It seemed our adjustment back to the “swing of things” proved more challenging than anticipated. After somewhat of a restless night, I got up early for a breakfast meeting at CCU with the Centennial Institute Fellows. It was good to be with this group and to hear from Jeff Hunt who will take over for John Andrews in January as the Director the Centennial Institute.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “People who believe in God’s Son are not judged guilty. Those who do not believe have already been judged guilty, because they have not believed in God’s one and only Son. They are judged by this fact: The Light has come into the world, but they did not want light….” John 3:18,19 NCV

John chapter 3 contains some well known words of Jesus. It can easy to forget that they are all related to Jesus’ response to Nicodemus, a Pharisee…a respected ruler among the Pharisees who came to Jesus and recognized that God “was with Him.” 

Jesus’ response seems abrupt as He makes the statement, “unless you are born again, you cannot be in God’s kingdom.” (John 3:3 NCV) Recognizing who Jesus is through what He does, is not enough to gain eternal life; believing in Him as God’s only Son and His Words is what makes the difference.  As we move through Jesus discourse we observe that spiritual life comes from God’s Spirit. It is not a product of human intellect of understanding.

Jesus told Nicodemus, “…you will not believe me if I tell you about things of heaven.” (John 3:12 NCV) Paul would write, “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 2:14 NIV)

Spiritual life is not through human intellect and it is not through human goodness. “For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh.” (Romans 8:3 NIV)

Spiritual life comes from God’s Spirit. That was Jesus’ simply explanation to Nicodemus about what it means to be “born again.” Just as the wind is mysterious and it can not be controlled and it comes and it goes at will, so God’s Spirit comes to bring life to people at times they don’t expect and in ways they don’t anticipate. But it all takes place when an individual places their faith in Jesus Christ as God’s Son and their Savior.

When we look to Jesus, we see God’s judgment on sin, just as the serpent in the wilderness reminded God’s people of God’s judgment on their sin. Our sin has been judged by God, but placed on Christ. That is why the prophet declared, “…LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6 NIV)

That which is important in scripture is repeated. Consider these verses, “…everyone who believes can have eternal life in him.” (John 3:15 NCV) “…whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NCV) “Those who do not believe have already been judged guilty, because they have not believed in God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:18 NCV) “Those who believe in the Son have eternal life, but those who do not obey the Son will never have life.” (John 3:36 NCV)

We see that God has done everything possible for people to believe. “God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16,17 NCV)

Failure to believe, to come to the the light of Christ’s love and truth is to place the guilty verdict on your own life. We are familiar with the idea of being “judged guilty” by others. In our modern day “jurisprudence” that is a jury of our peers. But in the context of John 3 when a person is on trial and judged guilty, when they look into the jury box the faces of those on the jury pronouncing the verdict, all have the face of the guilty person. By their own actions and attitudes they have condemned themselves. Jesus said, “they have already been guilty, because they did not believe…they did not want light. They wanted darkness…” (John 3:18-20)

I am reminded of the old saying, “I would rather be safe than sorry.” When it comes to our spiritual life and response, “we have to be sorry, to be safe” or saved.

We arrived home from Atlanta this evening after a full day of travel. We were able to get Caedmon connected with his parents just in time to connect with our shuttle service back to Fort Collins.  I think his siblings missed him the last five days he was gone. We ended our stay before the cousins began treating each other too much like siblings and still loving each other.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Now I have something to say to the elders in your group. I also am an elder. I have seen Christ’s sufferings, and I will share in the glory that will be shown to us. I beg you to shepherd God’s flock, for whom you are responsible.”                1 Peter 5:1,2 NCV

As Peter comes to the close of his first letter, he addresses elders who serve and are among the people. There are passages of scripture where we find qualifications for spiritual leaders and descriptions of spiritual gifts. But perhaps there is no other greater summary of the value, priorities and motivations required for spiritual leaders than what is found in these first four verses of 1 Peter 5.

My attention is drawn to some of the following observations.

1 – Peter approaches elders in humility. From the very beginning Peter shows his identification with other spiritual leaders. He does not refer to himself as an apostle, which he was. He does not refer to himself as being “chosen” for a special role, which he was. He simple says, “I also am an elder.”

He talks about his history, but also anticipates his own future in God’s will. He saw firsthand Christ’s suffering, and he knew the sufferings that he would face. The next thing I observe is the use of the word, “beg” in admonishing elders to their primary task. He doesn’t say “command” – which he could have, but instead pleads and implores these fellow elders in their role. By his approach Peter is letting elders know that humility must characterize their life.

2 – The call to Shepherd God’s flock. The only job description Peter gives elders is to “shepherd God’s flock.” That’s it – and then he reminds them this is their responsibility – and with responsibility comes accountability, because it is “God’s” flock.

When we think of the familiar Biblical role of a shepherd, all kinds of verses and images come to mind. This includes Psalm 23 as well as Jesus words in John 10. But what is interesting is the model for the shepherd of God’s flock comes from the Lord Himself. We see protection, care, concern and self-sacrifice all pictured in God’s “shepherding” role.

3 – The motivation for leaders. Next we see two statements that speak to the positive motivation of the shepherd set in contrast to a negative one. “Watch over them because you want to…Do it because you are happy to serve…”       (1 Peter 5:2 NCV) Spiritual leadership is first and foremost a “calling” not a vocational choice. If that is not at the basis of your motivation, the tenure will be short and the damage will be great.

I recall the advice of Debbie’s parents when I told them I was going to enter full-time ministry. They said, “if you can do anything else, do it!” That advice was not to discourage as much as it was related to the second motivation Peter addresses, “because you are happy to serve.” It could also be viewed as  “only do it because you will be miserable if you don’t.” There is joy and fulfillment in serving the Lord and being in His will.

These two positive motivations are set in contrast to two negative ones, “because you are forced to…because you want money.” No one should feel “pressure” to be in spiritual leadership by virtue of family history or the expectations of others. Also, a smile comes on anyone’s face, who is in ministry, when it comes to viewing ministry as a way to “make money.” When someone begins to view their efforts through thoughts of “how much more” they could be making doing something else; or how much they “gave up” – it is a recipe for ineffectiveness and resentment.

4 – Elders are to lead by example. Character and the approach to spiritual leadership counts. “Do not be like a ruler over people you are responsible for, but be good examples to them.”  (1 Peter 5:3 NCV) The call to spiritual leadership is not “tell” and much as it is to “show.” There is the adage that says, “I would rather see a sermon, than hear one.” We certainly see the Biblical mandate for preaching and teaching of God’s Word, but it must be backed by an individual who journey’s with people who are following Christ. Paul put it well when he said, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.“ (1 Corinthians 11:1 NIV)

5 – Eternity holds the reward. “…when Christ, the Chief Shepherd, comes, you will get a glorious crown that will never lose its beauty.“ (1 Peter 5:4 NCV) A shepherd works to please the “Chief Shepherd.” Elders are to serve and shepherd God’s flock anticipating the commendation, “well done good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of  your Lord.”  (Matthew 25:23 NKJV)

It is interesting that Peter writes this in lieu of his comments on one occasion to Jesus, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?” (Matthew 19:27 NLT) Jesus’ response included the words, “…everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life.”  (Matthew 19:29 NLT) What Peter found is when you look after God’s flock, God looks after you.

The challenging work of spiritual leadership is demanding and difficult to summarize. There are so many roles and expectations placed on church leaders today. But we see that Peter establishes an important foundation on which to build for the spiritual leader who seeks to find direction and satisfaction. Paul expresses the goal for every spiritual leader when he said,  “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.“ (Romans 12:11 NIV)

I stayed up late last night to see the Broncos win their game and Kansas City to win the World Series. Today we enjoyed a visit from our friend Carol Roberts and then later in the afternoon, I went for a workout with Stephanie to their local YMCA. We have had a good visit and will return home tomorrow.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…. “I will show how great I am. I will show my holiness, and I will make myself known to the many nations that watch. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”  Ezekiel 38:23 NCV

Ezekiel is a book of prophecy that addresses God’s people in rebellion, pronounces coming judgment and then promises future restoration. However, it is also a book with images and references to end time events. As the prophet warns of the invasion of  Gog from the north it not only relates to future events during Ezekiels day, but future events in our day as well. Famed Bible Commentator Matthew Henry relates Ezekiel 38 to the events of Revelation 18.

 ^“You will attack my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. This will happen in the days to come when I bring you against my land. Gog, then the nations will know me when they see me prove how holy I am in what I do through you.” (Ezekiel 38:16 NCV)

In the Book of Ezekiel at least twelves times prophecies are spoken to nations and God’s people that contain the words, “then they will know that I am the Lord” or something similiar.

We see that the Lord through His actions reveals Himself to His prophet. Ezekiel speaks to false prophets concerning the Lords judgment,  “I will punish the prophets who see false visions and prophesy lies…and they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord God.” Ezekiel 13:9 NCV As the Lord begins to work through Ezekiel the first thing He does is to make sure that Ezekiel has a clear revelation and confidence in his God.

This past weekend, I heard a statment that got my attention. It had to do with not just, “bellieving in God, but believing God.” It is on thing to say, “I believe in God.” That gives credance to  God’s existence. But when someone “believes God” and takes Him at His Word, it compels obedience and action. As Ezekiel recevied His own revelation of God, He knew that the Lord would do what He said He would do.

We see that the Lord through His actions reveals Himself to His people. The Lord speaks to His people and says, “Keep my Sabbaths holy, and they will be a sign between me and you. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.” (Ezekiel 20:20 NCV) God revealed Himself to His people through blessing for their obedience and through judgement for their disobedience. We consistenly see the Lord desires His people of all people to “know” Him and to obey Him and to experience all the blessings He has for them.

“Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them. The nation of Israel will know that they are my people, says the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 34:30 NCV)

We see that the Lord through His actions reveals Himself to nations. “When I make the land of Egypt empty and take everything that is in the land, when I destroy all those who live in Egypt, then they will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 32:15 NCV) The Lord through Ezekiel, like other prophets, speaks to “the nations” about God’s judgment on them. Even those who did not recognize the Lord God, would find who the true and living God really is. Through His sovereign power and the words of His prophets and the judgments that would come and the protection of His people the Lord was revealing Himself to the nations.

This is certainly what we see when Christ returns. There may be all kinds of explanations to end time events from “global warming” to “alien invasions” to whatever the human mind will use to rationalize away God’s activity in the events of the world; but a time will come when “every eye will see Him” (Revelation 1:7) and “every knee shall bow and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:10,11) In that moment all people will know that “the Lord He is God.”

What makes the greatest impact on a life is embracing on a personal level, the reality of the Lord and embracing relationship with Him.. That involves not just “believing in” but “believing God.” Living by faith, trusting your life each day to the Lord, and taking Him at His Word is the path to peace and blessing.

It was a cloudy and rainy day here in Atlanta. We went to a service at Revolution Church where Stephanie and Nathan attend. We spent the day at home watching football and for me working on some details on my book. This evening Stephanie wanted to celebrate Debbie’s birthday and mine that is coming during this next month. We took a picture with the grand kids and our birthday pie.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “…if the people of a country sin against me by not being loyal, I will use my power against them. I will cut off their supply of food and send a time of hunger, destroying both people and animals. Even if three great men like Noah, Daniel, and Job were in that country, their goodness could save only themselves, says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 14:12-14 NCV

When we look in the Bible we see some great men of God that were used to intercede for those facing God’s judgment. We see Abraham “bargaining” with God about saving the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for the sake of the righteous. We consistently see Moses and Aaron interceding for the consistently disobedient Children of Israel in the wilderness. We see the prayers of Isaiah in the days of idolatry and Nehemiah as God’s people were in captivity.

In many cases the intercession or actions of a leader or prophet stayed the hand of God’s judgment and allowed time for the people to repent. However, as the downward spiral of God’s people continued God’s patience had come to an end and the fate of His people was sealed. To emphasize this destiny the Lord speaks to Ezekiel and specifically names Noah, Daniel and Job as individuals who, though righteous, would only be able to “save” themselves; much like Lot who had to flee Sodom.

The reference to these three points to three critical segments of world history. Noah a “preacher of righteousness” lived before the flood. Job lived after the flood and before the formation of Israel, is described as “…a man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.“ (Job 1:1 NIV) Daniel lived among the exiles and distinguished himself as a leader, interpreter of dreams and faithful in his commitment to daily seek the Lord and intercede for God’s people.

From these three we see the Lord using key people at key times to play a significant role in their day. These three distinguished themselves because they set themselves apart from the prevailing culture of the day. In each time period people were focused on “eating, drinking, and giving in marriage.” They were only concerned about this life and failed to have a perspective of life that included eternity.

Jesus said that before he returns people will have the same focus as that in Noah’s day. “For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” (Matthew 24:38,39 NIV)

Each of these three were willing to stake their lives and their future on obedience to God. They faced ridicule for their faith, but they stayed true to what they knew, without needing to “know everything” before they trusted and obeyed. Noah built the ark, Job refused to “curse God and die”, Daniel would not defile himself with the King’s food and later faced a den of lions.

All three of these men speak to us about God consistently working out His plan and bringing good out of tragedy. We see new life and a new beginning after the flood, we see Job emerge from suffering with greater wealth, possessions and family. We see Daniel not only being a part of the restoration of God’s people to the Promised Land, but also speaking of days which are still to come.

All three of these men through their obedience saw the Lord reveal Himself to them and through their experiences they help us today understand the heart and character of God. It is important for us to realize we continually learn, grow and discover more about God and His plan for us and our future as we live in obedience to Him.

We see many “great” people in the Bible. Those whose lives mirrored Noah, Job and Daniel. They dedicated themselves to  God, sought God, obeyed the Lord and were used of the Lord to be an influence in their day. Just as the reference to these three reveal God’s work in our world over the history of time, the Lord is still at work in our day. He still uses those who will trust Him, one day at a time, dedicate themselves to His purpose and allow God to use them in strategic ways.

It looks like in Colorado we are arriving at Halloween without any snow fall in lower elevations. As a matter of fact, the temperatures in Fort Collins probably felt warmer than we are experiencing in Atlanta. We got up before sunrise to go to another football game for Mason and Carter. The weather was on the cold side and our team played accordingly. They experienced their first loss of the season during their “homecoming” game.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…  “‘This was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were proud and had plenty of food and lived in great comfort, but she did not help the poor and needy.” Ezekiel 16:49 NCV

Sodom in scripture became figurative of sin and God’s judgment. As the prophet addresses the idolatry and sins of God’s people he speaks of both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. God views the idolatry of His people like the sin of prostitution. They had rejected the Lord who had rescued them from their slavery in Egypt and continually sought after other gods and gave themselves to all forms of disobedience and sin.

Their generations of idolatry and rebellion, and refusing to heed the warnings of the prophets led them experience captivity by evil nations whose lives and standards by which they lived. This time proved to be God’s discipline until they were brought back to the land. As Ezekiel speaks to the sins of Israel and Judah, the Lord point out the fatal sins beneath their rebellion.

What we in God’s people is what we find in many lives today; the issue isn’t always the issue. In my work with Teen Challenge we consistently found that substance abuse was related to some underlying causes rooted in family or personal history, crisis or other issues. For Judah, their sins made them as wicked as Sodom because of three underlying issues: pride, plenty of food and ease.

Those may not sound all that bad. Often pride comes from great accomplishments and proven, well-developed abilities. Having plenty of food, especially in an agrarian society provides a lot of security. Having a life of ease and comfort seems to be what people dream about and view with envy.

However, these formed the seedbed of sin and rebellion against the Lord. The believed they didn’t need God on one hand and on the other they became callous toward others who were in need. They were self focused, self-reliant and self-absorbed. They were narcissistic people in a narcissistic land.

In pointing to these faults, we find what the Lord’s plan and purpose is for our life, by considering the opposing conduct and attitude.

Scripture warns about pride. We read, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Prov. 16:18 NIV) But we see the corollary, “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.“ (1 Peter 5:6 NLT) Pride focus on bringing honor to oneself, humility trust the Lord to bring the honor that comes from Him and others at the proper time and in the proper way.

We are not to live only for ourselves, but for others as well. Paul said, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4 ESV) One of the consistent Biblical instructions of this outward focus is other believers and the poor. Paul told the Galatians, “…as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:10 NIV)

From the Old Testament to the New we see God’s heart and commitment to the poor. “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.“ (Proverbs 19:17 NIV) As Paul was released to proclaim the good news of Christ to the gentiles the apostles had only one request, “All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.“ (Galatians 2:10 NIV)

Scripture teaches us how to live through the record of good examples and poor examples. We can learn and be challenged by both. When it comes to the seminal sins Judah that brought God’s judgment, we are warned about a life of pride, reliance on own provisions and seeking a life of self-centered comfort. May we commit ourselves to “walk humbly before the Lord” to trust in the security He alone can provide and seek to invest our lives in God’s purposes for the good of others.

We had a good first full day here in Atlanta. Enjoyed biscuits and grits and hanging out with the grand kids. This afternoon Mason and Carter’s football team was in the high school’s homecoming parade. It was a nice event with a lot of people and tons of candy for the kids. A good “Halloween Eve” event.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “…The person who sins is the one who will die.…He [who] lives by my rules and obeys my laws faithfully. Whoever does these things is good and will surely live, says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 18:4,9 NCV

I recall over 30 years ago I was in my first pastorate and was asked to visit a relative of some friends, who was facing a terminal illness. This man had a cursory knowledge of faith (some know enough of the Bible to be confused), but had not lead a godly life. As he faced his own mortality, he was haunted by the idea that his own rejection of the Lord, condemned the fate of his children and as a result he could not turn to the Lord because of the life he had lived and guilt and regrets he felt.

Regardless of the reasons, that was his perspective. I visited with him on several occasions and shared scripture about the Lord’s forgiveness and shared verses from the Bible that showed each person was responsible for their own life before the Lord regardless of their family history. In the end, before he died, he committed his life to the Lord.

This man may have been influenced and confused about the scripture that says, “….He [the Lord] punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” (Numbers 14:18 NIV) But he failed to understand the full context of the Bible and words just before this that say, “The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion…” (Numbers 14:18 NIV)

Ezekiel 18 makes it is clear that the ideas and perspective of people are different from the Lord’s. The Lord says, if a godly person has rebellious children, those children will die in their sin. If wicked people have children that turn to the Lord, they will be saved. The Lord goes on says if the wicked turn from their evil ways and follow the Lord they will be saved and if the righteous turn to evil and become wicked that there “good deeds will not be remembered.”

For the people of Ezekiel’s day and for many in ours the response is, “not fair!” Here is what God says, “But you say, ‘What the Lord does isn’t fair.’ Listen, people of Israel. I am fair. It is what you do that is not fair! …They [each person] will die, because they did wrong… I will judge each of you by what you do, says the Lord God. Change your hearts and stop all your sinning so sin will not bring your ruin.” (Ezekiel 18:25-26;30

What we see is God’s heart for people to come to Him, “I do not really want the wicked to die, says the Lord God. I want them to stop their bad ways and live.” (Ezekiel 18:23 NCV) We see the consistency of scripture with the words of Paul in the New Testament – “God our Savior….wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2:3-5 NIV)

The Lord in His love, grace and mercy has provided the way for all to “live right” before Him. That is not found in what we “prove” to God, but in accepting what He has “provided” for us through Jesus Christ. His plan is to make the path and the choice clear. One God, who has provided one way, for all people to know the life He alone can provide; both now and for eternity.

In one of the most important verses of the Bible, Paul declares how we were incapable of pleasing and obeying God through our own efforts, so the Lord intervened and did for us, what we are powerless to do for ourselves –  “The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.” (Romans 8:3 NLT)

The adage is, “God doesn’t have grandchildren, just sons and daughters.” Your parent’s faith can’t save you and their disobedience doesn’t condemn you. Each person’s destiny is decided when they answer the question of Pilate, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” … (Matthew 7:22 ESV) The best choice is to accept what Christ has already provided and to experience His life. “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:12 NIV) Choose life!

This morning we got up early and prepared for our trip to Atlanta. We will be visiting Stephan, Nathan, Mason, Carter and Mackenzie for the next four days. We brought Caedmon, (Christian and Bridget’s second son) with us to see his cousins. They waited until the last minute and surprised Caedmon about the trip by showing a video from his cousins in Atlanta breaking the news to him that he was coming for a visit. Of course, that creates a reaction from his siblings. They haven’t learned the “rejoice with those who rejoice” quite yet. 🙂 But Christian, Bridget and two remaining kids are headed to the mountains for a special time this weekend, so hopefully that will help.

We arrived in Atlanta in time to see Mason and Carter’s football game. This is a 6-8 year old team. The parking lot was full and there were even little “cheerleaders” about ages 4-6 (in their little uniforms and even a halftime “show.”) The grand kid’s team was winning 38-20 so we left early to beat the crowd. Welcome to the home of the SEC!

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: …the people of Israel are saying, ‘The vision that Ezekiel sees is for a time many years from now. He is prophesying about times far away.’ “So say to them: ‘The Lord God says this: None of my words will be delayed anymore. What I have said will be done, says the Lord God.’” Ezekiel 12:26-28 NCV

Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel prophesied to God’s people before their final days of judgment and complete captivity. Ezekiel was taken captive during the initial wave of exiles to Babylon and still spoke God’s message back to Jerusalem. The voice of these two great prophets sounded the warning over and over, from different vantage points.

They spoke of coming judgment and the need to repent and return to full devotion to the Lord. However, the Lord’s mercy and patience created mockers in Ezekiel’s day just as it will before the Lord returns. Peter writes, “…you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:3,4 NIV)

This is what was happening just weeks before God’s final judgment came to Jerusalem through the Babylonians. We read about the attitude of the people and the Lord’s response. ‘The [people say] days go by and every vision comes to nothing’ So say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: I will make them stop saying this, and nobody in Israel will use this saying anymore.’ But tell them, ‘The time is near when every vision will come true. (Ezekiel 12:22,23 NCV)

Jeremiah preached for years, so did Ezekiel. Both men were used by the Lord in some dramatic ways to get the people’s attention. But soon, their response to the message turned from refusing to listen and respond to contempt and intolerance and eventually persecution.

What lead to this? The people misunderstood the meaning of God’s delay. As time worn on the ears and hearts of the people became hardened. They even failed to see the connection between the words of the prophets to events that had already taken place and failed to realize “something worse” was happening. The Lord spoke to Ezekiel about these people,

“They have eyes to see, but they do not see, and they have ears to hear, but they do not hear, because they are a people who refuse to obey.”  (Ezekiel 12:2 NCV)

Then we see the spiritual confusion brought by false prophets. It was not just the Lord’s prophets who were speaking to the people. There were other “prophets” whom the people listen to and were complicit in the people’s disobedience and continued to lull them into complacency. The Lord spoke and said, “…How terrible it will be for the foolish prophets who follow their own ideas and have not seen a vision from me!…they lead my people the wrong way by saying, “Peace!” when there is no peace. “ (Ezekiel 13:3-4,10 NCV)

I am reminded of Paul’s words to Timothy centuries later, “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (2 Timothy 4:3 NIV)

Finally, we see the people had convinced themselves that God doesn’t know or notice what they are doing. “…have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the dark? Have you seen each man in the room of his own idol? They say, ‘The Lord doesn’t see us. The Lord has left the land.’”  (Ezekiel 8:12,13 NCV) The Lord showed Ezekiel God’s people with their backs toward the Temple, worshiping the sun. The Lord revealed their “hateful things and violence” that had filled the land. In all that they were doing they either believed the Lord didn’t see or care or that they were “on their own” and so it didn’t matter. But they had to come to these conclusions while shutting out the voice of the Lord through His prophets.

The message and warning for us and for our day, is to take God and His Word seriously. Many fall into the trap of believing that if what they are doing is “not right” that God will instantly “strike them dead.” I’m glad God doesn’t do that…nobody would be around. But this twisted view of God lulls people in our world today into complacency and apathy.

We need to remember that what the Lord has said will happen…will happen. Throughout time there has been confusion and distortion about the Lord’s return and “who the anti-Christ” is or will be. Some people fall prey to the “chicken little” syndrome. They don’t something happen and their hearts become hard and they become cynical.

Then remember the Lord’s knows our “ways” and our actions. He knows our hearts and where we place our trust and confidence. The Lord spoke through Jeremiah, “My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes.“ (Jeremiah 16:17 NIV)  David declared, “O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.“ (Psalm 69:5 ESV) We need to be open to the Lord’s message when it confronts more than comforts.

In the book of Ezekiel the Lord makes reference to the righteousness of Noah, Daniel and Job. (Ezekiel 14:14,20) When we reflect on the lives of these men, we can observe they “took God seriously.” They trusted in the Lord, obeyed and remained faithful. As we live in challenging days and in a world that in many ways is “headed for destruction” we need to remember the day of the Lord is approaching faster than what we may realize.

I had a couple of appointments with some hospital executives in Denver today. It was a special opportunity to learn of their background and some of the challenges they face, and how I can provide some support to them when it comes to public policy issues.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Now that you are obedient children of God do not live as you did in the past.”      1 Peter 1:14 NCV

As I was completing my read through 1 Peter, I took note of the various “audiences” that he addresses. Of course all that Peter addresses has application for all believers, and the verses below are just a “sampling” of Peter’s words but they are a good summary.

To the Church – “I beg you to avoid the evil things your bodies want to do that fight against your soul…Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Live as servants of God.”  (1 Peter 2:11,16 NCV) 

“…all of you should be in agreement, understanding each other, loving each other as family, being kind and humble.” (1 Peter 3:8 NCV)

“Control yourselves and be careful! The devil, your enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat. Refuse to give in to him, by standing strong in your faith.”  (1 Peter 5:8,9 NCV)

To Slaves – “…yield to the authority of your masters with all respect, not only those who are good and kind, but also those who are dishonest.”  (1 Peter 2:18 NCV)

To Wives of Unbelieving Husbands –  “…you wives should yield to your husbands. Then, if some husbands do not obey God’s teaching, they will be persuaded to believe without anyone’s saying a word to them.“ (1 Peter 3:1 NCV)

To Husbands –  “…Husbands should live with your wives in an understanding way…show them respect, because God gives them the same blessing he gives you…” (1 Peter 3:7 NCV)

To Those Who Suffer – “…Do not think that something strange is happening to you. But be happy that you are sharing in Christ’s sufferings so that you will be happy and full of joy when Christ comes again in glory...So those who suffer as God wants should trust their souls to the faithful Creator as they continue to do what is right.…God, who gives all grace, will make everything right. He will make you strong and support you and keep you from falling.” (1 Peter 4:13,19; 5:10 NCV)

To Elders – “…shepherd God’s flock, for whom you are responsible. Watch over them because you want to, not because you are forced. That is how God wants it. Do it because you are happy to serve, not because you want money.” (1 Peter 5:2 NCV)

To the Young – “…younger people should be willing to be under older people. And all of you should be very humble with each other.”   (1 Peter 5:2 NCV)

To Those Who Worry –  “Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7 NCV)

When we come to Christ, the Lord call us to a new life. It impacts who we are and what we do. It impacts those who in various stages of life and who face various situations. Peter is the disciple we know that most about; he is the one who learned from his failures. As he speaks to believers who are facing persecution and shows his concern for God’s people his background and experience should help us appreciate his word and perspective. We need to remember that God’s Word is sufficient to speak to us and challenge us in our day to day lives.