Ezekiel 20:14-26
December 7, 2023
“Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make a full end of them. But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands, because they rejected my rules and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. Nevertheless, my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or make a full end of them in the wilderness.
It seems to this writer that many who go by the name or title of Christian in the USA are walking in the wilderness. Too much that has been given is expected. So, the question is: Do you care that your family members friends, and neighbors are going to be in a place of darkness and isolation for eternity?
“And I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor keep their rules, nor defile yourselves with their idols. I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules, and keep my Sabbaths holy that they may be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God." But the children rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes and were not careful to obey my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; they profaned my Sabbaths.
Have you Examined yourself, I have too often, my time on planet Earth is short, and I desire to see Jesus. I’ve heard many say they are looking forward to seeing Mom or Dad, and that is nice, but for me I long to see the one who took my punishment, and forgave my sin of trying to get my needs met outside of Him. Yes, I want to see Jesus.
“Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness. But I withheld my hand and acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries, because they had not obeyed my rules but had rejected my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were set on their fathers' idols. Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and rules by which they could not have life, and I defiled them through their very gifts in their offering up all their firstborn, that I might devastate them. I did it that they might know that I am the Lord.
Church member and I’m addressing the one who like me for 27 years had my name on a Baptist church role, but it was not written in the Book of Life. I am so thankful for my barber, Bob Keese, who asked me to attend a Bible study on Wednesday at noon at the Holiday Inn. It was there I was introduced to four other men, who knew the Jesus I was only informed about. It took six months but I came to the reality that I had missed the mark, and I needed to confess, that meant I needed to agree with the teaching of the Scripture, and that I had to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Blaise Pascal said and I quote: “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”
I was in Victoria, Texas at a hotel opened the Bible to Romans 10:9-10, and read these words, and that night I got life in the full, I often allowed my flesh to rule and had many bought lessons, some that disgraced the name of my Lord. But that night, this written word, was acted on by a sinner that God not only calls his child, but a saint. “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes and is justified, and with the mouth, one confesses and is saved.”
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
No comments:
Post a Comment