Posts

I Cry to You

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Daniel 5-6; Psalms 130; Luke 3   “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.” Psalm 130:1-4 Only God can forgive, heal, and free our sin-sick souls. Our inner turmoil, fears, and rebellion are costly in relationships, sleepless nights, and exhaustion. There is only one Person we can go to for full redemption, forgiveness, and freedom from our sin. His name is Jesus. When we learn to cry out to him every day and honestly own our sinful choices and disobedience in repentance, Jesus offers us his forgiveness, cleansing, and freedom.   Will we wait on the Lord for his word of loving mercy and forgiveness, or will we run into God’s presence like an impatient customer at a vending machine? We are not religious consumers and God is not a one-stop service center. Are we spending time with the Lord? Do we
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Planted by the River

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Ezekiel 47-48; Luke 2 “’Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.’” Ezekiel 47:12 Ezekiel’s vision of the river of life flowing from the sanctuary was the same as John’s vision on Patmos. Why?…because they were taken to the same place despite living hundreds of years apart from each other.   The Spirit of God is the river of life Jesus promised he would send. The fruit of the Spirit is growing in the lives of Christ-followers and they are living the peace of Christ as salt and light among the nations. This vision is not just for a future time, it is now. If our lives and ministries are planted next to the river of life, we will bear fruit which will multiply. The stories of Simeon and Anna, both living in the Spirit, confirmed the birth of the Messiah, while most missed him
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Barren No More

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  Ezekiel 45-46; Luke 1   “…’The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.’” Luke 1:35-37 The social stigma that Elizabeth endured for being barren was for her, the most painful reality with which she lived. What about those of us who are spiritually barren and have never led anyone to Christ? Does that reality disturb us? What about churches that have never birthed another church? The source of life is the living God and his presence is the key to reproduction. The Holy Spirit came upon Mary, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, and the Holy Spirit continues to fill and empower God-seekers around the world who want to multiply. Nothing is impossible with God! “Lord Jesus, fill me again this day with the Holy Spirit so I ca
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Water of Life

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Ezekiel 42-44; Revelation 22   “…the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God…On each side of the river stood the tree of life,…and the leaves are for the healing of the nations…Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” Revelation 22:1, 2, 17 The free gift of the water of life is available now for those who want it. In Ezekiel 47, Ezekiel was shown this river of life and invited to step into it. Jesus pointed to this river of life as flowing out of the innermost being of his disciples (John 7:37-39); by this he meant the Holy Spirit. Do we know the reality of this water, the river of life? We are sealed at conversion with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13), but it is our choice to get to know the Holy Spirit and yield to him.   Will we step into this river of life, or will we just ask God to bless our life on our terms. Are we thirsty? There is more, more life and more
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Cultures Redeemed

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Ezekiel 40-41; Psalms 128; Revelation 21   “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it…The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.” Revelation 21:23, 24, 26 The unique culture and the nature of the people groups and nations of the whole world will be evident in the City of God, the New Jerusalem. This global city will reflect the glory of God, but it will also express the lesser glory of the redeemed cultures of the nations. As God’s covenant people, chosen from every tribe, language, and nation, we bring our cultures with us as gifts to the King of kings. We, too, reflect the creative nature of the Creator, and our recreations can be offered as worship to the King.   Will we begin now to redeem culture and offer our art, music, sport, and culinary gifts to the King? Culture distinguishes us as na
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Call on the Lord, in Truth

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Ezekiel 38-39; Psalms 145; Revelation 20   “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.” Psalm 145:18, 19 What does it mean to call on God in truth? Is it possible to call on God and still be holding on to deception or falsehood? When God proclaimed his name before Moses on Mt. Sinai, he proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness…” (Exodus 34:6) The last word, ‘faithfulness’ is the same word translated ‘truth’ in Psalm 145:18. Our faithfulness, integrity, and honesty before God matter as we walk with him. God sees and hears everything in our lives; we cannot hide sin as we call on the Lord. Our humility and truth-filled prayers draw the presence of the Lord. David killed many people, including the husband of Solomon’s mother Bathsheba. God can handle our sin as we call on him in truth. “Lord God, I re
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Submission and Authority

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Ezekiel 36-37; Psalms 110; Revelation 19   “The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies. Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth.” (or, ‘your young men will come to you like the dew.’) Psalm 110:2, 3 Jesus is the fulfillment of Psalm 110 making this Psalm the most frequently quoted Psalm in the New Testament. The authority Jesus received was both as a King and a Priest in the order of Melchizedek. Jesus is both the King of Righteousness and of Peace (Hebrews 7). This authority was granted to Jesus Christ as he “humbled himself and became obedient to death…” (Philippians 2:8). The offer of authority by Jesus to his disciples and now to his Church follows the same path of surrender and willing obedience to the King of Righteousness and Peace. Ironically, it is as the victorious King of Peace that Jesus will judge the nations and rule in t
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