Read the Bible in a Year (01SEP19)

DAILY REMINDER – Today, September 1’s Bible reading is Ezekiel 9-12.

NEXT DAY REMINDER – Tomorrow, September 2’s Bible reading is Ezekiel 13-15. May God bless you with the reading of His WORD.

EZEKIEL MOMENT – (01SEP19) “Again a message came to me from the Lord:  “Son of man, you’ve heard that proverb they quote in Israel: ‘Time passes, and prophecies come to nothing.’ Tell the people, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will put an end to this proverb, and you will soon stop quoting it.’ Now give them this new proverb to replace the old one: ‘The time has come for every prophecy to be fulfilled!’” (Ezekiel 12:21-23). In the King James Version Bible, this text is posed as a question instead of a statement, but the Lord never asks a question that He does not already have the answer to. So, when Ezekiel was questioned about the proverb regarding the timing of his prophecies, the Lord wanted to disrupt the people’s complacency. He let them know that their proverb was going to cease, and those who thought they would not see the judgments come to past in their generation would indeed witness their manifestation. It was easy for them to dismiss the prophecies as something that they would not have to face in their lifetime. Nevertheless, the Lord had something different in mind, and the judgments that had been pronounced over their nation were closer to fulfillment than any of them would have wished.

Many people in the body of Christ and the world have the same mindset. They behave as if Jesus is not soon to return because they have heard this message preached for years. They have the attitude that the more things change, the more things stay the same. When you try to bring their attention to the times that we are living in as it relates to Bible prophecy, they think that the only difference between now and times’ past is that we have the internet of all things where everything is on social media for the world to see. Even though a certain aspect of this is true regarding modern technology, the spiritually discerning can see that evil is increasing and time is wrapping up. The enemy takes joy when we have a relaxed attitude regarding the things of God. He does not want us to see the urgency in being prepared for the Lord’s return. The more distracted that he can have us, the less in-tune we are spiritually. We are then inclined to become laxed in our standards and allow for sin to come into various areas of our lives. Therefore, we must stay on guard and ensure that we are fully dedicated to the Lord as we anxiously await His coming. “But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames.  But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness” (2 Peter 3:10-13). Something to ponder….

 

QUESTION OF THE DAY - (01SEP19) “Six men soon appeared from the upper gate…each carrying a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man dressed in linen, who carried a writer’s case at his side. They all went into the Temple courtyard and stood beside the bronze altar. Then the glory of the God of Israel rose up from between the cherubim, where it had rested, and moved to the entrance of the Temple. And the Lord called to the man dressed in linen who was carrying the writer’s case. He said to him, ‘Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all who weep and sigh because of the detestable sins being committed in their city.’ Then I heard the Lord say to the other men, ‘Follow him through the city and kill everyone whose forehead is not marked. Show no mercy; have no pity! Kill them all—old and young, girls and women and little children. But do not touch anyone with the mark. Begin right here at the Temple.’ So they began by killing the seventy leaders” (Ezekiel 9:2-6). The Lord showed Ezekiel a vision of what He was about to do throughout Jerusalem. The man in linen was going to place a mark of protection on the people who lamented over the sins of their nation, but the ones who were defiant against the Lord, they were going to be killed by the six men who followed him. The Lord was about to depart His temple, and when that happened, the people would no longer have the Lord’s protection, with the exception of those whom He sealed. Ezekiel had been shown the wickedness done by those who did so in secret. They thought that the Lord would not see the things that they were doing, but the eyes that were all over the Cherubim not only represents the nations, but they represent the Lord being all-seeing and all-knowing. Nothing could get past the Lord, and those who thought they could, were soon to find out otherwise.

Prior to the Children of Israel leaving Egypt, they had to place the blood of a lamb on their doorposts as a sign for the death angel to pass over them. The celebration of Passover commemorates that time for the Jewish nation. In the book of Revelation, the 144.000 will be sealed with the mark of God (Revelation 7:2-4). Those who have the seal of God will be saved from His wrath, but those who take the mark of the enemy will be doomed for all eternity. We will revisit the enemy’s mark once we get to the book of Revelation.

The Lord seals those who are His. When the judgments of the Lord come, those who are truly in Him will not have to worry about what may come our way. Even in death, those who are truly of the Lord’s body will have their Heavenly home to look forward to. Those who are in Christ are not subject to the Lord’s wrath, even in the midst of persecution brought on by Satan. The wicked will receive what is due them, but the righteous have been promised heavenly rewards. Do you have the seal of God upon your forehead? Is the blood of the Lamb on your doorposts? Will the Lord recognize you as one wearing His stamp of approval? Are you ready for the day when He comes for you? If so, remain steadfast in the faith and do not waver, for you will be greatly rewarded. On the other hand, if you are not sealed by God, the day to change your status is now. Ask the Lord into your heart, repent of your sins, and He is faithful in forgiving us from all of our transgressions. The judgments of the wicked are being rendered across the world and will increase; therefore, we must pray for the lost to come to Jesus while there is still time. Something to ponder….