God’s Grace –Jerusalem’s Unfaithfulness Part II The Queen Becomes a Harlot

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Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysses, By John William Waterhouse, 1891 Ezekiel 16:15 “15But thou didst trust in thy beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy whoredoms on every one that passed by; his it was.” (ASV, 1901) This is the second part of the parable and covers verses 15- 34. It begins with the success and beauty of the “Queen”, which is a reference to the blessings the Nation Israel enjoyed under the reign of King Solomon. God says,” But thou didst trust in thy beauty.” Israel had wealth, culture and beauty because she had …

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God’s Justice

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Scriptures: Job 42:1–17 Then Job answered the Lord, and said, 2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. 3 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. 4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. 6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust …

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Living From Christ

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Reflections And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. (Eph. 1:19-20) We could say that there are two power sources in each believer – our natural man, and Christ. We will live from out of one or the other – by faith we draw upon either for our living. This is why the work of the Cross is necessary – we must be …

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Peace On Stormy Seas

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Psalm 71:3 (KJV) 3 Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress. I sailed upon a tranquil sea Where all was peace and calm; I felt my life serene and blessed, I knew not storm or qualm. Then clouds of doubt began to form, The wind did stir and blow; My tranquil sea did heave and toss, I felt my anguish grow. I cried, “Dear Lord, are you out there? You see my ship storm-tossed? Why do you leave me here alone? I …

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The Night The Angels Cried

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Dr. Mike Murphy So many times, I have wondered what it must have been like. To have been present in the small town of Judea on that incredible night. To have watched the crowds as they filled the city. To have heard the first cry of an infant born. As those in Bethlehem that night looked into the peacefulness of the sky, I wonder if any knew how those cries would soon and forever change the world? As beautiful as the stars must have shown that night, I also wonder what the view was like that night from the midst …

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My God

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Church folks, and others, often tell me what their god is like. They tell me, “My god doesn’t judge people”, or ,”My god wouldn’t send people to hell.”etc. I tell them ,”You are right. Your god wouldn’t send people to hell because your god doesn’t exist. He/she/it is just a figment of your imagination. A vain hope and a frivolous faith in wishful thinking. (I usually say it nicer than that) But for the benefit of those who invent gods instead of worshipping God; let me tell you of my God My God is the living God, the Most High, …

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Removing Worry From Our Life

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Philippians 4:8-9 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 The things which ye both learned and received and heard and saw in me, these things do: and the God of peace shall be with you. People fret over all kinds of issues, from safety and job security to election results. For many folks—and maybe you are one—anxiety is woven so tightly into …

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Somewhere Between Good And Evil

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Dr. Mike Murphy “My life is like everyone else I know, it is somewhere between good and evil. I know I have done more good than bad in my life, so in the end, I know that I am going to be okay.  God will see that I have lived a good life, and I know He will be proud of me for it.” As I read the words, my head fell.  The words of a woman so lost, she did not even realize that she needed to be found.  Her words came in a reply to a question that …

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Psalm 91:1-2 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

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Psalm 91:1-2 (KJV) 91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Psalm 91:1 give us the best illustration of the value of a secret place: “He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (KJV). Think of the secret hiding places we enjoyed as children. Imagine being ten years old and finding a secret hiding place under …

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God Hears

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Job 42:1-11 42 Then Job answered Jehovah, and said, 2 I know that thou canst do all things, And that no purpose of thine can be restrained. 3 Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that which I understood not, Things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. 4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak; I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 5 I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; But now mine eye seeth thee: 6 Wherefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust …

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When Anxiety Strikes

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Philippians 4:6-7 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. If you needed a consultant, would you hire just anyone? Of course not. You’d want to be sure your advisor had experience to back up his or her suggestions. The apostle Paul was certainly qualified to teach on the value of contentment—he wrote on the subject while under confinement by Roman authorities. In today’s passage, Paul …

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Humble Yourself Now

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  Job 42:1-11 42 Then Job answered the Lord, and said, 2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. 3 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. 4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. 6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in …

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Godlessness is Reaching Epidemic Proportions

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Howard Green Imagine the world with no rules, accountability, or consequences for evil actions? This image is one where people take a life with no remorse. It is a place where life savings are greedily stolen, women and children are abandoned, and even basic respect that was afforded to a mother and father is absent. This place of our worst imaginings is one fraught with lawless, heartless, and treacherous people who are concerned with no one but themselves. That would be a world where the concept of love is foreign, while brutality, slander, and darkness become the norm. This is …

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