Acts 8  This chapter briefly introduces Saul.. he was a young man who watched the robes of those who rose up against Stephen,  he fully agreed with the stoning of this man of God, and he took upon himself the mission of "ravaging" the church.  In this way, he became the one responsible for the scattering of the church.

The rest of this chapter focuses on Philip.  Philip was also one of the 7 men chosen, along with Stephen, to minister to those in need in the church.  God had a different plan for Philip, as he had for Stephen.  He sent Philip to Samaria to preach Christ to them.  Signs and wonders were performed.  Unclean spirits were sent away.  The paralyzed and lame were healed.  Even the sorcerer, Simon, believed and was baptized .  Peter and John heard what was happening and came down to Samaria to see what was happening there.  They prayed that the Holy Spirit would fall upon these new believers and they laid their hands on them, " and they were receiving the Holy Spirit".  

It is here that Simon learns an important lesson.  He wants to have the same authority as the apostles.. to lay hands on others to impart the Holy Spirit also.  The problem is that he offers to pay for such a privilege.  Peter rebukes Simon, calling this wickedness, gall of bitterness in his heart.  Simon needed to repent of this.. and he asks for Peter to pray for him, " so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me." 

Philip is then told to go to Gaza.  He is on a desert road and comes upon a chariot.  The Ethiopian court official of Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, is riding along this desert road, reading from the book of Isaiah.  The Lord uses this to open the door for Philip to tell this man about Jesus.  The man believes, asks to be baptized.. " I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God".. is his clear testimony.

Philip is "snatched away" by the Holy Spirit and found himself in Azotus, where he continues to preach the gospel, " until he came to Caesarea." 

Father in heaven,  like Stephen and Philip, some of us are called to serve in ways that are beyond our job descriptions.  Let us be filled with Your Spirit also, Lord.. that you will use us to tell others about Christ.  There are some in our world today who are like Simon, wanting to buy whatever it takes to have power.  They need to know that only You give the free gift of salvation.  There are some like the Ethiopian man, looking for someone to answer their questions.. may we be obedient to your calling.. even to the desert places.. so that we will be there to give them the answers about Jesus.  We can't imagine what it would be like to be snatched away from one place to another by Your Spirit.. but Lord, take us to where You want us to be, that we might serve You with full devotion and obedience.
We pray this in the Name of the Lord, Jesus Christ. amen.

Acts 7 - Stephen's sermon.   Stephen was accused of blasphemy .  They said that he was speaking against the Temple, the Law, the altar, and the "customs" of Moses.  The high priest said to Stephen, "Are these things so?"  And Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit answered....

He began at the beginning.. Abraham's covenant with God. He outlined the events that led to slavery in Egypt and the calling of Moses to deliver them.  Stephen reminded his listeners of the fact that their ancestors all rejected Moses, rejected God, and failed to keep the commandments.  They had persecuted every prophet that God had sent! And now, they were doing the exact same thing!

The leaders of Israel were guilty of killing the One who they claimed to be waiting for.  They were offended that anyone would speak against the Law of Moses.. but they didn't even keep it themselves.
Instead of responding with repentance and faith... they responded in anger and hatred.  They dragged Stephen out of the city and stoned him to death with their own hands.  Where they had not dared to judge and kill Jesus themselves, but insisted on Pilate's participation.. they did not hesitate to kill Stephen.

Stephen gazed into heaven and "saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God".  His testimony was heard by all of them there.  Even though they tried to cover their ears.. the witnesses heard and saw what happened.  Stephen "called upon the Lord" at that moment.  He said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" Then he pleaded with the Lord to not hold this sin against those who were killing him.

From that time on persecution broke out against the believers.  There was no hesitation to kill christians. All the church scattered, except the apostles.

Father in heaven, how holy and gracious, how wise and how awesome You are.  Stephen was able to face death with grace and power, because of Your Spirit in him.  Those who heard him had to be changed.  We know that Saul was there and that he heard Stephen.  Was this something that he remembered and relayed to Luke as he wrote the book of Acts?  We needed this example of how to die for You.. in faith and with power through Your Spirit.  Thank You for reminding us that no matter what we face.. You are watching, You are faithful,  and You will receive our spirits when we call upon You.   What a precious hope we have in Christ Jesus!  May we be faithful to keep our eyes on You, Lord.  To seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness .. and to walk by faith and not by sight.  You are our God and there is none other!
Be glorified in our lives, in our thoughts, and in our relationships today.. we pray, in Jesus' name. amen.

Acts 6  - There is a dispute that arose in the early church... truly there is nothing new under the sun...
The church was growing larger and larger.  The ministry now included helping those in need, in particular the widows who had no other help.  The Hellenistic Jews felt that their widows were being overlooked and blamed the native Jews for this.  Prejudice and discrimination .. or the bitterness that go along with those biases.. always seem to bubble up to the top.. in church and in society.

The apostles chose a wise solution.  They needed to hand over the job to men who could give it the time and attention that was needed, so that they could focus on prayer and theWord.   They had the congregation select seven men.. with these qualifications:
a good reputation
full of the Spirit
having wisdom
The men chosen were:  Stephen, Philip, Nicanor, Timon, Parmesan, and Nicolas.  The inclusion of several Hellenists ( Greek speaking Jews) would calm the tensions between the two groups.   This was acceptable to all concerned and allowed the church to continue growing.

Verse 7 ends with these words.. " and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith."   How wonderful!

Stephen was the most prominent of the 7 men.  He was so full of the Holy Spirit.. with grace and power that he was performing signs and wonders among the people.  This made him a target for a group called the "Synagogue of the Freedmen".  When they could not win a debate with Stephen they resorted to slander and lying.  This stirred up the people and he was dragged away to the Sanhedrin.
Even there, Stephen was steadfast.  " And fixing their gaze on him, all who were sitting in the Council saw his face like the face of an angel." ( v15)

Father in heaven, our greatest need in the church still is - unity.  There seems to be so much division in the body of Christ today... please forgive us!  Heal Your church Lord..  may we find unity in the truth and love of Jesus Christ.  Fill our leaders with the fulness of Your Spirit and with wisdom.. show them ways to unite believers and to bring peace between different groups.  Our world is becoming so divided.. the voices of the "liberals" shouting out their offense at the actions of those who live by Your Word. Help us to remain steadfast like Stephen.  May we also have the faces like that of angels.. glowing with the love and grace of Jesus Christ, even in the presence of our enemies.
The times are changing in our country, Lord.  Prepare us.  May we  be steadfast and faithful to the end. Come Lord Jesus!  We live and walk and breath and pray .. in Your Name, abiding in You.  Amen.

Acts 4 -5  Peter and John are arrested but use the opportunity to continue preaching the truth of Jesus Christ.. " And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." 

Threatened and released.. the apostles continue to obey God and speak His word "with boldness". The church starts out with a spirit of unity that is amazing.. everyone shares what they have with those in need.  People sell their land and bring the money to the apostles to distribute to those who needed help.  Barnabas is one of those who gives a great gift to the church.

Then comes Ananias and his wife, Sapphira.  This couple decide to sell some land and give some to the apostles.  The problem is that they agree to lie about it.  They tell Peter that this was the whole amount.. when it was only a partial amount.  It would have been fine, if they only wanted to give part of the money. The problem was the lie.  In this case, Peter, by the Holy Spirit, knew it was a lie and confronted Ananias... who fell over dead.  Three hours later, Mrs. Ananias comes in and tells the same lie and she also falls over dead.  " And great fear came upon all who heard of these things." 

What would that be like in our day?  Do we ever lie to the Holy Spirit? To the church?  Do we pretend to give more than we actually do? Do we try to look good on the outside, when really we aren't fully committed on the inside?  What if the Lord judged us like He judged Ananias and Sapphira ?  Would our church services become... funerals?

What happened in Acts was a warning that was heeded!  More men and women came to the Lord!
Miracles were everywhere.  The Jewish leaders were so jealous that they arrested the apostles again.
This time the Lord sent an angel to release them and send them back out to teach in the temple once more.  They are recaptured and brought back to the chief priests who are so angry they could spit!
"We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and behold you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us"... Seems they forgot that they had said, "His blood be on us and on our children!" ( Matthew 27:25)

Peter, was such a changed man.. filled by the Holy Spirit, his answer is full of grace and truth.... "We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things; and so it the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him. "

He reminded them that they had sinned and they were guilty.. but there was forgiveness available through the One they had crucified. Truth and grace.

The council still wanted to kill the apostles, but Gamaliel wisely counseled them to be careful.  If there is nothing to it, then it will blow over.. but if it is really of God.. nothing can overthrow it!
Think of that!  Here we are 2 thousand years later and it has not blown over!  God's church is living, growing, and going strong through the whole earth!  Praise the Lord!!

Father, help us to be encouraged and strengthened by Your Holy Sprit that we might boldly proclaim the truth of Christ.  May our words be filled with grace as well.  Our world is in great need of repentance and forgiveness of sins through the good news of Jesus who loves us and who delivered Himself up for all.  Today, Lord, speak through us this wonderful truth that the lost will be saved!
We ask this in the Name of our Mighty King, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Acts 3:11-26-  Peter's sermon.   The lame man, walking and leaping and praising God, clung to Peter and John.  People came from all over the temple courts to witness this incredible event.  Peter saw this and began to speak. The first thing that he makes clear is that this miracle was not by his own power but by the power of God!

"The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant, Jesus, the one whom you delivered up and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he decided to release Him. But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses." 

The people listening to Peter, in awe of the miracle that had just taken place.. were the same people who had turned against Jesus and "disowned" Him.. just a few weeks before this. Peter calls this an act of "ignorance".   They didn't know or understand that the suffering of Jesus was fulfilling prophecy. They needed to repent and return to the Lord.. " that your sins may be wiped away." 

Peter went on to teach that when they repented, then a time of "refreshing " or revival could come.
Christ would return.  Restoration would be accomplished. All the nations would be blessed.

"For you first, God raised up His Servant, and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways." 

We are told in the next chapter that Peter and John are arrested, but even so.. the number of believers rose to over 5000 men.  God was bringing many into His Kingdom.

Father in heaven, there are many today who are acting out of ignorance.. not knowing that Jesus Christ died for their sins and rose again to sit at the right hand of the Father, interceding for those who are lost.  Send forth workers into the harvest field, fill them, fill us.. with Your Spirit, so that we might boldly speak Your Word with confidence.  Thank You for forgiving our wickedness and wiping away our sins.  You are worthy of all our praise.. You are the Lord who is full of compassion and lovingkindness, slow to anger and abounding in love.. Send refreshing, Lord, so that revival will come to us.  In Jesus' name we ask this..  Amen and amen.

Acts 3:1-10 -  John and Peter went up to the temple "at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer."  3:00 in the afternoon.  Three times a day, time was set apart for prayer in the temple - 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm.  This was Daniel's practice while in captivity .  John and Peter apparently kept to that practice also.
This particular day was used by God to do something amazing.

As they approached the gate called "Beautiful", (which seems to be a bit of a mystery).. Peter and John noticed a beggar who asked them for alms.  Alms could be defined as a gift of charity or an act of mercy.  Peter and John gazed at the man.  He may have expected to receive a gift.. a few coins that would help him through the day.. but what he received was so much more!  Peter said, " I do not possess silver or gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene - walk!"  Then he grabbed the man by the right hand and pulled him to his feet.   No hesitation!

" Immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened and with a leap, he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God."  The man who had been lame since birth was able to walk for the first time in his life!  Incredible!

As a result of this miracle two things happened - Peter preached another sermon that resulted in many more being saved; and then he and John were arrested..

Father in heaven,  You are the divine healer and restorer.   Peter testified that this healing came on the basis of faith in the name of Jesus and the faith  that came through Him was the source of perfect healing.  We continue to believe that Jesus is our Healer and we look to Him for our every need.  We pray that You would give us the faith to not hesitate!  We know many who are in need of physical healing and ask that You would do that incredible work in their lives.. We know some who need spiritual healing and ask that in the name of Jesus they would be saved.  We thank You that You do not lose patience with our slowness to act and to believe.  Grant us the kind of faith that Peter and John had.  Thank You Lord that all things are in Your Hands and You are faithful to do it! Amen.

Acts 2 -  The day of Pentecost arrives.  Jerusalem was again full of people there to celebrate the barley harvest, one of the significant festivals designated by the Law.  The group of Christ followers were in the upper room.  The sudden sound of a violent wind swept right into the room.  Tongues of fire appeared on every one of them.  The Holy Spirit filled them "and they began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance." 

What happened in the upper room did not stay there... for the whole city heard the noise and came to find out what was happening.  What they heard simply blew their minds!  No matter what language they spoke.. they heard.. in their own language the "mighty deeds of God".

Peter and the apostles stand up and he begins to speak.  His message is clear:

What is happening was foretold in the book of Joel.
The Spirit has come so that ".. everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
To do that they needed to believe that:
Jesus, performed miracles and signs attesting to Who He was.
He was delivered up, nailed to a cross, and put to death.. by his own people.
God raised Him from the dead, " putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power." 
He fulfilled the Lord's promise to David.. an heir to the throne.
His resurrection was witnessed by those now in their presence.
The sending of the Holy Spirit was promised and now fulfilled.

"Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ - this Jesus whom you crucified." ( v36)

These words cut to the heart of those willing to receive it.  3000 came into the fellowship of believers and were baptized. The first true church of Jesus Christ was born.

Father in heaven, You are holy and infinite.  You keep Your promises and fulfill Your Word.  You have given us Your Holy Spirit to bring us to the knowledge of Jesus who is Lord and Christ.
We receive and believe the Truth of Your Word and call upon the Name of the Lord, Jesus Christ to be saved and to live with You eternally.  May we, Your people, from every tongue and tribe and nation walk with You,  be united in You, and be  filled by Your Spirit. May we bear fruit in every good work.
Thank You for saving us and making us Your own.  Holy Spirit give us words to speak so that we might tell others of the good news, that salvation has come through Jesus Christ who loves us and who delivered Himself up for us.  Praise to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Acts 1 - Luke begins his second book, researching and recording what happened after Jesus was resurrected.  He begins with a significant event, the ascension of Jesus.  After spending 40 days "speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God", He tells them to go to Jerusalem and wait...

They were to wait for the Holy Spirit to baptize them.  They wondered if that meant that the Kingdom of Israel would be restored.  Jesus tells them that the coming of the Kingdom is "fixed" by the authority of the Father... "but" what is coming is the something amazing... " you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." Change is coming!

The ascension is another one of those things that I would love to see!  I hope there is a video replay of the life of Jesus when we get to heaven!   He is talking to them one moment and the next He is lifted up into the clouds.. and gone!  They couldn't believe it and stood there staring until two angels showed up to send them on their way to Jerusalem .

The apostles, joined by the family of Jesus and others... a total of "about one hundred and twenty persons".. met in an upper room where they were staying.  Peter takes charge and leads them into prayer for the purpose of naming a replacement for Judas.  Here we learn of Judas' death and the field named Hakeldama, the field of blood.  Matthias is chosen to fill this position... and is never heard of again...

In this prayer, Peter or someone else said, " Thou, Lord who knows the heart..."  The Greek word here is "kardiognostes" - a heart-knower.   So, it is really, " Lord, the heart-knower of all men.. show us.. "   Remember when Samuel was sent to anoint one of Jesse's sons as the king of Israel and the Lord said, "... for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." ( I Sam. 16:7)   Jeremiah 17: 10 says, " I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds. " 


Our Father in heaven,  You are the  " Heart-knower".. who sees us, who searches our hearts, who tests our hearts.. and who judges according to what is in our hearts.  We are an open book before You. You know us better than we know ourselves.. for our hearts are sometimes deceitful and sometimes hardened.  We desire that You search our hearts and remove all unrighteousness. We  pray, even as Paul wrote in Romans that You who searches the hearts.. will intercede for us "according to the will of God". ( 8:27).  You have called us. You have justified us.  You will glorify us.. for You are with us!
Hallelujah!  Nothing can separate us from Your great love, " which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."   Take our hearts, Lord and form them, take our wills and conform them to Your own... take our minds and transform them by Your Word.. we surrender all to You.  Amen.

Ezekiel 44-48  These chapters continue to reveal what will happen in Israel during the Millennium .  The structures are put in place for worship on a daily basis as well as for the feasts to be observed yearly.  In addition to the priests and levites, there will also be a Prince, David, who will be present and part of the ministry at the temple.  Offerings will be sacrificed.  Worship will be similar to the past with some changes.  The land will be re-apportioned to the tribes of Israel.

I have to admit that I do not understand why all of this will happen.  I don't think I have really thought about this time in the future.  We think of Christ's return or of our own passing into eternity. But, we don't think about life continuing on earth.. but, here it is. God will fulfill His Word and all of His promises to Israel.  We can trust Him to fulfill all His promises to us too.

Father in heaven,  be exalted and praised.. may every tongue and tribe and nation know that You alone are the Lord, the One and only God.  We proclaim that You alone are worthy of our worship and praise.  You are Everything to us.  Thank You for saving us and for giving us Your Spirit, that we might know You more and more.  Have Your way in us today.  I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and King. Amen.

Ezekiel 40-43  The rest of the book written by Ezekiel is relaying a vision that he receives of a new temple. These chapters give a general description of the temple and the return of the Glory of God, filling it.  The remaining chapters give other details for what will happen to Israel when this is established.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary suggests that this temple will be built during the 1000 year reign of Christ, after His return.  Whatever it means, just the fact that Ezekiel records this in such detail indicates that it is important.

The new temple will exhibit the restoration of Israel as the people of God.  It will establish Israel itself as the center of God's Presence on earth.  The details presented reveal to us a God who cares about beauty and organization.  From the presence of guard houses and the added details of engravings, we learn that this place has precise purposes.  The size of it is interesting.  The thing that is most intriguing to me is that animal sacrifices will be offered there.  Why?

Father in heaven, only You know what this is really all about. We cannot begin to fathom what You have planned for the future. But, You have instructed us to set our minds on things above.. so  we want to think about what You have revealed to us in Your Word. There is so much that we do not know about the future. But the one thing that we know for sure is that You will be with us... We will be able to see You in a way that we cannot see You now.  As Ezekiel experienced these visions.. we will experience the reality.  This world will pass away.. but a new heaven and a new earth.. with the surpassing glory of Your Presence will be greater than anything we have ever imagined.  Jesus, our King will sit on the throne and reign forever!  No more sin.  No more darkness.  No more separations between us and You.  Hallelujah!  Come Lord Jesus! Amen.

Ezekiel 38-39  The Lord gives Ezekiel a prophecy concerning the far future of Israel.  After He gathers all of Israel back into His land, there will be a great army that will come against them from the north .  But, this army, made of many nations together, will fail.  God will destroy them all.. so much so that it will take 7 months for the Israelites to bury all the dead.

God's purpose in all this is to "magnify" and sanctify Himself.  The nations will know Him.  Israel will know Him.  He will set His glory among the nations!  All the nations will see His judgements and there will be no doubt that it is God who has done this.

What happens to Israel will be a testimony to all the world.. that God is Who He says He is. May we willingly confess it now!

Father in heaven,  we trust in You to do all that You have said.  That day will come just as You have decreed it.  Even now, we see that the nations look at Israel and desire to destroy her.  Yet, they cannot.  Bring Israel into the truth of Who You are that they may know that their Messiah is Jesus.
May they willingly bow before You and worship You only.  Protect them from the evil ones.
Father, bring our nation to know You .. to know that You are the Lord, the God of heaven and earth.
Pour out Your Spirit on the house of Israel.. and on the nations, including our nation.  We are in desperate need of repentance and revival. Open our hearts and eyes.. that we might be prepared for the return of our King Jesus.  We pray in His name. amen.

Ezekiel 37  The vision given to Ezekiel and the message of the restoration of Israel into one nation, forever dwelling in God's presence... is one of the most beloved stories in this book.  Try to even imagine what Ezekiel saw!
A valley covered with dried out bones..
Muscles and ligaments and tendons.. beginning to cover the bones.
Flesh and skin added to cover the sinews.
The wind, the breath of God coming from the east, west, north, and south.. filling the bodies with life.
A complete... ."exceedingly great army" standing at attention before Ezekiel.

Yet, even more exciting to Ezekiel  and to us... is the promise that God gives him!
Israel, scattered, broken, captured, slain... will make a full recovery!
God, Himself, will bring His people back to His land and restore them into one nation.
He will cleanse them.
He will deliver them from idolatry.
He will give them a new King.
He will bless them with "everlasting peace".
He will multiply them.
He will set His sanctuary in their midst.
He will dwell with them.
He will be their God and "they will be [His] people.

"And the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever."

Lord God, You are Holy and Sovereign over all the earth.  You have said that You will completely restore and sanctify Israel.  You alone can do it!  We look forward to the day when we see all Your promises fulfilled.  We long for the day when King Jesus reigns in righteousness forever.  It will be a joy to see Israel restored.. and even more joyful to see what You have in store for all of us!  Our imaginations cannot begin to fathom the glory of Heaven, the reality of eternal life, and the greatness of our King.  Thank You for the Word that gives us glimpses of Your glory.  Come, Holy Spirit and help us to know You more and see You more clearly.  We ask this in the name of our Lord and King , Jesus Christ. Amen.

Ezekiel 35-36   The Lord instructs Ezekiel to prophesy against the mountains of Edom.  This nation had constantly been at war with Israel.  They rejoiced when Israel fell. They tried to claim her land for themselves.  But God would have none of that.  Edom is no longer a nation.  The land is desolate, even as God declared.  It is now part of the country of Jordan.

In chapter 36, Ezekiel is told to prophesy to the mountains of Israel.   Here, the message is good news!  Israel would be restored, not because she deserved it, but for the sake of His Name, God will bless them.  Over and over again, the Lord sends the message through Ezekiel.. Israel will know that He is the Lord.  All the nations will know that God is the Lord of all!

His promises to Israel are wonderful:
The nations against them will endure the same insults that they threw at Israel .
The mountains, hills, ravines, and valleys will become filled with the fruit of the land.
The land will be cultivated and sown.
Men will be multiplied.
Cities will be inhabited.
Waste places will be rebuilt.
Children will fill the land.

And best of all, they will know God.  "..I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes  and you will be careful to observe My ordinances"

Our God is the great Restorer.  He desires that His people know Him and live in community with Him.  He is willing to cleanse and forgive us from sin.  He is willing to restore us to fruitfulness.  He is able to resurrect that which was desolate and to bring life again.  Praise the Lord!

Father, thank You for the Word that You have made known to us.. so that we can be Your people and live by Your Spirit, in Christ Jesus.  Thank you.  We pray for the nation of Israel, that they might turn to You fully and see Your glorious plan for them completely fulfilled.  Make our hearts ready for that day, when we will all know, without any exceptions, that You alone are Lord, the Sovereign Ruler of heaven and earth; You are the only God and Creator, our Redeemer and Savior.   Be glorified this day, we pray, in Jesus' name , amen.

Ezekiel 34  This prophecy is a perfect preview of Jesus.   Read this chapter and then John 10!  Wonderful!

The Lord condemns the "shepherds of Israel".  
They fed themselves and not the flock.
They ate the fat and used the wool.. but they never cared about the sheep.

"Those who are sickly, you did not strengthen, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them." ( v4)

The flock lacked a shepherd.
They were attacked by beasts.
They wandered away.
They were lost and no one even looked for them.
They became prey.
For these reasons, those who were responsible .. the shepherds, the priests and princes of Israel.. would be judged.

The Lord does not leave the flock in the hands of the evil shepherds any longer.
"Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out." (v11)

 " I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest, declares the Lord God.  I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy.  I will feed them with judgement." ( v15-16)

All the sheep will be put into the hands of one shepherd, "My servant, David".  The result will be that they will know the Lord.  They will know that He is with them.  They will know that He is God. They will know He is their Deliverer.  They will know He is their Provider.

Jesus taught, " I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me..." (John 10:14)

He is the One who will find the lost, bring them home, feed them and water them.  He will strengthen the sick and bind up the broken. " For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Jesus told Zaccheus in Luke 19:10.   The shepherds of Israel in the time that Jesus walked this earth were still doing the same things that they did in Ezekiel's day - feeding themselves and using the sheep.  Only Jesus would lay His life down for the sheep.

Our responsibilities as followers of Christ are the same as those commissioned to Peter on that last walk by the Galilee.. "Tend My lambs.. Shepherd My sheep... Tend My sheep.." ( John 21:15-17)  Ezekiel's passage shows us how to do that...
seek those who are lost
bring back the scattered
bind up the broken
strengthen the sick
feed them in good pasture
lead them to rest
Lead them to Jesus.. 

Father in Heaven, thank You for giving us Your Son, the Good Shepherd who loves us and who delivered Himself up for us.  May we know Him more and more!  May we know You, the Lord God who made the earth with Your power, Who established the world with Your wisdom, and Who stretched out the heavens by Your understanding. ( Jer. 10:12)  We are the sheep of Your pasture.  You are our God.  We worship and adore You!  What a wonderful and mighty God You are.
Fill us with Your Spirit today.  Guide our steps and guard our hearts with Your peace.  By the power of Your Spirit in us today.. may we do the things that You have called us to do.. bringing others to Jesus by seeking the lost, binding up wounds, strengthening the sick, and leading them to Jesus..

 In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Ezekiel 33  The Lord repeats a message that was first presented in chapter 18 - Each person is responsible for his own behavior and will be judged according to his own ways.  Ezekiel was appointed as a watchman for Israel.  He was responsible to speak the words that the Lord gave him to speak.  If a person listened and repented.. then he would be saved.  If a person listened but refused to obey.. then he was responsible for his own choice.

The Lord also warns about staying on the right path.  If a person, who has been "righteous" turns and sins.. all his past righteousness will not save him.  He is still guilty.  But, if a person who was wicked, turns from his sin and "practices justice and righteousness" , then he will be saved.  Ezekiel preaches the message as God gives it.

In verse 21 the message that Ezekiel knew was coming finally came, " The city has been taken." Everything that God said would happen - happened. No more warnings..
The people wanted to argue with God.  He had given the land to them as a possession.
God does not compromise with them:
" You eat the meat with blood in it, lift up your eyes to your idols as you shed blood. Should you then possess the land? You rely on your sword, you commit abominations, and each of you defiles his neighbor's wife. Should you then possess the land?"
The short answer is "NO"!

Life is in the Lord's hands.  He has established the rules.  He calls the shots.  It is His way and no other!  He calls us to holiness, to right living according to His rules.  He calls us to hear His word and obey it.  He calls us to turn to Him and not to any other.  And, when we turn away, when we don't obey, when we fall short... then we deserve the judgements we receive.

But, O how thankful we are that He has made a way back to Him!  
He has shown us mercy and not judged us as we have deserved!  
He has shown us grace by giving us a Redeemer who paid the price we could not pay. 
He has given us His righteousness.  He has called us blameless and pure!
What a compassionate and kind God we serve!

Thank You Father for granting us repentance for the our sins, forgiving us our iniquities, and making us whole through Jesus Christ. We live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and delivered Himself up for us!  Your love is amazing!  Thank You for every gift that You have given to us in Christ Jesus.  All glory and honor and blessing we offer to You.  Amen.

Ezekiel 29-32  The Lord addresses Egypt, Pharaoh, in particular, for his arrogance in proclaiming himself the god of the Nile.  All judgements will be justly administered and the guilty will Know that the the One and only God, the God of Israel is the LORD.   Pride, whether of one's power or beauty.. or whatever.. will not be unpunished.  Chapter 32 is a climax and summation of all the prophecies and judgements declared starting back in chapter 25.   The final word for everyone of these nations is the same,  they are all there:

" All of them are slain, fallen by the sword, whose graves are set in the remotest parts of the pit, and her company is round her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword, who spread terror in the land of the living." ( v23)  Assyria, Elam, Meshech and Tubal, Edom, and Egypt.  All of them spread terror.  All of them were slain.  All of them were sent down to the "lower parts of the earth".  All of them "bore their disgrace".  All of them were broken.

No matter how powerful, how rich, or how mighty.. in the sight of the Holy God who is the Lord, they were shameful, uncircumcised , terrorists.. judged for their sins and sent to Sheol.

This is how it was in the days of Ezekiel and how it is in our days.  We hear and witness for ourselves the arrogant boasting of the terrorists of our day.. and we can be assured that God sees them too.  He will judge them according to their works and they will be cast down into the pit along side Pharaoh and his mulitude.

Father, thank You for being just and merciful.  Thank You that those who terrorize others will be judged for their actions.  May mercy fall on their victims.  Many Christians are being persecuted even now in Egypt.  Lord, surround them with Your favor and with Your lovingkindness.  Surround them with songs of deliverance.  May they know that the Holy God who created the heavens and the earth is on their side. May they look to You and know Your grace.  Come to us, Lord Jesus, and fill the earth with Your glory, we pray, in Your Name.  Amen.

Ezekiel 26-28:19 The judgement on Tyre.

Over and over the Lord had pronounced judgements and then declared, " they will know that I am the Lord".   Tyre was a city-state built on a rock at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea.  It had become the center of trade for all the nations.  It was beautiful, wealthy, and very proud.  The Lord declared the destruction of Tyre that would be so terrible that all the nations around her would tremble.
And yet, the Lord instructs Ezekiel to lament the destruction of Tyre. In that lament ( chapter 27) we are given a detailed picture of this great city..

Tyre was surrounded by the sea ( v4)
Its architecture was perfect in beauty (v4)
They used "planks of fir" from Senir, cedar from Lebanon, and oak from Bashan. ( v5-6)
They had ivory and boxwood from Cyprus.
They had "fine embroidered linen from Egypt" ( v7)
And it goes on and on.. rowers, pilots, repairers and sailors.. men of war and armed guards.. all part of the beauty and perfection of this magnificent city. ( v8-11)

Verses 12-24 give a picture of the wealth of Tyre through their vast trading network.  Some sold and some bought..
Tarshish traded "silver, iron, tin, and lead" for Tyre's wares.
Javan, Tubal, and Meshech traded slaves and bronze vessels for merchandise .
Beth-togarmah used horses and mules as payments.
Dedan traded "ivory tusks and ebony."
Aram paid with "emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies." 
Judah and Israel traded "wheat.. cakes, honey, oil, and balm." 
Damascus bought wine and wool.
Vedan and Javan bought "iron, cassia, and sweet cane"
Arabia bought "lambs, rams, and goats"
Sheba and Raamah traded with spices, precious stones, and gold.
Others traded with "choice garments", carpets, and "tightly wound cords"

It all was glorious and wonderful.. but God declared that all of it would "fall into the heart of the seas on the day of your overthrow." (27:27)

The king of Tyre would be overthrown because he called himself a god.  He was wise, he was rich, and he was powerful.  But, when his heart was "lifted up because of [his] riches", the Lord judged him and he died at the hands of strangers.

Ezekiel 28:12-19 is a lamentation over the demise of the king of Tyre. Here, Ezekiel switches to a reference to the fall of Satan.. the king of Tyre as opposed to the ruler of Tyre who was " a man and not God".  
Satan had been created to be "full of wisdom and perfect in beauty".  
He was "in Eden, the garden of God".  
He was covered with precious stones.
He was "anointed" as a "cherub who covers" or guards the "holy mountain of God".   
He was blameless "until unrighteousness was found" in him.

This sin "filled" him with "violence".  And, he was cast down, removed from his high position, and judged.  His future is certain.. he will spend eternity in the sea of fire.

Likewise, the city of Tyre was condemned for the sin of pride.. exalting herself and not acknowledging the Lord God.  Sidon, the sister city of Tyre would also join in the judgement of God and they would know that He is the Lord.

Verses 25-26, tacked onto the end of this chapter, return to the future of Israel..
They would be gathered back to their homeland.
They would be secure and fruitful and God would avenge their enemies for the scorn they endured.
"Then they will know that I am the Lord their God." 

Father in heaven,  we are thankful that all the past and all the future events are in Your hands.  We thank You for patiently and lovingly bringing us to the knowledge that You are the Lord.  We recognize and confess once again that we are poor and weak.. we are beggars in the presence of our King.  We ask that You remove all unrighteousness that is found in us, that we not be cast out of Your presence, but brought in through the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ!  All our hope is in the amazing grace and mercy that You have  poured out on us through our Savior.  I  once again proclaim Your Word, " I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and delivered Himself up for me."  Only by this truth can we come into Your presence ..I thank You and praise You and give You all honor and glory.  In Christ Jesus, Amen.

Ezekiel 25  All the enemies of Israel.. are enemies of God and will be judged for their actions against His people.  The emphasis is this;  " .. Thus you will know that I am the Lord." 

Ammon, Moab, Edom, and  Philistia.. each of these nations were enemies of Israel.  They inhabited the land to the east and west of Israel.  There was constant war between them.. a power struggle for the land and the power.  They laughed and rejoiced when Israel was taken by Babylon.  The Lord judged them for that and they were conquered also.. some by Babylon and some by the "sons of the east" - nomadic tribes that overcame them.

What were the actions that God judged?
Ammon rejoiced at Israel's desolation.
Moab said Israel was "like all the nations".. not respecting that they were God's people.
Edom took "vengeance" against Israel.
Philistia "acted in revenge and have taken vengeance with scorn of soul to destroy with everlasting enmity."

Today we see Israel.. surrounded by nations that still scorn her, disrespect her, take vengeance on her at every opportunity, and want her demise.  Once again the time is ripe for judgement against the enemies of Israel.  But, perhaps the one thing that prevents that is the fact that once again, Israel is not walking in righteousness and obedience to her God.
" And My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."  II Chronicles 7:14  There are actions needed from God's people - repentance, a turning back to the Lord, seeking Him, and leaving the sin and wickedness behind them.

Psalm 123 - which we recently studied in Prayer meeting, speaks directly to this:  " To Thee I lift up my eyes, O Thou who art enthroned in the heavens... So our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He shall be gracious to us.  Be gracious to us, O Lord, be gracious to us. For we are filled with contempt." (ridicule, disrespect, being despised and scorned)

If God judged Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia , will He not judge those who hate Israel now?
May Israel turn their faces to the Lord their God once again. And may the enemies of Israel know that the God of Israel is the Lord of all!

Father in heaven, we hallow Your Name and respect the nation that You call Your own.  May they know that You are the Lord and humble themselves before You.  May they pray and seek You. May they turn from sin and unbelief.  May they find forgiveness and healing in You.   May we, as a nation, continue to seek peace for and with Israel.. for Your Name's sake.  Be gracious to us, O Lord, be gracious to us and to our nation also. May we turn to You once again.   In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.