Famine Of Righteousness Part 1

 

Famine Of Righteousness

Worship goes far beyond, just having an emotional experience. It is during worship one can actually experience a closer spiritual encounter with the Lord. Worship includes adoration, exaltation, magnification, glorification and the giving of thanks to the Lord! Webster defines worship as; an extravagant respect admiration or devotion to an object of esteem; reverence paid to a divine being or supernatural power.

RESET!

Everyday is a precious gift from the Lord.  Your personal  daily devotion to the Lord  is important! God can meet you right where you are.  Regardless as to what is happening in this world or what is,  or is not going  in your life; GOD STILL  DESERVES  to be honored, praised, thanked & worshipped! He can help you meet the challenges that life presents. He can help you rise above them all.   Begin to live everyday starting now: ” TO GOD BE THE GLORY! ” 

 

God’s principles for life, living, His Church, marriage and the family as well as “True Worship” are continuously being abandoned.  God wants each of us to seek Him first. Everything that we will ever need we can discover in Him.  

 

GOD IS!

God is Omniscient therefore He knows all things spoken or unspoken. There is no fooling God.  If you think you can you are only fooling yourself. When you truly believe this you will begin to think and live differently. 

 

God is Omnipotent; meaning all power! God so deserves pure unadulterated worship & praise. God created us to worship Him. It is we who need Him. He did not program us like computers or make us to be robots.  He has made each of us uniquely different.  We have our very own temperament. It is out of His love and mercy that He allows us the freedom to choose to worship Him. This is not the same as being religious.  You can worship just about anything.  However, the true worshippers must worship God; “ In SPIRIT and in TRUTH. ”

 

God is and always will be eternally everlasting. He wants us to live a life of worship. We  are living in the midst of an invisible war zone.  The battle is not ours.  God is able to keep us in the midst of it. However, we must learn to seek Him daily and stay adorned in our spiritual armor. This is why each of us  need Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  Have a spiritual feast. Daily partake in His Word!  Begin to really;  “lean & depend on Jesus.” For He wants us to live our lives to please Him. “ For though we live in the world we do not engage in war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world…” II Corinthians 10.

 

Ezekiel is a great example of a man that chose to live a life of worship and obedience to God.  This is not always easy. He was no doubt a “peculiar” man. He was a priest known for his integrity and purpose although he was carried away to Babylon captivity. He remained dedicated to God. It is a conscious choice to live apart from the world yet, remain within it. Despite what was going on about him, he lived what he preached, proclaimed and prophesied. Look about us and see all that is happening.  He lived a life centered around worshipping God. Today it is also so very important too that your main focus for life and living for the Lord become your main priority. Instead of just focusing only upon the here and now begin to look deeper.

 

This is why worship is so very important. “Be still and know.” When your life is built upon the “Solid Rock” principles of the Lord’s Word you will be able to endure and press onward.  Even in this day and time when much is going on, do not compromise your godly principles and values to be accepted. We must learn to TRUST GOD regardless of what happens. As children of God He still wants us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding in all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight.” Proverbs 3.

 

Today we are currently experiencing a “famine of righteousness.”

 

One must only visit the corridors of scripture to see time and time again the consequences of what happens when the world, a nation, His Church, politicians, or a group of people ignores what God has to say. They often seek to conform to the latest trends. Ezekiel was willing to forego the praises and misunderstanding of God’s people. He did not receive a warm reception, nor was he welcomed or celebrated. Yet he moved all throughout the people serving the Lord.  They instead had chosen to accept and embrace the ways of the world.

 

Our devotion to the Lord must be more than talk. Sometimes it requires that we make grave spiritual sacrifices.  Such as time in personal devotion and more time with the Lord in His Word. We are to; ” Be in the world but not of the world…” We must at times forego the support of others. Less dependency upon being accepted by the masses and more focus on honoring God. Less time seeking to be understood  yet striving daily to understand the Lord and His  marvelous living Word. 

 

We should continually be drawing near to the Lord. 

 

Many are pressured to think in terms of giving sacrifices of material goods or money.  Often to the point some neglect to tend to their own home life.  Their place of worship has actually become a place to escape? To some their little kingdoms?  This is due to many church assemblies have become very material in regards to their constant concern for things for the building.  There is nothing wrong to want a nice place of worship.  But consider the cost before you build. Is it or will it be a continual burden you must bear. Not everyone is spiritually mature… Please do not continue to fleece the sheep of God… Depending on the assembly, often tithes are used  to determine one’s worth, status or their level of participation and influence…

 

Malachi is often used to enforce the Tithe.  It is important to study the Word to know what the Tithe was for and what it actually was…   Malachi  was the last Old Testament Prophet/Priest sent  to Israel by God.  He spoke strong rebukes to both the priests as well as to the people. They had faltered in their commitments to the Lord.  He called them to “REPENT!”  After Malachi there is a silence of 400 or more years.   God will make a way for us to do whatever He calls us to do. “…Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not…  Malachi 3 

 

Things in themselves are not bad.  And it is good to give! But, In some cases money has become some congregations primary focus.  Keep in mind; “God loves a cheerful Giver!”  

 

Seek daily the KINGDOM of GOD an HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS

Does not the Lord say; “seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will be added…” Matthew 6   Well this is true for the assembly of the Church as well.  When the Tabernacle which was a grand tent  was assembled, they carried it  from place to place. Notice all the things that were in the Tabernacle?  What they did?  What they did not do? What was not allowed?   There are 50 chapters devoted in the Bible to the Tabernacle.  17 in Exodus,  18 in Leviticus  13 in  Numbers,  2 in Deuteronomy. It was known to be a place  to gather together to worship & praise God.   It was dedicated as a special place set apart to honor our Lord God;  Yahweh!   

 

The main focus and top priority  was always to worship GOD! Think about it  when Solomon built the Temple.  All that he needed to build the  place of worship was already provided…   For hundreds of years there were no places of worship built  for the Church of God to assemble.  The Disciples and the Apostles built no places of worship…  Jesus built no place of worship.  It is your choice to build a place of worship. Therefore trust God!

 

” Know ye not that; Our bodies are the Temples of GOD! “

 

There has been a priority shift.  Many other things are now included in worship? Some places of worship are more like community centers.  Some of everything goes on in the name of the Lord!   It is important to know GOD and HIS WORD for yourself.  Focus more on Him rather than your issues. Allow Him to strengthen your faith and trust in Him. Think deeper upon the spiritual disciplines.  Our future and eternal life rest in the Lord.  We are each accountable to God for what we do.  Know what God requires of you.

“THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE!”  

 

God speaks to His people in many ways.  

 

God never forgets those who are faithful!

 

The name Ezekiel means; God is strong or God strengthens! True success in a spiritual sense is not how the people respond to us, but it is how we respond to God! Ezekiel was called to an “obstinate and stubborn” group of people. We too are often called to share our faith live out loud God’s word, with unkind, ungrateful, disrespectful, rude, hard, harsh and spiritually abusive people…   Yes indeed know; “The wheat and the tares are growing together…” Yet, God Our Father has promised to; ” NEVER LEAVE NOR FORSAKE US!”  He sees everything that is going on.   It is vitally important to develop an intimate personal relationship with Him.  Daily be led by the Spirit of God regardless as to what the majority is doing. ALL of His promises are true! ” GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU/US! “ The Lord wants us to share the Gospel regardless as to how we might be perceived, even today when we are today in this world are experiencing a “famine of righteousness.”

 

When studying the book of Ezekiel if you look closely, you will see just how closely it relates to what is going on in the world right now. Ezekiel genuinely wanted the people to understand who God is. He was sent to the children of Israel to remind them of God’s principles for life, living and worship. The children of Israel were not a nation who did not know God. They had just become “rebellious”. They had turned their back on God and instead embraced many of the ways of the world. Ezekiel went to great lengths to get their attention. For over two decades he wrote, preached, warned and pleaded with God’s people to return to His principles.

 

In reading Ezekiel one must not be so removed from him that he is thought of as a fictional character with an irrelevant message. To embrace the overwhelming genuine concern he exudes one must be daily adorned in their spiritual armor and open their spiritual ears and listen attentively. Ezekiel tremendously, ferociously and vehemently cries out as he prolifically expounds God’s Truth. Since he had been labeled as being “strange” the people were quite reluctant to listen.

Ezekiel wanted the people to return to God.  We too should want the people to return to God!

See Part 2

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Famine of Righteousness Part 2

Ezekiel models a godly lesson to the people

Ezekiel was a wise prophet. He went so far that he actually humbly acted out with great dramatization the need to be obedient. He personally modeled a thought provoking godly message to the people. To prove his point, he himself laid bound on his side facing a clay model of Jerusalem for 390 days. He ate a simple meal of wheat, barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt baked into bread cake weighing about 8oz, that was cooked on cows dung.

He then turned to his other side and lay there for another 40 days. This was an additional reminder to remind them of their 40 years spent wandering in the wilderness. Ezekiel went to great lengths to get their attention. He earnestly wanted them to return to the Lord. He even shared his vision of the corrupted Temple. They were experiencing a “famine of righteousness.”

There was absolutely no doubt that the “hand of the Lord” was upon Ezekiel. The Lord gave him graphic picturesque visions. The people however still simply refused to listen. Ezekiel personally experienced “The GLORY of the LORD” on many occasions. Over sixty times throughout the Book of Ezekiel he repeated “Then they will know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel was known for his strangeness. He took grave measures to demonstrate his dedication to the Lord.

The many prophets before him had also been often ignored. Their unfavorable messages were overlooked and thought of as negative. Yet despite the odds God kept, sustained and strengthened them. The Lord said to Ezekiel; “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you…” He said “Son of man I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; and they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn…”

The Lord told Ezekiel to speak HIS WORD to them whether they listened or not. Ezekiel was given a scroll to eat. As he ate it, he said “So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.” They simply just did not want to receive the message that Ezekiel presented to them. God’s Word will yield conviction but there is a savory lasting sweetness when digested. They could not see how they had allowed the world, bureaucratic politics and its foreign customs and ways into the Temple. Ezekiel was able to experience the “Glory of the Lord” because of His obedience.

GOD is so AWESOME!

Many of the ways of the world have nested themselves in the midst the Church of God

Today it is really no different, the world and society in which we live continuously attempts to embed its principles within the people of God. To make acceptable what God has said is not acceptable and to cloak and present itself as though one is practicing unconditional love. Yes, “God is Love”  but He is also a just God. According to Nahum; “The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, He will not acquit the wicked.” Deception is all about us. Today because of it we too are experiencing a “famine of righteousness.”

God’s principles for life and living are continuously put on the back burner. Ezekiel is such a good example because he had a real concern for the abuse that was taking place within God’s Temple. Sin was rampart among the people of God. Many of the leaders had simply lost their faith and were trying many alternative ways. They wanted the accolades of the people over the favor of God. Ezekiel was shown firsthand the “wicked and detestable things that they were doing.” They had banned together and plotted wickedness. They had embraced and accepted quite worldly practices and worship that was not acceptable to God. They had allowed the world into God’s Temple. The Glory of the Lord departed from the Temple.

True Worship

Pray all throughout worship. Manipulation does not move the Lord. Worship should never be about theatrics. There are many different modes of worship. Know this, God’s Holy Spirit is never not aware of what’s going on anywhere. This is true even if there are all types of emotional outbursts. Grief, sadness and the light or heavy normal burdens of life can bring forth sadness and tears. When this happens pray and place your focus upon the Lord. A sweet gentle release can come about. ” Rejoice in the Lord! Again I say rejoice! ” For our God is omniscient and therefore always knows about everything and everyone at all times. Peace, joy, meekness and self control are fruits of the Holy Spirit.

When deliverance is needed there will be all sorts of frantic emotional outbreaks. But this is not praise it’s pain, burdens and suffering… One must be led by His Holy Spirit to know and discern when and when not to respond. It is also a time to pray, focus and intercede for chains and depressive burdens to be broken and lifted… It is during deliverance we petition and evoke the infilling presence of the Lord to intervene and cast out doubt, fear, torment, pain, demonic influences, and anything that is not of Him… This is a time for deep intense fervent intercession. This is not always apparent to onlookers. For fervent prayer is also being in a focused prayerful state of mind… Always keeping in mind God is never far from us… YES, do praise and thank our LORD GOD when deliverance comes forth. For HE is the ONE who gets the GLORY!

It takes courage to “STAND!” upon the principles of GOD!

Yes, we can freely worship and praise the Lord. However, we should always be mindful that our worship & praise is to God! Our almighty fortress God is forever worthy of “True Worship.” We need to daily ask for the infilling presence of His Holy Spirit. Yes, this world is on a “slippery slope”. Yet, we can still depend on the Lord God to keep us safe even in the midst of an unstable world. Even when we know this world is experiencing a “famine of righteousness.” Therefore, stay on, the ” Narrow Path “ that has fewer travelers. It is very important to know that despite how things appear; “God is always ultimately in control.”

Stay focused upon the Lord; don’t become distracted

Ezekiel again is a wonderful memorable example. He displays how God may require you to do some things and give up some things. Some of the customarily practiced traditional behaviors should be abandoned. Being those things that distract from who God is; rather than welcome His presence. Worship should not be out of habit or simply a learned behavior. It is a natural expression of praise, thanks and appreciation towards God. From a carnal perspective many simply cannot comprehend this. They do not see that many hinderances have been adopted… When God reveals something to you respond or do not respond accordingly. Looking through the lenses of one’s spiritual eyes you can better grasp the spiritual significance of the action.

God always leaves a remnant of His people. He always has something better for us. There is always more with the Lord. He wants us to grow in His grace, wisdom and knowledge. He does not ever want us to be stuck in mediocracy. He wants to manifest and multiply the Fruit of His Spirit within us. This is why it is so important to know firsthand the Word of God for yourself. This way you are not just towed along with whatever is going on. Sometimes we are to observe. God’s Word is rich and powerful. It contains a plethora of lessons of disobedience, betrayal, rejection, spiritual warfare, power, and love. Christ Jesus became the Word wrapped in sinless flesh. He conquered sin in the flesh for us all. True victory is always found in the Lord and abiding within His principles.

God sometime requires us to do some seemingly strange things. Sometimes we are to observe and pray. When God’s Spirit is with you, you can expect to at times to be persecution, ridiculed, misunderstood or rejected. It is in seemingly hopeless situations that God is able to do a great work through you or to you.  We are to remain disciplined and alert.  There is nothing more important in life than your relationship with the Lord.

Benefits of the believers faith

Our faith, hope and trust must always be in the Lord. Jesus Christ’s life, death, crucifixion and resurrection were for a great purpose.  It is because of Him we have been bestowed with eternal life. It is by faith we walk in obedience to our professed salvation.  Without faith it is impossible to please God.

Life as a Christian comes with a plethora of benefits. As we embrace and implement the truth of His Word we spiritually grow. Hebrews 4 tell us, “For the WORD of GOD is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Each day is a precious gift from the Lord. We should always be able to find something to be thankful for.

We as believers are to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. This should be our first priority.  In the Lord we can forever strive and thrive! Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account.  We are to always contend for the faith! Daily we have the opportunity to grow in His grace, wisdom, knowledge and understanding. God always has a personal interest in the lives of His children, even when there is a “famine of righteousness.”

HALLLELLLUJAH PRAISE GOD!