What Endures?
Ecclesiastes 3:14 says “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.”
To have a legacy, then do things according to the Word of God. The things we do and the prayers we pray according to His will continue on…they will last into eternity for the Word of God never returns void.
According to Isaiah 55:6 and following:
6. “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”
Returning to the Lord means to “turn around.” This is the meaning of the word “repent.” He will abundantly pardon when we return to him. He is waiting for our repentance so that he can excercise his loving kindness and tender mercies. The reason is because God doesn’t think like we think…
8. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:”
God’s divine design has a purpose…to abundantly bless…
11. “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
12. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”
In Ezekiel 22:17 the prophet says by revelation: “And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 18. Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross (dregs or slag:) all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver.
19. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem.
20. As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you.
21. Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof.
22. As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out my fury upon you.”
God is a God of righteous judgement. The fire is for purifying. According to 1 Corinthians 3:12-14, the fire will reveal that which is of lasting value.. The fear, respect, and reverence of the Lord built upon the firm foundation of Jesus Christ shall be preserved into eternity.
Ezekiel 22:23-26: “And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 24. Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation.
What is the root of the problem? The answer starts in verse 25 and continues in the following verses:
25. There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.”
“26. Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.”
When God’s priests stop making a difference between the holy and the unholy, then God’s righteous judgement shall follow. God is faithful to his word. The choice for God’s people and for His priests is to “separate” themselves from the unholy things of this world. “Sanctification” or Holiness, means to separate according to the purpose for which the Creator intended. Holiness starts with the prophets who speak to the people on behalf of God, and the priests who speak to God on behalf of the people.
27. “Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.
28. And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter (white wash,) seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.”
The priests, the princes, the prophets and the people’s forsaking the Lord is the root of the problem…the prophets and the priests are responsible for keeping the house of the Lord holy.
29. “The people of the land have used oppression and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.
30. And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.”
Where is the church today? God was looking for a man to “stand in the gap” and to keep Israel from the righteous judgement of God. The question is “shall God judge Christians today with the unrighteousness and wicked of this world? The Lord said to Abraham, if I find ten righteous in the midst of the city, I will save the city. Otherwise, I will snatch the righteous from Sodom and Gomorrah and then destroy the wicked city.
John 3:14 says “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be”“lifted up:
15. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life..
16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Even though God is a righteous judge, he made a way for mercy and grace to triumph over judgement:
17. “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
What endures? We have been given God’s gracious gift of eternal life when we were saved by his grace. Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away but my Word will not pass away.
May God richly bless you,
Your brother in Christ,
Michael