Trials of Faith – I'm Following Jesus

King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34

Date: Friday, September 11, 2020
Chapters: Ezekiel 46-48
Message: Trials of Faith

Hello My Friend,

You know the times in our lives when we are on fire for God, our faith is on high, and we have convinced ourselves that nothing is impossible with God. Then we have times in our lives when that fire fizzles, our faith is just hanging on by a thread, and we someone convince ourselves that nothing is impossible with God, only not for us. Unfortunately, our fire for God tends to go out as life’s often gets in the way, but keep in mind, even a little bit of faith goes a long way, it only needs to be the size of a mustard seed for God to move mountains, even for us. God keeps reminding me every other day that, [Romans 8:28-30 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.]

God already knew that everything that we are going through was going to happen, and yet He still loves us and has faith in us. And while we do not want to really come to terms with it, all of these things that happened to us or are happening they are used by God Himself to conform us into an image that resembles His Son. That also includes the blunders He knew we were going to make before we were even born. In order to get through trials of faith, we need Jesus, every second, of every day, and the sooner we realize that, the better able we will be to endure the next one. As God continues to show Ezekiel visions of His glorious temple, He tells him that the gate to the inner court (the place were the prince would abide), will be open to all believers only on sabbath days.

[Ezekiel 46:2,8-10,16-18 And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without, and shall stand by the post of the gate, and the priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate: then he shall go forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening. 8 And when the prince shall enter, he shall go in by the way of the porch of that gate, and he shall go forth by the way thereof. 9 But when the people of the land shall come before the LORD in the solemn feasts, he that entereth in by the way of the north gate to worship shall go out by the way of the south gate; and he that entereth by the way of the south gate shall go forth by the way of the north gate: he shall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in, but shall go forth over against it. 10 And the prince in the midst of them, when they go in, shall go in; and when they go forth, shall go forth. 16 Thus saith the Lord GOD; If the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons’; it shall be their possession by inheritance. 17 But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his to the year of liberty; after it shall return to the prince: but his inheritance shall be his sons’ for them. 18 Moreover the prince shall not take of the people’s inheritance by oppression, to thrust them out of their possession; but he shall give his sons inheritance out of his own possession: that my people be not scattered every man from his possession.]

[shall go out by the way of the south gate;] Notice that the people were to go out through the opposite gate that they arrived. When we receive Jesus Christ as our Saviour He cleanses us from all the filth that the world covered us in, we are not to go back into the world. Jesus places us in the world to bring others to Him, not to be of the world, otherwise we will face more trials of our faith than we need to. There are some things that we are predestined to face, everything else comes through the decisions we make, what we must never do when facing trial of our faith is go back into the world, [Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.]

[the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.] I love this because it does remind me that this life in only temporary, we will survive this, no matter how tragic things get, we have a prize awaiting us, eternal life with Jesus. Jesus uses trials of faith to heal us, mainly our heart, as is the backbone of what causes our faith to get smothered in the first place. As Ezekiel stands at the door of the temple something weird begins happen, water comes gushing from underneath the door, fills the room, and it becomes a river. God explains what the river is.

[Ezekiel 47:8-12 Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. 9 And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. 10 And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. 11 But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. 12 And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.]

[because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary:] This water flowed directly from the temple out into the city, and this water gives life to everything around it. Jesus is that living water, through Him we receive the water of life, the bread of life, and eternal life, [John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.]

Let me tell you, when you are in the world trying to handle the trials of life by yourself you literally dry out like a lake that has dried up, but when you come to the fountain of living water, He continuously fills you up so you can endure them. God does and always has given all the opportunity for all to choose Him as LORD. Through Ezekiel, God gives the order on who will inherit a portion of the Kingdom, these are both the tribes of Israel (sons of Jacob) and strangers (not sons of Jacob).

[Ezekiel 47:13,21-23 Thus saith the Lord GOD; This shall be the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions. 21 So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel. 22 And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord GOD.]

[there shall ye give him his inheritance,] All who receive Christ as their Saviour become joint heirs with Christ and will receive an inheritance in the Kingdom of God, [Romans 8:14-17 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.]

Further account is given of each of the portions of land Israel, not for only the twelve tribes of Israel, including the cities in which God and His ministers will dwell.

[Ezekiel 48:8-11,29,35 And by the border of Judah, from the east side unto the west side, shall be the offering which ye shall offer of five and twenty thousand reeds in breadth, and in length as one of the other parts, from the east side unto the west side: and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it. 9 The oblation that ye shall offer unto the LORD shall be of five and twenty thousand in length, and of ten thousand in breadth. 10 And for them, even for the priests, shall be this holy oblation; toward the north five and twenty thousand in length, and toward the west ten thousand in breadth, and toward the east ten thousand in breadth, and toward the south five and twenty thousand in length: and the sanctuary of the LORD shall be in the midst thereof. 11 It shall be for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok; which have kept my charge, which went not astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray. 29 This is the land which ye shall divide by lot unto the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their portions, saith the Lord GOD. 35 It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there.]

[The LORD is there.] We will not only feel the presence of the Almighty God, He will be seen, and we will be able to fellowship with Him face to face. Let me tell you, things are going to happen in this life that fizzle our fire for God, but He will never bring us into something that He would never be able to bring us out of. And here is the thing, we will become our stronger in our faith, more like His Son, and God will get the glory, [I Peter 4:12-13 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.]

Today’s Prayer: God, We cannot avoid the trials of our faith but we can get through them as we draw near Your Son, stay close to Him with full assurance of our salvation, and a better life ahead as we press toward the mark of the prize. Lord, Give us Your power, mercy, and grace, ignite our faith by letting us know that You are near. Give us Your strength to keep going through the trials, if we fall down, help us to get back up, help us to keep moving forward, and to never look back as You have already forgotten everything we ever did the second we accepted Your Son as our Saviour. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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