Ezekiel : The Man Who Was Every Inch a Churchman

Ezekiel [Ĕzēkĭel]—god is strong or the man god strengthens. The son of Buzi, a priest who prophesied to the exiles by the river Chebar, and fourth of “The Greater Prophets” (Ezek. 1:3; 24:24).

The Man Who Was Every Inch a Churchman

Little is known of this man of a priestly family (Ezek. 1:3;30:1). His father’s name, Buzi, was a Gentile one (Gen. 22:21; Job 32:2, 6). Referring to himself as “a priest,” Ezekiel was akin to Jeremiah who was also a prophet and a priest. Because of his priestly lineage, levitical tendencies appear in his book (Ezek. 40-46), as well as foregleams of the high priestly character of the Messiah (Ezek. 21:25; 45:22). Ezekiel is every inch a churchman, and his strong ecclesiastical characteristics pervade and give tone to his prophecies.

Dancing With Faith

Dear Reader: Happy Passover! For the next eight days, we celebrate Pesach (Passover), offering you devotional reflection tied to this very special observance as well as Torah readings for each day. Since no work is done on the holiest of these days, these devotions were prepared in advance for you.

"Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing." —Exodus 15:20
Today is Day 8 of the eight-day celebration of Passover. The Torah reading for today is Deuteronomy 15:19–16:17 and the Haftorah is Isaiah 10:32–12:6.

One of the most joyous moments in the story of the Exodus – and perhaps in the entire Bible – is the singing and rejoicing that occurred just after the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea. This was the climactic moment of what had begun as a wayward prince demanding the freedom of an oppressed people and ended with the most spectacular miracles that the world had ever seen on behalf of the downtrodden Israelites. God's hand was never so apparent, and the people rejoiced for the good that He had done for them.

Devorah as Prophetess, Judge and Mother:

A Woman's Innate Ability to Inspire

Part 1 of 2

The story of Devorah appears in The Book of Judges (4:1 - 5:31). Devorah becomes Judge at a time when the Jewish nation is experiencing a spiritual and moral ebb. This state of affairs is summarized in the Artscroll Tanach introduction to the Book of Judges:

"With the death of Joshua, the Jewish nation entered a new era. No longer was there a single national leader, a virtual king of the nation, as Moses and Joshua had been. True, there were courts in every town and city, as commanded by the Torah, so that there would be a system of justice, but there was no formally constituted national leader... As the Book of Judges notes all too sadly, "...In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was proper in his own eyes" (17:6 & 21:25). There were episodes of extreme sinfulness that caused God to remove His protective providence from Israel, and foreign oppressors would exercise predatory control over parts of the country. Nevertheless, the masses of the people never lost their faith in God and their basic allegiance to Torah. 

Jesus on Daniel

When you see the "abomination of desolation," spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 

Matthew 24:15-16

Recommended Reading Daniel 9:24-27

Standing on the Mount of Olives in Matthew 24, Jesus delivered a great sermon on the signs of the times and the end of the age. He foretold the events leading to His return. He reached back to the writings of Daniel and spoke of the abominable image to be erected by the Antichrist in the future temple (Daniel 9:27). In doing so, Jesus stamped His seal of approval onto the pages of Daniel. Jesus spoke approvingly of Daniel; and Daniel, of course, spoke prophetically of Jesus.

Daniel is one of the Bible's most fascinating books. It contains vivid images like Nebuchadnezzar's dream, the vision of the four beasts, and the prophecy of the seventy weeks. It might seem overwhelming to read, but remember that Jesus was a student of this Book. He read it, studied it, and quoted it. These prophetic portions of Scripture provide vital information for understanding the times and anticipating the future. You can trust every word in the Book of Daniel and claim every promise.

The Power of Song

“On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song…” — Judges 5:1

This Torah portion for this week, Beshalach, is from Exodus 13:7–17:16 and Judges 4:4–5:31.
The Haftorah for the Torah portion of Beshalach is taken from the book of Judges and tells us the memorable story about two biblical heroines — Deborah and Jael. Deborah was a prophetess and the leader of Israel. She was commanded by God to defeat the armies of Jabin and their General Sisera through her own second-in-command, Barak.

After Barak insisted that Deborah accompany him on the battlefield, the two defeated the enemy armies and only the enemy general, Sisera, escaped on foot. Sisera took refuge in the home of someone he considered an ally and friend, Jael. But instead, Jael chose to help Israel and killed Sisera in his sleep. The war was won, the enemy completely vanquished, and Deborah celebrated victory.

The Man Who Was a Dresser of Sycamore Trees

Amos [Ā'mos]—burden-bearer or one with a burden.

1. This prophet of “judgment,”; which is the key word of the book he wrote, was a citizen of Tekoa, west of the Dead Sea (Amos 1:1; 7:8-16; 8:2).

Although he was one of the oldest of the prophets, we know little about Amos save what he himself tells us. He does not appear to have belonged to any rank or influence. The opposite is the case, seeing he styles himself a herdsman (Amos 7:14). 

He was no “professional prophet, speaking for a living.” Amos did not belong to the order of the prophets, nor had he been educated in the school of the prophets. The prophetic office was thrust upon him (Amos 7:14, 15). When the call came he exchanged the life of a shepherd and cultivator of sycamore trees for that of a prophet.

Elijah : The Man Who Had No Fear of Man

Elias, Elijah [Ĕlī'as,Ĕlī'jah]—god is jehovah or god himself.

1. Elias is the Greek form of Elijah (Matt. 11:14). Elijah the Tishbite is the grandest and most romantic character Israel ever produced (1 Kings 17; 18;19).

The Man Who Had No Fear of Man

No career in the Old Testament is more vividly portrayed, or has as much fascination as that of the unique character of Elijah. 

The New Testament attests to his greatness and reveals what an indelible impression he made upon the mind of his nation. All we know of him before his dramatic appearance can be summed up in the words: “Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead” (1 Kings 17:1). Scripture is silent about his past history. 

From The Eyes of God

Written by Rev. Daniel Forster

Are you feeling overwhelmed by guilt? Let’s work through it together.

“When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.”  But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’” (1 Samuel 16:6-7, ESV)

Have you heard the saying “perception is reality”? I used to believe that but praise God, He has taught me otherwise. All throughout the Bible we are taught that God does not see the same way that we do.

In 1 Samuel, the king Saul has lost the favor and spirit of the Lord our God because of his disobedience and his lack of repentance in his heart. God instructs Samuel the prophet to go to Bethlehem and seek a son of Jesse there. Samuel does not know his name. He has all of Jesse’s sons brought before him as the Lord directs him in which God will anoint as King of Israel. Today’s passage picks up the story when Samuel is looking on the sons of Jesse.

The Healer’s in Your House!

Kenneth W. Hagin

Here the prophet Malachi is looking down through time and describing what he sees. As he gazes into the future, he sees Jesus coming with healing in His hands. He sees Jesus ministering to the sick. He sees Jesus delivering those who are bound!

As we look at these truths, we must understand that when Jesus came to this earth, He did not come empty-handed. He came with healing. That means the day of healing has dawned.

If your body is racked with pain or if you’re facing a terrible diagnosis, the good news is, there’s an end to your darkness. There’s an end to your trouble—because Jesus Christ has risen with healing in His wings!

Jesus Has Come Into Your Dark Night
Have you ever suffered through a dark night? I’m talking about a night when the pain was so great that you could not sleep. As the hours ticked away, you wondered if the sun would ever appear on the horizon again. You asked yourself, over and over, Will morning ever come?

Maybe it’s not sickness that’s plaguing you today. Maybe it’s something else. You think, “If I can just make it through the darkness, if I can just make it through the night, there will be light in the morning.”

As we live our lives and walk on this earth, dark clouds of hopelessness and despair seem to hang over us at times. Satan does everything he can to keep us in the darkness and out of the light of the Word of God. And it seems that he uses sickness and disease to rob and steal from God’s people more than anything else.

Perhaps you’ve suffered for so long that your pain and misery seem to stretch into eternity. Maybe you’re like so many people whom the enemy has told, “This is your lot in life. You might as well get used to living this way.”

But I’m telling you, the devil is a liar! The Healer has already come. The Sun of Righteousness has risen with healing in His wings.

As you let the light of God shine into your life, you will rise from the darkness. You will rise from the pit of despair. And you will walk in joy and gladness instead of gloom and doom.

Jesus has risen that you might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). The darkness, sickness, disease, and problems you face are only temporary if you will let the light of God shine in.

In John 8:12 Jesus said that He was the light of the world. And when the light comes, darkness is dispelled and gloom is gone. The Light of the World has risen upon you, and He’s risen with healing in His wings. As you lift up your eyes and look to Him, you can and will be delivered from the darkness!

Malachi 4:2 says when Jesus comes with His healing power, you will go free—leaping with joy, filled with life—like a calf let out to pasture.

You may never have been on a farm, but I remember my grandpa’s farm and other farms I visited as I was growing up. I would see the calves and colts that had been cooped up in the stall jumping, kicking, and running around in the pasture as soon as they were let out. They were rejoicing because they were free!

You may be cooped up in the devil’s stall of sickness and disease, but it’s time for you to go free. It’s time for you to go leaping and dancing and rejoicing, because your day of deliverance has dawned. The Sun of Righteousness has risen over your life with healing in His wings!

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[Editor’s Note: This article was adapted from Kenneth W. Hagin’s new book, The Healer’s in Your House!]

http://www.rhema.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1786:the-healers-in-your-house&catid=170:2012-april&Itemid=564