The Man Healed of a Withered Hand | Miracles of Jesus Christ

It is another Monday, time for another miracle of Jesus Christ. This time is a little different. The man whom Jesus healed was neither seeking Jesus for the healing, nor brought to Jesus by a friend or family member. He is simply in the synagogue listening to Jesus teach. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all give an account of this miraculous healing that began as a set up for the Pharisees to accuse Jesus of doing something wrong.

The man's right hand was disabled in some form and by Luke telling us it was the man's right hand, that could lead us to believe it may have caused the man to not work. We know many people came to listen to Jesus from all walks of life. This man knew he would be stared at because of his infirmity but he went anyway. The scribes and Pharisees studied the law of God but to become stumbling blocks to the people rather than stepping stones. Jesus was always different. His ministry focus was the hearts of the people, restoring them back to right standing with God. Let's read together.

Matthew 12:9-10 And when He was departed thence, He went into their synagogue: And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked Him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse Him.

Mark 3:1-2 And He entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched Him, whether He would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse Him.

Luke 6:6-7 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that He entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and Pharisees watched Him, whether He would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against Him.

It is ridiculous for these religious leaders to stalk Jesus and scrutinize every word He spoke and every action He took. They were so jealous that people would follow Jesus instead of idolize them and they wanted to get rid of Jesus so they could be on a pedestal again, albeit a self-imposed pedestal. What was Jesus' response?

Matthew 12:11-13 And He said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. Then saith He to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.

Mark 3:3-5 And He saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. And He saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? but they held their peace, and when He had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, He saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Luke 6:8-10 But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or destroy it? And looking round about upon them all, He said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Jesus' response was one of compassion for the man, and yet in a way He was being compassionate to all in the room because He explained that healing a person on the sabbath day is a good thing! He asks those in authority if it is better to do good or evil, to save lives or to kill. He is giving them the key to everything He had been doing. These miracles were not to get gasps from the crowd and bigger followings. It was to prove that humanity was valuable to Jesus and He would do everything He could to improve the lives of those He came in contact with. Jesus could not see the man with the withered hand and not heal him when the religious leaders wanted it to be about their own agendas and time tables. Jesus is God and He was within the realm of time while on the earth but as God He is an eternal being and our clocks on earth do not dictate when God will move for those in need.

Matthew 12:14-21 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against Him, how they might destroy Him. But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew Himself from thence: and great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all; And charged them that they should not make Him known: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold My servant, whom I have chosen; My Beloved, in whom My soul is well pleased: I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench, till He send forth judgment unto victory. And in His name shall the Gentiles trust.

Mark 3:6-12 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him. But Jesus withdrew Himself with His disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judaea, And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things He did, came unto Him. And He spake to His disciples, that a small ship should wait on Him because of the multitude, lest they should throng Him. For He had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon Him for to touch Him, as many as had plagues. And unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. And He straitly charged them that they should not make Him known.

Luke 6:11-12 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus. And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

We know what Jesus' response was at the prodding of the Pharisees. But what was their response when Jesus healed the man with the withered hand? They immediately saw red! They became filled with rage and wanted to kill Jesus because He healed a man! Just because it was the sabbath, did not mean God could not work! We must not put God in a box and limit Him with our doubt and unbelief. So often we can discount God moving on our behalf or answering our prayers because we think it is not important enough to bother God with. That is just a tactic of the enemy to discourage you to stop asking, seeking, and knocking. Friends, we must not get caught up in religion and man-made traditions.

The crowds grew larger and they came from all over the region. Everyone wanted to be healed, delivered, and set free. Everyone wanted freedom. Many desired to see the miracles or partake in them. They were in awe but we have to remember not everyone who followed after Jesus was doing so because they wanted to be with Him. Some of the crowd wanted to be entertained, not changed. They wanted to see something spectacular but they were not interested in seeking the Bread of Life right before their very eyes.

The man with the withered hand was restored to complete health. His right hand looked and acted just like his left hand. Jesus changed that man's life. He did good. He saved his life. The Pharisees were jealous and angry and foolish. They did evil and sought to kill Jesus and destroy His ministry. What does that sound like?

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Isn't this so obvious as we study the life of Jesus and read about these miracles? He was helping, healing, saving, restoring, and renewing everyone who desired it of Him. The religious leaders wanted to kill and destroy Jesus and everything He stood for. Instead of embracing Him and learning more about why He was here and what He was doing, they wanted to annihilate Him so they could return to their status quo. Once we have been with Jesus, there is no going back. There is no life as we used to know it after an encounter with the Son of God. These men were threatened and jealous and in their cruelty they sought to snuff out the life of the very source of it!

Friends do not wait to put your hope in Jesus. If you have been a doubter, skeptical, unsure, and maybe even put down other people who serve God, you can repent and Jesus will forgive you and save you when you call upon His name. He wants to welcome you into the family of God. He does not desire to see the wicked die in their sins. It was for our redemption that He came to the world, to save us.

Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

If you are a child of the Most High God, rejoice that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Ask yourself what you are doing to further the Kingdom of God. Friends, the hour is short. We are in the final days of the final days. There is not much more time to work. We cannot get caught up in the cares of this life and in the debates and squabbles the world wants to embark on. We have to win souls and be wise. Tell your family and friends about Jesus and His great love. You will never regret it and in doing so you will be showing love and compassion like Jesus. You will be doing good and saving lives.

I hope that something I shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Hard Assignment | Fuel For The Weekend

Welcome back to another Fuel For the Weekend blog post. I am excited about today! My husband is off work. He is not feeling the best. Javan and I are under the weather, as well, but we are still getting things done and that feels good. What are you doing this weekend?

Today I want to give you something to think about, talk about, and dig deeper in this weekend. It is in the book of Ezekiel. We are going to discuss five verses in the second chapter. But first, I would like to give a brief overview and background of where we studying. Ezekiel is a prophet of God. He is also a priest and he is ministering during the darkest days of the tribe of Judah's history. They are in captivity in Babylon and he will use parables, signs, and symbols, along with prophecies to get God's message across to His people in exile. Ezekiel has a very tough mission because God's chosen people are rebellious and hard-headed. This is why they are in exile; they would not respond appropriately to God nor would they observe His laws and commands. Now, they are in a place they do not want to be, severe oppression and depression overtake them, and it is up to Ezekiel to share God's message with them. What an incredible quest. Has God given you a task that you did not ask for, maybe one you do not want, but you have to do it? Has He called you to help others who seem like they could care less about God or anything He has to say? Ezekiel has been so commissioned.

Today's text is Ezekiel 2:1-5 but I want to start with chapter one verse 28 for a clear picture of why Ezekiel is no longer standing. So if we back up one verse, Ezekiel describes seeing something like a rainbow after the rain. This rainbow and it's brightness was how the likeness of the glory of God appeared to this prophet. When he saw this image he dropped to the ground. He fell on his face and then he heard "a voice of one that spake." Let's pick up our text in Ezekiel 2:1-5 and I promise there will be some hope and encouragement at the end of today's blog post for you!

Ezekiel 2:1 And He said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.

In this verse, when it says "son of man" it says in the expanded Bible that it means "human being" and it is used 93 times in this book to address the prophet. It is a title that refers to Ezekiel's frailty as a human in comparison to the great Sovereignty of God. God, the Creator, the LORD of all the earth, is speaking to Ezekiel and wants him to stand up so they can have a conversation. He recognizes that Ezekiel is flabbergasted and has hit the floor in overwhelm. He needs Ezekiel's attention, because He has to give him some instructions and He wants Ezekiel to hear everything He is saying.

In the book of Acts, Saul is on the way to Damascus so he can persecute God's people. He thinks he is doing God a favor by consenting to the death of Christians in the early church. But as he goes to Damascus a light surrounded him and it was so bright he fell to the earth. Let's read it. Acts 9:4-6 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?  And he said, Who are Thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks (goads). And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

God will get your attention when He needs you to step into your destiny. He has a specific call on your life and He knows what language to speak to get your attention. You will find yourself humbled and feeling very small in contrast to the vastness of God.

Ezekiel 2:2 And the spirit entered into me when He spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard Him that spake unto me.

In the book of Daniel, we see a similar situation. Daniel 8:17-18 So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep, on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.

The supernatural is scary. It is overwhelming to experience God in that way, and yet there is great significance for it. God will help you when you are in that situation. He picked up Ezekiel and Daniel and he helped Saul who later became Paul and wrote a huge portion of the New Testament. Do not be afraid to seek God and experience His Sovereignty and power. You may not have the same experiences as these prophets but when God puts something in your heart that scares you, it's your big purpose and it can be frightening to think about. The good news is you are not alone.

Ezekiel 2:3 And He said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation, that hath rebelled against Me: they and their fathers have transgressed against Me, even unto this very day.

Would you be excited about this assignment? If God tells you to witness to people who are too hard-hearted to listen to the voice of God, would you want to go? Would you be excited about talking to them and telling them what God had to say? I know I have had to speak to people who were so prideful and haughty they would hardly listen. They wanted things to be all about them and had no room for the correction of God's Word. Through much prayer and exhortation I was able to share what God wanted them to know. I was in awe as I watched Him chip away at their ego and their carnal nature. It was amazing to see Him work in ways I never knew were possible.

Remember they are not rejecting you if you speak God's Word, they reject Him. It is imperative that we share the Gospel and allow Holy Spirit to do the rest.

1 Samuel 8:7,8 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken Me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.

Ezekiel 2:4 For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.

I love that God does not expect us to come up with our own speech when we go where He sends us. He does not leave everything up to us. He just asks that we be willing vessels to be used by Him to reach the ones who have gone astray. This is pivotal because we are not in the control chair, He is! That is the key to all of this!

Psalm 95:6-11 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God; and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. To day if ye will hear His voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known My ways; Unto whom I sware in My wrath that they should not enter into My rest.

Jeremiah 5:3 O LORD, are not Thine eyes upon the truth? Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction; they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

Jeremiah 6:15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

If you have time, read Isaiah chapter 58. It is another instance of the stiff-necked, rebellious people that God loves and wants to redeem but they refuse. These are not accounts of the heathen, pagan nations. This is God speaking directly to and about the children of Israel that He rescued and delivered and provided for. He blessed them and helped them and they rejected Him and disobeyed Him over and over and over again.

Ezekiel 2:5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.

Why would God send Ezekiel to such a people? Why bother with them at all? So they will know that God loves them enough to send a prophet to be His mouthpiece. They can never say He did not try to show them the right way. They will be without excuse. He comes in love and mercy but the choice is theirs. It is up to them whether or not they receive it. They cannot receive the message from God without the messenger so God chose Ezekiel. Did He choose you? Do you have unsaved loved ones and friends who are doing life on their terms? Do you have family or friends who think they are enough, and that by doing good things, or donating to charities they will somehow squeeze into heaven? Friends, it is up to you and me to tell them!

One final thought and it is in Romans, the first chapter. We can read it together:

Romans 1:16-21 For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold (suppress) the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Friends, we must take our assignment seriously. God is calling all of us to specific people in our lives. It may be a neighbor, a coworker, a friend, a family member, or even a stranger. Be sensitive to Holy Spirit and allow Him to use you to lead others to Christ. Yes, it may seem hard, because it is hard. It may seem impossible and hopeless, but it isn't. God is with us and we can do all things as He strengthens us according to Philippians 4:13. Remember with God nothing is impossible according to Luke 1:37. God bless you friends!

~Bridgett Owens

God Uses Anyone Anytime | Thankful Thursday

 

When I was growing up, we were daily spending time with extended family. Our house was full of family and friends. My parents had four of us kids, my aunt next door had four girls, and my aunt who visited often had three boys. Most of my cousins and two of my siblings were older than me. I heard this phrase often, "No, Bridgett. You're too young." That was so frustrating because I did not think I was too young to participate in the conversation, the activity, or to watch the tv show or movie. I was one of the youngest granddaughters and so I was constantly told, "Not yet. Someday you will. It's just not time yet. Be patient, Bridgett."

After years of being told things like that, it is easy to start believing it. One day turns into weeks then months and even years. God has asked me to do so many hard things through the years and I might say things like, "I can't God because I am too young, too inexperienced, not educated enough, not popular enough, not (fill in the blank) enough." But God did not ask me to be enough. He is Jehovah Jireh God my Provider! He is the God of more than enough! So, on October 31, 2021 God gave this passage of scripture to me: Jeremiah 1:4-9. We are going to discuss it today and if you feel inadequate maybe you will be strengthened and empowered by the same verses God has given to me.

1. GOD MADE YOU WITH A PURPOSE.

Jeremiah 1:1-2 (1)Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (2)Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Before you were formed in your mother's womb, God already knew you. Before you were ever on the face of the earth, God knew all about you and sanctified you. He set you apart for His glory and His purpose. He made Jeremiah to be a prophet unto the nations. He has created me for a specific purpose and He has done the very same thing for you. You may be older now and look back and think of all the things you have done for your personal glory or satisfaction. Maybe you have regrets, but there's a Bible verse for that!

Isaiah 49:1-5 (1)Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath He made mention of my name. (2)And He hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand hath He hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in His quiver He hath hid me; (3)And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. (4)Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet, surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God. (5)And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob again to Him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength. 

This reminds us that God named us, called us, and equipped us before we were ever born! Everything He has called us to do, He has already made provision for it. No matter if we used our strength for nothing and worked in vain, God is able to turn it around and get the glory. He is the single source of our strength! That is good news!! And when we ask for guidance and direction, He will give that to us like He did Moses.

Exodus 33:11-14 (11)And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. (12)And Moses said unto the LORD, See, Thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and Thou hast not let me know whom Thou wilt send with me. Yet Thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou also hast found grace in My sight. (13)Now therefore, I pray Thee, if I have found grace in Thy sight, shew me now Thy way, that I may know Thee, that I may find grace in Thy sight: and consider that this nation is Thy people. (14)And He said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

Isn't this a beautiful glance into a very special moment of Moses and the LORD GOD? They speak together face to face like friends. Moses tells God, "Even though You have not said who You will send with me to do everything You are calling me to do, I will trust You because You know me by name and You said I found grace in Your sight. So if I have found grace in Your sight, please show me Your way. I just need some direction." (I paraphrased here.) God said to Moses, "My presence will go with you and I will give you rest." What a beautiful promise! And we know in Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus promises to give us rest, too! But, just in case you think God only called Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Moses and so it must just be an Old Testament thing for a select few, let's read what Paul has to say about this.

Galatians 1:15-17 (15)But when it pleased God, Who separated me from my mother's womb, and called Me by His grace,  (16)To reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: (17)Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went unto Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

Paul is talking about his track record; how he persecuted the church and then God revealed to him the purpose and plan He had for Paul. Paul realizes it was when he was born and called into God's grace and plans that he had been destined to preach and teach about Jesus Christ. When Paul realized it was his destiny and purpose, he did not ask men their opinions, did not go visit the apostles who walked and talked with Jesus for three and a half years, but went to Arabia and came back to Damascus and if you continue reading this text he will speak about the rest of his journeys and eventually going to see Peter and James, the brother of Jesus. So, when God calls you to do something, do not go ask a bunch of people. In fact, do not even ask your pastor for confirmation. Ask God to bring you confirmation and He will do it, but often flesh and blood will fail you and cause you to miss your destiny and purpose because it often won't make sense to other people. Trust God and His plan for your life.

2. BREAK FREE FROM LIMITATIONS.

Jeremiah 1:6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. (youth) We hear God tell us to do something that seems too big for us to handle, too spectacular for us to be successful, and we say to God, "I can't do that God because I am too young, too old, too quiet, too loud, too (fill in the blank). We have to remember that God is not looking at our credentials, our bank account, our location, our immediate situation. He knows all of that but none of that is influencing His decision to use you for His great purpose. We are not alone in thinking that we are not qualified. Jeremiah did not give God a resume of all the reasons he should be picked, but rather was astonished God wanted to use him and he thought he should remind God he was so young. Moses did the same thing: gave God a reason to not want to use him but it did not work.

Exodus 4:10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O  my LORD, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since Thou hast spoken to Thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. The truth is that God already knew Moses was not an eloquent speaker, that he had a speech impediment. That did not disqualify Moses. Think about it, it only gives God more glory and honor and praise when He uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary. Moses would never be able to say he did any of the great feats he accomplished apart from God. So it is with you and I. So, Moses overcame the insecurity about his speech over time right? Uh, not quite.

Exodus 6:12 And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips? 

Exodus 6:28-30 (28)And it came to pass on the day when the LORD spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt (29)That the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I am the LORD: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee. (30) And Moses said before the LORD, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?

Moses questions God, "If the people You sent me to deliver do not listen to me, what should make me think Pharaoh will hear me? I speak slow and I am unskilled and inept." Have you ever thought about the things God is telling you to do and felt unqualified? I know I have. God told me to write books and I thought about it and was not sure I had it in me. Even after writing books, how can I publish them? I did not go to school for journalism, I went to nursing school. I do not have the money to pay someone to do the work for me: to publish my books. How can I do this big, hard thing when I do not know how to navigate these uncharted waters? But like God did for Moses, He will surely give me what I need and bring people beside me to help me do what He has asked of me. What big thing is God stretching you to do?

3. YOU ARE NOT GOING ALONE. GOD PROMISES TO BE WITH YOU.

Jeremiah 1:7-8 (7)But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. (8)Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 

What a beautiful example of God meeting us right in our fears and insecurities and lovingly promising to not only give us success in all He is calling us to do, but then pledging that He will never leave us or abandon us. We are not out on a journey to do this hard task for God and left to fend for ourselves. No, God meets us where we are and is with us every step of this journey. Remember Jesus saying this in the Great Commission we just talked about?

Matthew 28:19-20 (19)Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20)Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

It is not God's plan to send us out into the world and then not give us protection or provision. That would be a very unloving thing to do to His children and we have a perfectly wonderful Heavenly Father who loves us way too much to ever do that. But sometimes we are afraid of what God is asking us to do. God was sending Ezekiel to a rebellious house and so the work was going to be tough but God did not require Ezekiel to convert them. It was not Ezekiel's job to make these people repent, it was only Ezekiel's job to tell the people what God wanted them to know. Let's read about that.

Ezekiel 2:6-7 (6)And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. (7)And thou shalt speak My words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. 

God just wanted Ezekiel to be obedient to Him and to say what He wanted Ezekiel to say. It was not up to Ezekiel to force them to believe what he said, it was only up to him to speak the truth.

Ezekiel 3:10-14 (10)Moreover He said unto me, Son of man, all My words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears. (11)And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the LORD GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. (12)Then the Spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the LORD from His place. (13)I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing. (14)So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.

We may not like the situation God is putting us in, or we may be upset about the sins of the people we have to go to, but no matter what God is asking us to do, we are promised that God will be with us and like Ezekiel we can feel God's strong hand upon our lives and know we are in His capable hands.

Exodus 3:12 And He said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou has brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.

God is reminding us that we will know He is with us when we accomplish what He has asked us to do. He said to Moses and He says to us today, "Certainly I will be with you." We will know He is with us every step of the way because we will find ourselves saying and doing things we did not even know to say or do otherwise. God will equip us to do everything He is asking us to do. We must only trust and obey. It may not always be easy but Jesus did not have everything easy either and He is the Son of the Living God Most High.

4. GOD PROVIDES WHAT YOU NEED.

Jeremiah 1:9 Then the LORD put forth His hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth.

God is putting His words in our mouths, too. He is putting the tools in our hearts and is placing inside of us everything we need to be successful on the mission He is sending us on. Maybe we need to be healed of a speech or hearing issue. God is able to do that. Do you remember how He healed the man in Mark?

Mark 7:31-37 (31)And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, He came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. (32)And they bring unto Him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech (begged) Him to put His hand upon him. (33)And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers into his ears, and He spit, and touched his tongue; (34)And looking up to heaven, He sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. (35)And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue (impediment) was loosed, and he spake plain. (36)And He charged (commanded) them that they should tell no man: but the more He charged them, so much the more a great deal (widely) they published it; (37)And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: He maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb (mute) to speak.

Sometimes God does not do the miraculous to heal, but He will give you someone to help you, like He did Moses. Do you remember that?

Exodus 4:11-16 (11)And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? (12)Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. (13)And he said, O my LORD, send, I pray Thee, by the hand of him whom Thou wilt send. (14)And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and He said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. (15)And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. (16)And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.

God promised Moses He would be with him to help with the speech impediment. Moses had zero confidence in his own ability to do anything that important. He asked God to send someone else. God was angry with Moses because Moses not only had no faith in himself, but he had no faith that God would be able to use him. God knows the purpose and plans He has for Moses and He does not change His mind. He simply gives Aaron to Moses as a spokesman to be in the place of Moses' mouth and Moses is to Aaron in the place of God. In other words, God tells Moses what to say, and then Moses tells Aaron what God wants said and Aaron says it.

Friends, God always asks us to do things out of our comfort zones to bring glory to His name and to build up the Kingdom of God. God knows our limitations and our shortcomings, but He chooses to use us in spite of these issues. He does not throw us away and pick the stronger, the better, the wiser. Why? Because He made us with a specific purpose and whether we will run from it, or embrace it, is up to us. I hope this has helped someone today. It sure has been an encouragement to me. I am learning right along with the rest of you. Today I am thankful that God will use anyone, anytime, including me! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Bloody Hands | Fuel For The Weekend

Your actions affect other people. Do you realize that? You may understand that concept, but do you also understand that your inaction affects other people as well? The Bible tells us that what we say and do will go before us into eternity. The same is true for the things we do not say and do not do; they go before us into eternity. We read in Revelation 20:12, "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." 

EZEKIEL 3:17-21 (17)Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at My mouth, and give them warning from Me. (18)When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. (19)Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, not from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. (20)Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. (21)Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

This is a heavy passage, but we must look at it closely. This is a glimpse into eternity and it shows us that what we do, or don't do, for Christ will have eternal consequences. Let's unpack this a little bit. God is talking to Ezekiel in this passage. This is a message to him about God's plan for his life. He is calling Ezekiel to be a watchman over the people. When the people who do not serve God do evil things, Ezekiel must warn them that they are facing destruction and judgment from God. If that man or woman disregards Ezekiel's words, God says that his hands are clean. If Ezekiel chose not to tell the man or woman, God would require that person's blood at Ezekiel's hands. You see the life is in the blood, according to Leviticus 17:11. So in essence, Ezekiel will have to answer for why he chose to ignore that man's sin and refused to call it out.

In today's world, we are scared to call out sin in others' lives. In fact, we do not like to even discuss sin in most churches. It is offensive. People might not like it and they will stop paying tithes or giving offerings. They may even get so mad they might not come back. So instead of caring about their soul, we are concerned about the congregation numbers and the dollar signs. This is so dangerous. We are not called to be busybodies, like we see in 2 Thessalonians 3:11 and 1 Timothy 5:13. However; we are called to be our brother's keeper in regards to seeing sin in their lives and showing them a better way in Christ Jesus. It is our duty to help one another. We are all God's watchmen. We do not have to be a pastor, evangelist, teacher, or in leadership at all. We are all God's children and He expects His children to love one another and help each other make it Home.

God tells us in today's passage, if we warn those who are in sin, and they do not listen to us, and they continue down the perilous path they are on, we are no longer accountable. In verse 19, God tells Ezekiel that when that person dies in their sins after being warned and not heeding, Ezekiel will have delivered his soul. We read in 1 Timothy 4:16, "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." This is the harvest that is coming. When we are walking upright before God and we are encouraging others to do the same, we are saving them from destruction and God's judgment in the life to come. If they do not adhere to the warning, then we have washed our hands clean from their blood.

Jesus told them the same thing when He was here on the earth. In John 8:21, 24 Jesus said, "I go My way, and ye shall seek Me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come." And, "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins." That is plain language. If anyone does not believe that Jesus Christ is Messiah, Son of the Living God, then they will die in their sin and they will forever be separated from God. This is why it is so important that we tell everyone. It is not up to us if someone will believe us, or accept Jesus. It is up to us to tell them.

Many people are under the assumption, once saved, always saved. This is a dangerous theology. It says very clearly that when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, God will lay a stumbling block before them. He wants us to get tripped up in sin so we can look up to Him and request His love, grace, and mercy. He does not want us to be lost and go to hell. That is not and never has been God's desire for anyone. We know this when we read John 3:16. This verse goes on to say that the righteousness that person once had: the good that he did, the right choices he made, will be forgotten. If no one tells that person to turn back to the cross of Christ and repent, yet they see them in sin and are aware of what they are doing, God will hold them accountable. 

If we see our brothers and sisters in Christ, and they begin dabbling in things they ought not, and they start missing church, and then they stop coming altogether, we must not ignore that. Pick up the phone, go to their home, invite them for coffee or lunch, and share with them in a loving way that they need to make their way back to the Savior. If we do everything we can and we pray and intervene and it falls on deaf ears, and they die in that sinful state, God says we are clean. Nothing will be required at our hands when we face eternity.

Jude says this in verses 21-23, "Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." We must wear the markings of Christ proudly and boldly. We cannot be ashamed of the Gospel. It is the Good News and we must share it with everyone. Romans 1:16 reads, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." It is powerful. We must be glad to share this message. Let's find the Holy boldness we need to share these hard truths with others who have gone astray.

In the book of Ephesians, Paul writes these words in chapter 6 verses 18-20, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perserverance and supplication for all saints: And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak." Pray and ask for the utterance to be given you to open your mouth boldly. It goes against the grain to speak boldly about the things of God; meanwhile, the world has their megaphone in our ears spewing lies and deceitful practices all day and night. We must begin to share the Truth of God's Word with believers and unbelievers and watch out for one another so we can help each other make it Home.

Here in Indiana it is a snowy day from the big snow storm that made it's away across this nation. We are unable to get into the vehicles, the roads are icy, and snow covered. We are not getting out today and we didn't get out yesterday. This weekend promises some fun for our children as they sled and play in the winter wonderland. I know that this message is heavy and important. I believe that is why God chose to give it to me for today's Fuel For The Weekend. Pray about this message. Read these scriptures for yourself. Study them and cross-reference them if you want. You will see the same theme in the Old Testament and the New Testament. We must sound the alarm and wake people up. The world is in a daze. They are sleep-walking into hell because no one is shaking them and telling them they are headed for destruction. It is up to the Church to wake up the world. Let's pray and think on these things this weekend. Ask God to give you opportunities to witness and share your faith with unbelievers and backsliders because God loves them and wants them to be saved.

I hope today's post has been helpful. It has given me a new resolve to speak up in love and gentleness to let others know that there is a better way and His name is Jesus. I hope that something I have shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens