Swallow The Scroll

There is an interesting passage of Scripture in today’s One Year Bible reading. It is found in the Old Testament, Ezekiel 2:9-3:3, “Then I looked and saw a hand reaching out to me. It held a scroll, which He unrolled. And I saw that both sides were covered with funeral songs, words of sorrow, and pronouncements of doom. The voice said to me, "Son of man, eat what I am giving you—eat this scroll! Then go and give its message to the people of Israel." So I opened my mouth, and He fed me the scroll. "Fill your stomach with this," He said. And when I ate it, it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.” Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.

It is interesting the prophet has been called of God to deliver a hard message to a people who He(God) declares as rebellious. Yet, as Ezekiel eats the scroll, representing the Word of God full of pronouncements of doom because of their rebelliousness, he finds it is as sweet as honey in his mouth. You would normally think words of doom and sorrow would be bitter tasting words. I know from my own experiences that moments of sorrow and death, discipline and rebuke are not words sweet to the taste. They are words of bitterness and go down hard. Yet, Ezekiel found them sweet. I think I can understand this. The scroll was the Word of God! If we live to please our Heavenly Father, even when He speaks words of sorrow or rebuke, we find them to be sweet words because they represent His love for us. A loving father will take the time to speak not only the sweet words of love that go down easily leaving us wanting more, but he also speaks hard words to us when we have moments of rebellion and wanting to do things our way. Though these words are distasteful, when received with the right heart and attitude, they, too are words sweet and palatable. We recognize them for the words they really are - words meant to bring about change in our hearts and lives. Words meant to draw attention to our failure - not as though we are “failures”, but because we have failed to bring honor to the one who loves us enough to speak bitter words as well as sweet words.

The message of God through Ezekiel to His people was a message of rebuke and discipline. God was hoping these words would call them to attention and they would turn their lives around. While the message was sweet to the messenger it was bitter to the hearer because their heart was not tuned to the Heavenly Father Whose love was deep enough to say them. I must admit, there are times when the Words of the Father are bitter to me, but if I stay in tune with His heart even bitter words can be sweet. God goes on to say in Ex. 3:10 - “Then he added, "Son of man, let all My words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself.”Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.

Bitter or sweet I will swallow the scroll deep within my being so that I might become the person God wants me to be.

Pastor Roger

Keeping The Fire

I preached a message yesterday to emphasize the importance of keeping the fire of God in your heart and life. Last week I spent some time with Dan Bohi and he shared this five finger concept of keeping the fire of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Your little finger, which seems so unimportant at times, is the entry point into the Heavenly places where the fire of the Holy Spirit is burning at all times. Likewise, prayer is sometimes something we do out of habit, at a meal, or because we think we should - let's face it, prayer seems rather unimportant and mundane at times...just like our little finger. Yet, just try to live without the use of that little finger. Likewise, try to live without prayer. You can't - succesfully. Prayer must take on a significance in our lives. Just as you cannot ignore your little finger, you cannot ignore prayer. It is the language of the Heavenly Father - the conversation of Him to me and me to Him. Second, comes the ring finger - Obedience. I don't very often think of the ring finger being much of anything but a place to put a ring. Yet, as I gaze at my left ring finger I see a ring that represents a covenant of marriage with my wife, Kris. Within that covenant is a promise not only to Kris, but to God. I promised, long ago, to obey God's command to cherish and love my wife as Christ loves the church. I do everything possible to obey that command. As I look at that ring finger I am reminded of obedience and how important it is to obey the commands of my Heavenly Father in all things. Then comes the middle finger - Truth. It is longer than the rest and so quite recognizable. It has a longer reach than the other fingers. It reminds me how important it is to reach for truth. I must reach for and secure truth for it is what sets me free. Next comes the index finger - Faith. The index finger is probably the most powerful of all the fingers. Faith is the power base of our experience with God. It moves us to do what we do and live the way we do. Faith motivates us and keeps us. Faith gives us vision and hope - and without it we will not see God. Faith is powerful and is made complete as we pray, obey, and walk in the truth. Finally, the thumb - Anointing. The Word says we cannot please God without faith. Why? Because faith comes from hearing the Truth - the truth gives us a reason to obey - and obedience puts us on our knees in prayer. If we want the anointing we must pray, obey, walk in the truth, and excercise faith. When the anointing comes it enhances our desire to pray, obey, walk in the truth and have a faith great enough to say to the tree - "Be uprooted and thrown into the sea!"
Stretch out your hand - memorize these five truths - live in them - walk in the anointing - keep the fire of the Holy Spirit of God in your heart and life.