God's Promises to Abraham

God's Promises to Abraham
Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, from your kindred and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:1-3)

These are some of the most strategic promises in the word of God. They are repeated to Abraham (Genesis 13:14-18; 15:5; 17:1-8; 22:17-18). They are confirmed to Isaac (Genesis 26:2-4, 24) and to Jacob (Genesis 28:13-14; 35:9-12). They are woven throughout the Old Testament (Nehemiah 9:7-8; Psalm 105:6-11; Isaiah 51:2). They are elaborated upon in prominent chapters of the New Testament (Romans 4 and 9; Galatians 3 and 4; Hebrews 6, 7, and 11). Ultimately, we will see that these promises are at the root of the new covenant of grace.
These promises to Abraham flow forth one upon another. This is so typical of our God of promises. He does not merely sprinkle His word with a promise here and there. He pours them out like a cascading waterfall. Included within these divine commitments are some of the monumental purposes of God; namely, a Promised Land, the nation of Israel, the Messiah, and worldwide missions.
First, God's promises included a Promised Land. "Get out of your country, from your kindred and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you." This new land would be spacious, with bountiful provision: "a good and large land…a land flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:8). Then, in that land of blessing, God would develop the nation of Israel. "I will make you a great nation." Eventually, through that nation, Messiah would be birthed, fulfilling the promise to bring God's blessings to all who would believe. "In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." The Lord Jesus would be that specific, individual seed that would offer God's blessed salvation to all the world. "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, 'And to your Seed,' who is Christ" (Galatians 3:16). This promise contained the gospel. "And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, 'In you all the nations shall be blessed'" (Galatians 3:8). The gospel is the good news of God's saving grace. This good news is for all the world to hear.
Lord God of majestic promises, what a grand plan You have laid out in only a few sentences! Help me to read Your word with alertness regarding Your promises. Please shape my thinking and my expectations by Your mighty promises, in Jesus' name, Amen.

He giveth to the beast

He giveth to the beast his food, [and] to the young ravens which cry. (Psalms 147:9)

Our Prayer: O Lord, we praise you that we can rely on Your providence which feeds not only us, but supplies bountifully the wild animals in their mountain homes. We shall ever answer You with grateful praise for Your goodness!

And it shall

And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this [is] our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this [is] the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. (Isaiah 25:9)

After the Lord has finally swallowed up the power of death, we, His people, shall rejoice with Him evermore! Be glad in your salvation, O people of God, for as the Lord will cast off death forever, so shall He also grant life to His servants!

Promises to God Based on Promises from God

Promises to God Based on Promises from God
He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6)

Another acceptable category of promises to God involves those based on His promises to us. God has already promised to be with us every step of our pilgrimage here on earth. "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Consequently, we can declare with great confidence: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"
The Lord knows our vulnerability to fear, such as the fear of man. "The fear of man brings a snare" (Proverbs 29:25a). Many traps and entanglements await those who are afraid of man's opinions or actions. Abraham jeopardized his own wife, because he was afraid of the Egyptians. "Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you" (Genesis 12:12-13). King Saul sinned against God, because he feared the people. "Then Saul said to Samuel, 'I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice'" (1 Samuel 15:24). Of course, God's protection against such snares is to depend upon Him, when we are tempted to fear man. "The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe" (Proverbs 29:25).
The Lord has given many promises of His presence with His people to protect them from man. To Joshua, God promised: "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you" (Joshua 1:5). To Paul, the Lord promised: "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city" (Acts 18:9-10). To every believer in Christ, He has promised: "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). Therefore, "we may boldly say: 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?'"
When our promises are based on the promises of God, His faithfulness and His ability become the validation of our promises.
Dear Lord, You know my susceptibility to fear. At times, this fear concerns what others might say or do. When I am tempted to respond in this carnal manner, please remind me of Your constant presence. I want to trust You as my helper and not fear what man may do, Amen.

And the God

And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with you. Amen. (Romans 16:20)

Soon. Soon the end of the age. Soon the victory shall be won. Our great foe shall meet his end—this is assured! Nevermore shall we be assailed. We shall at last be at rest. It is promised. Alleluia!

But whosoever drinketh

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14)
Take heart in the evident promise of your salvation: that always and forever shall your soul be filled to overflowing with abundant and eternal life! Never shall you thirst. Never shall you dry up. Never shall your soul be parched. Rather take joy in this: unto everlasting shall your heart's thirst be quenched as rivers of God's living water pour down from heaven as you bask in the glory of God's own Son: Christ Jesus.

GOD'S PERFECT POWER

GOD'S PERFECT POWER

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=2+Corinthians+12:9-10

Dear Father,

Your grace is sufficient for me. Your power is made perfect in
weakness.

When I am weak, Christ's power can assist, shine through, lift me
up. Please let this happen!

For Christ's sake help me to be content with whatever you let come
my way - weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and
calamities - for when I am weak, then I am strong!

Let me be strong with your strength even when beset by my own
weaknesses.

In the name of him who is my strength, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Though he fall,

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth [him with] his hand. (Psalms 37:24)

From His undying love and grace, God sustains us in all things as we continue to trust in Him. We were firmly established in His love when He removed us from our iniquity and securely planted our feet on the Rock. Even as we stumble in this life, the Creator of the universe is there to grab hold and bring us to His side. May we commit our way to Him and see His unfailing greatness and mercy each day.

MY PERFECT WEAKNESS

MY PERFECT WEAKNESS

2 Corinthians 12:1-10
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=2+Corinthians+12:1-10

Dear Father,

Put your hand over my mouth to keep me from boasting about myself.
Even if I were to have visions and revelations about you or to be
caught up to Paradise and hear things too sacred to be told, let me
boast only of my weaknesses.

If you limit me, inflict pain on me, cause me to struggle and cry
out for relief, let me come back to trusting you.

Your grace is sufficient for me. Your power is made perfect in
weakness.

In the name of him who is my strength, Jesus Christ. Amen.

BOASTING IN WEAKNESSES

BOASTING IN WEAKNESSES

2 Corinthians 11:6-10
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=2+Corinthians+11:6-10

Dear Father, whose power is made perfect in weakness,

Even though certain things are true, keep me from saying them if
they would not be received in the right way-if people would think
me out of place, perhaps mad, or if they might think more of me
than I deserve. Sometimes there are things that I want, but one
thing you have taught: Your grace is sufficient for me. Your power
is made perfect in weakness.

Help me therefore to boast in my weaknesses, that the power of
Christ may rest upon me.

For the sake of Christ, help me to put up with whatever I must
bear, for when I am weak in him, then I am strong. Let me live
according to your will, close to your heart of love.

In the name of Jesus I pray, seeking the strength that comes only
from being weak in you. Amen.

For as the heaven

For as the heaven is high above the earth, [so] great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, [so] far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth [his] children, [so] the LORD pitieth them that fear him. (Psalms 103:11-13)

Believer rejoice! Though of your sin-stained self you could nowise enter the presence of the Lord Almighty, yet God loves to such a degree and extent that He sent His only Son to pay for your corrupted life. His promise—not only to forgive their sins but also forget them, if His people will but ask—stands an incredible offer of mercy and grace, and is of such magnitude that the only response His child can possibly muster is one of unbounded joy! For when you were forgiven, you became the very child of God, allowed entrance into His own throne room. Again, rejoice!

Prophecy Revelation

Prophecy Revelation
Ezekiel 19-24 Saturday: Luke 17-18
Sunday: Philippians 3-4
Monday: Leviticus 13-15

Ezekiel 19
1
Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2
And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.
3
And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.
4
The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.
5
Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion.
6
And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.
7
And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his roaring.
8
Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit.
9
And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.
10
Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.
11
And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.
12
But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them.
13
And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.
14
And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.



Ezekiel 20
1
And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to enquire of the LORD, and sat before me.
2
Then came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,
3
Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.
4
Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:
5
And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the LORD your God;
6
In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands:
7
Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
8
But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
9
But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.
10
Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.
11
And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
12
Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.
13
But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.
14
But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.
15
Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;
16
Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.
17
Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.
18
But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:
19
I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them;
20
And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.
21
Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
22
Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth.
23
I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries;
24
Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.
25
Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;
26
And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD.
27
Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me.
28
For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings.
29
Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name whereof is called Bamah unto this day.
30
Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations?
31
For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.
32
And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.
33
As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you:
34
And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.
35
And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.
36
Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD.
37
And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:
38
And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
39
As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.
40
For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.
41
I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen.
42
And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers.
43
And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.
44
And ye shall know that I am the LORD when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.
45
Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
46
Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;
47
And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
48
And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it: it shall not be quenched.
49
Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?



Ezekiel 21
1
And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2
Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,
3
And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.
4
Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:
5
That all flesh may know that I the LORD have drawn forth my sword out of his sheath: it shall not return any more.
6
Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.
7
And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt answer, For the tidings; because it cometh: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord GOD.
8
Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
9
Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:
10
It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter: should we then make mirth? it contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree.
11
And he hath given it to be furbished, that it may be handled: this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.
12
Cry and howl, son of man: for it shall be upon my people, it shall be upon all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon my people: smite therefore upon thy thigh.
13
Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? it shall be no more, saith the Lord GOD.
14
Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thine hands together. and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain: it is the sword of the great men that are slain, which entereth into their privy chambers.
15
I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may faint, and their ruins be multiplied: ah! it is made bright, it is wrapped up for the slaughter.
16
Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set.
17
I will also smite mine hands together, and I will cause my fury to rest: I the LORD have said it.
18
The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,
19
Also, thou son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come: both twain shall come forth out of one land: and choose thou a place, choose it at the head of the way to the city.
20
Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced.
21
For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver.
22
At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appoint captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a mount, and to build a fort.
23
And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths: but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.
24
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because, I say, that ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand.
25
And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end,
26
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high.
27
I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.
28
And thou, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach; even say thou, The sword, the sword is drawn: for the slaughter it is furbished, to consume because of the glittering:
29
Whiles they see vanity unto thee, whiles they divine a lie unto thee, to bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain, of the wicked, whose day is come, when their iniquity shall have an end.
30
Shall I cause it to return into his sheath? I will judge thee in the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy nativity.
31
And I will pour out mine indignation upon thee, I will blow against thee in the fire of my wrath, and deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, and skilful to destroy.
32
Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt be no more remembered: for I the LORD have spoken it.



Ezekiel 22
1
Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2
Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt shew her all her abominations.
3
Then say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD, The city sheddeth blood in the midst of it, that her time may come, and maketh idols against herself to defile herself.
4
Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed; and hast defiled thyself in thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years: therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the heathen, and a mocking to all countries.
5
Those that be near, and those that be far from thee, shall mock thee, which art infamous and much vexed.
6
Behold, the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood.
7
In thee have they set light by father and mother: in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger: in thee have they vexed the fatherless and the widow.
8
Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.
9
In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood: and in thee they eat upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they commit lewdness.
10
In thee have they discovered their fathers' nakedness: in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution.
11
And one hath committed abomination with his neighbour's wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter in law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father's daughter.
12
In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD.
13
Behold, therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee.
14
Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I the LORD have spoken it, and will do it.
15
And I will scatter thee among the heathen, and disperse thee in the countries, and will consume thy filthiness out of thee.
16
And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself in the sight of the heathen, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.
17
And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
18
Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver.
19
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem.
20
As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you.
21
Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst therof.
22
As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out my fury upon you.
23
And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
24
Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation.
25
There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.
26
Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
27
Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.
28
And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.
29
The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.
30
And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
31
Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.



Ezekiel 23
1
The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
2
Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:
3
And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity.
4
And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.
5
And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours,
6
Which were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses.
7
Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their idols she defiled herself.
8
Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt: for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity, and poured their whoredom upon her.
9
Wherefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted.
10
These discovered her nakedness: they took her sons and her daughters, and slew her with the sword: and she became famous among women; for they had executed judgment upon her.
11
And when her sister Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her whoredoms.
12
She doted upon the Assyrians her neighbours, captains and rulers clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men.
13
Then I saw that she was defiled, that they took both one way,
14
And that she increased her whoredoms: for when she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with vermilion,
15
Girded with girdles upon their loins, exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads, all of them princes to look to, after the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, the land of their nativity:
16
And as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea.
17
And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them.
18
So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness: then my mind was alienated from her, like as my mind was alienated from her sister.
19
Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.
20
For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.
21
Thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, in bruising thy teats by the Egyptians for the paps of thy youth.
22
Therefore, O Aholibah, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy mind is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side;
23
The Babylonians, and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them: all of them desirable young men, captains and rulers, great lords and renowned, all of them riding upon horses.
24
And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, which shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet round about: and I will set judgment before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgments.
25
And I will set my jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee: they shall take away thy nose and thine ears; and thy remnant shall fall by the sword: they shall take thy sons and thy daughters; and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire.
26
They shall also strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels.
27
Thus will I make thy lewdness to cease from thee, and thy whoredom brought from the land of Egypt: so that thou shalt not lift up thine eyes unto them, nor remember Egypt any more.
28
For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will deliver thee into the hand of them whom thou hatest, into the hand of them from whom thy mind is alienated:
29
And they shall deal with thee hatefully, and shall take away all thy labour, and shall leave thee naked and bare: and the nakedness of thy whoredoms shall be discovered, both thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.
30
I will do these things unto thee, because thou hast gone a whoring after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idols.
31
Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister; therefore will I give her cup into thine hand.
32
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou shalt drink of thy sister's cup deep and large: thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision; it containeth much.
33
Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria.
34
Thou shalt even drink it and suck it out, and thou shalt break the sherds thereof, and pluck off thine own breasts: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
35
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.
36
The LORD said moreover unto me; Son of man, wilt thou judge Aholah and Aholibah? yea, declare unto them their abominations;
37
That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them.
38
Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths.
39
For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house.
40
And furthermore, that ye have sent for men to come from far, unto whom a messenger was sent; and, lo, they came: for whom thou didst wash thyself, paintedst thy eyes, and deckedst thyself with ornaments,
41
And satest upon a stately bed, and a table prepared before it, whereupon thou hast set mine incense and mine oil.
42
And a voice of a multitude being at ease was with her: and with the men of the common sort were brought Sabeans from the wilderness, which put bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their heads.
43
Then said I unto her that was old in adulteries, Will they now commit whoredoms with her, and she with them?
44
Yet they went in unto her, as they go in unto a woman that playeth the harlot: so went they in unto Aholah and unto Aholibah, the lewd women.
45
And the righteous men, they shall judge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women that shed blood; because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands.
46
For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will bring up a company upon them, and will give them to be removed and spoiled.
47
And the company shall stone them with stones, and dispatch them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire.
48
Thus will I cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to do after your lewdness.
49
And they shall recompense your lewdness upon you, and ye shall bear the sins of your idols: and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.



Ezekiel 24
1
Again in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2
Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this same day: the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day.
3
And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Set on a pot, set it on, and also pour water into it:
4
Gather the pieces thereof into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones.
5
Take the choice of the flock, and burn also the bones under it, and make it boil well, and let them seethe the bones of it therein.
6
Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it.
7
For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust;
8
That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance; I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered.
9
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire great.
10
Heap on wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burned.
11
Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that the brass of it may be hot, and may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it, that the scum of it may be consumed.
12
She hath wearied herself with lies, and her great scum went not forth out of her: her scum shall be in the fire.
13
In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee.
14
I the LORD have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord GOD.
15
Also the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
16
Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.
17
Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men.
18
So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.
19
And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?
20
Then I answered them, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
21
Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword.
22
And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.
23
And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward another.
24
Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
25
Also, thou son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their minds, their sons and their daughters,
26
That he that escapeth in that day shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine ears?
27
In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am the LORD

Substance, not Shadows, under Grace

Substance, not Shadows, under Grace
For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect…Therefore let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. (Hebrews 10:1 and Colossians 2:16-17)

Another superior aspect of grace is seen in the difference between a shadow and the substance that casts a shadow. Shadows supply various benefits, but they have critical limitations. Shadows can provide a visible outline of an actual reality, but they cannot supply what is inherent to the reality. Also, shadows can give indication of an approaching person, but they cannot provide a relationship with that person. The old covenant of law is likened unto a shadow: "For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come." The new covenant of grace (God's sufficient resources freely available in Christ) is the substance. "The substance is of Christ."
One of the shadow-like characteristics of the law was contained in its sacrifices. "For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect." Christ would perfectly fulfill all that those ancient sacrifices represented, while making all of their desired benefits available to those who would believe in Him. The Passover lamb is a clear example of this truth. "Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb…For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you" (Exodus 12:21, 23). This shadow of temporal deliverance becomes substance of permanent deliverance in Christ, who delivers us from eternal judgment. "Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7).
Another shadow-like characteristic of the law can be seen in its righteous commands. Whatever the law demands is related to holiness, to righteousness. "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy" (Leviticus 19:2). This call to righteousness can only become a substantial reality through the Lord Jesus Christ: "that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith" (Philippians 3:8-9).
Lord Jesus, You are all of the good things to come that were foreshadowed in the law. Help me to avoid being caught up in the shadows of the law. May Your Spirit draw me to the unlimited spiritual substance that is found in You alone, Amen.

For ye have

For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. (Hebrews 10:36)

We have need of endurance to be sure, but that very need is fulfilled by virtue of the promise itself. We await that long-promised eternal and heavenly rest of Christ, and yet, as all the redeemed are already secured in the heavenly promise, so their perseverance is guaranteed. Even onto the end of the age!

Romans 10:9

Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Reflection
Our salvation is of the simplest conception. God, before the foundations of the very world He created, decided that He would give a sufficient measure of grace unto all His children—a measure sufficient for faith. And so, He saves those who exercise that gift of faith. When we confess and believe in the gospel of the risen Christ, we offer evidence that indeed, we are the chosen sons of Abraham—we are the very children of the Lord Most High!

But if we walk

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, I praise Your great name in all of its fullness and grandeur! Thank You for cleansing me of my iniquities and bringing me to Your side. Guide and direct my paths in Your righteousness and cause me to desire Your ways. Continue to fashion me into Your holy image. For You alone are worthy to be praised in all Your goodness and mercy.

A Better High Priest under Grace

A Better High Priest under Grace
"You are a priest forever according to the order ofMelchizedek" by so much more Jesus has become a surety of abetter covenant…Therefore He is also able to save to theuttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:21-22, 25)

The supreme issue regarding the better aspects of the new covenant ofgrace is Jesus, our High Priest. The priests under the law were men who served for a limited time and then died. Under grace, our High Priest serves forever. Jesus received His priesthood "not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life"(Hebrews 7:16).
The priests under the law were sons of Aaron from the tribe of Levi. Each served as a brief reminder of the perfect priest who would someday bring a better covenant than the law. "Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order ofAaron?" (Hebrews 7:11). This was a temporary priesthood, requiring numerous priests. "And there were many priests, because they wereprevented by death from continuing" (Hebrews 7:23). The priesthood of Jesus would never have to be transferred to another because He is the eternal Son of God. "But He, because He continues forever, has anunchangeable priesthood" (Hebrews 7:24).
Jesus, our eternal High Priest, was a priest after the order of Melchizedek."For this Melchizedek… without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but madelike the Son of God, remains a priest continually" (Hebrews 7:1-3). Melchizedek was the one who brought bread and wine to Abraham, when he returned victorious from battle (see Genesis 14). There was no genealogy for Melchizedek, no record of the beginning or ending of his days of service. In this, he was like the Son of God: eternal. Thus, he pictured Jesus' priesthood: eternal. This makes Jesus (the provider of grace) a better High Priest than those who served under the law. "By so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant."
Now, the one who died for us (to forgive our sins) is ever praying for us (that we might be thoroughly rescued from all else that threatens us)."Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them."
Lord Jesus, my great High Priest, I bow to You as the eternal one, whose priesthood never ends. I rest in Your interceding prayers for me today, that I might be delivered from all that would come against me, Amen.

Philippians 4:9

Philippians 4:9
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Reflection
The believer is most satisfied when he is most glorifying God with his life. Through his faith, God's grace works in his life to do good. Daily he is being conformed to the image and quality of the God he serves. Recognize, O Christian, whom God has made you and do well according this truth. And peace will be yours! So says the Word of the Lord!

The Better Aspects of the New Covenant of Grace

The Better Aspects of the New Covenant of Grace
He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah." (Hebrews 8:6-8)

These verses contrast the old covenant of law ("that first covenant") with the new covenant of grace ("a second"). The old covenant of law was good, but the new covenant of grace is far better. The law is ordained of God, but it can never bring what God desires people to experience.
The law is good, but only if it is used properly. "We know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners" (1 Timothy 1:8-9). The lawful use of God's law pertains to the unrighteous, the rebellious. The law is not designed to give people a righteous standing in God's sight (justification). "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ" (Galatians 2:16). Nor is the law intended for developing a godly walk (sanctification) in those who are justified through faith in Christ. "For the law made nothing perfect" (Hebrews 7:19). The proper use of the law is to lead people to the grace of God found in Jesus Christ. "The law was our tutor to bring us to Christ" (Galatians 3:24).
Grace is far better than law. If the law was sufficient, then God would never have sent His Son to die for the establishing of a new covenant. "For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second." Since the law was lacking (regarding justification and sanctification), God's plan included the new covenant of grace. "Because finding fault with them, He says: 'Behold, the days are coming,' says the Lord, 'when I will make a new covenant'." The new covenant of grace has Jesus, the giver of life, as the Mediator. "He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant." This new covenant also has greater promises than the law: "a better covenant, which was established on better promises." In the days ahead, we will examine the better aspects of the grace of God.
Dear Father, I agree with You that Your law is good. It tutored me to Your magnificent grace. Lord, teach me the better aspects of Your grace, that I might fully embrace all that You want to accomplish in and through my life, in Jesus' name, Amen.

But we had

But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: (2 Corinthians 1:9)
Overpowering the strength of the law that had condemned us to death, God, in power infinite, raised us from our bodies moribund to new life! Eternal and holy are our new lives in Him. Rejoice in this outpoured show of God's great love for us! We are His people and He is our God Forever.

More Reflections on Obedience by God's Grace

More Reflections on Obedience by God's Grace
Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?…Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God. (Galatians 3:3 and 2 Corinthians 3:5)

Once again, let's reflect on previously studied passages that show how obedience to God is related to His grace. Galatians 3:3 fits in this helpful category.
Our beginning with God was brought about by the work of His Spirit. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5). We humbly admitted our sins, casting ourselves upon the mercy of God. The Holy Spirit brought us new birth, new life. This work of the Spirit is linked to the grace of God later in this same sentence: "that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:7). Thus, starting out with God is related to His Spirit applying His grace to our need.
Now, having experienced spiritual birth by the Spirit (by grace), would we be so foolish as to think that we could be spiritually developed by the flesh (by mere human activity)? "Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?" The only way that spiritual growth can follow spiritual birth is by the work of the Holy Spirit (that is, by the grace of God continuing to impact our lives). These same terms are the only explanation for the development of obedience in the life of a child of God. It must come from the Spirit applying grace to our hearts. "It is good that the heart be established by grace" (Hebrews 13:9).
2 Corinthians 3:5 is another passage that carries this same message about obedience. "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God." We are hereby reminded that Christians are not the source of any godliness that is to develop in their lives. This would include obedience. We do not have within our own resources what it takes to produce an obedient life. Yet, we do have available to us daily all that we need to grow in pleasing God and doing His will. God is to be our source always for all things spiritual. How do we draw upon His comprehensive sufficiency? Humbly depend upon Him. God pours grace into the humble heart (James 4:6), and faith accesses grace (Romans 5:2).
Heavenly Father, would You develop obedience in me the same way You brought new life to me—by Your Spirit, by Your grace. I again confess my need for Your sufficient resources for growing in obedience, and I rely on You, Amen.

He that dwelleth

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalms 91:1)

Safety. Refuge. Protection. The Lord God Almighty is an impregnable fortress for those who place their trust in Him. He is a strong shelter to those who depend on His name. Never shall He fail. Never shall He weaken. Never shall those who trust in Him be dismayed! Trust in Him and take courage in His majesty!

.And the prayer of faith shall

.And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. (James 5:15) The healer of hearts and forgiver of sins, our Lord is always merciful to he who seeks Him in faith. The Lord delights to do good! Let us therefore delight also in mercy and all manner of kindness.