In his early period as a prophet, he denounced his people for their sins and corruption. After the destruction of Jerusalem in 586, however, Ezekiel became the consoler and comforter of the exiles, holding out to them the promise of a return to the homeland and the restoration of the Temple and of the throne of David.

Ezekiel was a Levite and destined to be a priest in the temple of the Lord.  He had been training for his work but at the age of 25, he was taken into captivity into Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar.  A Levite would train for his work until the age of 30, then at that age, they would start their priestly duties.  It was five years into the captivity and at the age of thirty that God would begin to give Ezekiel visions and prophetic words for Israel. 

Israelites during their captivity were asking, where is God? Through this time of judgment, God would keep sharing threads of hope of how he would restore the nation of Israel; how he would take their heart of stone and turn it into a heart of flesh;

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God a ; believe also in me.

Obedience is a bedrock for living a life of faith!  Scripture also tells us that obedience is better than sacrifice.  The sacrifice that one makes when living in disobedience is the broken relationship with one’s Heavenly Father. 

James reminds us as Believers, and those of the Faith in Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that we remain Faithful to the Faith, as we are Suffering in this Life, and the present time, with Godly Wisdom, and constant Obedience.

The Foolishness that has drifted into our Faith. James wrote to the Jewish Believers, nailing them on how their Faithfulness to the Lord, had gotten lost in Political affiliation, and the church drifted into Foolishness, and was not Living the Word, but had become hears only.

Sometimes as we drive down the road of life, we come to dangerous intersections. We refer to them as “forks in the road.”Perhaps you feel like you are at a dangerous intersection right now in your life.

Sometimes the fires of adversity burn fiercely in our lives. It seems as if God has abandoned us, left us to struggle alone. We're frightened, devastated by the destruction we see around us.

Suffering exists and is the natural course of life since the fall of mankind.  There is no contradiction in the statement that God is good, and suffering exists.  Suffering exists but that does not mean that God is not good. 

Jesus wanted to share the good news of freedom with the poor and brokenhearted. I want to ask you, “Is God partial to the poor?” No! Job said concerning God, “who shows no partiality to princes and does not favor the rich over the poor; for they are all the work of his hands? (Job 34:19)

Sin is a grave that haunts us long before we ever get to the cemetery did you hear me! Sin? Sin is a grave that haunts us long before we ever get to the cemetery now here's the good news.

Someone who sees God’s Spirit as just an influence or supreme power will constantly say, “I want more of the Spirit.” On the contrary, someone who sees the Holy Spirit as a wonderful gentle loving person will say, “How can I give more of myself to Him?”

“The measure of our faith isn’t seen by the number of prayers we get answered but by the amount of our life we are willing to surrender.” —Brady Boyd

Making good choices begins with submission, not just information and specifically, submission to the One who knows where He desires to take us in life; submission to the One who knows what is best for you. Information is not our problem, it is independence. And the solution for independence is the dreaded word, submission.

You can't be more like Jesus without the Holy Spirit. You can't even discipline yourself without the power of the Holy Spirit working in you. Jesus knew this which is why He told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were empowered with the gift of the Holy Spirit.

John 20:21-22 "Peace be with you.

The older you become, you find that you have no desire for drama, conflict, or stress. You just want a cozy home, food on the table, and to be surrounded by kind people who make you happy.

The people who are most disappointed in God are the ones who have never truly surrendered to Him.  They've tried to manipulate Him.  God is looking for people who are really committed to Him.

Do you want to be famous or effective?  If Jesus was tempted, don't you understand that we'll all be tempted?  We’ll be tempted by the promise of fame or of money or of popularity or, or, or. 

Consider for a moment what was really at risk in the temptation of Jesus. It really was not what we may think or see on the surface, but it was much deeper than that.