November 6
Ezek 14:12-16:41 | PS 106:1-12 | Prov 27:4-6 | Heb 7:18-28
When I sit down daily, immersed in His Word, I'm sure that many who choose to read these posts might prefer more flowery words. The truth is, as I read through the prophets, and look around at my nation, my heart breaks. Sometimes God has to remove so much for us to see that He is all we have and all that we need. When our nation was thriving, and seemingly more moral, than many of the other nations, it was easy to immerse ourselves into our prosperous nation. But such is no longer the case. Other nations are blushing over the behavior of our once godly nation. Does God have in mind another revival for us? Perhaps, but only He knows this. We can continue to dance around topics, and point to the silver lining, but I would rather point to Proverbs 27:5-6, "Open rebuke is better Than love carefully concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." Pointing out the crumbling of our nation, is not popular, and is often pushed back on. In a conversation with a pleasant Orthodox man the other day, while his wife was in labor, though he admitted to the moral decline, he pointed to those in his community who he feels are morally upright. Such is the case with many of the Christians that I discuss this with.
We read in Ezekiel 14:12-14,22, "The word of the Lord came again to me, saying: “Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord God...Yet behold, there shall be left in it a remnant who will be brought out, both sons and daughters; surely they will come out to you, and you will see their ways and their doings. Then you will be comforted concerning the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, all that I have brought upon it." This shouldn't surprise us as we saw a similar occurrence in Genesis 18-19, as Sodom was destroyed by God, and only Lot and his daughters survived. As an aside, the three individuals that Ezekiel brings forth have all been questioned by skeptics (Noah because they attribute the first 11 chapters of Genesis to allegory: Daniel because his prophecies were so numerous and specific, yet so accurate; and Job who is also often discussed in allegory, since his exact timeframe is not known) were mentioned by Ezekiel as actual historical figures (Daniel, his contemporary). The truth is we are safe in God, but helpless without Him. We read in Ezekiel 15:6 (Israel was likened to a vine), "Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem;". We read an analogous portion of Scripture concerning us in John 15:5-6, "“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned."
So, the first question is, are you safe? Have you made the decision, because it is a decision, to be God's child, which is only possible by repenting, or changing your mind on each and every point in which you and God differ. Then have you humbled yourself, emptied yourself of pride and self-righteousness, and accepted His Son, Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross. We read in Hebrews 7:25, "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." With this, step out. One person at a time. One conversation at a time. Those of us in Christ are the only ones with the message with the power to save. It will not come from a political movement, but only from God. Again, revival may or may not be in store for us, God knows this, we don't. So, with that in mind, move forward, today!
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: