relationships (Ezekiel 38:1-23) Living Securely

(Ezekiel 38:1-23)

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 4 So I will turn you around and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them magnificently dressed, a great contingent with shield and buckler, all of them wielding swords; 5 Persia, Cush, and Put with them, all of them with buckler and helmet; 6 Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the remote parts of the north with all its troops—many peoples with you.

7 “Be ready, and be prepared, you and all your contingents that are assembled around you, and be a guard for them. 8 After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual place of ruins; but its people were brought out from the nations, and they are living securely, all of them. 9 And you will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you.”

10 ‘This is what the Lord God says: “It will come about on that day, that thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil plan, 11 and you will say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, who live securely, all of them living without walls and having no bars or gates, 12 to capture spoils and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the ruins that are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who live at the center of the world.’ 13 Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will say to you, ‘Have you come to capture spoils? Have you assembled your contingent to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to capture great spoils?’”’

14 “Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “On that day when My people Israel are living securely, will you not know it? 15 You will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding horses, a large assembly and a mighty army; 16 and you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I show Myself holy through you before their eyes, Gog.”

17 ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Are you the one of whom I spoke in former days through My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for many years that I would bring you against them? 18 It will come about on that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” declares the Lord God, “that My fury will mount up in My anger. 19 In My zeal and in My blazing wrath I declare that on that day there will certainly be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 The fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the animals of the field, all the crawling things that crawl on the earth, and all mankind who are on the face of the earth will shake at My presence; and the mountains will be thrown down, the steep pathways will collapse, and every wall will fall to the ground. 21 And I will call for a sword against him on all My mountains,” declares the Lord God. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother. 22 With plague and with blood I will enter into judgment with him; and I will rain on him and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 23 So I will prove Myself great, show Myself holy, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the Lord.”’

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

"On that day" and "the day of the Lord" are terms used to describe both the Tribulation and the Millennium. tpgetjer.  The Tribulation ("the day of wrath") is specifically intended only for the unbelieving Israelites and all other unbelievers.  The Jews will see the judgments - which are "the signs" of Jesus' second coming - and they as a nation will then believe!  Other people will become believers during these seven years as well.  

At the end of that time period, at the battle of Armageddon, Jesus will come again and gather together all Israelites (and other believers) and take them into the Millennium, "the thousand-year reign", where Jesus will fulfill all covenants with Israel.  He will also rebuild and rejuvenate the land so that it will be Garden of Eden-like, which was just mentioned in Ezekiel 36.

So, after reading today's chapter, and seeing the words "living securely", I kept hearing the words "peace" and "safety", the false security that unbelievers will feel at some point, just before the Tribulation.   The great piece of encouragement is explained in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, and 2 Thessalonians!  Whoever is saved at any time before the Tribulation, is truly ready for the rapture!  "Rapture" is the original Greek word used, meaning to "be caught up" (and taken to heaven).  

Salvation is our very certain hope of God's peace and safety.  The moment we ask the Lord into our lives, to forgive all our sins, and to have a personal relationship with Him, He seals us with His indwelling Holy Spirit of promise.  Therefore, it is only in Him, in His great mercy and grace, that we can live securely!  In this, Christians are "ready" and have no need to worry! 

(1 Thessalonians 5:1-11) Now as to the periods and times, brothers and sisters, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction will come upon them like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, so that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then, let’s not sleep as others do, but let’s be alert and sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we are of the day, let’s be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you also are doing.

relationships (Nehemiah 1:1-11) Keep Returning

(Nehemiah 1:1-11) The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.

Now it happened in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capitol, 2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and disgrace, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates have been burned with fire.”

4 Now when I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 I said, “Please, Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps the covenant and faithfulness for those who love Him and keep His commandments: 6 let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open, to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have committed against You; I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. 8 Remember, please, the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; 9 but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I have chosen to have My name dwell.’ 10 They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. 11 Please, Lord, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and please make Your servant successful today and grant him mercy before this man.”

Now I was the cupbearer to the king.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Even though Israel had rebellowed against the Lord, God still set up a scenario for them that when they would confess and return to Him, He would set things straight.  God is faithful and will carry out all of His promises. Ultimately, in the Tribulation, Israel will see the signs of their Messiah's return, and they will believe and become obedient as a nation. Then Jesus will set up His kingdom in the Millennium, and fulfill all their covenants.

Meanwhile, in the passage above, we see hope for all nations. Verse 5 does not discriminate. "FOR THOSE" - means - anyone who loves and obeys God's commandments will be redeemed through Jesus, and He is faithful!  He desires a close relationship with all of us.  He provides the way and the means. He changes us from the insight out so we can be "obedient" in Him.  

And once a believer, even when we sin, over and over again, we are still His children.  He might discipline us, but He will never disown us.  In order to grow in our relationship with the Lord Jesus, all we need to remember is to keep running back to Him and His word!

relationships (2 Chronicles 33:1-25) True Humility

(2 Chronicles 33:1-25)  Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 He did evil in the sight of the Lord according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord dispossessed before the sons of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places which his father Hezekiah had torn down; he also set up altars for the Baals and made Asherim, and he worshiped all the heavenly lights and served them. 4 He built altars in the house of the Lord of which the Lord had said, “My name shall be in Jerusalem forever.” 5 He built altars for all the heavenly lights in the two courtyards of the house of the Lord. 6 He also made his sons pass through the fire in the Valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger. 7 Then he put the carved image of the idol which he had made in the house of God, of which God had said to David and his son Solomon, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; 8 and I will not remove the foot of Israel again from the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will take care to do everything that I have commanded them according to all the Law, the statutes, and the ordinances given through Moses.” 9 So Manasseh encouraged Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel.

10 So the Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. 11 Therefore the Lord brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze chains, and led him to Babylon. 12 When he was in distress, he appeased the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 When he prayed to Him, He was moved by him and heard his pleading, and brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord alone is God.

14 Now after this he built the outer wall of the city of David on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, up to the entrance of the Fish Gate; and he encircled the Ophel with it and made it very high. Then he put army commanders in all the fortified cities in Judah. 15 He also removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord, as well as all the altars which he had built on the mountain of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city. 16 He set up the altar of the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings and thanksgiving offerings on it; and he ordered Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. 17 However, the people still sacrificed on the high places, although only to the Lord their God.

18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh and his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, behold, they are among the records of the kings of Israel. 19 His prayer also and how God was moved by him, and all his sin, his unfaithfulness, and the sites on which he built high places and erected the Asherim and the carved images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the records of Hozai. 20 So Manasseh lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. And his son Amon became king in his place.

21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for two years in Jerusalem. 22 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his father Manasseh had done, and Amon sacrificed to all the carved images which his father Manasseh had made, and he served them. 23 Furthermore, he did not humble himself before the Lord as his father Manasseh had done, but Amon multiplied his guilt. 24 Finally, his servants conspired against him and put him to death in his own house. 25 But the people of the land killed all the conspirators against King Amon, and the people of the land made his son Josiah king in his place.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

This chapter shows two men, each committing the same atrocities, but only one humbled his heart and went to the Lord to be saved.  It doesn't matter how much sin one has committed, or even how "good" a person has tried to be, God is only able to save those who go to Him with humbled hearts for His forgiveness.  This is the only way to salvation, because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, paying the price for all sin and then rising again to have victory over death!  

The "only way" to live a God-centered life that is pleasing to Him, is to have a personal relationship with the Lord God.  In this, we will strive to be obedient in His will, all in His guidance and in His strength, not because we have to, but because we want to.  THIS - is being humble - to know that we are sinners in need of saving, and then - to know that we need God's grace and constant help and guidance, because we will continue to struggle with sin.  The Lord alone is God!

relationships (1 Samuel 5:1-12) Not to Disappoint

(1 Samuel 5:1-12) Now the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon, and placed it beside Dagon. 3 When the Ashdodites got up early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him back in his place. 4 But when they got up early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. And the head of Dagon and both palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; only the torso of Dagon was left. 5 For that reason neither the priests of Dagon nor any who enter Dagon’s house step on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

6 Now the hand of the Lord was heavy on the Ashdodites, and He made them feel devastated and struck them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territories. 7 When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, because His hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god.” 8 So they sent word and gathered all the governors of the Philistines to them, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” And they said, “Have the ark of the God of Israel brought to Gath.” So they took the ark of the God of Israel away. 9 After they had taken it away, the hand of the Lord was against the city, creating a very great panic; and He struck the people of the city, from the young to the old, so that tumors broke out on them. 10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And as the ark of God came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people!” 11 Therefore they sent word and gathered all the governors of the Philistines, and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel and let it return to its own place, so that it will not kill us and our people!” For there was a deadly panic throughout the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. 12 And the people who did not die were struck with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Because of the Israelites' sinful actions, the Philistines were able to win the battle and take the ark of the Lord.  Obviously God was not helpless without the Israelites' perfect obedience, and caused the Philistines to see that they should not have the ark in their possession at all.  So their brief victory turned into great anguish as they faced God's power and punishment!

There is both a warning and an encouragement in this.  For unbelievers, there is punishment, if not here on earth, there will be for all eternity.  The solution to this is simple: turn to the Lord to repent and believe in Him.

Believers live in the freedom and security of God's grace, knowing that God will never disown His children.  And even though churches and individual Christians will make mistakes, God is still able to carry out His will, without our perfect obedience.  Therefore, we do not have to live in fear, worrying about evil, or about losing our salvation, or about God's plans being thwarted.

At the same time, we should not desire to willfully sin.  The most important relationship we could ever have is with the Lord!  And it is when we are close to God that we can access the best possible help for all other relationships.

Of course we think and say that we don't want to disappoint our heavenly Father, yet we will still do such very stupid things, even on purpose.  The bigger danger is when we start thinking, "Eh, it's not such a big thing," or "It's okay, God's grace covers me..."  It does, but we should have remorse and regrets when we sin, no matter how "big" or "small" the sin is.  We have to know that while God punishes unbelievers, He will discipline His children!  But because God is the best, most caring and loving Father, we are to keep running back to Him to confess, and continue on in our walk with Him!  

(Proverbs 3:12) For whom the Lord loves He disciplines, just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.

(1 Corinthians 1:4-9) I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, 6 just as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you eagerly await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will also confirm you to the end, blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

(Romans 6:15-18) What then? Are we to sin because we are not under the Law but under grace? Far from it! 16 Do you not know that the one to whom you present yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of that same one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were entrusted, 18 and after being freed from sin, you became slaves to righteousness.

relationships (Leviticus 9:1-24) Leading By Example

(Leviticus 9:1-24)  Now it came about on the eighth day that Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel; 2 and he said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a calf, a bull, for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without defect, and offer them before the Lord. 3 Then to the sons of Israel you shall speak, saying, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both one year old, without defect, for a burnt offering, 4 and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the Lord, and a grain offering mixed with oil; for today the Lord will appear to you.’” 5 So they took what Moses had commanded to the front of the tent of meeting, and the whole congregation came near and stood before the Lord. 6 Moses said, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded you to do, that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.” 7 Moses then said to Aaron, “Come near to the altar and offer your sin offering and your burnt offering, that you may make atonement for yourself and for the people; then make the offering for the people, that you may make atonement for them, just as the Lord has commanded.”

8 So Aaron came near to the altar and slaughtered the calf of the sin offering which was for himself. 9 Aaron’s sons presented the blood to him; and he dipped his finger in the blood and put some on the horns of the altar, and poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 10 The fat and the kidneys and the lobe of the liver of the sin offering, he then offered up in smoke on the altar just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 11 The flesh and the skin, however, he burned with fire outside the camp.

12 Then he slaughtered the burnt offering; and Aaron’s sons handed the blood to him and he sprinkled it around on the altar. 13 They handed the burnt offering to him in pieces, with the head, and he offered them up in smoke on the altar. 14 He also washed the entrails and the legs, and offered them up in smoke with the burnt offering on the altar.

15 Then he presented the people’s offering, and took the goat of the sin offering which was for the people, and slaughtered it and offered it for sin, like the first. 16 He also presented the burnt offering, and offered it according to the ordinance. 17 Next he presented the grain offering, and filled his hand with some of it and offered it up in smoke on the altar, besides the burnt offering of the morning.

18 Then he slaughtered the ox and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings which was for the people; and Aaron’s sons handed the blood to him and he sprinkled it around on the altar. 19 As for the portions of fat from the ox and from the ram, the fat tail, and the fat covering, and the kidneys and the lobe of the liver, 20 they now placed the portions of fat on the breasts; and he offered them up in smoke on the altar. 21 But the breasts and the right thigh Aaron presented as a wave offering before the Lord, just as Moses had commanded.

22 Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he stepped down after making the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. 23 Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out and blessed the people, the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. 24 Then fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

The only way to be reconciled to God and have a relationships with Him is in accepting the perfect once-for-all sin offering - Jesus - as our Lord and Savior.  And while we have guaranteed eternal life and cannot lose our salvation, the only way to continually draw closer to the Lord and have a deeper more intimate relationship with Him is for us to continually confess any sin/s that we might be dealing with.

This is not to focus on sin.  No!  We have been set free from sin!  We are to focus on the Lord and His perfect will.  Then as we go, if we realize there is a sin in our path trying to block our way - get rid of it!  Confess it, and in God's strength, wisdom and goodness, move on.  Continue to move closer to the Lord and His perfect will, because God loves us and wants us to live our best lives possible.

Therefore, it only stands to reason, that if any of us are spiritual leaders, we first need to make sure that we ourselves are heading in the right direction before humbly encouraging others to follow.  We need to look at and remove the logs in our own eyes before even thinking to point out the logs in other people's eyes.  And because the great commission was given to all of us - we all are spiritual leaders to some degree - even if it is mentoring a fellow believer!  

We are most certainly witnesses and examples to those around us!  And look!  Since none of us are perfect, let us stop pretending that we are!  We will have a stronger testimony when others see how believers are able to humbly confess, apologize and rise up from their missteps in God's grace joy, peace, patience and strength!  And who would not want to be part of a close-knit family of God that blesses one another with God's love, wisdom and encouragement?!

relationships (Genesis 20:1-18) Reconcile and Restore

(Genesis 20:1-18)  Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev, and settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in Gerar. 2 Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married.” 4 Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a nation, even though blameless? 5 Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now therefore, restore the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

8 So Abimelech arose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were greatly frightened. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” 10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What have you encountered, that you have done this thing?” 11 Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. 12 Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife; 13 and it came about, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is the kindness which you will show to me: everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’” 14 Abimelech then took sheep and oxen and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored his wife Sarah to him. 15 Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; settle wherever you please.” 16 To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, it is your vindication before all who are with you, and before all men you are cleared.” 17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore children. 18 For the Lord had closed fast all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

This event parallels how it is with salvation and God's grace.  Even though the king didn't know Sarah was married, it was still wrong of him to take her for his wife.  I'm sure the king and his nation was not blameless on many things.  And while God could see that in that circumstance, the king was innocent, God let the king know that moving forward, he was to do the right thing and restore Sarah to Abraham.  In doing so, God opened the wombs of the women in the king's household.

Even if one doesn't realize certain things are a sin, if one does them, they are still sinning.  We are all born with sin in our lives.  Once we realize this, we can try to justify ourselves and continue living in a sinful state, or we can go to God to reconcile and be restored through salvation found in Jesus.  Then as a child of God, He gives His promise that we have eternal security.  His grace protects us.  

Like with Abraham and Sarah!  By not trusting God in that situation and taking matters into their own hands, they created more tension for themselves and others!  Their lie, in order to keep themselves alive, once again caused them to be separated.  As well, their lie impacted the king and his entire household.  But yet again, God protected Abraham and Sarah, because of His promises to them.  

One of God's promises to Abraham and Sarah was that they would have a son, and through their many descendants, kings would be born.  This would include the Lord Jesus, born in flesh, to accomplish His work on the cross.  This is how through them the nations would be blessed!  So we can see how critical it was that Sarah didn't get pregnant by someone else!

While God is able to carry out His plans, even when we make mistakes, it doesn't mean there won't be consequences... like having kings who are upset with one's behavior.  It's just not worth it.  Maintaining a good relationship with God will help us maintain good relationships with others.