Love God Not Money! Ezekiel 6-10

May the mumbling commence!

Our culture is infected with the love of money.  It’s an infection that is thousands of times worse than Ebola.  And it’s even more deadly.

But we are not alone in this infection.  The love of money transcends national borders.  It transcends the gulf of time.  Read from Ezekiel chapter seven and think about the parallels to our day in reference to the United States.

"They will throw away their money, tossing it out like worthless trash. It won't buy their deliverance in that day of the Lord's anger. It will neither satisfy nor feed them, for their love of money made them stumble into sin.  They were proud of their gold jewelry and used it to make vile and detestable idols. That is why I will make all their wealth disgusting to them.  I will give it as plunder to foreigners from the most wicked of nations, and they will defile it.  I will hide my eyes as these robbers invade my treasured land and corrupt it. 

Prepare chains for my people, for the land is bloodied by terrible crimes. Jerusalem is filled with violence.  I will bring the most ruthless of nations to occupy their homes. I will break down their proud fortresses and defile their sanctuaries. 

Terror and trembling will overcome my people. They will look for peace but will not find it.  Calamity will follow calamity; rumor will follow rumor. They will look in vain for a vision from the prophets. They will receive no teaching from the priests and no counsel from the leaders. 

The king and the prince will stand helpless, weeping in despair, and the people's hands will tremble with fear. I will bring against them the evil they have done to others, and they will receive the punishment they so richly deserve. Then they will know that I am the Lord!"   (Verses 19-27)

For the love of money, we fill the world with violence.  Some of the violence we can easily see.  Some of the violence we can see if we look hard.  Some of the violence is hidden from our eyes completely.

We are in denial, but the violence is there.  The things that we see are only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.  The gulf between the wealthy and the poor grows by the minute.  The gulf between the wasteful and the hungry grows by the minute.

We are lulled into sleep by the ads that we are bombarded with day after day that tell us we are incomplete without some product.  We are distracted by “reality” TV, so that we cannot see the realities around us.  We are distracted by the escapism of the sports and entertainment world.

But both our hands and our land are bloodied by terrible crimes of violence and destruction and murder.  There is no peace because we have rejected the leading of our Lord God Almighty.  Visions and teaching from the Lord through our prophets and pastors are rare.

If we cannot be still and listen to the voice of God in the midst of this culture that bombards us with sensory overload, then we will suffer the fate of all the great nations that fell long before ours came to be. 

But take solace in the fact that the kingdom of God never fails.  It stands forever.  Seek that kingdom, and you will never be disappointed.  Be still and listen for the voice of God.  Seek to understand and obey.  That’s the Way to bountiful blessings forevermore.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out  

Abject Object Lessons. Ezekiel 4-5; Matthew 26

May the mumbling commence!

Talk about an object lesson!  God asks his prophets to do some bizarre things.  Just look at what the Lord asks Ezekiel to do in chapter four.  I’d call it an abject object lesson.  Read from Ezekiel chapter four:

 "Now lie on your left side and place the sins of Israel on yourself. You are to bear their sins for the number of days you lie there on your side.  You will bear Israel's sins for 390 days – one day for each year of their sin.  After that, turn over and lie on your right side for 40 days – one day for each year of Judah's sin. 

Meanwhile, continue your demonstration of the siege of Jerusalem. Lie there with your arm bared and prophesy her destruction.  I will tie you up with ropes so you won't be able to turn from side to side until the days of your siege have been completed. 

Now go and get some wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt, and mix them together in a storage jar. Use this food to make bread for yourself during the 390 days you will be lying on your side.  Ration this out to yourself, eight ounces of food for each day, and eat it at set times.  Then measure out a jar of water for each day, and drink it at set times.  Each day prepare your bread as you would barley cakes. While all the people are watching, bake it over a fire using dried human dung as fuel and then eat the bread.  For this is what the Lord says: Israel will eat defiled bread in the Gentile lands, where I will banish them!" 

Then I said, "O Sovereign Lord, must I be defiled by using human dung? For I have never been defiled before. From the time I was a child until now I have never eaten any animal that died of sickness or that I found dead. And I have never eaten any of the animals that our laws forbid." 

"All right," the Lord said. "You may bake your bread with cow dung instead of human dung."  Then he told me, "Son of man, I will cause food to be very scarce in Jerusalem. It will be weighed out with great care and eaten fearfully. The water will be portioned out drop by drop, and the people will drink it with dismay.  Food and water will be so scarce that the people will look at one another in terror, and they will waste away under their punishment.” (Verses 4-17)

I don’t know about you, but I cannot even sleep still.  I move around.  If I were not to move during my sleep, I would either need to be tied down or I would need to have intense pain whenever I tried to move. 

Keeping still for a long time can be traumatic to the human body.  Ask anyone who ever had a bed sore.  Just think about lying in one position for 390 days.  That’s more than a year!  Talk about suffering for God to bring the Message to the people!

And I’ve seen a lot of fad diets out there, but just try surviving on the food rationing that Ezekiel was given.  Eight ounces of bread per day!  That’s hardly enough for one meal, let alone three.  

It’s no wonder that there is fear and dismay among God’s people.  So it will be if we refuse to walk in God’s Way – the Way of Jesus, the Way of obedience at all times and in all ways.  Read from Matthew chapter twenty-six:

Then Jesus brought them to an olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, "Sit here while I go on ahead to pray."  He took Peter and Zebedee's two sons, James and John, and he began to be filled with anguish and deep distress.  He told them, "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me." 

He went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground, praying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine."  Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, "Couldn't you stay awake and watch with me even one hour?  Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak!" (Verses 36-41)

Though the Way of God sometimes causes grief for a time, it’s the Way of God that is the Way of our eternal salvation.  Indeed, even today, as we follow God’s Way, we will be asked at times to do some abject object lessons for the people around us.  May we be ready to do so!

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Defining Success through God's Eyes. Ezekiel 2-3; Matthew 25

May the mumbling commence!

The Lord sets us up with a new definition of success.  Most people like to succeed in what they do.  Some people would look at the words of the Lord to Ezekiel and feel that God is setting up Ezekiel to be a failure. 

Not so!  Success is doing what God calls us to do.  Whether it works or not is dependent upon the will of the Lord and the free will of the people we are called to address.  Read from Ezekiel chapter three:

The voice said to me, "Son of man, eat what I am giving you – eat this scroll! Then go and give its message to the people of Israel."  So I opened my mouth, and he fed me the scroll.  "Eat it all," he said. And when I ate it, it tasted as sweet as honey. 

Then he said, "Son of man, go to the people of Israel with my messages.  I am not sending you to some foreign people whose language you cannot understand.  No, I am not sending you to people with strange and difficult speech. If I did, they would listen!  I am sending you to the people of Israel, but they won't listen to you any more than they listen to me! For the whole lot of them are hard-hearted and stubborn.  But look, I have made you as hard and stubborn as they are.  I have made you as hard as rock! So don't be afraid of them or fear their angry looks, even though they are such rebels." 

Then he added, "Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself.  Then go to your people in exile and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says!' Do this whether they listen to you or not." (Verses 1-11)

The Word of the Lord is sweet to the taste.  And all we need to do is open our mouths.  God will feed us like an infant.  You know, open up the tunnel and let the train go through.

Yes, the Word of the Lord is sweet to the taste.  But the message becomes bitter in our stomachs.  God sends us on a mission that will likely fail in our eyes.

Yet we need to be faithful and deliver the message to the people.  Deliver the message even before anger and ridicule.  Deliver the message even when people stop up their ears.

But before we can accurately deliver the message of the Lord, we need to listen to it carefully.  Eat it.  Process it.  Make it a part of our very being – just like the food that we eat. 

Eat God’s Word.  Process it.  Make it a part of your very essence.  Eat it slowly and savor the sweet taste before it turns sour in your stomach.

Eat God’s Word to discover if what you are doing is indeed the will of the Lord.  Sometimes we do not realize one way or the other.  Read from the parable of the sheep and goats from Matthew chapter twenty-five:

"Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink?  Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?  When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?' 

And the King will tell them, 'I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!' (Verses 37-40)

"Then they will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?' 

And he will answer, 'I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.' (Verses 44-45)

Open our eyes, O Lord, that we may see what true success looks like for the child of God.

Enough mumbling for now…  

Peace Out

God, the Same Today, Tomorrow, and Yesterday. Lamentations 5 (& Ezekiel 1); Matthew 24

May the mumbling commence!

What a statement of faith!  In the midst of ruin and destruction, Jeremiah makes this statement of faith in the Lord.  Read from Lamentations chapter five:

But Lord, you remain the same forever! Your throne continues from generation to generation. (Verse19)

God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  The Lord remains… forever.  The throne of the Lord continues… from one generation to the next.  These statements are made in the midst of crisis and exile.

When times are tough, can we make these statements about our God?  And times are tough.  Make no mistake.

So, we must watch and wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus.  May we wait well… patiently.  Read from Jesus’ words in Matthew chapter twenty-four:

"However, no one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. 

When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day.  In those days before the Flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat.  People didn't realize what was going to happen until the Flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. 

Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left.  Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.  So be prepared, because you don't know what day your Lord is coming. 

Know this: A homeowner who knew exactly when a burglar was coming would stay alert and not permit the house to be broken into.  You also must be ready all the time. For the Son of Man will come when least expected.” (Verses 36-44)

And waiting well means work not idleness.  Be prepared.  That’s the Boy Scout motto… well God had it before the Boy Scouts.  Be ready ALL THE TIME. 

Though we do not know when our Lord will return to establish the kingdom of heaven, we know that we will come.  So let’s prepare.  Let’s be ready.

And let’s broadcast our hope to the whole world in our Lord who is the same today, tomorrow and yesterday.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Hope in Knowing & Obeying the Lord. Lamentations 3-4; Matthew 23

May the mumbling commence!

Hope in the midst of strife and hopelessness – that is what our Lord is to us.  At the heart of the book of Lamentations is the gleaming hope of the Lord present in our lives.  Read it and notice the seeds for some of Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount.  From Lamentations chapter three:

The unfailing love of the Lord never ends!

By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. 

Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. 

I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" 

The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him. 

So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord. 

And it is good for the young to submit to the yoke of his discipline. 

Let them sit alone in silence beneath the Lord's demands. 

Let them lie face down in the dust; then at last there is hope for them. 

Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them.

Let them accept the insults of their enemies. 

For the Lord does not abandon anyone forever. 

Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion

according to the greatness of his unfailing love. 

For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow. (Verses 22-33)

The Lord’s unfailing love and amazing mercy and grace are the fuel for our lives.  Let us hope in the Lord and wait patiently for the Holy Spirit’s leading.  Let us submit to God’s discipline and readily obey the Lord’s demands.  In these actions, we will find our hope spring eternal.

But to obey God puts great demands on us.  Love your enemy.  Those are the words of Jesus.  These words echo the Spirit of these two red lines.  Turn the other cheek.  Accept the insults of your enemies.

Our success does not depend on vanquishing our enemies or on our ability to get our way.  Our success is dependent upon following and knowing the Lord deep within our souls.

God does not abandon anyone forever – even our enemies.  Grief and compassion walk hand in hand.  Joy will bloom from hurt and sorrow – if we follow the Way of the Lord.  These things give me an undying hope.  Let’s chase the Spirit and heart of God that undergirds the Word of God.  Let’s practice what we preach – unlike the religious elite of Jesus’ day.  Read from the beginning of Matthew chapter twenty-three:

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the Scriptures.  So practice and obey whatever they say to you, but don't follow their example. For they don't practice what they teach.  They crush you with impossible religious demands and never lift a finger to help ease the burden.” (Verses 1-4)

So, let’s know and obey our Lord God.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Render Unto God What is Due to God. Lamentations 1-2; Matthew 22

May the mumbling commence!

Many people make the statement that God is on their side.  Is God on our side?  We like to think so.  But the better question to ask is: Are we on God’s side?

God’s people have been taught this lesson over and over again.  Will we ever learn it?  Read from Lamentations chapter two:

All the strength of Israel vanishes beneath his fury.

The Lord has withdrawn his protection as the enemy attacks.

He consumes the whole land of Israel like a raging fire. 

He bends his bow against his people as though he were their enemy.

His strength is used against them to kill their finest youth.

His fury is poured out like fire on beautiful Jerusalem. 

Yes, the Lord has vanquished Israel like an enemy.

He has destroyed her forts and palaces.

He has brought unending sorrow and tears to Jerusalem. 

He has broken down his Temple as though it were merely a garden shelter.

The Lord has blotted out all memory of the holy festivals and Sabbath days.

Kings and priests fall together before his anger. 

The Lord has rejected his own altar; he despises his own sanctuary.

He has given Jerusalem's palaces to her enemies.

They shout in the Lord's Temple as though it were a day of celebration. (Verses 3-7)

The Lord withdrew protection from Jerusalem because they did not follow God’s Word.  God is on our side..?  No, are we on God’s side?  That’s the question.

If we cannot answer the question truthfully and affirmatively that we are on God’s side, then we are subject to the fruits of our labors.  Those fruits are a consuming fire, war, strife, fury, defeat, destruction, sorrow and tears.  The things we thought we could trust in – like God’s sanctuary are no protection for us.  Those days are like a rapidly fading memory.

And those we call our enemies have a day in the sun… victory… celebration.  Oh, may we seek the Lord’s side in all things!  Let us seek the Lord’s side to avoid these judgments!  Let’s render unto God what is God’s.  Read from Matthew chapter twenty-two:

Then the Pharisees met together to think of a way to trap Jesus into saying something for which they could accuse him.  They decided to send some of their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to ask him this question: "Teacher, we know how honest you are. You teach about the way of God regardless of the consequences. You are impartial and don't play favorites.  Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to the Roman government or not?" 

But Jesus knew their evil motives. "You hypocrites!" he said. "Whom are you trying to fool with your trick questions?  Here, show me the Roman coin used for the tax." When they handed him the coin, he asked, "Whose picture and title are stamped on it?" 

"Caesar's," they replied.

"Well, then," he said, "give to Caesar what belongs to him. But everything that belongs to God must be given to God."  His reply amazed them, and they went away. (Verses 15-22)

And what does not belong to God!?!  Let’s give the Lord our “everything”.  That is being on God’s side.  May it be so.  

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out

Praise God with Full Voice! Jeremiah 51-52; Matthew 21

May the mumbling commence!

How about that – a hymn of praise in the midst of the judgment announcements at the end of Jeremiah!  Read from Jeremiah chapter fifty-one:

He made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom.

He has stretched out the heavens by his understanding. 

When he speaks, there is thunder in the heavens.

He causes the clouds to rise over the earth.

He sends the lightning with the rain

and releases the wind from his storehouses. 

Compared to him, all people are foolish and have no knowledge at all!

They make idols, but the idols will disgrace their makers,

for they are frauds.

They have no life or power in them. 

Idols are worthless; they are lies!

The time is coming when they will all be destroyed. 

But the God of Israel is no idol!

He is the Creator of everything that exists,

including his people, his own special possession.

The Lord Almighty is his name! (Verses 15-19)

Too often, we still trust in the creation rather than the Creator.  We trust in the works of our hands.  We trust in the work of the hands of God.  These trusts give us false comforts.  They give a false sense of control.  They can lull us into a deep sleep.

But what simple nonsense!  Idols can only disgrace those who worship them.  They are frauds.  There is no real power within them.  They are NOT alive.  They are constructed of worthless lies… only a copy of the real thing – the Lord God Almighty.

Declare God’s Holy Name to all peoples.  With all our beings, we will seek to bring praise to our Lord.  We will not be shamed into silence.  Jesus defended the praises of the children of God before the religious leaders of his day.  Read from Matthew chapter twenty-one:

The blind and the lame came to him, and he healed them there in the Temple.  The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the little children in the Temple shouting, "Praise God for the Son of David."

But they were indignant and asked Jesus, "Do you hear what these children are saying?"

"Yes," Jesus replied. "Haven't you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, 'You have taught children and infants to give you praise.'" (Verses 14-16)

There is no shame in praising the Name of the Lord, regardless of circumstances.  So praise the Lord in full voice!

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

What Goes Around Comes Around. Jeremiah 46-50

May the mumbling commence!

What goes around comes around.  It may be a cliché, but some clichés are clichés because they are true.  What goes around comes around.  What you have done to other will be done to you.  Read from Jeremiah chapter fifty.  Read about the future for Babylon who crushed Israel and Judah and many other peoples.

"The Israelites are like sheep that have been scattered by lions. First the king of Assyria ate them up. Then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon cracked their bones."  Therefore, the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Now I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria.  And I will bring Israel home again to her own land, to feed in the fields of Carmel and Bashan, and to be satisfied once more on the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead.  In those days," says the Lord, "no sin will be found in Israel or in Judah, for I will forgive the remnant I preserve.” (Verses 17-20)

The Babylons of this world may get caught up in the power that the Lord gives them, but the Lord only gives them power because of the wickedness of the people they rape and pillage and destroy.  When you’re on top, it seems like you’re destined to remain there forever. 

Our devouring and crunching of bones will catch up with us.  It’s only a matter of time.  The measure that we use on other people will be used upon us.

So let’s learn about the grace and mercy of the Lord.  Let’s extend that grace and mercy to all people.  Because the principle is true whether we do good or bad – the measure that we use on other people will be used upon us.

Having power, being on the top of the world means that we have an obligation to do what is right for all people.  It means being a servant rather than a king.  It means we must use our power to bless others – not lord it over them.

Because what goes around comes around.  The measure that we use will be used upon us.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out 

God Empowers to Bless Everyone. Jeremiah 44-45; Matthew 20

May the mumbling commence!

When God empowers us, we should not seek to gain our own advantage.  God empowers us to bless other people.  God empowers us to bless the Lord.  These two things are not mutually exclusive.  They are one and the same!  Read Jeremiah chapter forty-five and the message that the Lord had for Jeremiah’s scribe, Baruch:

The prophet Jeremiah gave a message to Baruch son of Neriah in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, after Baruch had written down everything Jeremiah had dictated to him. He said, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch:  You have said, 'I am overwhelmed with trouble! Haven't I had enough pain already? And now the Lord has added more! I am weary of my own sighing and can find no rest.' 

"Baruch, this is what the Lord says: I will destroy this nation that I built. I will uproot what I planted.  Are you seeking great things for yourself? Don't do it! But don't be discouraged. I will bring great disaster upon all these people, but I will protect you wherever you go. I, the Lord, have spoken!"

Do not seek great things for yourself.  I wonder what Baruch had in mind for himself…  Did he want leadership… kingship of the remnant of Judah?  If so, that was not in the cards.  But God will protect Baruch everywhere he goes… because Baruch has done the will of the Lord in his life.

This passage makes me think of the passage in Matthew chapter twenty when the disciples began to argue over who would hold positions of authority in Jesus’ kingdom.  Read Jesus’ response to them in the passage below:

When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. 

But Jesus called them together and said, "You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them.  But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must become your slave.  For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many." (Verses 24-28)

In Jesus’ kingdom we do not climb the ladder of success at any cost.  In Jesus’ kingdom we seek to serve others before we serve our own needs and wants and desires.  It may seem upside-down to us, but it’s right-side up.

Let’s use God’s empowerment for the benefit of all people to the glory of God.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Help Us Accept Your Will for Our Lives! Jeremiah 42-43; Matthew 19

May the mumbling commence!

Are we ready to do God’s will?  Or are we only ready to do what we want God’s will to be for us?  There’s an important difference in those levels of readiness.  Read from the end of Jeremiah chapter forty-two and the beginning of chapter forty-three:

"Listen, you remnant of Judah. The Lord has told you: 'Do not go to Egypt!' Don't forget this warning I have given you today.  For you were deceitful when you sent me to pray to the Lord your God for you, saying, 'Just tell us what the Lord our God says, and we will do it!'   And today I have told you exactly what he said, but you will not obey the Lord your God any better now than you have in the past.  So you can be sure that you will die from war, famine, and disease in Egypt, where you insist on going." 

When Jeremiah had finished giving this message from the Lord their God to all the people, Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the other proud men said to Jeremiah, "You lie! The Lord our God hasn't forbidden us to go to Egypt!  Baruch son of Neriah has convinced you to say this, so we will stay here and be killed by the Babylonians or be carried off into exile." (42:19-43:3)

The remnant of the people of Judah wanted to hear God’s will for them… as long as it matched their desires.  That wasn’t the case.  They feared death and exile, but by going to Egypt they were choosing their own exile.  They were choosing death.  They were not willing to listen to the voice of their Great Shepherd or to follow the Lord.

Sometimes, the lessons of the Lord are difficult ones.  Read from Matthew chapter nineteen:

Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: "Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for any reason?" 

"Haven't you read the Scriptures?" Jesus replied. "They record that from the beginning 'God made them male and female.'   And he said, 'This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.'   Since they are no longer two but one, let no one separate them, for God has joined them together." 

"Then why did Moses say a man could merely write an official letter of divorce and send her away?" they asked. 

Jesus replied, "Moses permitted divorce as a concession to your hard-hearted wickedness, but it was not what God had originally intended.  And I tell you this, a man who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery – unless his wife has been unfaithful. " 

Jesus' disciples then said to him, "Then it is better not to marry!" 

"Not everyone can accept this statement," Jesus said. "Only those whom God helps.  Some are born as eunuchs, some have been made that way by others, and some choose not to marry for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone who can, accept this statement." (Verses 3-12)

Help us, O Lord, to accept Your will for our lives!

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out