Ezekiel

So, has been quite a while since my last Scripture summary post.
Here are some highlights from the book of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel lived during the time of Daniel and lived through the exile.  A majority of his writings deal with the subject of prophecy. Several passages are strikingly similar to the book of Revelation.
The first few chapters deal with Ezekiel's vision and call from God to speak to the people of Israel who had rejected the Lord.
Much is said about the new covenant inaugurated at Christ's death and resurrection. About how God will give us a heart to follow Him and give us a spirit that we through Christ may be counted righteous. There are many references to God remembering His covenant with His people who have the new heart. This is an amazing prophecy of the church and the new covenant that both Christ and Paul speak about.
The prophesies about various countries such as Tyre and Egypt have been amazingly perfectly fulfilled.
Chapter 34 tell the parable against the shepherds of God's chosen people. The leaders had been strengthening themselves at the expense of the poor and the weak. They had not sought after the sheep but rather had driven away the weak and vulnerable of the congregation. God says in verse 16 that He will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, strengthen the sick.
In this passage, along with many other passages of Scripture, it is obvious that the Lords heart is for the weak, the sick, the disabled, the poor, He desires that they will be welcomed and invited into God's house and family.
The outpouring of the Spirit referred to in Ezekiel has been wondrously fulfilled in the early church at Pentecost! Our God is so amazing! !
The ending of Ezekiel speaks of a city that is called the Lord is There. We the Church are the Temple of God, God is in us and He is always there.

Joni and Friends Internship

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for your prayers, encouragement and support these past three years as I have volunteered at Joni and Friends Minnesota Family Retreat.

This year I will have the blessing of interning for 2 months at the Minnesota JAF office. This past year the Lord has opened up many opportunities for me to serve families affected by disability. During this internship I hope to gain experience in running a local Joni and Friends office and the planning of a family retreat. I am praying the Lord would open doors an Iowa JAF family retreat and local office to serve families affected by disabilities in our state and to share the love of Christ with them.

These past few years, I learned so much about the struggles and challenges families face in meeting the needs of their children with disabilities. It is extremely rewarding to be able to encourage children with disabilities to learn to rejoice in the way God made them. It is amazing to see how God works in the lives of each family as they experience the love of Christ through ministries like Joni and Friends. It is an honor to demonstrate to whole families that they are loved by God and that God cares for them and that He is their Sustainer, Encourager, Comforter and Provider.

I will be serving at the JAF MN office during May and June. I will be staying with a host family in Minneapolis for a majority of the internship. Then I will return to MN August 12-17th to serve at family retreat for my 4th year. The Lord has provided and answered so many prayers regarding the internship and this year’s camp! God is so faithful!

Please remember to pray that the Lord would continue to work mightily and through this ministry to further His Kingdom. Pray that there would be many changed hearts drawn nearer to Christ. And pray that families would be able to see the light of Christ as we endeavor to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a world in need. Please let me know if you would like to be included on an email prayer list. If you or someone you know would also like to volunteer for the week of Aug 12-17 for the family retreat, please contact me and I would love to tell you more about this life changing experience.  

Thanks for your prayers. Blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Love in Christ,

Marie

At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was Your good pleasure.” 

(Matthew 11:25-26)

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 

(Matthew 19:14)

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Boxes

Do we put our life into "boxes"? And if we do, should we? What are these "boxes" anyway?
Boxes are simply a way to organize and separate various items (physical or otherwise) so that they are not mixed together. Sometimes this is good, but other times maybe not so good.

Should we separate our life so that we have our family in one "box", our school in another, our church in another, and our work in yet another "box"? With the result of our life broken down into this series of boxes that we have separated and sometimes have different standards for, or should our life be placed into just one box?

If our purpose in life is "glorify God and enjoy Him forever; making His name known and getting to know Him", should there be only one "box", one standard, one Biblical worldview, one lifestyle with Christ at the center?
But what would this look like? How is this practiced? One way is to focus on Christ and to learn to speak with Him at all times, ask Him for His will in everyday situations. Let praise for Christ always be on your tongue, do not be afraid to speak about the Lord because it is not "church box".

In school, focus on seeing God's hand through history, His design in nature, His order in math, beauty in art, etc... At church, see how God's word applies to everyday situations, current events, principles for daily life. At all times speak of the faithfulness of God, praise His Holy Name, do not be ashamed to be associated with Christ.

It is easy to let our life slip into comfortable "boxes". But may our life, our standards, our Biblical worldview, our character, our lifestyle be singular with Christ at the center, with Christ as our all!