BE FAITHFUL

“You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious” (Ezek. 2:7 NKJV).

When Ezekiel was called to be God’s prophet, he was told to be faithful. He was to preach God’s message regardless of how people responded to it or what kind of people formed his congregation. And this call to faithfulness does not only applies to Ezekiel, but to all of God’s servants. Thus we want to note: the preaching of the prophet, the popularity of the prophet, and the people for the prophet.

Preaching - “You shall speak My words to them.” The message of the minister is to be God’s Word. This is what his ministry is all about. One wonders about the dedication and obedience of minister who spend all their time running hither and yon, but never spend much time in the Word of God. Furthermore, these men who claim to be ministers but depart from the Word and preach another message are nothing but imposters.

Popularity - “Whether they hear, or whether they refuse.” Ezekiel was to preach God’s Word regardless of the reception. This is the way we are to handle the issue of popularity. It makes no different what people want or like, our message must be in accord with God’s Word. Those who preach a popular message may have larger crowds. But it is not the crowd that commends a minister - it is the message.

People – “They are rebellious.” Ezekiel was not sent to a ‘nice congregation’ with dedicated people filling the pews. He was sent to a people who were “rebellious” towards God. This means that we are to go where God sends us regardless of the character of the people. The character of the congregation should not determine our calling or our message. We are to preach what God tells us to preach and where He tells us to preach.

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Reverent fear of God is the key to faithfulness in any situation!”

Alan Redpath (1907 – 1989)

British Pastor, Theologian and Author

Word Study

Drive out

In 1 Thess. 2:15 we read, “Who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men!” (NASB).

Drive out is the Greek word ekdiōkō (ἐκδιώκω = ek-dee-o'-ko). It is made up of two words: “ek” which means out, and “diōkō” to expel or persecute. Thus the word means to chase out or drive out from a place, to banish, to persecute harshly. Here the apostle Paul declares that the Jews pursued Christians out of Judea, painting the picture of them driving or banishing Christians systematically out of their province.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah would offer salvation to mankind (Joes 2:32).

New Testament Fulfillment – Rom. 10:9-13

Did You Know…

In the Bible it states that the Lord Jesus came to set us free from the Law (Rom. 8:2).

Bible Quiz

The scriptures say: “David was afraid of God that day…” What had made David afraid?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: According to 1 Timothy, how should all food be received and why? “For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer” (1 Tim. 4:4-5).

Names For God Found in the Bible

“Yahweh Shalom”

"So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites” (Judges 6:24).

1. Meaning – Yahweh Shalom means “The Lord is peace.” The Hebrew word for “peace” (shalom) means much more than cessation of hostilities, but carries with it the ideas of well-being, health and prosperity.

2. Insights – In context, when Gideon realized that he had been speaking with God, he feared greatly for his life. This belief was based on what God had said to Moses in Ex. 33:20: “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” Gideon therefore needed comfort that he would not die. And so the Lord said to him in verse 23, “Peace be with you; do not fear; you shall not die.” Peace comes from the Word of God. Gideon then commemorated his comfort with a testimony of God. How fitting that the angel of the Lord which represents Christ is associated with peace, for no one gives peace like the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1; John 14:27).

Did You Know – Christian History

Thascius Caecilius Cyprianus (Cyprian) was born in 200 CE in Carthage, North Africa. He was an early Christian theologian and bishop of Carthage.

Cyprian was born to wealthy pagan parents and was educated in law. He practiced as a lawyer in Carthage before he was converted to Christianity in 246. Within two years he was elected Bishop of Carthage. Early in 250, Cyprian was confronted by the Decian persecution and went into hiding. Lacking his leadership and not willing to suffer torture, thousands of Christians apostatized (rejected their faith) or bribed authorities to obtain libelli (certificates), saying they had sacrificed to the pagan gods even when they had not.

When the persecution began to diminish, some of these Christians who were called ‘lapsi’ (the lapsed), felt remorse for their betrayal of Christ who had suffered torture for them. They asked to be readmitted to the church. A disagreement developed over the issue. Led by Novatian, many Christians broke off from Rome, saying no lapsed person should be readmitted.

The Novatians ordained their own priests who baptized new Christians. Later some Novatian Christians wanted to unite with the Catholic Church. Cyprian said this was only possible if they were re-baptized within the Catholic Church by “legitimate” priests. Another group wanted to let the lapsed return on easier terms than Cyprian. They also broke away and elected their own bishop, Cecilianus, who baptized converts.

Believing that church unity was at stake, Cyprian took a tough stand against accepting baptism by apostates, arguing that no sacrament administered outside the church had validity. Since there can be only one church, he considered the breakaway groups to be without the Holy Spirit. He wrote letters and summoned councils. These councils met in Carthage in 251, 252, 253, 255 and 256 to address the issues raised by the “lapsi” and Novatians. On September 1, 256, the North African synod voted unanimously with Cyprian. Baptized “heretics” who entered the Catholic fold must be baptized again.

This vote did not stand. Stephen, Bishop of Rome, ordered Cyprian to accept the “lapsed’ into the church without a second baptism. Cyprian refused. For a long time he resisted, but eventually yielded, under threat of excommunication. Rome uses this concession by Cyprian to prove at that early time that the word of the Bishop of Roman had authority.

Cyprian died a martyr. He had been accused of cowardice for hiding during the Decian Persecutions. In 258 he vindicated himself, boldly testifying to his faith as he went to his beheading. The Council of Arles in 314 upheld Bishop Stephen’s decision. As long as a person was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, he or she was truly baptized, regardless of who conferred the rite.

A Little Humor

“Mom, are bugs good to eat?” asked the boy. “Let’s not talk about such things at the dinner table, son,” his mother replied. After dinner the mother inquired, “Now, baby, what did you want to ask me?” “Oh, nothing,” the boy said. “There was a bug in your soup, but now it’s gone.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“No one ever got lost on the straight and narrow road!”