Forgiving

Matthew 6:12 “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

When we pray “forgive us our debts”, we are not asking to be removed from our responsibilities.

We are asking that God would “acquit” us from our guilt. That is to have the punishment due our sin, removed.

It is a legal term, for God is either our Savior, or our Judge.

If He is our Savior, then He has taken our guilt, and the punishment of it on Himself, when He was offered on the cross.

His precious blood covers us and we are made “righteous”.

That means we are not just “not guilty” before God, but that Christ righteousness is applied to us.

We stand in Him, and God sees us as such.

So when we have committed sins (and we do each day: sins of omission, or of not doing right. Or sins of commission, or of doing wrong.); we may come to Him as ask forgiveness.

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

And He forgives us.

Then He asks us to be like Him, and forgive our debtors; those who have wronged us.

We are not excusing their sins, only forgiving them, as we have been forgiven by God.

To forgive is to invite peace, peace with God and man, into your life.

When we forgive, we do not let things, like anger and bitterness, come between us and God.

We know He could change circumstances in my favor, if He wanted to.

But what He wants is to change us,….in the circumstances.

To show us His saving strength, and His bubbling joy, even in dark times.

To have us walk in His light.

The Bible says:

Psalm 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

I had a cousin once who was the daughter of a missionary in a foreign country.

She would go with her father through the jungle paths, to visit the people of their congregation.

They always carried a lamp and a flashlight, in case it grew dark before they came home.

At night, her father would walk in front, holding the lamp, and shining the flashlight behind him on the path, so she would know how to walk safely.

She said that often as they were walking, this verse would come to her mind, and she would thank God for their safety; both spiritually and physically.

Jude 21 “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

Eternal Life begins the moment we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior; and continues forever.

The Holy Spirit helps us forgive. We are not left to ourselves, but helped on all sides.

Forgiving others frees us from the tangled emotions which bind us to the world,…..and lets us fly over the circumstances….and people, in peace.

Are You Listening?

Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come into him and sup with him, and he with Me.”

To answer the call of Christ in this Laodicean Age, requires not an answer of words, but an answer of a life open to, and receptive to Him.

What is sup in this verse?

It means fellowship, which is the reaction of a love relationship. The Creator having fellowship with His creature.

We forget that God is God.

At the head of this church letter, He calls Himself the Amen.

And He is the only one who can say Amen, or “so let it be”, to any plan, or suggestion, or purpose.

Then He calls Himself the Faithful and True Witness.

He is Faithful, never letting the Purpose for which we were created, out of His sight.

And therefore, He truly tells us how we are, so that we can,…if we will,….bring ourselves to Him, so we can be made what He wants us to be.

He is a faithful and true witness to His church, as how they are.

Then He is The beginning of the creation of God.

When God thought of creating the earth, and mankind; Christ, as the Man Christ Jesus, was His first thought.

For He knew the world, by Adam’s sin, would be lost without providing a Savior.

So, before anything was created; God the Father, and God the Son entered into the Everlasting Covenant. (Hebrews 13:20-21)

God promised Christ that if He would come, and die on the cross as the Perfect Man, then He would raise Him up from death, and give Him a people which would love and obey Him.

Christ Jesus tells us here; what we are…lukewarm, and about to be vomited out of Him; so we will be without His sustaining.

He also tells us how we are…we are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.

All of these things speak of a people, who are not letting Christ make them into what He has planned for them…….

They think they are, but He says they are not.

Then He gives us very good advice.

Revelation 3:18 “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thy eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”

In Psalms the Lord tells us that His counsel will stand. We can count on it , because we can count on Him. That He gives us the best counsel for our situation.

Psalms 33:11-12 “The counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance.”

He tells us that the best advice for the strengthening of our Christian lives,….is buy of Me.

We are not to buy salvation, no. But we are to buy the things He has already purchased for us, for our Spiritual Health.

You may ask, Why do we buy, if He has already purchased them for us?

We buy them…..of Him. Again, we are not buying Salvation….that is a free gift for all who will come to Christ as Lord and Savior. Once He is our Savior, we are to come to Him in faith receiving all He has for us.

But if we refuse?

They are set aside, till we….”Wake up”; and want them.

Often, since we have refused them before; He will prove how much we want them; and this is when He requires that we “buy them”.

We buy them by Obedience to what He says. If we will Obey Him in these things, we prove that we really want His Will and gifts.

We buy of Him the things that we have refused to use before.

Has He not offered the grace to grow and the power to do? Yet we have often prayed for these things,…..but did not like the way they came.

“Sorry, Lord, I’m going to refuse this gift, for now, because I don’t like the people I have to work with; no, no, I just couldn’t do it now”

This is often the way we treat Jesus.

That is why He says we are: “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked……not clothed with the righteous acts whereby we manifest His Light to the world.

So He says, Buy of Me.

“If you finally are willing to Obey Me as your Lord, and Savior; buy these things that I have for you by obedience to My Will.

Get them, and I will manifest Myself unto you in a special way, for you have finally opened your life to Me, as you should.”

Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.”

This is Fellowship with the Almighty Christ.

He knocks, and speaks to your heart.

Are you listening?

Sin

There are two definitions in the Bible for sin:

Romans 14:23 “….for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

James 4:17 “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

But there are many examples of sin:

Of course the first one is Adam and Eve.

I have talked of this before, but I want to describe the way we got here.

God created Adam in His image: God is Father, Son and Holy Ghost….we are spirit, soul and body.

He is a Trinity….we are a tri-unity. He made us that we could have fellowship with Him…the greatest joy. (Genesis 1:26, 2:7)

God also gave Adam a help-meet: Eve. Eve was taken out of Adam, from his rib, and formed….she was not formed separately from the dust of the ground as Adam was….she was from Adam.

They were placed in a garden and told to keep it. The animals were brought to Adam to name them….he was given dominion over all the creatures, as God’s vice-governor;…..with one law…..

Adam was not to eat of one…..yes, that is right, just one of the trees of the garden.

All the other trees, he could eat of, but that one.

Genesis 2:16-17 “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

Why was there any law?

Because God is a God of holiness and beauty….therefore a government of order, even among those He fellowships with, is necessary.

When God breathed into Adam the breath of life (the Holy Spirit), Adam became a living soul….conscious of his feelings, of his thoughts, and of his will….conscious of God and His love and care.

That gift of life, by the Holy Spirit within, brought faith with it….a knowledge of God, Who He was, and His character and government over him and Eve.

Adam was fully grown, intelligent, and had experienced God’s love, care and power. In him all the generations of mankind lay ready to experience supreme happiness…if he would continue in it.

Would Adam continue to believe and trust God?

Though Adam was innocent, without sin at this point,…..still he was changeable.

Would he stay true to God, on the one point of law that God required?

As a tree, would be established…root, trunk, and branches; so Adam, and His dependents, would be established in righteousness forever had he been obedient to this one thing.

And as a tree, Adam and His descendants, would be cut down….if he disobeyed.

We know what happened: Eve was tempted by the devil….he was under a guise of a serpent; and started talking to Eve.

This must have startled her, for no other creature could talk.

(I might add here, she should have immediately turned from him and ran to get Adam, and told him and God what was going on….but she listened. A wile of the devil we still fall into)

Genesis 3:4-6a “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (Silly, they already knew good, why know evil?)

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise,…”

As she listened….he started to make “sense”. She started to imagine what he was offering….

They would not die, as God had said….but instead (yes, her imagination is getting into full swing)

They would be able to “see”….(the only thing she was seeing was illusion)….

beauty and food (she already had that in every other tree);

We will be as gods……(the idea of bondage in obedience to God came in here…they had absolute freedom, joy and peace with themselves and the creation around them, including animals….but the idea of “something more” dazzled her.)

Now again, I must say….we did not die in Eve. She came from Adam, so it was all up to Adam to say for the human race.

Would he believe God and stay true to Him…..and save himself, and his generations?

Or would he “see” with Eve, and kill himself, Eve, and millions of his children?

Genesis 3:6b-7 “…she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave (offered) also to her husband with her, and he did eat.

And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.”

Naked…their souls, which had been clothed with the goodness and peace of God; became bare before a Holy God.

God, their God,….became God, the Judge. A horrible place to be…so they tried to hide.

Of course they could not hide…..but God, even then, gave them the chance to confess their sin…but instead they continued to try and hide their choice:

Adam blamed God for giving him Eve….(Genesis 3:12)

Eve blamed the devil for tempting her….(Genesis 3:13)

(We are certainly like our father, Adam….we blame God for all the illness, death, and destruction which comes….when it is sin, Adam’s for all; and ours in particular which separates us from God and His blessing for us.)

And the sin just kept getting worse: the second son of Adam and Eve was murdered by the first…and so it continues…

But God did not give up on the human race: He had a plan, which is called the Everlasting Covenant.

Hebrews 13:20-21 “And the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant,

Make you perfect in every good work to do His Will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

In eternity past God made a way for all mankind to be saved from the sin of Adam….and their personal sin.

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead,

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

Christ Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life….only by Him shall any be saved from their sin. (Matthew 1:21)

He was the Son of God come to earth as the Son of man. He was both man and God in one, and as such was the only man of worth, who could pay the penalty for the sins of the world.

Christ Jesus came, and lived a perfect life…fulfilling all the law, doing all God’s Will, speaking all that the Father wanted Him to.

He gave Himself a perfect sacrifice

(none could have held Him, if He had chosen….but He chose the Father’s Will of sacrifice; unlike Adam who chose his own way. John 18:37, 19:11)

He commended His own Spirit into the Father’s hands….

Luke 23:46 “And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit: and having said thus He gave up the ghost.”

None took His life from Him…..even with all the pain and agony……He gave His Father all the payment that God required to free us from condemnation.

Christ’s sacrifice was accepted, for God raised Christ from the dead, and set Him at His right hand….the place of power and authority. (Matthew 28:18,

1 Corinthians 15:27)

Christ rose again by the Father’s power, to give us Eternal Life (Romans 6:23)….which is His life in us, now, and forever…..making us righteous before a Holy God….in Him.

That same power which raised Christ, He works in us, who believe:

Ephesians 1:19-20 “And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power,

Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places.”

When we receive Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior (John 1:12), then…..

God is no longer our Judge…..He becomes to us the Living God,

the God of all grace (1 Peter 5:10),

the God of peace (Phil. 4:9),

our Father in heaven,

the God of patience (Romans15:5),

the God of hope (Romans 15:13),

the God of all comfort (2 Cor. 1:3),…..all this and more…. for His presence by the Holy Spirit teaches us that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:39).

Now all this is the grand and glorious life we have in Christ Jesus…..our standing in Christ.

But are we obtaining all that His life offers us?

Romans 6:6 “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

Here is the Way we should go, as servants of our great Lord and Savior, we should not serve sin.

And Christ has placed within us, by His Holy Spirit, the light, the means, and the power to be free from all our personal sin….we can be obedient….and follow Him into real liberty.

Romans 6:16 “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death (for Christians it is death to our joy, peace and closeness to Christ), or of obedience unto righteousness.”

We are born again to glorify God….to be His lights.

Hopefully, harbor lights to show others the Way,……and not warning lights which say,….serving God is bondage.

(I truly believe any who thinks that serving the Lord is bondage, needs to set things right with God….something is wrong. They are listening to the devil’s wiles, like Eve did)

But the horribleness of our world surrounds us….what are we to do?

I have heard people ask, If God is so good, why do terrible things happen?

God is good,……and in this world, covered in the horribleness of sin, He offers Himself….to save us from it.

He also heals (Spiritually and often physically), comforts, strengthens, and leads us in the right way.

But often there is fear and distress….very real trouble.

Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Once we look up, we can breathe again…..God is in charge….

Then…….we are to get up……and get about the work He has called each of us to do…. to do the next step, and the next…

I have been given the illustration of a pebble—not a boulder—but a small pebble thrown into water.

The ripples outward are from the force of the small pebble influencing the water around it.

So are we…..obedience is to be first in me. Christ’s kingdom must reign within me….He must rule…in me.

Matthew 6:10 “Thy kingdom come. Thy Will be done, in earth (me) as it is in heaven.”

Then, the influence of my obedience is in ever widening circles….those of my influence….my church, my home, my job….they should know the power of God,……because they see it in me.

Then it just keeps going….God’s Word spoken, God’s peace noticed, God’s mercy given.

Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;

Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

For though we are not here to serve men,……….the Lord, Himself, serves, encourages, helps, strengthens, and ministers to men….through us.

James 1:27 “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless, and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

Sin is truly the evil God said it is….it brings death: both physical and spiritual—which is separation from God.

It is bondage of a terrible sort….no joy, no peace, no true satisfaction.

“More, more” is the language of sin….there is never enough, for it swallows whole parts of our lives.

Come to Jesus….

Psalms 37:4 “Delight thyself also in the Lord;..”

Those who come to know the Lord, learn that He is a delight, following is a delight, and learn that the way of faith is delightful.

May we all be more saved from our sin….leading us into more joy, and usefulness to God’s great work of love…to Him and others.

Blessed.

Psalm 65:4 “Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest, and causest to approach unto Thee, that he may dwell in Thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house, even of Thy holy temple.”

Blessed means twice happy!

God sees us blessed; How do we see ourselves, in His work?

When He chooses us, He causes us to draw near to Him. Would we resist that drawing?

When I was first brought back into the right way, after wandering away from God; I was in awe, that He loved me enough to welcome me back.

My thought was to grow closer to Him. Nearer, Nearer, I prayed. That is what I want.

The song of Nearer My God to Thee, seemed to play in my head, often.

“Even though it be a cross that raises me…”.

The “pig pen” of the world I had experienced; I wanted the “home” of closeness with God.

Blessed I was, and am, for God’s mercy to me.

This Psalm typifies God’s great arms.

Drawing us, even when we run away.

Calling us, even when we have refused before.

“We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house,”

For Christians, the closer we get to the Lord, the more satisfied we are. The further away from God, the more opportunity for things to come in between us.

These cause barriers.

The barriers we place, between the Lord and ourselves, cause discontent.

And discontent is to be dissatisfied.

And when we are dissatisfied, we start looking for other things.

There are many temptations in the world, the best place to be safe is in the “holy temple” of fellowship and nearness to the Lord.

Blessed is the one who is close to the Lord.

Blessed, also, is the one who is given opportunity to get near to the Lord, again.

Most blessed is the one who never looks for any other satisfaction, than in Him.

The Still Small Voice

1 Kings 19:12 “And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.”

When we think of God’s power, we think of miracles from the Bible:

The sun standing still (Joshua 10:12-14)

or time going backward as a sign for the healing of king Hezekiah. (2 Kings 20:8-11).

Indeed, there was power there….

But, when God’s power is usually seen, it is thru His Word.

(He stressed this , at the first:

Genesis 1:3 “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”

He did not have to speak; all He had to do was will it.

But He did speak, to show the value He places on His Word.)

To stress the real Power of His Voice, we would do back to a cave and a hiding Prophet.

1 Kings 19:9 “And he (Elijah) came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?”

Indeed, What was Elijah doing in that cave? How did he come to this?

Elijah was a man of Gilead, who was distressed at the low spiritual state of Israel. They were worshipping idols, and killing those who worshipped God. Yes, things were very low.

So he began to pray. God had told Israel that if they worshipped other gods , then He would withhold the rain. (Deuteronomy 11:16-17).

Elijah prayed God would withhold rain, to get Israel’s attention…..so they would turn back to God.

James 5:17 ” Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.”

For six months Elijah prayed for God to withhold the rain, and He did.

Then Elijah was told to go to Ahab, king of Israel and tell him:

1 Kings 17:1 ” And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.”

This might seem the wrong way to go about it….for Ahab did not believe in God…he had completely become an idol worshipper.

But someone coming and saying , in effect, “The true God of Israel is listening to my prayers,….And He is going to stop the rain, all the rain and dew; until I pray again.”

That got Ahab’s attention!

Elijah was told to go and hide…for Ahab would try and kill him. He did try. But God hid him….till:

After 3 years, Israel was in famine….cattle, crops, everything withering,

Then…

Elijah was told (1 Kings 18:1). “….Go, show thyself to Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.”

How would he do that? Through Elijah’s prayer…but first, Elijah wanted to showed Ahab and all the Israelites,…..the power of God,…..when you obey Him.

So , he set up a “contest” between the priests of the idol, and him.

1 Kings 18:19 “Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred which eat at Jezebel’s table.”

It was a simple contest :

1 Kings 18:23-24 “Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:

And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.”

So the prophets of Baal began:

1 Kings 18:26 “And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that heard. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.”

Notice, “No voice, nor any that heard”. Tricks and show…..but no reality.

So now it was Elijah’s turn.

Remember Elijah began this, by praying that God would withhold rain, so Israel would be awakened to their sin of idolatry and come back to God.

But how would they be awakened?

By a mighty demonstration of God’s Power?

For even under famine, the people had not turned back to God.

Called to the work of making everyone know that God was not pleased with Israel’s sin.

This he did when he went to Ahab.

Everyone knew that he had gone before the king and declared “No rain or dew” till he said.

And there had been no dew or rain for 3 years!

What were the means to Awaken the hearts to God’s demands for His people?

How were they to “hear” for themselves, and return to Him?

Well, it is through His Word spoken to our hearts…..

After three years of drought and famine; Elijah was told to go back and God would send rain.

God puts HIs people through a measured chastening….It was time to send rain. He would send it through Elijah’s prayer, but…….

As for the “contest”, I believe Elijah thought (as most of us would),…..if the people could just see some mighty work, that only God could do, then that would believe

it.

God’s people would know….once for all–that God was God….and return to Him.

(Remember the people are standing around, watching as the priests of the idol fail…..and now their attention is turned to Elijah)

1 Kings 18:30-35 ” And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.

And Elijah took twelve stones, ….And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.

And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.

And he said, Do it a second time. And they did….And he said, Do it a third time. And they did it the third time.

And water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.”

(Where did he get the water? Mt. Carmel is about a few miles from the Mediterranean Sea)

He made the Altar so wet it could never burn….except by the Power of God.

Listen to the Prayer of Elijah:

1Kings 18:37-39 “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.

Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know a that thou art the Lord God, and that Thou hast turned their heart back.

The the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.”

Two things to notice:

Elijah did not pray for rain, here.

And the people said “the Lord, he is the God”…….not our God.

The fire came down! First the burnt sacrifice was consumed, which meant God heard Elijah, and honored him before the king and the people.

Then the wood,

Then the stones of the altar, itself

Then the very dust on the ground where the altar sat.

And licked up the water in the trench.

Then the prophets and priests of Baal were slain!

This was a mighty demonstration; so….

Everything is set in order, right?

But what did it do for King Ahab, or the people?

Where was the rain?

It came, and at Elijah’s prayer, but who was noticing , then?

1 Kings 18:42-45 “So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, And said to his servant, Go up now , look toward the sea. And he went up and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand……..And it came to pass in the meanwhile, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.”

The fire falling was a mighty answer to prayer, but the people’s hearts were not turned back to God.

They might have been shown the true God…….

But I believe, that to turn their hearts back , required Elijah to preach God’s Word to the people that he had prayed for,…..till their hearts said The Lord is our God.

That requires people hearing for themselves God’s requirements on their own lives.

And that comes through preaching, and teaching God’s Word, and prayers.

(We can know God is able, without ever knowing God is able for me. That is the problem here; God was real now, They had to believe in His power…but they did not believe in Him for their lives)

Then what did this mighty demonstration do for Elijah? For Ahab? For the people?

For Ahab there was no change in his heart.

1 Kings 19:1 ” And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.”

He ran home and told Jezebel; nothing changed in his life.

For the people? Some say that the worship of Baal was never the same. And the servants of God we’re not brutally killed as before.

But most did not turn back to God, even though they knew He was “The God.”

And for Elijah? That is the saddest situation of all.

Having done such a Mighty Demonstration of God’s Power….

Since the rain was given in answer to his prayer….he thought:

Surely everything is over with….Israel will now worship The Lord God , and Elijah could go and relax.

Everything was fixed…they were God’s People again. Right?

God enables His servants….there was ample power at Elijah’s disposal.

But……God requires His servants to see the job done; and Elijah thought the job was over with.

But it wasn’t:

1 Kings 19:2 “Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time”

Now as God’s Servants, we should expect trials, and enemies in this world.

But Elijah was thrown off guard, by thinking that the work was done, that he and God had won. There would be no opposition.

But, again, that was not the case.

1 Kings 19:3 “And when he saw that , he arose, and went for his life,….”

After such a mighty demonstration, then running for his life.

Now , I would not judge Elijah….I have been tricked up myself, thinking things were not what they actually were.

And thinking that if I could just somehow show God’s Power, too, things would be different.

What we need to come to is God’s Word, and Voice.

What was it that began Elijah’s ministry?

The Word of God spoken to Moses so many years before…a promise that God surely would; and did, bring to pass by his seeking it.

And what caused Elijah to return , to pray for rain, after three years….God’s Word to him.

So now let us consider a lesson that God used to teach His runaway prophet. (For He was not done with him, though he had run away.)

1 Kings 19:9-10 “And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?

And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life , to take it away. ”

Maybe he actually thought he was the only one left. A sure sign that no one seemed to stand with him. And here he was hiding inside the cave.

1 Kings 19:11-13 “And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by , and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; BUT THE LORD WAS NOT IN THE WIND: and after the wind an earthquake; BUT THE LORD WAS NOT IN THE EARTHQUAKE: And after the earthquake a fire; BUT THE LORD WAS NOT IN THE FIRE: and after the fire A STILL SMALL VOICE. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And behold, there came a voice unto him and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?”

God’s Word and Voice began his ministry; and here God teaches His prophet a lesson about His Voice in comparison to Mighty Demonstrations of Power.

God calls Elijah to come out of hiding, after showing him He was not in the wind, earthquake, or fire….but it is His Voice that brings out His real servants to Himself.

Here God gives his runaway servant some instructions, and Elijah just goes and does it. No need for anything else.

And what else does God show him? The prophet who said “I only am left”?

1 Kings 19:18 “Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.”

There were seven thousand of God’s servants, throughout Israel.

The important thing here, is: Having heard the Word of the Lord again, Elijah just goes and does it.

There is no fear, no hesitation, he just does what he is told.

This is true power…God’s Voice speaking to us…..and us doing what He says.

He can do what He promises,…….and He can take care of us, through it all.

The Potter, and the Clay

Jeremiah 18:5-6 “Then the word of the Lord came to me saying,

O house of Israel, can not I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord, Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.”

Paul says the same thing in:

Romans 9:20-21 “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?”

(These verses have often disturbed people….yes, me too, at one time. But I have come to see that God’s molding me, is not because He does not love me…He made me, me…..but because He wants to make my character like Christ’s. HIs poking me, and prodding me, here and there is for one purpose; that I might enjoy the freedom which is knowing the fullness of His love and care, every moment. There is no darkness with God….all is light….enjoyable, warm, loving light…and HE needs to bring me into it.)

This is not our bodies; yes, they are all different, but God is speaking of molding our souls.

God has used every experience of our lives to shape our souls.

Our souls are that which makes us unique. They are a gift from God that no other creature has.

Genesis 2:7 “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

The soul is the apartment of self-consciousness. It is where our personality is. There, our individual character is formed, and rules our thought life, our emotions, our will, our conscience, and our social interactions.

When we are born again, we are given the blessed privilege of having the Holy Spirit come and dwell with us, for Christ said He would not leave us comfort less, He would come unto us.

John 14:16-18 “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”

As Christians, Paul is saying that as God’s “clay”, we need to accept what we are,

how we are,

and even, where we are,

and then be reconciled to Him, in them.

How much of our discontent lies in this.

God wants to make us a vessel unto honor, and has given us His Spirit to enable and mold us:

2 Timothy 2:20-21 “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honor, and some to dishonor.

If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”

To move forward with God, you must be in your place before Him. To know that He is there with us, because He loves us.

So many people say, “God knows best”;……yet doubt every time trouble comes.

They are anxious, burdened, and worried.

(Haven’t we all experienced this doubt?)

But we are called to “possess our souls”….our souls are our mind, heart, and will….which make up our personality.

Luke 21:19 “In your patience, possess ye your souls.”

We are to gain, by subjection to the Holy Spirit, real power over our affections:

Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.”

Proverbs 23:26 “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.”

Our thoughts:

1 Peter 1:13 “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;”

And wills:

John 7:17 “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whither it be of God, or whither I speak of myself.”

There is always trouble here, in this world; but as you submit to the Holy Spirit, the influence of the trouble is less, and less.

His power to help, strengthen, and encourage is more and more.

He is the Potter, we are the clay.

Submitting to Him we have liberty, and begin to have the fruit of the Spirit working in us and through us.

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.

Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Let us yield; or give in; or submit; or surrender; all terms which mean that for us,…we choose Christ…..and Christ will choose for my life.

To be Saved Spirit, Soul, and Body

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Faithful is He that calleth you, Who will also do it.”

Now the very God of peace. What a wonderful name for our God!

This is not judicial peace….that, we get when we are born again. A not guilty verdict is given on us, for our sins….which we have committed against a Holy God.

How? Because Jesus Christ died on the cross, taking all our sins on Him, and fulfilling the penalty of our sins in His sacrifice and death. (As Son of God, His was the only worthy sacrifice which could pay such a price.)

But this title: “the very God of peace”, refers to the peace He gives us as we are His, in a world of woe.

This is, of course, as we yield to the Holy Spirit of God within us.

Peter has a verse which shows this:

2 Peter 1:5 “And besides this giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge;”

Add to your faith, virtue….

This virtue is the “artea” of the Spirit. It is the force of Him in our lives.

He speaks, as the cooing of a dove (Matthew 3:16-17)….distilling peace, quietness and grace, into our busy lives.

He moves in our hearts, to give purity of thought, and action.

He influences us into “…things….true,…honest,…just,…pure,…lovely,…good report,..” (Philippians 4:7-8)

Our hearts become gentle in dealing with others….for that is what He is.

And He places His love in us….for God, for the brethren, and for others. (John 13:34-35)

This is all brought about by acts of our will. As you yield your will to the Holy Spirit, you find yourself being borne along….as the sails on a ship in the wind.

This is learned….though we receive the Holy Spirit at new birth, yet we have to learn to yield to Him.

His disciples, after three years with Him, still had a lot to learn….and so do we:

And of what spirit are we? Sometimes we think the motive we have is good,…but His will is always best.

Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem…”He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem,”.

(It was time for Him to go up and have the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem…whether they received Him as their King or not. Matthew 21:1-9)

As He went, He had to pass through a village of the Samaritans. But they refused His visit….because He was going up to Jerusalem, not staying with them.

(Remember He had preached and stayed at a Samaritan town, after talking to the woman at the well. John 4:6-40)

But now they refused Him….silly anger, because they thought they were being looked over. (How often our vanity leads us astray!)

Luke 9:53-56 “…And they did not receive Him….And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt Thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elijah did?

But He turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not of what manner of spirit ye are of.

For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.”

Now, I want to point out that this is James and John, two of the Lord’s closest disciples. They wanted to defend Jesus….but He needed no defense….He wants to save.

Sometimes it is better to walk away, and leave the angry to their own fumes.

Proverbs 25:28 “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.”

The cities in those days needed walls around them, or marauding bands would come through, and steal and kill indiscriminately.

So, we need to keep our spirits, so that they will be yielding to the Holy Spirit, and not the spirit of the times,

or the spirit of bitterness—looking back,

or the spirit of scorn.

Trust me, I have been corrected so many times, about feeling “insulted”,

Or thinking what others think….maybe they are smarter than I.

But…

What I need to know….is…what does my Lord think, or feel about this.

Psalms 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.”

(This “broken” here, is like a horse….you break down their independence, not destroy their spirit. They will only be able to trust and respond to you, as they are broken of their “wild” spirit.

So with us. David’s spirit of independence: he had sinned as a king, doing what he wanted…had to be “broken”; and it was.

But that had only brought him to lean on, and trust God more.)

The God of Peace offers salvation: spirit, soul, and body. Let us come to Him and yield to the Holy Spirit’s force, “artea”, within us.

Let us yield to the sweet influence of purity….the purity of the Holy Spirit within us, making us more like Christ.

The Blind Man

Mark 10:46-47 “And they came to Jericho: and as He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.

And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry, and say, Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.”

Going up to Jerusalem, going toward the end of His ministry here, Jesus goes through Jericho.

On the side of the highway, where he could be seen, sat Bartimaeus. He was a blind man. He was a beggar, and he did not want to miss an opportunity for anyone to give to him.

He heard the crowd passing, and eager to get a coin, he asked what the procession was.

It is interesting to note, that after three years of ministry, Jesus’ name is well known.

As soon as Bartimaeus hears Who is passing by, he knows this is his opportunity for healing.

This is belief. He believed that this Jesus, Who he had heard about, could heal him. He called Him “the Son of David”, for this was one of the titles of the Messiah to come.

The Savior would come as the Son of David, and Bartimaeus believes that Jesus is He.

Mark 10:48 “And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.”

“Quiet! We are going up to Jerusalem. We have important things to do, we don’t have time for a blind beggar.”

But….

Mark 10:49 “And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; He calleth thee.”

But Jesus did have time.

Jesus had waited to answer Bartimaeus, and given others the opportunity to mention him; to show kindness to a blind Israelite. (Deuteronomy 15:11)

But they only told him to be quiet…..which he wasn’t……he yelled even louder trying to make Jesus hear him….which He did.

Mark 10:50-51 “And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.”

Notice how the blind man, when he knows Jesus calls him; how he throws away his garment (his outer cloak).

He wanted nothing to hinder his step to Jesus. He was sure that the old garment of a beggar, he would wear no more.

“What do you want me to do for you?” (How many times, when we have come to Jesus in prayer, do we believe He will hear, and act for us?)

“Lord” (one of the most important Names of Jesus Christ. Lord: when you say it, it is almost like you are bowing before Him). “That I might receive my sight.”

Mark 10:52 “And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.”

“Go thy way;”. You can go home, you can stay here in Jericho. But Bartimaeus chose the best way: he followed Jesus.

“Thy faith hath made thee whole.”

Jesus healed because of his faith in Him.

What the blind man had heard of Jesus, caused him to believe that He was the Son of God,…..so he put his trust in Him to heal.

And that faith led him to cry out to Jesus, and be healed; but also led him to follow Jesus.

The blind man was blind no more; not in eyes, or in heart.

True North on the Compass of your Life

There is a magnetic north, which is not true north.

You can navigate with magnetic north for short trips. It will get you in the general vicinity.

But to navigate across the vast spaces, you need true north…..for that is calculated by lines of longitude.

So to navigate accurately, especially for long trips, over long distances and time; you must be able to ascertain true north.

As Christians, we have a long journey ahead of us. Whether we are born again as children, or adults; we have the rest of our lives to be guided as we are on our way to heaven.

This is called Eternal life….for it is a condition of life…now and forever in heaven, with God.

As journeymen in this life, we are all given a part in the Purpose of God….a personal calling and gifts, from the Lord; who gives us His Holy Spirit to enable us to do.

He give us a “goal or prize” to head for…

Philippians 3:13-14 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things where are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

All are called as witnesses….some as teachers of His Word, some as prayer warriors, some as preachers, some as peacemakers….etc.

We are never without purpose each day.

Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

For we are His workmanship,…..and that means that we are molded into the character of Christ Jesus,…..for good works:….and He has made full provision, so we might walk in them.

(Full provision? How? First…The Lord has provided us with His Holy Spirit, Who gives us faith by which we can overcome the way of the world (1 John 5:4-5)

Second…There is guidance….by His Word.

Third…the Holy Spirit enables us with His “fruit” in our lives: peace, joy, long-suffering, gentleness, etc. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Fourth…there is love…His love encouraging, and yes, empowering us to go on.)

Our purpose is to walk in those good works, He has given us to do.

This includes our words, and actions:

Titus 3:8 “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.”

So, if we are to navigate our life through this wicked world; from here all the way to heaven, we need to find true north.

What is true north for each Christian?

True North for each of us is making Jesus Christ, Lord of our lives.

And He is not Lord of us, until we determine to obey Him….in all our ways.

If we were talking about a car; His Lordship is the power in the engine…submitting to Him gives us power in our lives to do anything……and our obedience is the wheels,….they are in the world…but going forward.

And of course He is driving.

John 7:17 “If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whither it be of God, or whither I speak of myself.”

John 7:17 (LNT) “If any of you really determines to do God’s will, then you will certainly know whether My teaching is from God or merely My own.”

I rarely use any other translation but the King James Version. But this translation in the LNT describes what I have found to be so: We need to “really determine” to do God’s Will.

“If any man will do His will” also describes it; it is, of course by our will, which is the action to do anything. We need to will it.

But for myself, at least, this is a picture of digging in : “I’m going to do this no matter what it cost me” determination.

That is what making Jesus Christ our Lord takes.

We know His will by doing it. If we do it today, then tomorrow when we seek His Will, it will come easier.

(And of course, if we hesitate and put it off, tomorrow it will be harder to find it)

The world’s influence, and our old selves, and the devil are against us.

The old me will tell me, “Well, if I was still in charge, I would not require you to pray so much. After all, we’re busy. God knows what we need.”

And the world will say, “Why not laugh at that joke? So what, it was a little “bad”. A little won’t hurt.”

But if Jesus is Lord to me, it is not what I would do, or what the world says is OK, but where He leads, and how He would have me to go.

It is a process. I believe you can commit yourself to the Lord, as Lord; but then it is a matter of putting everything in our lives in His order.

What is first for me to see to…and sometimes it comes down to what is first today, Lord?

(I have found that five minutes to pray at the breakfast table for my family, places them before God, today. Of course, He knows what is ahead for each of us….but placing them in His hands for their conversations, actions, and the influence of the Holy Spirit in their lives….is our responsibility as their mother and father.)

No, it is not a list that is handed out; but a conviction from the Holy Spirit within which shows us the way.

This is His order:

Philippians 2:12-13 “Wherefore my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling:

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”

Notice that we are to work out what God works in.

We are to work out, practically, the power to be saved from our sin that Christ Jesus works in us, by His Holy Spirit.

We are to work out that grace God gives….putting it to use in our lives.

We are to work out that peace which should be a hallmark of “Christ in us the hope of glory”.

Then we have that true north on the compass of our lives;……His guidance will guide us for today….tomorrow….and we will surely get to our destination…..in the joy and peace He has for us.

Ezekiel

We never hear of Ezekiel, until he was taken captive, and called of God, by the River Chebar. He was of the priestly family.

Ezekiel was in the second mass of people Nebuchadnezzar carried away to Babylon.

(It is interesting to note: that God did not leave Himself without witness to His people, wherever they were.

Daniel to the kings in the captivity….but also his actions and writings encouraging fellow Israelites there, and in generations to come.

Ezekiel to the Israelites, as slaves in Babylon.

And Jeremiah, still in Jerusalem, warning kings, priests and the people to “Return ye backsliding people”; till, when they would not, Jerusalem was destroyed…for a time.)

Ezekiel was with the other captives which had been herded to the River Chebar.

But God showed Himself to him, in a magnificent way.

Ezekiel 1:1, 3 “Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

The word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest….and the hand of the Lord was there upon him.”

If you read through the rest of the chapter, you see the color of the rainbow: “the color of amber, the color of burnished brass, the color of beryl, the color of the terrible crystal,”….till…

Ezekiel 1:28 “As the appearance of the bow (rainbow) that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of One that spake.”

When God gives His light……it can show itself in many “colors”….knowledge, joy, words, peace, love, etc.

God is Light, and in Him is “no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17)…..but how the light manifests itself to us is in amazing, various ways.

(Do we need to see which way to turn in any situation? He opens the Word and shows an example which suddenly is the answer.

Need help in dealing with a co-worker, a boss, a teacher, a friend? Suddenly He gives you grace to say and do, exactly right.)

When the Lord gives us His light we see things in their “true colors”. We are not looking through the dark glasses of the world, or the rose-colored glasses of illusion…..but truth is set before us…..in the true colors of the Almighty God.

2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, Who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined into our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Ezekiel also saw motion…..but it was all according to the Spirit: “ a whirlwind (tornado), they went straight forward, it went up and down, ran and returned as lightning, the wheels going on their sides, the wheels were lifted up”…..

….but all “whither the Spirit was to go, they went.”

All the things which are “moved” in heaven, and on earth; are according to the Permitted Will of God; either above the earth, or on it.

So any real movement in our lives comes by the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit of God.

We go straight, or turn, or go up or down……..we can mount up as wings as eagles; or run and not be weary; or walk, and not faint (Isaiah 40:31)

We hear a word behind us….”this is the way, walk ye in it.” (Isaiah 30:21).

And all by the Spirit of God.

God is showing Ezekiel that He is in charge,……whether he was in Israel or in Babylon….nothing hinders God’s power for Ezekiel,….or for His people.

And above all these: the Voice of God (Ezekiel 1:24), then a throne and a Man on it, in the brightness of fire.

“….and when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of One that spake.”

Ezekiel was then spoken to. He is the only recorded one to see such a sight….maybe the only one there, that believed God was still God,….even in Babylon.

(What do we believe when circumstances change and things get hard?)

Ezekiel 2:1-2 “And He said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.

And the Spirit entered into me when He spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard Him that spake unto me.”

The Lord told Ezekiel that He would send him with His message to the children of the captivity…

It would be a hard message…nothing they would want to hear, although you would think, now, they would,…..

“….repent, and seek Me, and do My will.”

Ezekiel 3:10-12 “Moreover He said unto me, Son of man, all My words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thy heart, and hear with thine ears.

And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of My people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord God; whither they will hear, or whither they will forbear.

Then the Spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place.”

Repentance,….and consequent peace and joy from this; was what God was offering them again.

He wanted them to know Him as their God….and all He was, and would do for them….anywhere.

Ezekiel 3:17 “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at My mouth, and give them warning from Me.”

(Ezekiel means “strengthened of God”; and he was. He preached for at least twenty-two years…maybe more…warning His people against the sins which brought them into captivity.

And to return to the Lord God.

His message, though often refused, set a line in the sand for those who really wanted God’s Will….and when it came time for them to return to the land,…..they, at least, had already returned to God, in their hearts.)

He was to warn them against sin and rebellion.

Ezekiel 3:21 “Nevertheless, if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also, thou hast delivered thy soul.”

Ezekiel 18:27-28 “Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.

Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.”

They may think God had forsaken them….they may think God did not see them in this foreign land….but God was there, and would continue to speak to to His people through Ezekiel….

Offering them life, real life…..even in captivity,….with Him.

(It is interesting to note….that the outward form of their religion was not there….but God was…and He was speaking to all who would hear Him.)

If they would hear, and turn, they would be healed…

Or they would “forbear”.

Forbear means to be idle or lacking….they just would not come:

Maybe it was lack of concern…indifference…for their situation…..we are here, what does it matter?

Or by putting if off….I will repent tomorrow.

Through various types, Ezekiel spoke to God’s people….warning them; encouraging them to “turn to God, and His ways”.

We, too, have been exhorted through God’s Word to “continue in the faith” (Acts 14:22).

We are to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…”(2 Peter 3:18)

2 Thessalonians 3:13 “But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.”

1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear:”

2 John 8 “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.”

Hebrews 10:35-36 “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.

For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”

At the end of the book of Ezekiel….he is giving a prophesy of the coming reign of the Messiah (it will be in the Millennial).

But Ezekiel ends the book with a name of God: Jehovah-shammah.

It means…”The Lord is there.”

It is fitting for this:

This has been his message from the vision at the first…to the end; God is there….He has never left us…..will we believe that, and turn to Him?