We cannot grow in our love for God, if we continue to have love, in our hearts, for the ways of the world.

In Ezekiel 9, we learn that if holiness is to be preserved, there must be a divine judgment upon sin. We cannot grow in our love for God, if we continue to have love, in our hearts, for the ways of the world. “Abba, Father, let me be Yours and Yours alone” (Dave Bilbrough, Mission …

Awesome Holiness and Wonderful Love

In Ezekiel 24, we learn about God’s holiness and His love. If we are to appreciate the wonderful love God has for sinners, we need to become more deeply aware of the awesome holiness of God’s hatred of sin. We look at our sin. We look at God’s holiness. We learn about ourselves. We see …

Without the Lord, we are lost. In Him, we are found.

In Ezekiel 34, there is the promise of a new Shepherd for the lost sheep. This is Good News. We are more than lost sheep. We are the Lord's sheep. Without the Lord, we are  lost. In Him, we are found. God says, "I will search for My sheep Myself and I will look after …

I will remove their stubborn hearts.

"I will remove their stubborn hearts and give them obedient hearts" (Ezekiel 11:19). This is the miracle of the new birth . We cannot do this for ourselves. Only God can do this for us.

Ezekiel 17-19

Ezekiel 17:1-24  -  To those who adopt a ‘rebellious’ attitude to Him, God speaks His Word of warning. They shall ‘not escape’ His judgment (12,18). To those who abandon this  attitude of rebellion, there is a way of salvation. In verses 22 to 24, we have a prophecy which looks forward to the coming of  …

From Good Friday to Easter Sunday (19): When the Spirit breathes upon us, we receive love, eternal love, the love of God.

Welcome to the nineteenth stage on our journey from Good Friday to Easter Sunday: When the Spirit breathes upon us, we receive love, etenal love, the love of God. Ezekiel 37:1-14 I felt the powerful presence of the Lord, and his spirit took me and set me down in a valley where the ground was covered …

From Good Friday to Easter Sunday (17): Through Christ, God looks upon us with love, eternal love, the love of God.

We come to the seventeenth stage on our journey from Good Friday to Easter Sunday: Through Christ, God looks on us with love, eternal love, the love of God. Ezekiel 36:24-28 24 I will take you from every nation and country and bring you back to your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you and …

What happens when the Spirit of the Lord breathes new life into the Church of God?

Ezekiel 37:1-28  -  It was ‘a valley of dry bones’ (1-2). Then, the Lord changed everything - ‘I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live’ (5). What a difference the Lord makes! ‘Breathe on me, Breath of God. Fill me with life anew’ (Church Hymnary, 103). What happens when the Spirit of …

Our Sin, God’s Judgment And God’s Love

God takes sin very seriously. He sends his judgment upon sin. The unleashing of His fury turns the sinful nation into a wasteland (Ezekiel 5:13-14). When we read of such things, we wonder, “Is there any hope?” When we are reading so much about sin and judgment, we must not lose sight of the love …

The Watchman, The Shepherd, New Birth And Revival

In Ezekiel 33, we read about the ministry of "the watchman." He listens to God's Word and speaks the Word of warning  to the people (Ezekiel 33:7). He declares the love of God - "I don't want wicked people to die ... I want them to turn from their ways and live" (Ezekiel 33:10). The …

God takes our sin seriously so that we might learn to take Him seriously.

In Ezekiel 21-22, words concerning God’s holy judgment against sin are awesome. He does not take sin lightly. He takes sin very seriously. As we realize the seriousness with which He looks upon sin, we are called to repentance. We are called to return to the Lord, in sincerity and truth. Samaria and Jerusalem behaved …

In love, God shows us our sin and calls us to receive his gift of salvation.

Ezekiel 33:1-33  -  Ezekiel was to be ‘a watchman for the house of Israel’: ‘whenever you hear a Word from My mouth, you shall give them warning from Me’. He was to ‘warn the wicked to turn from his way’ (7-9). This is the warning of love. God loves us. It is because He loves …

The Hands Of The Living God, The Hands That Were Nailed To The Cross For Us

In Ezekiel 26, we find an awesome Word of judgment, spoken against the city of Tyre. The Word, spoken by God through His prophet, is uncompromising - “Tyre, you famous city, you have been destroyed” (Ezekiel 26:17). The effect of Tyre’s fall is described: “Your defeat will make the people, who live by the coast, …

Where does our life of faith begin?

Where does our life of faith begin? Does it begin with our decision? or Does it begin with God's grace? "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:4-5). We were dead. The …

Lord, You call us to put our faith in Christ – and to be faithful in prayer (prayers based on Ezekiel 21-22).

Ezekiel 21:1-32 Lord, we read about ‘the time of final punishment’ (Ezekiel 21:25,29). Your Word speaks to us about ‘eternal punishment’ as well as ‘eternal life’: ‘Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not have life, but will remain under God’s punishment’ (Matthew 25:46; John 3:36). Lord, You …

The darkness of our sin is great. The bright shining light of God’s love is greater.

In Ezekiel 35, we learn that it is through His judgment as well as His salvation that we learn that the Lord is God. It is important that we remember two things - (i) God's purpose is salvation (John 3:17); (ii) His judgment comes upon us as a result of our sin (John 3:18). The …

Stop rebelling against God and start returning to Him.

Samaria and Jerusalem behaved like prostitutes. In graphic language, the sin of turning from the Lord is compared to sexual immorality. Why does God expose their sin with such plainness of speech? He wants to show them the full extent of their rebellion, so that they may see the folly of continuing in sin and …

Can Things Be Turned Around?

In Ezekiel 26, we find an awesome Word of judgment, spoken against the city of Tyre. The Word, spoken by God through His prophet, is uncompromising - “Tyre, you famous city, you have been destroyed” (Ezekiel 26:17). The effect of Tyre’s fall is described: “Your defeat will make the people, who live by the coast, …

Listening to God’s Word of love, and speaking His Word of love

In Ezekiel 33, we read about the ministry of "the watchman." He listens to God's Word and speaks the Word of warning to the people (Ezekiel 33:7). He declares the love of God: "I don't want wicked people to die... I want them to turn from their ways and live" (Ezekiel 33:10). The warning is …

A call to return to the Lord

In Ezekiel 21-22, words concerning God’s holy judgment against sin are awesome. He does not take sin lightly. He takes sin very seriously. As we realize the seriousness with which He looks upon sin, we are called to repentance. We are called to return to the Lord, in sincerity and truth.

God’s Word calls for our response.

Ezekiel 32:1-33:20; James 1:1-27; Psalm 127:1-5 God’s Word must be spoken as a Word which calls for response. The prophet is to “warn the wicked man to turn from his ways” (Ezekiel 33:9). He is to declare that “the Sovereign Lord … takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from …

Help us, Lord, to listen to Your Word – and be changed by Your Word. May we rejoice in this: ‘He saved us by washing away our sins’ – our sin is great, our Saviour is greater (prayers based on Ezekiel 14-16).

Ezekiel 14:1-15:8 ‘Some of the elders of Israel came to’ Ezekiel. He spoke the Word of the Lord to them: ‘Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!’ (Ezekiel 14:1,8). This, Lord, may not have been what they wanted to hear. It was what You wanted them to hear. They did not …

From bad news to Good News

This is a continuation of the Word of judgment, which began in Ezekiel 26. How final are the words at the end of Ezekiel 27: “You have come to a terrible end, and you will never exist again” (Ezekiel 27:36). This is the bad news concerning all of us. We are sinners. We are under …

Visions from God

Ezekiel 1 “Visions from God” (Ezekiel 1:1); “The power of the Lord came over Ezekiel” (Ezekiel 1:3); “A bright light” (Ezekiel 1:27); “A rainbow in the clouds” , “The Lord’s glory”, “Bowed down”, “I heard someone speaking” (Ezekiel 1:28). In these phrases, we have some suggestion of the kind of lines we must follow, as …

The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

Ezekiel 1:1-2:10  -  ‘The heavens were opened and I saw visions of God... The Word of the Lord came to Ezekiel’(1:1-2). The Lord opens our eyes to ‘see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 4:4). The Lord speaks to us and we must listen to Him: ‘Speak, Lord, for …

The Greatness of God’s Salvation

In Ezekiel 6, we have a message concerning divine judgment. Note the emphasis - “you (they) will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 6:7,13-14). If we are to appreciate the greatness of God’s salvation, we must see the greatness of our sin and the greatness of the judgment from which we are delivered through …

Don’t ignore God. Listen to Him and obey His Word.

Again, in Ezekiel 32, we read about God's judgment on Egypt. God's Word of judgment is awesome. There is a real sense of the holiness of God. Men cannot do what they like, and expect that God will not punish them. When we read of such things, it becomes clear to us that it is …

In Your Word of warning, Lord, we hear Your Word of love – and we rejoice in Your Word.

Ezekiel 32:1-32 ‘Pride goes before destruction’ (Proverbs 16:18). ‘Pharaoh, king of Egypt’ was arrogant and ruthless: ‘You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a monster in the seas, thrashing about in your streams, churning the water with your feet and muddying the streams’ (Ezekiel 32:2). Soon, it would be ‘the day …

In love, God calls men and women to return to Him.

God takes sin very seriously. He sends his judgment upon sin. The unleashing of His fury turns the sinful nation into a wasteland (Ezekiel 5:13-14). When we read of such things, we wonder, “Is there any hope?” When we are reading so much about sin and judgment, we must not lose sight of the love …

Don’t stop worshipping God.

Ezekiel 9:1-10:22  -  For many people, the time of blessing had come to an end and the time of judgment had begun. Some, however, would escape the judgment, They had been obedient to God. He protected them in the time of judgment: ‘Put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over …

God Is Calling Us To Return To Him.

God takes sin very seriously. He sends his judgment upon sin. The unleashing of His fury turns the sinful nation into a wasteland (Ezekiel 5:13-14). When we read of such things, we wonder, “Is there any hope?” When we are reading so much about sin and judgment, we must not lose sight of the love …

God’s Eternal Love – When the Spirit breathes upon us, we receive love, eternal love, the love of God.

It was ‘a valley of dry bones’ (Ezekiel 37:1-2). Then, the Lord changed everything, ‘I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live’ (Ezekiel 37:5). What a difference the Lord makes! ‘Breathe on me, Breath of God. Fill me with life anew’ (Church Hymnary, 103). What happens when the Spirit of the Lord …

It’s spreading.

"He led me through water that was ankle-deep .. He led me through water that was knee-deep ... He led me through water that was up to the waist. Now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in – a river that no one could …

On a cloudy and dark day, the Lord is my light and my salvation.

"... so will I seek out My sheep... on a cloudy and dark day" (Ezekiel 34:12). Our life on earth is "a cloudy and dark day." Left to ourselves, we always lose our way. We cannot find our way back on to the way of the Lord without the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. …

We are called to look to Christ for salvation.

Ezekiel 45:1-46:24; 1 Peter 3:1-22; Proverbs 28:18-28 In Ezekiel, we read of many sacrifices being offered to God. In the New Testament, it is emphasized that one Sacrifice is sufficient – “For Christ died for sins once for all, the Righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18). We are called …

Lord, lead us to Jesus.

Ezekiel 13:1-15:8; Hebrews 8:1-13; Psalm 120:1-7 God speaks against “those who prophesy out of their own imagination … who follow their own spirit” (Ezekiel 13:2-3). In the face of such false prophets, we must pray, “Save me, O Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues” (Psalm 120:2). How does the Lord save us from …

Our Rebellion, God’s Redemption

Speaking through the prophet, God uses very colourful sexual imagery to describe Israel’s relationship with Himself and her revolt against Him. The last word, in Ezekiel 16, is not, however, a word concerning the rebellion of Israel against the Lord. It is the message of redemption - the forgiveness of sins (Ezekiel 16:63). “I am …

A river that I could not cross

“A mighty wave, a mighty wind is coming from heaven, to raise up our nation again” (Ulf Christiansson) – As I walked along the beach, feeling the wind and watching the waves, these words of faith came into my mind. God is calling us to move - from where we are right now to where …

God speaks to us – and he’s waiting for our reply.

Ezekiel 32:1-33:20; James 1:1-27; Psalm 127:1-5 God’s Word must be spoken as a Word which calls for response. The prophet is to “warn the wicked man to turn from his ways” (Ezekiel 33:9). He is to declare that “the Sovereign Lord ... takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they …

The Kingdom of the Lord endures forever.

In Ezekiel 29, we read about God's judgment upon Egypt, that proud nation, which caused so much distress to His people, Israel. Egypt's time of power had come to an end. Their position of power had been taken by Babylon. The Lord is looking beyond the day of Babylon's power. He is doing a work …

God’s salvation is greater than our sin.

What a contrast there is between God’s salvation and man’s sin. God brought His people out of Egypt and into the promised land. They rebelled against Him and refused to listen to Him (Ezekiel 20:6-8). God had not given up on His people. He would draw them to Himself. He would make them His instrument …

Never to be forgotten

In 1996, Willie McDonald died at the age of ninety. I had only known him for a short time. I will always remember him as a man who loved the Lord deeply. He was small of stature, but he was a man of “strength”: real, spiritual strength (Psalm 90:10). He was “strong in the Lord”, …

The Lord is there…

"The Lord is there" (Ezekiel 48:35). Where is the Lord - when his people are suffering? Is he really there? Is he with us - in our suffering? The Lord is there - these are the 'last words' of Ezekiel. What a great word of encouragement this is! The Lord is there - when we …

When the storms of life come your way

Ezekiel 26:1-27:36; Hebrews 12:1-13; Psalm 125:1-5 To Tyre, God says, “Your wealth, merchandise and wares, your mariners, seamen and shipwrights, your merchants and all your soldiers, and everyone else on board will sink into the heart of the sea on the day of your shipwreck” (Ezekiel 27:27). Those who are overladen by their attachment to …

When the Lord comes in power, everything changes.

To the valley of dry bones, the Word of God is spoken: "I will put My Spirit in you, and you will live" (Ezekiel 37:14). It is only through the working of the Holy Spirit that there can be blessing among God's people. It is only through the Spirit's power that God's work is carried …

The centrality of worship in the life of God’s people

Ezekiel 47:1-48:35; 1 Peter 4:1-19; Psalm 133:1-3 “The sanctuary will be in the centre of it … In the centre of it will be the sanctuary of the Lord … the Temple sanctuary will be in the centre of them” (Ezekiel 48:8,10,21). Here, we have the centrality of worship in the life of God’s people. …

God is calling us to return to Him, and change the way we think and act.

Ezekiel 5:1-6:14  -  ‘Because you have defiled My sanctuary... I Myself will withdraw My favour’ (5:11). To those who despise His Word and treat the place of prayer with contempt, Jesus still speaks His Word of judgment: ‘My House will be called a House of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves’ …

Visions From God … Speaking His Word In The Power Of The Spirit

“Visions from God” (Ezekiel 1:1); “The power of the Lord came over Ezekiel” (Ezekiel 1:3); “A bright light” (Ezekiel 1:27); “A rainbow in the clouds” , “The Lord’s glory”, “Bowed down”, “I heard someone speaking” (Ezekiel 1:28). In these phrases, we have some suggestion of the kind of lines we must follow, as we think …

We need to be changed by the Lord.

Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:6-11; John 11:1-45 We need to be changed by the Lord. It was ‘a valley of dry bones’ (Ezekiel 37:1-2). Then, the Lord changed everything - ‘I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live’ (Ezekiel 37:5). What a difference the Lord makes! ‘Breathe on me, Breath of …

God speaks His Word of love – His Word of forgiveness, peace and hope.

Samaria and Jerusalem behaved like prostitutes. In graphic language, the sin of turning from the Lord is compared to sexual immorality. Why does God expose their sin with such plainness of speech? He wants to show them the full extent of their rebellion, so that they may see the folly of continuing in sin and …

Showers of blessing

"There shall be showers of blessing" (Ezekiel 34:26). Without the Lord's blessing, we're in a spiritual wilderness. When the Lord comes to us, with his blessing, everything changes. Saved by the Lord, our life changes direction. It is less of self - and more of Jesus. This is the way the Lord leads us - …

When the Lord comes in power

Ezekiel 32:12-14; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45  When the Lord comes in power, everything changes. To the valley of dry bones, the Word of God is spoken: "I will put My Spirit in you, and you will live" (Ezekiel 37:14). It is only through the working of the Holy Spirit that there can be blessing among …

Christ is calling us to walk with Him – in His victory.

Ezekiel 24:1-25:17; Hebrews 11:17-40; Psalm 124:1-8 There is, in these passages, the continuing conflict between the life of obedient faith (Hebrews 11) and the life of disobedience (God’s judgments in Ezekiel). The Psalmist makes it clear that the life of obedient faith is not an easy life - “If the Lord had not been on …

Death will not have the last word.

Ezekiel 22:23-23:49; Hebrews 11:1-16; Proverbs 27:15-22 The contrast between a life of sin and shame and a life of faith and blessing is highlighted in the comparison between the passages in Ezekiel and Hebrews. The contrast is between living for the things we see - “She saw men ... As soon as she saw them …

Don’t you want to get on in the world? – Which world are you living for?

Ezekiel 30:1-31:18; Hebrews 13:1-25; Proverbs 27:23-28:6 What a contrast there is between “Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Ezekiel 31:2) and “Jesus Christ” who is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Pharaoh had the appearance of “majesty”, yet he was “brought down” (Ezekiel 31:2,18). Jesus has a glory which will never be diminished. It …

Those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars for ever and ever.

Ezekiel 40:1-49  -  God was revealing Himself to Ezekiel. ‘The hand of the Lord was upon’ him. He received ‘visions of God’ (1-2). Ezekiel was not to keep this revelation to himself: ‘Tell the house of Israel everything you see’ (4). We are to learn from ‘the prophets who spoke in the Name of the …

Responding to God’s Word (23): Be still, for the presence of the Lord, the Holy One, is here.

The Lord is there (Ezekiel 48:35). As I read the final words of the book of Ezekiel, I began to think about life. Where is life leading us? Are we on our own? or Is the Lord with us, in the hard times as well as the happy times? Is there light at the end …

The darkness of our sin is great. The bright shining light of God’s love is greater.

In Ezekiel 35, we learn that it is through His judgment as well as His salvation that we learn that the Lord is God. It is important that we remember two things - (i) God's purpose is salvation (John 3:17); (ii) His judgment comes upon us as a result of our sin (John 3:18). The …

God is calling us to look away from ourselves to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

Ezekiel 46:1-24  -  We read here about the ‘offering’ of ‘a lamb without defect’. This was to happen ‘morning by morning’ (13). From these offerings , we look on to another Offering, ‘a single Offfering’, the ‘once for all’ Offering of Jesus Christ as ‘the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the …

In true ministry, there is both the Word of God and the Spirit of God.

In true ministry, there is both the Word of God and the Spirit of God. God’s Word is spoken to us in the power of the Spirit, so that we might speak His Word in the power of the Spirit (Ezekiel 2:1-4). Ezekiel is described as “a watchman over the people of Israel.” He was …