KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Monday, September 10, 2018
Chapters: Ezekiel 43-45
Message: By Faith
Hello My Friend,
God’s people; Before Jesus came to earth in the flesh and gave His life for all mankind, God’s people were known as the people of Israel, meaning those who were of the descendants of Jacob (Israel). The world may have not worshiped God as the only God, in fact, Israel did not most of the time either, but they did knew that the God of Israel was a powerful and Almighty God who not only judged His people, but defended them, as well. Today, God’s people are not just descendants of Jacob, they are people of every nation who have received His Son, Jesus Christ as their Saviour, He too is our judge and defender and we should never be ashamed to call Him LORD. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” – Romans 1:16,17.
“The just shall live by faith” This is a fitting statement for those who confess they are sinners whom come short of the glory of God, and believe that Christ alone saves them through His sinless death, burial, and resurrection. We, by faith believe this and hold true to it, but how often do we make bad decisions because we do not live by faith? Think about it, as powerful as God is, how often do we hinder Him from using that power because of our lack of faith? More often than we think. Now, as God takes Ezekiel around this amazing temple that will be built upon Christ’s return, He brings him to the place where His throne would be as well as the altar in which Israel will bring their sacrifices. This can be a little confusing, especially since Jesus eliminated the need for that when He gave His life as the one and only sacrifice needed, but something comes to mind as you contemplate it.
“And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory. And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places. Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.” – Ezekiel 43:2-4,7,10-11.
“even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city:” As you continue to read through these chapters you discover that God is talking to Jesus quite often as well as Ezekiel. During this time Israel will finally recognize Christ as their Messiah and no longer defile His name. Israel will once more offer their appointed and acceptable sacrifices in praise to God, but this time, only one sin sacrifice is needed, Christ.
“And the LORD said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary. And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations, In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations. And ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things: but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves. Thus saith the Lord GOD; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel. And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity. But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein. But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD:” – Ezekiel 454:5-10,14
“No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh,” You want to know why our churches are a mess and the simplicity of the Gospel is practically null and void? Strangers. Those whom are not saved, those whom have not circumcised their heart or flesh with the blood of Christ, are allowed in the church and running things. There is a reason why God tells us that we cannot lean on our own understanding, we mess things up, especially things concerning Him. The power of Christ working in our lives should change us, not we change Him to our own likeness, which by the way we cannot do. When we, by faith, walk with Christ, there is no need to stay the way were were before we knew Him because by His power we are changed into a new creature. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;” – II Corinthians 5:17,18.
Many of God’s people get enticed into false religion because they are going through something and searching for any way to find some relief. It is the duty of faithful Christians to minister to these people so that they do not fall into the deceitful hands. I do not know how He does it or why He does it like He does, but if you are faithful to Him, you are provided for, it may not be the way we envision, but He always takes care of His people. Now, God directs His focus on the provisions of those who would serve Him in the temple and out of it as well.
“Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye shall offer an oblation unto the LORD, an holy portion of the land: the length shall be the length of five and twenty thousand reeds, and the breadth shall be ten thousand. This shall be holy in all the borders thereof round about. The holy portion of the land shall be for the priests the ministers of the sanctuary, which shall come near to minister unto the LORD: and it shall be a place for their houses, and an holy place for the sanctuary. In the land shall be his possession in Israel: and my princes shall no more oppress my people; and the rest of the land shall they give to the house of Israel according to their tribes. Thus saith the Lord GOD; Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel: remove violence and spoil, and execute judgment and justice, take away your exactions from my people, saith the Lord GOD. Ye shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath.” – Ezekiel 45:1,4,8-10.
“The holy portion of the land shall be for the priests the ministers of the sanctuary,” During this time Israel will honor God with portions of land set apart for His work. Sin will be suppressed and offered according to God’s commands, and while sin will be suppressed, the tendency to sin is not removed until the new heaven and new earth are established. Our concern right now should not be how and when these prophecies will be fulfilled, but that our body, mind, and spirit are prepared for it. “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” – II Timothy 2:20,21.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.” – Ezekiel 44:2-3.
Today’s Prayer: God, We cannot remain neutral, must stand for what is good or we will fall for what is evil. Help us, as believers, to cling to You, even when it comes as a great sacrifice. We look to You alone, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved than Your Son, Jesus Christ. Lord, Lead us and guide us, give us Your power to live by faith and the power of Christ in us, not by our circumstances. With the aid of Your Holy Spirit dwelling in and guiding us, we will be able to overcome every situation that comes our way. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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