Breaking The Bondage Of Fear

“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” - Psalm 119:18.

Date: Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Today's Chapters: Ezekiel 34-36
Message Title: Breaking The Bondage Of Fear

Hello My Friend,

Fear, a painful emotion or passion excited by an expectation of evil, or the apprehension of impending danger. Did you ever wonder why some people are into such extreme activities? Deep down they have a fear inside them, one they try to control by doing such extreme events. As much as we would like to think that we are in control of our fears, deep down we are scaredy cats about something. God has not given us the spirit of fear, the devil does that, and it is something that no amount of strength in our own flesh can take control of, the only one who can give us the power to overcome our fears is the Lord, Jesus Christ. “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” - Romans 8:15-17. 

One of the things that angers God is those in leadership who are more worried about taking care of themselves than His sheep. Through Ezekiel, He has some pretty harsh words for those who, ignore His flock to take care of themselves. “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.” - Ezekiel 34:2-5.

Over the years, I have really noticed how many people do unbiblical things out of fear. I will admit that I have in the past, but let me tell you, doing something you know is wrong anytime, only makes thing worse for you. If we look to God there is no need to fear what man or anything else can do to us, He will take care of us. “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” - Matthew 10:28-31.

Some people get away from God, and even though they are saved, still fear returning to Him, I do not know how many times I hear someone say, that if they stepped foot in a church it would burn. If you received the Lord, Jesus Christ as your Saviour you are saved, forever, that means, He lovingly accepts His children's forgiveness, no matter how bad they might have messed up, He lovingly accepts all who come to His Son. Through Ezekiel, God explains that He will gather all His people, and cleanse them from all their sins. 

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded.” - Ezekiel 36:36-38,31-33.

This is the same promise He gives to all of us, what an amazing God we have, His mercy truly endures and let me tell you, people have no mercy, they will punish you to the fullest extent of the law, and most take the law into their own hands. God's mercy toward us is what keeps Him from casting us into hell, even when we mess up time and time again. His grace is what keeps Him loving us at all times, and His promise is to bring all of His people together again, to a place that has no more sin, pain, or even death. We do not have to live in fear, we do have to stand by God's Word, even if we do not know the outcome. God knows the outcome, and with Him, we can defeat the power of fear. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” - Ephesians 6:11-13.

Today's Prayer: God, You have not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, through Your Son, Jesus Christ. We do not have to live in bondage to fear because You will take care of us. Lord, give us Your power to admit our fears, give us Your strength to stand up to what we fear, and give us the wisdom and guidance we need to conquer our fears and overcome them. In Jesus' name, Amen. 

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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Take A Stand Against Corrupt Christians

"Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” - Psalm 119:18.
Date: Monday, September 08, 2014
Today's Chapters: Ezekiel 29-31
Message Title: Take A Stand Against Corrupt Christians
Hello My Friend,
Once upon a time saying that you were a Christian meant something, it meant that the person was honest and trustworthy. Today, it is just the opposite, no one trusts a Christian, in fact, in the past nine months I have seen so many corrupt Christians that even I do not trust people who say they are Christians. The sad thing is, they really are not Christians, they are liars, who know how to manipulate their way into controlling even those who are true Christians. They might think they are in control right now, but God is always in control, and sooner or later, He will cast them all out. “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” - John 15:5,6.
God had been known to use Egypt over the centuries, even to protect His only begotten Son. At one time, it was a great and powerful nation, in fact, many of the things we enjoy today were invented by the Egyptians. During the time of the fall of Jerusalem, the Pharaoh proudly and wickedly boasted of having established his kingdom so strongly, that even God was not powerful enough to take it from Him. If you know anything about God, do not think that you are more powerful than Him. Egypt never seemed to grasp the power of God, and in fact, was and still is always in control. God sent Ezekiel to Egypt to foretell the end of Egypt as a great nation.
“Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself. And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years: and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries. Yet thus saith the Lord GOD; At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered: And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation; and they shall be there a base kingdom. And it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel, which bringeth their iniquity to remembrance, when they shall look after them: but they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.” - Ezekiel 29:3,12-14,16.

A base kingdom is merely one that is low in value or estimation; used of things. While God continued to use Egypt from time to time, it never regained the power it once had. Still today they are at war with Israel, and any nation that stands with them because they know God is above them. Nations and people can proclaim they are more powerful than God, and even that He has no control, but sooner or later all will know that He is the Lord. “God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.” - Nahum 1:2,3,6.
When we receive the Lord, Jesus Christ as our Saviour amazing things happen as we learn about Him and make Him Lord of our lives, God blesses us greatly. Why? Nothing fulfills His joy more than to see His people walking and growing with Him. If we are not careful the blessings can get to our heads, and before you know it, Jesus is no longer Lord, and in fact, we make ourselves lords, forgetting that God is the one who blessed us. Through Ezekiel, God describes to Pharaoh the fall of the king of Nineveh, who under the illustration of a strong cedar tree, was cut down because he exalted himself.

“Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs. The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field. Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth. I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height; I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness.” - Ezekiel 31:3-5,9-11.

God might be in control over everything in the earth, but He has no control over each individuals choices that they make. Only we have the control to make Jesus, Saviour and Lord, and to take a stand for what's right, even if that means we suffer a bit. I had been watching this man for quite some time, to many he appeared to be a godly man, they trusted him, but as I observed him I saw something different. When I addressed this matter to the person in charge they revealed they knew, but had no control to change the situation.

Believe it or not, our nations are falling into the hands of the enemy because we are letting corrupt Christians control things. In order for us to be blessed again, we as individuals need to take a stand and realize that we cannot defeat the enemy alone, we need the power of God, and together we must stand up to these people as one nation under God. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” - Ephesians 6:11-13.
Today's Prayer: God, You are always in control everything, Your mighty power can turn the biggest mountain into a pile of rubble. What You cannot control is our actions, and as much as we would like to live in Your will, we often do not because we live in fear of the enemy, we allow corrupt Christians to control our fate, rather than trust You to make things happen. Lord, give us Your strength to stand up for our right to live by Your Word, and not be manipulated by the enemy, give us Your wisdom to observe and discern those who are the enemy, and give us the power to defeat the enemy. Lead us and guide us, and let us give You control so that together, with You by our side, we can win the victory. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Object of Worship

 “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” - Psalm 119:18.
Date: Sunday, September 06, 2014
Today's Chapters: Ezekiel 27-28
Message Title: Object of Worship
Hello My Friend,
The very first commandment that God ever made to His People is, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” - Exodus 20:3. Now, we who are saved, born again believers, understand that there is only one God and that He is the Almighty, All Powerful Jehovah Himself, but even they can worship other gods. Anytime a person, object, job, or lifestyle takes place over God, it is, in fact, a god, and God will not have any god before Him. “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” - Matthew 15:8,9.
The word worship has two different meanings, one is, the act of paying divine honors to the Supreme Being (God); and two, extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem. Often the biggest object of worship is money, God is not against any of His people having money, but He is against His people forgetting that He is the source of that money. The nation of Tyrus was very prosperous, they were well known for their ships and merchandise, even though Ezekiel was well beyond it in Babylon, God warned him of the destruction that was about to take place in Tyrus. God tells Ezekiel to take up a lamentation for Tyrus.
“Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus; And say unto Tyrus, O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, which art a merchant of the people for many isles, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O Tyrus, thou hast said, I am of perfect beauty. Thy borders are in the midst of the seas, thy builders have perfected thy beauty. Thy riches, and thy fairs, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy calkers, and the occupiers of thy merchandise, and all thy men of war, that are in thee, and in all thy company which is in the midst of thee, shall fall into the midst of the seas in the day of thy ruin. In the time when thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of the waters thy merchandise and all thy company in the midst of thee shall fall.” - Ezekiel 27:2-4,27,34.
The gods of Tyrus was their wealthy and power, they thought that they were invincible, especially since they were still standing while Jerusalem fell. You can be sure that if we start boasting about all that we have made ourselves, that God will take it all away, faster than you can blink your eyes. “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.” - Colossians 3:23-25.
God did not want to see Tyrus destroyed, just like He didn't want to see Israel destroyed, and all His people scattered everywhere, but as a nation they refused to eliminate the heathens, gods, and idols that were an abomination to everything He stood for, so, He had no other choice. Sometimes it's not by death that people are destroyed, but simply by taking their possessions or wealth away from them. This time, God singled out the prince of Tyrus. Why? Because he thought himself to be a god. “Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God: With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures: By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness.” - Ezekiel 28:2,4-7.
Of all the sins one can commit, the one that gets God's blood boiling is a person making themselves a god. The devil, Lucifer, himself, was one of God's angels, he thought himself to be a god, he exalted himself above God, and was cast out of heaven. Just like the prince of Tyrus was killed, so will the devil, he will be cast into the lake of fire, along with anyone else who thought themselves to be a god. There are many religions that deceive people into believing they will be a god if they do certain things, all they are doing is getting a one way ticket to hell. “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” - Revelation 20:10,13-15.
It's not money, fame, or fortune that destroys us, it's how we handle what God has given us that destroys us. Through Ezekiel, God tells Tyrus why He will completely destroy their nation. “Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.” - Ezekiel 28:15-17,19.
God did not want to see Tyrus destroyed, just like He didn't want to see Israel destroyed, and all His people scattered everywhere. They had a choice, but refused to eliminate the gods and idols that were their object of worship. We cannot expect God let us continue to prosper, if we put other gods before us, but He will as long as we keep Him our only God. “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” - Psalm 1:1-3.
Today's Prayer: God, You love us so much, You want to see us prosper and give us everything we want and need, all You ask in return is that we worship only You. Lord, with all the temptations of the world, it can be difficult to keep You above all that, but we can do all things by Your power. Lead us and guide us, give us Your power to keep Your first, and to first and far most, acknowledge You in all that You bless us with so we no do forget that it it You who gives us everything we have. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Chicken Soup

“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” - Psalm 119:18.
Date: Saturday, September 06, 2014
Today's Chapters: Ezekiel 24-26
Message Title: Chicken Soup
Hello My Friend,

Have you ever boiled chicken? At first, the water is clear, then as the meat cooks all the blood begins to come out and rise to the top of the water. It's a dark, scum like substance, pretty disgusting, and you have to literally scoop it out for it to be useful. Sin is like the scum that sits on top of the water, it darkens us, and makes us look pretty disgusting, we cannot remove it by ourselves, we need someone to do it for us. There is only one person who can remove the scum of sin, for us to be useful, Jesus Christ. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:7-9.

The entire time Ezekiel was telling the Jews about the devastation in Jerusalem he was still in Babylon. You can imagine their surprise when they began to realize that the false prophets telling them that they would be set free had deceived them. They had been cast into the stock pot, so to speak, to remove the scum of sin that was right on top of them. “Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this same day: the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day. And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Set on a pot, set it on, and also pour water into it: Gather the pieces thereof into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones. Take the choice of the flock, and burn also the bones under it, and make it boil well, and let them seethe the bones of it therein. Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it.” - Ezekiel 24:2-6.

In this rather odd illustration, God uses a stockpot to explain that He was purging them from the filthiness that defiled them. While God's people are precious and valuable to Him, only after the scum is removed can we truly understand how valuable He is, and be profitable to Him. Do not despise the chastening we get from God, He only does it to make us profitable. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” - Hebrews 12:6,7.

Since most of Judah was taken captive to Babylon it must have seemed like God was done with them, He really wasn't. He was saving them from all the corruption going on there, it must have been really bad if He sent them to a heathen nation. While there, all the hateful, spiteful, nations surrounding them were still gloating. The world loves to see a God nation fall, but God will not be mocked, especially by those who refuse to acknowledge Him. He sent Ezekiel to warn them of the coming judgment placed upon them.

“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword. And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord GOD. Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it for the old hatred; Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethims, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast. And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.” - Ezekiel 25:13-17.

It is evil and wicked to make fun of and rejoice over others who are being chastened by God, especially if they have nothing to do with Him, and mock His people. God will not be mocked, He will remove the scum of every nation that mocks Him or His people. “For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.” - Romans 14:9-13.
While God hates sin, and surely knows that we can never completely sinless, we can sin less as we allow Jesus to remove sins we knowingly commit. I admit, some sins are hard to overcome, and that is why we need Jesus, He really is the only one who can remove the scum. Do you realize that after the scum is removed from the chicken it makes one great bowl of soup? Jesus makes something great out of us when we let Him remove the scum. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” - 2 Corinthians 4:17,18.

Today's Prayer: God, What an amazing and peculiar way to show Your children how valuable and precious they are. Without You, we really do not know how to remove the scum that makes us look filthy, we try to do what's right, only to fail over and over again. Lord, You truly are the only one who can cleanse us and make us great, lead us and guide us, give us Your power to remain faithful to You. Help us not get angry or bitter over Your chastening, and keep us looking to You, even when we do not understand why we are being chastened. Give us the strength to keep allowing You to remove the scum, and make us into something great. In Jesus' name, Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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God's Indignation

Date: Friday, September 05, 2014
Today's Chapters: Ezekiel 22-23
Message Title: God's Indignation
Hello My Friend,
The word indignation means, anger or extreme anger, mingled with contempt, disgust or abhorrence. Did you ever despise someone so much that even the mention of their name disgusts you? Sounds pretty harsh, but I am sure that we all have had indignation toward someone, perhaps still do. God has indignation toward some people too, in fact, He has indignation toward those who claim to know Him (not saved backsliders), use His name, but are as wicked as can be, and lie and deceive others in the process. “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” - Revelation 21:7,8.
I agree with God, I despise liars, I went to this place the other day, when I got there, the person told me that what I had been interested was no longer available, after I made an appointment specifically to see it. Immediately, I wanted to walk away, but stayed, only to be even more disappointed with what they showed me. Now, I admit that what I saw could have been doable, but the second I found out the person lied, I wanted nothing to do with them. God is forgiving, and He will forgive all who come to Him, but He knows when someone is lying, and He will expose them too. Through Ezekiel, God tells of what is to come of those who lie to Him, He refers to them, as dross, worthless matter.

“In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD. Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.” - Ezekiel 22:12,18,19,31.
Dross, God separates the saved from the unsaved, but even the saved can be deceived into believing their lies. God has indignation on all who shed innocent blood (Abortionist), worship idols (Buddha), make man made gods (Allah), start false religions (Christian Science), and convince the unknown to commit abominable acts (Sodomy, Fornication, Witchcraft). Judgment is coming, which will include public humiliation, and He will rid His nation of every person who does not repent. “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;” - 2 Peter 2:1,4.
While God may not have indignation toward His own people, that does not mean that He agrees with the way they are living their lives. In fact, some of His people live more wickedly than the worldly people do, which is why He addresses His anger toward Jerusalem also. In this illustration of two adulteress sisters, Aholah, which means, her tabernacle, and Aholibah, which means, my tabernacle, God warns them of the humiliation they will face when their lovers turn on them.
“Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother: And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms. The LORD said moreover unto me; Son of man, wilt thou judge Aholah and Aholibah? yea, declare unto them their abominations; Thus will I cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to do after your lewdness. And they shall recompense your lewdness upon you, and ye shall bear the sins of your idols: and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.” - Ezekiel 23:2,4,35,36,48,49.

A relationship with God is like marriage, it takes commitment, faithfulness, submission, love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, and a lot of patience. Just like a husband and wife say vows that join them together as one, when we pray and ask Jesus to save us we say a vow that joins us together as one. Now, if your spouse ever committed adultery you would be devastated, you might even have some indignation toward them. Well, this is how God feels whenever we are unfaithful to Him. Every time a person, game, hobby, or even a career takes first place over, it becomes the love of their life and something God sees as adultery. We do not have to stop living our lives, but we do need to let God know that He comes first. “Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” - Psalm 37:4.
Today's Prayer: God, We love You because You first loved us. To show Your love, You gave Your one and only Son to die for our sins so that we would not spend eternity in hell, but with You. Lord, As our relationship with You grows, give us Your love, mercy, grace, and strength to remain faithful to You, no matter who or what tries to get between us. Give us Your power, wisdom, and guidance, to fear You, and never let us forget just how much You love us and want only the best for us. In Jesus' name, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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To Judge Or Not To Judge

Date: Thursday, August 04, 2014
Today's Chapters: Ezekiel 20-21
Message Title: To Judge Or Not To Judge
Hello My Friend,
There is probably not a day that goes by where saved people quote some form of passage from the Bible about not judging them. That brings to question whether or not we are to judge a person, after all, Jesus does say Himself, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” - Matthew 7:1. Okay, there are several meanings to the word judge, one being; to try or severely sentence, another; to discern or consider accurately for the purpose of forming a conclusion. With that being said, obviously, they forget the passage where Jesus says, “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” - John 7:24. While we are not to severely sentence a person for their sin, God does that Himself, we are to consider accurately their sin, and approach them in a godly manner.

When the elders of Israel saw no sight in things changing for them (remember they were to spend seventy years in Babylon), and especially after Ezekiel told them what was to come of them, perhaps they thought it might be wise to seek help from God. They went to Ezekiel and asked him to speak to God, but did not get the answers they were looking for. “And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to enquire of the LORD, and sat before me. Then came the word of the LORD unto me, saying, Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you. Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:” - Ezekiel 20:1-4.
God was had it with their constant ingratitude and unfaithfulness to Him, not to mention all the abominable acts they had been doing, and every generation got worse. He refused to answer their questions, in fact, tells Ezekiel to judge them accordingly. It's inevitable that judgment will come to those who deliberately go against God, and all of it can be avoided if they just acknowledge Him. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” - Proverbs 3:5-7,11,12.
On two other occasions the elders went to Ezekiel to seek answers from God (8:1; 14:1; 20:1). The first, He reminded them of their sins and foretold Jerusalem's destruction because of their idolatry. The second, He reminded them that they were not sincere and had no desire to do His will. Now, He reminds them of why He will not answer them anymore. “Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols. Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live; And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD. For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.” - Ezekiel 20:24-26,31.
God is done answering questions of people that disregard His Word to continue living their wicked lives, He will not hear the plea of anyone questioning His judgment or anyone else's. If they want to live the life they want to live, than He will let them, but do not expect His help unless they are willing to repent and turn away from their abominations. Once His judgments are fulfilled, He will call of His people to join Him in Israel. “For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things. I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.” - Ezekiel 20:40,41-44.

Whatever instruments God uses in executing His judgments, He uses to get the lost to repent and the saved to return to Him. God's sword will be none other than His Word, in fact, all He will do is speak His Word and justice will be done. “Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.” - Revelation 2:16,17.
Today's Prayer: God, We are reminded that Your Word does not return void, but accomplishes that which You desire. I want Your Word to be a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. I am grateful for the guidance I receive daily through faithfully reading and applying Scripture to my life. Lead me and guide me, keep me looking to You and not the circumstances I face, and help me to remain obedient to Your commands so I do not have to suffer in my own judgments. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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