Psalm 126 is another of the songs sung by those returning to Jerusalem for the celebration of the God-ordained Feasts of Israel. I also like this one in the Message Bible:
1 It seemed like a dream, too good to be true, when GOD returned Zion's exiles. 2 We laughed, we sang, we couldn't believe our good fortune. We were the talk of the nations - "GOD was wonderful to them!" 3 GOD was wonderful to us; we are one happy people. 4 And now, GOD, do it again - bring rains to our drought-stricken lives 5 So those who planted their crops in despair will shout hurrahs at the harvest, 6 So those who went off with heavy hearts will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.
In the KJV and the Amplified Bibles verse 6 speaks of the seed. Remember the parable of the sower from Mark 4? The sower is sowing the seed of God's Word. Continue to speak the Word of God into your own life and the lives of your friends, family and relatives, and you (and they) WILL reap a very great harvest of good things, now in this life, AND rewards in the next! Glory to God!
Most of us are familiar with John 3:3:
3 Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.
We are also familiar with John 3:16:
16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
The entire Gospel wrapped up in one wonderful and gloriously simple verse! We know this well and love it completely! Not many believers, however, know, understand, or remember verse 17:
17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.
God did not send Jesus to condemn the world, but to save it! Jesus did not send US to condemn either when He said, in Mark 16:15:
15 And He said unto them, Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the Good News (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race].
The Gospel is the GOOD NEWS that God isn't holding anything against anyone! Jesus already paid the price for all sin, for all time, for every person! The only thing standing between a sinner and Heaven is the choice they make concerning what they will do with JESUS! Will they receive Him as Lord and Savior, or will they reject Him and be lost forever? When the Good News is presented in that way people will RUN to receive the free and wonderful Gift of eternal salvation through the precious blood of Jesus! Why wouldn't they? Pay attention to the way that YOU are presenting, and representing, HIM. A little adjustment may make all the difference in the world in how people receive YOUR ministry! Here is another fun song from Hillsong Kids called "God So Loved The World":
Ezekiel 19:1:
1 MOREOVER, TAKE up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
God was speaking to Ezekiel concerning the leaders of the nation now. I found this to be interesting from the Bible Exposition Commentary:
Leadership responsibility (Ezek 19)
Ezekiel had made it clear that individual Jews were responsible for their own sins, but it was also true that their leaders had led them astray because they had rebelled against God. Jeremiah had told the kings of Judah to surrender to Nebuchadnezzar because he was God's chosen servant to chasten Israel, but they had refused to obey. Zedekiah, Judah's last king, had agreed to a treaty with Nebuchadnezzar but then had broken it and sought help from Egypt. It was this foolish act that moved Nebuchadnezzar to send his army to Jerusalem and destroy the city and the temple.
Whether you read secular or sacred history, you soon discover that people become like their leaders. The same people who applauded Solomon when he built the temple also applauded Jeroboam when he set up the golden calves and instituted a new religion. One of the hardest tasks of Christian leaders today is to keep our churches true to the Word of God so that people don't follow every religious celebrity whose ideas run contrary to Scripture. It appears that being popular and being "successful" are more important today than being faithful.
At The Spoken Word Church, Pastor Bill Novak has always taught the importance of faithfulness! You can teach any faithful person the necessary skills, but you cannot teach a skilled person to be faithful! Faithfulness is a choice that must be made by every individual person. Make the personal choice today to be THE most faithful person YOUR Pastor to could ever hope to have! THAT will be very pleasing to Jesus, and a very great blessing to your Pastor! Amen!
National responsibility (Ezek 20:1-44)
Ezekiel delivered this message on August 14, 591 B.C., to some of the Jewish elders who came to his house to "inquire of the Lord." But the prophet knew that their hearts were not right with God and that they had no right to ask the Lord for instruction (vv. 30-32; see 14:1-3; 33:30-33). A willingness to submit and obey is the mark of the person who can seek God's guidance and expect to receive it. Ezekiel's response to their request was to review the history of the nation of Israel and point out the repeated rebellion of the people and the gracious long-suffering of the Lord.
Remember that those who refuse to remember history are destined to repeat it! As you read over, again, the sins and rebellion of the people of Israel, make the determined purpose in YOUR life to cease from any rebellion against God's Word. We may make mistakes and need 1 John 1:9 for forgiveness, but we should never turn away from HIM! After all, he IS the Way, the Truth, and the Life! Where else would we possibly turn? Choose LIFE in every situation and REALLY live!
Shalom in Him!
