Ezekiel & Daniel

What a wonderful meeting at Church last night!  Dr. Paul Chappell and Dr. R.B. Ouellette preached such powerful messages about sharing the Gospel and it was convicting and challenging.  God met with us!  About 30 pastor's were there as well and we so enjoyed seeing everyone.  God was so good to bless. Today, we will have another full day of preaching and teaching starting at 9:00am.  A full day!  This morning, I finished up Ezekiel and read the first two chapters of Daniel.  Here are just a few short thoughts as I have to get going soon.    1) HEARERS ONLY- The New Testament warns us not just to listen to God's Word.  In Jamess 1:22, it says:  "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."  This same truth is mentioned in Ezekiel 33:31,32- "And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them:  for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.  And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument:  for they hear thy words, but they do them not."  These actually enjoy listening to God's man and God's words, but they do not do them!  Jesus said it this way:  Matthew 15:8 "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me."  Let us not be "hearers only".  2) BAD SHEPHERD--GOOD SHEPHERD  In Ezekiel 34:2 we see a prophecy against the bad shepherds. (God's priest and prophets who were sinful.)  "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the LORD God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves!"  Now much of the chapters will describe these bad shepherds and their judgment, but in verse 11, God says:  "For thus saith the LORD God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out."  God says that from now on... He will be the shepherd of the sheep.  In doing so, God goes on to describe the kind of shepherd He will be.  In doing so, God uses the word "I" 26 times to tell what He will do as the good shepherd.  Men can be bad shepherds, but God is always the Good Shepherd!  Let us trust Hiim, and faithfully follow Him! 3) HEART TRANSPLANT-  Oh how we need a heart transplant. Our ole heart was so wicked and defiled, but when we got saved, we got a new heart!  In Ezekiel 36:26,27, it says:  "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. (27) And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."  Praise God that He has perfected the Heart Transplant!    Lord, I love You today, and I want to praise Your Holy Name.  I marvel at Your Goodness, and Your Mercy and Love.  I praise You for Your strength, Your grace, Your loving kindness that You shed on me and Yours.  I ask You to help me as I walk with You today, as I talk with You today, as I listen to Your voice, and follow Your will for my life.  Let my eyes be open to the people You want my life to touch.  To the Gospel You want my tongue to share; to the love You want my heart to share with others.  Don't let me see men as trees walking, but as those for whom You love and died for.  Help me Lord... how I need Thee!  Amen.