Gleanings from Ezra-Preface
I have gone the easy route in trying to encourage the people I most love, resulting in grief and strife. I say this because it is much easier to point out what is wrong than it is to reveal the most holy, lofty, and glorious standard to which our Redeemer has called us and of necessity see what is wrong because it is exposed by the glorious Light of divine Truth. The first method brings death and despair, the second resurrection life and reassurance of God’s providential and particular electing love. Being brought to my attention by the family of God that loves me, that I was more of a discouragement than an encouragement, I purposed to heal the wounds which I myself inflicted. I noticed certain instances in times past when I had to confront principalities of darkness maintaining a stronghold of blindness in the mind of a certain “catholic” young lady who is very sincere and zealous within her false religion. For fifteen minutes I told this person of all the atrocities that have, are, and will continue to occur within the rebellious religious system that she is an avid and enthusiastic member of. Once perceiving her blindness exposed by a lack of discernment, due to a lack of divine light, by God’s grace and power He enabled me for nearly two hours in the cold windy courtyard, to reveal the glory of his majestic calling to which He graciously calls to totally undeserving rebels to partake of. To some degree His holy standard revealed and exposed not only the deviations of the “catholic” church but also that of nearly all of those that call themselves “protestant.” The things spoken were divine truth which so gripped her heart that she could do nothing but sit there under the immense weight of a glimpse of His divine glory.
Therefore I have deduced by God graciously enlightening my eyes that the better route of encouragement and correction in order to, by love, stir up each other to good works is found in the God centeredness of revealing and dwelling in the contemplation of the glories of Christ, the Beautiful. Oh Glory!!! Even while I was heaping condemnation on the heads of God’s precious children I was praying what I consider a glorious promise (see below), to the end that I might overcome this fleshly practice of mine that was attempting to tear through the bond of unity and perfection to which the Sovereign has bound us.
(Ephesians 1:16-23 ESV I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, (17) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, (18) having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, (19) and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might (20) that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, (21) far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. (22) And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, (23) which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.)
What a beautiful and glorious pursuit it has been and will continue to be, in purposely trying to remedy this hindrance through the studying, savoring, and being saturated in a measure of the immensity of the glories of Christ!!! To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. To set our eyes by faith on the Messiah, seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high is to mind heavenly things and inevitably produces potent passion and a surplus of praise from a regenerated heart. So with this as the governing reality, I read the book of Ezra and was astounded at the wealth of the hidden treasure of the glorious calling to which He has called us and primarily the ineffable, inexplicableness of the glories of Yehoshua (Joshua/Jeshua = Savior, translates to “Jesus” in Greek)!!! What lofty thoughts, thoughts that are too high for me, meditations on things that are not lawful to be uttered because of their shear holiness, yet they are the precious blissful pursuits of my heart and that of His bride, the church for which in His great love He died for.
Therefore let us press on with this in mind and relish the glories of Christ, our Husband, who rejoices to do us good with all His heart and soul. May these gleanings be a veritable plethora of divine nourishment in order to stir your heart to worship the Divine in every aspect of this life that He has given you, by privilege, to be used as an instrument to the redounding of His great glory!!!
