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GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life
Issue# 517 June 10, 2002 That’s entertainment! NOT! God gave me a couple of verses just before a prayer meeting on Wednesday. All I could think about on the drive to the meeting was the verses. I had no idea what they said. Once we arrived at the meeting, I looked them up. It was a blunt pair of verses. God is speaking to His prophet Ezekiel about the response he will get to his messages. My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice. Ezekiel 33:31-32 NIV It would have been tough being a prophet in those days, especially when God tells you that people aren’t going to listen but you have to speak anyway. I was thinking about how slow witted the people must have been to listen and miss the point. How sad it was that they viewed a word from God as strictly entertainment as they went to "see the show." Then I realized those verses could have been written today. Church buildings and meetings are packed with people who express superficial devotion, then leave it behind when they walk out the building. A "big name" preacher comes from out of town and packs the biggest venues. A local preacher with the same skills, message and anointing preaching the same kind of message speaks to virtually empty halls. I presume it is because the name preacher is more entertaining. A simple question for today&ldots; is your time in the word simply entertainment or are you putting it into practice? None of us is called to be perfect, but we are called to maturity in our faith walk. Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 NIV The Christian walk is very fulfilling, but it is called a walk for a reason &ldots; only infants crawl. It’s time for many of us to take our first real step of faith. Until next time, may Holy Spirit kindle a fire in you to know Him more. Instead of a desire to be more than entertained, or simply be made to feel good on Sunday morning, may He give you a passion to experience everything He has to offer. A heart to experience the pleroma (fullness) of God in everything you do. Hallelu Yah Kevin God is more than a form of entertainment or some kind of cosmic genie who grants our wishes. He’s more than a Sunday morning obligation. He’s more than someone to turn to in an emergency. He is all knowing, all powerful and He wants to have a personal relationship with you. t. Email me and I’ll share some Bible verses that explain why a personal relationship with Jesus is so important and a prayer that will make it possible Or simply begin the relationship by saying a prayer along the lines of: Dear God: I have made many mistakes in my life and done things I am not proud of. I need your love and forgiveness. I believe that you came into this world and gave your life on a cross to pay for my sins and that you defeated death and rose again. Please forgive me, and be the Lord of my life. I give my life to you Lord. Amen Did you know that at Gleanings, we have a dedicated team of prayer warriors and all prayer concerns are kept strictly confidential? Your comments, your questions and your joys are shared with the prayer team, to keep me accountable as the head of the ministry and to encourage them as they see God at work in your life. As with prayer all these things are kept confidential within the Gleanings team. To share your prayer concerns and praise reports email us. If you enjoy this issue of Gleanings From The Word, email it, in its entirety, to a friend. For information on use of Gleanings in your church newsletter or other situations please visit the permissions page To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit http://hundred-acre-woods.com/magic-list/lists/ or email me at gleanings@gleaningsfromtheword.com
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