Ezekiel 41:44-46 We are fearfully and wonderfully made.

We are fearfully and wonderfully made. God knows the plans He has for us and it is for our good. Although we may deviate from our path He will always turn us around.

We love others because God first loved us. His Love is an action word. Christ within us is the hope of His glory showing up  in our lives.

We have a great high Priest who having purged our sins sat down at the right hand of the Father and He rested. In His actions at the Cross it was finished. Because of Him we can come boldly to the throne of grace that we may attain mercy and find grace in any situation. Nothing in our lives is beyond His hand. Come to Him with faith believing in His power in all of our lives. We rest in the finished work of Christ. There was no person worthy but Jesus and He came and accomplished what we could not. 

There is no condemnation for those who believe in Jesus Christ. It is faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ plus nothing. Grace is the unmerited and underserved gift of our loving God for His creation. 

Without walking in another persons loss we cannot have empathy for what they are going through. Jesus who was tempted in all areas of life has compassion knowing we are mere humans.

Worry about nothing but in all things by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving give your request to God and rest in His peace.

James drew on the ideas of spirit and body to further his argument about the connection between faith and works: "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead" (James 2:26). James drove home the difference between merely hearing God's Word and letting faith lead us to be doers of the Word. First5

The gift when someone sees me.

We live in a world burdened with uncertainty, anxiety and disquiet. So, it is no surprise that we can feel weighted down. And it is no surprise that we carry narratives that don’t allow us to see the gift that is too easily buried. The gift of our inherent beauty.

Our inherent beauty can be easily hidden. And this I know, when we hide our own beauty, we bury (literally, entomb) our courage (to be at home in our own skin).

And when we bury our courage, we disconnect from faith and hope and love.

But the burdens of life are not easy. I’m not suggesting that we haven’t (at times) felt cynical, bitter or tired. And yes, at times, we wonder if there is any reason to go on.

This is made all the thornier, if we see our imperfections (or whatever accompanying label or script) as an enemy (predicament or obstacle) to be overcome. Meaning, that we see only our shortcomings, and we do not see our beauty.
We do not see Grace.
We do not see Love.

Sabbath Moments

Ezekiel 41:44 Outside the inner gate were the chambers for the singers in the inner court, one facing south at the side of the northern gateway, and the other facing north at the side of the southern gateway. 45 Then he said to me, “This chamber which faces south is for the priests who have charge of the temple. 46 The chamber which faces north is for the priests who have charge of the altar; these are the sons of Zadok, from the sons of Levi, who come near the Lord to minister to Him.” The New King James Version

Measuring the Future Ezekiel could be called one of the most visionary prophets. God showed him spiritual insights that still stir the imagination 25 centuries later. Like other prophets, Ezekiel’s ministry among his people had two distinct phases: condemnation and consolation. The first 32 chapters of Ezekiel catalog the sure and future judgment of God on His own people and seven other nations. Incredibly, although Jerusalem had been defeated and many of her people had been deported, the exiles clung to the vain hope that God would never let His city and temple be destroyed. They missed the point that God’s ultimate commitment was to people—not places or buildings. In order to purify and preserve the people, God allowed the devastation of the Promised Land and the temple itself. Yet God also held responsible those nations that used their temporary domination of Israel as an opportunity to mock the living God. Ezekiel’s early messages focused on the coming of God’s judgment and the urgent need for repentance. The last part of Ezekiel represents a sudden change of tone. With the fall of Jerusalem, God’s terrible judgment had finally come. The weary and disillusioned exiles had lost all hope. But God filled Ezekiel with a new message. Although all immediate evidence pointed to hopelessness and despair, God invited His people to return to Him and to place their confidence in Him. Whatever their temporary setbacks and suffering, God was still in control. His purposes would win out, and His plans were specific. In fact, His plans were so definite they could be measured. Ezekiel received a vision of the dimensions of a new temple (recorded in 40:1–48:35) to demonstrate that fact. Many efforts have been made to understand the details of Ezekiel’s vision in such a way that the prophecy might be described as fulfilled. However, attempts to do this have failed. Those who eventually returned from exile did not use Ezekiel’s plans to rebuild Jerusalem. It is also difficult to interpret this prophecy as a symbolic description of the church in our age. The most confident statement we can make about the vision and its accompanying instructions is that it is a prophecy yet to be fulfilled. At the same time, we can apply these chapters to the present as examples of God’s planning, precision, and sovereignty. He maintains control of the events of history. When events seem chaotic, God reminds us to rest in His ability to bring order. Ezekiel’s vision of a new temple when the temple in Jerusalem had just been destroyed reassured the exiles: God would create beauty out of ashes. The people in Ezekiel’s day needed that vision of hope, and we still need it today. The NKJV Study Bible.

Ezekiel 44:14–16 Nevertheless I will make them keep charge of the temple, for all its work, and for all that has to be done in it.“But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood,” says the Lord GOD…

Jeremiah 38:19-20 we need to thrive where He has planted us

Do not be afraid of the unknown for God will protect you.

Isaiah 51:12–13 

“I, even I, am He who comforts you.

Who are you that you should be afraid

Of a man who will die,

And of the son of a man who will be made like grass?

And you forget the LORD your Maker,

Who stretched out the heavens

And laid the foundations of the earth;

You have feared continually every day

Because of the fury of the oppressor,

When he has prepared to destroy.

And where is the fury of the oppressor?

Do not fear what man can do to you but listen to Holy Spirit who will give you guidance in all situations.

Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The word of God is powerful. It shines His light on ALL things and nothing is hidden. Knowing that we have a great high Priest that resides at the right of God we can come boldly to the throne of grace. We are citizens of His Kingdom in heaven. He knows our every thought  and loves us still.  Jesus was tempted so that He would understand and have empathy for our weaknesses. He knows as mere humans that only by the power of Holy Spirit would we be able to withstand them.

Psalm 139O Lord, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. 5 You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.

God searches us and knows the whole of us. When we pray our prayers are heard by God with His complete attention. He knows our thoughts and the  intents of our heart.  He is never far from us. He knows what we will say and do and He will direct us as we walk the path He sets before us. It is beyond our understanding that almighty God goes with us everywhere we go. 

He will always direct us back to Him. 

In our brightest days He is there. In our darkest nights He is there. We are fearfully and wonderfully made in His image. How precious are His thoughts for us as believers. Our God is always present, knows the beginning and the end and is powerful for good in our lives.

Jeremiah 38:19-20

19 And Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have defected to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they abuse me.” 20 But Jeremiah said, “They shall not deliver you. Please, obey the voice of the Lord which I speak to you. So it shall be well with you, and your soul shall live. The New King James Version

Zedekiah’s fear of those who opposed his rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar is his excuse for not surrendering. Jeremiah reassures him that the only thing Zedekiah needs to be concerned with is obeying Yahweh. Faithlife Study Bible

Zedekiah revealed he was afraid to surrender to the Babylonians because he feared retaliation by early deserters from Jerusalem. His unfitness to be king is proven by his concern for his personal safety above that of the city and its inhabitants.Jeremiah tried to settle Zedekiah’s fears and to resolve his moral and ethical dilemma by reassuring him that surrender would result in his personal safety. The NKJV Study Bible

Jeremiah was not forward to repeat the warnings, which seemed only to endanger his own life, and to add to the king’s guilt, but asked whether he feared to do the will of God. 

The less men fear God, the more they fear men; often they dare not act according to their own judgments and consciences. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Isaiah 55:3 

Incline your ear, and come to Me.

Hear, and your soul shall live;

And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—

The sure mercies of David.

Jeremiah 11:4 which I commanded your fathers in the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and do according to all that I command you; so shall you be My people, and I will be your God,’

Jeremiah 40:9 And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath before them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.

Mark 6:5-6 Unbelief

In order to receive anything from God we must first believe that He is. We have the freewill  to block Him totally out of  our life or to chose to take Him at His word. Faith is the only way to enter into living in the spirit.

We need to have confidence in God and  believe in the saving grace He gives in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is the only way to the Father and the mighty works that Holy Spirit can do in our life.

Faith is taking God at His word.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

God cannot tolerate unbelief it is worse than any other sin. 

When we do not believe  the word of God we turn against the living testimony that He gave man through the inspiration of Holy Spirit. God’s Word, manifested bodily in Christ Jesus, is powerful and able to save anyone who believes in Him. It is also the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. The Holy Spirit will convict us when we miss the mark and fall short. In His great agape love for His creation does He not leave or forsake us.

Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

Knowing that God is in perfect control we are totally safe. Jesus, the gift of God to mankind, purchased our redemption allowing us to enter in to His peace. From that moment of belief Holy Spirit resides in us to guide and direct our lives. We just need to listen to His still, small voice.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

The soul makes up our personality-our mind, will and emotions. The Cross of Jesus Christ allows our soul to have right standing and relationship with God. Our spirit is inoperable until Holy Spirit enters in. Jesus lights the flame.

Life is in the blood of  Jesus Christ. 

Ephesians 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

Holy Spirit is alive in us.

There is a difference between believing something to be true and trusting in that truth enough to obey its guidance. “Faith" indicates confidence built on a foundation of trust in God. "Believe" is the verb form of "faith"; in most places in Scripture, it refers to the action of placing our confidence in Christ. For instance, Jesus said, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent" (John 6:29). First5

When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable,” Madeleine L'Engle wrote. “But to grow up is to accept vulnerability. To be alive is to be vulnerable.”

This invitation gratefully has the power to shift our core sense of where we tether our being. And it includes the recognition that it is (even, and especially) in our vulnerability, and humility, that we find the strength and the power to take care of one another. The invitation to be the light that lets love set one another free. This matters, because no one is on this journey alone. Sabbath Moments 

Hypocrisy turns people against God, so God has a no-tolerance policy. Let’s take hypocrisy as seriously as God does. Bottom line: don’t make a theater production out of your faith. Slay the desire to be noticed. Stir the desire to serve God. Heed the counsel of Christ: “First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too” (Matthew 23:26 NLT). Do good things. Just don’t do them to be noticed. You can be too good for your own good, you know. Max Lucado

Mark 6:5-6

5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching. The New King James Version

May Divine grace deliver us from that unbelief, which renders Christ a savour of death, rather than of life to the soul. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Matthew 9:35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 

Matthew 13:57–58 So they were offended at Him.But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. 

Mark 5:23 and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.”

Jonah 3:5-10 But God had other plans!

Our God is merciful and long-suffering. He wants no one to perish but to seek Him in the salvation He gives in Jesus Christ. There are no sins that cannot be forgiven except for calling the indwelling of Holy Spirit evil and not the divine anointing of a holy God for those who believe. 

Jonah only wanted to not look like a fool. But God had other plans! 

It is never too late to turn your life around!

James 2:17 (ESV) "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."

Because genuine faith produces love for others, it makes a difference in the way we live and impact the people around us. When we were poor and needy, lost in our sin, Jesus didn't pass us by and say, "I hope everything works out!" 

Genuine faith produces love for others. More than a ticket to heaven someday, faith means being the hands and feet of Christ to a world longing for hope today. First5

As the old man walks the beach at dawn, he notices a young man picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. Catching up to the youth, he asks a simple question, "Why are you doing this?”

The boy answers that the stranded starfish would die if left until the morning sun.

"But the beach goes on for miles, and there are millions of starfish. How can your efforts make any difference?”

The young man looked at the starfish in his hand and threw it to safety—into the ocean past the breaking waves. 

“It makes a difference to this one," he said.

Here’s what I know: We can make choices that matter, that make a difference. To this day. To this encounter. To this conversation. To honor the truth that love will set us free. Sabbath Moments 

When Jesus saw the religious hypocrite, he exposed every self-righteous mole and pimple. “All their works they do to be seen by men” (Matthew 23:5 NKJV). This is the working definition of hypocrisy: “to be seen by men.”

We must do good works. And some works, such as benevolence or teaching, must be seen in order to have an impact. To do a good thing is a good thing. To do a good thing to be seen, however, is a serious offense. Here’s why: hypocrisy turns people away from God.

When people enter a church to see God yet can’t see God because of the church, don’t think for a second that God does not react. “Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding” (Matthew 6:1 MSG).Max Lucado

Jonah 3:5-10

3.So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? 10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it. The New King James Version

The city exhibited trust or faith in God, as evidenced by a change in behavior. The custom of wearing sackcloth usually demonstrated an individual’s act of repentance. Jeremiah called on his generation to repent, commanding the inhabitants of Judah to put on sackcloth in mourning due to the coming of the great nation from the north. The king of Nineveh wore sackcloth to demonstrate his repentance upon hearing Yahweh’s announcement of imminent judgment. 

Nineveh’s repentance is universal, with both man and beast crying out to God for mercy. The Hebrew term here has the core sense of turning around. Here and elsewhere it is used with the idea of repentance. This contrasts sharply with the adamant refusal to repent that is the typical response that Israelite prophets received at home.  

The Assyrians were famous for their violence. Faithlife Study Bible

The term used for God here is the general term for deity. The fact that the writer does not use the personal name for God here may suggest that the Ninevites had a short-lived or imperfect understanding of God’s message. History bears this out: We have no historical record of a lasting period of belief in Nineveh. Eventually the city was destroyed, in 612 b.c. 

The king’s edict reached all of Nineveh.The reversal of the threat to destroy Nineveh depended solely on the grace and mercy of the Lord. At times, the announced judgment of God is not His real intent. Such announcements usually include offers of mercy and forgiveness The Ninevites’ repentance moved the Lord to extend grace and mercy to them. The NKJV Study Bible

There was a wonder of Divine grace in the repentance and reformation of Nineveh. The Ninevites hoped that God would turn from his fierce anger; and that thus their ruin would be prevented. They could not be so confident of finding mercy upon their repentance, as we may be, who have the death and merits of Christ, to which we may trust for pardon upon repentance. They dared not presume, but they did not despair.

Hope of mercy is the great encouragement to repentance and reformation. Let us boldly cast ourselves down at the footstool of free grace, and God will look upon us with compassion. God sees who turn from their evil ways, and who do not. Thus he spared Nineveh. We read of no sacrifices offered to God to make atonement for sin; but a broken and a contrite heart, such as the Ninevites then had, he will not despise. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Jeremiah 18:7–8 The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.

Joel 2:14–16 

Who knows if He will turn and relent,

And leave a blessing behind Him—

A grain offering and a drink offering

For the LORD your God?

Blow the trumpet in Zion,Consecrate a fast,

Call a sacred assembly…

2 Chronicles 20:3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

Jeremiah 18:11 “Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Behold, I am fashioning a disaster and devising a plan against you. Return now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.” ’ ”