Ezra 9:15 (KJV) We Cannot Stand Before God

Ezra 9:15 (KJV)

O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.

This is perhaps one of the best descriptions of the predicament of mankind I think we can find in the Bible. These are people who have been judged, sent into captivity, and been graciously, divinely released. They were provided for, protected, and repopulated in the Promised Land.

Despite all the grace of God and the fresh experience of the justice of God, the preacher discovers the people of God to be once again guilty of trespass against God.

God would be just and righteous to judge them yet again.

This is the case with every one of us. The wisest of us will confess it is so. We cannot stand before God.

Ezra 10:2 (KJV)
And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.

Yet now there is hope.

Thank God for Jesus Christ. We do not stand before God today, because we cannot stand before God today, in our own strength. We stand in the grace, power, and strength of Jesus Christ. He is righteous, and He purchased us.

There is hope because there is Jesus.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Ezra 9:15 (KJV) We Cannot Stand Before God

Ezra 7:27 (KJV) Such A Thing As This

Ezra 7:27 (KJV)

Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem:

Blessed be God that He does such things as He does. I see three evidences of the blessings of God here.

He prepared a man to minister through the Word of God
Ezra was prepared of the Lord to prepare himself to serve the Lord. I am thankful God calls and equips men for His service.

He prepared an opportunity for the ministry to be accomplished
God led the king to allow Ezra to accomplish the ministry God had called him to. All that a man of God is able to do, the opportunities opened to him, are of the Lord. Many times, the challenges seem enormous. Still, it is God who makes the way to overcome them.

He prepared others to unite and “go up with” him.
No man of God accomplishes a thing on his own. There are always others. There must always be others. The Bible says Ezra ”gathered together” these men. We know he could never have done that without the blessing of the Lord.

It is always God who puts such things as this in the hearts of men.

Blessed be the Lord God

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Ezra 7:27 (KJV) Such A Thing As This

Ezra 3:12 (KJV) A Matter of Attitude

Ezra 3:12 (KJV)

But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:

The most profound understanding I’ve had concerning this passage comes from a sermon I heard Jack Hyles preach, probably thirty years ago. He related how, after the Jews returned to the Promised Land, and built a new temple, the young men rejoiced, but the old men wept.

The young men rejoiced, he said, because they had been restored to their Promise from God and had a Temple once again in which to worship God.

The old men wept, he said, because they saw this temple was no match for the last one. The young men had never seen the glory of the original Solomon’s temple. The older men, though they must have been quite young, had seen it.

Hyles went on to say something to the effect of, “You’ll have to excuse us, young men, if we older men aren’t as thrilled with your newfound liberty, your newfound relaxed standards,” and etc. I do not want to diminish the application Dr. Hyles made. I did and still do appreciate it. Growing older myself, I have serious concerns about some of the things younger men call worship today.

I note that many of the old men shouted for joy. Another application would simply be that whether one weeps or rejoices can be a matter of attitude. It’s not wrong to grieve over what is lost, but living in that state isn’t healthy. Regardless of how things are different, there is reason to remain thankful to God for His blessing.

It’s better to rejoice in what God is doing than to cry over what He did for someone else.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Ezra 3:12 (KJV) A Matter of Attitude

Ezra 1:4 But (KJV) What of Those?

Ezra 1:4 (KJV)

And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.

The Lord, through Cyrus, had opened the door for Judah to rebuild what had been lost in the Promised Land. Let us always remember that it is of the Lord. God uses men, but it is the work of God.

Cyrus made the call, “Who is there among you?” It was not his or God’s mind that all would return to Judah. God always operates through a willing heart, never by constraint.

And so, some were burdened by God to go. We will discover that others were burdened later to do the same. Never fear that there are fewer than you had wished who go out to serve the Lord. He will burden more in His good time.

But what of those who remain? Are they to forget about the things of God? No, in no wise. Those who remain are to help those who go with silver, gold, goods, beasts, and a free-will offering.

The fact is those who go would have a difficult time of it if God didn’t leave some to remain and help.

• Both are necessary  
• Both are of the Lord
• Praise God for both

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

"The Vital Role of Those Who Stay Behind: Exploring Ezra 1:4"

Ezra 1:4 But (KJV) What of Those?

Ezra 8:23 (KJV) A Reason to Pray

 

Ezra 8:23 (KJV)

So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.

I am reminded right now of some of those things I read about Watchman Nee. It’s been years, and details escape my memory. I think I recall him recounting incidents where he, or those he had taught, made bold claims concerning God and then found themselves compelled to pray that God would back up those claims. If a person plans to do this, it would be wise to know the Word of God very well. God has no obligation to answer claims not supported in Scripture. 

I can hear someone saying it would be better to make none of those claims. It is not a bold claim that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”? These kinds of claims, therefore, are part and parcel to evangelism.

Consider the situation in which Ezra[1] has these people. 

• They were about to make a perilous journey 
• He had claimed God would care for them
• He, therefore, was ashamed to ask for a security force

I see these people compelled to fast and pray. 

Perhaps we would see our prayer life more potent if we found ourselves in such desperate circumstances and without any means of help in this world. 

---

[1] I can hear someone complaining that the preacher had no right to put them in such a place where they had to have answers to prayer.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5400 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Ezra 8:23 (KJV) A Reason to Pray

Ezra 6:7 (KJV) Think Again

Ezra 6:7 (KJV)

Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place.

I would suggest to those in civil authority that they pay heed to this passage. Darius lived thousands of years ago, but the God of heaven saw fit to preserve his words. Indeed, it is because civil government and the house of God are separate institutions. The Bible makes it clear that the higher of the two is the house of God. Therefore, when civil authorities interfere with the house of God, it will be to the harm and loss of those authorities.

Consider:

The greatest governments in history have vanished into extinction – ruined by immorality, graft, and lack of patriotism. The house of God, on the other hand, continues true to the faith once delivered. One might think this is not true because the house of God has changed from the Old Testament temple of New Testament churches.

Think again.
First, while God has set Israel aside, His work for them is only suspended, not discontinued. 

Second, the plan of God is being carried forward as it was in the Old Testament system, by the New Testament system. His work continues without so much as a hiccup.

Let the work of this house of God alone.
The United States Constitution declares as much. The founders of our nation understood this principle. Our country has hope for the future so long as its servants apply this principle. Our country is on shaky ground when her representatives presume to have some sort of authority over the house of God.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5400 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Ezra 6:7 (KJV) Think Again

Ezra 4:15 (KJV) Honest Reporting

Ezra 4:15 (KJV)

That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed.

Later another search would be done, and they would find Cyrus’ decree to allow the Jews to rebuild the Temple and reestablish their home in Jerusalem. 

That’s the thing about searches; one can find whatever he wishes to find if he wishes to find it. Historians do it all the time. The shame today is; while historians are every bit as prone to only seeing the information they want to find and ignore everything else, nowadays, they pretend to be more honest about it. It’s like they think past historical records were so biased one way that it behooves them to write a history that discounts what was written. If historians were too positive about George Washington, for instance, modern historians see themselves as justified to find all the “dirt” on him they can and just report that. Thus, in the name of historical accuracy, they skew history away from the slant once reported. 

Media reporters do it continuously. No longer do they try to report the news. Today they want to write a story. They wish to control the conversation by documenting events in such a way that only their side gets represented. 

Let a search be made. While you’re at it, find all the facts. Discover what you did not know and not just wanted you hoped you would find. 

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5400 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Ezra 4:15 (KJV) Honest Reporting

Ezra 1:3 (KJV) He Is Able

Ezra 1:3 (KJV)

Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.

History gives us no reason to believe that Cyrus was a convert to the living God of Israel. There had been witness enough that he was without excuse, but what we know about this man tells us, I think, a different story. Cyrus was tolerant of religion in general. He was not a believer in the God of Israel, but he was not an enemy of those who were believers. 

That he might not have become a believer in no way ought to discourage the Christian. There is no promise in the Bible that world leaders or people of great importance will come to believe in and have a genuine and abiding faith in the God we know to be our Saviour. We have seen several leaders lately who appeared to be Christians, but their actions demonstrate more of a friendliness with the faith and not a commitment to it. 

Rather I believe this is encouraging. Truly the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord. He is able to turn whithersoever He will, not only those who are lovers of God but the rest of them as well. 

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5400 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Ezra 1:3 (KJV) He Is Able