Hub Community Church

 Last night I led a wonderful service at Green Pastures with a team of 16 mainly young people from the Basingstoke Hub Community church which has been with us for a 2-week stay. The group sang, presented a drama sketch, preached a message based on the sketch and another of the group gave a word of testimony. It was a lovely blessed service.

Philip has also taken the group on 2 nature trails around the nature reserve.

We are thrilled and praising the Lord for a wonderful divine healing that we have seen. Liz and I were asked to pray for a child with the laying on of hands and God has healed the child from a quite complicated problem. All glory be to God! 🙌

I have completed my synopsis of the Book of Ezekiel and am now into the final major prophet Daniel. 

Daniel 2 (résumé): Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that deeply disturbed him so he summoned all his wise men and challenged them to both tell him what he had dreamt and give him its interpretation too. The wise men couldn't do it and kept stringing him along hoping that the king would cave in and tell them the dream so that they could then fix him with an interpretation. Nebuchadnezzar came to realize the wise men were playing for time and so he lost his patience and said he would have the men executed. Daniel got to hear about this, sought God, and God revealed the dream and its interpretation to him which he told to the king. In the dream was a great statue. It had a head of gold (Babylon), chest and arms of silver (an inferior kingdom probably the Medo-Persia), Belly and thighs of bronze - probably Greece), legs of iron (probably Rome), feet a mixture of iron and clay. Thus the statue revealed a series of kingdoms starting with Babylon and beyond. Then comes a stone not hewn by humans which smashes the statue representing God's eternal kingdom above all human kingdoms. Nebuchadnezzar is ecstatic with the revelation of his dream and its interpretation and exalts God the author as "the God of gods and Lord of kings"! He promotes Daniel to a high post over Babylon and also appoints Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to places of authority.

Daniel 1 (resumé): Daniel's training in Babylon

Daniel 1 tells of the early life of Daniel in Babylonian exile and of his resolute faithfulness to God in this foreign and pagan context. Daniel and 3 other young Jews were chosen for a 3-year training course to immerse them in Babylonian culture, cuisine, literature and language so as to prepare them for work in the Babylonian court. However "Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine" scheduled for him and he politely yet firmly refused it, insisting on a vegetarian diet in keeping with Israelite culture. God honoured his faithfulness and he and his colleagues were healthier and stronger on the Jewish diet. What is more Nebuchadnezzar found the 4 men to be 10 times wiser that his magicians and enchanters, and Daniel received the special gift of interpreting dreams and visions. God blesses those who are faithful and Daniel served in the royal court for many years.

Ezekiel 48 (résumé): The division of the Land

This is the final chapter of the Book of Ezekiel showing the conclusion of the vision of the restoration of Israel with further details of the distribution of the land between the 12 tribes of Israel with an area of holy land at the centre for the temple and for the priests, Levites, the prince and the city. It is therefore always demonstrated that God is at the centre of Israel. And the city has 12 gates named after the tribes of Israel. So the book ends saying: "The name of the city from that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE". God's presence had departed in Ezekiel 10 but in Ezekiel 48 it will be restored. Thus the book of Ezekiel ends on a note of hope. Gone is the judgement and exile. A living relationship with God will be finally restored.

Ezekiel 47 (résumé): The river from the temple

Ezekiel 37 further informs concerning the future restored temple and emphasizes the reinvigorating nature of the presence of God. Water was observed flowing as a stream from the east from beneath the temple and as it flowed it miraculously got deeper... ankle deep... knee deep... waist deep... and then "now it was a river that I could not cross... because the river had deepened and was deep enough to swim in - a river that no-one could cross". Fruit trees are watered by the banks of the river and the trees produce abundant monthly fruit for food and the leaves bring healing. The river symbolizes all that flows from God's nourishing healing presence. Then God defines the boundaries that would be laid out in the promised land between the 12 tribes of Israel. God includes foreigners in this land distribution for those aliens who had settled in Israel and this was a precursor for the spreading of the Gospel to the gentiles in Christ. So God's presence brings life and healing... and his spirit spreads grace to Israel and all nations!

Ezekiel 46 (résumé): Further worship instructions

Ezekiel 46 brings further instructions for worship in the eventually restored temple. To start with directives are given regarding the sabbath and new moon for which the east gate is to be opened and the prince enters through this gate on these days. There ensues clear instructions for burnt offerings, fellowship offerings and grain offerings, and the people are taught about orderly entrances and departures from the temple. Then comes discussions of the prince's inheritance of which he may give partly and permanently to his sons whilst living. However if he gives land to a servant this will return to him in the year of Jubilee. The prince is also banned from taking land from anyone by force. Finally Ezekiel was shown the kitchens: "These are the kitchens where those who minister in the temple will cook the sacrifices of the people". No aspect of the temple's functioning was forgotten.

Ezekiel 45 (résumé): Division of the land

Ezekiel 45 continues in the vein of Israel's eventual restoration now focusing on the land, worship and leadership. Initially God says that when the land is allotted a portion must be separated as holy serving for the sanctuary, area for the priests and levites, land for the city and for the prince (leader). Then God rebukes Israel's past sinful oppression of the people telling them to "give up violence and oppression and do what is just and right... stop dispossessing my people... use accurate scales"! True worship must be accompanied by righteous living. Then the people are told to provide offerings for which the prince (leader) is responsible to give in the required feasts and festivals. Then the Passover and Feast of Tabernacles are reconfirmed to Israel.