Friday, February 20, 2009

God's Glory Departed from the Temple.

Hello My Friend; Good day.

The reading for today's Devotional is from Ezekiel chapter 10. Ezekiel is here in a privileged position in these series of visions to observe the glory of the Lord as it shines through the sanctuary. He sees the operations of divine Providence in the government of the lower world. He observes the angels at work operating and directing the affairs of this world. Angels moving in all directions at will are guided by the Mighty Holy Spirit of God. Ezekiel observed how he that sits on the throne calls calls to the man in the linen to go in between the wheels, and fill his hand with coals of fire and scatter them over the city. This shows the burning of the city and the Temple by the Chaldeans.

Please pay attention to verse 18: "Then the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim." Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord removing out of the temple, the place where God's honor had long dwelt. He saw the glory departing. My Friend this was a depressing sight for Ezekiel. Think about this now that your body is the doweling place of the Holy Spirit. When you defile and profane your body as Israel defiled and profaned the temple, the Spirit and Glory of God departed. It happens so with us if we fail to keep our bodies clean and holy. Paul says it very eloquently in Romans 12 thus: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." There you are my Friend. God will not dwell in dirt or filth. He will not be in a place where His name is not honored. In His wrath, He will order and permit the angels of destruction to scatter fiery coals to burn all evil. He will still be on His throne in heaven. God demands holiness from His creatures, especially from those He made in His own image and likeness. Hallelujah. Amen.

Prayer for today: as adapted from Psalm 51: 10-11: Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me." Amen.

Apostle Ndueso Udoiwod.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

The vision of the Slaying angels in Jerusalem

Hello My Friend; Good day.

Our reading for today is from Ezekiel chapter 9. The vision which began in chapter 8 now enters the phase of the slaying of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The summons given to the destroyers of Jerusalem was given to God's angels whose job was to lay the city waste. Six men appeared with their instruments of destruction. In Genesis we saw that God's angels were stationed to guard the tree of life so that Adam and Even would not venture to eat and live forever. Also in Exodus, the death angel was dispatched to destroy all those whose house were not marked with blood. Here in Jerusalem, the foreheads of the remnants who feared God were marked for survival of the destruction. So will it be at the end times as recorded in Revelation 7:3 when God's Seal will be placed upon the foreheads of His servants before earth will be destroyed. Note the six men who appeared each came from one of the principal gates of Jerusalem. The armies of the king of Babylon had six commanders each coming through from one of the gates of the city.

Note that in the midst of the destruction there was a man who wore linen clothing and carried a writer's case strapped to his side was like the ancient attorney. The honor of his pen exceeded that of the destroying sword and weapons. He represented Christ as the Mediator saving those that were His from the flaming sword of God's justice. As a high Priest He wears fine linen as in Revelation 19:8. As a prophet he carries the writer's ink box to record the names of the saved into the Lamb's Book of life. Ezekiel was privileged to see the vision in order to know about God's economy of justice. As we walk around everyday, remember that God knows those who are His own to place a mark of identification on their foreheads. Do you have a mark on your forehead? Listen to the warnings of the prophets, priests, preachers, pastors, and THIS BOOK OF THE LAW. You are to read it and meditate on it. That is one of the Principal reasons God gave this Book to you and gives the knowledge for you to read and understand. If you have any questions, write to us and we will do our best to assist you.

Prayer for today: Let us join the Prophet in this prayer as found in verse 8: "Ah, Lord God ! Will you destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out your fury on Jerusalem?". Have mercy Lord and save your people according as the man clothed with linen said: " I have done as You commanded me." Hallelujah. Amen.

Apostle Ndueso Udoiwod.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

The Vision of the Abomination at the Temple

Hello My Friend; Good day.

Our reading for today is from Ezekiel chapter 8. Ezekiel is now in captivity, but God is showing him the vision of how the elders, men, and women corrupted and defiled the Temple of the Lord. Here in the vision God brings him back to Jerusalem to show him the sins that were committed there (verses 1-4). The elders of Israel were worshipping all manners of images in a secret chambers; the women were weeping for Tammuz; and the men were worshipping the sun right in the Temple of the Almighty God ! We do not mean to be redundant here, but imagine sins of the leaders even at the very presence of God. Same things are happening in our day and time when Church leaders belong to secret cults, yet they are the ones leading members in worship. They themselves know that they worship Satan, yet they come and deceive themselves in the midst of innocent followers of Christ.

After Ezekiel had seen all these abominations, God asked him in verse 17: "Hast thou not seen these o son of man! and could thou have thought ever to see such things done in the temple of the lord? Here God makes the Prophet the judge. God is appealing to the prophet's good sense of judgment. There is a saying in Ibibioland in Nigeria like this: "okop etop idiok owo ibupke ntak". This means that when people here about the anger or bad things that that person did, they should inquire about the reason. The people who went to steal "ekom" sat at the root of ekom to eat it so that when the owner of "ekom" comes to meet them there, what will he do? In this vision God showed His prophet the height of the abuse and insult the leaders indulged in to bring the Lord to the level of unrepentant anger. Matthew Henry quotes Dr. Lightfoot commenting on this situation as saying: "They put the branch to their wrath, or to his wrath, which means they are still bring more fuel to the fire of Divine wrath which they had already kindled." God in His fury said, "though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them; for their sins cry more loudly for vengeance than their prayers cry for mercy."(Matthew Henry's Commentary page 1043).

Prayer for today: Dear Lord, we sing in the hymn: "what can wash away my sin?" The answer is "nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. O! precious is the flow that makes me white as snow; No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus." Remember that Lord and forgive the sins of your people in the Name of Him whose blood can make us whole again. Amen.

Apostle Ndueso Udoiwod.