A message from the series “Ezekiel 2009.” The sixteenth chapter of Ezekiel contains the longest recorded allegory in Scripture. It is a biography of Israel, depicted as an abandoned child who was rescued by God then adorned with every ornament and given every advantage. Yet in spirit of these blessings, the nation walked away from the Lord and played the harlot and defiled herself in every possible way. These three chapters end with God instructing the people that they must bear responsibility for their actions.
A message from the series “Ezekiel 2009.” The book of Ezekiel is full of prophetic signs and visual imagery and chapter 12 is no exception. As we look into these chapters for our study, Ezekiel is told to act out the life of a Jew who is being deported. It is through this visual demonstration that God wanted to convey to the unbelieving Jews that indeed they would be going into captivity. In spite of God’s warning through the prophets like Ezekiel, there were many false prophets that were telling lies about the coming judgment of God.
A message from the series “Ezekiel 2009.” These chapters are sad indeed as they describe the depravity of the nation and more importantly the religious leaders of the last days of the kingdom of Judah. God gives Ezekiel a vision of the depraved thinking by taking him into the very minds of the priests. Because sin was so rampant, the Glory of God departs from the Temple and Jerusalem and no one is aware that God’s presence has vanished.
A message from the series “Ezekiel 2009.” Ezekiel was taken captive by the Babylonians 10 years before they invaded and destroyed Jerusalem. From his vantage point, God gave him many warnings by the use of certain signs of the coming invasion. These prophetic warnings were relayed to Jerusalem telling the inhabitants that God was using the Babylonians as a means of correction for the many years of their idolatry and false worship. Even though these events happened many centuries ago, the reasons for the cause and effect still apply today.
A message from the series “1 John ’08-09 // A Father’s Loving Words.” The Early Church was frequented by traveling preachers, some who were right on Biblically and some who were using ministry for personal gain. With this backdrop, John writes to these churches exhorting them to continue to walk in truth and warning them to be aware of the false teachers who were populating the spiritual landscape throughout Asia Minor.
A message from the series “Ezekiel 2009.” Ezekiel was a contemporary of Jeremiah who was commissioned by the Lord to speak to the Children of Israel from Babylon. His prophecies are filled with visions, the most of any Old Testament book. In the chapters of this study is God’s commissioning of Ezekiel to be His spokesman. His mission was not easy because like Jeremiah, Ezekiel was sent to preach an unpopular message to a rebellious people.
A message from the series “1 John ’08-09 // A Father’s Loving Words.” In the concluding verses of John’s epistle, he centers on our need to pray for others. In the previous study, Pastor Jack looked at John’s encouraging words that say to us that as believers we can have confidence in prayer. Now with that confidence we can bring the needs of others before the throne of God.
A message from the series “1 John ’08-09 // A Father’s Loving Words.” Believers have an amazing privilege to be able to go to their Heavenly Father at anytime and pray. In fact God invites us to do so and even instills confidence through His word so that we might know that He listens to us. In this study, Pastor Jack emphasizes that God has given us prayer because He wants to have fellowship with us. However, we are also given conditions for answered prayer. God is not a genie that is ready to respond to every request. We are told that we must pray according to His will. But when we do, we are in a place where mountains can be moved and lives changed.
A message from the series “1 John ’08-09 // A Father’s Loving Words.” In this study, Pastor Jack points out that we are all quick to believe what some people say or become very confident of what is said in an article, but don’t always believe what God has said. In these verses, God gives us His testimony about eternal life and that being if we have the Son, we have this life. Therefore, we need to pay attention to God’s Word and believe this record concerning Jesus Christ and eternal life.
A message from the series “1 John ’08-09 // A Father’s Loving Words.” Since many false teachers were discrediting the divinity of Jesus, John now gives many evidences that point to the truth about Jesus. God had said in the Old Testament that no testimony could be substantiated based on only one witness. Therefore John gives us many witnesses that attest to the divinity of Jesus Christ. We, like jurors in a courtroom hearing the evidence of witnesses, must either accept or reject God’s testimony about His Son. For those who receive it, they are given forgiveness and eternal life.
