Ezekiel

Ezekiel 25:12-28:24

So, I’ve been trying to write something else for today’s post, but I can feel the Holy Spirit telling me that it’s just not the right thing. So, because He’s telling me IT’S the right thing to share with you today I’m going to share with you an excerpt from True Intimacy.

It is, by far, one of my all time favorite pieces. It is liberating in it’s Truth and every woman should read it (in my humble opinion). I REALLY needed to hear this message and am constantly in need of being reminded of it. Maybe that’s why He’s having me share it with you today. J

You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the ruby, the topaz and the diamond; the beryl, the onyx and the jasper; the lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; and the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, was in you, on the day that you were created they were prepared. Ezekiel 28:13

O

ne morning God gave me the following vision of a jewelry store. As I walked into the store the first thing I saw out on display was some costume jewelry. Out. Where anyone could look at it, touch it, or take it if, and whenever they wanted. This jewelry was not special, it was not expensive and it was definitely not something you would hand down to your children. This jewelry was not valuable. It would be pretty at first, nice to look at, but it would tarnish quickly, and could easily be replaced or thrown away.

As I continued into the store I came to some nicer jewelry. This kind of jewelry took up the majority of the store. It was still on display where anyone could see it, however, it was locked in a glass case where you had to ask permission from the jeweler to open the case and take the jewelry out before you could touch it. This jewelry was nicer and more expensive than the costume jewelry, however, pretty much anyone who walked into the store could ask to touch it and be granted permission. ANYONE could come and look. And stealing it would take a minimal amount of effort.

Finally I came to the priceless jewels; 4+ carat diamonds, huge and rare rubies and sapphires, and heirloom collector’s items. These were NOT on display. These priceless jewels were hidden, locked up in a safe with a combination that only the “high up” jewelers knew and only the special customers, that had enough money and intent, could see them let alone touch or buy them; and forget about stealing them, it would’ve been next to impossible. These items were SO special that they were NEVER advertised, they were never on display, they were a secret, because they were so precious.

Ladies, WE are that jewelry; our bodies. The way that we see ourselves and treat ourselves are the different levels of jewelry and display. How do you view yourself? Do you see yourself as the costume jewelry, cheap and disposable? Nice to look at but after a little while the niceness rubs off. Or, do you see yourself as the nicer jewelry? More expensive, the men have to ask permission to touch, but anyone can still look, because hey, you’re nice to look at? Or are you the priceless jewelry? Locked, hidden in a safe for the one and ONLY person who’s shown enough interest to have you and the ability to take good care of you. *Sniff* As I was just typing that, God said to me “I see them as the priceless jewelry, even if that’s not how they see themselves.” *Sniff* You. Are. So. Beautiful to Him! You are priceless, covered in priceless jewels set with gold! YOU! He is talking to YOU! YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! Start believing it for goodness sake!

For the longest time, as far back as I can remember anyway, I saw myself as the jewelry on display, not the costume jewelry, but not the priceless jewelry either. I’ve always been petite and for the most part relatively skinny and not too bad to look at if I say so myself. When my breasts started developing I, of course, wanted to show them off to the boys. I wore revealing clothing, not too revealing my parents wouldn’t let me, but once I was out of the house… well that was a different story. I was trying to attract the boys’ attention with my body, because honestly, I didn’t know any better way. I enjoyed their looks, they made me feel good and worth looking at. When I got married my necklines somehow dropped even lower than they were before! And even if the necklines weren’t low, they were loose so if I bent over to care for one of my children I was showing the goods off to anyone with eyes! Oh how God has opened my eyes to the folly of my ways. My body belongs to my husband and my husband alone! My breasts are for HIS eyes only. Before, when they were on “display” for everyone to see – not all of them mind you, but the cleavage and fleshy parts- they weren’t specifically for Christian’s eyes only. However, since God has led me to change my dressing habits and to cover things up more, my breasts are for my husband alone. Making them more special and “entertaining” for him. Think about it, when you know that your husband ONLY has eyes for you, how does that make you feel – pretty special and important right? Now put the shoe on the other foot, when your husband knows that your body is ONLY for his eyes and enjoyment, how do you think that would make him feel?

Do you know what the verse before our opening verse says? …You had the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. WOW! In the Garden of Eden, they were naked. And this verse is telling us that while in the garden and still naked they were PERFECT in beauty. The next verse tells us that not only were they perfect in beauty; every precious stone covered their bodies. In our natural state, naked, our bodies are perfect. Period.

God created you just the way that you are. I think Dawn McConnell said it best in “God’s Plan for Married Sex” when she said, “He chose your legs, your thighs, your dress size, eye color, hair type. You didn’t make you, God did.” We should be comfortable in what we look like and who we are as God created us, women. Have you noticed that subdivisions these days don’t have straight roads anymore? Do you know why that is? Curves are more pleasing to the eye than straight lines. One of the main characteristics of the woman’s body – is curves!

OK, I have a challenge for you today. It is something that you will probably read this and say “No way am I doing that!” But, that’s why I’m challenging you. I’m double dog daring you to do this! Write Psalm 139:14 down on a note card. Take it into your bathroom and stand in front of your mirror, full length if you’ve got one. Then start at the top of your head with your hair, and work your way down to your toes. Study your body and as you study it say to God “I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.” Then, I triple dog dare you to do the exact same thing naked! The effect is amazing, believe me! Through God’s amazing love and this exercise, I am in love with my body just the way that it is. I love the silver in my hair, because it’s proof of how I’m getting to grow older with my husband, who is already blissfully bald. I love the lines on my face, because they’re proof of years full of laughter and smiles. I love the way that my breasts sag, because it’s proof of all the time that I spent holding and nursing my infants, watching them grow and bonding with them. And I love the fact that my husband still loves my breasts and is still obsessed with them, I’m sure you can relate! I love the “pooch” of my belly and the gigantic scar under it, because they’re my Mommy badge of honor! I was blessed beyond measure to carry not one, but TWO babies in that belly, and some women never get to do that. My hands, oh my hands! The things that they’ve done! Both good and bad, but either way, it’s been my hands that have done it all from comforting my children to writing this book, to pleasing my husband. I love my legs and feet, and the fact that they have taken me everywhere I have ever gone. My body is amazing and full of “proofs” of a life filled with happiness, hard times and mistakes that I’ve survived and God has turned into “glittering rainbows”.

John Burroughs said: “How beautifully the leaves grow old. How full of light and color their last days.” Just like the leaves that God paints in the fall of their lives, we grow old beautifully (no matter what those pesky commercials tell us). Our lives can be full of light and color, but we have to allow “THE light” to shine through us like the opals, the jewels, the finished masterpieces that we really are.

Christian’s comments:

Y

up, God only made so many perfect heads, the rest he covered with hair. I was in college when I first started losing my hair. I would wear a hat all the time and try to hide it. When my forehead started getting further back, I started cutting my hair shorter and shorter. Then, on my thirtieth birthday, I shaved it with a razor for the first time. Tamar really liked it, and I never went back. I have embraced my baldness (my flaw) and it is now a part of me.

How many of you husbands were like me? In jr. high and high school, how many of you chased after the costume jewelry? Go ahead, raise your hands. No one is looking. When my hormones were raging, I went after a LOT of girls that fit into the costume jewelry category. Most of them would have “the goods” on display for anyone to see. I would chase after them because I was only after one thing and they seemed to be the easiest way to get it.

Luckily, God had other plans for me. Most of the girls wouldn’t even go out with me. I wasn’t enough of a “sure thing”. Whenever one would go out with me, we could never seem to hook up, no matter how hard I tried.
As I grew older, I started dating girls that fit in the nice jewelry category. And, surprise surprise, the relationships lasted longer and were more enjoyable. There was less pressure. I didn’t have to worry about the girls dumping me for more of a “sure thing”.

At last, halfway through my senior year, I found my priceless jewelry. My Tamar. Husbands don’t become distracted by the costume jewelry that you see day to day. Don’t even give it a second glance. Instead, concentrate on the priceless jewelry you already have.

On a side note: Husbands and wives please pay attention to what your daughters are wearing out in public. Seems like everywhere I go I see young girls wearing skimpy tank tops and short shorts. They are barely wearing more than bathing suits. And don’t get me started on those! Please teach them some modesty. They don’t seem to understand the attention they are getting from wearing the skimpy clothes is not the attention they want. They aren’t just attracting the attention of the boys their age, but from dangerous people that really want to do them harm. Please help your daughters to not become pieces of costume jewelry. Please teach them to respect themselves. Help them to see that they are priceless jewels.

Ezekiel 22:17-25:11

“They have made no distinction between the holy and the common,” Ezekiel 22:26

I love the way that the translation of this verse defines holy. According to this verse, and many others, for something to be holy then it is uncommon. Now, that’s not to say that things that are holy are not plentiful. Oil is plentiful, but anointing oil is holy because it has been set aside for a special purpose.

While I have many tools in my kitchen that have the ability to peel and mince garlic, I only have one garlic press. And that garlic press was made for that one specific purpose of peeling and mincing garlic. It wasn’t created to do anything else. It doesn’t slice tomatoes, it doesn’t peel apples, it just minces garlic. Period. On the other hand, if I were so inclined I could use my garlic press to mash potatoes, very slowly. Or I could use it to squeeze juice from grapes, if I realllly wanted to. And it would do a fine job at both of those things, but those jobs aren’t what the garlic press was made to do. It was made to mince garlic.

That is the definition of holy. While the holy thing may be able to perform several tasks, it was created for one or maybe two specific tasks. And while other things may be able to do what it does, not all of them were created to perform that specific function.

There is a distinction that has been made between my garlic press and my other kitchen tools. There’s a distinction because there’s a difference between them. My garlic press may be able to perform the tasks of other tools but not as well. Likewise, the other tools may be able to press garlic but not as well as my garlic press.

My point is this; YOU were made to perform a specific function. You have been proclaimed holy to the LORD. He has set you aside to perform a certain task because He CREATED YOU to be able to do that task better than anyone else around. There is only ONE you. And while others may be able to do what you were created to do, NO ONE can do it as well as you can. And while you can perform the steps required to do what someone else was meant to do, you can’t do it as well as they can.

You were created for a purpose. God doesn’t make mistakes, He makes miracles. He doesn’t have accidents, so you can’t be one. He is GOD, your creator. And no matter what the commercials, or other people, or even the mirror says, you have been fearfully and wonderfully made for a reason. And the reason for which you were created, the task you were created to perform, you will be able to perform it PERFECTLY according to HIS plan. Even if you don’t think you’re doing the job you were created to do, you are.

Judas was created for a purpose. No, it wasn’t a pretty purpose, but look at the benefit WE all reaped from his actions! Joseph’s brothers were created for a purpose. While their jealousy was murderous and vile, it served a purpose in the grand scheme of things. What they planned for evil, God planned for good. (Genesis 50:15-21) Their jealousy led Joseph to Egypt, saving an entire nation filled with lives. It also led to the Hebrew nation moving to Egypt where they were enslaved and subsequently delivered in the most miraculous way possible. Imagine that. If Joseph’s brothers hadn’t sold him to the Ishmaelites the Red Sea might never had been parted. And honestly, what a loss that would have been for all of us.

Sure. We’ve all made mistakes in life, done horrible things that have hurt people dreadfully. Does that mean that it is then impossible for us to fulfill our calling in life? Well, here’s a thought, what if that IS our calling in life? We’re so quick to judge the actions of Judas, yet where would WE be if he hadn’t given Jesus that kiss of death? Honestly I shudder at the thought.

Am I saying that we should all go out there and do despicable acts just for the fun of it? NO! OF COURSE NOT! But what I am saying is that just because we have done despicable acts doesn’t make us unforgiveable. In fact, it puts us in the perfect place to receive God’s Grace!

I can’t tell you how many times people have said despicable things to me that have wounded me deeply. Yet looking back, it was those very wounds that created the perfect environment for me to grow and strengthen my faith and relationship with Christ making me who I am today and preparing me for the tasks ahead. My heart may be covered in scars, but those scars are part of who I am. Without them I just wouldn’t be the same person I am today. And while I would have loved to avoid all those injuries to my pride and my humility, if I hadn’t gone through those painful moments I might not be where I need to be right now. And that thought scares me.

Once upon a time I heard Joseph Prince say that you wouldn’t hit a baby for not being able to walk, yet we judge and condemn people for not living the Christian life perfectly. You wouldn’t yell at a boy for not having a mustache yet, but we jump all over people for not doing the Christian things we think they should be doing already.

And the really sad part is, for the longest time I thought that’s what God did too. Because, that’s what His people do. But God doesn’t do that at all.

One day I was talking to God about growing in the faith and the things that Joseph Prince had said and you know what the Holy Spirit told me? He said, “Do you have to work to grow taller?”

“No.”

“Does a tree have to try hard to grow?”

“No.”

“Does a flower have to read a lot of books to grow and bloom?”

“No.”

“Then why do you think you have to try hard and work to grow in faith? You grow because I do all the work for you. I create the proper environment for you to grow, in order for you to become precisely what I made you to be.”

Sometimes we need water or food, other times we need pruned and fertilized. Just because the pruning hurts doesn’t mean it isn’t from God or that it’s not good for us. Just because we got “dumped on” doesn’t mean that it won’t be a great environment for us to grow. God knows what is best for us and even if we don’t understand what He’s doing we can trust that it’s going to be good FOR us and others in the end.

I can guarantee you that the cross didn’t feel good at the time, but just look at the good it’s doing now! Jesus endured one day of pain for an eternity of benefits. Whatever pain that’s going on in your life, He will help you get through it and on the other side you will see that it will have worked out in some way for your good. Trust Him; He knows what He’s doing. Things seemed to work out pretty well for Jesus, so they should work out for you too don’t you think?

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified.” Romans 8:28-30

“For You formed my inward parts, you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works, my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance, in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” Psalm 139:13-16

Ezekiel 20:1-22:16

“I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.” Ezekiel 20:37

Today is a day of praise! No matter what is going on in life, cancer, debt, drought, death, we STILL have SO MUCH to praise Him for. Praise Him for the hope that has been offered to us through Christ. Praise Him for the abundant life that has been made possible to you right here and now. You have been given an indestructible life, not even death can kill you! And THAT my friend is worth praising Him. Jesus loves YOU. He died for you and you have been redeemed, that is worth at least a song or two!

Think about Rahab. She risked her life and sheltered the Hebrew spies and that was brave and full of faith. In return they told her,

“Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household. Then if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be guiltless. But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath that you have made us swear.” Joshua 2:18-20

My friends, Rahab’s house was IN the wall of Jericho!!! (Joshua2:15) Those spies, when they told her to stay in her house, didn’t know that the wall was going to fall down. Can you imagine what her family went through? The walls crumbled around their heads, yet her house stood strong and tall amid the falling rubble and clouds of dust. They had to have been terrified.

Do you feel like your house is crumbling down around your ears? Is there a ferocious battle raging just outside your door? Fear not Beloved, God is with you and He is for you and He will never abandon you! Praise Him today. He is worthy. He is faithful. He is GOOD. You will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!

Hallelujah Cover with Kari Jobe, Jamie Grace, Dara Maclean, Blanca and Nirva

Beautiful by Kari Jobe -Listen carefully to the lyrics on this one!

Healer by Kari Jobe

I Love You by James Veatch

Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave

Forgiveness by Matthew West

Need You Now (How many times) by Plumb

Carry Me by Josh Wilson

Stronger by Mandisa

Forgiven by Sanctus Real

Yahweh by Desperation Band

Overcomer by Mandisa

Ezekiel 16:35-19:14

“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD.” Ezekiel 18:29

Oh my friends! If I had a thousand years to type and you had a thousand years to read I don’t know that we still would be able to hash out the things that God is pouring out on me right now! I feel like I’m standing on the edge of an ocean of revelation with the waves lapping at my ankles, just scanning the endless horizon of possibilities and His amazing Grace.

His word each morning has just been so filled with revelation that I’m getting completely overwhelmed with just where to start. It’s all so amazing and wonderful and I want to share ALL of it with you!

I am so excited about the message hidden in chapter 18 that I feel like there was extra caffeine in my coffee this morning! I am literally bouncing off the walls and I can hardly hold still. It is, by far, the best of all messages. It is the Good News of the gospel! And I pray that you listen carefully to it today.

For the longest time I lived my life thinking that I had to keep track of my sins. I thought that every time I sinned God was up on His throne angrily frowning at me. I mean, after all, He is a just God right? I had sinned and according to today’s reading, “The soul who sins shall die”. (Ezekiel 18:20) Thankfully, God has shone His marvelous light on His truth; the truth I was forgetting.

These are OLD covenant terms and conditions, and I’m living in a NEW covenant era!

Do you remember those paint with water coloring books? They were the ones that had the paint already on the page and all you needed was water and a brush and those plain white pages would come to life with a rage of color. It was like magic. Reading the old covenant is like that. It has little dried dots of Jesus’ blood hidden between each of the words, and all it takes is a little Living water and the brush of the Holy Spirit to breathe Truth and Life into those dry bones. And what’s really awesome about that is that when you read today’s reading through the blood of Jesus, the message that comes through IS marvelous!

The house of Israel was saying that, “The way of the Lord is not just”. (Ezekiel 18:25) And honestly that’s what all my sin-tracking was. As long as I was focusing on my sins, my motives, my actions were screaming “the Lord is not just”! The way I was living and treating myself was an old covenant way of life. I believed that I needed to be punished for my sins, because I was the one who had committed them. By believing this and acting in this manner I was denying the entire message of the gospel:

^22a“For there is no distinction; ²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴AND ARE JUSTIFIED by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins. ²⁶It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:22-26

How many times have you heard the verse “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”? Probably hundreds right? Yet while it is an entire verse, it ISN’T an entire sentence! You know, I never knew that until I read it for myself. That’s when the Holy Teacher showed me His Truth. I want you to SEE what I’m talking about here because it is critical. There is such a tremendous, life changing truth in this passage and I don’t want you to miss it.

The sentence starts in the middle of verse 22, “For there is no distinction,”: we are all the same. But then the sentence doesn’t stop there, it pauses for a breath and then continues the thought,

²³“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”:

“sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned – for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.” (Romans 5:12-13)

Yes, because we were born of flesh from the line of Adam we are born sinners. We ourselves hadn’t done anything on our own to be counted as sinners, yet we were counted as such nonetheless. We are all sinners. BREATH. It’s a comma not period.

²⁴“and are justified by His grace as a gift,”: AND. It’s a conjunction! “And” is a joining word, it connects the things that come before it to the thoughts that come after it!!! The fact that we all start life as sinners is NOT the end of our story, it’s just the beginning! There is an “and”, a connector, there’s MORE! And the more is MARVELOUS! While we all are sinners, we are also ALL JUSTFIED by His grace as a gift! Satan loves when we stop at the sin verse and leave out the justified verse. He doesn’t want us to know that we ARE JUSTFIED. Because when we know that, well, there’s no stopping us. Just this morning, he has tried every which way to keep me from sharing this message with you because he KNOWS what it will do for you; it will set you free! You have been justified by His grace as a GIFT!

Romans 5:15-21 says, “the free gift [justification] is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

When you give someone a gift at Christmas what is your hope? Do you hope that they will like the gift? Do you hope that they will use and enjoy the gift? Or do you hope that they will hate it and give it away or return it unused? You want them to LOVE the gift don’t you? You want them to love the gift and USE it all the time. That’s when you know that a gift has been received, when the person you gave it to uses it because they love it.

God is just.

He is a just God and when sin abounds He requires punishment for that sin.

God is justifier.

Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more! God loves this world and everything in it so much that He gave His one and only Son (Jesus) on the cross to be punished for OUR sin – all of them. Just as God “passed over the former sins” He has also passed over the sins that were yet to come, ours, all of them. With the first Adam, we ourselves hadn’t done anything on our own to be counted as sinners, yet we were counted as such nonetheless. The same is true with the second Adam, the NEW beginning, the NEW covenant, our NEW creator. We ourselves can’t do anything on our own to be counted as righteous, yet when we choose Jesus and become born again, we are counted as such nonetheless.

Before choosing Jesus, we are sinners. And it doesn’t matter how many good things we do, we are still sinners. After choosing Jesus, we are MADE righteous, and it doesn’t matter how many bad things we do, we’re still righteous. The key, is remembering that

“for our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. Working together with Him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.” (2Corinthians 5:21-6:1)

Once upon a time I prayed and asked God to help me better understand what was so amazing about Grace, because I just didn’t “get it”. He took me on the adventure of a lifetime! I became extraordinarily legalistic, to the point where I spent the majority of my day asking God to forgive me for one thing or another and it was horrible. I hated myself. I hated that I just couldn’t do everything right. I couldn’t follow His Law to the letter no matter how hard I tried. I kept telling myself, “I have the Spirit of Jesus living inside me I should be able to live like Jesus!” But the harder I tried the more I failed. I was miserable. There is a reason the Disciples called it the ministry of death, because it almost killed me.

But then God introduced me to Joseph Prince. He preaches Jesus and Grace alone. For months I would watch his sermons and struggled with what they contained. I wanted to believe that God’s grace is as radical as Joseph was telling me that it is, but it was just too unbelievable! Forgiven for ALL my sins? All of them, even the ones I haven’t committed yet? How can that be? And don’t I have to ask Him for forgiveness for every single one of them, otherwise they’re not forgiven, right? It was just too radical, too much, too good to be true. To believe that all my sins were wiped away the moment I chose Jesus, even the ones I hadn’t committed yet, it was just too much for me to believe that God could be that good; that His grace could cover me that completely – yeah right.

And then a beautiful little pink polka dot kitty walked into my life and I will never be the same again! God used my daughter Anna, whose name means Grace – “coincidentally”, to teach me that His grace really is that radical. His grace really is that good and it really does cover me that completely!

Oh how I wish I could go on and on! The impact that this truth has had on my life, well, it’s made me NEW! J And I pray that it will for you too. May the blessings of God be so heavy upon your heart that you can’t miss hearing them and feeling them with every breath that you take. This is not the end my friend, it is only the beginning! May God’s radical Grace flood your entire being today and every day from this day on! In Jesus’ name!

AMEN!

“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to HIS ways, declares the Lord GOD.” Ezekiel 18:29

I deeply apologize for the tardiness of this post. However, I really wanted to do this message justice and to do that, it took me all day long. I pray that it blesses you more than it did me!

Ezekiel 12:17-16:34

Ezekiel 16:1-14 has always been one of my favorite passages because of the tenderness we find in it. We discover God’s gentleness with His precious bride and the romantic in me has always been in love with it. But today, as scripture often does, it fell on me with amazing freshness and depth.

“And as for your birth, on the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you out of compassion for you, but you were cast out on the open field, for you were abhorred, on the day that you were born.” Ezekiel 16:1-5

When we accept Jesus as the Truth and allow Him to be our Lord and Savior, we are re-born from the Kingdom of Sin into the Kingdom of God and made new creations. This morning the Holy Spirit showed me that this is exactly what happened when Adam and Eve accepted the lies of Satan. The two who had been born into the Kingdom of God, were re-born into the Kingdom of Satan. They had done something that once done can’t be un-done. They opened a door to the darkness that they couldn’t shut.

My son is 11. He’s nearing “that age” when we’re going to have to educate him about certain things, you know what I mean. But we hesitate to do so yet because he is in such a blissful place of innocence right now. He can see things around him, or hear things around him that might make him wonder a little, but because he doesn’t know about them he doesn’t pay that much attention to them. BUT. Once we inform him of the “birds and the bees” his eyes will be opened and there will be no turning back. He will see everything around him in a completely different light. And after that conversation he will never be the same. He will never think the same way, he will never see things the same way because then he will no longer be innocent of these things and he will understand things that he doesn’t understand now. He will have eaten from the tree of KNOWLEDGE, and there will be no going back into that innocence he has now.

I believe down to the depths of my soul that that conversation with Satan is what opened their eyes. That while there was a physical fruit tree they ate from, it was the conversation they had, under the tree, with the father of LIES that was the forbidden fruit. It was under that tree they were introduced to Satan, pure evil himself. They swallowed his lies, his half-truths and over exaggerations and their eyes were opened to the fact that this world contains more than just good. There is evil too. And that day, in that bite of eye appealing fruit, they learned something that changed them. Their eyes were opened and they suddenly saw everything around them in a completely different light. After that conversation we would never be the same. We would never think the same way; we would never see things the same way because we were no longer innocent. Their innocence was shattered and could never be pieced back together.

The presence of God entered the garden and caught the trio red-handed. And this is the part that never fails to get me, God Himself performed the first animal sacrifice that covered the sin of Adam and Eve hiding their naked shame with animal skin. (Genesis 4:21) They were driven from the Garden covered in the blood of that birth into sin, covered in that shame that can’t be erased covered in those freshly viewed images of themselves that once seen can not be unseen. They were covered in all these things because they had removed their covering of God’s grace over them. They had removed the covering they had been born with and replaced it with this new birth of sin.

While God had originally formed them so lovingly and with such tenderness, their birth into sin was brutally harsh and abrupt. Satan, who didn’t care for them one iota, didn’t take the time to cut their umbilical cord, or wash the blood of birth from their bodies with words of tenderness and love. He didn’t rub them with salt to keep them healthy or wrap them in swaddling cloths to keep them warm. He didn’t pity them or have any compassion for them, he just watched as they were cast out of the garden into the open field because their new father (Satan) hated them from the moment they were born into his kingdom.

Boy, if that isn’t a great place for a BUT GOD, I don’t know what is!

BUT GOD “passed by [them] and saw [them] wallowing in [their] blood, [He] said to [them] in [their] blood, ‘Live!’ [He] said to [them] in [their] blood, ‘Live!’.” (16:6)

Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be His name, refused to sit idly by and do nothing about Satan stealing and then abandoning His beloved children. They had been sold into slavery to sin, but He brought up for them a deliverer! He attacked every false god of Egypt and parted the Red Sea for them. He gave them the Law of Moses as a guardian to help them grow in their relationship with Him and to help them come to the end of themselves and realize their intense need for a Savior!

In the midst of the Garden of Eden there was another tree. I imagine that it might not have been much to look at from the outside; unassuming in stature and leaf. Yet we know that it contained the fruit of LIFE EVERLASTING!

While the forbidden fruit looked good for food, delightful to the eyes and would make one wise – the wisdom of the world is folly. It looks beautiful on the outside but is rancid on the inside. However, the fruit of Life [Jesus, in case you were curious] was said to “have no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him”. (Isaiah 53:2) The fruit of Life might not have looked like much on the outside but it is BEAUTIFUL on the inside, through and through!

Psalm 149:4 says, “For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.” When we eat the fruit from the tree of the crucifixion, it’s our sins that die. When we eat the fruit from the tree of His stripes our diseases are healed, It was on that cross and through that empty grave that God spread the corner of His garment over us and covered our nakedness. He made a vow to us and entered into a covenant with us and we became HIS again! He bathes us with the water of the word and washes off the blood of sin. He anoints us with the oil of gladness through His Spirit and clothes us with the embroidered cloth. He shods our feet with FINE leather gospel shoes and He wraps us in the fine linen and silk of the royal priesthood. He adorns us with ornaments and expensive jewelry like a Beloved Bride. He places a beautiful crown on our heads and feeds us with fine flour and honey and oil; His Son, our manna from heaven, our daily bread. (Ezekiel 16:14)

Through Christ the lost have been found and brought back home to their Creator who loves us dearly, tenderly, sweetly and completely. Praise be to God!

Ezekiel 7:14-12:16

“Then He said to me, ‘Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his room of pictures? For they say, ‘The LORD does not see us, the LORD has forsaken the land.'” Ezekiel 8:12

“Then He said to me, ‘The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice. For they say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see.'” Ezekiel 9:9

Ezekiel 2:1-7:13

“Blessed be the glory of the LORD from its place.” Ezekiel 3:12

I had to laugh this morning. God is so amazingly awesome! Yesterday’s reading was supposed to be Exodus 39:1-40:38
&
Ezekiel 1:1-28, but I only read the end of Exodus. I have the daily readings marked in my Bible and I had forgotten to write “to finish go to Ezekiel”. But my Oops was a VERY purposeful thing by God. It made yesterday’s reading 2 columns shorter, which I needed yesterday for timing. Then, it made today’s reading 2 columns longer, which I NEEDED today! J It also created this beautiful pause between days that allowed yesterday’s message to sink in before I entered into today’s. “Blessed be the glory of the LORD from its place [IN ME].”

What was it that we learned yesterday? The glory of the LORD dwells in ME! And then, those 2 columns from yesterday that didn’t get read until today are a physical description of the glory of God seated on His throne, which dwells INSIDE us!

“And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire, and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was a brightness around Him. Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.” Ezekiel 1:26-28

The mention of “the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain,” calls back to Noah and the ark! In Genesis 9:11-17 God says,

“I establish My covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds. I will remember My covenant that is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

As I writer, the things I write are from my heart, they are dear to me. Yet there are times when I go down rabbit trails and write things that are dear to my heart, that I need to say and hear, yet they stray and distract from the core of the message and as a good writing teacher I’m forced to delete them. There is no way to describe how difficult this is to do. It’s editing, plain and simple, but it’s not simple, it’s hard!

God created and CARES about all that life that was deleted in the flood. There is no way to imagine how hard that was for Him to do. But it was necessary in order to get the core of His message across to “all future generations”. There is an ark of deliverance from the complete destruction of the wrath of God, JESUS!

And in today’s reading we find that God didn’t just rely on the rainbows that we see from time to time, to remind Him of His promise to us. He SURROUNDED His very throne with a rainbow in order to remind and comfort Himself that He would never have to do that again. He wants to be constantly reminded of the promise He made to us; the promise of the hope of salvation through Christ and His eternal Grace.

That flood destroyed ALL flesh from the earth, yet God circled Himself with the promise of that crown of thorns that sat upon His own brow in order to reverse the curse and save ALL flesh from complete destruction forevermore. And because “it is FINISHED” (John 19:30), the glory of His promised Spirit lives in us and surrounds the throne in our spirit with that very same rainbow of promise!

JESUS IS ALIVE!

He is risen from the grave, our debt has been paid, His flesh took the punishment for our sin.

YOU HAVE BEEN REDEEMED!

And He LIVES in YOU! Praise be to God! He is our shield and rampart, our fortress of strength when we are weak; and He lives in us!

I’m so sorry I didn’t get this out to you yesterday!!! I had it written and typed and all ready to go, it just never got sent and I thought it did! Eep!

Exodus 32:1-35:19

Today’s reading contains several of my favorite stories. So it was hard for me to choose just one to talk to you about. But when I went back to re-read it the story of the Golden calf was the one that I just had to re-tell because it’s arrow pointing forward to Christ was the strongest.

The story of the Golden Calf has always been one of my favorites because of Aaron’s reaction when Moses comes down the mountain and sees what he has done.

“Moses said to Aaron, ‘What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?’ And Aaron said, ‘Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people that they are set on evil. For they said to me. ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.'” Exodus 32:21-24

Yeah Aaron, you just threw the gold in and a CALF popped out! Suuuure. It honestly just cracks me up, every time. Maybe it’s the mom in me and all the times I’ve heard my kids come up with excuses like that. My favorite was when I noticed a cut in the hem of Anna’s pants. When I asked her how that cut got there she said, “The scissors did it”. It’s so pathetic that we laugh, but it’s honestly how we think when we’re trying to back pedal our way out of trouble. We often spit out the first answer that comes to our mind and then as soon as it’s out of our mouth we think better of it. But it’s too late because it’s already out. We’ve all been there and done that, hopefully a long long long time ago.

But it’s the thing after Aaron’s lame excuse that should really get our attention. Moses stands in the gate of the camp and says,

“Who is on the LORD’S side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. And he said to them, “thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.” And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell. And Moses said, ‘today you have been ordained for the service of the LORD each one at the cost of his son and of his brother so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.” Exodus 32:26-29

It’s here I have to point out something very interesting. From the very beginning of the book of Exodus the people of Israel have been mumbling and grumbling and doing all kinds of things to make the LORD angry. Yet NONE of them died until the Law came down the mountain. And on this day when the Law came down the mountain 3,000 men lost their lives. That number is important because it’s the arrow.

There is another instance in the Bible when someone comes down from God and 3,000 men are affected. Do you know where it is?

Turn to Acts chapter 2 verses 1 through 41. Please take the time to read it here.

Coincidentally, Pentecost was the celebration of the Law being given by Moses. So here we are years and years later. Jesus has come, laid down His life on the cross, come back to life, shown Himself to His followers for 40 days, & told them to wait for the promise of the Father. So the Disciples are hanging out in Jerusalem, basically minding their own business waiting for this gift that God the Father has promised them. Pentecost comes and they’re all gathered together celebrating it as good Jews would have when this sound like a mighty rushing wind fills the room, tongues of fire come and stand on their heads and they all start speaking in different languages. The promised gift of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit has come! And boy did He come with a bang didn’t He!?! It’s almost as if the finger of God came down and wrote something within each of their hearts… (Hint, hint, that’s precisely what He did; and so very much more!)

“I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD; I will put My LAW within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God and they shall be My people.” Jeremiah 31:33 & Hebrews 8:10 & 10:16

So while Pentecost is the day the Jews celebrate the Law being given, for the Christian it’s the day we celebrate the SPRIT being given.

In the giving of the Law, while Moses was up on the mountain receiving the Law from God the people were down playing with fire and gold and sinning their little hearts out. In the giving of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was up on the mountain BEING the Law from God (Matthew 5:17) and the Disciples were down being filled with fire and gold and their little hearts were being cleansed from all sin!!!!!

But wait! It get’s better! The similarities don’t stop there! After Moses came down and caught them red-handed he called for those who were on God’s side and told them to go from gate to gate and kill their brothers, neighbors and friends. After the Holy Spirit came down He called for the Disciples to go from one side of the globe to the other and SAVE their brothers, neighbors and friends! AND at the end of that day in Exodus when the final death count had been taken there were 3,000 men dead. But at the end of that day in Acts when the final re-birth count had been taken there were 3,000 men SAVED!

Seriously, how awesome is our God and how lucky are we to be living in a post-resurrection era??? It’s no wonder Paul referred to the Law as the ministry of death!

“For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gave at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. Since we have such a hope, we are very bold., not like Moses who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when on turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:6-18