Happy Easter from Ezekiel

As I read Ezekiel's message to Israel, I couldn't help but think how that much of what was written thousands of years ago, would apply to the church world today.  Chapters 33 and 34 of the book of Ezekiel encompass so much of what God's plan is all about.  Israel was in captivity; because they rejected God.  Ezekiel spoke to them by revelation; and many of his words can be heard today if we listen.  It's not all about judgement.  In fact God reaches out to any and all that will listen.

Ezekiel 33:2-4

Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:


If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;


Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.


People are warned; and if they do not choose to heed the warning their blood is upon their own head.  This is what is happening in the ntcc.  People are being warned to leave the ntcc.  The trumpet can be heard throughout the land.  Some people will listen; and others will not.  Those that don't listen cannot be helped.

Ezekiel 33:5-6

He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.


But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take [any] person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.


There are people in the NTCC that are listening to the warnings;  and they are leaving in numbers.  This is great.  We are happy for folks that get out and find freedom from the aggressors.  We have heard from many folks that say, "Why don't you just let God deal with the ntcc?"  We've all heard it many times: "The X-ers are just bitter!"  I'm not making any sensational claims that God has called me to be a watchman and to warn the ntcc; but this task falls on anyone that does not wish to see people they love forced into bondage.  Anyone with common decency would desire to warn their fellow human being of any situation that would be harmful to them.  There are people in the ntcc that I consider to be Brothers and Sisters.  I love them as I would my own family.  We have taken it upon ourselves to warn others; because we know that what we went through in the ntcc was not of God.  It's the decent thing to do.

Ezekiel 33:11

Say unto them, [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?


The ntcc gives a person little or no hope.  When they tell folks that they are the last move of God on earth and they fill their minds with hypocritical rules and their hearts with false hope, they create boundaries and limitations that prevent Christians from being what God intended them to be.  God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked!!! But sometimes, I think, the ntcc does!  When someone like Kekel tells a man to "go ahead" and kill himself, you have to wonder!  When a heartless preacher says to his wife, "If you don't like it here, pack your bags and leave." to embarrass her in front of a congregation of "God's people" you have to ask yourself:  "Does this person take pleasure in being cruel?"

Ezekiel 33:18-19

When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.


But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.


It's really that simple; but the ntcc complicates things so much.  According to the ntcc, if you leave the ntcc, you are leaving God;  and if you do not obey the ntcc pastor, you are disobeying God.  The scripture in this chapter gives people a lot more hope than the ntcc does.  If you turn to righteousness your sins will no longer be remembered.  It doesn't matter what you spent your whole life doing.  It's simple; and it applies to everyone.

I've heard more than one ntcc minister say:  "How can you burn the candle of life all the way down and then blow the smoke in God's face?"  Where do they get this? Where in the bible do you find God rejecting anyone that comes to Him?  They not only preach against deathbed repentance, but they also would have you to believe if you leave their ranks you are without hope.  There is hope for everyone.

Ezekiel Chapter 34 talks about the Shepherds of Israel.  They were the Pastors of the flock of Israel.  They were responsible for the well being of the people just as a Shepherd is responsible for the well being of the sheep.  Israel was misled by its Shepherds; and their leadership was corrupt.  Sound familiar?

Ezekiel 34:2-6

Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe [be] to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?


Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: [but] ye feed not the flock.


The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up [that which was] broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.


And they were scattered, because [there is] no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.


My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek [after them].


The ntcc leadership at the highest levels is guilty of the same thing.  They eat the fat, and clothe themselves with the wool.  They kill those that are already fed, but they feed not the flock.  They don't concern themselves with the diseased, the sick, the broken or the poor.  In fact, they tell you not to even waste your time with the poor; because "You can't build a church with the poor!"  :-(

The ntcc rules with force and cruelty.  They run people off and they say, "Leave them alone".  Let them die and go to hell.  They don't bring back those that are driven away; and they don't seek the lost.  They only seek that which makes the Shepherd Hirelings  fat and happy.  The sheep have become scattered and are meat for the beasts of the field.


There are so many people that were neglected by the ntcc leadership.  They are scattered across all the hills and mountains. Do you think anyone in the ntcc cares about them anymore?  Many of us were scattered throughout the earth; and none came looking for us.  God is all about restoration!  A Pastor comes from the same Hebrew word that Shepherd comes from.  The ntcc leadership creates horrible so-called Pastors.  They don't care about the sheep; they care about themselves and what they get out of the deal.  When you leave, you are gone for good.  You made a choice according to them.  But we see that it was not the people but the Shepherds that scattered the people.  God wants them all back.

Ezekiel 34:7-10

Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;


[As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because [there was] no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;


Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;


Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I [am] against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.


There was no shepherd; because they fed themselves and not the flock; and not only that, they fed on the flock; and God said that He would deliver them from their mouth; that they be not meat for them.  God is against you, ntcc hirelings!  Because you are guilty of all the things that God spake of concerning the shepherds of Israel.  Don't get mad at us, get mad at Ezekiel, or get mad at God who inspired Ezekiel to write these words.  God is going to require His flock at your hands!  Because you have corrupted that which is pure and scattered God's people across the earth!  You have not sought them, nor tried to help them, but counted them as enemies.  You left many of them in helpless and hopeless situations to become meat for the beasts of the field.

Ezekiel 34:11-16

 I will seek My Sheep.

For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, [even] I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.


As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep [that are] scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.


And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.


I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and [in] a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.


I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.


I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up [that which was] broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.


Great news for those who were scattered.  I believe this with all my heart; that God loves X-ers and does not wish for any of us to perish.  I know that God cared enough for me to find me in my lost and broken condition.  I was diseased, broken, lost, hurt, offended and suffering in anguish, thinking that there was no hope for me, ever.  Ezekiel speaks to us all, not just to Israel.  This is how God is; and this is what God does.  It's wonderful; and I'm not going to shut up about it.

HE's Alive - Easter Video by Don Francisco


God is all about restoration!

A good Shepherd will leave the 99 and seek out that one lost sheep that has gone astray!  God is not like the hirelings that feed off the fat of the land and trample under foot the good.  They have corrupted that which is left.  They have drank of the deep waters and fouled them for everyone else.  They have eaten of the good of the land and trampled everything down for everyone else.

There is hope for the hopeless; and Ezekiel speaks of it.  Happy Easter!!!!!  The river is deep and wide; and the land flourishes because of what we celebrate on this day.  Jesus is alive!  And He is alive for all of us.  We don't have to settle for the ntcc scraps that are left for us under the table.  There is rest for the weary.  Don't let others get rich off of your labors while they beat you down and leave you with nothing.  That's not love; and that's not what God is all about.

In spite of everything they tell you, there are good and decent people out there that care about others.  They might be few and far in between, but I don't think so.  I know there are churches with pastors that care about people and put the welfare of those people above that of their own.  If they are not servants of all steer clear of them.  If they want you to wait on them, shine their shoes, clean their recreational vehicles and pay their salaries while they live high on the hog, they are hirelings; and they do not care for the sheep or you.

God will make a way; and when He comes to find you, no matter where you are, what you have done, or what state you are in, allow Him to heal your broken soul.