Since the beginning, God has shown us love and compassion. He also has demanded holiness, respect and His loving fear that is implanted in our heart. I believe today one of the things that is lacking in our Christian lives is the reverence of fear of God. I believe without the fear of God christians are on a collision course of disaster.

      The Israelites by filling God's sanctuary with idols and other abominations, the Israelites demonstrated a dangerous lack of fear of the Lord. Evidently they felt that they could get away with it. This false security is often caused by an errant view of the Almighty. Many people claim that God is love then stop there, as though that were His only attribute. They forgot that He is also holy and just, and demands punishment for sin. Until people learn to respect God's holiness, they are as vulnerable as the ancient Israelites.

     God told the Israelites to repent for their idolatry. Repentance is more than saying, I'm sorry, it's a complete change of direction in one's life. The first step to true repentance is to recognize that we are moving away from God, pursuing an activity or lifestyle that opposes what He desires. This second step is to admit this sin and repent  The third step is to turn away from the sin and go back to God. There is no true repentance without a change in behavior.

     Like most of the prophetic books, the promise of redemption follows judgment. Ezekiel predicted the restoration of the Jewish people and the rebuilding of the Temple. The glory would return in a future messianic age. (ch40-48)

     The people had sinned and had been punished. In their demoralized state, Ezekiel brought them God's message of hope. It was a time to reassess, to learn from their mistakes, and to move on. God can do the same for us. He is within us always even when we feel defeated. If we look, we will find the light in the darkness. There are many people in darkness, let this shining light of God flow from you into their darkness and give them hope. Remember the reverence of God's fear is to remind us how much he loves us. There is always a price to pay for sin, Jesus says repent quickly before the candlelight is snuffed out.

    You're never without hope, Jesus loves you. Rev. Rick