Powerful Words from the Prophets“Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon. That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision.” – Daniel 2:17-19 (NLT)“Don’t Panic. Pray!” When his c...

Powerful Words from the ProphetsThe astrologers replied to the king, “No one on earth can tell the king his dream! And no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer! The king’s demand is impossible. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live here among people.” – Daniel 2:10-11 (NLT)“Your Crisis Is God’s Door” I...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others. God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“And this is the basic law of the Temple: absolute holiness! The entire top of the mountain where the Temple is built is holy. Yes, this is the basic law of the Temple.” – Ezekiel 43:12 (NLT)“Walking, Talking Mountains of God” The Temple represented the place where God dwelt. That’s why it was to be a very special place, unique and ornate. God also said that it was ...

Powerful Words from the ProphetsThen he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore, prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know t...

Powerful Words from the ProphetsThen he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know th...

Powerful Words from the ProphetsThe hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.” – Ezekiel 37:1-3 ...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search and find my sheep. I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day.” – Ezekiel 34:11-12 (NLT)“The Shepherd We’re All Looking For” I was recently talking with someone who had been a p...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign LORD. Turn back and live!” – Ezekiel 18:32 (NLT)“In Celebration of Rules” Many people think the Bible is just a book of rules. They miss the point that the Bible is actually God’s love letter to the human race. God created us. We ran from Him. In His love, He pursued us, purchased us, and offered us an opportunity to be i...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“As they watch, lift your pack to your shoulders and walk away into the night. Cover your face so you cannot see the land you are leaving. For I have made you a sign for the people of Israel.” So I did as I was told. – Ezekiel 12:6-7 (NLT)“I did as I was told.” God asked Ezekiel to do some really strange things. Have you noticed that? God used him as a living sign t...

Powerful Words from the ProphetsAgain a message came to me from the LORD: “Son of man, you live among rebels who have eyes but refuse to see. They have ears but refuse to hear. For they are a rebellious people.” – Ezekiel 12:1-2 (NLT)“Selective Senses” Okay, this is one of those passages where I felt as if God was calling me out. I tend to have selective senses. I hear what I want to hear, and I s...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“Then the cherubim lifted their wings and rose into the air with their wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them. Then the glory of the LORD went up from the city and stopped above the mountain to the east.” – Ezekiel 11:22-23 (NLT)“Clinging to the Lord’s Glory” This vision of Ezekiel in our passage today has to be one of the saddest ...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart.” – Ezekiel 11:19 (NLT)“God Is There, But Is He NEAR?” Not long ago, I received an anonymous prayer request from someone. They told me that they had become “disconnected” from God and that they desired to b...

Powerful Words from the ProphetsThen he added, “Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself.” – Ezekiel 3:10 (NLT)“The Hardest Person to Lead” In our staff meeting yesterday, I asked the team to do some self-assessment and share what they believed to be their greatest leadership asset or quality and their greatest leadership challenge or ...

Powerful Words from the ProphetsThen he said, “Son of man, go to the people of Israel and give them my messages. I am not sending you to a foreign people whose language you cannot understand. No, I am not sending you to people with strange and difficult speech. If I did, they would listen! But the people of Israel won’t listen to you any more than they listen to me! For the whole lot of them are h...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“Son of man, do not fear them or their words. Don’t be afraid even though their threats surround you like nettles and briers and stinging scorpions. Do not be dismayed by their dark scowls, even though they are rebels. You must give them my messages whether they listen or not.” – Ezekiel 2:6-7 (NLT)“The Fear Bandit” As God calls Ezekiel to do His work, He warns him ...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“Son of man,” he said, “I am sending you to the nation of Israel, a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me. They and their ancestors have been rebelling against me to this very day. They are a stubborn and hard-hearted people. But I am sending you to say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says!’ And whether they listen or refuse to listen—for remember...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“Stand up, son of man,” said the voice. “I want to speak with you.” The Spirit came into me as he spoke, and he set me on my feet. I listened carefully to his words. – Ezekiel 2:1-2 (NLT)“Fill Us, O Spirit of God!” Yesterday, we talked about how we need the strength of God to do the work of God. But how do we receive that strength? Our passage today answers that que...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“On July 31 of my thirtieth year, while I was with the Judean exiles beside the Kebar River in Babylon, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. This happened during the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity. (The LORD gave this message to Ezekiel son of Buzi, a priest, beside the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians, and he felt the hand of the L...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“Our ancestors sinned, but they have died—and we are suffering the punishment they deserved!” – Lamentations 5:7 (NLT)“Do It for Your Kids” Several years ago, I visited a man in the hospital. He was the father of a man who was a friend of mine who had started attending our church. When I told my friend that I was going to stop by and see him, he was both happy and c...