Today’s Reading: Ezek 9:1–11:25, Rev 3:1–13, Job 33:8–18

Today’s Theme: Marked by God

There is no clear theme today, so we take one of the points as our title. Towards the end of our reading, we hear the promise of being marked by God as His own possession, if we persevere till the end. So be encouraged to press forward in your walk with the Lord.

Ezekiel 9:1–11:25

Does sin grieve you?

And the Lord said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.”(Ezekiel 9:4, ESV)

God notes if we are grieved by sin and those who rise against Him.

Reaping what you sow involves God’s personal activity

As for me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; I will bring their deeds upon their heads.”(Ezekiel 9:10, ESV)

Reaping what we sow is not just karma, God is personally involved with meeting out punishment and reward.

Pray strategically

And he said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and who give wicked counsel in this city;(Ezekiel 11:2, ESV)

The Lord showed Ezekiel the problems in leadership of the nation. Lord, help us to pray strategically concerning the leadership of our nation.

Cry out to God

And it came to pass, while I was prophesying, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then I fell down on my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, “Ah, Lord God! Will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel?”(Ezekiel 11:13, ESV)

Ezekiel was not happy about God’s judgement, he was heartbroken for his people.

The gathering

Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’(Ezekiel 11:17, ESV)

This happened after Babylon and is happening again today.

A heart of flesh

And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,(Ezekiel 11:19, ESV)

This is not just a promise for the future redemption of Israel, but one we can apply to our own lives in Christ today. Lord, keep me from having a hard heart.

Revelation 3:1–13

Don’t believe the hype

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.(Revelation 3:1, ESV)

Lord, keep us from the deception of believing our own hype or what others say about us, and keep us from being caught up in the reputation of our church, denomination or ministry. We should not live off past glory but should live for You every day.

Complete the work

Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.(Revelation 3:2, ESV)

Lord, please help us to always finish what we start and to complete the work.

Turn to the bible’s truth

Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.(Revelation 3:3, ESV)

The remedy is to turn to the truth and promises of the Bible, and to repent of heartless, religious observance.

3 amazing promises

The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.(Revelation 3:5, ESV)

Three amazing promises to encourage us to endure and overcome; we will walk in white robes of total righteousness, we will have complete security in eternal life and we will have Jesus speaking up for us before God and the angels.

Total control

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.(Revelation 3:7, ESV)

Jesus has total sovereign control.

A healthy, mission focused church

“ ‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.(Revelation 3:8, ESV)

Many see this as an open door to mission work.

Right teaching in keeping the word and right living in not denying the Name, characterise this church which is the healthiest of the 7.

God’s special love

Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.(Revelation 3:9, ESV)

God has a special love for His faithful people.

Called to persevere

Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.(Revelation 3:10, ESV)

The perseverance of the saints is not some mystical thing, it is a command from the Lord to patiently endure till the end.

Marked by God

The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.(Revelation 3:12, ESV)

A great promise pointing towards stability and an important position in God’s house.

Jesus will write God’s name on us. Just as a child writes his name to make clear his ownership, care and protection over his toys (like when Andy writes his name on Woody and Buzz Lightyear in the animated film Toy Story), so God will mark us as belonging to Him personally, throughout eternity.

Job 33:8–18

The greatness of God

“Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you, for God is greater than man.(Job 33:12, ESV)

This young man understands the greatness of God.

God is always speaking

For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it.(Job 33:14, ESV)

God is always speaking in many ways although we are not always listening.

God speaks even when we sleep

then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings,(Job 33:16, ESV)

God speaks to us in dreams when we are asleep.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition Revelation 3