“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”--Matthew 12:43-45
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna, and Mikayla,
This one is about heart changes. Jesus is speaking here primarily to Israel who had cleaned up their nation from the idolatry that plagued them in the Old Testament. They had experienced reformation but not regeneration. Jesus is saying that because they were now rejecting Him their last state would be worse than the first. We do the same thing. We try to clean up our lives without Jesus. As a non believer I tried it many many times. It never lasted and it never worked. I was still me. Okay...I was despicable me...like the movie.
Reform apart from regeneration is never effective. You eventually go back to your pre-reform behavior.
But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A DOG RETURNS TO HIS OWN VOMIT," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire." 2 Peter 2:22
Most of us have learned about Christ and how to be saved, but the majority will reject the truth and return to their sin. These people are worse off than before because they have rejected the only way out of sin, the only way of salvation. Like someone sinking in quicksand who refuses to grab the rope thrown to him, or take the medicine that will make him well, the person who turns away from Christ rejects the only means of escape.
The Pharisees were concerned about the outward and not the inward. Their outside looked good but their hearts were filled with emptiness. We need Jesus not reformation. Whatever else you think you might want, it is Jesus you really need. He fills us and does His work in our hearts from the inside out. I love what Warren Wiersbe says here. "The house had been swept clean, but the right tenant was not invited in. When I invited Jesus into my heart, my life changed. I was amazed...one step of faith and the next moment...A new me! I saw the world with different eyes and the best part of it was I knew that it was not going to change...I was now on solid ground...not sifting sand. I was alone when it happened and remember so vividly the joy that bubbled up in my heart....I have gone through difficult times since then, but that joy is always there. He is always with me...nothing can separate me from His love. My life is His and my future assured.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.--Revelation 3:20
Love
Mom
Sunday, April 17, 2011
By the Good Hand of Our God...
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna, and Mikayla,
A wonderful sister in Christ, a short while back, pointed out how encouraging the last verse in chapter 7 of the Book of Ezra was to her because it spoke of the good hand of God upon Ezra. I am back in Ezra this morning and remembered what she had said and noticed all the verses in both chapter 7 and 8 that spoke of God's hand. It seems to be a favorite expression of Ezra's. I think it is a good one to notice...it reminds us that our successes in ministry or in life are all from Him. He not only gives us what we need for the journey but also guides our steps and does the work.
No matter who we are or what we have been given by God, we can do nothing that brings God glory unless His good hand is upon us guiding us into His will. It tells us also in Ezra 7:14 that the law of God was in Ezra's hand. He brought to the people what they needed...the word of God. I have to say I feel similarly to Ezra about the word of God. I rarely go anywhere without it. His word is my comfort and my armor. Hoping you are blessed today by the good hand of God upon you.
this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.--Ezra 7:6
God's hand provided...
And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.--Ezra 7:8-10
God's hand guides us on our journey.
Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem, and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. So I was encouraged, as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me; and I gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me..--Ezra 7:27-28
God's hand is encouraging...
Then, by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, with his sons and brothers, eighteen men; and Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brothers and their sons, twenty men; also of the Nethinim, whom David and the leaders had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinim. All of them were designated by name.--Ezra 8:18-20
God's hand is good and brings us what we need.
Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.” So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer. --Ezra 8:21-23
God's hand is on those who humbly seek Him. His hand is protective. But His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him. Seek the Lord first in everything...He will guide you and direct you with His righteous right hand.
Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road. So we came to Jerusalem, and stayed there three days--Ezra 8:31-32
God's hand delivers us.
Love
Mom
A wonderful sister in Christ, a short while back, pointed out how encouraging the last verse in chapter 7 of the Book of Ezra was to her because it spoke of the good hand of God upon Ezra. I am back in Ezra this morning and remembered what she had said and noticed all the verses in both chapter 7 and 8 that spoke of God's hand. It seems to be a favorite expression of Ezra's. I think it is a good one to notice...it reminds us that our successes in ministry or in life are all from Him. He not only gives us what we need for the journey but also guides our steps and does the work.
No matter who we are or what we have been given by God, we can do nothing that brings God glory unless His good hand is upon us guiding us into His will. It tells us also in Ezra 7:14 that the law of God was in Ezra's hand. He brought to the people what they needed...the word of God. I have to say I feel similarly to Ezra about the word of God. I rarely go anywhere without it. His word is my comfort and my armor. Hoping you are blessed today by the good hand of God upon you.
this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.--Ezra 7:6
God's hand provided...
And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.--Ezra 7:8-10
God's hand guides us on our journey.
Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem, and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. So I was encouraged, as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me; and I gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me..--Ezra 7:27-28
God's hand is encouraging...
Then, by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, with his sons and brothers, eighteen men; and Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brothers and their sons, twenty men; also of the Nethinim, whom David and the leaders had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinim. All of them were designated by name.--Ezra 8:18-20
God's hand is good and brings us what we need.
Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.” So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer. --Ezra 8:21-23
God's hand is on those who humbly seek Him. His hand is protective. But His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him. Seek the Lord first in everything...He will guide you and direct you with His righteous right hand.
Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road. So we came to Jerusalem, and stayed there three days--Ezra 8:31-32
God's hand delivers us.
Love
Mom
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