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• Tree of Life ©

  Brother Pardon Mwansa,

  All too often we tend towards running ahead of God. All too often we take our lead and our incentive from suggestions that come to us based upon our feelings in consequence of some serious words spoken to us by a man of God. That is, our feelings are given the upper hand. What we ought to have done instead is to bow our selves, each one of us, before our Maker while seeking His instruction through His written word.

  In this case, Ezra 10, I believe that we have a situation similar to the time when Moses, upon the suggestion of the people, sent twelve spies into Canaan. You know the story. Only two of the twelve spies stood up on God's side. The others were afraid, and you are well aware of the consequences.

  Likewise, I find that the two named men of verse fifteen were the only ones standing up in defense of family committments that had been made and which had been receiving the seal of God, even by receiving sons and daughters designed and formed by the Creator Himself.

  If you look carefully at the names of these two men who had the courage to stand up even in the face of the general feelings aroused in consequence of the realization of the bad choices that had indeed been made, you may notice that those names are in themselves an indication of the characters of these two men.

  It behooves us, even us here today, not to run along with the consensus of the mob. Please consider, in this connection, also Moses' words per Deuteronomy 5:2-5!

  And then there is more to this story than at first meets the eye... If I may, please share with me some additional blessing as available under this link: http://tinyurl.com/ksd74ae

• Harriet

  Good morning blessed of my father and thanks pastor p for today 's blog There is hope in every situation and God himself gives us that assurance in his word ; Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

• nr

  Amen Pastor. by his grace may we receive total revival and reformation.

• Harriet

  Amen

• Gordin Malaba

  This lesson is awesome, revival must be followed by reformation. It's good and well to reocognise when one sins, but it's not enough, it must be followed by action. As Christians yes we must mourn for our sins, but a time to get up, wash of the ashes and put back on our robes must follow. Repentance must be followed by actions. But how many times do we lament for sin but still contionue? How many times have we condemned a television program but still continue watching it? I've heard many brothers and sisters commenting how evil Big Brother show is, but year in year out we continue to watch it; albet with bated breathe and shrunken noses. If our consciences condemn us, we should discard whatever we are doing, no matter how enjoyable it.

• Harriet

  You are right Gordon we need to decide to give up on certain activities that are not right but we need to ask for the Holy Spirit to help us because on our own we can do nothing

• Wojtek Janiuk

  Amen brother Pardon

• Mollie Mandebvu

  Amen pastor Mwanza. My prayer too

• Pastor Charles C. John

  Amen Pastor. The people were really willing to consider their evil paths and to repent from them. We need to learn from them.
  May the Lord forgive us and grant us the same spirit of repentance.

• Harriet

  Amen

• pardon chenjerai

  Amen

• GillianMapp

  Amen.

  What stood out the most to me from this chapter was that after acknowledgement and confession of sin came action. They were willing to get rid of their wives and children as they recognised the wives would continue to lead them into apostasy. I am sure this is not an easy decision to give up your loved ones, but keeping God's decrees was more important. Keeping the heavenly relationship was more important than any earthly one. Are we willing to sacrifice all for God, even if it means distancing ourselves from loved ones? Jesus himself said if we are not willing then we are not worthy of him. To me this seems hard but people do it. You hear mission stories of people choosing Christ over their families and then they are abandoned. Am I, are you, willing to let nothing between our soul and the saviour? Can we leave family and loved ones take up the cross and follow Christ? I pray today that we are willing to let go of everything that would cause separation between us and God. Keep the way clear let nothing between.

• Harriet

  Yes Gillian with God all things are possible with us all we need to do is to surrender all to him and he will direct our step and then we will find ourselves doing things we don't even understand, that's how awesome our God is.

• Gordin Malaba

  Amen, but I have a small question, did it mean they had to divorce their wives? does it mean if one finds out after marrying a non believer he should divorce her/him?

• Mollie Mandebvu

  Amen!!! Gillian

• charock01

  Reformation 101

  Thank you Pastor Mwansa. As I began to read today's chapter along with your blog some practical steps to achieving reformation just jumped out at me - nothing novel, but just the regular stuff that most of us are already aware of:

  Step 1: Recognition/Conviction

  In chapter 9 we see where Ezra rented his garments and plucked hair from his head and beard. We need to be similarly impacted by the things that are happening around us today. That should not be very difficult - not in the days when a four or eight year old is decapitated and the remains found in an pit latrine (outhouse); not in the days when God's ideals for marriage are still being ignored with increasing popularity and diversity of violation.

  Noteworthy here also is the fact Ezra personalized (took personal responsibility for the sins of the nation) the sins of the people. Instead of feeling smug that we are not ourselves engaging in certain reprehensible activities we must be horrified by the atrocities that are taking place around and be driven to cry out to God.

  Step 2: Repentance/Confession/Realigning Activities

  I believe that repentance is actually bigger than it is normally treated and should include confession and specific changes in certain activities - that's if we believe it is a sorrow for and turning away from an course of action that has occurred.

  Broken down then, crying out to God is a feature of true repentance; it suggests that one is sorry (cut up, hurt, in a state of regret) that a situation has occurred and is desirous of a change.

  Although every instance of confession does not constitute repentance, every act of repentance must be accompanied by confession at least to God. Depending on the act being repented of, confession may need to be made to individuals as well.

  Then if turning away from a course of action is also involved in the definition of repentance, specific steps must be taken to undo the damage; a retracing of ones steps; that 180 degree turnaround that has often been spoken about. This usually comes after one would have engaged God in a tearful confession of acts for which there is deep sorrow and regret - but it doesn't stop there. This is apparently why Shechaniah "interrupted" Ezra's lament for the sins of his people. Enough moping; time for action!

  Father in Heaven, we have sinned, we are sinning. But what a glorious thought that there is hope yet for us. Thank You for the special word of assurance today. May we be drawn to You in full confidence that all will be well with us. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

• Ros Farrell

  Insightful points you have raised Charles. Truly there is hope for us that God is able to restore and rebuild our lives when we recognise that we cannot be restored unless we repent. My prayer too. Amen

• Gloria Mosha-Onchiri

  Amen Bro well said.I echo your prayer.Lord help us to turn our eyes on you only.

• Mollie Mandebvu

  Amen

• AKIN

  AMEN. I join you and Pastor Mwansa and others who read this blobs daily in this collective decision to be part of those who will say Lord help me, my family, my Church to repent and return with all our hearts today, not because we can but because their is hope in JESUS.
  HOLY SPIRIT PLEASE TAKE CONTROL, REVIVE AND REFORM US BY DWELLING IN US TODAY, TOMORROW AND FOREVER.

• GillianMapp

  Amen

• Pam Muz

  Amen Pastor. These people were willing to return to God and do his will by correcting things the hard way. That's true reformation, may the Lord help us to experience true reformation even if we must correct our errors the hard way.

• Judith Lorraine

  Amen Pastor Mwansa!

• Indrah Gandih

  Thank you Pr. Mwansa, one thing that stood out for me is that Ezra's prayer was one of true humility and contrition. Lord continue to teach us how to pray as this. A God blessed week to all!

• Ruth Haamankuli

  Amen

• Guest

  Praise be to the God of "second chances," the God of actually "more and more chances" to us. This topic of reformation is always timely, Pastor, you are spot on.
  We are indeed faced with serious situations and real problems like our forefathers in Ezra's time and in every chapter before and thereafter. Their issue of alignment with paganism was such a "cancer" as it is now. We are all vulnerable as long as we remain on this side of the universe brothers and sisters. Verse 1 in particular moved my heart more: "Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly." I sighed a big 'wow' within myself just at the threshold of the chapter narrative: single man praying leads to this phenomenon response! I can not wait to learn that these mentioned brethren really put away this paganism in their midst as they vow in this chapter. In the meantime, what constitutes our prayers and just what weighs our hearts down? What do I pray for and do my prayers move His people or lead me to a deep- self- soul- check?
  I am so assured, His grace will linger with us for as long as we never underestimate the power of prayer: Like it did for Ezra, prayer can move all God's saints to Him, and it can best of all move our God into our hearts and midst; making us spirit filled and once more focused on the task we have neglected of reformation; truly and sincerely putting away all that is chaff in our lives and all that hinders His spirit from making an abode in us. What if we all prayed with a spirit that moved Ezra? Won't the "Lord bless us all, take us all and lift us all?" May the showers of blessings in the latter rain ripen all our hearts to a true revival again. We have no time to lose, more over, Christ cannot wait to have us home with Him and recount the sweet story of redemption to us. I cannot wait either!

  Oh Lord, I agree I have not lived to the full dictates of your spirit, I do not stand guiltless before you, this day though, search me again of all the objects you need me to distance myself from. Amen.

• Indrah Gandih

  Amen, we need a true awakening and be revived and reformed. Thank you sis Ruth!

• Nyaradzo

  Amen. There is need indeed of deep, daily. Soul searching. This can only be accomplished as we let the Holy Spirit help us to will and to do of his good pleasure.

  Have Spirit filled week friends.

• Ruth Haamankuli

  Amen, you too

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