Read the Bible in a Year (13SEP19)

DAILY REMINDER – Today, September 13’s Bible reading is Ezekiel 43-45.

NEXT DAY REMINDER – Tomorrow, September 14’s Bible reading is Ezekiel 46-48. May God bless you with the reading of His WORD.

EZEKIEL MOMENT – (13SEP19) “The glory of the Lord entered the temple through the gate facing east. Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple” (Ezekiel 43:4-5). Ezekiel had been taken in a vision to the temple where He saw the Lord’s glory come in and fill it. The Lord had departed the temple prior to its destruction in Jerusalem because of the abominable things that were taking place. Nevertheless, the Lord was going to once again fill His temple with His presence. The Lord was not going to stay where He was no longer honored, but He was showing Ezekiel that He would once again live amongst His chosen people.

The Bible lets us know that the Lord no longer dwells in buildings but our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit in which He resides. We are to live lives holy and acceptable unto Him. If we pollute our bodies with the things of this world which causes us to live in sin, we cannot expect the Lord to dwell in us. The Bible says: “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons” (1 Corinthians 10:21). Israel made a choice to defy God along with their priests and Levites; therefore, the Lord left His temple. We can, however, make the choice to allow the Holy Spirit to dwell on the inside of us by being submissive to the will of God. He longs to be in relationship with us and make His home within our hearts. All He asks is for us to be a willing vessel for His glory. Something to ponder….

QUESTION OF THE DAY - (13SEP19) “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh is to enter my sanctuary, not even the foreigners who live among the Israelites” (Isaiah 44:9). Israel had allowed so much sin to take place in their midst that the Lord had to reinstruct them on how to honor Him. The Israelite males were to all be circumcised as part of the covenant that God made between, He and Abraham. The Lord, however, not only wanted them to be circumcised in the flesh, but He wanted to them to have circumcised hearts.

How do we have circumcised hearts? The Bible says: “A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God” (Romans 2:28-29). The Lord wants us to rid our hearts of things that are unbecoming to Him. For example, many people call themselves Christians in this nation, but they live contrary to Christ’s will for their lives. The Apostle Paul was telling the Jews, in the above text, that they were not to consider themselves righteous merely because they had been circumcised in the flesh. This was not to be about bragging rights in keeping the law for the praises of men. The Lord wanted them to circumcise their hearts by discarding the things of the flesh that worked against the Spirit. Basically, it was and still is all about being in relationship with Christ. It is not good enough to just look the part. We are to have a lifestyle of circumcision as a spiritual commitment to the Lord. Something to ponder….

 

EZEKIEL MOMENT – (13SEP19) “The Levites who went far from me when Israel went astray and who wandered from me after their idols must bear the consequences of their sin. They may serve in my sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and serving in it; they may slaughter the burnt offerings and sacrifices for the people and stand before the people and serve them. But because they served them in the presence of their idols and made the people of Israel fall into sin…they must bear the consequences of their sin…. They are not to come near to serve me as priests or come near any of my holy things or my most holy offerings; they must bear the shame of their detestable practices” (Ezekiel 44:10-13). The Lord had not forgotten the abominable things that the priests and Levites had done in helping to lead His people astray; therefore, the only ones who were able to serve before Him were the Levites of the Zadok family. The other Levites could serve before the people, but they could not come before His presence because the Lord is a Holy and Righteous God. Their acts caused Him to leave His Holy Temple and it became defiled along with the nation.

Sadly, there are those who claim to be men and women of the cloth who are not suited to serve in the Lord’s presence. There are reports of those who live a homosexual lifestyle, but they still preach in today’s pulpits. There are pastors who are having affairs on their wives, while rebuking others every Sunday. There are clergy who are deadbeat dads, while being looked upon as spiritual fathers to others. The Lord is saddened by much of what is taking place with those who are supposed to be in service to Him. We have seen countless texts speaking on the sins of the leaders in the Bible which lets us know that God is concerned about the spiritual wellbeing of His people. The Lord expects those who lead to be representatives of His, so the people may know how to follow and serve Him. Being a servant of the Lord is to be taken seriously – especially when leading others. For this reason, the Levites had to pay for their disobedience, and many evangelicals will also pay in the end for leading the people of God astray. The Bible says: ^“For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17). We, as the house of God, is judged first because we are to know better. As a leader, it is our job to lead people to Christ and not away from Him. As a fellow Christian, regardless of having a title, position, or not, everyone has a role to play in evangelizing the gospel to others for the salvation of souls. Something to ponder….