The Life of Ezekiel

~ A Life That Pleased God ~   

We can learn a lot about how to please God from the prophet Ezekiel. His name means “God will strengthen” and his life was truly strengthened by God. He has been termed the “prophet of God’s glory.” Would you want to be remembered with an epitaph of “He displayed God’s glory”? Quite a testament to a life well lived! 

In the book of Ezekiel we find the word “living” used at least 40 times. A key message of the book shows that there is no true serving God apart from a deep spiritual life of intimacy with God. Remember that while God has no favorites, He allows each of us to chose to be intimate with Him.

The tone of the book is set forth in the first chapter as Ezekiel presents a Vision of Four Figures (1:1-21) and a Vision of Divine Glory (22-28). Then in chapter 2 we find Ezekiel’s call. Let’s consider some aspects of a life which pleases God from the visions Ezekiel experienced in chapter one.

A consistent life ~ “Their legs were straight and their feet were like a calf's hoof, and they gleamed like burnished bronze” (verse 7). The implication of “their legs were straight” is being focused and consistently striving toward the overall goal. The Apostle Paul put it this way, “…one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13b-14).

A consecrated life ~ “And each went straight forward…” (v. 12a). This is like an amplification of the earlier thought but this phrase contains action—they lived a consecrated life, set apart for doing the right thing.  

A controlled life ~ “Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went” (v. 12b). They were led by, controlled by, the Spirit of God. In the New Testament we are told, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).

A convincing life ~ “I also heard the sound of their wings like the sound of abundant waters as they went, like the voice of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army camp” (v. 24a). What interesting phrases? “The sound of their wings like the sound of abundant waters… like the voice of the Almighty” gives the impression of power and divine authority. 

A contemplative life ~ “Whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings. And there came a voice from above the expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings” (vs. 24b-25). They weren’t just still, but they were letting down their wings, suggestive of a quiet, reflective time, a time of communion with God, a time of listening to God as well as talking to Him. 

A crowned life ~ “Above the dome there was something that looked like a throne, sky-blue like a sapphire, with a humanlike figure towering above the throne. From what I could see, from the waist up he looked like burnished bronze and from the waist down like a blazing fire. Brightness everywhere! The way a rainbow springs out of the sky on a rainy day—that's what it was like. It turned out to be the Glory of God! When I saw all this, I fell to my knees, my face to the ground” (vs. 26-28). Awaiting all true servants is the coming into the very presence of God and receiving crowns of rewards for a life well lived. 

SUMMARY:  Is your life Consistent spiritually? Is your life Consecrated to God? Is your life Controlled by the Spirit? Is your life Convincing to those around? Is your life Contemplative in communion with your Creator? Are there Crowns waiting for you when you enter into the presence of God?

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

Messiah, 6

~ Messiah Would Be a Descendant of Abraham, 2 ~  

“Search the Scriptures—they testify of Me.”

— Jesus Christ (John 5:39)

The Scripture  

“God said to Abram, ‘Open your eyes, look around. Look north, south, east, and west. Everything you see, the whole land spread out before you, I will give to you and your children forever. I’ll make your descendants like dust—counting your descendants will be as impossible as counting the dust of the Earth. So—on your feet, get moving! Walk through the country, its length and breadth; I'm giving it all to you.’ Abram moved his tent. He went and settled by the Oaks of Mamre in Hebron. There he built an altar to God” (Genesis 13:14-18).

The Messiah  

“Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ. What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in His grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come” (Galatians 3:15-19).  

~~~ EXPLANATORY “MESSIAH” NOTES ~~~   

(1)  Each Saturday ALN posts an example of a Hebrew Scriptures prophecy (or foreshadowing) related to the coming Messiah which was fulfilled in the birth, life, death, or resurrection of Jesus Christ.

(2)  While extensive it will not be a complete list—there are hundreds of prophecies of the coming Messiah which have been fulfilled by one man—Jesus Christ at His First Coming.

(3)  It is important that there are many more prophecies of the Messiah, yet unfulfilled, which Christians believe will be fulfilled at the time of His Second Coming.  A particularly relevant Scripture verse in this regard is: “Do not despise prophesies” (1 Thessalonians 5:20).

(4)  These posts will typically consist only of Scripture—which speaks for itself.  Sometimes italicized or bold font will be used by ALN for emphasis.

(5)  The numbering of these fulfilled prophecies of the Messiah is used to differentiate individual posts. It is not chronological (either by time of the prophecy or by sequence in the life of the Messiah).  The posting sequence will, for the most part, be in the order that the prophecies appear in Scripture.

(6)  Because of the chosen methodology (#5 above) we will find many specific prophecies repeated multiple times throughout the Scriptures.

(7)  These serial posts are in addition to our regular Tuesday ALN postings on random topics.

(8)  Subscription to ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog is simple—just use the link on the left sidebar.  Once subscribed you will not miss future posts.

Proof of Your Christian Faith

~ 1 John Tells Where to Look ~   

If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

The book of 1 John provides examples of where to find the evidence.

Do you love not only God but His people?  ~  The attitude of love, or lack of love, for your fellow Christians is a test of character. “We know that we have passed out of death into life by the fact that we love our fellow Christians” (1 John 3:14). “Let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” (4:7). “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves His children, too” (5:1). “This is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” (3:11).

Do you seek to live in obedience to God’s Word?  ~  Your actions which show victory over sin and the old nature are a test of your confession. “Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence”(1 John 3:18-19). 

A functional Christian does not continue in habits of sin. “Whoever has been born of God does not sin” (3:9). “We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him” (5:18). 

Christians who are fulfilling their calling have gained victory over the world and its allures.  “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever” (2:15-17).

“Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (5:4-5). 

The bottom line for a Christian who is following his operator’s manual is a righteous life before God. “If you know—perceive and are sure—that Christ is absolutely righteous (conforming to the Father's will in purpose, thought, and action), you may also know (be sure) that everyone who regularly practices righteousness (and therefore is conformed to God’s will) is born of God” (2:29).  

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

Messiah, 5

~ Messiah Would Be a Blessing to Gentiles ~

“Search the Scriptures—they testify of Me.”

— Jesus Christ (John 5:39)

The Scripture  

“God had told Abram, ‘Leave your own country behind you, and your own people, and go to the land I will guide you to. If you do, I will cause you to become the father of a great nation; I will bless you and make your name famous, and you will be a blessing to many others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and the entire world will be blessed because of you’” (Genesis 12:1-3). 

The Messiah  

“‘Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you, and send you the Messiah he prepared for you, namely, Jesus.’ … God's covenant-word to Abraham provides the text: ‘By your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.’ But you are first in line: God, having raised up His Son, sent Him to bless you as you turn, one by one, from your evil ways” (Acts 3:19-20, 25-26).   

“And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham” (Galatians 3:8-9).

~~~ EXPLANATORY “MESSIAH” NOTES ~~~   

(1)  Each Saturday ALN posts an example of a Hebrew Scriptures prophecy (or foreshadowing) related to the coming Messiah which was fulfilled in the birth, life, death, or resurrection of Jesus Christ.

(2)  While extensive it will not be a complete list—there are hundreds of prophecies of the coming Messiah which have been fulfilled by one man—Jesus Christ at His First Coming.

(3)  It is important that there are many more prophecies of the Messiah, yet unfulfilled, which Christians believe will be fulfilled at the time of His Second Coming.  A particularly relevant Scripture verse in this regard is: “Do not despise prophesies” (1 Thessalonians 5:20).

(4)  These posts will typically consist only of Scripture—which speaks for itself.  Sometimes italicized or bold font will be used by ALN for emphasis.

(5)  The numbering of these fulfilled prophecies of the Messiah is used to differentiate individual posts. It is not chronological (either by time of the prophecy or by sequence in the life of the Messiah).  The posting sequence will, for the most part, be in the order that the prophecies appear in Scripture.

(6)  Because of the chosen methodology (#5 above) we will find many specific prophecies repeated multiple times throughout the Scriptures.

(7)  These serial posts are in addition to our regular Tuesday ALN postings on random topics.

(8)  Subscription to ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog is simple—just use the link on the left sidebar.  Once subscribed you will not miss future posts.

The Heart of Daniel

~ Daniel – A Role Model ~  

The secret to Daniel’s life was his heart’s desires. The secret of his heart’s desire was his prayer life. We read about at least five aspects of his heart and how it was tuned to God. 

Daniel Prayed ~ Throughout the book of Daniel we find that his heart was tuned to God through prayer (discussed more below).   

Daniel Purposed ~ Daniel lived a purpose driven life. “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself” (Daniel 1:8). Daniel had a pure heart in the sense of a lifestyle of desiring to please God.

Daniel Prospered ~ Because of the two previous factors God allowed Daniel to prosper. “So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian” (Daniel 6:28).  

Daniel Praised ~ He understood the source of his blessings. “I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of You, for You have made known to us the king's demand” (Daniel 2:23). 

Daniel’s heart was what causes him to be a role model for subsequent generations. “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7b).

The psalmist also knew the secret to true success was a pure heart. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). If we truly seek God, His righteousness, and His plan for our lives He will instill the right desires in our hearts. “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). Because

Daniel’s heart was tuned to God it affected his actions throughout his life. Daniel’s heart was right because he was a man of prayer!

Crisis Prayer ~ During a time of emergency Daniel called his friends to prayer. “So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation. Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret” (Daniel 2:16-18a). Notice that Daniel didn’t just pray—he did what he could in concert with his prayers—Daniel enlisted others to pray.

Gratitude Prayer ~ Daniel gives thanks and praise to God for answered prayer. “Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said: ‘Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His’” (Daniel 2:19-20).

Scheduled Prayer ~ A key reason why Daniel responded appropriately in times of crisis was his regular routine of prayer. He knelt down to pray three times a day every day. “And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days” (Daniel 6:10b).

Meaningful & Effective Prayer ~ Notice also that largely because Daniel lived a life saturated with prayer we find him uttering one of the most outstanding prayers in all of the Word of God as he prayed on behalf of his people (Daniel 9:1-19). 

Can God count on you during a crisis? Do you have a heart of gratitude? Do you maintain a habit of scheduled prayer? Are your prayers meaningful and effective?

In summary, are you living the kind of life that God might desire to turn to you during a crisis?  Jim Elliot once wrote, “Forgive me for being so ordinary while claiming to know such an extraordinary God!” 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW