Israel's Continuing Rebellion

 

Ezekiel 20:1-13

 

December 6, 2023

 

Israel's Continuing Rebellion

In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and sat before me.  And the word of the Lord came to me:  “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God, Is it to inquire of me that you come? As I live, declares the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you.  Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Let them know the abominations of their fathers, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: On the day when I chose Israel, I swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob, making myself known to them in the land of Egypt; I swore to them, saying, I am the Lord your God.  On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands.   And I said to them, ‘Cast away the detestable things your eyes feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.’  But they rebelled against me and were not willing to listen to me. None of them cast away the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.

 

Our Lord is very detailed in the messages He leaves for us to understand the relationship. He is Father, Lord, mighty God, and we are His children.  He will not put up with our putting other things before Him or trying to get our needs met outside of Him.  

Or are we, the Church are more like them than we want to admit?  And as the Church, we do not need to seek God through anyone but His Son, our Lord Jesus who intercede for us with the Father.  In Egypt the people were slaves, and God used Moses to speak to them, and God did mighty works to bring them to believe in Him, and to put the blood on their doorpost so the angel would pass over them and the firstborn.  But once they left Egypt, they were willing to go back to being slaves of man and not submitting to God’s authority over them.  Are we the Church that much different than them?  Do we not worship many things more than God?  How about knowing all the names of movie stars, but not knowing that Ezekiel is found in the Old Testament?  What about sports, how much do you know about them, compared to how much you know about God’s promise and instruction on living a victorious life?

 

“Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.  But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt.  So, I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.  I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live.  Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.  But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not walk in my statutes but rejected my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned.

 

We, the Church are instructed to assemble ourselves, for worship, fellowship, and to encourage one another, and yet many since Covid, have not done so.  We have been told to honor God’s commands and it is our self-righteousness that makes us believe we are in step with our Lord.  If you go by the title of Christian but do not obey God’s commands, are you not a stumbling block that leads others to sin?

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A Lament for the Princes of Israel

 

Ezekiel 19:1-14

 

December 5, 2023

 

A Lament for the Princes of Israel

And you, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, and say: What was your mother? A lioness!  Among lions she crouched; in the midst of young lions, she reared her cubs.  And she brought up one of her cubs; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured men.  The nations heard about him; he was caught in their pit, and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.  When she saw that she waited in vain, that her hope was lost, she took another of her cubs and made him a young lion.  He prowled among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured men, and seized their widows. He laid waste their cities, and the land was appalled and all who were in it at the sound of his roaring.  Then the nations set against him from provinces on every side; they spread their net over him; he was taken in their pit. With hooks, they put him in a cage and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into custody, that his voice should no more be heard on the mountains of Israel.

Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard planted by the water, fruitful and full of branches by reason of abundant water. Its strong stems became rulers' scepters; it towered aloft among the thick boughs; it was seen in its height with the mass of its branches. But the vine was plucked up in fury, cast down to the ground; the east wind dried up its fruit; they were stripped off and withered.  As for its strong stem, fire consumed it.  Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.  And fire has gone out from the stem of its shoots, has consumed its fruit, so that there remains in it no strong stem, no scepter for ruling.

This is a lamentation and has become a lamentation.

 

The first question I had was the word Lament: and I went to “Got Question.”

To lament is to express deep regret, grief, or sorrow. We can lament through words or actions. Lamenting is a common theme in the Bible. In fact, there is an Old Testament book named Lamentations.

The Bible records several reasons why people lament. We lament when we grieve over the loss of someone or something dear to us (Luke 8:52). Grief is a common human experience, and Jesus entered into that grief with us when He was on the earth. When Lazarus died, his sisters Mary and Martha grieved, and their friends lamented over this loss (John 11:17–37). Jesus’ heart was touched to such an extent that He wept with them (John 11:35).

 

Something has happened to the princes of Israel.   They were carried off to Egypt and later to Babylon.  Mankind often laments over the loss of a job, the loss of a parent or child, and when they feel helpless.  Many a night lying in a hospital bed, I cried out to God, for I was helpless.

 

But does God lament over our sinfulness and our trying to get our needs met outside of Christ?  The answer may surprise some, but yes, we have many places in the Scripture where He does so.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

It Requires a Broken and Contrite heart

                                                          IEzekiel 18:14-24

 

December 4, 2023

 

 “Now suppose this man fathers a son who sees all the sins that his father has done; he sees, and does not do likewise: he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife, does not oppress anyone, exacts no pledge, commits no robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment,  withholds his hand from iniquity, takes no interest or profit, obeys my rules, and walks in my statutes; he shall not die for his father's iniquity; he shall surely live.  As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, behold, he shall die for his iniquity.

Each of us stands before God, not for the sins of our fathers, but for our own sins.

“Yet you say, ‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live.  The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

“But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.  None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done, he shall live.  Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?  But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.

 

The real question is, can a righteous person who does these things be forgiven?  I believe that God has made clear that they can if they come to Him with a broken and contrite heart of confession.  First, I find that all have sinned, Romans 3:23-25, and there is forgiveness and grace shown to anyone who agrees and confesses to God and seeks forgiveness.  That is made clear in 1 JOHN 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

 

As I searched, Isaiah 55:6-7, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts.  Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”

 

I’ve also found peace from John 10:27-29 when the enemy of my soul attacks me, about my time of regrets of allowing my flesh to rule over my heart. ^”My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.”  

 

I’ve also found peace in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

I am sure that I sinned and disgraced my Lord’s name, and I also am sure I was in Christ, and He was in me, and that I have confessed and was broken over that time in my life. 

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

 

The Soul Who Sins Shall Die

                                                            Ezekiel 18:1-13

 

December 3, 2023

 

The Soul Who Sins Shall Die

The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge’?  As I live, declares the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel.  Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.

“If a man is righteous and does what is just and right—if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman in her time of menstrual impurity,  does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, does not lend at interest or take any profit, withholds his hand from injustice, executes true justice between man and man, walks in my statutes, and keeps my rules by acting faithfully—he is righteous; he shall surely live, declares the Lord God.

“If he fathers a son who is violent, a shedder of blood, who does any of these things  (though he himself did none of these things), who even eats upon the mountains, defiles his neighbor's wife,  oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore the pledge, lifts up his eyes to the idols, commits abomination, lends at interest, and takes profit; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon himself.

 

God’s ways and man’s ways, God’s righteousness, and the world's system.

· An idol is anything that you put greater value on than your relationship with God.

·      Does not lust after his neighbor's wife, or have sex with her.

·      Does not engage in sex during her menstrual time.

·      He makes sure not to oppress anyone; often, it is the abuse of power or authority.  It can be done to a child or a mate.

·      Make sure he honors his pledge to the debtor.  

·      Does not rob anyone, always walks with integrity.

·      Makes sure he helps the under-resourced.

·      When helping a person by lending money, he/she never require interest.

·      Never be part of any act of injustice.

·      And act as a peacemaker at all times.

·      Walks in God’s statutes, and keeps His rules by acting faithfully

A person who does these things in God’s View is Righteous.

 

We live in a Culture that does not honor many of God’s requirements for living a righteous life.  Scripture tells us we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  So, if you are like the rich young man who came to Jesus and said I’ve done all of these things, and yet when Jesus told him if he what to have eternal life to sell all that he had and give to the poor.  He chose riches over eternity with God.

 

Now the good news is that only one person has ever lived the Christ life, and yet you and I can let Him live it in us.  It is the only way anyone can meet God’s Righteousness requirement.  Jesus tells us in John 14:6, “Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Have You Wonder what Jesus would Ask

 

 

Have You Wonder what Jesus would ASk

 

Have you ever sung “Amazing Grace” and remembered I took your place O’ many years ago?  Yes, I did it for our Father, and it was He I honor, on the Cross 2000 years ago.

 

Have you ever heard the story of how He told me I would leave His glory, even before the world was?  Yes, before you were created, the Father's love was greater for you than you can understand.  Yes, we chose to create you; the cost would lead Me out of glory, and in My final hours, separation from My Father, on that cruel cross.

 

Yes, you sing “Amazing Grace,” but I’ve observed you forgot it was My grace that saved a wretch like you, on that cross.  Yes, I long for you to know my power, and to live in My grace each hour.

 

Yes, My bride, you sing the words of this song, “I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.” OH, listen to the words of this song, My Friend, you must return to me.

 

Have you ever thought about the hours I was away from my Father’s power because I love you?  I have not left you, my dear friend. Come back to Me and share in life through Me.

 

The World is passing away, Amen, Hallelujah; more earthquakes every day.  Wars and rumors of wars, just like I told you would be.  And yes, the world and its desires are passing away, but My Word is the same today as it was in the beginning; God does not change.  False teachers and preachers are on the rise, and people have little desire for truth, just like I told you would happen. It's time to come back to my Love and abide in Me.  For I AM THE WAY AND THE TRUTH.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Two Eagles

 Ezekiel 17:16-24

 

December 2, 2023

Two Eagles

“As I live, declares the Lord God, surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant with him he broke, in Babylon he shall die.  Pharaoh, with his mighty army and great company, will not help him in war when mounds are cast up and siege walls built to cut off many lives.  He despised the oath in breaking the covenant, and behold, he gave his hand and did all these things; he shall not escape.  Therefore, thus says the Lord God: As I live, surely it is my oath that he despised, and my covenant that he broke. I will return it upon his head.  I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there for the treachery he has committed against me.  And all the pick of his troops shall fall by the sword, and the survivors shall be scattered to every wind, and you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken.”

 

Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.  On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches, birds of every sort will nest.  And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord; I bring low the high tree and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.”

Two Eagles, one is the king of Babylon, who is over most of the World.  The other is a king who rules over the King of Babylon, yes, our God.  One has power in that it was given to him by God; The other has all power and requires all people to obey and seek Him.  Pharaoh and Egypt represent our flesh and the world system.  Have you observed that little has changed since the time this was written?  

 

When we enter into Christ, we receive the Holy Spirit, who will guide us and lead us into a life of right living with our God and Father. That is, if we do the following, we understand our flesh.  Allow me to share about my flesh, and yours may be very different; we all have unique versions of the flesh.  My flesh enjoys being noticed, it likes to be first, it talks too much, and it tries to use humor to be accepted by others.  That is my unique version of the flesh.  I have found in the Scriptures that my flesh has a problem with my spirit and that when I enter into Christ, it does not want to allow Him to rule over it.  I ran across this quote: “The flesh and the Spirit are complete opposites. Our most fundamental choice as believers is choosing each day, each moment, which to obey.”  The battle with the flesh is something the apostle Paul talks about in Romans 7:14-24, "For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?"  

 

Galatians 5:19-21 depicts the flesh, “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.  I warned you before that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  The flesh has many designs, none of them what to submit to the spirit, that is the bad news, now the good news. It is important to understand your version of flesh; in doing so, you can make it submit to God's authority.

 

I took this quote from “Got Questions.” Works of the flesh are not always as obvious as the ones listed above. They can even be found within Christian ministry, as people try to gain popularity or self-worth under the guise of serving Christ. Diotrephes was rebuked for this in 3 John 1:9. Trying to please God from selfish motivation leads to unhealthy competition, slander, bitterness, and eventual burnout (Galatians 1:10).

 

You will find the victory in Galatians 5:16-18. It has always been a choice, so choose to live in victory. “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”  

 

Often it has sounded as if you had a civil war going on inside of you, but that is not true, you have a Spirit that lives in you and you came with flesh that God has given you the authority to control, it is not a one-time choice, it is an as you go choice, in the same way, it is to share or not to share the hope you have in what Christ has done for you.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

The Lord's Everlasting Covenant

 

 

 

Ezekiel 16:59-63

 

 November 30, 2023

 

The Lord's Everlasting Covenant

“For thus says the Lord God: I will deal with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant, yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant. Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and I give them to you as daughters, but not on account of the covenant with you.  I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord, that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord God.”

One must have an understanding of an oath or covenant!  The dictionary gives this definition of an oath: a solemn promise, often invoking a divine witness, regarding one's future action or behavior.  Whereas a covenant is defined in this way: And a Covenant in this manner:  Theology is an agreement which brings about a relationship of commitment between God and his people. The Jewish faith is based on the biblical covenants made with Abraham, Moses, and David. 

 

The internet had this to say on the different, between an Oath and a Covenant:  An oath is a solemn, often one-sided promise or declaration, invoking a higher power as witness (like a presidential oath of office), while a covenant is a sacred, binding two-way agreement between parties, involving mutual promises, commitments, and blessings, like marriage or God's covenants with humanity.

 

But God also tells of an Eternal Covenant, I believe this quote from the internet handles the subject very well: “The everlasting covenant in the Bible refers to God's enduring promises and agreements with humanity, notably seen in Noah's covenant (never another flood) that covers the whole world and Abraham's covenant (land, descendants, blessing), often considered the foundation for the later "new and everlasting covenant" in Jesus Christ, which promises eternal life and salvation through faith, a covenant established by God before creation and fulfilled through Christ's sacrifice. It signifies God's unchanging faithfulness and His plan for redemption, encompassing all people and revealed in different dispensations, but ultimately centered on the grace found in Jesus.” 

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine

 

Ezekiel 17:1-15

 December 1, 2023

 

Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, propound a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel; say, Thus says the Lord God: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, rich in plumage of many colors, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar.  He broke off the topmost of its young twigs and carried it to a land of trade and set it in a city of merchants.  Then he took of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside abundant waters. He set it like a willow twig, and it sprouted and became a low spreading vine, and its branches turned toward him, and its roots remained where it stood. So, it became a vine and produced branches and put out boughs.

 

“And there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage, and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and shot forth its branches toward him from the bed where it was planted, that he might water it.  It had been planted on good soil by abundant waters, that it might produce branches and bear fruit and become a noble vine.

 

“Say, Thus says the Lord God: Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers, so that all its fresh sprouting leaves wither? It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it from its roots.  Behold, it is planted; will it thrive? Will it not utterly wither when the east wind strikes it—wither away on the bed where it sprouted?”

 

Then the word of the Lord came to me: “Say now to the rebellious house, Do you not know what these things mean? Tell them, behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took her king and her princes and brought them to him to Babylon.  And he took one of the royal offspring and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath (the chief men of the land he had taken away), that the kingdom might be humble and not lift itself up, and keep his covenant that it might stand.  But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and a large army. Will he thrive? Can one escape who does such things? Can he break the covenant and yet escape?

 

We, the Church, not we the Conservative or we the Liberal, not we the Catholic, or we the Baptist, but we who have by faith entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and that brought us into a relationship with the Father, and we are His Church.  I believe it is shameful to feel the need to explain what the Church is to the Church, but it is necessary at this time in history.  The Church should always ask itself two questions: first and most important, how does this Scripture apply to my life?  Second is often a question we do not ask: Will I ask the Holy Spirit to clarify how to obey the teaching and give me a right heart attitude?

 

My wife has memory issues, and she puts things where they do not belong; she loses many things, and yet she is one of the most loving and thoughtful people you have ever known.  We tried many of the snake oil salespeople's stuff, with little or no results, and yes, I lose it at times, and yes, I cry out to my Father and Lord to show me how to be the man Jan needs.  I share this today because I require prayer. I, like the chosen people, have often looked to many other things but prayer and God.  Like a child with a broken toy that I’ve taken to my dad to fix, but I grab it back, not willing for him to fix it for me.

 

We know that obedience brings blessings and anything less brings problems.  We, the Church, choose each day a blessing or discipline.

 

The king of Babylon put the son of the king of Jerusalem under a covenant, but he sought help from Egypt, and Egypt in the Scripture often depicts our flesh, and looking to the world instead of God.  God has said to each of us; Choose this day whom you will serve, as for my house we will serve the Lord.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Pride will steal your desire to Help the Poor and the Needy

 

Ezekiel 16: 44-58

 

November 30,​ 2023

 

“Behold, everyone who uses proverbs will use this proverb about you: ‘Like mother, like daughter.’  You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and her children; and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.  And your elder sister is Samaria, who lived with her daughters to the north of you; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you, is Sodom with her daughters.  Not only did you walk in their ways and do according to their abominations; within a very little time, you were more corrupt than they in all your ways.  As I live, declares the Lord God, your sister Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done.  Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.  They were haughty and did an abomination before me.  So, I removed them when I saw it.  Samaria has not committed half your sins. You have committed more abominations than they, and have made your sisters appear righteous by all the abominations that you have committed.  Bear your disgrace, you also, for you have intervened on behalf of your sisters. Because of your sins in which you acted more abominably than they, they are more in the right than you. So be ashamed, you also, and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.

“I will restore their fortunes, both the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters, and I will restore your own fortunes in their midst, that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all that you have done, becoming a consolation to them.  As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former state, and you and your daughters shall return to your former state.  Was not your sister Sodom a byword in your mouth in the day of your pride, before your wickedness was uncovered? Now you have become an object of reproach for the daughters of Syria and all those around her, and for the daughters of the Philistines, those all around who despise you.  You bear the penalty of your lewdness and your abominations, declares the Lord.

 

The Jewish people were guilty of leaving God, who had chosen them from all others, to make them special people to Him.  God makes it clear what stole the hearts of the people of Sodom and Samaria.  “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.  They were haughty and did an abomination before me.  So, I removed them when I saw it.  Samaria has not committed half your sins. You have committed more abominations than they, and have made your sisters appear righteous by all the abominations that you have committed.”

 

If we who are in Christ have that same pride with the excess of many things and having prospered by God's blessing and did not aid the poor and needy, are you not in the same boat with the ones that God says have done these abominations before Him? 

 

You should recall that both Sodom and Samaria were looked at with disdain by the Jewish people.  We, the Church, are more like the Jewish people in that we often look down on those who are not in Christ, not understanding that it was God's grace that brought us out of that life, the captivity of being under the control of sin.  

 

Jesus has given us one command: Go, and share what God has done for you as you go. When you and I abide in Christ, we are His ambassadors.   When we care for the under-resourced in our area or give to a ministry that helps the needy, we are being the hands and feet of Jesus.  Note: Make sure they are using the funds to do so.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

How Sick Is Your Heart

 

Ezekiel 16:30-43

 

November 29, 2023

 

How Sick Is Your Heart

“How sick is your heart, declares the Lord God, because you did all these things, the deeds of a brazen prostitute, building your vaulted chamber at the head of every street, and making your lofty place in every square. Yet you were not like a prostitute, because you scorned payment.  Adulterous wife, who receives strangers instead of her husband!  Men give gifts to all prostitutes, but you gave your gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from every side with your whorings.  So, you were different from other women in your whorings. No one solicited you to play the whore, and you gave payment, while no payment was given to you; therefore, you were different.

“Therefore, O prostitute, hear the word of the Lord:  Thus says the Lord God, Because your lust was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in your whorings with your lovers, and with all your abominable idols, and because of the blood of your children that you gave to them, therefore, behold, I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved and all those you hated. I will gather them against you from every side and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness.  And I will judge you as women who commit adultery and shed blood are judged, and bring upon you the blood of wrath and jealousy.  And I will give you into their hands, and they shall throw down your vaulted chamber and break down your lofty places. They shall strip you of your clothes and take your beautiful jewels and leave you naked and bare.  They shall bring up a crowd against you, and they shall stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords.  And they shall burn your houses and execute judgments upon you in the sight of many women. I will make you stop playing the whore, and you shall also give payment no more.  So will I satisfy my wrath on you, and my jealousy shall depart from you. I will be calm and will no more be angry.  Because you have not remembered the days of your youth, but have enraged me with all these things, therefore, behold, I have returned your deeds upon your head, declares the Lord God. Have you not committed lewdness in addition to all your abominations?

God, who knows you, and yes, every thought and act, nothing gets past His sight, ask this question: “How sick is your heart”?  Maybe we need to examine our hearts from heaven's view.  Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Could it be that what we treasure can become an Idol?  Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”   As you examine your heart, and as I do mine also, I’ve got a good way to go in this area.

 

God has said we need to guard our hearts, Proverbs 4:23, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”  If we are not diligent in this area, our hearts will be deceived.  In Psalm 51:10, we see the Psalmist asking God to do this: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  A great prayer, one that I’ve prayed often.  We also have Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  My dear brother and sister in Christ, ask, and you will receive if you ask with a heart to abide in Christ.  Jesus has given us this word in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

 

We will end with Psalm 19:14, “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock, and my Redeemer.”

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice