No clouds so low temperatures are still coming our way – 6 degrees this morning.  But the air is so sharp, crisp and clear we don’t want to complain – much.

Our elm tree still has a lot of leaves on it, which is a concern since the snow stays longer and, of course it is more weight for the branches – thus far okay.  Hopefully, they will all drop before the next snow. 

We are supposed to have these colder days and nights for at least another 4-5 days, but it also is forecasted that we shall have a log of fog – thus far the cold is here, but so is the sun.

We left some apples outside, froze.  Carla made applesauce out of them we will probably can a few pints; just a bit too much to eat over next couple days.

Ian is Watson in the High School play.  The play was canceled Thursday and Friday due to the weather.  First play was last night; Carla went and said he did pretty well.  I should be able to make it next week.  

Ezekiel 3:4-8 And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.

⁵ For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel;

⁶ Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.

⁷ But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.

⁸ Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.

Even though God KNEW Israel would not listen to Ezekiel, He still sent Him.  Even though God knew that they would not listen to His Words, He still gave them to Ezekiel.  Why?  What was His Point?  What was the use?

Part of the reason was in the following verses:

18-19 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

¹⁹ Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

God wanted His people to turn back to Him.  He wanted them to open their ears and their hearts and heed the warnings of Ezekiel. 

He didn’t want to punish them without first giving them warning.  God is fair and He doesn’t just do things without a reason – and He wanted the people to know why they would be punished.

There is always a possibility that while the whole may not listen there will be those that do.  The Holy Spirit can work within them and they will follow His leadings.

How many times were we told of the Salvation of Jesus Christ before we accepted Him as our Savior?

Was the same message given by the same person each time, or were there several different people saying basically the same thing in a different way?   

Through the years we may have witnessed to hundreds of people, yet only a few actually turn to Him – and we may not always see the turning.  God uses His people to bring others to Him, and it is a one on one conversion – even in the Old Testament times.

God wanted to be able to show that Ezekiel had told them of their fate if they did not listen to God’s Word – it will condemn them even more for hearing, but not doing, God’s Word.  All excuses and self-righteousness will have been banished with when they came before God and His judgment.

He was also placing the responsibility for their hearing God’s Word on Ezekiel.  If he failed to warn the people – they would still be dead to God and while He would hold them accountable He would also hold Ezekiel accountable for not telling them.

Now I don’t know about you, but for years I did not give much thought about other prophets or teachers serving God in the Old Testament.  I just kinda thought that the great prophets were the only ones God was sending – but that was not correct.  There were many others that God was sending to teach and preach His Word.  Men and Women, through the ages, who knew God’s Word and were/are faithful to tell and teach others.

1 Samuel 10:9-11 And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.

¹⁰ And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

¹¹ And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?

Proverbs 5:12-14  And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

¹³ And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

¹⁴ I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

There is no number given, but obviously these verses and others show that the Great Prophets we know were not the only ones that loved God and followed God’s commandments to tell and teach His Word.

Number 11:16-17 And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.

¹⁷ And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.

Here, of course there was a number given, 70, and later the whole tribe of Levi to be the priests.  Just because they were not named as God’s servants doesn’t mean they weren’t given special dispensation from God to proclaim His Word, teaching and making others accountable for their actions.

That hasn’t changed:

1 Corinthians 12:27-28 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

²⁸ And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

Were they too held accountable for those that they should have taught but did not?  Or, was Ezekiel the only one who had that charge?

Jesus thought differently, holding those in a position of authority accountable for their acts of damnation against Him:

Mark 12:38-40 And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,

³⁹ And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:

⁴⁰ Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

“these shall receive greater damnation.”

God expects His people to abide by His Word, in both the Old and New Testament we are charged with obeying Him and living a righteous life.  When we accept the mantle of Christ we are responsible to Him.  We are responsible for our actions and our inactions; which includes telling others about Him.

2 Timothy 4:1-5 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

² Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.

³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

⁴ And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

⁵ But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

We need to hold our leaders up in prayer that they teach the Word of God accurately.  That they lead with a pure heart tuned to the Spirit of God.  That they yield not to the temptations that will lead them astray.  That God will give them wisdom to assist those in their charge to live a life for Christ.

Everyone needs prayer.  No one is so powerful in Christ that they cannot use our prayers.  We look at the great men and women of God whose lives are documented in the Bible and find that at one time or another they all asked for prayer or demonstrated a need for prayer – many even asking for fasting and prayer.

We may look at these people and others that have had great lives in Christ that we know by history or even in person and think they are supermen.  They somehow were able to do things that we would never be capable of – they were so close to God that they just did what they had to do.  They were not, but their heart was given to God, and their spirit obeyed His calling.

Do not be afraid to pray for those that are in charge – and to ask for others to pray for us, that we will discharge our responsibilities as God lays them on us.  Even Paul, with all His great faith in God, needed people to pray for him:

Ephesians 6:19-20 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

²⁰ For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Note, Paul didn’t ask to be prayed for so that he would be freed from captivity, but that he would be strong for God and His Son.

Later, Art :-)

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again