless compared to the consequences You have put before me. Father, I’m afraid I might fail to fulfill this charge. I’m afraid I might fail in the future; I’m afraid I might have failed already. But I lean on Your mercy and grace, just as I urge others to do. So help me to lean so heavily on Your mercy and grace that I willingly face my fears and plunge into the service You have called me to. And may those around me join me in turning sinners from the path of death.

When God Asks You to Be His Witness, Do You Feel Like Ezekiel?

Ezekiel 1:1-3:15; Psalm 104:1-15; Proverbs 26:24

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Stand Firm in Christ.

The message covered Philippians 3:17-4:1, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. Often we struggle as Christians to stand firm in the way of Jesus Christ. His standards are so much higher than ours that we see our failures and get discouraged, perhaps even watching our motivation drop through the floor and giving up on growth. Paul urges believers to stand firm in Christ by following the examples of other Christians, whose lives are easier to follow because we can watch them day by day. (This sermon is not completely online; the recording device ran out of batteries, but a good portion of the message is available to encourage you). Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Restoration

Lamentations 4-5; Psalm 103; Proverbs 26:23

The heart cry of the church—of every person who believes Jesus Christ and His servants—is for restoration. We need personal restoration, and we long for God to restore those around us, too. Lamentations paints a picture of devastation, and that devastation came about because people continually sinned and rebelled against God. The same is true today, and the brokenness in our communities and homes is just a small taste of the brokenness people will face when Jesus comes in wrath against Satan and all who have followed him.

But as Christians, we tell this truth with sadness as we think of all those who face eternal pain and suffering. Our God’s desire is not to pour out wrath, but to restore sinners and make them faithful servants once more. Sometimes, though, it takes a picture of God’s wrath to remind us to call to Jesus Christ for restoration.

Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may return; renew our days as of old unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure. – Lamentations 5:21-22

This should be our heart cry—for ourselves, our families, our neighbors, our co-workers, and our world. Restore us, Lord Jesus!

Father, thank You for urging us to seek Your restoration. May we hear Your love for us and, rather than getting angry with You and accusing You of wickedness because of Your wrath, may we seek Your restoration.

Being Punished

Lamentations 2:20-3:66; Psalm 102; Proverbs 26:21-22

Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come? Why should any living man complain when punished for his sins? – Lamentations 3:38-39

We tend to think pretty highly of ourselves. The Scriptures give us an honest reminder that we’re not such great people, that we deserve punishment. Why is it that we are amazed when God punishes us? Shouldn’t we be amazed when God is patient with us?

Father, thank You for Your patience. Help me to accept any calamities that come my way as simple justice, and to rejoice and celebrate Your kindness every day that things go well for me.

Spend some time hearing what kinds of things make God and His people mourn

Lamentations 1:1-2:19; Psalm 101; Proverbs 26:20

God is Still Speaking. Are You Listening?

Jeremiah 51:54-52:34; Psalm 100; Proverbs 26:18-19