Ezekiel chapter 15

Note:
I know I have skipped quite a few chapters. 
The reason is because I am going through Ezekiel for Bible readings for some of my Yahoo groups  and I felt to make a comment on Ezekiel chapter 15.


I hope to go back to where I left off in this Bible study series soon.


The comment in this blog is true of many of the warnings of God through Ezekiel! 


Second Note:
I have made comments of practical application after the reading.


Old Testament Reading:
Ezekiel chapter 15



1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?

3 Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?

4 Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it meet for any work?

5 Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned?

6 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

7 And I will set my face against them; they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them.

8 And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord GOD.

King James Version (KJV)
Public Domain

Audio Version:

Ezekiel chapter 15

http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/audio/flash_play.php?aid=25&book=33&chapte\r=15

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My comments:

I hope America is not yet at the point of Ezekiel chapter 15.
God does judge nations but perhaps if Americans repent and all Christians seek God's face and interceed for America, perhaps God will pour out his mercy and give us one more revival.



I am not talking about an Evnagelist visiting for a few days and emotions stirred up.


I am talking about a revival of holiness amongst Christians that cause others to notice and turn to God.


I am talking about a revival where God's people have their faiths stirred up so that not only the ministers but the "regular" Christians see miracles and healings as they pray for others.


When all that happens there will be emotional excitement but it will be rooted in God's work, in love for God and spiritual growth and not in an empty religious frenzy!

Like when Jonah preached to Nineveh that God was going to destroy them for their wickedness and God spared judgement because the whole city from the king to the peasant repented; the wealthy and those in rags repented; the oldest to the youngest (the youngest that could understand) all repented.



The Result? 
God showed mercy on Nineveh and spared them.


Let us hope enough Christians in America will pray for revival that God's coming judgement on America will be spared or at least softened!




Sincerely in Christ,
internet Pastor Bill

Lesson 7

Note:
This cartoon is used
with permission from
The Back Pew.




Ezekiel
Chapter 2:8 - 3:4


8 But thou, son of man,hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.
9 And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;
10 And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.
3:1 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.
2 So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.
3 And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.
4 And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.


Lesson 7 Ezekiel 2:8 - 3:4

To review all of the lessons;
you might want to read
and study the earlier lessons,
starting with this blog's first post.

As was stated in previous lessons;
The Holy Spirit entered Ezekiel to give him the strength to
stand in God's awesome, mighty, Holy Presence.
The Holy Spirit will be helping Ezekiel to live up to his name
"strength of God". Even in Ezekiel's initial calling which
begins here in Ezekiel chapter 2 and continues into chapter 3.
Rebellious is a theme in verses 2 through 8 of how the people
of Israel are at this time and yet that is Ezekiel's commission
to go preach to them anyway.

Now on to this lesson, Lesson #7
God tells Ezekiel to eat the scroll, the book that is filled with mournings and woe. John in Revelation (10:9-11) also ate a scroll given from God. It is one thing to speak about God and about His Word, it is another thing to proclaim the anointed Holy Word of God, popular or not! To proclaim an anointed Word that God has put on your heart is even more powerful then sharing a little from our head knowledge of God's Word.
That is what Ezekiel and John both had to do.
Proclaim the Word of God that became a part of them.
No wonder Jeremiah, said he could not be quiet because
God's Word burned within his soul.
When you have an anointed Word from God, it will burn in your Spirit until you have to share what God is saying. If not behind the pulpit then in Sunday school, if not that then at a church supper, if now within church then share with your family, your co-workers, your neighbors as God leads, or even perhaps sahring through blogs and/or internet groups. Often times an anointed prophetic message needs to be shared again and again because it is a message for many in your church, in the church world.
Often, it is a message for many in your neighborhood, your town, your state or province even for many in your nation.
God still needs anointed prophets to speak out to the nations and the world as well as to the church world.
Too many (thank God not all) have laid aside the porophetic ministry that are messages for the l;eaders of the church world and for leaders in their own towns, states and nations.
Why? because often times many realize like Ezekiel in this chapter and Jeremiah weeping through his whole ministry, they might not be popular.

God's message through Ezekiel and many of His prophecies are going to be those of fire and brimstone, of repent or else and this to a rebellious people that most likely will mock Him for it. Yet Ezekiel is to eat all of it and then proclaim those warnings of God. Even in Revelation for John, it hints at this.
For both Ezekiel and John the scroll was sweet as honey.
God's Word is sweet to believers and messengers of God.
However sometimes to proclaim the mournings and woes of judgement are "bitter to our stomach" because our human nature does not want to be rejected and because if we, the messenger of God, the prophet of God, have the heart oif God then we will weep over the people's rebellion like Jesus wept over Jerusalem for rejecting Him.

Notice:
that He is to eat all of this scroll/book
and notice that there

"was written within and
without mournings and woes."

Two things:

1. We cannot heed and preach only part of God's Word BUT we need to take in, obey all and preach all of God's Word to be effective servants of God, especially in these Last Days.

2. The scroll/book was written within and without. There is no space to add our own ideas.
No space to add our own words and/or traditions. If we try to add our own traditions and ideas to God's message then we end up "denying the power of God" and end up with only a powerless form (imitation of godliness).


The Holy Spirit strengthens and enables us to go beyond our abilities and even beyond our natural courage.
The Apostle Peter denied our Lord Jesus 3 times yet after Peter was filled with the Holy Ghost he, Peter preached boldly to thousands.

I fear for America.
Not an ungodly fear but a godly fear and concern for America!
Some American Christians think of the rapture (the catching away of the saints) as an escape from the worst of the Last Days as an escape from persecution.
But if America does not repent as a people and as a nation,
America is headed for judgements worse then 9-11 and Hurricane Katrina combined.
Here in America, Canada and Europe: murder of unborn children is rampant, killing of the elderly is gaining (usually under the guise of a nurse or doctor accidentally(?) overdosing, sometimes more blatantly claiming it is merciful. There was nothing merciful about the way Terri Schiavo was starved and dehydrated to death for 2 weeks. If our suppoosedly civilized courts think that is justice.... then God have mercy on us ALL!
God's judgement is overdue!
Then on top of that sinful perversions are so accepted that many public schools are teaching children as young as kindergarten that homosexuality/lesbianism, cross-dressing etc. are normal.

In fact there is legislation in progress in Washington DC that would make it a hate crime to believe or speak against homosexuality. If it passes, and I wrote a Newsletter or article like this one I could go to jail for saying homsexuality is sinful.
Possibly in America there will be a wave of persecution before we are caught away in the air to be with Jesus. Possibly before the Great Tribulation starts.
Jesus said blessed are you when you are persecuted for my righteousness sake.
Those of us in the Western world have not yet seen real persecution like those who have been under Nazi rule, Communists regimes, ungodly dictatorships or under Muslim rule.
Judgement is coming to America unless more Christians interceed for our nation. And when that judgement comes physical persecution with arrests and torture will come to the Christians from; by then, a clearly ungodly government.

The good news is if most Christians would start interceeding for America and for all Christian churches, if all Christians realized they are also ministers for Jesus Christ and received the boldness of God' s Holy Ghost to witness the hope of salvation which Christ offers to those who repent, to witness boldness to speak of the power of God to deliver from all sin including God's power to deliver from the bondage of all sexual sins, from drugs and alcohol THEN it would be possible to see a powerful Last Days Revival poured out by God's Holy Spirit.
We need many intercessors for this.
Every historical revival started with believers praying and interceeding.


Dear Heavenly Father,

I pray that every reader of this lesson will heed to your word, eat (absorb) your Word into their Spirit and boldly proclaim your Word to those around them.

Lord, God,
I ask that by your Holy Spirit you inspire those who read this lesson to proclaim this message boldly,
to also copy and forward this lesson to many of their family and friends.

God,
we pray for America, we pray that your anointing will come upon preachers teachers, and all Christians; that as we live for you we will be bolder through the power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim ALL of God's Word around us.
God, please stir many up to be intercessors and proclaim what they hear from God before it is too late for us.
Heavenly Father, we thank you that there is still hope and that you will answer us as we ask these things in faith, trusting anhd believing in you.
We pray all of this in Jesus Name.
AMEN!