August 20 - Ezekiel 17:1-19:14

Good morning everyone,

This morning we begin with a parable about two eagles and a vine, referencing Babylon as the eagles and Jehoiakim, the king, as the cedar with the branches being his sons. The second eagle would be Egypt. It tells the story of how Nebuchadnezzar would go into Judah and pull Jehoiakim and his sons off the royal court and in their place put Zedekiah on the throne, who was basically no more than a “yes” man. However when Pharaoh came on the scene, despite God warning Zedekiah that Pharaoh would not be able to protect Judah, Zedekiah flipped and joined forces with Egypt which served to destroy both himself and Jerusalem. God expects us to keep out covenants, our promises whether it be in marriage, loans, work or whatever, God expects us to be an honorable people both to Him and to those we connect with.

Chapter eighteen had God forbidding the people to quote the proverb, “The parents eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” Why? What does that mean exactly? Basically what it all boils down to is that you are responsible for your own choices in life. Alright?! We do not get to play the “blame game!!” Just because your parents may have slapped you around, or screamed at you, had anger issues and abused you, or perhaps had drug or alcohol problems, does not give you a free pass to act that way yourself or claim their addictions. You do not get to say, “Well, my dad had a short fuse and would scream, that’s why I do it.” Oh no, no, no!! The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” We are not held prisoner to the behavior patterns of our parents. The apostle Paul is a perfect example of a complete change of character. He was a persecutor of Christians, he hunted them down and he had them killed but when Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, Paul totally changed his ways and spent the rest of his life preaching the Gospel. In Galatians Paul wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” You too, we all can, have a complete transformation by the power of Christ.

By the same token, if your parents are loving, caring, God fearing people, living according to the will of God and you are a rowdy, lowdown, offender of all that breathes, who denounces God in every area of your life, you do not have a free pass to heaven. You don’t. You will need to drop to your knees confess your sins and ask God to forgive you and ask Jesus to be your Savior. 

So while there is is no question that God wishes to bring change to our lives as Christians, we’re clearly expected to exercise plenty of discipline and self-denial, right?, but we need to understand God isn’t concerned with changing our personality so much as our character. He doesn’t wish to radically modify our persona, but redirect it. We are to individually be the person He wants us to be in Him. Make sense? With the Holy Spirit we have the power to do just that. To overcome any childhood lifestyles that were engrained in us for nearly two decades or that we took on ourselves in rebellion or misdirection. God loves us and just wants the very best for us and when we know that in our heads and absolutely believe it in our hearts, well, then the rest is easy peasy, because from then on all you will ever want to do is live for Him. Our God is an amazing God who has great things planned for you, for me and for all who seek His face. He loves you, He absolutely loves, agape, loves you. I would encourage you to let Him. Amen?

Have a great day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all ….