As Christians, and believers in Christ, we have never lived in a day like we are living in today. There is so much, compromise and sin, not only in the lives of those outside the church, but in the church as well. We cannot continue as we are, and not expect the judgement of God upon us.
And what is so bad, today, is so called “Christians” judging other, Christians, ministers, and preachers, for speaking the truth against the sins of the people, wether it be personal, corporate, national, church or government.
What’s more, if you don’t like what I say, you don’t have to stop, and set on the porch, and criticize me for my post. You in essence are doing the same thing you criticize me for doing.
For some odd reason, there are those who believe that preachers are not suppose to say anything, about anyone, who is doing something contrary to what Scripture says. And then, someone will say we are suppose to “pray” for people.
How do you know that I haven’t been praying; maybe, just maybe, in my daily praying, do you not think that the Holy Spirit may have given me an insight to a truth He wants someone else to know, irregardless of what you might think.
By now, you might be thinking that someone ruffled my “feathers” the wrong way today. (smiling) Yes, I have had several messages in my in-box, and I just wanted to set the record straight, if there were any doubt, about the call that God has placed upon my life as a minister of the Gospel.
And if anyone reading doesn’t agree, you don’t have to read my post. I am not trying to be critical of those who don’t agree, either. I am taking a stand for what I believe in. What, may I ask, are you doing?
I have grown up under great preachers, like Adrian Rogers, Billy Graham, Charles Stanley, W. A. Criswell, Warren Wiersbe, John R. Rice, Oliver Green, John Rawlings, Charles Stevens, B.R. Lakin, Hyman Appleman, Lee Roberson, R. G. Lee, George W. Truett, William Sangster, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Peter Marshall, E. Stanley Jones, Donald Grey Barnhouse, Lester Roloff, Billy Sunday, Harold Sightler, David Brainerd, William Carey, M. R. DeHaan, Mel Trotter, J. Vernon McGee, Jr Hill, Vance Havner, and last but not least, my father, Donald A. Lowe.
I thank my God, that all of these men, and others that are too numerous to mention, have helped shape my theological thinking and background. Can they all be “wrong.”
When I think of being a “watchman, I recall the book of Ezekiel. For the first-time reader of the Bible, the book of Ezekiel is mostly a perplexing maze of incoherent visions, a kaleidoscope of whirling wheels (chapter 1) and dry bones (chapter 37) that defy interpretation. This impression often causes readers to shy away from studying the book and miss one of the great literary and spiritual portions of the Old Testament. The book is named after the author, Ezekiel, whose name means “strengthened by God.” As one reads and studies this amazing book, you begin to draw strength as Ezekiel did from the One who is Himself strength.
Ezekiel grew up in Jerusalem, served as a priest in the temple and was among the second group of captives taken to Babylon along with King Jehoiachin. While in Babylon he became a prophet of God, and his ministry began with condemnation and judgment of the nation Judah. After the destruction of Jerusalem, Ezekiel’s perspective changed to a glimmer of hope shining through for the future. Ezekiel wanted to help the people learn from their failures and announced impending judgment upon the nations that surrounded Judah and reestablished hope for the restoration of Israel. His vision of the valley of dry bones pictures new life being breathed into the nation which will occur in the Millennial Reign of Christ on earth.
Ezekiel continues to have detailed visions of the New Temple (chapters 40-43), the New Jerusalem (Ezekiel 48:30-35), the Millennium (chapter 44) and the new land in which the people will reside (Ezekiel 47:13-23). Israel and Judah will once again be restored to unity from the ends of the earth as God’s glory also returns and God dwells among His people. These beautiful and unusual visions of Ezekiel concern both the immediate and the long-term plans of God. They help to establish Ezekiel as watchman (chapter 33), not only to warn the people but to be an encouragement. He minces no words and he delivers God’s messages with straightforward language that everyone could understand, whether they listened or not (Ezekiel 2:7). Ezekiel himself received a warning from God that if he did not tell everyone he was sent to about the punishment for not following God, he would be held accountable for the blood of those who died in their sins (Ezekiel 33:8-9). He did not hesitate in his mission and is the one man in the Bible in whom we can find no fault as he steadfastly followed God’s instructions. He had a passionate view of judgment and hope and displayed his closeness to God’s own sorrow over the people’s sins.
The prophet experienced considerable opposition during his own lifetime, yet he doggedly expressed God’s desire that the wicked not die but turn from their wicked ways and live. His periodic speechlessness during his early years was broken when God empowered him to speak, and his tongue was loosened to speak the longest passage of sustained hope in the Bible. The burning, chopping and scattering of his hair represented the fall of Jerusalem and the bringing back of God’s remnant (chapter 5). The hopeful words climax in the promise of everlasting possession of the land, an everlasting Davidic prince, an everlasting covenant, and an everlasting sanctuary in Israel (Ezekiel 11:16-21). He leaps ahead to a time after Israel has been restored to the mysterious invasion from the north which will be brought by Yahweh against Israel, but then will be utterly defeated. This demonstrates that no enemy nation will ever invade the Holy Land again with success, and the glory of the God of Israel returns, entering through the east gate of the temple Ezekiel envisions.
Ezekiel has shown all Christians that we are to be watchmen on this earth, speaking the truth of the gospel to everyone we meet. We cannot possibly turn our backs on the perishing and go our own righteous way without being held accountable for those who die in sin that we could have reached. God told Ezekiel to groan with a broken heart and bitter grief for the coming judgment, and through his dramatic book, Ezekiel is telling us the very same thing. This judgment is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord!
As a minister, if I fail to tell the message, that the Holy Spirit lays on my heart to preach, then I will be held responsible, not someone else. If I have misjudged the Holy Spirit’s leading, than I would rather be responsible for answering to God for being critical of something, then not speaking at all.
From the list of all the great men and preacher that I have listed here, and this list doesn’t begin to list them all, I stand in, amongst a “Great Cloud Of Witnesses.” And I, as most of these, am blessed beyond measure.
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