On Second Thought “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.” —Luke 6:37 “There—that is the last time. No more chances.” Most of us have either spoken those words or silently rehearsed them. Perhaps someone apologized, promised to change, and thenContinue reading “When Mercy Outlives the Offense”
Category Archives: Faith
Why Will You Die When God Calls You to Live?
The Bible in a Year “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” — Ezekiel 33:11 Ezekiel 33 placesContinue reading “Why Will You Die When God Calls You to Live?”
When God Breaks the Reed
The Bible in a Year “It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations. I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations.” —Ezekiel 29:15 Ezekiel 29 announces God’s judgment against Egypt, but its message reaches far beyond the rise andContinue reading “When God Breaks the Reed”
When Splendor Corrupts Wisdom
The Bible in a Year “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.” —Ezekiel 28:17 Ezekiel 26–28 records God’s judgment against Tyre, a wealthy Phoenician cityContinue reading “When Splendor Corrupts Wisdom”
When the Harbor Became Bare Rock
The Bible in a Year “I will make thee like the top of a rock; thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the LORD have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.” —Ezekiel 26:14 Tyre was one of the great commercial centers of the ancient world.Continue reading “When the Harbor Became Bare Rock”
Who Will Stand in the Breach?
The Bible in a Year “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” —Ezekiel 22:30 Ezekiel 22 is one of Scripture’s sobering descriptions of a society collapsing from within.Continue reading “Who Will Stand in the Breach?”
Until the Rightful King Comes
The Bible in a Year “I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.” —Ezekiel 21:27 Ezekiel spoke these words during one of the darkest periods in Judah’s history. Jerusalem faced destruction, King Zedekiah’s throne was about to fall,Continue reading “Until the Rightful King Comes”
When Sin Becomes a Stumbling Block
The Bible Thru the Year “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.” —Ezekiel 18:30 Ezekiel ministered to people who were tempted to blame their spiritual condition entirely uponContinue reading “When Sin Becomes a Stumbling Block”
The Front Door That Opens Toward Heaven
Heaven Hospitality may sound like a pleasant dinner, a clean house, and carefully arranged chairs, but the New Testament gives it a much richer meaning. The Greek word philoxenia joins philos, “loving friend,” with xenos, “stranger.” Biblical hospitality is therefore more than entertaining people we already enjoy; it is turning a stranger into a friendContinue reading “The Front Door That Opens Toward Heaven”
When Full Hands Hide an Empty Heart
The Bible in a Year “Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.” —Ezekiel 16:49 When most of us hear the name Sodom, our minds immediately go to Genesis 19Continue reading “When Full Hands Hide an Empty Heart”