“Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am […]
“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 How often do we stop to consider the depth of God’s love for […]
‘Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.’ Ephesians 6:10 Paul tells us two things about his thorn: First, that it was a messenger of Satan sent to buffet him. The word ‘buffet’ means ‘to render blow after blow’. It was not one battle, but a series of […]
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.” – Ezekiel 33:7 Roger Boisjoly, a booster rocket engineer at NASA contractor Morton Thiokol, tried vehemently to prevent the launch of the Space Shuttle […]
“I am the LORD your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” – Ezekiel 20:19 Kent and Barbara Hughes write in their book “Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome” the following: “Elisabeth Elliot once stayed in the farmhouse of a Welsh shepherd and his family high […]
“So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.” – Ezekiel 24:18 In an article titled “Ministering During Personal Tragedy”, author Jess Rainer writes: “We were not prepared for the death of our […]
“Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel?” – Ezekiel 18:31 In his book “Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine”, author Max Lucado writes: “In the spring of 2010, […]
“You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.” – Ezekiel 2:7 In his book “The Holy Spirit: Activating God’s Power in Your Life”, evangelist Billy Graham tells of the importance of witnessing with the following illustration: “An old American Indian […]
“You have kept your promise because you are righteous.” Nehemiah 9:8 God is faithful to His Word. When He makes a promise, He fulfills it. The righteousness of God guarantees that every word He speaks is true and will come to pass. In Nehemiah’s time, the Israelites recognized God’s faithfulness, […]
“They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.” Nehemiah 4:8-9 Life is full of challenges, and trouble often comes when we least expect it. The […]
“Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!”– James 5:9 Charles Darwin, known for his chronic complaining, was at his happiest when he had something to criticize. He wrote to Charles Lyell in October 1861: “But I am very poorly […]
“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the LORD!” – Ezekiel 13:2 Pastor Edward F. Markquart wrote: “The Old Testament prophet was to be keenly aware of the evil powers […]
“But in your great mercy, you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.” Nehemiah 9:31 God’s mercy is one of His most beautiful attributes. Throughout history, the people of Israel repeatedly turned away from God, yet He never abandoned […]
‘We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News.’ 1 Corinthians 3:5 One day, when Charles Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, was scheduled to preach to 300 inmates at San Quentin prison, a lockdown was called, and most of the prisoners were confined to their cells. To […]
“I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do.” Nehemiah 7:2 In appointing leaders for Jerusalem, Nehemiah chose individuals not solely based on their skills or accomplishments […]