Listening to the Word

Ezekiel I7-19; Revelations 7   “…’These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, ‘they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them…the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd…’” Revelation 7:14-15, 17 At the center of heaven and human history is the throne of God. At the center of the throne is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. God’s salvation story culminates with those representing every nation, tribe, people, and language that have experienced the grace of God’s forgiveness in Christ before his throne. The reward of being God’s people, in restored relationship with him, is to have God’s tent, or canopy, cover us. This, again, is covenantal imagery. The covering and protection of God’s presence is expressed in the Lamb who becomes our Shepherd. The Lamb who offe...

  Ezekiel 15-16; Psalms 70; Revelations 6   “Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked-ness. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.” Ezekiel 16:8 This beautiful description of God’s marriage covenant with Israel used the same image of the protecting garment that Ruth requested of Boaz for cover (Ruth 3:19). This protecting blanket speaks of shelter, provision, protection, and warmth. The Jewish marriage-covenant ceremony still includes a white cloth under which both parties to the covenant voluntarily stand, thus symbolizing the covering of authority they submit one to another. Israel, as a nation, was married to God within the new covenant. In Christ, we, too, are married to God. We, too, have experienced his garment covering our nakedness, and his covenant love. Are we living faithful to this...

 Ezekiel 12-14; Revelations 5   “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! Your prophets, O Israel, are like jackals among ruins. You have not gone up to the breaks in the wall to repair it for the house of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord.” Ezekiel 13:3-5 When leaders follow their own spirit rather than the Holy Spirit, they operate out of their own natural skills and instincts rather than the gifts and leading of the Spirit. Those they lead and influence would then be following men, not the Lord. Leadership becomes a popularity contest, and vision becomes manipulation. God calls this approach to leadership in his kingdom, foolish. The Sovereign Lord is looking for leaders who are willing to repair the spiritual walls in the lives of his people and the community of faith. The Lord’s desire is that the walls of faith and salvation in our lives would stand firm on th...

Ezekiel 8-11; Revelations 4   “’You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.’” Revelation 4:11 Our worship of God is rooted in his role as our Creator. Any other theory of origins leads to the worship of mankind and his wisdom. Every aspect of creation is an expression of the will of God. Each of us is alive and self-aware in our being because God willed to give us life. This foundational truth gives us our value as persons and our purpose in life. We exist to give God glory and honor and acknowledge his power in our lives and in the world around us. The humility of this worldview gives great value to others, also created in the image of God, and to all of creation that express God’s creative design and beauty. Will we worship our Creator for all his good gifts to us and join the hosts of heaven today? “Lord God, you alone are worthy, for your glory."

Ezekiel 4-7; Revelations 3   “’The King will mourn, the prince will be clothed with despair, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. I will deal with them according to their conduct, and by their own standards I will judge them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’” Ezekiel 7:27 “’Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline, so be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock…’” Revelation 3:19, 20 Those whom God loves, he rebukes and disciplines. Do we believe that? Has the grace of God in Christ become a license to excuse sinful habits, wrongly believing that once God opens the door of salvation to us, we no longer need to open the door of our hearts to him? The Laodician Church was wealthy and confident of their salvation, as were the inhabitants of Jerusalem when Ezekiel prophesied to them. God’s message to both groups was to repent, because he judged their conduct and not their beliefs. If what we believe doesn’t lead to humility and lifelong s...

Ezekiel 1-3; Revelations 2   “…There the hand of the Lord was upon him…The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord upon me…The hand of the Lord was upon me there, and he said to me, ‘Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.’” Ezekiel 1:3; 3:14, 22 Ezekiel’s call to serve as God’s messenger to the Israelites was only possible because the hand of the Lord was upon him. When the hand of the Lord is on our lives we have the empowerment and the words to accomplish the mission the Lord has called us on. No earthly authority, title, salary, or education is enough to accomplish the Lord’s assignments for us; only the hand of the Lord will carry us through. Are we aware of the hand of the Lord on our lives? Are we spending on other resources rather than relying on the strong hand of the Lord? “Lord Jesus, I submit myself under your mighty hand, that in due time you will lift me ...

Jeremiah 52; Revelations 1; Psalms 143, 144   “and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father -   to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.” Revelation 1:5, 6 John’s revelation of the reality of Christ’s current authority as the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth totally changed how he viewed his imprisonment on the island of Patmos. John understood God’s hand and authority was building his kingdom in the hearts of people liberated by the blood of Christ in the midst of the kingdoms of this world. The Church was the temple of God and Christ-followers were priests who served our Father God. This glorious eternal reality changes how we face the earthly powers and authorities of this world. We, too, can live with peace, boldness, and conf...