GOD’S COVENANT – ATONEMENT
Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 16-17
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
No, that’s not snow! About 20 kilometres north of Laodicea is the famous hot springs of Turkey. It is known as Pamukkale or ancient Hierapolis. The water terraces overflow with mineral rich blue water. Philip, the Apostle of Jesus Christ, who brought the message of the Great Creator’s covenant and atonement to this area, would have enjoyed the same view and perhaps bathed in the springs.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verses: Ezekiel 16:62-63
“And I will establish My covenant with you. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, that you may remember and be ashamed, and never open your mouth anymore because of your shame, when I provide you an atonement for all you have done,” says the Lord God.
Ezekiel, true to his calling as a prophet, is representing God to humanity, and in particular to God’s people, Israel. Imagine the capacity of God to feel abandoned, betrayed, unloved, and unwanted. We have feelings which can be hurt, but do we consider God’s feelings? God considers all who believe in Him to be His Bride (read Revelation 19:7-9). Ezekiel tries to shame God’s people into repentance by comparing them to a prostitute and an adulterous wife who breaks wedlock. He even says that Jerusalem is worse than Sodom, a city which God destroyed because of its evil. But God, true and faithful to His side of the covenant, renews His marriage covenant by Himself. He provides a way to erase the past through the atonement provided by the shedding of blood (Leviticus 17:11 and Hebrews 13:20-21). God promised an everlasting covenant. He has done His part; now we must receive it, sign it, believe it and keep it as true believers.
Chapter 17 begins by God asking Ezekiel to pose a riddle. The dictionary says that a riddle is “a question or statement intentionally phrased so as to require ingenuity in ascertaining its answer or meaning.” Why would God use this tactic? It seems that God will try every possible means to help us think deeply. Someone has said, “When a person begins to think, God has the advantage.”
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Thank You, Lord God, that You did not put the Covenant and the Atonement into a riddle. You made it so very plain so that a person can understand that You are committed to the most solemn and binding agreement into which any two parties can enter. You have kept Your part in this act of total commitment to us. I pray for daily grace to keep my part. In legal language, You are the “Party of the first part,” and I’m the “party of the second part.” Thank You that I don’t need a law degree to understand that! Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
Our first Crossroads Treasurer was the late George Inkster. I was Pastor to the Inkster family in Sudbury, Ontario, for five years. At least twice Norma-Jean, our children and I were Sunday dinner guests at the Inkster home. Both times George had a riddle for us to think about and talk about during the meal. One of the Inkster children told me that their Dad did this regularly. I would say that all the Inkster children turned out to be deep thinkers about all the matters of life. George could also throw out amazing mathematical challenges. He had the answers to complicated problems clearly figured out in advance.
I mentioned above that God has the advantage when we begin to think. Shauna Simmons Jenkins hosted an amazing children’s TV show for our network, CTS, called, TQ. Later she launched a video series for teens called, Make You Think! I recommend this for the very reason stated in the name of the series. During my “Thank You Canada” tour to 180 cities during 2010 to 2012, I sold this video series to a number of churches for their youth group discussions. I highly recommend these well-done quality DVD’s. For information on purchasing this excellent production go to makeyouthink.com.
Yours for learning how to think with greater depth than ever,
David
The “Make You Think” motor home was my home on wheels for the Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Northern Ontario “Thank You Canada” tour in the late winter and Spring of 2011.
MARCH
“I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say”
by Horatius Bonar, 1808-1889
published 1846
“I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary and worn and sad;
I found in Him a resting place,
And He has made me glad.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one,
Stoop down, and drink, and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s Light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise,
And all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk,
Till trav’ling days are done.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“My Father’s house above
Has many mansions; I’ve a place
Prepared for you in love.”
I trust in Jesus—in that house,
According to His word,
Redeemed by grace, my soul shall live
Forever with the Lord.”
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.
Titus 2:11 ESV
“I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say”, Horatius Bonar; Choir singing–lovely!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBsoiLKxvT0
We are Your bride, Lord God and we seek to keep our covenant with You. We know Your feelings of love for us, and Your sacrifice as You became sin for us. Thank You for being our atonement–all that we might have forgiveness on earth and eternal life in heaven with You. That is Your love for us, God. You did not want us to be separated but together as one. We, Your saints, are with You God and want to be with You, in love. We thank You and praise You, from the bottom of our hearts. Amen. Wishing fellow saints a blessed day as we come together to worship our one and only Saviour and King.
Amen! Amen! Amen!
Amen Beverlee
Amen
Thank You, Father, for loving us, for caring for us. Help us never forget that all we have is from You, given in love. Help us today to share Your goodness with others, knowing that You love cheerful givers. Thank You. Be glorified throughout this world, Lord, and bring people everywhere back to the God of our fathers Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; to You, Lord! In Jesus’s name, amen
Amen
Amen
Amen, amen, and amen, Rob.
Yes Lord, Amen
Amen to the above.Let’s continue to pray for Ann also.I’m just finishing this now because of church.Roads were very bad for almost half the journey to church because of snow overnight.
Micah,the eldest of one of our members is studying to be a Pentecostal preacher (They were and still are Pentecostal) and was home for the weekend.Pastor Chris had already invited him to speak some time and today was that time.I invited him outback to pray,as is our habit,before the service where we encouraged him.He did great speaking on our need to keep focused on Jesus when we are constantly distracted by worldly cares.”Keep your eyes upon Jesus …..”
I hope yall have/had a great Lord’s Day.
I Will Weep
I will weep in My secret place,
For far from me you hide your face,
But still I love you with a Father’s love
And still I want you with Me above.
Thus,after I have punished you,
When you again learn to be true,
I will forget the pain you have caused Me,
For to love Me you must be free.
I have created you to learn
And to love me is what I yearn,
But you chose to walk down the darkest road
And love idols that increase your load.
They can not speak nor even feel,
Yet you worship what is not real.
Don’t you know their father is the devil
And he is the king of all evil.
He is lord of this world for now
But soon My Son will show you how
The devil taught you how not to believe
While you were distracted and deceived.
When He returns yet one last time
You’ll be forgiven of your crime,
Then We will start anew in My garden
And no longer will your hearts harden.
GW(Bill) Marshall/28 January,2020
Back To The Garden
I want to go back to the garden,
Back to before sin knew it’s name;
Before hearts of stone would harden,
For then,Lord,our hearts were the same.
Father take me back,if only in dreams,
To Your world where love was to blossom,
Where birds sang beside mountain streams,
And the beauty that grew was so awesome.
Show me this secret garden of Yours,
Where I can be free from my sin,
Where the angels keep open doors
And time was not free to begin.
Show me the way to the garden path,
For too long my garden sprouts sin,
So let Your fire burn free your wrath
To make a new heart from within.
G W(Bill) Marshall / 21 Feb, 2014
Amen saints. Enjoyed your posts.
Our reading today at church was Psalm 91 in the NIV version. I love ❤️ it. It is so appropriate for our times just now. God gives us His promise to take care of us during stressful situations around us. Praying for Ann & for 👶 children everywhere in our confusing world. Amen
Amen Doreen!
Our God is so good! He is always with us.
Praise His Holy Name, Amen!
Amen Joyce
our message today was “God is doing a new thing; revival begins at home” through and by the Holy Spirit within us!