Daily Encouragement

August 15, 2010 - How Do You Evaluate A Sermon?

Meditation on Ezekiel 3

I wonder how a preaching professor or speech writer would evaluate Ezekiel's sermon. No doubt his sermons were full of vivid images. But there seemed to be no lengthy, attractive introduction, no joke or humor, no oratorical outline, no control of how long or short it should be. (e.g. Ezekiel 16). God had already told him that no body was going to adhere to his message. He should not be afraid of the flat expression and rebellious attitude of the audience. (v. 7-11) God just ordered Ezekiel to be a watchman who should faithfully warned the people of his country the coming judgment of God. (v. 16-21) The result and effect of the message is entirely up to the LORD.

Some preachers find that God will bring surprising result as long as they are sure that their messages are from God. But those who have prepared their sermons by the best technique may fall down flat face. Most audience would remember the illustration, but their lives are not being affected.

But that does not mean that the preachers should not prepare well. What every preacher should be certain is whether his sermon is from God. How does a preacher know his message is from God? By eating and digesting the word of God like Ezekiel did. (v. 1-2) When he studies and digests the word to the point that he finds the word of God is so sweet in his mouth, he is going to proclaim the message from the heart of God.

The congregation may not like it. But he has fulfilled his mission from God. Some may say that this man is a prophet but not a pastor. But I say that a pastor should please God before he pleases man.

August 16, 2010 - A New Spirit

Meditation on Ezekiel 11

Ezekiel's pronouncement of God's judgment upon Jerusalem was graphic and in details. Yet the people did not pay attention. The leaders and the people continued to sin against God's holy temple, killing each other. God had determined to destroy all of the population except a few who had been mourning for the wickedness in the city. (Ezekiel 9:4) In situation like this, what was the hope of Israel then, Ezekiel asked? (v. 14)

The hope was only for those who had been captured and deported to the foreign land. God promised that He would be with them and they would be cleansed from all the detestable things and abominations. "Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their fresh, and give them a heart of fresh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people and I will be their God." (v. 19-20 NKJV)

This was indeed something brand new. The fact that God would do this for His people in a foreign land clearly indicated the coming of the New Testament which would be all people. We thank God for the new spirit He has given to all believers through Christ so we may be able to walk in Him always! (John 14:16-17)

August 17, 2010 - Salvation Is Personal

Meditation on Ezekiel 14

Israel had committed the sin of worshiping many gods rather than be faithful to the only LORD God. God had determined to send sword, famine, wild beasts and pestilence against them. Those who escaped destruction and were carried to Babylon would become a proof of their wickedness that caused the judgment of God. (v. 21-23)

God had shown to Israel a principle that salvation is personal. When a nation had sinned, every wicked citizen will be judged by God even if there were righteous men liked Noah, Daniel and Job in the city to pray for him. Every righteous person can only be saved himself and not even their own family members. (v. 12-20)

So it is today, none of us can be saved because our parents or grand parents are believers. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23 NKJV) Every sinner needs to repent of his or her own sin and ask the forgiveness and salvation of Jesus Christ to come upon him or her.

August 18, 2010 - Individual Responsibility

Meditation on Ezekiel 18

Ezekiel had been trying to answer the question from the Israelites who saw the disastrous condition because of God's judgment upon the sin of their fathers so they wanted to give up. He explained to them that each person is responsible for his own sins. Their fathers perished because of their sins and they themselves would perish only because of their own sins. It was true that their fathers' behavior could influence the behavior of the children. But if the children would repent and turn back to God, they would be saved and lived.

Several times in this chapter, Ezekiel pointed out that God was not willing for the people to be lost but that He would forgive them only if they would give up their own sins and turned to God with a new heart and spirit. "For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies," says the Lord God, "Therefore turn and live!" (v. 32 NKJV)

If we suffer judgment from God, it is not because of the sins of our father or our environment or the devil. It is because of our own sins. Each of us has the sole responsibility to accept the saving grace of the Messiah, Jesus Christ who can deliver us from our path of destruction and transfer us into the kingdom of righteousness.

August 19, 2010 - To Stand In The Gap

Meditation on Ezekiel 22

Ezekiel listed the appalling sins of the Israelites. They did not lack leaders who committed immoral acts, oppression against the aliens, misinterpretation of the law of God and worshiping idols and etc. But they had not a single leader who would stand up for the truth. When God was going to pour upon them His wrath and fiery punishment, there was not even one person beside Ezekiel who would stand in the spiritual gap to prevent the spiritual wall of the city from coming down thereby leading to the fall of Jerusalem. (v. 30)

As we look in our society today, there is no lack of willful sins against God's principles and statues. But when it comes to speaking up for the truth, very few would dare. God is looking for a person like that. Do you have the courage to stand in the spiritual gap?

August 20, 2010 - The Figure Behind The King Of Tyre

Meditation on Ezekiel 28

The Prophet Ezekiel delivered his message of Judgment upon several nations around Israel. When he came to Tyre, he spent a long time with many words to describe its downfall. Specially, in verses 11 to 19, this lamentation seemed to picture an extraordinary person that was more than a human being. Notice some of the words, "....you were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: .....The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. You were the anointed cherub who covers; I establish you; you were on the holy mountain of God; ....You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you...and you sinned;...Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupt your wisdom for the sake of your splendor;..." (NKJV)

All those images seemed to be referring to the Spiritual ruler behind the King of Tyre, who was an angelic being with musical ability to praise God. This kind of reference to spiritual being behind a nation is similar to Daniel's references to the prince of the kingdom of Persia (Daniel 10:13) and the prince of Greece. (Daniel 10:20) But Ezekiel's reference was specifically about the creation of Satan and his down fall because of his pride. God would destroy Satan just as he had already destroyed the king of Tyre. God resists the proud. Let us not be influenced by Satan and follow his way of pride. (1 Peter 5:5-9)

August 21, 2010 - The Future Of Egypt

Meditation on Ezekiel 29

Ezekiel's prophecies concerning the destruction of the neighboring countries of Israel have all been fulfilled literally in history. We do not find those countries any more. Now concerning Egypt in this chapter, it says, "Yet, thus says the Lord God: 'At the end of forty years I will father the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered. I will bring back the captives of Egypt and cause them to return to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom. It shall be the lowliest of kingdoms; it shall never again exalt itself above the nations, for I will diminish them so that they will not rule over the nations anymore.'" (v. 13-15 NKJV)

Egypt had been conquered by the Babylonians. Some Egyptians were brought out from their country around 568 B.C. But according to a Babylonian chronicle, forty years later, the Persians that conquered Babylon instituted a new policy so that the Egyptians as well as other captives could go home. Therefore Ezekiel's prophecy was fulfilled.

The remarkable thing is that the nation of Egypt today remains a very weak and poor nation like Ezekiel said. She is far from the glorious and dominant stature as she was before in world history. God's word again is true.

Do you trust and rely on God's word?