Missions Paul

Ezekiel 41

He measured off. Why?
If God is so bothered about how thick the temple wall is and how long the sides are etc etc then He must also be concerned with our lives, every detail of them.
But this is a vision of the new temple to be.
God has every detail worked out of your future life. He has measured it!
Present and future He has it all worked out.

Easter Sunday

Ezekiel 40

There was no temple, it lay in ruins. But the vision of God reveals the Gates, the Courts and the Rooms of the restored, reborn Temple.

The rooms reminded the people that ministry would once again thrive.
The courts reminded the people that they would once again come alive with worship.
The gates reminded the people that their temple would once again be a royal temple.

Again note this: the temple was in ruins, but it will come alive!
Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days,” John 2:19.

Whatever is dead today, even the amazing temple, because of the resurrecting power of God through Jesus … All things can live again!

Easter Saturday

Ezekiel 39

“Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you”.(John17)
“I will display my glory..”v21
It has always been the desire and cry of God that His glory be revealed.
Yesterday I sat in Glasgow museum looking deeply into the painting by Salvador Dali of his work, ‘Crucifixion’. I was among many who did, but some only stayed a moment, some just walked on by, others like me stayed and looked.
This Easter weekend will you be one who stays long enough to look again at his glory?
Many miss it because:
They cannot see past the punishment of Christ, vv21.
They have no idea of their own sin, v23.
God seems hidden from them, v24.
They have no fear of God, v26.
They have no hope and do not see the possibilities of what will happen, v29.

In order to see His glory we need to understand Jesus the “Son of man”.
Daniel used the title as a divine name. Ezekiel uses it nearly 90 times as simply to clearly state his humanity.
As we come to understand Jesus: the Son of Man as Divine/Human then we will begin to see His glory on that first Easter.

Good Friday

Ezekiel 38

1. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords, v4.

HE DID IT THEN AND HE DID IT AGAIN …

(And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross, Colossians 2:15)

… AND HE IS STILL DOING IT THROUGH THE VICTORY HE GIVES US.

2. In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, v19

THERE WAS THEN AND THERE WAS AGAIN …

(At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split, Matthew 27:51)

… AND HE IS STILL SHAKING THE WORLD WITH THE MESSAGE OF HIS LOVE.

3. And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord’, v23

THEY DID THEN AND THEY DID AGAIN …

(When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” Matthew 27:54)

… AND PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD ARE STILL FINDING THE SON IS THEIR SAVIOUR.

Ezekiel 37

Some times we need to stand in the valley and speak to what appears to be dead.
Speaking not what has gone wrong nor what the enemy has done, because anyone can do that, BUT what God will do.
When hope has gone, hope can come back.
When breath has been lost, breath can come back.
We need to speak of the power of the SPIRIT within the power of the WORD.

Ezekiel 36

Some times we just need to speak to the mountains.
The mountains of Israel are the mountains of faith where Abraham once walked.
The mountains of Israel are the mountains of strength that David looked up at.
The mountains of Israel are the mountains which Jesus called us to speak to.
But they are also the mountains that have been taken by the enemy.
Where our heritage has been walked over.
Where our inheritance has been stolen.
But we speak and call back those things.
We speak positively 7 key facts:
Cleansing
New beginning
Power
Life
Saviour
Increase
Credibility
Speak those things over your life today. Speak them and grow.

Ezekiel 35

Edom had a history. We all do.
Their heritage was the man Esau whose brother God chose over him.
It hurt him.
We all have histories of pain.
Esau could have served God but chose to harbour bitterness against his brother.
We all have histories where choices were crucially made.
Now Edom is in their generation but their spirit is still stuck in the past.
We all can get stuck in the previous generation especially if there is a grievance.
What are you teaching the children?
Don’t teach them everything. Don’t teach them ancient hostilities.
For if they hold on to them it will be their undoing.
What are you still fighting today? Your parents complaint? Do you want to right some wrongs? Be careful ….

Ezekiel 34

There are some Shepherds who are only in it for themselves.
They want high living, the best of the best and all to the expense of the sheep.
They take from instead of taking care of the sheep.
They do not pastor.
They do not search for the lost.
The Church is where it is today because of its Shepherds.
If your Shepherd is different to the above then encourage them today.
They are under-Shepherds after all.

Ezekiel 33

Every week people gather to hear the latest word from God, v31.
They are inquisitive.
They like to be entertained.
They like to feel the emotion.
They come with their own desires and agendas hoping God will approve.
They are hero-worshippers.
They speak positive words of love.
They want to gain more than they have right now.
On the surface they look the part.
But God knows the heart.
Am I speaking of today?
I could be.
I could be speaking of 2014.
But this is 6 centuries before Christ.
Nothing much changes.
God is still waiting.

Ezekiel 32

You may wonder if anything that I prophesied actually came true!
I guess time was always going to tell.
Will there be any historical evidence that Nebuchadnezzar invades and conquers Egypt? (The answer is YES)
Would Egypt in 2014 still hold to the pantheon of idols that it worshipped in my generation. (The answer is of course NO)
Would Egypt ever know God as Lord of all? (The answer is of course YES)

Therefore …
Though you have someone who may stir up trouble, muddying the waters for you, this is short-lived. v2.
For God will make sure they are brought down just like everyone else who stands against Gods people, v31.
But the good news is that everyone can find God even those who were against you, even Egypt. The rivers of oil in v14,15, are symbolic of Gods blessings. The blessing for Egypt will be that they will know God. It is the same for today.

So don’t lose heart even with those who are giving you a hard time.