November 21st One Year Bible Readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Ezekiel 42:1-43:27 ~ James 5:1-20
Psalm 119:1-16 ~ Proverbs 28:6-7

Old Testament - Ezekiel chapter 42 continues the description of the temple in Ezekiel's vision and the dimensions.  In this chapter we learn about the rooms for the priests of the temple.  The interesting thing for me, as I was reading this chapter today, is that my mind wandered a bit and wondered if maybe somehow this was / is a heavenly temple that Ezekiel was describing?  I'm not sure.  I have so much more to learn about the temples.  But, it's interesting to think if maybe somehow we might see something like this temple in heaven?  An interesting thought at least for me to ponder.   However - the tricky thing is that in chapter 43 there are descriptions of sacrifices for the altar in this temple.  And of course Christ was the final sacrifice for our sins  - so there is no need for the old covenant sacrifices.  So, this could certainly dash my imagination of this being a heavenly temple we'll see some day.   Though - I did read somewhere that if this is a heavenly temple, the sacrifices described in chapter 43 may be "memorials" or ceremonial - but not required, as they were in the old covenant.  I don't know... fascinating stuff to ponder however!  Below is an artist's rendition of "Ezekiel's Temple":

Back to how all this might apply to our lives today.  Verse 20 in chapter 42 stood out to me: "So the area was 875 feet on each side with a wall all around it to separate the holy places from the common."   The last part of that verse stands out - to separate the holy places from the common.   I wonder about that in our lives - do we do anything that separates the holy from the common in our own lives?  Do we need to?   My thought here is that if we don't allow for some "holy places" to appear in our lives, might we just settle for common places throughout our lives?   A Holy Place for us might be 5 minutes of prayer.  Or 15 minutes of reading the Bible.  Or going to a church service.  Or listening to worship music.  Or not scheduling anything one day a week, so we can take a Sabbath day of rest.   What are you doing to create some Holy Places in your life?

Chapter 43 is incredible with God's return to the temple.  I love this verse - "And this is the basic law of the Temple: absolute holiness!"   Absolute holiness.  Okay - so this is not something we are going to see or "achieve" this side of heaven.  It's impossible for us to be absolutely holy on this earth.  Only Jesus was absolutely holy and sinless.  However, I think the call for our eternal lives is absolute holiness.  So, know that faith in Jesus will ultimately lead you in this direction - and I do believe we can grow in holiness in this life.  God's grace gives ultimate absolute holiness in heaven.  Do you want absolute holiness?  Are you moving toward absolute holiness in your life today?  Do you also realize you won't reach absolute holiness this side of heaven?   But, yet, do you still desire absolute holiness someday?

Verse 21 in this chapter is a foreshadowing of Jesus' death on the Cross at Mt. Calvary: "Then take the young bull for the sin offering and burn it at the appointed place outside the Temple area."   How does this apply to Jesus' death on a hill outside of Jerusalem's city gates?  This is best explained in Hebrews chapter 13 verses 11-13 as follows: "The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore." Powerful...  Will you walk with Jesus outside the city gates of Jerusalem?  Up to Mt. Calvary?  Will you follow Jesus all the way up that hill?

New Testament - Today we wrap up the book of James.  This has been such a powerful book for me to read these past few days!  I am convicted and challenged by this book, which is wonderful.  Today in chapter 5, verse 5 stands out: "This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment."  This reminds me of the scene at the end of the movie "Schindler's List" where Oscar Schindler breaks down crying when the war is over - and after he has saved so many lives - and yet he cries out - "This gold pin - this pin could have saved a life! This car.... could have saved 10 lives!"   This scene - and this verse - makes me ask myself if I am using my finances wisely?  Am I investing in others?  Are my luxuries taking away from other's very lives?  Am I accumulating treasure when I could have been serving others?  I cannot encourage you enough to watch this scene in Schindler's List again if you haven't seen it in a while.  Every time I watch this scene something happens to my heart that only God can explain...  it changes me...

Verse 9 stands out: "Don't grumble about each other, my brothers and sisters, or God will judge you."  This is such a great reminder of Jesus' call to not judge others!  Don't grumble about others.  How often do we grumble about others?  Are we grumbling about someone currently?  Is this a healthy practice?  By the way, I have been bad about grumbling about others recently - in fact, I almost got sideswiped on a freeway recently by a guy who was not paying attention to where he was going.  In all honestly, I have no idea how we avoided not hitting each other, but for the grace of God.  I was so shook up by the near miss I was "grumbling" big time about this guy's carelessness.  Interestingly and thankfully I was not cussing at him nor giving him bad gestures, but I was grumbling in my heart about how not smart I thought he was - and I immediately caught myself and asked God to forgive me for this sin.  And I believe He did.  Let us not grumble in our hearts about others.  It is a sin.  Let us stay away from grumble corner in our lives!  :)

The first half of verse 16 is so true - "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed."  Is there someone in your life you can confess your sins to?  Someone you can ask to pray for you?  Do you believe this practice will heal you of that sin?

And the last half of verse 16 also is amazing to remember - "The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results."   Are you praying for others?  Earnestly?  Do you believe prayer has great power and that God listens and can bring about wonderful results?

Psalms - Today we begin Psalm 119, the longest Psalm and chapter in the Bible! This Psalm is a beautiful meditation on God's Word and how it helps us stay pure and grow in faith. Almost every verse in this Psalm mentions God's Word.  I pray that this Psalm is encouraging to you as you read through the One Year Bible!

Today in Psalm 119 verse 11 we read: "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." Have you hidden God's word in your heart? So that you might not sin against God? Do you realize that all sin is indeed a sin against God? Are you memorizing Scripture on a regular basis? And, more importantly, reflecting on Scripture? Check out this link for some great free online resources to help you memorize Scripture - http://www.memoryverses.org/

Proverbs - Proverbs 28 verse 6 teaches us today: "It is better to be poor and honest than rich and crooked."  I have often paraphrased this proverb in this way - "It is better to be poor and happy than to be rich and miserable."  Though, I think the Proverb reads better and has more truth in the way it is actually written in the Bible.  "Honest" is better than "Happy"...   Actually, the more I think about this, I think that honesty actually will lead to happiness.  If you are honest with yourself and others, I do think you'll be happier obviously than if you are dishonest with yourself and others.  To take this a step further, and to reflect on the "absolute holiness" verse in Ezekiel today, I might even paraphrase this Proverb to say "It is better to be poor and holy and than rich and un-holy."  Not sure if this works?  I do want to say that I don't think being rich means you'll be crooked or miserable or un-holy.  But, I think there is so much truth to Jesus' teaching in Matthew 16:26 - "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"  We need to be careful around too much money or too much power or of course too much (any?) pride.  Too much can distract us from God...  In fact, whether we're rich or poor, I think if we don't always keep in mind that absolutely everything we have comes from and belongs to God then we can indeed become "blinded" by money in one way or another...

YouTube:  Ezekiel 43:21 reminded me of the fantastic song by Bebo Norman called "Beautiful You."  Here's a great live version:

Do you need our Beautiful God?  Click here and get to know him!

Please join me in memorizing a verse of Scripture today:
"The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:16 NIV

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you from today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

Grace, love, peace, and joy!
Mike

Comments

[J]

Mike, that is one of my favorite scenes in "Schindler's List," & it also pricks my heart heavily. But, the thing is...I don't seem to keep that "prick" for very long & I wish that I could. How do we keep that prick/passion that affects our hearts so for perhaps a week. I know (have actually heard) about many people going on mission trips & coming back changed. Some of them stay changed & them some of them don't stay changed after they get back to the comforts of the US. SO...how do we keep that passion, that prick in our hearts alive???

[Ezekiel]

. 14 Once the priests enter the holy precincts, they are not to go into the outer court until they leave behind the garments in which they minister, for these are holy. They are to put on other clothes before they go near the places that are for the people."
For some reason this verse struck me...the country i leave in has a habit of idolising "holy"things...holy water,the coffins of dead people that were said to be saints...Maybe even today we kinda look at the leaders/pastors with maybe too much awe...We think God will answer their prayers only so we run to them all the time to pray etc...We all have sinned and still stuggle with our sinful nature.Reading the bible daily makes me even more aware of subtle sins I may not have paid attention to...The Holy Spirit through the word convicts me and I can pray then for forgiveness...
You know Mike,I really don't think God went through so much detail about the temple for nothing...I believe there's a lot in the bible we may not fully grasp yet...Like while the angel that guided Ezekiel went into the Holy place alone....the Spirit took Ezekiel right in..something for me to ponder on...
In James again we are warned about our relationship as brothers and sisters...Yep there's a lot of grumbling,back biting in God's army..Yesterday a thought came into my head...you know if we were busy with the Lord's battle...or maybe facing persecutions we'd probably living in love more....I sometimes read the voice of the matyres so i guess that's were that comes from....but really...some christians are hooked on how to live a good life while on earth...others face death,torture and a really uncomfortable life...I guess the latter took the daily carrying of their cross more seriously...I thank God for His mercy and His love because He's always been so patient with me...even though I drop my own cross so frequently to be more comfortable:(
God bless you all

[Pat]

This is MY PERSONAL CONCEPT of the Ezekiel temple. The temple will be constructed as a physical temple during the 1000 Millennial or period of peace, which precedes the Rapture and Tribulation. Even though it is called the period of peace, the scriptures clearly states that there will be wars and rumors of wars during this time but they will not compare to the wars that will take place during the Tribulation. It is my personal belief that the peace that occurs during this time could actually be called a period of religious freedom where all mankind is given the opportunity to hear the Word of God. Technology has placed us in that period now, as the Word is available through one form or another to all mankind.

The groundwork has been laid for a new physical temple to be constructed in the country of Israel. In 587 BC, Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar's army captured Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, and exiled the Jews to Babylon (modern day Iraq). The year 587 BC marks a turning point in the history of the region. From this year onwards, the region was ruled or controlled by a succession of superpower empires of the time in the following order: Babylonian, Persian, Greek Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Empires, Islamic and Christian crusaders, Ottoman Empire, and the British Empire. The country of Israel was dissolved and absorbed as part of Palestine and was no longer recognized as a separate country. During the British rule of Palestine, the Jewish people were subjected to great violence and massacres directed by Arab civilians or forces of the neighboring Arab states and as a result they fled their homeland. During World War II, the Nazi regime in Germany decimated about 6 million Jews creating the great tragedy of The Holocaust. At the end of War World II when post-war boundaries were being negotiated in May of 1948, the Jewish people were given part of their homeland back and Israel was again established as an independent nation. This had to happen before a temple could be constructed in Israel!

I believe that the temple will be built before the Rapture and Tribulation because it is referred to as a physical place in many Scriptures pertaining to the last days. The two messengers stood before the walls and witnessed to the Jewish people that the messiah they studied about in the Old Testament was Jesus Christ and He fulfilled the Scriptures. During the Tribulation, the antichrist will desecrate the physical temple but the antichrist will not be able to desecrate a Christian’s spiritual temple – punish, torture, murder yes, but not desecrate and foul our love for Jesus Christ. God wants the Jewish people to study the Old Testament and compare it to the life of Jesus Christ so His original chosen people can become part of His New Jerusalem! We who have accepted Christ have become a human/spiritual temple of Christ as He lives within us. However, the Jewish people – those originally selected as God’s people – have not accepted Christ and are still waiting for the Scripture to be fulfilled. The temple in Ezekiel was not intended for we Christians. It was to be built for the Jewish people in the country of Israel and would comply with all the Jewish laws pertaining to the temple including those of sacrifices as stated in the Old Testament. It is a place where God will try for the last time to reach the Jewish people and He will try again to convince them that Jesus Christ is our and their Savior, the one and only Messiah!

The temple in Ezekiel should not be confused with we individual human/spiritual Christian temples. Our temple is spiritual and the walls are those Jesus Christ has constructed within us. He dwells within each of us through the Holy Spirit and each of us is Christ’s temple! The Jewish people do not have these spiritual temples because they have not accepted Jesus as their Savior. Therefore, God is going to start over again with them in a newly built physical temple to be constructed in Israel during the Millennial in order to try to get their attention so that they can see how ALL Scripture became fulfilled through Jesus Christ.

God Bless!
Pat

[H]

It's funny you mentioned zoning out on the description of the Temple I did too but I caught myself on yesterdays chapters trying to just run through it then i stopped and thought that If it's in here it must serve a purpose and then like you I thought what if this place is up in Heaven and I miss knowing how to maneuver about the temple because I speed read through the Directions. LOL I like how specifc God is with how Things must be done and Built it kinda remind me that either you do it His way or your doing it the Wrong way!

[Jenny]

Its amazing how whenever the prophets, like Eze or anyone beholds a glimpse of God, they fall flat on their face...how incredible it must be, beyond human words or comprehension.

I like in Psalm v.8 he cries out:" Please don’t give up on me!". how many times have i asked this of the Lord...i know He won't...its our shame and awareness of sin that shows us how unworthy we are, and His grace is so incomprehensible!

[Mae]

Yessssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love Psalm 119!!!! Praise Him!!! Worship Him!!! Remember Him!!!

Psalm 119:10 / I seek you with all my heart;

do not let me stray from your commands.

This is what I long with all my heart. I want to be with Him, I want to live with Him ... I want to keep this wonderful feeling I have with me forever. I want to be remembered every day! I'm sure God will help us to not stray from His commands. However ... when we decide to go back to our sins, He'll let us go. He probably tries a couple of times to let us stay with Him. But if we decide not to listen. Well yes, then it's up to us. It's just so true: when there's slowly a gap showing between you and God, it's defenitly your fault, cause He's not going anywhere. Anyway, this verse stands out for me today ... I love it!

Psalm 119:14 / I rejoice in following your statutes

as one rejoices in great riches.

How great is it to talk about The Lord? I love talking about The Lord, I love talking about my life as a Christian and share my testimony. Share all the good things that The Lord did for me. He helped me through hard times, He healed me. I don't care what happens in my life, just as long as I can continue experience His statutes!

[Svetlana]

I today read book of James ,again.It is amazing epistle for me. James 1:18 reminds me of the beginning and the creation.Word creation reminds me of the creationof woman,and reminds me of John F.Mac Arthur"The Creation of Woman" He said"And then there's an interesting final comment in verse 25"And the man and his wife both naked and were not ashamed".That fascinate you?THey were "Both naked and they were not ashamed"Do you know why they weren;t ashamed?Well, they weren't ashamed because they didn't know any evil.They didn't know that sexual desire could be used for wicked purposes.They didn't know that sexual desire could be perverted and twisted.They didn't have any wicked thoughts running around in their imaginations.They had no capacity to feel shame because they didn't know evil existed.Can I give you a simple definition?Shame is produced by the consciousness of the evil that may exist in a thing.We feel shame in our lives as sinners because we have evil thoughts, because we have evil desires.They didn't exist. And there was a beauty in the shameless wonder of that original marriage.And they enyoyed to the fullest.Hebrews13:4 ,which is agreat statement;"Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers ,God will judge" God brought them together ,and they enyoyed the full joy of that relationship. And certainly ,their marriage bed,as it were absolutely and utterly undefiled. They had no capacity to fell shame because they had no knowledge of anything evil.
How sad ,when you think about that ,and then you think about the fall ,and how that the fall produced sin and took the pristine ,pure ,shameless yoy of that union corrupted it by bringing into their thoughts evil ideas that caused them ,even in their own relationship, to bear a measure of shame.But in the beginning ,it was n't that way.In the beginning ,inthe perfect environment ,there was perfectlove. There was perfect rapture with each other in the perfection of wondrous creation by God.It was a shameless love that God gave these two.They had that kind of union that God has designed to be the pinnacle.Peter even call it "The grace of life" One man ,one woman ,leaving their parents , cleaving together in a strong bond for life ,becoming "one flesh".And ,of course ,becoming "one flesh" means coming together as one.And that is certainly manifested when children are born; children being the very symbol ,the very reality of one flesh ,because they bear the life of both the father and the mother.

So woman was made for man ,and there is where relationship begins. And folks ,I want to tell you:This is the purest and greatest and most blessed and wondrous relattionship that God has ever given. That's why Peter calls it "The grace of life".It is the best that life has to offer.It is the best gift that God could ever give. Now I know there are some people who have te gift of singleness ,but the are the exception.And I know there are people who have corrupted this ideal ,and they 've gone through marriage and--after marriage ,and they've commited fornication and adultery ,and they 've been people in homosexual sins.And all of that brings all kinds of quilt and all kinds of consequences into life ,and realy produced havoc in the lives of people. And we have to reach out for the grace of God, and we find His grace sufficient.God is a God of grace ,and a God of forgiveness.But I "ll tell you:That doesn't change the ideal. The ideal is one man ,one woman in strong bond for life becoming"one flesh" .No relationship outside of that can even come close to the joys and the fulfillment of that relationship.Woman was made specifically for Adam ,to meet his needs ;physical,emotional and relational needs.Marriage is the very ,very.very best.And you can figure out the implications of that.
If you're not married ,get married.Some of you people are so picky.You are ju7st pushing off the best of life until---who knows. Some nebulous tomorrow when no one's left. It isn't a hasty decision you make ,but it certainly ought to be the objective and goal.So God's creative design renders fornication,adultery ,homosexuality and divorce outside the plan...
In the beginning ,it was perfect and it was wonderful.And there was no shame about anything in that relationship,because there was no evil. Therefore ,there was no consciousness of any potential evil.This was the wonder of the original creation. Well , you can see where we are inthe texst. The next words ,Charpter 3 Verse !:"Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field" And here we go into the tragic fall of man ,and we'll look at that next time.
Let's pray
Father , we thank you again for your word.So many thoughts flood our minds and hearts as we think about the wonder of your creation,what it was like. We thank you .Lord ,for this:That in Christ we have a measure of paradise regained.We thank you that in Christ we can know again the wonderful delight and joy and bliss and wondr .love,of marriage; that in Christ marriage bes=comes the grace of life;that in Christ we can leave and cleave in a strong bond ,becoming one for life.WE thank you that in Christ we can enjoy communion with you,as well as with each other .In Christ we can go ,as it were into the paradise again ,and walk and talk wih you in the cool of day ,as the man andthe woman once could do. WE thank you that in Christ there is a great measure of paradise given back. WE thank you ,Father, for showing us again the wonder of your creation,and we give youall the glory.It didn't happen by chance ; it didn't happen by random mutation.Every single thing that came into existence ,including man and woman ,were made by You ,by your creative hand for your purpose.And Father ,we pray that You would cause us always to believe Your word no matter what it says ,because it is in fact your very word ,spoken to us through inspired writers like Moses ,who wrote the Pentateuch.
And we thank you ,Father, for the light that it sheds on life. You want the best for us.You have again shown us the best is marriage ;a faithful husband ,faithful wife,lovingly devoted to each other for life.That's your best gift in the human realm.We thank you for it. And Lord ,make our marriages what you would have them to be. Fill them with grace,and fill us with the Spirit ,that we may live lives that cause us to enjoy the best. Keep marriage together .keep married people from sin. Keep your church free from the sins that destroy marriages. Keep your people who are married free fromt the seductions of sinful people who would seduce away a husband or seduce away a wife or cause a divorce. Restore to your people the ideal ,as much as we can possibly enjoy that ideal in this life,and we know we can.WE can be married for life and enjoy the sweetness and the delight of that most wonderful of all relationship.And we pray to that end for your glory in Christ's name.Amen.
Svetlana