Read: Ezekiel 42:1-43:27; James 5:1-20; Psalm 119:1-16; Proverbs 28:6-7
Ezekiel was given a tour of the temple and shown the way the Lord designed the temple to work. Ezekiel was to tell the people what he saw and just by describing the dimensions of the temple and the glory of the temple, it was suppose to make them want to repent. Every measurement, its arrangements, its exits and entrances and details about the temple was holy and had multiple meanings for them and for us. I wish I understood it all. God promised them that if they would put away their worship of other gods, he would dwell in the midst of them. If they chose to worship Him then they would need to cleanse the temple by offering sacrifices for seven days.
We are the temple of the Holy Spirit and when we put away our false gods and choose to become God’s temple, then we are cleansed daily. Daily, we offer sacrifices to God by choosing him over our own pleasure until our seventh day, which will be the end of our time on earth.
James condemned the rich people because they were not generous. They hoarded their money and didn’t give it out to help the poor or even pay people for their services. They lived their lives in luxury and self-indulgence murdering the innocent and unaware of God and his plan. One day, every man will be judged. He told the suffering brothers to patiently endure because they will be blessed and God will be compassionate and merciful to them. He encouraged them to pray, praise, anoint the sick with oil, and confess their sins to one another because their prayers are powerful and effective. He also said that if a brother strays away and we help him return we are saving him from death and covering their sins.
Lord, help us to cleanse our temple and offer our bodies as daily sacrifices to you.
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Tue.’s Devo. The Inner Court
Read: Ezekiel 40:28-41:26; James 4:1-17; Psalm 118:19-29; Proverbs 28:3-5
God had Ezekiel measure every length, width and height of the temple. The word “measure” in the Hebrew means to stretch a line which was meant to be extended or stretched. It also means to stretch oneself. I wonder if this whole process that Ezekiel went through is to show us the process God goes through when he judges a person’s life. He measures everything the person has done and either justifies or judges them. Something to ponder.
What we do see is that God’s temple, of whom we represent, is very complex and intricate. We see the multiple palm trees with cherubims engraved all over the temple. I wonder if the palm trees don’t stand for every trial we have undergone and the cherubim stands for the angel that helped us overcome.
James noted that the external battles they were having were stemmed from the internal battles of their soul. They had to do with their heart. The answer was to submit to God’s heart, resist the devil and come near to God. Those that were double-minded having part of their mind to serve God and the other to serve themselves needed to be cleansed of their actions and purified in their hearts.
Lord, may we be submitted to You and your ways.
God had Ezekiel measure every length, width and height of the temple. The word “measure” in the Hebrew means to stretch a line which was meant to be extended or stretched. It also means to stretch oneself. I wonder if this whole process that Ezekiel went through is to show us the process God goes through when he judges a person’s life. He measures everything the person has done and either justifies or judges them. Something to ponder.
What we do see is that God’s temple, of whom we represent, is very complex and intricate. We see the multiple palm trees with cherubims engraved all over the temple. I wonder if the palm trees don’t stand for every trial we have undergone and the cherubim stands for the angel that helped us overcome.
James noted that the external battles they were having were stemmed from the internal battles of their soul. They had to do with their heart. The answer was to submit to God’s heart, resist the devil and come near to God. Those that were double-minded having part of their mind to serve God and the other to serve themselves needed to be cleansed of their actions and purified in their hearts.
Lord, may we be submitted to You and your ways.
Monday, November 19, 2018
Mon.’s Devo - The Outer Court
Read: Ezekiel 39:1-40:27; James 2:18-3:18; Psalm 118:1-18: Proverbs 28:2
Ezekiel starts out by describing the event known as the Feast of Leviathan. It is the counter feast to the Feast of the Lamb. In it the food will be the one who die during the battle of Armageddon. The fallen will be eaten by the birds of prey and the beasts of the field. These birds and beasts are pictures of demons. God will set the land on fire just like he did to Sodom and Gomorrah.
After God deals with the wicked, he will restore his name on the earth and gather his people from all over the earth and pour his spirit on them.
In the 25th year of exile and 14 years after Jerusalem had fallen, God gave Ezekiel a vision of the temple. He took him on top of a very high mountain that had a city on the south side. A man in linen appeared with a measuring cord and a six cubit measuring reed that in his hand. He stood in the gate of the city and told Ezekiel to pay close attention to every thing he was about to show him so he could tell it to the house of Israel.
He measured the wall outside the house, the width of the building and the height. Then he went to the eastern gate and measured the threshold of the other gates. He measured every little chamber its width and length. Everything was six cubits or one rod. Between the chambers was five cubits. Six is the number of man and five is the number of ministry through grace. All along the inside of the gate were the chambers that each had arches, posts that were carved as palm trees and windows facing inward. There were seven steps going up to the chambers.
I don’t pretend to understand everything about the heavenly temple that Ezekiel was shown but I do understand that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we have chambers in our hearts where we hold treasures that we call memories. The palm tree is the tree that can weather storms - bend to the ground and spring back up. It holds the dates that are used for many different reasons from nourishment to healing.
James makes it clear that faith and works go together. By faith we do the works of God. James also has much to say about the power of the words of our mouths. We create with our mouths.
Lord, may we speak words of life and create your kingdom on earth
Ezekiel starts out by describing the event known as the Feast of Leviathan. It is the counter feast to the Feast of the Lamb. In it the food will be the one who die during the battle of Armageddon. The fallen will be eaten by the birds of prey and the beasts of the field. These birds and beasts are pictures of demons. God will set the land on fire just like he did to Sodom and Gomorrah.
After God deals with the wicked, he will restore his name on the earth and gather his people from all over the earth and pour his spirit on them.
In the 25th year of exile and 14 years after Jerusalem had fallen, God gave Ezekiel a vision of the temple. He took him on top of a very high mountain that had a city on the south side. A man in linen appeared with a measuring cord and a six cubit measuring reed that in his hand. He stood in the gate of the city and told Ezekiel to pay close attention to every thing he was about to show him so he could tell it to the house of Israel.
He measured the wall outside the house, the width of the building and the height. Then he went to the eastern gate and measured the threshold of the other gates. He measured every little chamber its width and length. Everything was six cubits or one rod. Between the chambers was five cubits. Six is the number of man and five is the number of ministry through grace. All along the inside of the gate were the chambers that each had arches, posts that were carved as palm trees and windows facing inward. There were seven steps going up to the chambers.
I don’t pretend to understand everything about the heavenly temple that Ezekiel was shown but I do understand that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we have chambers in our hearts where we hold treasures that we call memories. The palm tree is the tree that can weather storms - bend to the ground and spring back up. It holds the dates that are used for many different reasons from nourishment to healing.
James makes it clear that faith and works go together. By faith we do the works of God. James also has much to say about the power of the words of our mouths. We create with our mouths.
Lord, may we speak words of life and create your kingdom on earth
Sunday, November 18, 2018
Sun.’s Devo - Life!
Read: Ezekiel 37:1-38:23; James 1:19-2:17; Psalm 117:1-2; Proverbs 28:1
Israel’s remnant were like dead, dry bones laying in a valley. God asked Ezekiel if he thought these bones could come to life and Ezekiel said that only God knew the answer to that. God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones and tell them to hear the word of the Lord. He commanded breath to enter into them and tendons and flesh and breath to enter them. There was a noise and the earth shook as the bones came together to form people and tendons and flesh appeared. But they had no breath in them. Then he prophesied to the wind and it came from the four corners of the earth and filled the bodies and they came to life.
This was a picture of what God was going to do for Israel. They were scattered all over the world with no hope of ever being a nation again. God wanted to give them hope that they would once again have a life in their own land with their own people and he would once again be their God. They were like two sticks: Judah and Israel, but God was going to unite them as one nation.
Most scholars believe that Ezekiel 38 has to do with the end of times (vs. 8) and has not happened yet. It have always thought that this was a picture of the final battle of Armageddon. Gog is believed to be where Turkestan is now and Magog represents the Scythian nations and maybe some of India.
I love James and quote this first verse to myself many times: “…be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” It is easy to say, not so easy to do, but that is where true maturity comes in.
Purity means being able to hold your tongue, looking out for the fatherless and widows in their times of need and keeping unspotted from the world. God also warns us against showing any impartiality to people. We should treat everyone the same and love them all. The only way we can do this is with God’s grace. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
Lord, help us to walk with your heart.
Israel’s remnant were like dead, dry bones laying in a valley. God asked Ezekiel if he thought these bones could come to life and Ezekiel said that only God knew the answer to that. God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones and tell them to hear the word of the Lord. He commanded breath to enter into them and tendons and flesh and breath to enter them. There was a noise and the earth shook as the bones came together to form people and tendons and flesh appeared. But they had no breath in them. Then he prophesied to the wind and it came from the four corners of the earth and filled the bodies and they came to life.
This was a picture of what God was going to do for Israel. They were scattered all over the world with no hope of ever being a nation again. God wanted to give them hope that they would once again have a life in their own land with their own people and he would once again be their God. They were like two sticks: Judah and Israel, but God was going to unite them as one nation.
Most scholars believe that Ezekiel 38 has to do with the end of times (vs. 8) and has not happened yet. It have always thought that this was a picture of the final battle of Armageddon. Gog is believed to be where Turkestan is now and Magog represents the Scythian nations and maybe some of India.
I love James and quote this first verse to myself many times: “…be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” It is easy to say, not so easy to do, but that is where true maturity comes in.
Purity means being able to hold your tongue, looking out for the fatherless and widows in their times of need and keeping unspotted from the world. God also warns us against showing any impartiality to people. We should treat everyone the same and love them all. The only way we can do this is with God’s grace. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
Lord, help us to walk with your heart.
Saturday, November 17, 2018
Sat.’s Devo - Trials
Read: Ezekiel 35:1-36:38; James 1:1-18; Psalm 116:1-19; Proverbs 27:23-27
Ezekiel was told to prophesy against Mt. Seir which means “goat-like”. The represent those who were not chosen. Mt. Seir was given to Esau who despised his birthright and sold it for soup. Esau’s descendants had never forgiven Jacob’s descendants because of the past with Jacob and Esau so they were doomed to death. They had wanted to steal Jacob’s land and defy what God had said about Jacob’s future. They wanted to plunder the fruit of their harvest. Satan is always wanting to steal the seed and the harvest.
God spoke again and said that when Israel came back to their land, they would grow and prosper. When they lived in it before, they had defiled God’s name with their actions and God was going to use them to restore his name on the earth. Israel was always a picture for earth to see God, and Israel had distorted the way people saw God. God would set things straight by cleansing his people who carried his name. He would give them a new heart and put a new spirit in them. They would follow his decrees and keep his laws. They would bear much fruit and by them the earth would be blessed.
James was a letter written to the twelve tribes that had been scattered all around the world. The writer of James was believed to be Jesus’ brother who was the leader of the church in Jerusalem. If it was Jesus’ brother, then he witnessed first hand what godly living looked like in Jesus’ life. He wrote James to encourage the chosen to live godly lives. He opened up talking about trials we all face and their importance in our lives. They are to mature us and grow us in patience. If we need wisdom, all we have to do is ask. God is wisdom personified. To be exalted in the kingdom, we have to go low on the earth. We will be blessed for every trial we go through if we persevere and don’t give up.
Lord, thank you for all the gifts you give us to walk uprightly on the earth. May our trials bring us joy and maturity.
Ezekiel was told to prophesy against Mt. Seir which means “goat-like”. The represent those who were not chosen. Mt. Seir was given to Esau who despised his birthright and sold it for soup. Esau’s descendants had never forgiven Jacob’s descendants because of the past with Jacob and Esau so they were doomed to death. They had wanted to steal Jacob’s land and defy what God had said about Jacob’s future. They wanted to plunder the fruit of their harvest. Satan is always wanting to steal the seed and the harvest.
God spoke again and said that when Israel came back to their land, they would grow and prosper. When they lived in it before, they had defiled God’s name with their actions and God was going to use them to restore his name on the earth. Israel was always a picture for earth to see God, and Israel had distorted the way people saw God. God would set things straight by cleansing his people who carried his name. He would give them a new heart and put a new spirit in them. They would follow his decrees and keep his laws. They would bear much fruit and by them the earth would be blessed.
James was a letter written to the twelve tribes that had been scattered all around the world. The writer of James was believed to be Jesus’ brother who was the leader of the church in Jerusalem. If it was Jesus’ brother, then he witnessed first hand what godly living looked like in Jesus’ life. He wrote James to encourage the chosen to live godly lives. He opened up talking about trials we all face and their importance in our lives. They are to mature us and grow us in patience. If we need wisdom, all we have to do is ask. God is wisdom personified. To be exalted in the kingdom, we have to go low on the earth. We will be blessed for every trial we go through if we persevere and don’t give up.
Lord, thank you for all the gifts you give us to walk uprightly on the earth. May our trials bring us joy and maturity.
Friday, November 16, 2018
Fri.’s Devo - Sons of God
Read: Ezekiel 33:1-34:31; Hebrews 13:1-25; Psalm 115:1-18; Proverbs 27:21-22
God always referred to Ezekiel as a son of man. Jesus always referred to himself as the son of man except when he was speaking to his disciples or to people who would become his disciples and then he used the term “son of God”. We were sons of men until we became a new creature in Christ and then we were called sons of God. As sons of God, like Ezekiel, we can hear the voice of God speaking to us.
God’s word to Ezekiel was that he had to speak what God was telling him about the land and the people or he would be held responsible for their sins. He was God’s voice to warn them of what was going to happen to them if they didn’t repent. He was their spiritual father who was sent to discipline and warn them of their punishment if they continued in their sin and their reward for turning away from their sin.
God was angry at the spiritual leaders of their day because they didn’t hear from him and didn’t warn the people. Their lives were as sinful as the people’s and they would be held responsible. One day, the Shepherd of the people would be Jesus Christ and he would bring showers of blessing on the ones who listened and obeyed his voice.
What we read in Hebrews can be summed up in this: honor one another and set your heart on loving God. He will provide for your every need. Be aware of the spiritual world that is all around you and be grateful!
Lord, we are truly in awe of the great love you have for us and this world. Help us to live as sons of God today.
God always referred to Ezekiel as a son of man. Jesus always referred to himself as the son of man except when he was speaking to his disciples or to people who would become his disciples and then he used the term “son of God”. We were sons of men until we became a new creature in Christ and then we were called sons of God. As sons of God, like Ezekiel, we can hear the voice of God speaking to us.
God’s word to Ezekiel was that he had to speak what God was telling him about the land and the people or he would be held responsible for their sins. He was God’s voice to warn them of what was going to happen to them if they didn’t repent. He was their spiritual father who was sent to discipline and warn them of their punishment if they continued in their sin and their reward for turning away from their sin.
God was angry at the spiritual leaders of their day because they didn’t hear from him and didn’t warn the people. Their lives were as sinful as the people’s and they would be held responsible. One day, the Shepherd of the people would be Jesus Christ and he would bring showers of blessing on the ones who listened and obeyed his voice.
What we read in Hebrews can be summed up in this: honor one another and set your heart on loving God. He will provide for your every need. Be aware of the spiritual world that is all around you and be grateful!
Lord, we are truly in awe of the great love you have for us and this world. Help us to live as sons of God today.
Thursday, November 15, 2018
Thurs.’s Devo - God’s Sanctification
Read: Ezekiel 31:1-32:32; Hebrews 12;14-29; Psalms 113:1-114:8: Proverbs 27:18-20
Today we go back to the 11th year of Israel’s exile and read what God said about the king of Egypt. He compared him to Lucifer in the garden of Eden. He was the envy of all the trees in the garden of Eden in his beauty and majesty. He was lifted higher than any other and let pride consume him. The king of Egypt would be brought down just as Lucifer was.
A year and a half later, God sent Ezekiel to the king of Egypt to give him a rebuke. God compared him to a lion and a sea monster who muddied the water. But God was going to bring destruction and mapped out his downfall. He was going to make Egypt desolate and strip the land of everything in it, then everyone would know that God was the Lord.
In the 12th year of Israel’s exile, God spoke of Egypt’s destruction again and of Assyria’s. All of these prophecies are foreshadows of the end of the ages when it will happen again in the same places.
Hebrews tells us the importance of being sanctified - letting God purify you. Without it we will never see God. God begs us not to miss the grace he gives us to be pure. Grace is not the license to sin and be forgiven, it is the power not to sin. He gives us the example of Esau who chose the pleasures of this world over the things of God. The new covenant is so much better than the old. Jesus’ blood has so much more power than the blood of animals and the heavenly Mt. Zion is a much better place than the earthly Mt. Zion.
Today we go back to the 11th year of Israel’s exile and read what God said about the king of Egypt. He compared him to Lucifer in the garden of Eden. He was the envy of all the trees in the garden of Eden in his beauty and majesty. He was lifted higher than any other and let pride consume him. The king of Egypt would be brought down just as Lucifer was.
A year and a half later, God sent Ezekiel to the king of Egypt to give him a rebuke. God compared him to a lion and a sea monster who muddied the water. But God was going to bring destruction and mapped out his downfall. He was going to make Egypt desolate and strip the land of everything in it, then everyone would know that God was the Lord.
In the 12th year of Israel’s exile, God spoke of Egypt’s destruction again and of Assyria’s. All of these prophecies are foreshadows of the end of the ages when it will happen again in the same places.
Hebrews tells us the importance of being sanctified - letting God purify you. Without it we will never see God. God begs us not to miss the grace he gives us to be pure. Grace is not the license to sin and be forgiven, it is the power not to sin. He gives us the example of Esau who chose the pleasures of this world over the things of God. The new covenant is so much better than the old. Jesus’ blood has so much more power than the blood of animals and the heavenly Mt. Zion is a much better place than the earthly Mt. Zion.
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