GOG?
Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 38-40
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
You can see one of the main entrances to what was the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The three closed arches were once open for the public to go in and out from the Temple courtyard. The religion that calls itself Islam now controls the Temple Mount. One wonders, when considering today’s reading of prophecies yet to be fulfilled, what will become of this ancient Jewish centre of the worship of the true God.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: Ezekiel 38:18
“And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” says the Lord God, “that My fury will show in My face.”
It seems obvious that the prophecies of today’s reading are yet in the future. The geographical and political indications are that Gog, Rosh, Meshek and Tubal are the lands north of Israel. That could be a combination of modern Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia. Russia has demonstrated its willingness to move its armies into Ukraine a little while back, seizing the region of Crimea. Now its military is on the borders of Israel in Syria. Could this be an indicator of what is to come with these powers continuing to move south, eventually attacking the modern state of Israel? Whatever the intentions of the nations mentioned in Ezekiel’s prophecy, it should be clear to Bible readers that God will come down on the side of His ancient people, Israel. Vladimir Putin, leader of Russia, said in an interview that he reads the Bible as he travels from place to place. God only knows if he has read Ezekiel 38 and 39, or perhaps he has read Revelation 20:7-15. Prophecy, yet to be fulfilled, is much more difficult to understand because we can’t read about it in history, as is the case of so much already-fulfilled prophecy. We should be very careful lest we be carried away with speculation. Chapter 40 is filled with amazing word pictures which underline the importance of our worship of God.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, I know from Scripture that You are for individual people and families, but I read today that You will be against certain national entities in the future. I pray for Vladimir Putin as an individual and for his family. I pray for the leaders of Ukraine, and, in particular, for the people of Crimea. Bring peace and, most of all, Your Message of eternal salvation to these precious people. God, Your Word tells us that You: “So loved the world that [You] gave [Your] only begotten Son” (John 3:16). His Name is Jesus, and it’s in His Name I pray. Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
As the leader of the Crossroads Ministries in the past, I was excited to place two television series on national TV networks in the USSR (Russia and 14 other republics). They were 13 episodes of The Crossroads Creation Series and 22 episodes of Kingdom Adventure (a production for children). These releases were a first for these officially atheistic states. A missions group led by Hannu Hauka of Finland did the voice translations into the Russian language. Crossroads was recently involved in an outreach mission to precious orphans in Ukraine. These involvements touch my heart deeply as I hear the current newscasts and as I read about the future in tomorrow’s headlines here in Ezekiel. In today’s reading, we discover the time it would take to cleanse the land after the battle (mentioned three times in verses 12 to16). As a young student, I worked for a summer at Atomic Energy of Canada. Many people were employed in “cleansing” the reactor in Building 100, where there had been a serious spill of radioactive material. The cleansing of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan after the nuclear bombing resembled the efforts which will be made by Israel to cleanse the land. I can’t help but wonder if a form of atomic weapons will be used in the battle described in our reading.
Yours for “Holy conduct and godliness” (Read 2 Peter 3:10-13 which looks like a nuclear holocaust),
David
Amen to your prayer David.
God bless all believers.
Amen Lynds. I certainly enjoy and am thankful for the posting each day. Blessings all.
I prayed David’s prayer for today, in Jesus’ Almighty Name, Amen.
To God be the Praise and the Glory for evermore!
Coul I get some clarification. The Bible says that we are saved by grace a grace alone. But intodays reading Revelation 20 , 7-15 refers to the book of life and that we are judged by our deeds
Luke 11:24-26 (KJV)
24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.
25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.
26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
When the Lord saves you, you have been swept clean, so to speak. However, there are times when we “backslide” and we start doing things we shouldn’t be doing, things we did before we came to know the truth, things that God already forgave us for doing, and yet we find ourselves doing them yet again. It is for this stuff that we will be judged. Once you are saved, the fruits of the spirit should be evident in you. I can attest that this is very hard, because the fruits of the spirit certainly aren’t always evident in me, which is why I am always calling out to God for help. I am always asking God to walk with me, to help me, and to daily forgive me for that which I have done wrong. Apart from him I fail.
Even the Lord’s Prayer, a prayer we used to say daily in school, asked God for his forgiveness for trespassing against Him, because every day we would commit infractions against Him.
We are not alone because Paul himself was angered that he continually did the things he knew were sins, yet didn’t want to do; but that didn’t stop him from praying or from trying to change.
Romans 7: 18 – 19 (KJV)
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Kevin Visneskie, call out to God and ask him for his guidance and for answer to the questions you have. We must work out our salvation daily. God knows our hearts and minds. We can only try to give you ideas about your questions, but it is God that has your answers.
Philippians 2: 12 – 13 (KJV)
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.