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December 2010 Newsletter

FEED YOUR BELLY AND FILL YOUR STOMACH 

Ezekiel 3:3

The commissioning of Ezekiel

In the first chapters of Ezekiel, Ezekiel, who was a priest, is being commissioned to be a prophet. He saw visions beyond the veil; he saw God manifest in very complex and awe-inspiring visions; he heard the voice of the Almighty and he saw the throne, with the appearance of a man high above it  (Eze.1:26). Ezekiel summed up the vision saying, This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD [YAHWEH]  v.28.

In chapter two, Ezekiel said, The Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard Him who spoke to me  (v.2). Notice that it is only by the Spirit that we can relate to and experience God, and be able to obey Him. It is not by words only. In these days with the availability of the internet, there are many who are speaking many words, but there are few who are reporting fruitful ministry that is changing people s lives and transforming the people of God to become the church of the living God  (1Tim.3:15).

God warns Ezekiel that the people he was to be sent to were, a rebellious nation  (Eze.2:3), impudent and stubborn children  (v.4). God told Ezekiel, Do not be afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words ... do not be dismayed by their looks  (v.6). God was speaking about His people! How similar is the church today?

Then God showed Ezekiel a scroll of a book ... and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe  (Eze.2:9-10).

Eat the scroll

In Ezekiel chapter three, God told Ezekiel, Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll and go, speak to the house of Israel  (3:1). There is order in this command:

·         Eat this scroll

·         Go

·         Speak to the house of Israel

Many want to go, and do go, before they have received the word themselves. There is a necessary period of discipleship and training whereby we receive the word of God and the word becomes part of us. Then when we go, we will be speaking the message of God's word.

The message of the word of God will transform, even if the message first has to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down , and then the word preached will build and plant  (Jer.1:10).

Recently I have been reading a book published in 1941 and the author said then, that the main problem in the church world-wide was that, 'The Christian church has for centuries failed to take seriously and carry out fully the Great Commission. '* At a training day at SHILOH for the apostolic company recently, I shared a message on this theme: 'The Great Commission remains unfulfilled today'. We have work to do!

* {Israel and the New Covenant by Roderick Campbell}

This is the great challenge of today: to motivate the church that meets on Sundays and often one other time per week, to take seriously the command of Jesus to go and make disciples. In reality most of the church is functioning in disobedience to Jesus. We are building 'churches', not making disciples. Millions of dollars are being spent on church facilities while the nation slips inevitably into anti-Christ laws and government, and the mission to the nations is largely ignored.

The pure word is like honey

Ezekiel was told to eat the scroll. God said to him, feed your belly and fill your stomach with this scroll  (Eze.3:3). We need to fill our 'belly' with the word of God. Unless the word of God gets inside of us and is digested fully so that it becomes part of our life, it will not be possible for rivers of living water  to flow out of our heart [also translated as innermost being, and as belly] to give drink to the thirsty who are coming to Jesus (Jn.7:37-38). Even as Ezekiel could only receive the word and be lifted up and enabled to speak the word by the Spirit, so Jesus, when He was speaking of rivers of living water flowing out from the innermost heart of believers, was referring to the giving of the Holy Spirit (Jn.7:39).

Ezekiel said that the scroll, as he ate it, was in my mouth like honey in sweetness  (Eze.3:3). The Psalmist said that the statutes, commandment and judgements of the LORD are sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb  (Ps.19:8-10). [See also Psalm 119:103].

The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times  Ps.12:6. When we return to the Scriptures as they are written, and teach and preach the pure word of God, the results are amazing. We testify that in many nations, we have seen many ministers and Christian leaders transformed as they receive the pure word of God. Too many still go with a denominational or partisan message, but I promise you, if you will return to the pure word of God and only speak the word, Jesus will be revealed as the only true God, who manifested in the flesh, and the brethren you speak to, will be revived in their faith and the church will begin to be transformed.

Go and speak

Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak My words to them  Eze.3:4.

Ezekiel was sent to the house of Israel; our primary task today is to reach the church of Jesus Christ in all of its various, separated parts (v.5-6)

Once we have received the word of God and we have been soundly taught, having the foundations of the faith properly laid in our understanding, then we are able to be sent. Recently Janet and I were privileged to sit with Tony Fitzgerald, an international apostle who leads a large international family of apostolic churches. Tony summed up the mission that he has been labouring in for over 30 years, as DISCIPLE AND SEND. Tony as an expatriate Australian is now sending missionaries back into Australia. Hallelujah!

God strengthens and forearms us

Ezekiel was being sent to the house of Israel, people who spoke his language, but God warned him that they would not listen to the word of God. God said, All the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted  (Eze.3:5-7).

God said, Behold, I have made your face strong against their faces, and your forehead strong against their foreheads  v.8. The face is the reflection of the soul of man and God was going to strengthen Ezekiel's character so that he would not flinch when he saw the faces of people who were fighting against the word of God, expressing their impudence and hard-heartedness.

The forehead is the hardest part of the head and it is often where we are attacked by oppressive, negative forces. God said, I will make your forehead like adamant stone, harder than flint  (v.9). God was teaching Ezekiel how to withstand attacks that would come when people refused to receive the word that he was to deliver.

In the experience of many years of international ministry, we have learnt these lessons of standing strong and unflinchingly, because often the word of God is resisted by some of the pastors and leaders. However we are glad to testify that in seven weeks of ministry in five African nations in May/June of 2010, we were received everywhere we went. God had given us a rhema word from Hebrew 10:5-10. The word was simply a body you have prepared for me  (v.5), and this is what God did. He went before us and prepared a body of leaders in every place who received us as messengers of God and received the word which God gave us to deliver.

The Spirit lifted him up

Ezekiel was now ready to go. God reminded him again to receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears  (Eze.3:10). God has promised that He would write the word on our hearts (Jer.31:33 & Heb.8:10). We need to hear the word with spiritual ears. Jesus often said, He who has ears, let him hear  (Matt.13:43b).

Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a great thunderous voice: 'Blessed is the glory of the LORD from His place' Eze.3:12. Now the Spirit comes and empowers Ezekiel to do the work of the ministry! He heard the voice of God: A great thunderous voice! [Compare this to Ezekiel 1:24].

The voice said Blessed is the glory of the LORD from His place! This is an amazing confession. God had already revealed Himself in amazing visions to Ezekiel. Now the word of God is confirming that the glory of YAHWEH would come from His place and go with Ezekiel to carry out the mission. How awesome is this!

We are reminded of Moses in Exodus 33, interceding with God, If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here  (v.15). When Jesus commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations, He said, Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age  (Matt.28:19-20).

Paul Galligan

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