LWBC: Not Yet...But Soon 2

So this Watchman, Ezekiel, is called by God and begins his wild journey.

A mysterious hand from Heaven appeared before Zeke with a scroll in it. Front and back it was covered in words. Words of lament - mourning - woe...words of sadness - gloom - emitting the feeling of death.

God said to Zeke, 'Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll...' Seriously. Eat the paper?

God said, 'eat this scroll...fill your stomach with it.' So he did.

It tasted like honey. Honey was like candy to the ancient middle easterners. No chocolate. No Twinkies. No Jelly Bellies tasting like strawberry, popcorn or puke. Gods word was the sweetest flavor in existence.

This exiled Priest. A spiritual watchman yet a physical prisoner in Babylon. A slave-laborer working on the waterways. This man was called by God to preach a word of warning and he would take at least 22 years to live out and write down his prophecy, the Book of Ezekiel.

Zeke tastes the sweetness of the word in a ridiculously weird way. Once he eats it God simply says, 'go now to the Israelites and speak my words to them.' Zeke eats a scroll and all of a sudden knows what God wants him to say! That's crazy talk. How is it possible?

This God works in very interesting ways. He leads His people in fresh and exciting ways even in the midst of slavery, depression and frustration.

Are you reading the Word - trusting His promises of love and salvation - fearing the Word that speaks of separation and judgement...

Have you tasted this kind of Honey in your faith?

Read Ezekiel 2:9-3:4

LWBC: Not Yet...But Soon 1

Last summer I shaved my beard in front of a group of students. Why? Let me explain.

Ezekiel was called by God (1:2). He was called the 'Watchman' (3:17) - a man who was morally bound to sound the alarm of impending doom to the Israelites. His job was to listen to God and reveal Gods plan to the people...whether they wanted to listen or not...and they didn't.

Zeke didn't have a choice. He wasn't asked to do this job...the Spirit literally raised him off his butt and onto his feet in order to listen to and do what God had planned (2:1-2). Though how God gave Zeke the words to speak wasn't normal. Nor was just about anything Zeke would eventually do in the name of God.

Follow Zeke's journey.

Will He Find?

'However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?'

In a parable about a persistent widow Jesus describes a god-less, arrogantly dis-compassionate judge who inevitably is willing to see that the widows hopes and requests for justice are fulfilled.

If such a judge is able to show mercy, isn't God all the more eager and capable of doing so for His people, the body of Christ?

Jesus even has the guts to say that God will answer our prayers 'Quickly!'

Jesus said quickly....But He follows up with a sobering clarification - Jesus quickly defines 'quickly' as = 'when the Son of Man comes...' Everyone will receive a Divine response to their prayers, particularly injustice, without fail but true fulfillment is in Christs return.

Several notes about this parable:
1) Ask, seek, knock - without a bitter and defeated soul, in hope and trust, plead with God to your hearts desire and beyond. Persevere in your prayer life as the widow did.

2) Keep watch - He will answer our righteous prayers, it's what He desires...keep you're eyes, ears, hands and heart open expecting a response just as the widow waited for a response daily from the judge - it's His timing that matters.

3) Ultimately, all injustice will be wiped away and all prayers answered when Jesus finally and holistically redeems His people around the world to Himself.

4) Jesus finally says what He is looking for in the widow (and ultimately the earth) - faith. The believer prays assuming God will answer. In their continued prayers they diligently watch for the Lord to act. Yet their hope isn't in 1 or 1000 answered prayers...the believers hope and faith are in Jesus and His promise of redemption...final redemption. Will He find faith on earth?

Ask, watch, hope.

Luke 18:1-8

Should Faith...

Should Faith override material need?
Should Faith overcome gut reaction?

Should Faith push beyond that sinking feeling that brings anxiety?
Should Faith push us beyond how others in our community live?

Should Faith guide us to the Path of Least Resistance?
Should Faith alter our attitude as Paul claims?
Should Faith encourage, hope, love and proclaim?

Should Faith melt a frozen heart and create a willing soul?
Should Faith matter?
Does Faith matter?
Faith Should be seen and felt by those around you,
Even if Faith is in the Unseen One.

Live by Faith...sight never fulfills.

...the Sifting

'Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.'

What's that? Jesus acknowledged the existance of a supernatually evil character at work against His own followers?

Satan: 'Satanas' - adversary, evil spirits, name of the prince of fallen angels

In fact - Satan is against all that is good, right, pure and holy. We might assume that those who worship him trust him as a leader and yet Satans deception and hatred knows no bounds - he trusts none, loves none, cares for none...not even those who worship him. His desire is deceit - His joy is in unholy suffering - His future is set to destruction.

Jesus grabbed Simon Peters attention but proceeded to warn the whole group to beware of the evil one. The disciples had been arguing over leadership and greatness - this prideful argument gives Satan an opportunity to sift. Wheat gets sifted from the chaff. Jesus saves the wheat...the chaff is given to the adversary.

taken from Lukes Gospel chapter 22

Shame Game

Shame sneaks in doesn't it. I'm not talking about being ashamed of your boyfriend who hasn't showered in a week, smells like dung, wearing the same nasty sweatpants for a month with that hole in the crotch trying to kiss you with shag-carpet teeth and mocking those who 'dress-up' to go on a date. Be ashamed...very ashamed. No, I'm talking about being ashamed of Christ.

Maybe we hesitate to place our bible on the restaurant table. Or we leave it in our bag while we study at the library. Or shuffle it into our desk at work before a meeting. Or into the glove-box of our work van at the job site.

Shame-Blame: This is when we know we're ashamed but blame the modern church for being such a lousy witness to the public...if they hadn't screwed up Jesus' name, truth and message we wouldn't have to be ashamed to call ourselves a Christian.
OR We blame those who failed to instill in us the right passion, knowledge, courage to stand firm in the gospel and now have to find 'creative' ways to live out the faith.

Shame-Pain: (a fruity-bubbly cocktail of misery) The inevitable end to any form of shame in Christ. Paul urges us to never be ashamed of the Gospel - it's our power, strength and ultimately salvation (Rom. 1). Jesus warns us not to be ashamed of Him...or He'll be eternally ashamed of us (Luke 9). Terrifying.

Shame of Christ sneaks in - it robs us of the Spirits gift of joy - it robs us of opportunities to suffer like Christ. Stand firm then in the Word...for the Lords coming is near.

the Reverse

According to the Apostle Paul Jesus Christ is Lord - the Messiah Yeshua is Ruler over all the heavens and the earth - God Incarnate is Sovereign King.

Jesus himself claimed to be the only way and the only truth and the eternal life emanating from the Father. He is our King Messiah and we can know him and trust his Word.

Now beginning with Jesus one can work in reverse to the creation of the universe (as John does in his Gospel) where this God is in fact working on bringing forth something ex nihilo...or rather from himself.

If one is willing to accept that God has worked throughout all of history - and that Jesus descended from heaven - born prophetically of a virgin in a small town - lived sinlessly in a large polytheistic empire - died atonefully for all on earth who believe - resurrected from the grave - ascended to the throne and interacts holistically in the present...

...Would it still be a stretch to believe that this tiny planet - in the middle of a rather small galaxy - in the midst of an enormously ever expanding space has all been purposefully created from the start? If Jesus is the Creator Messiah...is it rational to believe that he is yet incapable of creating instantaneously with purpose. That he simply must have left the earth to a chaotic evolutionary hodge-podge of possibilities?

Rationale doesn't sit on the bench with a blind faith.The Christian is called to love God with every ounce of his heart, soul, mind and strength (Deut. 6/Matt. 22). One can choose not to believe in Jesus but one is yet left to explain this something from nothing - and isn't the Big Bang Theory simply another way of saying, 'something(someone) pulled the trigger'?