Ezekiel 32:1-34:24

My dad would not really share the good news of the gospel with others in order for them to repent and begin to follow Jesus. No, he told them about hell and scared them into making that decision. I cannot say it was effective, and am reminded of him when I read the results of shame and the demise of entire people groups going to hell for not acknowledging God.

God, the Master, says:

I’m going to throw my net over you
    —many nations will get in on this operation—
    and haul you out with my dragnet. – Ezekiel 32:3 MSG

I notice that this net is not going to miss anyone. There will be a lot of people in this net. Those who thought they were somebody are going to be ashamed and filled with shame.

Pharaoh will see them all and, pompous old goat that he is, take comfort in the company he’ll keep—Pharaoh and his slaughtered army. Decree of God, the Master. – Ezekiel 32:31 MSG

This really gets me thinking. Pharaoh is now with the Persians, people of the north, Sidonians and Egyptians in hell, and he does not seem to have the same shame as the others. In fact, he will see everyone and – take comfort in the company he’ll keep. Seriously, there is comfort knowing that you are not the only one to suffer such shame and disgrace in judgment – I never would have figured it to be so. I have to assume Satan feels the same way.

What a picture of the destruction of nations describing what happens when I do not acknowledge God and do not repent when I do. Shame is the ultimate outcome.

I cannot end here. I have to bring Israel back into the picture – where do they land in all of this? Before they find themselves in hell as well, God commands them to be ashamed, while they are living. Here in Ezekiel 36:16-32 is the dialogue they hear from God. Their humility comes from knowing and from learning the outcomes from the punishment they have received and now the way is open for reconciliation with God. God has a definite view of honour and shame and I grasp that and I am sure the people of Israel grasped that as well. If I want a relationship with God, transparency in acknowledging shame is a good thing. It is in the offering of my shame to God that I am set free – truth sets me free. God then completes the reconciliation and the restoration and my status goes from shame to honourable shame as it becomes a part of my testimony to my relationship and journey with Him.

Father, I have to admit my shame to You and submit my pride to You. I do not want You to be only an addition to my life, I want to be a submission to You. Challenge me today, everyday, to be the man You have called and visioned me to be. Let not Your Holy Spirit leave me alone.

Erwin (evanlaar)

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2 Samuel 18-20; 2 Cor. 6; Psalm 56

Photo by Mandy Baldwin

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
     In God, whose word I praise
in God I trust and am not afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4, NIV

I’ve read this passage of scripture so many times. When I was younger I struggled in understanding how I could not be afraid … especially of tornadoes. I would sit in the back hallway of the house with the rest of my family and shake and cry in fear of what would happen when the tornado hit…which it never did. I would love to say I outgrew this fear and although I don’t sit and shake and cry when the tornado sirens go off, I’m still very much afraid.

Fear can be all encompassing. It can fill all our thoughts and cause us to singularly focus on the thing that is terrorizing our minds. We can freeze and loose hope for the future. All we know about the life of David demonstrates that he had every right to be afraid. Protecting his sheep from wild animals as a young kid, going up against Goliath as a young man, running from King Saul, running from his own son and as we see in this passage, being captured by the philistines have all been times of potential fear for David.

Photo by Mandy Baldwin

And yet…He says “I trust and am not afraid.” (Psalm 56:4,11) Right before each of these statements of trust, however, is the phrase “In God”. Unlike David, I have not learned to trust so completely that my fear is gone. I’m still afraid of many things. I can’t in my own power compel my fear to subside. But… “In God”. In God, I can learn. In God, I can slow down. In God, I can rest. In God, I can see God working. In God, I feel love. In God, I can love. In God, I receive mercy. In God, I am merciful. In God, I find grace. In God, I can be gracious. In God…

In God. Am I in God? Am I pursuing God? Is my fear and anger keeping me from being in God? Is yours? In God is everything because it sets the stage for where God wants to lead us and what He wants to do in and through us. Are we In God?

Dear God, I pray my heart will be In You. I pray that when fear overwhelms, I will find my strength and identity In You. I pray that when I’m consumed with myself and my desires and wants I would turn and place myself In You. When I can’t do any more, I pray you take my life and place it In You. Please Father, do a work that I cannot. Do a work that brings me even more into you. I pray for those reading that they would be drawn into you. May our lives point others to you. And may the fear that clouds our vision, be diminished by being IN YOU. Amen.

Mandy Baldwin (mkaybaldwin)

Genesis 32-34; Psalm 145; Mark 13

Imagine a young lady who is loved by a man and that same man rapes her.  Love in my family was just as dysfunctional but more so in another family of mine where the sister sexually abused her younger sister. To this day the emotional abuse continues. No wonder the Jacob’s family had other intentions for the rapist other than marriage.

Three days later the men who had been circumcised were still weak from pain. So Simeon and Levi,^[h] two of Dinah’s brothers, attacked with their swords and killed every man in town,  including Hamor and Shechem. Then they took Dinah and left. – Genesis 34:25-26

Love is a strange word and I often wonder how I survived my dysfunctional past to have a rather healthy relationship with God. The Holy Spirit must have done some amazing work in my life transforming me and making me new because there is no reason for being the person I am except by grace and His power in my life.  I know one thing for sure, Jesus was the only person, when I was growing up, that I knew loved me and because He did, I loved Him right back.

You take care of everyone
who loves you,
    but you destroy the wicked. – Psalm 145:20

Every day that I follow the reading schedule found on the top of this blog, and every day that I am challenged to love my wife as Christ loved the Church, I understand this task is one that takes place every day.  Jesus loved us so much that He made sure to tell us how hard it will be when we face difficult times, even the end times.  I am challenged every day knowing that no matter if He comes suddenly, or destruction visits the door of my home, or I am tempted to go against Him in some part of my life, the only way I will hang on, the only way I can survive and sustain my walk with Him is to never waver in my love for Him, always bring Him into every area of my life and to walk with Him wherever I go.

But if he comes suddenly, don’t let him find you asleep.  I tell everyone just what I have told you. Be alert! – Mark 13:36-37

Thank you so much for loving me.  Your love reaches to the core of my heart, it is pure, life changing, and it sets me free to be me.  I can even forgive those who have hurt me or the family members that I love very much. Your love alone can change the world, and yet somehow the Church has lost its will to love You and by not loving You, they have lost the sense of Your love for them. Father, revive us, restore us and bring back to us our first love that You gave so freely to us on the day we gave our lives to following Jesus. Thank you.

Erwin (evanlaar)

2Kings 6; 1Timothy 3; Daniel 10; Psalm 119:1-24

Our small group is studying on how we can take God at His Word. Amazing as we share our stories from the view of Believing, Feeling and Doing.  I have to admit, cannot believe that Job lived his life and did not blame God like this quote from one of Israel’s earlier kings.

 While he was still speaking with them, the king^[d] came down to him and said, “This trouble is from the Lord! Why should I hope in the Lord any longer?”               – 2 Kings 6:33 NRSV

I love my small group as they are a living testimony to me of how I should live out my walk with God – they make the Word of God come alive to me because they have lived it.

I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that,  if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.                 – 1 Timothy 3: 14-15  NRSV

God is doing something in my life.  He is calling me to have a stronger trust relationship with my wife, He has called me to repent as to the intensity of my love for Him – love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, and He has asked me to allow Him to be part of my work.  He wants to give me discernment and words of wisdom and understanding as I interact with broken people.

In the third year of King Cyrus of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. The word was true, and it concerned a great conflict. He understood the word, having received understanding in the vision. – Daniel 10:1  NRSV

The basis of our scripture in my small group study is Psalm 119.  There are 51 descriptive words used by David to describe his feelings for God. This verse below fascinated me above the others – praising God when I learn how He wants me to live.  Summarizes the verses I mentioned today.

I will praise you with an upright heart,
    when I learn your righteous ordinances. – Psalm 119:7   NRSV

Lord, there is nothing that makes me feel more alive than having You involved in my life and calling me deeper and deeper into a relationship with You.  You are amazing – when I think I have my life all together You gentle show me how I am leading as opposed to being led.  You are so gracious and kind as You lovingly show me the errors of my way.  I love You so much – thank You!

evanlaar

 

2 Samuel 8,9; 2 Corinthians 2; Ezekiel 16; Psalms 58,59

My wife and I were watching a sermon on grace a few days ago and halfway through she said, “Isn’t this to simple?”  We dialogued afterwards and realized how glad we were that it was.

Can you imagine Mephibosheth’s reaction to grace?

David said to him, “Do not be afraid, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan; I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you yourself shall eat at my table always.” 2 Samuel 9:7 NRSV

Do I want that kind of grace, that kind of kindness – for sure I do – for I clearly am a fallen sinner in need of this kind of God’s grace – one who does not deserve it, could never earn it and would never be able to repay it.

My wife and I were also challenged in how we communicate grace to others – and we named a few people in our lives where that needed to be our focus.

For I wrote you out of much distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain, but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. 2 Corinthians 2:4 NRSV

We affirmed that there definitely is a grace that needs to be exhibited in our communication styles for at some point we too have come from a place of joy received from the recovery of grace.

I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord, in order that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I forgive you all that you have done, says the Lord God. Ezekiel 16:62-63 NRSV

Yes, my wife and I had the same trouble most of us have – cannot talk about grace without talking about judgement. We both concluded that the all-important work of atonement was not overlooking sin, but our sin being covered by God’s marvellous grace.

O my strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.  Psalm 59:17 NRSV

With a bit of study, I found the Aramaic Bible translates that last part of this verse as, “and the God of my grace!” Yes, there my wife and I have found our joy as followers of Christ.

When I think of grace, I think of Your presence.  Wherever we may be found today and in whatever activity we may be engaged in, may we gather there with Your favour.  Lord, by Your favour, we mean favour us with Your grace, and with the love of God the Father, and with the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

evanlaar