What is Wrong With God's People?

It seems to me that there is a spirit of malaise or a spirit of stupor over God's people. If someone were to walk into church one weekend and offer to give someone $1 million, I expect that there would be an atmosphere of excitement and expectation.

It is far, far more that one million dollars that is offered every week but is ignored or unheard! There is something going on in the spiritual realm.

For several weeks the Holy Spirit has been percolating a message that He has asked me to send you. In no way is this message intended to accuse you or lay any responsibility, other than that brought by the Holy Spirit, upon you.

Here is the message that has been on my mind that may or may not be applicable to you. Please precede your time reading this message with prayer.

Days drew on into months, then into years. What started as a mild seduction pulled God’s people into a complex web. So intertwined, into the culture of Ezekiel, was the web of sin that God would no longer tolerate the duplicity. See the people never outright rejected the God of Israel they simply broadened their prospects. The problem was not a common problem therefore the solution would not be the common solution.

Chapter 9 of Ezekiel:

Then He cried our in my hearing with a loud voice saying, “O executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand”. And behold, six men cam from the direction of the upper gate which faces north, each with his shattering weapon in his hand; and among them was a certain man clothed in linen with a writing case at his loins. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar. Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold or the temple. And He called the man clothed in linen at whose loins was the writing case.

And the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in their midst.” But to the others He said in my hearing, “Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity, and do not spare, utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark…”

Take a few moments some time to see the results of this process. It is shocking! Apparently the only one that qualified for the mark was Ezekiel himself.

Society had regressed to the point that there was only one individual who cared about the state of the sin around him.

The journey continued so that Ezekiel could see the underlying cause, indication or effect of the degradation.

Chapter 3:16-21

Now it came about at the end of seven days that the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman over the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet if you have warned the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you shall have delivered yourself. Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I place an obstacle before him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand.”

God had done His part in establishing “watchmen” over the house. The watchmen drifted away:

Ezekiel 8:7-12

Then He brought me to the entrance of the court, and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall. And He said to me, “Son of man, now dig through the wall.” So I dug through the wall, and behold, an entrance. And He said to me, “Go in and see the wicked abominations that they are committing here.”

So I entered and looked, and behold, every form of creeping things and beasts and detestable things, with all the idols of the house of Israel, were carved on the wall all around. And standing in front of them were seventy elders of the house of Israel…each man with a censer in his hand, and the fragrance of the cloud of incense rising. And He said to me, ‘Son of man, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are committing in the dark, each man in the room of his carved images?’”

It didn’t happened suddenly. Each of those in positions of influence and leadership had the boldest ideals but, over time, the ideals were reduced to the very lowest of common denominators. Not in the open light of day, but in the dark recesses of their lives, they built their idols.

What idols were so tempting to them?

Perhaps they were not much different that our own:

A job or career?

A car or house?

A position?

Your 401-k?

Your family?

Your personal goals?

Your heath or fitness?

The list goes on and on.

Television, movies, novels, recreation in place of the bible and prayer

Pornography, alcohol, escapes of any kind….

What, if anything, have you carved on your walls?

God invites you back.

Consecrate yourself to the Living God!

Freedom That Brings Righteousness

For far too many years now Christians have been buying into lies. Not just lies but damned lies. "Got to have a quite time every day", "must be baptized", "got to quit (select one: eating so much, watching so much TV, smoking, drinking, pornography, getting angry)" and on and on...

The gospel, which defined is "good news" is pure and undefiled good news. Many church leaders have gotten off course and sold us a lie. Listen to the Word of God!

Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.

But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,

just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
"BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN,
AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.
"BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT."
Romans 5:4-8

The cart before the horse teaching of trying to be "good enough" to be a "good Christian" has dampened that lives and the witness of Christians for too many years now!

Accept, if you have accepted Jesus as your personal savior, that you are seen as holy by our God! If you will surrender your "works" and pick up His gift, your life will respond with overwhelming joy. Once the joy moves in, the desires for the aberrant things that were so very attractive to us disappear.

The more we try to defeat the wrong desires the more they will create deeper longing for those desires. We can not slay the evil that is within us it is only the indwelling Holy Spirit that can override our desires. We must quit quenching the Holy Spirit's fruitfulness in our lives by our "works" mentality. Your commitment to be more holy has gotten you what?

Surrender to grace! There is no other way!

Jesus Paid It ALL!!!!!

Jesus paid it all! Why do we think that we have to "be better", "quit something", "start doing something" to be acceptable to our God?

The writer of Hebrews deals with this issue: Hebrews 10

Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;

We have confidence because He is faithful! No where does scripture indicate that the redeamed need to clean-up their lives or begin to be more faithful do be more acceptable. As a matter of fact scripture indicates quite the opposite. God sees our self earned righteousness as nothing more that filthy, stinky rags.

Hebrews drives this point painfuly home with these comments:

Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

The bottom line is this. If the blood of Jesus is not enough, there is no hope for you! Jesus paid it all! God sees our efforts to add to what Jesus did as an afront. It is simply another example of Adam's original sin of attempting to place himself in God's position! You don't want to go there!

He Became; We Might Be!

What did Jesus do for you? If you are like most Christians you would say something along the lines of, "He died on the cross for my sins". There is nothing wrong with that answer although it is only a partial answer.

It is because Christians have settled for the partial answer that the visible and the verbal witness of the Church cowers in the corner of our society rather than boldly attacking the gates of hell around us.

So what is the complete answer?

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2Corinthians 5:21

Read that scripture one more time!

Do get it? I mean, do you really, really get it?

Jesus not only died on the cross, He actually became "sin" so that "sin" would die on that cross and be judged and sentenced to hell! The penalty for my sin, yesterday's, today's and all of my tomorrows sins, have already been judged and sentenced! It is a done deal!

As absolutely unbelievable as that is the second part is beyond grasp. Christians are now the "righteousness of God!" Just as my sin was planted on Jesus, His righteousness was planted on me!

on't miss this and don't pass it off too quickly. Jesus did not actually become a sinner when He became and I didn't actually become sinless when I became righteous!

When God sees a Christian He first sees the blood of Jesus covering His life and He need look no further. The blood of Jesus equals righteousness!

So why do we live lives of desperation? We are loaded down by circumstances because we fail to realize our position in Jesus! Read the Book of Acts to see what lives are lived by those who really "get it"!

Faith! Not a wistful hope but a "conviction of things not seen" Hebrew 11:1 Take a stand on God's truth! Accept your righteousness and begin to live like it!

A Heart Issue

The Holy Spirit is such a wonderful teacher!

This week’s thoughts were centered around the Book of Ezekiel.

First let me explain how the Holy Spirit has shown me not only the message but has punctuated the message with the deep feelings of the message.

Do you remember a time when your heart hurt?

Some time ago Sheryl and I went to the shopping mall to do a little shopping. As we walked down the mall she decided she wanted to stop at a particular store to buy a gift for a friend. The store is a small, busy store so I decided that I didn’t need to join her in the store but, instead, would stand guard outside doing a little people watching.

Little did I know that this was the time that the Holy Spirit had in mind to show me the depth of God’s love. As I was scanning the crowd, down the mall walking in my direction was a father and his young daughter. My attention was immediately drawn to them. The father was a youngish, tall man and the girl was somewhere in the elementary school years age. She was looking a bit unkempt; her hair was straggled and her coat was half on and half off.

As they approached my post, the father was looking straight ahead while his daughter bounced around him trying to earn his attention. The best way that I can describe her actions to you, and every unfitting, is of a young puppy jumping around trying to get the attention of its master. She skipped and hopped around on one side of him; then quickly darted to the other side to do the same, jabbering all of the time. NOT ONCE, did the father even look down, smile or, in any way, acknowledge her.

My heart ached for that young girl. As I write this, my heart still aches!

There was a time in history when God specifically identified individuals with hurt hearts: Then He cried out in my hearing with a loud voice, “Draw near, O executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in hand.” And behold, six men came from the district of the upper gate which faces north, each with his shattering weapon in his hand; and among them was a certain man clothed in linen at whose loins was a writing case. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar. Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed in lined at whose loins was the writing case.

And the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.” But to the others He said, “Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity, and do not spare…but do not touch any man on whom is the mark…” Ezekiel 9:1-6

Perhaps the saddest thing about this history is that it only took one person to mark those whose hearts hurt but it required six to lay out the judgment upon those whose hearts were cold.

Has there ever been a time when we substitute judgment for hurt hearts? To hear us talk about the state of our society one could quickly get the idea that we might be a tad judgmental. God looks for sighing and groaning and we give him gripes and disgust. The one dressed in linen looks for the troubled; the six with weapons look for the comfortable.

Jesus, displayed the depths of His heart one day, And when He approached the city (Jerusalem), He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! Luke 19:41&42

He said, further, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Matthew 23:37

I can’t tell you how much I wanted to hug that young, hungry for attention girl; or to grab the father and shake him out of his coma!

Surely you have experienced the hurt of a heart.

There is no place for judgment in the hearts of those whose hearts ache! There is only a longing for things to be set right; for peace!

Jesus, Isaiah states is the, Prince of Peace! 8:6

Do you know; I mean really know that in this day, even you, the things which make for peace are contained in HIM?

Ask our God to give you a new heart; a heart that is tender rather than judgemental; a heart that hurts rather than condemns.

Consider leaving a comment ot encourage others.

The Battle of Faith and Circumstances

Difficult times continue on and on for those who have been struggling due to the economy or difficult job or family issues. This is not the first challenging time in the world's history.

Jeremiah 33:10-12

"Thus says the LORD, 'Yet again there will be heard in this place, of which you say, "It is a waste, without man and without beast," that is, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast, the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say,
"Give thanks to the LORD of hosts,
For the LORD is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting";
and of those who bring a thank offering into the house of the LORD. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were at first,' says the LORD.

"Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'There will again be in this place which is waste, without man or beast, and in all its cities, a habitation of shepherds who rest their flocks.

Hear the word of the Lord. Circumstances do not determine the results in God's kingdom. Faith is the currency of the kingdom and faith is best expressed in words of thanksgiving to Jehovah Jireah, the God who provides.

Whenever your spirits begin to drag over circumstances there is a moment of choice. The world does not have this choice and Christians who do not avail themselves of the choices are subject to the whims of circumstances.

The choices: 1) circumstances determine my faith or 2) faith determines my circumstances.

"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good and His lovingkindness is everlasting!"

Righteousness and peace have kissed each other

Psalm 85

O LORD, You showed favor to Your land;
You restored the captivity of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of Your people;
You covered all their sin. Selah.

The word "selah" means a significant pause to consider what was just said. The greatest that God's people could hope for was that God would "cover" their sin. How can we remain silent, those of us how have been redeemed, because our sin is not simply covered up be totally erased. Jesus became sin that we might be the righteousness of God.

You withdrew all Your fury;
You turned away from Your burning anger.
Restore us, O God of our salvation,
And cause Your indignation toward us to cease.

Romans 8:1 "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus". Notice that this statement is in no way conditional. Our righteousness is but filthy rags in God's sight. The righteousness of Jesus that is accounted to us absolute!

Will You be angry with us forever?
Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?
Will You not Yourself revive us again,
That Your people may rejoice in You?

This is my biggest frustration with the people of Jesus. Do we not realize what has been done for us? How can we not rejoice in every circumstance? God's mercies are new every morning for His people it just remains for us to find them.

Show us Your lovingkindness, O LORD,
And grant us Your salvation.

Their prayerful longing is the very thing that we take for granted. Our lives display our level gratitude and our level of understanding our position in Jesus.

I will hear what God the LORD will say;
For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones;
But let them not turn back to folly.

Do you hear his voice? He is speaking constantly. Please realize that this part opens up with the statement: "I will hear". We live in a noisy world. Everywhere we go there is noise and distraction. This noise has been put their for the very purpose of clogging our ears so we can not hear out God. To hear Him we must purpose to hear Him!

Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him,
That glory may dwell in our land.

Salvation = glory in the land. The church has fallen asleep. The world is the worse for the lack of glory that we openly display.

Lovingkindness and truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

This portion of this psalm has rocked me to the core. To my mind, love and godly truth seem to be separated. Either God can choose to love us or He can continue to stand for truth but God had found the only way, Jesus, to allow the two to meet.

Righteousness and peace are strained in today's world. We see many examples of angry "righteousness" in many of the religions of the world, including the Christian religion. God's righteousness in impeccable. His standards are beyond excellent yet He found the only way, Jesus, to find peace by accounting righteousness to those who don't deserve it.

Truth springs from the earth,
And righteousness looks down from heaven.

The first four chapters of Proverbs displays how available wisdom is for those who seek it. We have been "sold a bill of goods" that possessions and positions are more valuable that simple wisdom. The false god of financial "security" has diverted us from truth.

Indeed, the LORD will give what is good,
And our land will yield its produce.

The simple design of God's creation is the provision for His creation. We hoard but don't have, we gather but still we lack, we chase but never catch and wonder why our lives are so empty. Are hope is in the getting to the next weekend, our relief is looking toward our next vacation. All empty shells!

Righteousness will go before Him
And will make His footsteps into a way.

The "way" has been set as a path before us. Choose this day which path you shall trod. Choose carefully for the easy one, the broad one, leads to destruction. It is the narrow way that leads to life!

Please consider leaving a comment to challenge or encourage others.