Ezekiel 35 – 37 and The Cold Light of Day

Ezekiel 35 – 37

Ezekiel gets a message from the Lord concerning Edom, a message of destruction telling them they would be wiped out. Hethen goes on to repeat what he had said before, that Israel would be restored. The Lord would show how holy his great name is. He would gather Israel from the nations to which they had been exiled and bring them home again to the land. He would sprinkle clean water on them and they would be clean.

In this passage, we also see Ezekiel’s vision of the valley filled with bones, completely dried up bones. The Lord tells Ezekiel to speak a prophetic message to the bones, that the Lord will be putting breath into them and make them live again. The bones rattle together and become covered with muscles and flesh and skin, but still with no breath in them.

The Lord encourages Ezekiel to tell the breath to come from the four winds and breath into the dead bodies so they may live again. He also predicted the reunion of Israel and Judah. He stated that he would make a convent of peace with them, give them their land and increase numbers. He would put his Temple among them forever. He would make his home among them, He would be their God and they would be his people. Finally, the nations would know that he was the Lord, who makes Israel holy.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Ezekiel 38 – 39.

The Cold Light of Day

Today, I went to see The Cold Light of Day at AMC Theaters in Brandon. It’s a great movie. Bruce Willis is in it and Sigourney Weaver. It’s a great movie wiht plot twists you won’t believe and lots of car chases.

Until next time…

Ezekiel 32 – 34

Ezekiel 32 – 34

In yesterday’s message, Ezekiel predicted the fall of Egypt. Today, Ezekiel brings a message specifically to Pharoah, the king of Egypt, warning him of his downfall. He also brings a further, more specific message about what will happen to Egypt.

After explaing what a watchman is, the Lord makes Ezekiel a watchman for the people of Israel. Ezekiel is to listen to what the Lord says and warn the people for him. The Lord really wants the people to turn from their wicked ways so he can forgive them.

In the twelfth year of their captivity, a survivor from Jerusalem comes to Ezekiel to tell him that the city has fallen. The Lord gave Ezekiel back is voice so he was able to speak when the survivor arrived. He tells Ezekiel to prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel, to advise them of the sorrow that awaits those who feed themselves instead of their flocks. As a result, the Lord sees these shepherds/leaders as his enemies and will hold them responsible for what has happened to the flock.

The Lord will become the Shepherd. He will find his sheep and rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered. The Lord will bring them home to their own land of Israel from among the people and nations. He will separate the sheep from the goats and set over them one shepherd, his servant David, to feed them and be a shepherd to them. He will make a covenant of peace with his people and drive away the dangerous animals from the land. They will be his people and he will be their God.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Ezekiel 35 – 37.

Until next time…

Ezekiel 28 – 31 and My Dear Friend Carolyn Parks

Ezekiel 28 – 31

Ezekiel continues his prophecy against Tyre and Sidon then predicts the return of Israel: “The people of Israel will again live in their own land…For I will gather them from the distant lands where I have scattered them.”
He then goes on to predict the fall of Egypt and the conquering of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Ezekiel 32 – 34.

My Dear Friend Carolyn Parks

Just as my leather class was about to begin this afternoon, I received a call from Saundra Parks Waugh, my dear friend Carolyn’s daughter. As I suspected when I saw who was calling, she was calling to tell me that her mother had passed away.
I’ve known Carolyn and her husband Dave Parks since 1968 when Mark and I moved to Canandaigua, NY. Dave has been gone a little while and Carolyn hasn’t been the same without him.
My friend Patti Woodard and I used to tease Carolyn that we were going to kindergarten when she was entering college. We used to get together all of the time. We traveled together and used to kid my husband Mark that whenever he drove, we would always end up in a snowstorm. It was true often enough.
One time. we visited the Turtle Museum in Niagara Falls, NY, and on the way home it snowed so much they closed the NYS Thruway and made us get off. But Mark always got us home safely.
Now, Carolyn is really home safe and secure in the arms of Jesus. She no longer has to worry about falling. She no longer has to wonder who it is that’s visiting her. She is no longer lonely for her precious husband Dave.
We, on the other hand, who love her, will miss her greatly She was a joy to know – as gracious and giving and kind as anyone I have ever known.
I know I will miss her and look forward to the day when I see her again in heaven. I wonder if she and Dave will fall asleep playing Euchre in heaven. Hmm…
Rest In Peace, Carolyn.
Until next time…

Ezekiel 24 – 27 and My Motorcycle Tool Bag

Ezekiel 24 – 27

The Lord gives Ezekiel another object lesson about “what sorrow awaits Jerusalem.” We also learn that Ezekiel must have cared for his wife deeply for the Lord calls her Ezekiel’s “greatest treasure.” The Lord would not let Ezekiel show any sorrow at her death; he was to mourn in private. It appears that Ezekiel must have been struck dumb, because the Lord talks about his voice suddenly returning. Ezekiel is told to prophesy against Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, and Tyre.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Ezekiel 28 – 31.

My Motorcycle Tool Bag

Today, I finally finished my motorcycle tool bag. It turned out pretty well. By the way, the color is dark cocoa brown, not black – though how anyone could tell, I don’t know. There are straps you can’t see that fasten it to the handlebars of your motorcycle or bicycle or whatever.

This was such a fun project. Tomorrow, I have my second class on making the messenger bag. If you recall, I carved and stamped a little roadrunner on the front flap. I know we won’t finish it tomorrow, but we should get quite a bit more done.

Now that the tool bag is done, I guess it’s time to buy the motorcycle.  Ha! Don’t believe it.

Until next time.

Ezekiel 22 – 23 and Send in the Clowns

Ezekiel 22 – 23

The Lord gives Ezekiel a message regarding the sins of Jerusalem --- and they are many. He speaks of the people of Israel being worthless slag that remains after silver is smelted. He will cause them to melt like silver in fierce heat.

The Lord speaks of looking for “someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land and searching for “someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land” and sadly says, “but I found no one.” He found no one, so he poured out his fury.

In my opinion, God is once again searching for those who will stand in the gap in the wall so he won’t have to destroy this great nation. I see his hand moving people to “humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways” so that he can hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.” May God grant that this be so.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Ezekiel 24 – 27.

Send in the Clowns

A bit of nostalgia for those of us who remember the "clowns."

Frank Sinatra sings send in the clowns . . . and wait for the clowns.

Then please listen to the last bit by Orson Wells

Send In The Clowns

Until next time…

Ezekiel 20 – 21 and My Completed Top Hat

Ezekiel 20 – 21

Today’s reading covers the time when the leaders of Israel came to Ezekiel to request a message from the Lord. Amazing how specific the Scriptures are about when this happened “on August 14, during the seventh year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity. The Lord asks through Ezekiel how they dare ask him for a message and says he will tell them nothing. He has Ezekiel to review the history of the Lord’s relationship with the Jewish people, how he gave them chance after chance and, at almost every turn, they sought out idols made with human hands.

It must have been hard for Ezekiel to prophesy against Israel, to tell them the Lord was their enemy and that he was about to unsheathe his sword to destroy them – the righteous and the wicked alike.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Ezekiel 22 – 23.

My Completed Top Hat

A few weeks ago, I started a top hat in my leather class. Yesterday, I finally finished lacing the brim to the hat. I think it turned out pretty good, though I have no idea how I’m going to make use of it. If you know of anyone who wants or needs a top hat, let me know. I’ll let them have it at no charge. Since I learned some new techniques, I got my money’s worth just making it.

 

 

This afternoon, I will probably work a little on my unfinished motorcycle tool bag or I may just take a long nap..

Ezekiel 18 – 19 and Premium Rush

Ezekiel 18 – 19

Ezekiel receives a message from the Lord that basically says the child will not suffer for the sins of his father, that each will be judged according to their own actions. Considering how the Lord treated the leaders of Israel and Judah for their own sins, this should not come as a surprise to us.

The Lord also makes it clear that he does not like to see wicked people die and that if people repent and turn from their sins, he will find themselves a new heart and a new spirit.

Chapter 19 is a funeral song for the princes of Israel.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Ezekiel 20 – 21

Premium Rush

Today, Karen and I went to see Premium Ruxh starring Joseph Gordon Levitt (Tommy on Third Rock from the Sun). The movie is about bike messengers in NYC. What a great film! The chases – mostly involving a car chasing a bike – were incredible.

Messenger Bag

Yesterday, I carved and stamped an image on the cover of the messenger bag I’m making in my most recent leather class. It turned out pretty well. This is a picture of what it looked like before I colored it.

Here it is after I colored it. The color is called chocolate cherry.

I may give it another coat before I go back to my class.

Until next time…