King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: The Lord Says
Date: Thursday September 08, 2011
Chapters: Ezekiel 25-28, Proverb 8, Psalm 88
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-september-8

Hello My Friend/Guest,

“We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain...But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,..By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things...Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?..Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” - II Corinthians 6:1,4,8-10,14,17,18.

It is a known fact that when God says something is going to happen, it will happen, if God can speak and bring life to a desolate planet in six days He can certainly bring life to a dead soul the second it accepts Jesus Christ as it's Savior. It is only by the grace of God that we are saved, meaning it is given to us freely without merit, if we ask for it. Once we are saved we are no longer just a creation of God, we become one of His children. Because we are children of God we are going to face some challenges, but we can endure them by separating ourselves from the world.

Since most of the Jews in Jerusalem were taken captive by Babylon it must have seemed like God was done with them, but He really wasn't, He was saving them from the destruction and preparing them for their return to the promised land. Now, because of the destruction that took place all the surrounding heathen nations were gloating and mocking them over what was going on. Because of their behavior, God was now angry at them. Through Ezekiel, God reminded foretold the destruction that was about to take place in Ammon.

“Son of man, set thy face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them; And say unto the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity; Behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee, and make their dwellings in thee: they shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy milk. And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the Ammonites a couching place for flocks: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. For thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast clapped thine hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced in heart with all thy despite against the land of Israel; Behold, therefore I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and will deliver thee for a spoil to the heathen; and I will cut thee off from the people, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will destroy thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.” - Ezekiel 25:2-7.

The world loves to see a great nation of God fall, it is evil, wicked, and just plain foolish to rejoice over others that fall, especially when they are God's children. God will show His children and those that mess with His children that He is still the living God and He is their God. Though He does allow some suffering from time to time it is better to know Him, and be poor, than to be rich and ignorant of him. Money gets you nowhere with God. “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” - I Timothy 6:9,10.

When God speaks things will happen, it may not be for days, months, or even centuries, but everything that God promises, whether for the good or bad, comes to pass upon His timing. The prophetic judgments against Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia were comparatively short, but a detailed prophecy concerning the destruction of Tyrus (Tyre) was given to Ezekiel by God.

“Son of man, because that Tyrus hath said against Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken that was the gates of the people: she is turned unto me: I shall be replenished, now she is laid waste: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up...And they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise: and they shall break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant houses: and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water. And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard. And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the LORD have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.” - Ezekiel 26:2,3,12-14.

These prophesies all came to pass,many did not take place for centuries, first, Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre for 13 years and fully destroyed the city, which was on the mainland. More than two centuries later, Alexander the Great also besieged the capital city of Tyre, which had been rebuilt on an island nearly half a mile from the mainland. Since Alexander had no fleet, his force used stones, timber, and dirt from the ruins of the first ancient walled city to build a causeway 200 feet wide to reach the island. After the Chaldean invasion under Nebuchadnezzar, Tyre never regained independence and was never again a prominent nation. Once again, when God speaks, things happen. “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” - Luke 21:36.

At times it seems as though we are being chastised for no reason and that God is not listening and speaking to us, but the truth is He is always listening and talks to us too. Jesus constantly said this phrase in some form, “If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.” - Mark 7:16. All we have to do to hear God is to listen for Him, He speaks to us with our ears, eyes, and mind too. “The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things. The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.” -Proverbs 15:28,29.

God knows that we will sin from time to time, but He knows our hearts and as long as we keep our hearts right with Him, He will not only help us fix the sin, but bless us even more for being truthful and faithful to Him, even if we have sinned. “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;” - Colossians 2:12-14. Praise God!

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Lord, You have called on us, Your children, to be a reliable solid witness of our faith in You. To show our thanks and faithfulness we are to live godly lives so that we bring the lost to You. There is no neutral position, we either live for You or we live for the world. Fix our eyes on Jesus as we journey here below so that we fulfill the calling to be faithful and influence others for the kingdom of God. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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