(Message by Pastor Philip Joseph. Here’s hoping I haven’t missed much. Happy reading!)
Ezekiel 36: 37, 38
Thus says the Lord GOD: “I will also let the house of Israel inquire of Me to do this for them: I will increase their men like a flock. Like a flock offered as holy sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem on its feast days, so shall the ruined cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.”
As we saw earlier, the verses contain three parts: (i) Prayer (ii) Promise and (iii) People. The promise of God is that the ruined cities will be filled-that every thing that is broken and lying waste in your lives and in the lives of people around you, too will be rebuilt! The condition is that we pray and intercede about it. God loves people around us-just as He loved you and me; and He wants to bless them that are around us through you and me!
PRAYER
Many times Jesus talked to the people around Him, when He was here on earth in flesh, through parables. He spoke to them simply and in an engaging way so that they would understand and apply the principles. And through His parables, we too understand complicated truths of the kingdom of God. And Jesus had something to say on prayer too! He spoke two parables on prayer-about a friend at midnight (Luke 11:5-8) and the unjust judge and the widow (Luke 18:1-8).
Friend at midnight
There comes a man to his friend’s house at midnight and asks for bread that he may in turn give to his friend-a guest who had arrived from a far place. The friend, though he gives many excuses initially, does come out to help his friend because of his persistence. At the end of the parable, Jesus teaches us to ask the Father in heaven without giving up; keep on asking and you shall receive; keep on knocking and the door will be opened for you; keep on seeking and surely you will find what you seek for!
The Persistent Widow
Before the parable, it says in the word of God, why Jesus spoke such a parable-He spoke to them “that men always ought to pray and not lose heart…”. In this parable, there was this unjust judge who meets the persistent widow seeking justice-The judge says to himself “…because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.”
Therefore do not lose heart in prayer. In God’s will, all our prayers WILL be answered by and by if we do not give up. By and by there will be a harvest; by and by the sun will shine! If sinful and unjust people could help those who are persistent, how MUCH MORE God who is in heaven, will answer those who cry out to Him day and night!
PROMISE
The Blessing
Many are the promises of God to His children. Abraham was a man who feared God; he was called to go to a strange place to receive a promise: “…I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” – A strange promise, to just one family among all the inhabitants of the earth. He was called out and called in to receive a promise; and Abraham knew God’s promise would be fulfilled! Even now we see God’s promise holding out to the people of Israel-a promise made some 4000 years ago! God IS faithful.
The Blessed
You and I are called out of darkness and into His marvelous light, where we can receive His promises. We can lay hold of it, and see it being fulfilled in our own lives. Our God is the same faithful God who gave His promises to Abraham. In Gen. 22: 17 Abraham received his promise that his descendants would be like the stars of heaven and as the sand on the seashore when he obeyed the voice of his God, and that in his seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. And we are here blessed because of his seed-Jesus Christ.
The unfortunate happening is that the Jews, also of Abraham’s seed, rejected Jesus (John 1). All this happened to fulfill the prophecy found in Jer. 31:31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel…”
More than Blessed
Jesus revealed to us the promise of the Father-Holy Spirit. He says, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49). And we know how it was fulfilled on that Pentecost day to His disciples. Jesus’ promise stands true today to you and me-His disciples; that in the last days He will pour out His Spirit on ALL flesh… we are here blessed by Holy Spirit’s presence in our midst. His promise is being fulfilled.
Promises to Partake of The Divine Nature
There are other promises that are yet to be fulfilled-the promise of eternal life (1 John 2: 25), the second coming of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:9), and the rewards that await those who love and wait on Him (James 1:12). These promises are not just ‘feel-good sermons’ and self-help motivations to work out in our life. They are the truth by which we inherit of His divine nature. Peter says in 1 Peter 1:4 “…have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, …”
God’s wonderful promises are Yes and Amen in Christ Jesus. We can trust Him; we can wait on Him; we can hold on to His faithfulness. His grace will ALWAYS be sufficient for us.
PEOPLE
Availability, not ability
Isaiah was astonished by God’s presence and his own sinfulness-yet he received God’s cleansing and grace. And when he heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” he was ready with an answer: “Here am I! Send me.” (Isaiah 6: 8)
Have you been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb? God is looking at you and asking the same question: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Are you willing? Are you available to Him? It does not matter anything if you feel short of ability-because its only availability that matters. God is able to do what He has called you to do; God is going to give you that ability at every prayerful step of your way that you are called to walk!
Ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5: 20)
We are in a strange land-just like Abraham; we are ambassadors for Christ, pleading on His behalf to the lost world “Be reconciled to God!” This is not just for the leaders and evangelists to do, but everyone who is of the new creation in Christ Jesus. Every person is involved in the process of seeking the Lord, inheriting His kingdom and building His people-and the waste cities will be filled with flocks of men! Multiplication (being different from the addition process in mathematics) requires participation from each member of God’s family.
Utilize Your Gift
Be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Ascertain and utilize your spiritual gifting, because each one of you has received at least one gift-no one is excluded in His kingdom gifts, and it is given for the sake of others-not for you to keep. (1 Peter 4:10). Don’t bury your talent in the ground. Don’t lag behind but be fervent in serving the Lord; Serve the Lord and not men! (Eph. 6: 7)
This is the crux-do you love Jesus? Because if you do, you must feed His lambs! Remember Jesus asking Peter over and over again “Do you love Me?” and when the answer is Yes, feed his lambs; tend to His sheep. Jesus alone is the joy of our living; He alone must be the motivation for what we do. When our eyes are fixed on Him, we can serve Him joyfully.
Summary
Remember the promise-the waste and ruined parts will be rebuilt and habitable. It will be filled with flocks as in the day of feasts. There will be fullness; the wilderness will blossom. It is very easy to give up and say you tried your best-whether in your examinations, career, or marriage-You see, divorce is not an option for the believer. We are not alone-God is with us and He is able, more than able! We are endued with power from on high through His Holy Spirit; we are born to win; we are called for a purpose; we are in high position as ambassadors and mouth-pieces for Him who loved us. We MUST not give up in this battle-that is not ours in the first place. The battle is the Lord’s. We must stand firm and it is God who will act on our behalf.
Praise be to Jesus. Amen.
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