Fall Creek Christian Church

"I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I would not have to destroy the land, but I found no one."  Ezekiel 22:30 I should have returned to the main trail much sooner. Wandering off alone in the woods is never a good idea to begin with, but there I was clinging to a rock on a narrow ledge with absolutely no where to turn. I frantically looked around. I cried out for help. No rescue 911. No SWAT helicopter. Nobody showed up. For several minutes, which felt like hours, certain doom flooded my heart and mind. The prophet Ezekiel records God's intense search for help too. He didn't help. The people of Israel did. They were piling up sin and wickedness setting the table for certain and utter destruction. God was trying to avoid executing justice. He prefers mercy and grace. However, no one was found to stand in the gap of the wall. There were no righteous peop...

"I said, 'Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you."  Hosea  10:12     Living in a neighborhood surrounded by cornfields has given me the opportunity to witness planting and plowing up close and personal. It's obvious even from my observer position that a bountiful harvest doesn't just happen. The soil is worked. The seed is planted. The plants are protected from bugs and weeds. Then, when the rainwater falls and the sun shines, the crops burst from the ground as if reporting for roll call. It's truly remarkable. God, through his prophet Hosea, was giving the people of Israel the answer to the question, "Where's the love?" The crop of love was missing. Why? They had neglected righteousness. They allowed their hearts to remain hard. It was time for some planting and plowing. The Lord of...

"I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn't have to destroy the land, but I found no one."  Ezekiel 22:30 Many times in my life I've thought and even verbalized, "Someone needs to do something about that." I am in the process of being taught by God that when he allows me to see something it's because he intends for me to be that someone to do something about it. I wonder how much of God's power and glory I've missed pondering where that someone went to hide. Ezekiel records the words of God regarding the people of Israel at his time. God couldn't find anyone interested in righteousness. Not one! God prefers mercy over judgment. He told us that. He's looking for a reason to hold off judgment. More specifically, a someone to stand between him and the people, a purveyor of righteousness. Someone like Jesus. The search...