Blowing the Horn
Greetings in the Lord!
Oh, the prophets of the Old Testament--how they spoke with such fervor and directness the words of the Lord. Not people pleasers, to be sure. Well, today's word is taken from that vein. It comes from Ezekiel 33, where the Lord tells Ezekiel that he has been chosen by God to be a "watchman" for the house of Israel; to speak to them whatever the Lord commands...or Ezekiel will be held accountable for not saying anything when he was commanded to speak.
"Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from Me. When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood." Ezekiel 33:7-9
So that's the pretenses under which I share today's word. It's a last call for people to repent and change their ways because soon the wicked will reap what they have been sowing--starting with the people of God. You know, it's like this: in the spring farmers plow and plant their fields; in the summer the crops grow up and mature, and by fall it's harvest time. In this very practical example I'd just like to say that it's usually in the "summertime" when the wicked strut around and are smug, thinking life is good and all is well, putting their hopes in the fantasy of a superior harvest---but alas, they have only planted weeds! Had they bothered to invest in the good Seed and follow His ways, obey His voice, then they would indeed have the good harvest they expected in the long run.
"Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, 'The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness. If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of his righteous things he has done will be remembered;...And if I say to the wicked man, 'You will surely die,' but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right--...None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live." Ezekiel 33:12-16.
Whoa--those are some tough words. I can already feel the American church mentality wrestle with those words and say, "But what about God's grace? 'God is love', right?!" Funny, that's pretty much the same complaint Israel expressed:
"Yet your countrymen say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But it is their way that is not just....But I will judge each of you according to his own ways." Ezekiel 33:17,20
The more things change, the more they stay the same, right? Anyway, it's really just important to know the times and seasons we are in. This late summer and fall will usher in some really tumultuous times for people individually, and also as nations/regions. I've received Ezekiel 32 and Isaiah 21 that mention nations in the Middle East, Far East, and I discern the United States is included. I'm sounding the horn, blowing the shofar, and calling to people with the urgent message that its time to get focused on God again. It's time to re-evaluate our ways and submit to His ways. The wise man built his house upon the Rock and when the floods came he was OK.
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
Oh, the prophets of the Old Testament--how they spoke with such fervor and directness the words of the Lord. Not people pleasers, to be sure. Well, today's word is taken from that vein. It comes from Ezekiel 33, where the Lord tells Ezekiel that he has been chosen by God to be a "watchman" for the house of Israel; to speak to them whatever the Lord commands...or Ezekiel will be held accountable for not saying anything when he was commanded to speak.
"Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from Me. When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood." Ezekiel 33:7-9
So that's the pretenses under which I share today's word. It's a last call for people to repent and change their ways because soon the wicked will reap what they have been sowing--starting with the people of God. You know, it's like this: in the spring farmers plow and plant their fields; in the summer the crops grow up and mature, and by fall it's harvest time. In this very practical example I'd just like to say that it's usually in the "summertime" when the wicked strut around and are smug, thinking life is good and all is well, putting their hopes in the fantasy of a superior harvest---but alas, they have only planted weeds! Had they bothered to invest in the good Seed and follow His ways, obey His voice, then they would indeed have the good harvest they expected in the long run.
"Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, 'The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness. If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of his righteous things he has done will be remembered;...And if I say to the wicked man, 'You will surely die,' but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right--...None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live." Ezekiel 33:12-16.
Whoa--those are some tough words. I can already feel the American church mentality wrestle with those words and say, "But what about God's grace? 'God is love', right?!" Funny, that's pretty much the same complaint Israel expressed:
"Yet your countrymen say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But it is their way that is not just....But I will judge each of you according to his own ways." Ezekiel 33:17,20
The more things change, the more they stay the same, right? Anyway, it's really just important to know the times and seasons we are in. This late summer and fall will usher in some really tumultuous times for people individually, and also as nations/regions. I've received Ezekiel 32 and Isaiah 21 that mention nations in the Middle East, Far East, and I discern the United States is included. I'm sounding the horn, blowing the shofar, and calling to people with the urgent message that its time to get focused on God again. It's time to re-evaluate our ways and submit to His ways. The wise man built his house upon the Rock and when the floods came he was OK.
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
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