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What do I see?

Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not, for they are a rebellious house. Ezekiel 12:2 (ESV)   Why do I ignore what is obvious? If I hear something that should apply to me, I do not always apply it. I can easily apply truth to other people's lives, but for some reason, I do not need to apply it to my own. I seem to have ears that do not hear and eyes that do not see.   It would be weird if my eyes saw what others saw, yet never saw what I needed to see. It would be equally weird to hear what others hear, but never hear what is said to me. Christians seem "gifted" at hearing and seeing for others, yet they are challenged by a hearing-and-seeing deficiency.   As a schoolteacher, I was given the privilege of teaching hearing-impaired students. My teaching ability was not as significant as my deep voice, as some of the children could hear my tones clearly. Perhaps we need to pay attention...
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The entitled bring disaster on their own heads.

But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord God. Ezekiel 11:21 (ESV)   When disaster strikes, is it due to God punishing us or the logical conclusion of our Godless lives? When I beat my head on a rock, do I experience pain because God is capable of stopping me and does not, or because He allows the natural byproduct of my decisions to be manifest?   Whose problem is it if I exclude God from my life and He remains distant from me? Does God punish me, or do I punish myself by excluding Him? Does it matter?   An entitled generation accepts no responsibility for the consequences that are tied to their own decisions or behavior. The entitled expect food, comfort, purpose, pleasure, power, and affirmation, regardless of personal decisions and/or effort.   The entitled value false affirmation over no affirmation, and they are easily offended by anyone who challenges...
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This fight, if understood, does not lead to despair.

You shall fall by the sword. I will judge you at the border of Israel, and you shall know that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 11:10 (ESV)   Life is not complicated. God designed us to love Him, enjoy Him, and allow Him to be seen in us. When we refuse to do that, we live meaningless lives.   Those who have refused to enjoy God will need to endure a plethora of struggles. They will struggle for purpose in life and death. They will be plagued by depression, anxiety, self-harm, and political posturing. They will endure life rather than enjoy an abundant life. These struggles should point out that we have ignored God.   The Evil One does not ignore those who do not ignore God. There is nothing more dangerous to Satan than loving God and enjoying Him. Therefore, those who live in harmony with God will be constantly assaulted by him.   This fight, if understood, does not lead to despair, but energizes the purposeful life. This fight is not ours to fight; it is ours to enjoy becaus...
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God is merciful. I have choices.

Therefore I will act in wrath. My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. And though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them. Ezekiel 8:18 (ESV)   Many tragedies occur in life. Some of them are unavoidable; others are the result of poor choices. The greatest tragedy in life is the absence of God, and our personal choices cause this.   God is merciful and gracious, and slow to anger, but that does not mean He does not get angry. There seems to be a point throughout Scripture where God says "enough" and allows those who have ignored Him all their lives to live in the consequence of this ignorance.   When we tell people that God will always hear their prayers, we are saying something that we have no right to say. God is sovereign, merciful, and graceful, and gives man real choices, and these choices have real consequences.   Sometimes the consequences of our choices end in tragedy. If there were no consequences, choice would be a farce, and love wo...
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Money

They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity. Ezekiel 7:19 (ESV)   One day, the money and other resources we live for today will be worthless to us. I have visited nursing homes and seen those whose money sat comfortably in the bank, while they sat uncomfortably in the nursing home. All the money in the world would not buy their cure.   Certainly, money can buy temporary comfort, but it cannot provide people with hope for the future. If we put our hope in our money, we are to be most pitied, for our resources are always limited, whereas our God is limitless. https://www.podbean.com/relate365
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Knowing God is the most important aspect of life and death.

Now the end is upon you, and I will send my anger upon you; I will judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations. And my eye will not spare you, nor will I have pity, but I will punish you for your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 7:3-4 (ESV)   I have not counted how many times in Ezekiel we are told "then you will know that I am the Lord God" or something similar. The key to a purposeful life and death is knowing God. Without Him, life is worthless, and death is hopeless.   If I am disappointed with God, I do not know Him. If I am angry with God, I do not know Him. If I am disobedient to God, I do not know Him. If I am hopeless, I do not know God. If I am anxious, I do not know God.   Knowing God is the most important aspect of life and death. Therefore, it is the one thing Satan will attempt to hinder the most. For now, the choice is mine. https://www.podbean.com/relate365...
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Over and over again…

"Yet I will leave some of you alive. When you have among the nations some who escape the sword, and when you are scattered through the countries, then those of you who escape will remember me among the nations where they are carried captive, how I have been broken over their whoring heart that has departed from me and over their eyes that go whoring after their idols. And they will be loathsome in their own sight for the evils that they have committed, for all their abominations. And they shall know that I am the Lord. I have not said in vain that I would do this evil to them." Ezekiel 6:8-10 (ESV)   Over and over again, the prophet is told that those who refuse to acknowledge God will one day know they are wrong. Knowing I am wrong is the wisest thing I can know, if I am indeed wrong. Having a process in place that allows me to evaluate what I believe is critical, because I do not believe wrong on purpose.   All belief systems must start and end with God, or they are false. ...
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