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Ember Wednesday
First Lesson
Ezekiel 3:16-27
16 And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word
of the LORD came unto me, saying,
17 Son
of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel:
therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from
me.
18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou
givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from
his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die
in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness,
nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou
hast delivered thy soul.
20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness,
and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he
shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall
die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall
not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous
sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he
is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.
22 And the hand of the LORD was there upon me; and he said unto
me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with
thee.
23 Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold,
the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by
the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.
24 Then the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet,
and spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within
thine house.
25 But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon
thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out
among them:
26 And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth,
that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover:
for they are a rebellious house.
27 But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou
shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; He that heareth,
let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they
are a rebellious house.
1st Lesson Questions -
Ezekiel was a watchman unto the house of Israel. (V. 17) What does that mean? Am I called by God to a certain mission, also? What is it? RESOLVE.
Second Lesson
2 Corinthians 4
1
Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy,
we faint not;
2 But
have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in
craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by
manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's
conscience in the sight of God.
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them
which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ,
who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and
ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,
hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency
of the power may be of God, and not of us.
8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed,
but not in despair;
9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus,
that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
11 For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus'
sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our
mortal flesh.
12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
13 We
having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written,
I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and
therefore speak;
14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise
up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace
might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of
God.
16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish,
yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh
for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
18 While
we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which
are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but
the things which are not seen are eternal.
2nd Lesson Questions -
Do I believe I am part of verse 1, and am I doing the things in verse 2, which I am called to renounce? Do I have the spirit of faith? (V. 13) Is it weak or strong? Which things do I like the most - things seen or unseen? (V. 18) RESOLVE.