Category Archives: Bible study

September 14 – It’s Kinda Hot In Here

Leave a reply

Daniel 1-3

I have a friend from High School who had her second surgery yesterday to remove a tumor wrapped around her spine. Another friend was born with malformed blood vessels in her jaw, resulting in a deformed face and constant ringing in her ears. Yet another friend has a husband fighting for his life, one friend battling an eating disorder, still another recovering from a brutal beating outside his place of business. I know of someone who is belittled and challenged every day by a boss who hates Christianity and Christians.

Health, finances, relationships, prejudice, can make us feel as though we are walking through fire. It’s hard. It’s uncomfortable. It hurts. And sometimes it feels as if there is no way out.

God could have blown out that fire before Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were thrown into it. But He didn’t. Instead, He got right in that fire with them, protected them, until they came out whole.

The fires in our lives might not magically disappear. We might actually have to walk through them until Christ is revealed, and He brings us out on the other side.

Everyone walks through a fire or two in a lifetime. What a comfort it is to know we don’t have to walk alone. Jesus is right there by our side in the heat of it all. I pray that at those times, you will recognize His Presence, lean on His strength, and trust Him to get you through it as only He can.

I’m praying for you who are living in a fiery furnace today.

September 13 – It Depends

Leave a reply

Joel

The question often asked these days is, “What is ahead for the US, and the world?” I guess the answer to that depends on us.

Joel reports that they were in deep trouble. Locusts had devoured the land, there was no rain, people were starving. God was exacting great punishment for a people who had rejected Him.

But then you get to Joel chapter 2:12-14

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning; and rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil. Who knows whether He will not turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him…”

Once again I am reminded that the future of this world does not depend on the defeat of ISIS or having the right person in the White House. Our future depends on God’s people – on Christians like you and me – rending our hearts, not just going to church.

It depends on us fasting, weeping and mourning over our sin. The world needs Christians to return to God, to sanctify the congregation by holding on to the Truth of Scripture, and praying from repentant hearts:

Spare Your people, O Lord, and do not make Your inheritance a reproach, a byword among the nations Why should they among the peoples say, “Where is their God?” THEN the Lord will be zealous for His land and will have pity on His people. (v17, emphasis mine)

So Christian, are you concerned that the world we are leaving our children will be one of corruption, of danger, of persecution? It will be unless you get on your knees and get right with God.

Father, too many of Your children are failing You. We have compromised Your Word, ignored Your warnings, blended in with the world to the point where You don’t have a choice but to punish us. I pray that You would hound us Christians, convict to the point of despair, drive us to our knees, so that we… Your children… might repent, turn from our wicked ways, and follow You in the Truth of Your Word. Then, Lord, have mercy on this land, restore us to a nation that proclaims our trust in You alone. And may You be glorified in the revival of Your Church. Let the world recognize that You bless those who honor You, for Jesus’ sake.

September 12 – No Turning Back

Leave a reply

Ezekiel 46-48

I went to college with a girl who left the dorms by the same door every day, and always returned through the same door. If she happened to walk around a tree on the right, coming back she had to walk around the tree on the same side. I thought about her today when I read Ezekiel 46.

When the people came to the temple to go before the Lord, if they entered by the north gate, they had to exit by the south gate. If they came to the Lord through the south gate, they were to leave by the north gate. No turning back.

My friend would have gone crazy.

But isn’t that the way we all should be when  we come before the Lord? Shouldn’t we meet Him, lay our burdens down at His feet, repent of sin, and keep walking? Too many times we go to Him, only to turn around and do the same thing we just confessed, or we hold on to the guilt of something we were just forgiven of.

 

I’m thinking many of us can learn something from Ezekiel today. Let’s continue to go to the Lord, but let’s not turn around and go back to where we started. Let’s keep moving ahead, led by the Spirit, forgiven, and running the race set before us.

I have decided to follow Jesus.
I have decided to follow Jesus.
I have decided to follow Jesus.
No turning back. 
No turning back.

September 8 – It’s Final

Leave a reply

Ezekiel 38-39

“Behold, it is coming and it shall be done,” declares the Lord God. “That is the day of which I have spoken.” (39:8)

This verse was written concerning Gog’s impending defeat at the hand of the Israelites. According to Ezekiel, it was going to be a decisive victory for the Jews, and a complete devastation for Gog.

But as I think about this part of Scripture, I am reminded that this verse is relevant still today. It is a verse I feel ok about taking out of context because it is a theme that is repeated often: God has the final word.

Period.

We read in the Bible that Jesus is coming again. The world as we know it will end. There will be a day of judgment, and eternity to live with the decision you made while living in this body.

Like it or not, believe it or not, God will have the last word. “Behold, it is coming and it shall be done.”

 

 

Sept 7 – Breathe On Me

Leave a reply

Ezekiel 35-37

As I read about Ezekiel’s experience with the dried up bones in the wilderness, the words of an Edwin Hatch hymn kept going through my mind. This is my prayer today:

Breathe on me, breath of God,
Fill me life anew,
That I may love what Thou doest love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
Until my heart is pure,
Until with Thee I will one will
To do and to endure.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
Till I am wholly Thine,
Until this earthly part of me
Glows with Thy fire divine.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
So I shall never die,
But live with Thee 
The perfect life
Of Thine eternity.

                         Amen

September 6 – It’s Not A Suggestion

Leave a reply

Ezekiel 32-34

The last thing Jesus said before ascending into heaven was, “get out there and tell people about Me.” (Matthew 28). The Great Commission, as it is known, is a call to action for all believers.

Ezekiel tells us how important it is to warn people about the consequences for not listening to God. He calls us watchmen, we who see the sword coming to destroy, and who blow the trumpet and warn the people.

Ezekiel says if the people don’t heed the warning, their destruction is on them. But look at 33:6. If the watchman (that’s you and me) knows there is danger ahead and doesn’t warn the people…

that man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require from your hand. (33:8)

Ezekiel repeats that fact in verse 9. God is that serious about holding us responsible for telling our family, neighbors, friends about the Truth. We have the Good News, that Jesus paid the price for sin and offers forgiveness as a gift.

But the flip side of the Good News is really bad news! That is eternal hell, separated from God, in agony and regret.

The Bible is clear, if we  don’t warn people about the consequences for rejecting God’s grace, the forgiveness of sin, they will die in their sin…

and it will be our fault.

 

September 5 – Becoming god

Leave a reply

Ezekiel 28-31

I know there are some who believe that with meditation, with good thoughts, with positive attitudes, with doing good deeds, and having compassion and treating people kindly, we can become a supreme being, a god, or attain a level of perfection. That is a dangerous theology, and it’s the belief that ended up causing Satan’s fall from heaven. It’s the lie that convinced Eve to disobey God.

Ezekiel reports that God will destroy Tyre, saying:

Because your heart is lifted up and you have said, “I am a god… you will die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers, for I have spoken,” declares the Lord God. (28:2-10)

Once again I am reminded that there is one God and it’s not me. Thinking otherwise comes with devastating consequences.

September 4 – I’ve Got Confidence

Leave a reply

Ezekiel 24-27

All the cities Ezekiel is pronouncing God’s judgment over were cities that had things going on. They were successful merchants and traders, or they housed mighty warriors. They were sailors. Bakers. Jewelers. People living in comfort.

But they denied God, and God was going to demonstrate what the consequences are for sin. Nothing they had placed their confidence in would be able to save them.

Where have I placed my own confidence? Is it in myself? In having a healthy body? Career advancement? My family? My possessions? What about my reputation, or my generosity?

God would have me see that anything I think I have or am cannot stand against God’s holiness. He is the ultimate authority, the final Word. If I’ve placed my confidence in anything other than God Himself, I will be as devastated as the people I read about today.

Oh, I’ve got confidence. But it isn’t in me! I have confidence in God. I believe He is who He says He is, and means what He’s said. I’ve got confidence that God is going to carry me right into eternity because I have accepted His gift of grace through the blood of Jesus.

I have confidence to face today because God has promised to go with me. God is my confidence.

 

September 3 – It’s Personal

Leave a reply

Ezekiel 22-23

As I read these chapters this morning, I was hit with the realization that God is not indifferent concerning my sin. In fact, when I sin, He takes it personally.

23:38 says, “Again, they have done this to Me…”

I remember when the Jews were demanding a king for the first time, Samuel felt like he had failed God somehow. God told him not to feel that way. “for they have not rejected you, but the have rejected Me from being king over them.” (1 Sam 8:7)

I might feel bad about lying to my friend, or guilty about lusting after my neighbor’s husband, or ashamed concerning a TV show I watch or an internet site I visit. But God is offended. He looks at every sin I commit as a rejection of Him, a slap in His face.

As I think of this I get a picture of Jesus on the cross, in pain and agony as He takes on my sin. And I see me, tossing another sin His way, slapping His bruised and bleeding face, pouring salt into the open wounds on His back, and laughing as I do.

I might think my sin is no big deal. But My Savior takes it personally.

September 2 – God Reveals Himself

Leave a reply

Ezekiel 20-21

Everything that happened to the children of Israel happened for one reason. Many believe things happened because they were God’s chosen people, people He loved best and blessed most. I’m not so sure about that.

God makes it clear that the things that happened to Israel happened to reveal Himself to them and the world. (20:5,9,12,14,20,22,26,37,41,44,48)

Everything that happened to Israel happened because He loves you and me, because He wants us to know Him. I read Ezekiel and hear God say, “Connie, I love you. See me. Obey me. Know me.”

I believe the same holds true today. Everything that happens to us happens in order to reveal God to the world. So, if you have a minute, I’d like to share how God has revealed Himself to me this past month.

I’m actually writing this on Saturday September 3. It’s been quite a week.

I shared with you a while back that I was selling two condos in order to buy a house on the island where I have had a vacation home for a few years. My prayer was that God would open and close doors as He saw fit. I promised I’d not push on any door He closed, and that I’d walk through the open ones. Not my will, but Thine dear Lord.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to share all the details of my journey (nor would it interest you) but here are the highlights:

Both condos sold the first weekend they went on the market. That threw me into panic mode as it would leave me homeless as soon as they closed. One was a cash offer, so I had some flexibility there. The buyer agreed to rent to me for two weeks after we closed. She even let me name the price. Blessed!

I began an urgent search for houses. My realtor goes to my church and worked hard to find what I was looking for. I thought he’d succeeded, and put a bid on a cute little house in a neighborhood I liked. I walked through that open door.

They rejected my offer. I countered. They rejected the counter. My realtor felt they were asking $50,000 over what the comps showed. I walked away from that closed door. And looked at about twenty more homes.

I had to go back north to take care of my Ohio condo. So I left my realtor and a dear friend, Mary Jo, in charge of house hunting for me. The next Friday I got a call from Mary Jo. “Connie,” she said. “You’ve got to see this house. I would buy it myself. And I don’t think it’ll be on the market long.”

Another open door? I immediately started packing for the thirteen hour drive. I called my sister who said she would go with me. She was at work, and rearranged her schedule. We’d go down Friday, see the house on Saturday, and head back to Ohio on Sunday because she had obligations on Sunday night. We braced ourselves for a grueling weekend.

We were about two hours down the road when she got a frantic call from her daughter. Something was up, and she needed her mom. After several minutes of trying to figure how that was going to happen, I pulled into a Comfort Inn. My sister would call her husband to come get her, and I’d go to Georgia on my own.

I got to Georgia at about 1:00 on Saturday and went straight to the house where my realtor and Mary Jo were waiting for me. It was perfect! It was close to everything. It had been remodeled recently. And I loved it. My realtor put a call in to the other realtor with my offer. I felt God had opened this door for me to go through.

While they were on the phone, the other realtor got another call from someone with cash. Long story short, the owner asked us both to give us our last best offer. They would decide which offer to accept on Monday. I put in my offer. Open door, you know.

I went to my vacation home (it was still mine as closing hadn’t happened yet). I was set to go north the next day, Sunday, when I got a call from my realtor. He said there was an open house on Sunday he thought I might want to see in case the house I was waiting on didn’t go through. I really had no pressing reason to hurry back north, so I said I’d stay and go to the open house.

Ok. Are you still with me? This house is on the north side of the island. I’d been looking on the south end. It’s in a nice neighborhood, but it’s seven miles from my desired area. But I didn’t want to miss an open door. Remember I’d promised God I’d continue to walk until He closed the door.

Sunday after church, we pulled into the drive at the open house. Cute! We walked up to the front porch. Perfect! I walked through the front door and immediately fell in love. I told my realtor I like this one better than the one I had put an offer on just the day before. It was bright, and open, and I could immediately see my furniture in there.

Needless to say I put an offer on it. My realtor went right to work putting together the necessary papers, dot.looped them to me and the seller, and by 10:00 Sunday night I had a home ($35,000 less than the house I had an offer on the day before).

We withdrew the offer on the other, more expensive house.

Now here is where I see God reveal Himself. If my friend had not seen the house on the south end of the island and called to tell me about it, I would not have gone to the island that weekend. If my sister had indeed gone with me I would not have been available to go to the open house and see the home I eventually bought.

He revealed Himself in the quick sell of two properties, through the realtor who gave up his Sunday evening to get this done, through timing, timing, timing. He even revealed Himself in that, the house I traveled thirteen hours to see is still on the market after the inspection revealed several serious issues.

 

Now it all hasn’t been smooth sailing. I closed on this house Monday, moved my furniture in on Wednesday, and was welcomed by Hurricane Hermine on Friday. The large oak tree in my back yard blew over, damaging a fence and my new neighbor’s enclosed porch. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

I could tell you that one of the tree guys I spoke to said, after looking at the root system, that this could have just as well demolished my house and the neighbor next door. I could tell you about the guy who is painting my house, who was able to clean up the tree in my yard and my neighbors today, the day after the storm, when the tree guys had me on a waiting list.

Right now I am sitting on my back porch, listening to the happy sounds of children in the pool of the family who found my tree in their back yard. The sun is shining, and the humidity is thankfully low. And I know God is in it all, because everything that happened revealed a God who directs our paths when we let Him, and who wants everyone to see Him in me, in us who know Him.

Because He is not willing that any should die without Him. Let’s allow Him to continue to reveal Himself in the details of our lives, and let people know Who it is that directs our steps.