A Watchman For Israel And The Apostle Of Grace
By Pastor Cornelius R. Stam
“…I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at My mouth, and warn them from Me” (Ezek.33:7).
The Prophet Ezekiel was appointed by God as a “watchman” over the house of Israel. He was held responsible to warn the wicked from their way, for while God must deal justly with sin, He had declared: “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live” (Verse 11).
If Ezekiel failed to warn the wicked they would die in their sins, but their blood would be required at his hand. If he faithfully warned them, however, and they refused to heed the warning, they would die in their sins, but he would be absolved of all responsibility (See Verses 8 and 9).
Would some Christian reader remind us that we are living under another dispensation and that our message is one of grace? True enough, but this does not diminish, it increases our responsibility toward the lost.
“For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” (ICor.14:8).
If we believers carelessly allow the lost to go to Christless graves, are we not morally responsible for their doom? Will we not be held accountable at the Judgment Seat of Christ? (See II Corinthians 5:10,11). This is why we find Paul reminding the Ephesian elders that he had not ceased to “warn” men “night and day with tears” (Acts 20:31).
As the apostle looked back over his ministry among the Ephesians he could say: “I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men” (Verse 26). And this had been so of his ministry in general. Indeed, it was now his desire that whatever the cost, he “might finish his course with joy, and the ministry which he had received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God” (Verse 24).
May Ezekiel, and the Apostle Paul, that great warrior for the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, be memorials to us — of our great responsibility toward the lost!
Today's Devotional Sponsor:
A Prayer We Never Pray
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam
Down through the centuries many sincere believers have uttered this prayer: “Come, Lord Jesus; come quickly,” but we have not joined them in this.
Lest we be misunderstood, we hasten to explain that we, personally, long to see and be with our blessed Lord, and did we think only of ourselves we would have Him come now, without further delay.
But this continued absence of our Lord in grace is the special subject of Paul’s epistles, as Peter states:
“AND ACCOUNT THAT THE LONGSUFFERING OF OUR LORD IS SALVATION; EVEN AS OUR BELOVED BROTHER PAUL ALSO ACCORDING TO THE WISDOM GIVEN UNTO HIM HATH WRITTEN UNTO YOU;
“AS ALSO IN ALL HIS EPISTLES, SPEAKING IN THEM OF THESE THINGS…” (II Pet.3:15,16).
How gracious has our Lord been in delaying His return for His own and the judgment to follow! How gracious to extend the day of grace until now! Now that we are saved we would fain be with the One we love and long for, but how grateful we should be that He waited for us, and how eager we should be to win others to Him while He waits still longer!
As we consider the lost about us, therefore, we cannot implore the Lord to “come quickly,” though His coming for us is indeed a “blessed hope,” and we remain on the alert for it to take place at any time.
In this connection it is interesting to observe that the prayer, “Come, Lord Jesus,” and its counterpart “How long!” are both “tribulation” prayers, uttered by saints (not of the Body) who will live during that dreadful time of God’s wrath. Both are found in the Book of the Revelation and both in connection with our Lord’s return to earth to judge and reign, and not in connection with the rapture. In both Revelation 2:5 and 2:16 our Lord says: “Repent…or else I will come unto thee quickly,” i.e., to judge. In Revelation 3:11 He writes to the church at Philadelphia, but again in warning: “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” Revelation 22:7 and 12 are used in the same way, indicating that in that day only those who are “overcomers” will long for the Lord to come and put an end to the world’s rebellion. Thus John closes the Revelation with the declaration: “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly”, and the response: “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Verse 20).
BLACKENED CHICKEN TENDERS IN A SKILLET
My go-to favorite blackened seasoning for fish and chicken.
PREP TIME
5 minutes
TOTAL TIME
5 minutes
INGREDIENTS
• 2 TB paprika
• 1 TB smoked paprika
• 1 TB onion powder
• 1 TB garlic powder
• 1 TB cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground thyme
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Mix all spices together until blended.
2. Store in a jar or container to use as needed.
How to Make Yummy Blackened Chicken Tenders in a Skillet
Chicken tenders have never tasted so yummy!
PREP TIME
5 minutes
COOK TIME
15 minutes
TOTAL TIME
20 minutes
Ingredients
• 8-10 chicken tenders (fresh or frozen) uncooked and no breading
• 1/2 cup (one stick) melted butter or ghee
• Blackened seasoning to coat tenders
• 2 TB extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
1. Place EVOO in heavy skillet. (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)...
2. Dip tenders in melted butter until completely coated.
3. Dredge tenders in blackened seasoning on all sides.
4. Heat skillet until hot (high).
5. Place tenders on skillet; allow to sit untouched for 4-5 minutes or until blackened well.
6. Turn tenders; allow to cook until blackened crust forms.
7. Check internal temp of tenders; make sure to cook to 165-170 degrees.
8. Cover skillet for 5-10 minutes to allow tenders to settle and cook a few more degrees.
DAILY SMILE:
New Apartment
Misc Jokes
Submitted by HENNE
A guy asks his neighbor in an apartment building, “Mr Trepper, you live directly above me and you have the same 2-room apartment as I do. How many rolls of wallpaper did you buy when you moved in?”
“We got 18 rolls,” answers the neighbor.
Two months later the guy meets his neighbor again and says, “It’s really funny – I put the wallpaper on every wall and I still had 10 rolls left over.”
Neighbor smiles, “Yeah, so did we.”
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