Succeed At Being Yourself~Joyce Meyer

Succeed At Being Yourself

July 31

He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.
—Psalm 23:3 (NLT)

At my age now I feel really great—which shows that things like energy, health, and happiness don't need to decline as we age. But part of my contentment comes because I've become comfortable with who I am. I've succeeded at being myself. I don't pine away for my twenties, partly because I didn't like my twenties anyway, and partly because it wouldn't matter if I did! Here I am now, and I have chosen to live today!

People who long for their youth are never content, because every day that youth gets a little farther away. Don't despise getting old, because if you stay alive you can't avoid it. It's much better to enjoy who you are now and try to live and look appropriate for someone like you. It helps to find role models. We don't think of fifty or sixty-year-olds as needing role models, but they do! Everyone does.

Billy Graham is a good role model for me, and I can honestly say that I have never worried about how much he weighs or how many wrinkles he has. I admire him for his spirit, commitment, accomplishments, and dedication to God and his life's calling. Discontentment is one of the big giants we must conquer if we ever hope to enjoy life fully. Discontentment with looks, age, position, possessions, and anything else that makes us ungrateful for what we currently have.

We may not have all we would like to have, but we certainly have more than some people. No matter how you think you look, there is somebody who would love to look like you. No matter how old you are, there is someone older who would love to be as young as you. Cheer up and make the best of things. Love yourself and love your life; it is the only one you have!

Leadership: Is your team in a downward spiral? (77-4)~Barry Werner

Is your team in a downward spiral? (77-4)

July 9th, 2009 in Communicating Vision, Judges, Leader Qualifications, Leadership Development, Leadership Principles, Obedience to God, Old Testament, Priorities, Values | leave a response

The book of Judges can help a leader understand a cycle that is repeated, even today, when there is no central leader to give voice and example to godly core values and goals. Read Judges 2-16.

Without a leader to keep them focused on core values and God’s central goal, the people of Israel went through a series of downward-spiraling cycles. The people found themselves oppressed by foreign powers because without the leader’s constant restatement of goals that kept them focused, they gradually forgot about their part of the covenant with God and became disobedient. Each of these downward-cycles is characterized by:

• Idolatry – The people lose focus on God and their need for God which leads to idolatry;
• Persecution – God removes His protection and the people are dominated by other nations;
• Repentance – The people finally repent and cry to the Lord for deliverance;
• Deliverance – The Lord responds by raising up a judge to deliver them; and
• Peace – The people have years of peace until the cycle begins again.

In The Maxwell Leadership Bible, John Maxwell describes this as the Organizational Cycle: Understanding the Pattern of People.

Leaders must understand how people think and behave. The book of Judges provides a vivid biography of leaders, followers, and human nature, and describes a cycle repeated even today. Note the distinct patterns that recur repeatedly in this book:

• Rebellion – when things go well, people drop their guard. They relax and pay less attention to details. Peacetime brings a greater chance of rebellion than wartime. In prosperous times, fallen people naturally express their bent toward independence and rebellion.
• Repression – repression follows rebellion. Whether God sends an enemy or the people cause their own misery, they endure hardship, calamity, invasion, or natural disaster. Poor life choices result in retribution.
• Repentance – extreme hardships often trigger community-wide repentance. The repression serves as a wake-up call. Individuals begin to refocus on what is really important and purify their motives and behavior. Organizations cut budgets, downsize, and check egos.
• Restoration – purification leads to restoration. People regain the blessings they once had or acquire what had been intended for them. When they begin to obey God, peace returns to the land once more. And the cycle of fallen human behavior has run its full course.

Are you able to evaluate where your organization is in this cycle? Once an effective leader understands the cycle and identifies their current position, they can break the cycle by refocusing their team on godly core values, mission and goals.

God's Promises and God's Law~Bob Hoekstra

God's Promises and God's Law

Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ. And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. (Galatians 3:16-18)

Early in our meditations, we considered one of the most profound subjects in the Scriptures: the relationship between the grace of God and the law of God. These verses engage a comparable subject: the relationship between God's promises and God's law.

Again, we are reminded of God's fundamental use of promises in bringing forth His will among mankind. "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made." God made far-reaching promises to Abraham and his descendants, promises that included the coming of the Messiah, the anointed King, the Savior. Although these promises guaranteed an innumerable posterity to Abraham, this statement specifies one descendant in particular. "He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, 'And to your Seed,' who is Christ."The Lord Jesus Christ is in view here. The promises that were the root of the new covenant of grace were made by the Father to His Messiah (as well as to Abraham). "Now to Abraham and his Seed were thepromises made." God provides us added assurance here. The Father's primary commitment was to His Son!

Now, what about the law of God, which was added hundreds of years later? Could the law possibly have replaced the promises to Abraham and to the Son of God? "And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that wasconfirmed before by God in Christ." The promises of God to Abraham and to His Son were not nullified by the giving of the law of God ("that it should make the promise of no effect" ). People, through their own law performance, cannot become heirs of that which God promises to His children. If they could, then God's blessings are no longer based on God's fulfillment of His promises. "For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise." This cannot be, because "God gave it to Abraham by promise." God's work among mankind stands on His ability to fulfill His promises. It does not depend on our ability to live up to the perfect law of God.

Dear Father, my heart is assured of these promises of blessing for man that you made to Your Son. My heart rejoices that Your work in my life rests on Your promises and not on my performance, Amen.

The best way to fight temptation~Greg Laurie

The best way to fight temptation

July 31st, 2009 Posted in Pastor's corner, encouragement, essentials, sermons | No Comments »

Temptation. There is no escaping it. But know this–it can have an help you to deepen and grow spiritually, causing you to cling that much tighter to the Lord Himself.

It’s been said, “Christians are a lot like teabags. You don’t know what they are made of until you put them in hot water.”

Perhaps you in the “hot water” of temptation right now. God has given you a weapon to use, and it’s called the Bible.

Jesus was tempted

When Jesus faced His temptation in the wilderness, He gave us an example to follow, a template to apply.

Being God, He could have sent Satan away or even removed Himself from the place where the enemy was. Instead, He faced Satan as a man and stood on ground that we too can occupy.

When tempted, each time Jesus quoted the Scripture. We read in Luke 4:12, “And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘It is written, “You shall not tempt the LORD your God.”‘”

It is written

You need to know and quote Scripture when you are tempted. The psalmist wrote, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word” (Psalm 119:9) and “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You!” (Psalm 119:11)

It’s good to carry a Bible in your briefcase, backpack, or purse. But the best place to carry the Word of God is in your heart!

Why? Because Satan can quote Scripture to you too!

Satan entices you, trips you up, and then tells you “God will not forgive you!” We pull out the sword and reply, “It is written, ‘If we confess our sin . . . ” (1 John 1:9).

Satan whispers in your ear, “You’ve sinned, and now God condemns you!” We can come back with, “It is written, ’There is therefore now no condemnation” (Romans 8:1).

The devil tells us, “You’re not going to make it. I’ll get you. You’ll fall again!” You reply, “It is written, ‘And I will give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:28).

You can also say, “Being confident of this very thing that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it unto the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

Even when tragedy hits

Perhaps when tragedy hits, the enemy will say, “Your life is over, and ruined. God has abandoned you.”

You come back with God’s Word! It is written, “He causes all things to work together for good to those that love Him” (Romans 8:28).

When a loved one dies, the enemy says, “That’s it. They are gone. Death is the end!” You reply, “It is written that to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord” (see 2 Corinthians 5:8). Jesus also said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25).

I encourage you to memorize and use the Word of God when being tempted. It will make all the difference.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God~Jon Courson

July 31
	Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God ...
	Ephesians 1:1
‘Make your calling and election sure,’ Peter declared (II Peter 1:10). Paul was one who knew his calling. He was called by the will of God to be an apostle, prepared for it from the earliest days of his life. Growing up the son of a rabbi, seated at the feet of Gamaliel — the foremost rabbinical scholar of the day — Paul eventually became a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court. And all of his studying, all of his efforts to be righteous in his own energy, all of his attempts to keep the Law blamelessly would be preparatory to make him the minister of the Gospel of Grace. Not only did Paul know his calling — he also knew his Bible. And with this knowledge came the absolute frustration of trying to live under legalism and religiosity. Consequently, all of his life experiences were preparing him to be an apostle of Jesus Christ. The same is true for you. You see, God wants to place each one of us in the spot for which He has prepared us from the beginning. God’s will is not something which is heavy or difficult. No, God’s will fits perfectly with the make-up of your personality and with what He’s taken you through in life experientially. God sees where He wants you to serve Him — whether that be on a construction site, a classroom, or a courtroom; as a butcher, baker, or banker. We often make a mistake in thinking that what we’re doing is second best, that if we were really serious about our faith, we’d be in ‘full-time ministry’. Wrong. The Lord stations His men and women ingeniously where He sees they can minister most effectively so that the people around them will be impacted eternally. What has God prepared and trained you to do? Be content to do what God has called you to do — to serve where He has placed you — for yours is just as holy and high a calling as that of any preacher or apostle.

We need more town criers!~Baron Eickhoff,

FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2009

We need more town criers!

Keep sounding the good news, keep sounding the alarm.

The great day of the LORD is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the LORD is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out. That day is a day of wrath, A day of trouble and distress, A day of devastation and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of trumpet and alarm Against the fortified cities And against the high towers.

"I will bring distress upon men, And they shall walk like blind men, Because they have sinned against the LORD; Their blood shall be poured out like dust, And their flesh like refuse." Neither their silver nor their gold Shall be able to deliver them In the day of the LORD's wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured By the fire of His jealousy, For He will make speedy riddance Of all those who dwell in the land.
(Zep 1:14-18)

No bail outs in the day of the Lord. The international bankers, oilsheiks, and global power brokers will find themselves helpless to deliver themselves, yet alone anyone else on the planet.

It is a day of judgement. A 'Come to Jesus' meeting of epic proportions. Every knee shall bow and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and everyone shall give account of themselves before the Lord of Lords. (Romans 14:11-12).

If you are not spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to people around you, I encourage you to join us Saturday nights at 6:00 p.m. here at our church facility. We have people from a few different churches that hope to attend, and we are going to have an 8 week series on how to witness to others. It is from the "Way of the Master", and is a very effective approach.

Feel free to call me if you have any questions. This Saturday will be a 'get ready' type of meeting at 6 and the 8 week series will start Saturday, August 8th. There is no cost, and the optional workbook is $10.

Hope many of you can make it.

The time may be short, and many people are more open to hearing the gospel then you might think. We are not called to 'make Christ followers' out of anyone, but we are called to plant the seeds.

God will bring the increase.

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

Loving God and loving people - leaves no room for our self. ~David McGee

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Friday, July 31st 2009

Mark 8:34-35

"When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it."
NKJV

Life Lesson

Loving God and loving people - leaves no room for our self.

There is a whole lot of 'self' going on in the world today. "What is in it for me" is a question we ask ourselves more often than we realize or would ever probably admit. The world media today would have us believe that to make a real impact on this world; we need to take care of ourselves first. It is selfishness justified with a loss of cabin pressure mentality. What is that you ask? You know how aircraft stewards will announce that in the case of a loss of cabin pressure an oxygen mask will drop from the ceiling. What do they tell you next? They tell you to place the mask on yourself before helping anyone else...including your own children! That is the mentality that we tend to have in life. If I do not help myself first, how can I help others? "I need to win the lottery so that I can give to someone else." "I would be glad to help except the NCAA Championship is on TV." "Sorry, that's my dinner time." What self-serving excuses do you make to avoid sacrifice? That mentality is so not Jesus.

Jesus says we are to lay down our lives, actually denying ourselves, in order that we may place others first. Jesus told us to take up our cross, knowing full well that His cross was a literal instrument of sacrifice...the means by which He would give His own life for you. I will bet that championship game seems less significant in light of His sacrifice. Loving God and loving people leaves no room for self.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for loving me. Thank You for dying for me. I want to live as Your vessel to share the Gospel with others. Lord, I have been selfish with my time. Help me to deny myself and place the needs of others first. Allow me the opportunity to make a 'missional' impact on the lives of others and the world around me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee
Senior Pastor
Calvary Chapel of the Triad
reachthetriad.com
twitter.com/ccot

God uses many "certain men" and "certain woman"~Mike MacIntosh

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.
Mark 5:25-27

As you read through the Bible, you'll notice that God uses many "certain men" and "certain woman" whose names are not given. In this passage, we see "a certain woman." We don't know who she is, where she's from, if she's rich or poor, famous or educated. She is just "a certain woman." You see, the Christian life isn't about being famous, or rich, or having a huge reputation. God wants to use "certain people" to accomplish His goals. God knew that if we had the names of everyone who has done great things for the Lord that we would be likely to over-honor and exalt them instead of the One who deserves all the credit, glory, and honor. Paul says of Jesus, "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen" (1 Timothy 1:17). Yes, it is God who should receive all of the glory and honor, not people.

God wants to do amazing things through you. Be counted in His kingdom as a "certain" man or woman. Don't get hung up on popularity, notoriety, or prestige. Also, it seems that everybody thinks that the work of the ministry in the church is for someone else; that somehow the people with the titles or the people with the prestige will get it all done. No, it's you, and me, and every "certain" person who walks through the church's doors. If we all "certain individuals" take on the responsibility, just think what kind of impact we'll make for God's glory!

Serve or Be Served~Mark Balmer

Serve or Be Served

Posted:

Based on “iServe” by Pastor Dean Corns; 7/25-26/09,

Message #DC129;

Daily Devotional #4 - “Serve or Be Served”

Preparing the Soil (Introduction): Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. "What is it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom." (Matthew 20:20-21) Welcome to the world of important questions. I am sure that you have had thoughts about standing in front of God. We all have a list of questions we want to ask. Well apparently, for John and James’ mother, this was the one she wanted to ask. She only wanted what most mothers want, the best for her boys. Jesus’ response contains one of the most important teachings for the church and for us as individuals. Check it out. Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:25-28)

Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): I work for a fairly large company. Every year they pass out an updated command chain. At the top is the owner/president, followed by the 4 vice presidents, the directors, the managers, and so on. This chart illustrates how the authority trickles down to us in the lower levels. It also reveals that those of us near the bottom really have little hope of making big decisions. This is how the “world” does it. Jesus told His followers that they have to do things differently. He contrasted the power of the business and military worlds to God’s way of doing it. For all practical purposes the command chain has just been flipped upside down. The one who is greatest is the one who makes himself lowest. Look at the following passages: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3) Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. (1 Peter 5:5) Throughout the Scriptures we find this characteristic of humility as being critical to our spiritual lives. To be humble literally means to make yourself low. The instant side effect of humility is others instantly are lifted higher. This makes serving natural.

Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): I know what some of you are thinking. I like to be served. I can’t argue with you. Sometimes it is nice to have someone do things for you. In spiritual things, what we think will make us happy is actually the opposite. As a matter of fact, we are happiest when we are serving, not being served. Jesus taught many lessons to the disciples, but few of them were as important as when He showed them how a leader should behave. Jesus was eating His last Passover meal when He got up from the table to do something. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (John 13:3-5) When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me `Teacher' and `Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. (John 13:12-15) Jesus, who just happens to be at the top of EVERY authority chart, bent down to wash the feet of people. He also said that we should wash each other’s feet. This is where we were meant to be. Serving people is one way we can truly identify with Jesus in our lives. We should all strive to make ourselves low so that we may someday be lifted up!

Cultivating (Additional Reading): Philippians 2:5-11

TCH

Going Fishing?~Greg Laurie

Friday, July 31, 2009

Going Fishing?

Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
--Matthew 4:19

While I am not in the ranks of great anglers and seasoned fishermen, I have fished a few times. I know that I need to use different kinds of bait for different kinds of situations, because different types of bait are required to catch different types of fish.

In the same way, as we share the gospel, we might bring up different aspects of it to speak to a person's situation.

To someone who is filled with anguish, we might speak to them of the peace that God can bring. If we are talking with someone on his or her deathbed, we would address the subject of death and the certainty of heaven for those who put their faith in Christ. Another person might be plagued with personal guilt, so we might speak to them about God's offer of complete forgiveness.

These are various types of bait, so to speak, to bring us to a decision for Christ. And for our example, we can look to Jesus, the Master Communicator, who never dealt with any two people in exactly the same way.

There was the woman at the well who had spent a lifetime trying to fill a void in her life with relationships with men. To her, Jesus spoke to her of her deep spiritual thirst.

Then there was a man who was an expert in theology and a great intellectual. With him, Jesus spoke in almost childlike terms as He told him, "You must be born again."

Jesus adapted to their situation and appropriately applied the truth of God's Word.

Jesus had time for the multitudes, but He also took time for the individual. And we should take time as well.

2 Chronicles 29:1-36 ~ Romans 14:1-23 ~ Psalm 24:1-10 ~ Proverbs 20:12

2 Chronicles 29:1-36 ~ Romans 14:1-23 ~ Psalm 24:1-10 ~ Proverbs 20:12
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~
~ Listen to today's Scripture on DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) or OneYearAudioBible.org ~

Old Testament - We are re-introduced to King Hezekiah of Judah in today's readings! The quantity of the Chronicler's writings about the reign of Hezekiah is second only to the reigns of David & Solomon. We'll be reading about Hezekiah again in the coming days. Reading about Hezekiah today was such a breath of fresh air after the atrocities of King Ahaz in yesterday's readings... Hezekiah is a hero! He re-opens the Temple! He reinstitutes the sacrifices to God! You'll recall from our readings in Second Kings chapter 18 verses 5 through 7 we got an overview of who Hezekiah was - "Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was never another king like him in the land of Judah, either before or after his time. He remained faithful to the LORD in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the LORD had given Moses. So the LORD was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did." Below is a coloured woodcut from Henry VIII´s Great Bible, from the year 1538, of King Hezekiah burning pagan idols:

New Testament - Paul's writings in Roman's chapter 14 about the dangers of criticizing and judging others are powerful! I love verses 12 & 13: "Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God. So don't condemn each other anymore. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not put an obstacle in another Christian's path." Wow... that is something for each of us to consider. That we ourselves can actually put obstacles in another Christian's path toward God! Do you think that you have ever done this in your life? I do think that I have. Never intentionally. But, when I have stopped loving and serving others and instead began judging and criticizing others, I do believe I have placed obstacles in other people's paths! Not to mention my own path! Let us pray that we are not obstacles to others by judging and criticizing...

Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Romans titled "Love and Liberty: Liberties Love Won't Take" is at this link. Below is a great image for Romans 14:8 from today's readings -

Psalms - Psalm 24 is a beautiful Psalm! Check out this brief snippet of commentary on this Psalm from bible.org: "The Israelites have returned from a battle with the Canaanites. They are proceeding up to the sanctuary on the holy mount to give praise to Yahweh for the great and mighty victory in battle, carrying with them the Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of Yahweh’s presence with them. As they approach the gate, they are met by the Levites who function as gatekeepers. It is their part to ask who may enter the sanctuary of the Lord; and it is the priests’ part to answer with the stipulations from the Law. Whoever meets these qualifications may enter and fellowship with Yahweh... The psalm then concludes with the worshipers calling to the gates to make way for Yahweh to come in to His sanctuary, for why should the King of Glory stoop to go under a doorway? " This quote is from, and there is much more commentary on Psalm 24, at bible.org at this link. (also, any Chris Tomlin fans out there will definitely recognize this Psalm - on his CD "Arriving" I think the 2nd or 3rd to last song is called "King of Glory" based on this Psalm - it's the best song on this overall fantastic CD in my humble opinion! :)

Proverbs - Proverbs 20:12 today teaches us: "Ears to hear and eyes to see--both are gifts from the LORD." Amen! It is interesting that this Proverb doesn't mention our mouths to talk... Seems like this Proverb is really a good reminder that listening and seeing are amazing gifts. Gifts that allow us to listen to others and enjoy God's beautifully created world. And yes, I do believe our mouths are gifts too for communication to others. But it is interesting that we have 2 ears and 2 eyes, and just 1 mouth. Think there is a message in this math equation for us? :)

YouTube: Based on Psalm 24, here is Chris Tomlin and Jesse Reeves talking about the song "King of Glory" and how it relates to Psalm 24. This is a powerful song... Who is this King of Glory!

Do you know the King of Glory? Click here to meet Him!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week: "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14 (NIV)

Comments from You & Questions of the Day: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

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Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.~Daily Light

July 31
MORNING

Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

"I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples."--It was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.--Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God.--We are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

2 Tim. 2:3; Isa. 55:4; Heb. 2:10; Acts 14:22; Eph. 6:12, 13; 2 Cor. 10:3, 4; 1 Pet. 5:10

EVENING

The unity of the Spirit.

There is one body and one Spirit.--Through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.

Eph. 4:3; Eph. 4:4; Eph. 2:18-22; Ps. 133:1, 2; 1 Pet. 1:22

Squeeze Play~Dry Bones

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We are witnessing a startling attempt by the Obama administration to establish a peanut gallery of Jewish backers of his anti-Israel designs.

* * * The original "Peanut Gallery" was a packed audience of little kids who were used to applauded the antics of a clown named "Clarabell" (on an early American TV show called "the Howdy Doody Show").
The Kiddies Watched.

The Clown Shpritzed.

-Dry Bones- Israel's Political Comic Strip Since 1973

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A Jealous God~A jealous God

A Jealous God 8:3 He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the north gate of the inner court, where the seat of the image of jealousy was, which provokes to jealousy. The vision Ezekiel had of God and the inner court gives us the reason God brought such a severe judgment upon Israel. God is a jealous God, and He will not share the hearts of His people with idols (8:1-12). Jealousy is often seen as something negative: a sin rather than a virtue. It therefore seems impossible that God could ever act in response to that jealousy. However, the truth of the matter is jealousy, like so many of our God-given emotions, can be an expression of sin or of righteousness. Consider love. It can be for good or bad. It can be for God and humanity or for self-made idols and sin. Hate and anger can be directed toward what destroys the object of God's love and will, or it can be directed toward God, His people, and His will. This principle is true about everything that God has given. It can be used for good or for evil. So it is with jealousy. God's jealousy is rooted in His perfections and His love for His people. It is only because He loves us so much that He has made us the object of His limitless love. When we set up idols in the inner sanctuary of our heart that He has made for Himself, it pollutes our inner being with the most wicked of all sins: spiritual adultery (14:2-3). When this is our choice, as God's people, as His bride, God has every right to remove and destroy the source of this violation of our hearts that were first and foremost created for Him. We are the object of His love, created for the purpose of love. The first and greatest commandment is what it is for a reason. We are to love God with all our heart, all our mind, and all our soul for a reason. Israel had turned the blessings God had given them into their gods. The wealth, the land, and even the Temple of God had become things that replaced God as the object of their love. This became true in regard to their families, their gifts, their talents, and their sexuality as they worshiped the gods and goddesses of fertility. In response to Israel's spiritual adultery, God removed His presence from the Temple and His protection and blessing for Israel. They will reap the consequences of worshiping lesser gods. God will give them over to their idols. Then they will be forced to see how little these lesser gods can do, and how powerless and unworthy they are as the supreme object of their love. Their corpses will be lain before the idols that brought only destruction (6:4-6). The wealth they put their faith in will be of no value to them (7:19). The beauty they had will appear as trash (7:19-20). When we put ourselves, anyone, or anything else in the place reserved for God we will be forced to face how weak and foolish it is to try and serve two masters. It's a strange paradox that we all struggle with. When God owns our heart, He freely will give us all other things. When we give our heart to these "things" rather than God, they will prove to not hold any real value. They can never be or do what is reserved for God alone to do. To this day, God's people have shown this to still be true. God's jealous heart will deal with us as His bride. He will not sit back. He will act that we will know who our hearts were made for (7:4, 24).
Ezekiel 7:1-8:18 Judgment on Israel Is Near 1 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 "And you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD to the land of Israel: 'An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land. 3 Now the end has come upon you, And I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways, And I will repay you for all your abominations. 4 My eye will not spare you, Nor will I have pity; But I will repay your ways, And your abominations will be in your midst; Then you shall know that I am the LORD!' 5 "Thus says the Lord GOD: 'A disaster, a singular disaster; Behold, it has come! 6 An end has come, The end has come; It has dawned for you; Behold, it has come! 7 Doom has come to you, you who dwell in the land; The time has come, A day of trouble is near, And not of rejoicing in the mountains. 8 Now upon you I will soon pour out My fury, And spend My anger upon you; I will judge you according to your ways, And I will repay you for all your abominations. 9 'My eye will not spare, Nor will I have pity; I will repay you according to your ways, And your abominations will be in your midst. Then you shall know that I am the LORD who strikes. 10 'Behold, the day! Behold, it has come! Doom has gone out; The rod has blossomed, Pride has budded. 11 Violence has risen up into a rod of wickedness; None of them shall remain, None of their multitude, None of them; Nor shall there be wailing for them. 12 The time has come, The day draws near. 'Let not the buyer rejoice, Nor the seller mourn, For wrath is on their whole multitude. 13 For the seller shall not return to what has been sold, Though he may still be alive; For the vision concerns the whole multitude, And it shall not turn back; No one will strengthen himself Who lives in iniquity. 14 'They have blown the trumpet and made everyone ready, But no one goes to battle; For My wrath is on all their multitude. 15 The sword is outside, And the pestilence and famine within. Whoever is in the field Will die by the sword; And whoever is in the city, Famine and pestilence will devour him. 16 'Those who survive will escape and be on the mountains Like doves of the valleys, All of them mourning, Each for his iniquity. 17 Every hand will be feeble, And every knee will be as weak as water. 18 They will also be girded with sackcloth; Horror will cover them; Shame will be on every face, Baldness on all their heads. 19 'They will throw their silver into the streets, And their gold will be like refuse; Their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them In the day of the wrath of the LORD; They will not satisfy their souls, Nor fill their stomachs, Because it became their stumbling block of iniquity. 20 'As for the beauty of his ornaments, He set it in majesty; But they made from it The images of their abominations— Their detestable things; Therefore I have made it Like refuse to them. 21 I will give it as plunder Into the hands of strangers, And to the wicked of the earth as spoil; And they shall defile it. 22 I will turn My face from them, And they will defile My secret place; For robbers shall enter it and defile it. 23 'Make a chain, For the land is filled with crimes of blood, And the city is full of violence. 24 Therefore I will bring the worst of the Gentiles, And they will possess their houses; I will cause the pomp of the strong to cease, And their holy places shall be defiled. 25 Destruction comes; They will seek peace, but there shall be none. 26 Disaster will come upon disaster, And rumor will be upon rumor. Then they will seek a vision from a prophet; But the law will perish from the priest, And counsel from the elders. 27 'The king will mourn, The prince will be clothed with desolation, And the hands of the common people will tremble. I will do to them according to their way, And according to what they deserve I will judge them; Then they shall know that I am the LORD!'" Ezekiel 8 Abominations in the Temple 1 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house with the elders of Judah sitting before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell upon me there. 2 Then I looked, and there was a likeness, like the appearance of fire—from the appearance of His waist and downward, fire; and from His waist and upward, like the appearance of brightness, like the color of amber. 3 He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the north gate of the inner court, where the seat of the image of jealousy was, which provokes to jealousy. 4 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I saw in the plain. 5 Then He said to me, "Son of man, lift your eyes now toward the north." So I lifted my eyes toward the north, and there, north of the altar gate, was this image of jealousy in the entrance. 6 Furthermore He said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel commits here, to make Me go far away from My sanctuary? Now turn again, you will see greater abominations." 7 So He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, there was a hole in the wall. 8 Then He said to me, "Son of man, dig into the wall"; and when I dug into the wall, there was a door. 9 And He said to me, "Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing there." 10 So I went in and saw, and there—every sort of creeping thing, abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed all around on the walls. 11 And there stood before them seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, and in their midst stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan. Each man had a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up. 12 Then He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols? For they say, ‘The LORD does not see us, the LORD has forsaken the land.'" 13 And He said to me, "Turn again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing." 14 So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the LORD's house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz. 15 Then He said to me, "Have you seen this, O son of man? Turn again, you will see greater abominations than these." 16 So He brought me into the inner court of the LORD's house; and there, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east. 17 And He said to me, "Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence; then they have returned to provoke Me to anger. Indeed they put the branch to their nose. 18 Therefore I also will act in fury. My eye will not spare nor will I have pity; and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them."
Ezekiel 7:1-8:18 v. 2 land of Israel – The soil of Israel. Soil/land creates a parallel image with the mountains of chapter 6 linking the two sermons. This one is concerned with the specifics of the judgment and is more lyrical in its form. v. 3 I will judge you according to your ways and I will repay you for all of your abominations – This formula is first found in Deuteronomy 18:1 and is a warning repeated throughout Israel's history. It is found 41 times in Ezekiel. v. 4 My eye will not spare you, Nor will I have pity; But I will repay your ways – This phrase is used six times in Ezekiel (5:11). God will repay the abominations and will utterly eliminate everyone associated with them. v. 5 Behold, it has come! – Ezekiel is not giving new information but announcing the fulfillment of warnings and prophecies that have repeatedly been given to Israel but were unheeded. He wants them to understand the cause and effect relationship. v 10 The rod has blossomed, Pride has budded – Again the cause and effect relationship is seen using the image of a tree producing its natural fruit. v. 11 Nor shall there be wailing for them – The destruction will be so complete there will be no none left to mourn the dead. v. 13 the seller shall not return to what has been sold – Verses 12-13 refer to the property laws in Israel (Lev. 25:26-27). Land that has been sold will not be able to be redeemed because everyone will be dead. v. 14 They have blown the trumpet – The call to battle will not be heeded as everyone will be dead or decimated by famine and pestilence. v. 16 All of them mourning, Each for his iniquity – Those who survive will connect their sufferings as judgment for their sin v. 19 They will throw their silver into the streets, And their gold will be like refuse – Riches will be worthless and unable to deliver them. Their desire for and their security in riches are their stumbling block of iniquity. v. 20 But they made from it the images of their abominations – God has set up a beautiful system of Temple worship and approach to God but these people had used the riches, ornaments and the Temple itself for idol worship and abominations. v. 22 For robbers shall enter it and defile it – All of the Temple wealth was looted and carried off to Babylon. v. 26 they will seek a vision from a prophet – There will be no divine revelation and no wise counsel. This judgment was also given by Jeremiah during this time (Jer. 18:18). Ezekiel 8 v. 1 in the sixth year – The date equates to September of 592 BC, about a year after his first vision. The elders of Israel are there and God speaks to them through Ezekiel. v. 2 there was a likeness – The same image description as in 1:27. God has no form and is Spirit. He appears here to speak to Ezekiel and the prophet can only describe what he sees by saying "likeness" or "appearance." v. 3 in visions of God to Jerusalem – Ezekiel was still physically seated with the elders but he is given a vision of the reality of what is going on in the spiritual life of God's people. seat of the image of jealousy – Unlike other idolatry in chapters 5-6, this idolatry is not on a pagan site on a hill or under trees, but is actually present in the nation's worship of God. The specifics of the image are not described because the main focus is God's outrage and jealousy at the presence of another object of worship in their "worship" of God. v. 4 like the vision that I saw in the plain – The presence of God appears as in 1:28. v. 6 to make Me go far away from My sanctuary – God will not share His glory or abide the worship of anything alongside Him (Is. 42:8). Any idolatry causes God to depart. v. 7 a hole in the wall – Probably the inner court of the Temple. The digging uncovers what is hidden by man but seen by God. v. 9 Go in, and see – God leads Ezekiel to where He already knows the sin is, and exposes it. v. 10 all the idols of the house of Israel – Though this was the Temple of God, there is literal idolatry, and hidden idolatry in the hearts of the elders, priests, and people which God is exposing. v. 11 a censer in his hand – A censer burns incense and is the symbol of prayer and worship (v. 12). v. 12 The LORD does not see us, the LORD has forsaken the land – God exposes the hearts of the people. They believe God has forsaken them will not see their sin. Instead of remaining faithful and obedient, they take His withdrawal as an opportunity for greater abominations (v. 13). God is not unfaithful or unseeing; He has withdrawn because of their sin, and will now judge it. v. 14 women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz – Tammuz was a god of a Mesopotamian fertility cult. The cyclical death and resurrection of Tammuz celebrated the fertility cycle, and its worshipers would celebrate a "sacred marriage" to Tammuz involving ritual prostitution. The weeping women are practicing this at the gate of the temple. v. 16 faces toward the east…worshiping the sun – Another ancient cult of idolatry, also being practiced between the porch and the altar, a space reserved for priests. Psalm 26:6-7 and Joel 2:17 give examples of what the priests were supposed to do here. v. 18 My eye will not spare nor will I have pity – The repeated announcement of the unyielding judgment of God against this sin (5;11, 7:4, 9).
He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the north gate of the inner court, where the seat of the image of jealousy was, which provokes to jealousy. –Ezekiel 8:3 We understand, Lord, that there are consequences when we chose to love other things more than we love You. We understand, Jesus, that we were made to worship You, made for Your pleasure, to be Your bride. And we also understand that, just as a husband would not share his wife, that You will not share us with the things of this world. Forgive us, Lord, where we put other things in the place that should be for You alone. Reveal those things to us, God, by Your Spirit, and remove them.