Well, I pretty much failed another philosophy test. I always try to keep an eternal view on life, that these things are trivial in comparison to the eternal future we have. On the flip side, we must also do everything in this life to glorify God. So what happened? Did I fail to bring glory to God on this test? I guess so. But the fantastic thing is that God didn’t die for a perfect man, but a broken man. How amazing is it, that God killed His only son that we, imperfect and selfish beings, could live? Thank God that His love for me is not based on what I do, because if it was, I’d be lost for eternity. What a majestic, holy, and above all LOVING God we serve!! :)
Forgive me if I am not swayed with emotions; I prefer to think when man speaks.
“so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,” - Ephesians 4:14-15 ESV
So I heard this message today in my Theology of Worship class and just loved it so much I had to share it with all of y’all!! All credit of this message goes to Mike Harland
Taken mainly out of these passages: Ezra 7:8-10, 8:15, 21, 31-32, 9:1-2, 4-7
“And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylonia, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, for the good hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” - Ezra 7:8-10 ESV
From these first verses we learn that God had His hand on Ezra because Ezra meditated on God’s Word, and this becomes important later in the message, so just remember: Ezra was an expert in the Word.
In passages 8:15, 21, 31-32 we learn that Ezra needs to cross a desparate land and is not asking the king for help because He claimed God would keep them safe. Because of His faith, God did keep them safe through the land.
In passages 9:1-2, we learn that after the Israelites made it safely across the land, they took wives from the other lands, and this was a direct defilement of the covenant God had made with His people. Ezra is confronted with the fact that His people have become unclean by intermarrying. We as a generation are confronted with a general situation. America has recently been lost to a postmodern society, but we can change that. It was said in class that only 6% of our generation is fully alive Christians living out the faith. But there is hope!
In verses 9:4-7 Ezra is ashamed personally that His people had sinned greatly, and he prays on behalf if the people. Even though it seems hopeless, Mike Harland has been studying our generation, saying that the 6% are more passionate about theology than ever before and that we desire true Christianity. Throughout the Bible we have seen desperate times, but God always shines through people who are willing to be used. Our generation has that potential!! God in us can change our world for the better!!!! Like Ezra, we must be in the Bible, understand it, and preach it to others!
What an encouragement; WE ARE THE EZRA GENERATION!!!!!!
