Link to Rev James Philip’s notes on Ezekiel

Ezekiel

In true ministry, there is both the Word of God and the Spirit of God (Ezekiel 2-3).

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 …

Looking beyond “Pharaoh, king of Egypt” to “Jesus, King of all kings” (Ezekiel 29-32).

Ezekiel 29:1-21  -  In God’s dealings with Egypt, we see both His wrath - ‘Egypt will become a desolate wasteland’ - and His mercy - ‘At the end of forty years... I will restore the fortunes of Egypt’ (9,13-14). God’s wrath is His response to Egypt’s pride - ‘Because you said, “The Nile is mine; …

For such a time as this, I will put my Spirit in you, and you shall live (Travelling through God’s Word: Esther).

"Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). Rev George Philip preached a series of sermons on 1 Samuel 1-7, with the title, "For such a time as this." This title is taken from this verse in the book of Esther. The name of God is never mentioned …

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 12:1-14; Psalm 149 or Ezekiel 33:7-11; Psalm 119:33-40; Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 18:15-20

Saved by the Lord, let us go on to live for Him. ‘When I see the blood, I will pass over you... You must eat unleavened bread’ (Exodus 12:13, 20). In Exodus 12:13, we are directed beyond the Passover to Jesus Christ, whose blood was shed for the forgiveness of sins (John 1:29; 1 John1:7). …

Prayer and the ministry of God’s Word

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16 or Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32; Psalm 25:1-9; Philippians 2:1-13; Matthew 21:23-32 Prayer and the ministry of God’s Word Worldly people create problems (Exodus 17:3). Moses asks, ‘What shall I do...?’ (Exodus 17:4). Indecision asks, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’ (Exodus 17:7). He gives victory (Exodus …

Teach us, Lord, to obey Your Word. Lead us on the pathway of blessing.

Prayers based on Ezekiel 5-8 Ezekiel 5:1-6:14 ‘Because you have defiled My sanctuary... I Myself will withdraw My favour’ (Ezekiel 5:11). To those who despise Your 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 …

The river of God’s blessing

In Ezekiel 47:1-11, we have a wonderful picture and an encouraging message - the river of God's blessing. In Ezekiel 48:35, we have a wonderful presence and an inspiring message - "The Lord is there."

Be holy in all you do, and love one another deeply, from the heart.

Ezekiel 41:1-42:20; 1 Peter 1:1-2:3; Psalm 131:1-3 Ezekiel emphasizes that the Temple was to be built according to God’s pattern. Our lives are to be lived according to God’s pattern – “Be holy in all you do”, “Love one another deeply, from the heart” (1 Peter 1:15,22). the instructions for the building the Temple were …

Revelation or discovery?

The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel" (Ezekiel 1:3). The word of the Lord that came to Hosea (Hosea 1:1). The word of the Lord that came to Joel (Joel 1:1). The Spirit of the Lord is on me (Luke 4:18). I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive …

Special Days – Christian Unity: Ezekiel 37:15-24; Psalm 122; 1 Corinthians 3:1-11; Matthew 28:16-20

As we we come to God’s House, let us pray, “Holy Spirit, we welcome You.” 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. …

Jesus Christ – the Lamb of God – has ‘offered for all time a single Sacrifice for sins’ (prayers based on Ezekiel 45 – 46).

Ezekiel 45:1-25 We read, Lord, about 'the sin offerings, cereal offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, to make atonement for the house of Israel’ (Ezekiel 45:17). We thank You that all of this points forward to the single Sacrifice for sin made by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: ‘Christ died for sins once for …

Worshipping God

In Ezekiel 44-46, we read about the worship of God. The emphasis is on holiness. The place of worship is described as "the holy place" (Ezekiel 44:1). When we move into the New Testament, the emphasis is on the people. We are to be the holy people of God - "You are chosen people, a …

Rivers Of Living Water -Flowing Into Us And Flowing Out From Us

Ezekiel 47:1-12 “ankle-deep, knee-deep, up to the waist, deep enough to swim in, a river than could not be crossed on foot” (Ezekiel 47:3-5). Jerusalem – ankle-deep, all Judaea – knee deep, Samaria – up to the waist, the ends of the earth – deep enough to swim in (Acts 1:8) Before there can be …

It is only through the working of the Holy Spirit that there can be blessing among God’s people.

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 power of love – God’s love is as great as His power.

Egypt will be conquered. This message, from Ezekiel 29-30, continues in Ezekiel 31. The time of Egypt's power will come to an end. The power of God is very different. He is the eternal God. His power is a very special power. It is the power of love. His love is as great as His power. …

God’s Purpose, God’s Spirit, God’s Glory, God’s People, God’s Blessing

In Ezekiel 38:23, we read about God's purpose in history - "I will show My greatness and My holiness. I will reveal Myself to many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord." It is important that we see the divine dimension in the events which take place here on earth. There are …

God is working out His plan.

In Ezekiel 38:23, we read about God's purpose in history - "I will show My greatness and My holiness. I will reveal Myself to many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord." It is important that we see the divine dimension in the events which take place here on earth. There are …

Where Does Revelation Come From?

"The sky opened, and I saw visions from God ... The power of the Lord came over Ezekiel" (Ezekiel 1:1-2). Where does revelation come from? Does it come from us? Is it something that we discover? No! It comes from above. It comes from heaven. It comes from the Lord. It is given to us. …

From Revelation To Revival

Ezekiel 37:1-14 God calls us to speak His Word. First, we must receive His Gospel. We must see ourselves as sinners. We must see Jesus as our Saviour. The Word of the Lord is to be encouraging, challenging and life-changing. We will not always be on the mountain-top. Often, we will be down in the …

Lord, we look ahead to Your final victory over Satan – Help us to win others for You (prayers based on Ezekiel 38-40).

Ezekiel 38:1-23 We read, Lord, of Your judgment upon ‘Gog from the land of Magog’: ‘When Gog attacks the land of Israel, My hot anger will be aroused... I will execute judgment upon him...’ (Ezekiel 38:1,18,22). The names ‘Gog and Magog’ are also found in Revelation 20:7-10. There, we read of rebellion against You, Lord …

The River Of God Is Filled With Blessing.

"The river of God is filled with water" (Psalm 65:9). What a superabundance of blessing there is in the river of God! We read more about the river of God in Ezekiel 47. We read about the amazing increase of God's blessing - "The water came up to my ankles ...The water came up to …

A Message Of Hope For God’s People

God’s judgment on Tyre - This theme continues on from Ezekiel 26-27. The emphasis is on His judgment on the king - “the ruler of Tyre” (Ezekiel 28:1). Here, we look beyond “the ruler of Tyre.” We may look on from him to Satan. Like the king of Tyre, Satan will also “come to a …

We cannot change ourselves. We must be changed by the Lord.

The great miracle of the new birth is described in Ezekiel 36:26 - "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you." We cannot change ourselves. We must be changed by the Lord. He forgives our sin. He gives us His Holy Spirit. He enables us to put the past …

Showers of blessing

Ezekiel 33:21-35:15; James 2:1-26; Psalm 128:1-6 The Word of God speaks clearly about sin and judgment – “See, I Myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep” (Ezekiel 34:20), “judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful” (James 2:13). God’s Word also gives to us great promises. …

The hand of the Lord was upon me.

Ezekiel 40:1-49; James 5:1-20; Psalm 130:1-8 The prophecy spoken by Ezekiel has its ultimate Source in God Himself – “the hand of the Lord was upon me” (Ezekiel 40:1). He goes on to describe “visions of God” (Ezekiel 40:2). To speak the Word of God faithfully requires patience. there is not always evidence of great …

Thank You, Lord, for Jesus, our great Saviour.

Prayers based on Ezekiel 17-18 Ezekiel 17:1-24 To those who adopt a ‘rebellious’ attitude to You, Lord, You speak Your Word of warning - They shall ‘not escape’ Your judgment (Ezekiel 17:12,18). For those who abandon this attitude of rebellion, there is a way of salvation. We thank You, Lord, for the words of prophecy …

Ezekiel 7

“The end is coming” - We read these words five times in Ezekiel 7:1-6. These are words of judgment. Ezekiel 7 ends with the words, “Then they will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 7:27). In His judgment, the Lord is known as the holy God. If the people refuse to return to the …

Lord, we come to You as sinners. May we never forget our Saviour – the Lord Jesus Christ (prayers based on Ezekiel 29-31).

Ezekiel 29:1-21 Lord, in Your dealings with Egypt, we see both Your wrath - ‘Egypt will become a desolate wasteland’ - and Your mercy - ‘At the end of forty years... I will restore the fortunes of Egypt’ (Ezekiel 29:9,13-14). Your wrath is Your response to Egypt’s pride - ‘Because you said, “The Nile is …

Is there a way back to God?

In Ezekiel 14, we read about people turning away from the Lord, people turning to idols. Does God turn His back on them? When we read on to verse 11, we find these wonderful words: "Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their …

Help us, Lord, to put the past behind us and make a new beginning with You (prayers based on Ezekiel 23-24).

Ezekiel 23:1-49 ‘Because you have forgotten Me and turned your back on Me, you will be punished for all your sin’ (Ezekiel 23:35). Lord, help us not to forget You. Help us to remember You. Help us not to let Your Word ‘go in one ear and out the other’. Help us to be ‘doers …

Give us faith, Lord. May Jesus be our Joy. Holy Spirit, we welcome You (prayers based on Ezekiel 35-37).

Ezekiel 35:1-15 ‘You will be desolate, O Mount Seir, you and all of Edom. Then they will know that I am the Lord’ (Ezekiel 35:15). The people of Edom knew You, Lord, as their Judge. We thank You there is a much better way of knowing You. We can know You as our Saviour. Those …

Called Out Of Darkness Into God’s Marvellous Light (prayers based on Ezekiel 19-20)

Ezekiel 19:1-14 Lord, You look upon the sinfulness of His people - and Your heart is filled with sadness. If we truly love You, we will have great sadness when we see people turning away from You and ruining their lives. We have joy in You, Lord - ‘Rejoice in the Lord always’ (Philippians 4:4). …

The battle between the truth of God and the lies of the devil

"Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: ‘Hear the Word of the Lord!" (Ezekiel 13:2) The battle between the truth of God and the lies of the devil - It's been going on for a long time, and it keeps on going on and on. There will come a time when the …

God’s great salvation

Ezekiel 38:1-39:29; James 4:1-17; Proverbs 28:7-17 God’s Word speaks of His judgment upon sin (Ezekiel 39:23-24). It also speaks of His great salvation from sin (Ezekiel 39:25-29). “Scripture says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble'” (James 4:6). God’s Word speaks of the choice placed before man – obedience or disobedience, blessing or …

Shining – out from God’s Word, into our hearts

"The brightness of the Lord's glory ... the sound of the Almighty God when He speaks" (Ezekiel 10:4-5) The glory of the Lord has shone in our hearts. It is the glory that shines out from His Word.

Lord, You speak to us about our sin and Your salvation – ‘Hear the Word of the Lord!’ (prayers based on Ezekiel 11-13).

Ezekiel 11:1-12:16 Lord, You speak to us about our sin - ‘Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people’ - and Your salvation - ‘I will... put a new spirit in them...’ (Ezekiel 12:2; Ezekiel 11:19-20). Show us, Lord, that we must receive’ with humility, the bad news concerning our sin - ‘The …

The River Of God’s Blessing – the presence of the Lord, the Holy One, is here (prayers based on Ezekiel 47-48).

Ezekiel 47:1-23 We read, Lord, about the rising of the ‘river’ of Your blessing - ‘ankle-deep... knee-deep... up to the waist... deep enough to swim in - a river that no-one could cross’ (Ezekiel 47:3-5). This is the river of ‘life’ - ‘a great number of trees... Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the …

The heavens were opened and I saw visions of God (Travelling Through God’s Word: Ezekiel)

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 Your servant is listening’ …

Idolatry: What has taken the place of the Lord in our lives?

Ezekiel 8:3-18 "3 ... In these visions from God, the Spirit carried me between heaven and earth. He took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance to the north gate of the inner courtyard of the temple. That was where an idol that stirs up God’s anger was located. 4 There I saw the glory of Israel’s …

God’s Word Of Warning Is Spoken As The Voice Of His Love.

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 better …

When we are in the Lord’s presence, He speaks His Word to us.

Ezekiel 10-12 “The Lord’s glory rose from the angels” (Ezekiel 10:4); “The Spirit lifted me” (Ezekiel 11:1) - These prophecies of Ezekiel bring us into the presence of God. “The sound of the Almighty God when He speaks” (Ezekiel 10:5); “The Lord’s Spirit came to me and told me to say” (Ezekiel 11:5) - When …

May the beauty of Jesus fill my life.

Prayers based on Ezekiel 43-44 Ezekiel 43:1-27 Lord, this is not only about the glory of the Temple. It’s about ‘the glory of the God of Israel.’ This is the greater glory - ‘the glory of the Lord filled the Temple’ (Ezekiel 43:1,5). Lord, You're not only concerned about the creation of a beautiful place …

Ezekiel

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 …

Hallelujah! – Teach us to worship You, Lord, in everything we do.

Prayers based on Ezekiel 39-42 Ezekiel 38:1-23 We read, Lord, of Your judgment upon ‘Gog from the land of Magog’: ‘When Gog attacks the land of Israel, My hot anger will be aroused... I will execute judgment upon him...’ (Ezekiel 38:1,18,22). The names ‘Gog and Magog’ are also found in Revelation 20:7-10. There, we read …

The Spirit And The Word

"As He spoke to me, the Spirit entered me, stood me on my feet, and I heard Him speaking to me" (Ezekiel 2:2). If we are to stand in Christ, we need both the Spirit and the Word - not the Spirit without the Word, not the Word without the Spirit. "As I looked, I …

God speaks to us. We are to speak for Him.

“The Lord’s glory rose from the angels” (Ezekiel 10:4); “The Spirit lifted me” (Ezekiel 11:1 - These prophecies of Ezekiel bring us into the presence of God. “the sound of the Almighty God when He speaks” (Ezekiel 10:5); “The Lord’s Spirit came to me and told me to say” (Ezekiel 11:5) - When we are …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

"I will pour out My Spirit on the nation of Israel" (Ezekiel 39:29).

True blessing comes when God pours out His Spirit. This is something for which we must always - the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In Ezekiel 40-43, we have a description of the temple. We can measure the physical dimensions of the temple, but there is something that we cannot measure: "I saw the glory …

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 …

‘Because you have defiled My sanctuary, I Myself will withdraw My favour’ (Ezekiel 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’ (Matthew 21:13). God is warning us: ‘You have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember …

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 …

Sin and Salvation

Ezekiel 16:63 -20:44 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 …

God does not leave us in our sin. He sends His Son to be our Saviour.

Ezekiel 8-9 In Ezekiel 8, we have a description of sin - “very disgusting things”, even more disgusting things” (Ezekiel 8:6,9,13,17). When we read such “bad news”, we wonder, “Is there good news?” The answer of God’s Word is “Yes”! God does not leave us in our sin. He sends His Son to be our …

Wait on the Lord.

The world says, "The days go by and every vision comes to nothing’?" (Ezekiel 12:22)  This isn't something new. People were saying this to Ezekiel - a long time ago.  What does the Lord say about this? - 'It shall be done. God will fulfil His promises.' Who are we to say, 'Too many days …

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, …