I am on the airplane to Brazil and I have decided thus far to call this part of this mission trip a “Mission In Motion”. You may be curious as to why this is so. It is because we have been in motion trying to get to Brazil for the better part of two days now. Later “A Mission In Motion” will surely have other meanings, as it has in the past. For right now it simply means that we are moving in the Lord in that direction currently at 45,000 feet altitude and many hundreds of miles per hour. I can’t help but think that the Apostle Paul would have liked this ride as compared to the ship wreck and viper incident. What do you think? On my end of the bargain I say respectfully, “To each his own.” Although there was a time when I was on a ship along the Mosquito coast of Honduras headed to a different mission ministering to the Mosquito Indians.

Let me move on and get this out of the way and make a formal complaint to the airlines. The seat space is not big enough for an adult and a laptop. There, done! I was blessed with an empty seat next to me, but I am feeling a bit like a contortionist and will surely develop corporal tunnel syndrome if I am not careful…all of the angles are wrong for writing but I have some things to share that I need to do from here while they are fresh in my mind. Now two hours later and reviewing this writing I am happier. I found two vacant seats next to the emergency exit so there is leg room and laptop room. Yeah! But the trade off is I have to be the one to open the door…hmm… I’ll take the trade off.

If you remember …yesterday the Lord led me to read the whole book of Revelations while flying from Atlanta to Miami. You will remember what I learned …if not look at yesterday writing at http://www.m300ministries.org/reports1 

As a follow up to the Lord’s leading yesterday about Rainbows and Covenants, the Lord led me last night to read Ezekiel chapters 1 through 17. Do you know what I learned about Ezekiel and his visions from the Lord? I learned what Ezekiel learned, except with the added benefit of our hind sight being 20/20. I can see and understand more clearly some of what the Lord was talking to Ezekiel because history has unfolded since God gave Ezekiel his vision.

One main point that takes place in these chapters is how God took a man, Ezekiel, and lifted Him up by his hair…(oddly enough) and took him places and showed him terrible things that God’s people were doing. Terrible things that God’s leaders were doing while thinking that no one saw them and that no one knew. The leaders did terrible things that defiled God’s Holy temple and caused God to depart from His chosen people.

At one point in the vision Ezekiel is told that there is a hole in the wall and that he is to dig in the hole where he will find a door. Ezekiel is told to open the door and see what the temple priest were doing inside. The temple priest  thought that they were hiding in the dark and doing things that neither God nor other men could see. Guess what? God saw it and took, Ezekiel to witness it also by way of a portal…a hole in the wall with a door.  It is like God stood there with a friend looking through one of those one way mirrors and in sorrow points out to Ezekiel the source of his hurt, jealousy and wrath. Remember this very thing!  The very next time that you think you are doing, or can do something that neither God or others can see be assured that God has holes in the walls. God has hidden doors in the walls of life. God is a jealous God and God is anguished at our folly and foolishness. Our God is omnipresent and omnipotent and seeing all and knowing all. We are on the side of the mirror that is but a dim reflection but God and his witnesses are on the side that sees clearly and plainly the happenings of our lives. Ezekiel the man of God called to be God’s witness and God’s concierge.

When Ezekiel obeyed and dug into the hole and peered inside he saw the door that he opened and a sight to behold. The priest were burning incense to idols and false Gods. Then the Lord made it clear that this was an abomination. The Lord God took Ezekiel from scene to scene of where and how men were defiling His Holy temple and sinning in His presence.  Ultimately God showed Ezekiel a man dressed in white linen cloth with a writing tablet on his side. Along with this man dressed in white appeared 6 men with war clubs.  The man in white was instructed to go about the temple and the city and to mark on the forehead of the faithful and those who were ashamed of what was happening in God’s temple , a mark of God. Quickly following behind the man in white were the men with the war clubs. The men with the war clubs also had a commandment from the Lord. The commandment was to kill all men, women and children who did not bear the mark of God on their forehead. God’s instruction actually was very explicit in that He said…”Start here in my temple” In other words judgment began at the house of God and within His own people who were unfaithful.

God was sad! God was mad! God was disappointed! God could have killed everyone to cleanse His Holy temple. At this time God dwelt in temples made with hands so His requirement by nature and necessity was a Holy dwelling place fit for Him to dwell within. With the house of the Lord having been defiled by Satanic worship, demon worship, idol worship and all sorts of evil and sorceries the Lord could have ended everyone’s life in an instant. In a single heartbeat God could have pulled the plug.

Why do you suppose that He did not? God cleansed His people and His temple but God also chose to make an exit. God vacated. God left the scene. God moved back to heavenly realms. God chose for a time and a season to not dwell with man because of man’s sin and evil works.

I find it important that God chose to leave instead of making man leave. God is such a gentleman or gentle God and his protocol is protocol. God chose to leave and to also leave a remnant in place that He himself would redeem at the proper time. The time has come and the time is continually at hand. God is saving people today. The remnant will be saved by all indications because of God’s power, exceedingly great favor and his all merciful grace.  But get this loud and clear! God left the house. The book of Ezekiel made a big case of God’s exit and goes into detailed descriptions of the cherubs and their 4 wheels. How they did not lean forward or back but could roll instantaneously in any direction. It talks about how the Spirit of God went up to the top of the door post instead of residing on the arc of the covenant. But the most pressing thing that God showed me was that He chose to leave. He chose to leave instead of making all men leave. Sure the wicked and the guilty were slain but they go their pay for the evil committed before the Lord of host. God is clear that judgment will happen and that the guilty will pay. The souls of the martyrs cry out from under the throne of God asking when they will be avenge and God gives them white robes and tells them that it is not time yet…the number of your brothers who will be martyred is not  complete yet. A later reading in Revelations show that the time indeed will come when all 7 seals will be loosened and the bowls of wrath will be poured out upon the guilt and the wicked.  When I read this the timelines were confusing so I remember thinking clearly…I can’t figure the timeline of Revelations out so it must be stuff that will happen way into the distant future.  Woe is me because Ezekiel is told by the Lord that the men of his time were saying the same thing that God’s judgments and wrath and God’s promises were all for the distant future. Look and what Ezekiel was told to tell the men of his time. Judgment will happen now. God is not slack concerning his promises.

As we head down to Brazil this is part of the message to Brazil…God’s judgment is upon men but there is a way to be reconciled to the Holy creator of the universe through Jesus Christ who is the way the truth and the light. There is no other way to the Father except by Jesus Christ His precious son who was sacrificed precisely for the terrible sins of man.

Clipping along her at 45,000 feet with corporal tunnel I need to end these thoughts as we fly over the latest hurricane in the Caribbean. The ride is bumpy, the plane is up and down, the Lord is sovereign in all things concerning his faithful servants. The Lord has a habit of asking me…” If it ended right now…would it have been sufficient?” Thus far I have always said …”Yes Lord it is all in all!” Amen…  Jesus is on the throne and evil men will scuttle to the darkened corners to attempt to hide their evil deeds but God has a portal…there is a hole in the wall…inside of the hole is a door and God’s servants are told to open this door and to peer in as God shows us the horrible side of mankind.  God sees you…we see you…God is sovereign. Be blessed so that you an bless. Continue to lift up the Brazil mission trip. It is 11 am and only another 13 hours to arrive at around midnight in our Brazilian destination.  All honor and glory to him the Holy one of God.