Blog Archives - One With God

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July 8 Be a Watchman

7/7/2015

Ezekiel 33:1-9 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 "Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, 'If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, 3 and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand. 7 So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 8 If I say to the wicked, "O wicked one, you shall surely die," and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.'"

I believe God's designation of Ezekiel as a Watchman for Israel is very clear. A Watchman over a city watched for impending attacks. He was to warn the inhabitants of a city that danger approached. If he shouted a warning, but the people refused to listen, their destruction was their fault. If the Watchman saw the danger but refused to complete his duty to warn, he was held accountable for the city's destruction. God designated Ezekiel to be a Watchman, who would warn Israel of God's coming sword of judgment. He would be held accountable if he kept silent.

     Are you saved in Jesus? Then God has assigned you to be a Watchman. See Acts 17:30-31 "The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."

     Yes, God's sword of judgment is coming on the earth. You are to warn the inhabitants of this world. You, dads and moms, are to be Watchmen for your homes. You church of Jesus are to be Watchmen to the world.

     God has given you an eternal responsibility, and he will hold you accountable to your Watchman role. Proclaim sin's danger. Speak Jesus' salvation.

Prayer: Lord, stir our hearts to love others enough to warn them and to tell them of their eternal safety in Jesus. In his name we pray, amen.

July 7 The Dragon Loses

7/6/2015

Ezekiel 32:1-4 & 32 In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 "Son of man, raise a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: "You consider yourself a lion of the nations, but you are like a dragon in the seas; you burst forth in your rivers, trouble the waters with your feet, and foul their rivers. 3 Thus says the Lord God: I will throw my net over you with a host of many peoples, and they will haul you up in my dragnet. 4 And I will cast you on the ground; on the open field I will fling you, and will cause all the birds of the heavens to settle on you, and I will gorge the beasts of the whole earth with you...32 For I spread terror in the land of the living; and he shall be laid to rest among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword, Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord God."

AS Ezekiel continues to speak of Pharaoh's destruction, I'd like to point out one particular image in this passage that we see repeated several times in Scripture. Read again the words, "you are like a dragon in the seas; you burst forth in your rivers, trouble the waters with your feet, and foul their rivers."

    The dragon is an image of evil in the Bible. A myth - a lie - of creation in the ancient world centered around a dragon being the source of creation. After a great battle, the myth said, a dragon called "Sea" was killed and the world was formed out of parts of his carcass.

    Here Ezekiel makes reference to that myth as he mocks the dragon coming out of its waters. The prophets Isaiah, Joel and Amos also refer to the dragon as they prophesy of the "Day of the Lord" - the day of God's final judgment over the earth. But nowhere is the image of the dragon and evil doing battle with God more frightful than it is in Revelation.

    Thirteen times in the accounts of the eternal and final conflict between God and Satan, we see the devil referred to as a dragon. Writing into a culture surrounded by myths of many false gods, John in Ezekiel's form, uses the dragon image to illustrate the cultures' threats and its evil striving to turn us from God. The dragon battles Jesus' church for mankind's souls. But ultimately we read in Revelation 20:2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. And then Satan is destroyed as recorded in Revelation 20:10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

    Here are three lessons we learn from Ezekiel's prophecy of Pharaohs doom: 1) God will allow evil to stain his creation for a time. 2) God will end the evil with his judgment in his predetermined time. 3) Those who are not of Jesus' church, set apart by the blood of Christ, are doomed to hell for all time.

    We must know and tell all such lessons as these. Otherwise how will we be saved? How will be urgent to proclaim God's Word to our families, our neighbors and our church?

Prayer: Thank you Lord God for your great teachings. You warn us of sin's penalty. You promise us your salvation. May we pursue and hold on to your saving promise. In Jesus' name, Amen.

July 5 Our God Reigns

7/4/2015

Ezekiel 31: 1-11 In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 "Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: "Whom are you like in your greatness? 3 Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and forest shade, and of towering height, its top among the clouds. 4 The waters nourished it; the deep made it grow tall, making its rivers flow around the place of its planting, sending forth its streams to all the trees of the field. 5 So it towered high above all the trees of the field; its boughs grew large and its branches long from abundant water in its shoots. 6 All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth to their young, and under its shadow lived all great nations. 7 It was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its roots went down to abundant waters. 8 The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it, nor the fir trees equal its boughs; neither were the plane trees like its branches; no tree in the garden of God was its equal in beauty. 9 I made it beautiful in the mass of its branches, and all the trees of Eden envied it, that were in the garden of God. 10 "Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because it towered high and set its top among the clouds, and its heart was proud of its height, 11 I will give it into the hand of a mighty one of the nations. He shall surely deal with it as its wickedness deserves. I have cast it out."

REMEMBER that this section of Ezekiel is God's judgment on Egypt and its Pharaoh. Here the Lord gives evidence to Pharaoh of his power to build nations and to tear them down.

    See the glorious picture of Assyria. This was a mighty nation; its warriors were unbeatable; it prospered in an Eden-like setting. God blessed the Assyrians with a rich and beautiful life.

    But here is a key line: "its heart was proud of its height". The Assyrians only gave credit to themselves for their strength, wealth and beauty. They looked around and said, "Look what we did." As a result God said, "I have cast it out."

    Learn this lesson. Scripture is very clear that "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. 19 It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud." - Proverbs 16:18-19 Be aware in your home, your church, your business and your nation that all your blessings come from God. Praise his great provisions for your life. Tell others, "All I have is of the Lord."

Prayer: We praise you God, from whom all blessings flow. Amen.

July 4 The Day of the Lord

7/3/2015

Ezekiel 30:1-3 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 "Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord God: "Wail, 'Alas for the day!' 3 For the day is near, the day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.'"

THE Prophet Ezekiel devotes Chapters 29-32 to God's Word against Egypt and its Pharaoh. This Scripture is a sharp summary of God's warnings and intentions to destroy the country and its leader due to their great sins throughout the many centuries prior. The phrase "day of the Lord" points to God coming in definitive judgment from which Egypt and its Pharaoh will not escape.

    On this July 4 with complete respect, admiration and love in my heat for America, I pray we, the citizens of the United States - and I pray for those of you living in other countries - go to our knees to repent. We must realize that unless our nation's heart turns to God, we will become an Egypt - a country of great sin that worships its own power and authority. Perhaps we already are an "Egypt" in God's sight. After all, our sins are certainly hateful before God's holy rule.

    For example, in the 24 hours prior to you reading this, 3,000 babies have died out of a "mother's" womb in the name of "choice" and "rights". Our country has legally declared the great sin of homosexuality as a "right". In an alarming 40-year trend, we have come to accept the sin of unmarried heterosexuals living as husband and wife to be a normal relationship. Increasingly we permit heinous words and visual images over our televisions and multimedia devices by naming it "free speech". We watch as our church pews grow empty while our prison cells overflow.

    The reason for our sins is clear. We have looked upon God and called him "irrelevant, unnecessary and only for the weak". We make up "scientific" evidence to deny our Creator. Thus, we deny any responsibility with the absolute phrase, "no absolutes". Our children's education is based on the lies are formed around these evils. Sadly we live as declared in Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

    My friends, in whatever nation you live, pray for your country and Jesus' church within your borders. Remember, there is another "day of the Lord" coming as Paul declared in 1 Thessalonians 5:2-10 "For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him."

    Heed Scripture's warnings. Hear Scripture's promises. Believe these true words. Pray that you, your nation and your church will truly be "children of the light" who "belong to the day".

Prayer: Lord God, turn our nation's hearts to you. We pray in Jesus' name and the Spirit's power, amen.

July 3 God First

7/2/2015

Ezekiel 29:13 "For thus says the Lord God: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered, 14 and I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom. 15 It shall be the most lowly of the kingdoms, and never again exalt itself above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will never again rule over the nations. 16 And it shall never again be the reliance of the house of Israel, recalling their iniquity, when they turn to them for aid. Then they will know that I am the Lord God."

IN Ezekiel 29, God declares his judgment over Egypt. What's this have to do with God directing Israel to his will?

    The answer to the question we go first to Exodus 20:2-3 "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 "You shall have no other gods before me." The Ten Commandments begin with God reminding the Hebrews of his great work to deliver them from Egypt. Then he commands them to put him, their Lord God, first above all things, people and places. He alone is worthy of first place in their hearts.

    The second reason God judges Egypt is from Ezekiel 29:16 And it shall never again be the reliance of the house of Israel, recalling their iniquity, when they turn to them for aid. Then they will know that I am the Lord God." Many times Judah's and Israel's kings had sought help from Egypt when enemies threatened them. And during the Exile, despite God saying, "Don't go to Egypt." many Jews would try to go to Egypt to find a "better" life.

    In the Jews' actions, they were putting Egypt above God. Several times God angrily sent prophets to effectively ask of various kings, "Why are you trusting Egypt and not me?" It was a gross insult to the One who had delivered his people from Egypt's slavery and idolatry for the Jews to go to Egypt. They put Egypt above God.

    As a result, God brought destruction onto Egypt. He destroyed it through King Nebuchadnezzar, and Egypt no longer exercised any power over the world. God removed an obstacle to Israel's obedience of the first commandment.

    Do you see how God commands you to put him first in your life? Whatever the issues you are dealing with, know this: First, foremost and always you must not "go to Egypt" by seeking escape in false materialism. You must not worship the things of this world. Instead, you must diligently, persistently and faithfully put God first. This is his world.

Prayer: Lord God, teach me to have no other gods before you. In Jesus' name, amen.

July 2 Secure Promise

7/2/2015

Ezekiel 28:25-26 "Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. 26 And they shall dwell securely in it, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards. They shall dwell securely, when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God."

I remember how I wondered of my parents' love when they punished me. Their displeasure with me and sometimes even the spanking I received raised doubts regarding my security in our home. "Do they want me around?" I asked myself. "Do I belong in this house?"

    But after the discipline was done came their assurance I needed. Through such things as my mom fixing the next meal and my dad offering a word of praise for helping with the farm work, I was assured again of their love for me.

    The thing is, I had to recognize the discipline was needed because I was wrong. When I adjusted my life from doing wrong to doing right in our home, I became fully confident I lived under my parents' protective care.

    In God's great judgments on his people, Israel certainly would have asked themselves, "Does God want us around? Do we belong here?" God answers their doubts here with a picture of his people's future harmony, prosperity and peace. These Heaven-sent blessings will come to his people who recognize their wrong and adjust their lives to God's truths.

    How's your relationship with God? Are you wondering, "Does God want me with him? Do I really know I belong in God's household?" If your answer is "No." or "I don't know." then seek the Holy Spirit's help. Humbly ask him to show you the way to answer these questions with a confident, "Yes, I do." Scripture is very, very plain to tell you God will bless those who adjust their lives to his loving discipline and his true ways.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for your great promise of secure protection in your true ways. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.