truth – Page 5

Neither Side

“Then Jesus went throughout all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” –Matthew 9:35-36, NET

We should see wicked behavior and cry out against it (ex: Mark 6:18; Acts 26:20), especially when the LORD implores us to speak (ex: Jonah 1:2). We should disciple all men to obey all that Christ commanded (Mat 28:20). But if we join in the fight to uphold culture morality by legislation, then we have forgotten that is by the power of grace alone to rewrite the condition of our hearts (Jer 17:1; 31:33). Merely having the law will not reshape men to obey, but bring about only further judgment (Rom 2:17-23). We end up actively struggling against the God who is tearing down religious façades that keeps men from seeing the destructive outworking of wicked hearts.

Our heart must be moved more by the spiritual condition of the lost—for they are “like sheep without a shepherd,” (Mat 9:36). We know the good Shepherd they desperately need (John 10:14), so we must devise ways to restore the banished (2Sa 14:14). If all we do is provide clean water to “all who are thirsty” (Isa 55:1) yet fail to let them taste the “living water” of Christ Jesus, their thirst will never be quenched (John 4:10,14). If we give the hungry “something to eat” (Mat 14:16) yet fail to bring them the “Bread of life” (John 6:35), we are only numbing starvation pains. If we provide healthcare to the world yet do not make Jesus our chief physician, we are only providing pills to mask symptoms and leaving people to perish from their cancer of sin (Mark 2:17).

How can we love our neighbor if we only give him financial relief but fail to tell them about the One who paid all of our debts (1Jo 2:2; Rev 1:5)? How can we really be educating the children if we instruct them in science and literature but fail to tell them about the Author of life (Act 3:15) who holds all things together (Col 1:17), and avoid teaching them to fear God—the foundation of understanding (Deu 11:19; Psa 34:11; Pro 9:10; Hos 6:6)? What good will our efforts be in helping bring about peace and unity among people groups if they all end up marching into hell together (Gen 11:1-4; Psa 2:2-6; Rev 19:19-21)? Without Jesus, all things are meaningless (Ecc 12:8; Col 1:16-20).

Let us see their true need as we minister to the “needs” they feel.

Billy Neal

Marked

Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, “Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a deadly weapon in his hand.” And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his battle-ax in his hand. One man among them was clothed with linen and had a writer’s inkhorn at his side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar.

Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”

To the others He said in my hearing, “Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple. — Ezekiel 9:1-6, NKJV

Men, Ezekiel is still deep within a vision with the Lord, who has shown Ezekiel how great Israel’s sins have become, even desecrating the temple of God with idols, images of idols and worship to false deities. While in the vision the Lord calls out for the angelic entities who are responsible for overseeing Jerusalem, “Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a deadly weapon in his hand.” At the Lord’s command, 6 men came, each with his battle-ax. 1 man had an ink-horn in addition. To the one with the ink-horn, the Lord gave instruction to go throughout the whole city and mark each person who took issue with the abominations happening within Jerusalem.

In the next group of passages, the remaining angels will be given orders to spare only those marked. The Lord takes great care to preserve those who had not fully conceded to the worship of lesser entities and objects. The Lord instructs that this marking process begin at the temple, recognizing where the greatest problem is first and sends the angels out from that point. There will be no mercy afforded to any without the mark regardless of gender, age, or position.

We get an understanding here, that what will happen in the physical realm, begins from the unseen spiritual realm. What do we ourselves look like to angelic entities who survey our towns? We know these figures exist, what do they see? We cry out over injustice and fraud from our elected officials, do we cry out for the injustices and false worship against the Lord our God? We dress in team colors and body paint to worship in sports arenas, but struggle to acknowledge the Lord publicly. We invite filth into our homes and think no one else sees or cares. While we’re distracted by issues of the day, are we being marked preceding the judgment of the end of days?

Move forward men, conscious of what is seen of us from outside our life. Live clearly defined as a believer in Christ alone who is worthy.

Vance Durrance

Descrating the Temple

And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house with the elders of Judah sitting before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell upon me there. Then I looked, and there was a likeness, like the appearance of fire—from the appearance of His waist and downward, fire; and from His waist and upward, like the appearance of brightness, like the color of amber. He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the north gate of the inner court, where the seat of the image of jealousy was, which provokes to jealousy. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I saw in the plain.

Then He said to me, “Son of man, lift your eyes now toward the north.” So I lifted my eyes toward the north, and there, north of the altar gate, was this image of jealousy in the entrance.

Furthermore He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel commits here, to make Me go far away from My sanctuary? Now turn again, you will see greater abominations.” — Ezekiel 8:1-6

Men, in just over a year, Ezekiel has completed the 430 day event of lying on his side. Now the elders of Israel are sitting in front of Ezekiel inside his home when “the hand of the Lord God fell on” him. Like the first vision, Ezekiel sees the form of a man in the appearance of fire from the waist down and the appearance of amber brightness there upward. The Lord stretched out His hand and took Ezekiel between the earth and heaven to show him Jerusalem, into the door of the north gate of the inner court. There, inside the gate of the inner court an idol had been erected which provoked the Lord to jealousy.

Many scholars believe this idol was of Ashera, a fertility false goddess. Ezekiel does not expand on the practices the Lord drew his attention to in v6. The Lord called it “abominable”. To bow to an idol inside the inner sanctuary of the temple was in itself abominable, but if this were Ashera, there may have been further practices inciting the Lord’s anger. In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul addresses the Corinth church who had allowed sexual sins to pervert the congregation. Paul reminds the people to flee sexual immorality, because the body is the TEMPLE of the Holy Spirit within us.

In Ezekiel’s time, God dwelt in the physical temple, but no longer, He has caused the temple to become desolate, and now dwells in the believing hearts of His children. Now we ask ourselves, if He dwells in our hearts, what are we asking Him to dwell alongside of? Are there idols erected in our innermost hearts that the Lord God must share cohabitation? Will the Lord be provoked to jealousy from within our own hearts?

Move forward men, removing that which is abominable from His temple within our hearts. Ask Him to show us what He sees, to reveal that which needs to be removed, then ask Him to help you surrender it to Him. May the Lord God alone be lifted up within us. He alone is worthy.

Vance Durrance

Witness or Rebel?

Choice

“Thus says the Lord God: ‘This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations and the countries all around her. She has rebelled against My judgments by doing wickedness more than the nations, and against My statutes more than the countries that are all around her; for they have refused My judgments, and they have not walked in My statutes.’ Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have multiplied disobedience more than the nations that are all around you, have not walked in My statutes nor kept My judgments, nor even done according to the judgments of the nations that are all around you’— therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Indeed I, even I, am against you and will execute judgments in your midst in the sight of the nations. And I will do among you what I have never done, and the like of which I will never do again, because of all your abominations. Therefore fathers shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments among you, and all of you who remain I will scatter to all the winds.

¹¹‘Therefore, as I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘surely, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations, therefore I will also diminish you; My eye will not spare, nor will I have any pity. ¹²One-third of you shall die of the pestilence, and be consumed with famine in your midst; and one-third shall fall by the sword all around you; and I will scatter another third to all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.

Ezekiel 5:5-12.

Men, in these selected verses, we get some further understanding on the particular sins that Israel has committed, bringing this calamity upon themselves. Israel has failed at being a testimony of God (v5), has rebelled against God’s statutes (v6-7), and defiled the temple with idols (v11). Once listed out, we can see a clear path to angering the Lord God, and bringing chastisement upon ourselves.

Israel had lived blessed with provisions and protections from the Lord God. Their job was to exalt God among the nations so that outsiders would see the loving kindness of God and be drawn to Him. They didn’t. Instead, they incrementally rebelled against the very God who had provided and protected them. Once they had turned from God, they then became seduced by other means of worship until they had finally erected idols in the very sanctuary of God.

In our time, we are called to be witnesses, to testify of the gospel message of Jesus. Are we committed to this basic expectation? Most agree, we live now in the “end times”. Of the end times, it’s said that many would turn away from sound doctrine toward what our itching ears wish to hear.

Are we rebelling against God? How much of the world have we brought into our Sunday morning experience? I’ve personally sat through services in years past where game day scores were discussed in further detail from the pulpit than the truths of our Lord God. Are we inviting chastisement? Will we too wonder how the Lord God became so angry with us?

Move forward, men, evaluating where we are individually in this devolving slope and repent. Turn back to the Lord while He may yet be found. Evaluate also the condition of your local fellowship. Be the one brave enough to sound an alarm. What are we truly worshipping in our lives today? God, or something else? We spare our own nation by turning back to the Lord individually and locally. What would your city look like in Ezekiel’s model?

Vance Durrance

Responsibility

Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me.
— Ezekiel 3:16-17

Men, following the vision where Ezekiel met with the Lord in His glory, Ezekiel sat by the river Chebar for 7 days. These 7 days marked a time of consecration, and also a time of mourning over Israel’s condition.

At the end of 7 days, the Word of the Lord came to Ezekiel. The Lord calls him a “watchman” and tells him to hear the Word given to him and to warn Israel accordingly. This time, Ezekiel receives instruction from the Lord by Word, instead of by vision. Ezekiel has graciously been given time by the Lord to process all He has experienced, and given time to accept within himself all he would be called into. The Lord knew when he’d be ready and came to him with a title.

The Lord has a formal role for him to take part in and has impressed upon him the significance of this role. Like a guard or Shepherd, Ezekiel will listen for the Lord and convey any message given to the people. A guard or sentry was a common position in this time, and they were charged with sounding an alarm at the moment trouble was revealed. Ezekiel will be asked to sound the alarm and communicate various troubles for many chapters coming.

Announcing trouble is meant to grant opportunity to respond to that trouble appropriately. Ezekiel will “hear a Word from My mouth” v17, and convey that Word. We all, regardless of the age, have a responsibility to listen for the Word of the Lord. We each have influence given to us by the Lord. We may not hear the audible voice of God, nor speak before a national address, but we each have access to the Word of God, His Holy Spirit, who illuminates His Word, and an audience we can reach. Our audience may be small, but no less important to God.

Move forward men, taking the opportunity to acknowledge and accept our responsibility to take His Word into our hearts with understanding. Speak truths and warnings found in His Word to those you have influence over. May the Lord direct your steps and give us each a voice befitting His Word.

Vance Durrance

Excuses

“I answered, ‘Oh, Sovereign Lord, Really I do not know how to speak well enough for that, for I am too young.’ The Lord said to me, ‘Do not say, “I am too young.” But go to whomever I send you and say whatever I tell you. Do not be afraid of those to whom I send you, for I will be with you to protect you,’ says the Lord.” –Jeremiah 1:6-8

What does the LORD say to Moses when he tries to back out of God’s calling with the same excuse of being “slow of speech”? “Who gave a mouth to man, or who makes a person mute or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? So now go, and I will be with your mouth and will teach you what you must say,” (Exo 4:11-12).

The LORD is our Creator. He knows us intimately better than we know ourselves (Mat 10:30). So why would we ever use our weaknesses as if that were a factor in limiting God in His works? If we do so, we are admitting our weak faith and demonstrating a prideful confidence in our own strength and not a humble confidence in His.

And as for the excuse of age before men, “Let no one look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in your speech, conduct, love, faithfulness, and purity,” (1Ti 4:12). It matters not our status before men, but simply our faithful obedient walk before our Heavenly Father. So do not fear men, but God alone (Mat 10:28); and live not to please men, but seek to be a slave to Christ (Gal 1:10; Eph 6:6), living only to do the will of The Father (Luke 22:42; John 5:19).

Go as He has directed, and begin to see His gracious hand granting you immense favor and faith (Psa 84:11; 1Pe 1:3-6) as He fills your heart with the joy of His calling and presence (1Ch 16:27; Psa 16:11).

Billy Neal

Living Among Scorpions

“And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, though they are a rebellious house. You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” —Ezekiel 2:6-8.

Men, Ezekiel is meeting with the Lord within a deep vision. The Lord has called Israel impudent and stubborn. As the Lord continues, He tells him “Son of man, do not be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you, and you live among scorpions.” Putting in plainly, Ezekiel is set among sharp, hostile people. He lives among back biting people with unwelcoming disposition. These are people with hardness around their hearts. The Lord says not to be afraid of their words as He tells Ezekiel these people are scorpions, because their words will sting.

Like a scorpion, the rebellious captives may gnash out as with pincers or claws. Again, the Lord says, “You shall speak my words to them whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious.” Who in our age would want this job? Doesn’t this commission sound fun? In our age, believers are more likely to whine to our pastors about the people we find ourselves surrounded by. “Pray for me pastor, it’s just so hard, I’m the only Christian.” We search out employment among other believers so it’s not so hard to live out our faith.

What level of faith does it take to demonstrate our belief in a risen Lord among ourselves? Ezekiel is called to a people who are more likely to reject him. After refusing anything hard, we then look up at Heaven and ask why we aren’t being used of God for His Kingdom work. We’ve barely begun in Ezekiel and God has already said, “This is going to be hard, don’t be afraid”. How would you respond?

Move forward men, with the Word the Lord has given us. Whether they hear or refuse, we too have a commission set in Mathew 28, to “Go into all lands making disciples”. Most of those lands will be hostile. Even the “lands” just down the street are likely to refuse. Jesus didn’t promise plush and effortless evangelism. He promised to go with us. The Lord tells Ezekiel, “Do not be afraid or dismayed by their words or looks, but speak My Words, whether they hear or refuse”.

Vance Durrance

Have You “Seen” Jesus Lately?

Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calves’ feet. They sparkled like the color of burnished bronze. The hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides; and each of the four had faces and wings. Their wings touched one another. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward.

As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle. Thus were their faces. Their wings stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and two covered their bodies.And each one went straight forward; they went wherever the spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went.

As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning. And the living creatures ran back and forth, in appearance like a flash of lightning.

Now as I looked at the living creatures, behold, a wheel was on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces. The appearance of the wheels and their workings was like the color of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. The appearance of their workings was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel.When they moved, they went toward any one of four directions; they did not turn aside when they went. As for their rims, they were so high they were awesome; and their rims were full of eyes, all around the four of them. When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, because there the spirit went; and the wheels were lifted together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.When those went, these went; when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

The likeness of the firmament above the heads of the living creatures was like the color of an awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads. And under the firmament their wings spread out straight, one toward another. Each one had two which covered one side, and each one had two which covered the other side of the body. When they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army; and when they stood still, they let down their wings. A voice came from above the firmament that was over their heads; whenever they stood, they let down their wings.

And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.— Ezekiel 1:4-29

Men, it takes the rest of the chapter for Ezekiel to express what he saw as the Lord approached him at the Chebar River while a captive in Babylonia. Repeatedly he uses the words “likeness of” as he struggles to express the wonder of what he saw.

A whirlwind of raging fire approached Ezekiel, and in it where 4 winged creatures, each over a wheel inside a wheel, and each wheel had eyes all around it. Each winged creature had 4 faces, 4 wings and their appearance was like burning fire. Above them was a crystal like form of platform. On the platform was a throne like sapphire stone and something like a man sat upon it. As the Spirit inclined, the wheels and winged creatures moved and it made a noise like rushing waters, or of the Almighty, or of a marching army. The man upon the Throne shone with the color of amber from His waist up, and from the waist down He appeared to be of fire and a great radiance like that of rainbows was all around Him.

Ezekiel fumbles for words to express an inexpressible wonder of power, glory, radiance, and awe as the Lord of Heaven came to earth to meet with him in His vision. A.W. Tozer wrote in “Knowledge of the Holy”, “What comes to mind when we think about God, is the most important thing about us.”

Ezekiel had been taught about God in preparation to serve as priest his whole life until the captivity. But nothing could prepare him for what He saw and experienced. Every preconception, ever traditional interpretation, every teaching about His likeness fell flat. Whatever pursuit he had for God, through His Word and in service fell flat. At once, Ezekiel was reduced to awe struck, paralyzing, sensory overload.

Jesus said, “to see Me is to see the Father”. So we have to ask, have we really “seen” Jesus? We see Him in pieces, but if we ever saw Him in the form of His glory as Ezekiel has, what would we then think of God?

Move forward men, questioning the insufficiency and error of our thoughts about the Most High.

Vance Durrance

Doubt

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. — Matthew 28:16-17

Men, the women who witnessed an angel at the tomb of Jesus have returned to the disciples. They report what they have seen and conveyed the message, “Go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.” The 11 disciples go to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed. When they saw Jesus, they worshipped Him, but some doubted.

The word translated here as “doubted” may better be translated as “hesitated”. Some may have hesitated in wondrous disbelief, others in awe, or concern for how their personal failures may be handled by the resurrected Savior. The text says “they worshipped”, but doesn’t say, “Some worshipped”.

This leads our minds to believe there was an acceptance of His resurrection once each one saw Him, but there likely would have been various responses to Whom they saw. Each person processed the occasion differently, but history would record that each one would be martyred for their belief in Jesus as the Risen Savior.

Our experiences with Jesus through Holy Spirit today also come with a mixed bag of response. Some fall apart in tears as years of hurt fall away. Others take a knee in humble submission to the King of kings. Whatever the response, it is clear, those who seek Jesus with their whole heart, find Him.

How many of us are too busy to go to Galilee? Sunday marks a time when seekers set aside a morning to encounter Him at least in His Word and through fellowship. How many of us fail to be counted? The 11 seen Jesus and worshipped Him. They wrestled with all the various implications, after they sought Him.

Move forward men, seeking Him while He may yet be found. Get off the couch and pursue an encounter. Go to church, open His Word, sign up for a conference, attend an event that facilitates encounters with Holy Spirit, but move toward a place where you may meet Him. He is alive and still reveals Himself to the earnest.

Consider this opportunity: The QuestLife

Vance Durrance

Deception?

deception

On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.”

Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard. — Matthew 27:62-66.

Men, Jesus has been crucified and lay dead in a tomb offered up by Joseph of Arimathea. The next day the priests and Pharisees gather to meet with Pilate. Having remembered that Jesus had said, “After three days I will rise” they ask that a guard be placed at the tomb to secure it from any disciples who may steal the body and say to the people He had risen. The religious leaders feared that such an act would stir more emotion than Jesus had done while alive. Pilate sends them away to secure it themselves with a guard and seal.

Matthew has expressed the hypocrisy and corruption of the religious establishment well. As they called Jesus a “deceiver” they themselves have gone to Pilate with false concerns about Jesus usurping Caesar as “King of the Jews”. Now they again go to Pilate with concerns of deception.

Matthew, a disciple, may have been angry with the corruption of the religious authorities, but told as it is, Mathews account serves as an indictment of unbelief upon all the disciples. Even the enemies of Jesus had heard and interpreted correctly the meaning of Jesus’ Words, that He would rise. The Pharisees didn’t believe Jesus would rise, but at least they understood Jesus words. The disciples neither understood nor believed.

But, if this were a manufactured occasion, to deceive people into a false religion, who would include their own failings in their personal account? Matthew, a tax collector, already had wealth. Following Jesus cost him. A false claim of a Messiah would do nothing to help his standing among the religious establishment. If this gospel’s, or Jesus’ claim were untrue, why wouldn’t Matthew’s account be as guarded as Christ’s tomb? Jesus made bold claims, that were well understood, which came so true that an accurate telling of the story was possible even through personal failure to believe until after His claims were fulfilled.

Move forward men, with understanding and belief, that He did live, was crucified, He did die, and again LIVES!