Project Ezra

Psalm 90 – Teach Us to Number Our Days

2012-02-17T06:18:00.000-08:00

Hello Project Ezra! Ipray you are having a great week, and that you are planning to join us for thisweek’s reading, particularly if you haven’t done so for a while. I know how easy it is to get busy with ourdaily life’s issues, and to get distracted from our time with God and our dutyand privilege of sharing the gospel. Istruggle with it constantly. But don’t givein to complacency. It’s so easy to finda reason to stay home, and stay comfortable. It’s so easy to leave that gospel tract in your pocket, thinking “I’llgive them one another time.” But we arenot promised another time, and neither are they. So if God is convicting you on this (and Ibet He is), pray that God will put you in one of those uncomfortable witnessingsituation, and allow Him to stretch you a bit. You won’t regret it.

This week we will be reading Psalm 90, which has severalfantastic lead-ins to the gospel. Our outlinewill be focusing in on its mentions of the eternal nature of God, and the finitenature of man. As with many otherportions of scripture, we are reminded here that we will not go on forever, andneed to consider our lives in view of eternity. Thinking about the next life can be very uncomfortable for someone whois not trusting in God and His promises in Christ, so many people just try topush it out of their minds and live for the moment. But as the word says, God has put eternity inour hearts (ecc 3:11), so it’s a reality no one can truly escape. Like the human conscience, we can use thatreality, through the working of the Holy Spirit, to grab people’s attention sothey will listen to the gospel. Let’s praythat many people are drawn in by the preaching of this truth, and as aconsequence, stop to hear the gospel this weekend.

All for His glory,

Dan

INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND PROJECT EZRA

READ PSALM 90

From everlasting to everlasting He is God

For a thousand years in His sight are but as yesterday

Yet mankind fades and withers like grass

We are the created, and He is the creator

We must understand that relationship

God is eternal and unchanging

But our life is short, and none of us is promised tomorrow

(YOU MIGHT WANT TO GIVE EXAMPLES OF THE SHORTNESS OFLIFE. TIDAL WAVES, EARTHQUAKES, RECENTCELEBRITY DEATHS AND THE LIKE CAN BE GREAT OBJECT LESSONS, AND CATCH PEOPLE’SATTENTION. HOWEVER, BE SURE YOU DO NOTTREAT SUCH EVENTS LIGHTLY. TREATINGTRAGEDY AS TRIVIAL WILL OFFEND PEOPLE, AND THERE IS ALWAYS THE POSSIBILITYSOMEONE LISTENING WAS PERSONALLY IMPACTED BY THE EVENT YOU ARE MENTIONING>)

Every one of us has an awareness of our own mortality

If you love your life, you should be concerned about whatcomes next

It is appointed unto men once to die, and after that thejudgment (Hebrews 9:27)

The Bible says it is a fearful thing to fall into the handsof the living God (Hebrews 10:31)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs9:10)

All of us will stand before Him one day, and will be judged

If you are wise, look at yourself by God’s law while youstill have time

Look at yourself in the mirror, probably see a good person

Look in the mirror of God’s law, see yourself in truth

May say “God knows my heart, I’ll be fine of judgment day”

He does know your heart, and that’s not a good thing

You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins inthe light of your presence

God know every secret sin, every private thought

GO THROUGH THE LAW TO BRING CONVICTION OF SIN

God is holy. Perfect,pure, separate from all evil and sin

God hates sin

God is just, and must punish sin (Psalm 7:11)

All our days pass away under His wrath

Though we may live 70 or 80 years, they are soon gone

Who considers the power of His anger, and His wrathaccording to the fear of Him?

Two choices

Suffer God’s wrath for eternity in hell (Rev 14:10-11,20:11-15)

Have the sufferings of Christ pay for your sins

God satisfied the legal demands of the law, nailing them tothe cross (Col 2:13)

God demonstrated His love in that while we were still sinners,Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)

He bore our sins, by His wounds we are healed (1 Peter 2:24)

The best news, the greatest gift ever

Completely free. Cannotbe earned.

Good works cannot get you into heaven (Eph 2:8-10)

In fact, depending on good works will keep you out of heaven

Trust in Christ alone and His works, not on yourself

When you are born again, God changes your heart, so youdesire to serve and obey Him

Changes you into the likeness of His Son (Romans 8:29)

So, how do you receive this gift?

Repentance and faith

Unless you repent, you will perish (Luke 13:1-5)

Christ’s message, repent and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15)

Trust in Christ alone, and His payment for sin

Could be only reason you are still alive is God’s patience

Waiting for you to repent and trust Him (2 Peter 3:9)

He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but thatthey turn and live (Eze 18:23)

So turn to Christ today, and live!

Selections from Job (40:6-24, 41:1-11, 42:1-6)

2012-02-10T06:13:00.000-08:00

Hello Project Ezra! I pray that you are having a wonderful day in the Lord, and are excitedto go out and share His gospel. I amcontinually amazed, as I spend more time in God’s word and realize more fullythe depths that I have been saved from, that I would have the privilege ofwriting this blog. God is so good, andhas been so gracious to me. And, whetheror not I have ever talked to you, each one of you who read this is truly ablessing and an encouragement tome. I pray that each post will be ablessing to you as well.

This week we are reading a selection of verses from thelast few chapters of the book of Job. This is the section where God speaks to Job, and challenges him toconsider who he truly is, and who God truly is. We have looked at a portion of the beginning of this section before, butthis time we will be looking at the end of the section instead. God starts this section challenging Job tocompare himself to the Lord’s own glory, majesty, and power, and then remindshim of the greatness of His creation, and particularly of two of the greatestanimals He created. I will be pullingsome verses from other books as well, and extending this to discuss not onlythe animals God created, but the forces of nature that are also under Hiscontrol. No matter how much mankindstrives to understand, quantify, and control this universe, an honest look atthe vastness of His creation shows us how small, weak, and dependent we reallyare. By God’s grace, I am praying thatis the message those who hear our preaching will understand as well.

On a side note, I wanted to address the issues ofcorrection and accountability. Irecently had someone post some comments on the theology of one of my Facebookposts, and it made me think. For thoseof you who do not know me personally (which is most of you), I am not a pastoror a trained theologian. I have taken afew seminary courses, have been a believer for 20+ years, and strive to studythe Bible carefully and present it accurately. But, I am a fallible human being, just like everyone reading this, and Iwant to do all I can to faithful to God’s word. I know I make mistakes, so if you see believe you see one in one ofthese posts, please send me a private note so I can consider it and, ifappropriate, make any necessary changes. I want to make sure that I am accountable for my use of God’s word,particularly in a forum like this where many people have access to it. I cannot promise I will come to the sameconclusions you do, but I can promise that I will consider all constructivecriticism carefully.

Thanks for being a part of Project Ezra. Please post any testimonies to the blog orthe Facebook page, so others can be encouraged.

All for His glory,

Dan

INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND THE PROJECT

READ SELECTIONS FROM JOB

JOB 40:6-24

JOB 41:1-11

JOB 42:1-6

The power of God’s creation

The great animals God created

The power of the natural world

The weakness of human kind

If we are so easily at the mercy of God’s creation, how muchmore are we at His mercy?

Behold, the Lord has onewho is mighty and strong;

like a storm of hail, adestroying tempest,

like a storm of mighty,overflowing waters,

he casts down to the earthwith his hand. (Isaiah 28:2 ESV)

If the universe around us is so far beyond ourcomprehension, how much more the God who made it?

We all know God exists.

God’s existence is evident to all. Just need to look. We choose to ignore it

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against allungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppressthe truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God hasshown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power anddivine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of theworld, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. Foralthough they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him,but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts weredarkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory ofthe immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals andcreeping things. (Romans 1:18-23 ESV)

Ecc 3:11 – God put eternity into men’s hearts

If God asked you what He asked Job, what would you say?

Will you ever put me in the wrong?

Condemn me that you may be in the right?

Do you have an arm like God? Can you thunder with a voice like His?

Can you pour out your anger, abase the proud?

Majesty, dignity, glory and splendor – They are God’s

God is a power we must contend with, and we all know it

Bad news, because there is another power we must contendwith

The power of sin and death

We know our sin by looking at ourselves in light of God’slaw

Romans 3:20 - For byworks of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through thelaw comes knowledge of sin

Romans 2 says the law is written on our hearts.

We know when we break God’s law

We know that lying is wrong, and yet we all have lied

We know that stealing is wrong, but all of us have stolen,even if only small things

We all have looked with lust at those not our husband orwife

We all have used God’s name lightly, thus blasphemed Hisname

None of us has ever truly put God first. Put ourselves first instead. Idolotry

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit thekingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, noridolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, northe greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdomof God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10 ESV)

Butas for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, thesexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be inthe lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Revelation21:8 ESV)

All subject to sin, and because of sin we are all deservingof God’s justice

Justice means judgment, and a perfect judge means perfect justice

Perfect Justice means eternity in hell.

We cannot survive God’s justice

But we can escape through God’s mercy

God’s perfect justice satisfied through Christ’s perfectsacrifice

Justice satisfied so we can go free

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that wemight die to sin and live to righteousness.

By his wounds you have beenhealed. (1 Peter 2:24 ESV)

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by hisblood (Revelation 1:5 ESV)

We were ransomed with the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1Peter 1:18-19)

This is the gospel, the good news of Christ’s sacrifice

The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone whobelieves (Romans 1:16)

Repent of your sins and believe the gospel today!

Job did not understand what God was doing

He was humbled when he came to see God’s greatness

Submitted to God’s will, and to God’s control of his fate.

We must do the same

First, you must repent

Not just feeling sorry for sin. Not just trying to do better.

Forsaking, turning from sin, turning to Christ

Trust in Christ alone to save you

God will transform you, change who you are

Become a new creature, be born again

Born again not a cliché, but a reality. A supernatural change by God

Come to God in humility, repent of your sins, and put yourtrust in Christ

Only God who can save

Only name under heaven by which we must be saved

So call upon His name today, and be saved!

2 Peter 2 - Blind Faith

2012-02-03T06:17:00.001-08:00

Hello Project Ezra! This week we will be reading 2 Peter 2. It’s a great chapter, and a very strong condemnation against those whochoose their own sensual desires over the truth of God’s word. As I was reading, I noticed that a number oftimes it talks of those who are led astray, follow their instincts likeanimals, and blaspheme in their ignorance. And I thought of how frequently Christians are accused of blind faith. In reality, as this passage states and as I’msure many of you have seen, it is often the non-believer who is blinded to thetruth by their own sin and their desire to continue in that sin. They choose to follow personal beliefs andthoughts shaped by their own desires, with no foundation to them at all. And sadly, in today’s world of post-modernismthis is completely acceptable.

But thankfully we also know that it is the gospel that isthe power of God unto salvation! (Rom 1:16) The best, most logical arguments in the world can not convert somebody,although God certainly uses good arguments in the conversion process for manypeople. Logic is unlikely to pull themout of a belief when it had nothing to do with bringing them into that beliefin the first place. But the truth of thegospel is powerful, and it is through that truth that the Holy Spirit willwork. So this week we want to point outthis truth to people, and encourage them to re-examine themselves and theirmotives for belief. Let’s pray that byGod’s grace He uses that self-examination to draw people to Him.

All for His glory,

Dan

INTRODUCE YOURSELFAND PROJECT EZRA

READ 2 PETER 2

Would like to talk about blind faith

Many accuse Christians of blind faith

This passage points to blind faith of non-believers

Examine yourself to see if you are living on blind faith

Many of those outside true Christianity actually have blindfaith

Blind to truth because of love of sin

Blind faith in God’s love over His wrath

Blind faith in God’s mercy over His justice

Blind faith in a contradictory God who will punish those youdon’t like, but let you go

Blind faith in a Bible you never read, and Biblical truthsthat don’t exist

Blind faith that the God some professing Christians describeis different than your god, the “real” god

Would argue that not only are you wrong, you know you arewrong

Choosing to suppress the truth, or follow those who suppressthe truth.

2 Peter 2 talks about those who suppress the truth

False prophets, who secretly bring destructive heresies,even denying the Master who bought them

Many will follow these prophets’ sensuality, and the way oftruth will be blasphemed

That is responsible for much claimed hypocrisy in thechurch.

Not really hypocrisy, since not true Christians.

Those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion anddespise authority.

Bold and willful, they do not tremble as the blaspheme

Like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, blasphemingabout matters of which they are ignorant

Reveling in their deceptions

Eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin

Hearts trained in greed.

Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray

Entice unsteady souls

Speaking loud boasts of folly, entice by sensual passions ofthe flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error.

In their greed they will exploit you with false words, makemerchandise of you.

Those who promote sin publically

They don’t care about you, your good, or your freedom.

Just want your money, and to use your bad behavior tojustify their own.

We know our bad behavior, our sin

Law of God written on our hearts (Rom 2:15)

Law was given to show us what sin is (Rom 7:7)

Look at the law as you would in a mirror

See your true reflection in light of God’s holiness

GO THROUGH THE LAW TOBRING CONVICTION OF SIN

Sinful behavior in not without cost

God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast theminto hell

In chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment.

Did not spare the ancient world, but Noah, a herald ofrighteousness and seven others

Turned Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, making them an exampleof what will happen to the ungodly.

Rescued righteous Lot, who was greatly distressed be thesensual conduct of the wicked.

Knows how to keep the unrighteous under punishment

They promise them freedom when they themselves are slaves ofcorruption

By ignoring God an reveling in sin, you are not truly free

But there is good news! The word gospel means good news.

You can be set free from your slavery to sin and made to beslaves of righteousness (Rom 6:18)

True escape through Jesus Christ

Through Jesus Christ you are set free from the law of sinand death (Rom 8:2)

Set free through Christ’s work on the cross.

Legal demands of the law have been satisfied (Col 2:14)

Isaiah 53:5-6 - Buthe was pierced for our transgressions;

hewas crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisementthat brought us peace,

andwith his wounds we are healed.

All we like sheep have goneastray;

wehave turned—every one—to his own way;

and the LORD has laid on him

theiniquity of us all.

God able to save people, able to hold others in judgment.

So today, turn from your sin and trust in Jesus Christ aloneto save you

Whoever comes to Him he will never cast out (Jn 6:37)

He is mighty to save!

Only Christ is true God and true man (John 1)

Only Christ lived a perfect life, and became the perfectsacrifice.

Only Christ lives forever as our high priest before theFather (Heb 7:23-25)

So only through Him, and His blood, can we be made rightwith God

The only name under heaven by which we must be saved. (Acts4:12)

So come to Christ, and to this great salvation, today!

Romans 8

2012-01-27T22:42:00.000-08:00

Hello Project Ezra! This week we will be reading Romans 8, a very well know passage. We will be focusing on the beginning of thechapter, which talks about living according to the flesh or the Spirit. Of course, we all naturally live according tothe flesh, and only through the work of the Spirit is there any possibility ofthat changing. The disturbing thing(although sadly not surprising, and completely expected based on what scripturetells us), is that so many claim the name of Christ while living

completely inthe flesh, and see no problem with that at all.

Modern evangelism, and sometimes I think modern Christianityin general, has either downplayed and neglected the truth of God’s anger andwrath to the point where those who do not spend time reading their Bibleregularly (which is most) have a false view of a God who is all love and peaceand comfort, and would never think of inflicting justice on anyone. They believe He simply accepts people as theyare (true to a point), and never cares whether there is any change (NOTtrue!). I’ve heard this referred to asliving as a practical atheist, professing belief but living as if God nevergave us a law to obey. I have toemphasize, as I have in previous posts, that I do not for a minute believeworks are necessary for salvation, or that you can work your way into God’sfavor by keeping the law. However, thefruit we bear shows what kind of tree we are. If our fruit is rotten, or non-existent, we have a problem.

When approaching people on their sin, there may be occasionswhere it is appropriate to tell a person who is living in the flesh that, basedon their confession and the fruit (or lack thereof) in their lives that theyshould be concerned for their salvation. But be VERY careful with pronouncing anyone saved or damned. That is not ultimately our place, it isGod’s. And although direct denial ofbasic Christian doctrine may seem to make their true standing before Godobvious, I believe it is still more appropriate to point out what God saysabout the fruits of salvation and encourage people to examine themselves inlight of scripture. In open airpreaching it is most appropriate, since you really don’t know who is walking by,or what they believe. Self examinationis something we should be doing ourselves every day, so use this opportunity tohelp others do the same.

All for His glory,
Dan

INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND GROUP

READ ROMANS 8

Do you set you mind on the flesh or the spirit?

Do you walk according to the flesh, or according to theSpirit?

More simply, do you live for this life, or the life to come?

Claimed belief, but a practical atheist?

Name the name of Christ, but live as though He doesn’texist?

Set your mind on the flesh is death, set your mind on thespirit is life and peace.

Mind set on the flesh is hostile to God. Alienated and hostile in mind, enemies of Godthrough wicked works (Col 1:21)

Think you are basically good and friendly with God?

See what the Bible says about your standing before Him

None who does good, not one (Rom 3:10-12)

Our flesh desires sin. Mankind are all by nature children of wrath. (Eph 2:3)

God not arbitrary or unreasonable.

God is holy and pure. Can not tolerate sin

Under the wrath of God because of our sin

God is angry, and it is a fearful thing to fall into thehands of the living God (Heb 10:31)

Under the law of sin and death

Guilty before God

We desire what we have not earned, so we covet and steal

We desire sexual satisfaction outside of God’s parameters,so we lust and commit adultery

Wrongly put ourselves, our comforts and desires, first,leading us to lie and disrespect parents.

Desire to write our own rules, to live as we please, enjoythe pleasures of sin

We create a god in our minds who will allow us to

Not the God of the Bible, and can’t save or help us.

Claim Christ, and trample his Name under foot, in worsedanger (Hebrews 10:29)

If you live according to the flesh, you will die

If you die in your sins, you will spend eternity paying forthem.

Hell is real. Notunbridled sin, unbridled pain.

Fire, pain, darkness for ever.

Hell Is not Satan’s domain. God’s domain, like everything else.

Will not be tortured by demons. Given the justice you deserve by God.

But despite our sin, we have a God of love and mercy

Even though we are faithless, God is faithful

Can be set free from the law of sin and death

The power sin has over you can be broken.

Power of sin and death broken in the cross of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ, God in human flesh

Humbled Himself, lived the only perfect life

Became the perfect sacrifice on the cross

Laid down His life willingly (John 10:17-18)

Price for sin paid on the cross

Rose on the third day, defeating sin and death

If we turn from our sin and to Jesus Christ we can be saved.

Go to heaven based on His righteousness

Can not walk in God’s law on your own.

Can not walk in the Spirit outside repentance and faith inJesus Christ

Only name under heaven by which we must be saved.

Turn to Christ and put your trust in Him alone

Only He died and rose, defeating sin and death

Only through Him can you be saved.

Turn to Christ today and live!

Exodus 34 – God by God’s Standards

2012-01-20T14:12:00.000-08:00

Hello Project Ezra! Ipray you are all doing well. This week’sreading will be another chapter that we have dealt with previously (though onlysections of it), but which we will be taking in a different direction this time. There is so much truth packed into scripturethat there are many chapters we could look at over and over again, and find newtruth and new springboards into the gospel every time. Sure, some of the genealogies in the OldTestament are a little tough to get through, but even those show that the wordof God is more than just a philosophical treatise. It’s connected to history. There are names and faces behind everypassage, people like you and me who actually saw God work in those ways. Every passage in the Bible is loaded withtruth, and if we are missing it, you are simply not reading it enough.

Exodus 34 is, I think, one of the more profound passages inthe Old Testament, and particularly because of verses 5 through 7. Everyone seems to have an opinion on who Godis, and what God is like. But here, theLord comes down, and the passage says that the LORD proclaimed the name of theLORD. God told us what He is likedirectly! In this chapter He talks aboutaspects of who He is that many people would prefer to forget, but which areessential to understanding His character and the gospel, such as His justice,and His jealousy. People will stillargue for their views of God, and say “that’s just your interpretation”, butwhen the words are proclaimed by God Himself, it’s hard to disagree withoutdismissing the Bible completely. And betterfor them to reject Christianity outright than live in a false, nominal, emptyfaith that gives them a false sense of security but does nothing to make themright with their creator.

So, I am praying that this week’s chapter, and our preachingof it will, by the power of the Spirit, move people to abandon their self-madeimages of their own gods, their idols, and turn them to the God who not onlyexists in truth, but reveals that truth to us in His word. I pray this outline is a blessing to you andothers.

All for His glory,

Dan

INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND THE PROJECT

READ EXODUS 34

What do you think God is like?

What does God say about Himself?

How do they compare?

Exodus 34 tells us – The LORD proclaimed the name of theLORD!

Merciful and gracious

Slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love andfaithfulness

Forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who willby no means clear the guilty

God is a God of love and mercy, but also a God of wrath andjustice

He says there are not many roads to Him

Chapter says not to make covenants with others who will leadyou toward idolatry

Idolatry called whoring after other gods. Spiritual adultery

Directed to destroy false images and altars, for the LORD,who’s name is Jealous, is a jealous God

God is jealous, and appropriate for Him to be so.

Will not forgive your choice of another religion

Are you an idolater? Havewe been obedient to God’s commands?

GO THROUGH THE LAW OF GOD TO BRING CONVICTION OF SIN

God specific in His requirements. None have obeyed.

Moses given plan for the Ark and Tabernacle, very specific

Only shadows of the sacrifice of Christ

God has insured that we can be setfree, and the debt for our moral crimes paid

Because of our sin, we deserve tobe crushed under God’s wrath, and to spend eternity in Hell

It pleased God to crush His son(Isaiah 53) on the cross

Chastisement that brought us peace

Substitutionary sacrifice

Repent and trust in Christ alone

The only name under heaven by which we must be saved

Only He paid the penalty for your moral crimes

Only two choices

If you trust in Christ, His sacrifice will pay your sin debt

Or deny and reject Him, and pay it yourself in hell

While God has given you time, turn from sin and throwyourself on God’s mercy

Come to the good God today

Life is short. Noneof us is promised tomorrow

150,000 die every day

One of these days will be yours

Repent and trust in Christ while there is time

Selections from Luke – Pride and Pleasure

2012-01-13T14:12:00.000-08:00

Hello Project Ezra! Ipray you are all doing well. This week’sreading will be a couple of selections from the book of Luke. One is the story of Lazarus and the rich man,and the other is the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. These passages deal with the subjects ofearthly pleasures and pride, and these two are the motivating force behind manypeople’s rejection of the Christian message. First, earthly pleasure frequently becomes an idol. How many people do you know that either claimthe name of Christ while enjoying sin with little or no remorse, or who believethey can live a wild life and choose to repent on their deathbeds? Both of these are symptoms of the sameproblem, the love of the world and of sin. Many professing Christians are practical atheists, living as if no Godexists, trusting in God’s goodness to overlook their sins when they standbefore Him. But the one thing they thinkwill save them, God’s goodness, is the very thing that will end up condemningthem. A good God cannot allow evil to gounpunished.

And what about pride? Much of the heresy in the Christian church stems from man’s desire toearn His own way to heaven, or to wrestle control of his destiny out of God’shands, so he can have it for himself. Everyone wants heaven, but people want to get there on their ownterms. People are willing to be obedientto God, but we want to pick their own list rules that are worth following, andthrow the rest out, as culturally irrelevant or antiquated. I would even argue that it is pride that ledto the first sin in the Garden of Eden. What was Satan doing when he encouraged Adam and Eve to eat the fruit,if not playing on their pride? He usesthe same tool today, and it is as or more effective now then it was then.

So the goal this week is to bring these sins to people’sattention, and show them how they have led to a false view of God and His law,and a false view of how we can be forgiven and allowed into heaven. I have tried to make the outline a bitshorter and simpler this time. AlthoughI want to make sure you have all the material you need for a good open-airpresentation, I also hope that as time goes on, Project Ezra will help youdevelop the tools you need to come up with your own open-air or one-to-oneevangelistic presentation. I willcontinue to include a more thoroughly written outline from time to time, but Iwill try to move toward more of a bullet-point format instead, and I hope topost it earlier in the week. I like toinclude a lot of material, so we’ll see how well I stick to my own rules, butthat’s the plan. If there is a specificsubject or area of your gospel presentation that you are struggling with, orneed additional verses for, just let me know. I’ll either contact you directly with more information, recommend somegood resources, or maybe make it the subject of an individual blog post. At any rate, whatever feedback you can givewould be appreciated.

All for His glory,

Dan

INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND THE PROJECT

READ THE PASSAGES FROM LUKE

Luke 16:14-31 (ESV)

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all thesethings, and they ridiculed him. And he said to them, “You are those who justifyyourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among menis an abomination in the sight of God.

“The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then thegood news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way intoit. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of theLaw to become void.

“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commitsadultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commitsadultery.

“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and finelinen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poorman named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fellfrom the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich manalso died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyesand saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘FatherAbraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger inwater and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said,‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, andLazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are inanguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed,in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and nonemay cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send himto my father's house—for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lestthey also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Mosesand the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but ifsomeone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If theydo not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someoneshould rise from the dead.’”

(Luke 18:9-14 ESV)

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselvesthat they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went upinto the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ThePharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am notlike other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this taxcollector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the taxcollector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, butbeat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, thisman went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone whoexalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will beexalted.”

Here to tell the greatness of Christ and His great gift

Shared the stories of two sets of men

Two men justified, and two condemned

Those condemned thought they were fine

Pride and pleasure deceived them

Pride, the root ofmany other sins

Makesus believe we deserve more than God has graciously given us

Leadsto neglect of God and His greatness, idolatry, coveting

Tellsyou you’re worthy of heaven on your own

Tells you that you can earn yourway by your own goodness.

The distraction of Pleasure

Not a sin in itself, if it isenjoyed within the boundaries God has given

Pursuit of it and riches above thepursuit of God, who gives all good things, is the ultimate foolishness

Pleasure and comfort become ourgods

Don’t be distracted by things with no ultimate value

What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world andloses his soul? (Mark 8:36)

YOU MAY WANT TO USE SOME VERSES DISCUSSING THE SHORTNESS OFTHIS LIFE

Glory of God in Jesus Christ surpasses all

We are estranged from God because of our sin (1 Cor 6:9)

LOOK AT THE LAW TO BRING CONVICTION OF SIN. Remember, we should never use the law ofGod to encourage legalism. The purposeof the law is to shut the mouth of the sinner, and stop them from justifyingthemselves, and to lead them to Christ that they may be justified by faith.(Rom 3:19, 7:7-8, Gal 3:24)

THE REALITY OF HELL AND JUDGMENT – Giving people a properunderstanding of hell and judgment is important. Many people think hell is a place ofunrestrained sin, and that the devil

rules hell. Revelation 20 is a good place to start todispel these wrong ideas.

May sound harsh, but God is just. Must see sin punished (Ps 7:11)

We all love justice, just not for ourselves. Our desire for justice ends where our sinbegins.

Despite our sin, despite our evil, there is hope!

God is also loving, patient, merciful (Eph 2:4)

God demonstrated His love on the cross (Rom 5:8)

Our creator set aside His glory, humbled Himself (Phil 2:8)

Became a man, lived earthly life

Willingly went to the cross (John 10:18)

Suffered under the wrath of God (Isa 53:4-5)

Died for our sin. Satisfied the legal demands of the law, nailing them to the cross (Col2:14)

Raised for our justification, proved His power over sin (Rom4:25)

Be like the tax collector. Humble yourself before God, throw yourself onHis mercy

Repent, turning from sin, turning to Christ (Acts 20:21)

Christ, only name under heaven by which you must be saved!(Acts 4:12)

Born again, transformed by God’s power. Give you a new heart and new desires. (Eze11:19-20)

Turn to Christ today, while God has given you time.

Acts 8 – Who Needs God?

2012-01-06T13:12:00.000-08:00

Hello Project Ezra, and happy New Year! I’m exciting to see what the Lord will dowith Ezra this coming year. Over thelast two and-a-half years we have seen some amazing events and testimonies, andGod has chosen to use Project Ezra to encourage many people to share the wordpublicly for the first time. For thoseof you who have been faithfully participating, thank you!! I love hearing your stories and testimonies. They are so encouraging. I hope and pray that you will introduceothers to the group. I know how hard itcan be to get others, even committed believers, to join you in publicevangelism. I have dealt with the samething. But don’t quit! The harvest is plentiful and the workers arefew, so let’s pray God continues to raise up laborers. For those of you who are part of the groupbut have not, or have seldom, joined us in our readings, I can’t think of abetter New Year’s resolution. Althoughit is often marginalized, even by those in the church, public evangelism, scripturereading and street preaching have tremendous Biblical precedent, and many ofthe lost will never come to church on their own. It is our privilege to take the good news tothem, so let’s do just that.

As I was going through the book of Acts, trying to decidewhich chapter to use, the question that struck me as I read Acts 8 was “Whoneeds the gospel?” It may seem like anodd question, since as Christians we know that everyone does. But I have seen that many people, andparticularly those with advanced education or lots of money, who don’t believethey need the “crutch” of Christianity. They think Christianity, and often religion in general, is somethingweak people need, for comfort and support, but it’s not for those who havetheir lives together. Some will stillattend church, thinking that it’s a good way to raise their kids, or out of asense of duty to family or culture. Butin truth it is treated as nothing more than an accessory, to be put on or takenoff as is convenient. And, sadly, muchof modern day evangelism, by its actions and methods, more or less assumes thatto be true.

What many churches are teaching about the gospel, and whatmany people have been told is the proper method of evangelism, is in truthfalse, and unbiblical. For the past 100years or so, the good news of Jesus Christ has been packaged not primarily as ameans of escaping the judgment we all deserve for our sins, but as a way toimprove your life. This message tellspeople that a relationship with God with improve their marriage, help themraise their children, allow them to get along with family, friends and co-workersbetter, and a myriad of other promises. It is fashionable to tell people about the benefits of being a believer,and to avoid talking about hell and judgment whenever possible. After all, we don’t want to scare peopleaway. Perhaps you were raised in thistype of doctrine. I was, and used itmyself when I first began sharing my faith, very tentatively, many yearsago. In fact, in my experience, mostpastors have been raised, and taught in seminary, to do exactly the samething. It’s hard to completely condemnthem for what they have been soaked in since their conversion, althoughfaithful study of God’s word SHOULD have shown them their error.

I recall the first evangelism class I attended, at a churchwhich will remain unnamed. First, I mustsay that this church was very clearly orthodox. However, when we were taught how to share the good news, we were told toavoid talking too much about sin, death, and hell. It didn’t seem right to me that we talkedabout the gift of eternal life and left out the wages of sin, but I went alongwith it. I remember going to see a youngman who had visited our church, and after a short conversation, having ourtrainer lead him in a salvation prayer. I volunteered to follow up with this “new believer” after thevisit. I would not claim to know hisheart, but I can say that I rarely if ever saw him in church following that(although his wife attended regularly), and when I called, offering to gettogether and talk about his new faith, he seemed to have absolutely no interestin the things of God at all.

What I believe happened there was a man with nounderstanding of God’s law, no understanding of repentance (because it was notexplained to him), and thus likely no true conversion or faith. I’m no fan of pre-packaged, recited prayersof faith, although such a prayer from a truly repentant heart could certainlybe the means God uses to draw someone to Him. However, if someone is merely draw in with the promise of spiritualbenefits, and has no understanding of their sin and God’s holiness, and nounderstanding of Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross, then there can notrue repentance, no true trust in Christ’s sacrifice, and thus no salvation.

So this week I hope we can, through the proper use of God’slaw and the power of the Spirit, show people their need of the savior. No matter how successful they are, or howhappy they are, or how committed they are to their own faith system, onlythrough the power of Jesus Christ can they be saved. And that salvation, although it may bringtrial, temptation and persecution, will also bring joy and peace in knowingthat their sins have been paid for, and will bring an eternity of lovingfellowship with God. And when power ofGod is manifest, and a heart is changed, it will be clear. Good works do not save anyone, but anyone whois saved WILL display Godly works and behavior, and the joy of their salvation.

I pray this outline is a blessing

All for His glory,

Dan

INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND THE GROUP

READ ACTS 8

Acts 8 tells the stories of two men, and mentions one other,who by today’s standards didn’t appear to need God. They were successful, powerful, and evenreligious.

But they came to know the truth of their need, and the truththat their success was empty. And morethan that, they came to know the God of the universe, and what it meant to beseen as right in His eyes.

You may think that you don’t need the crutch of religion tolive a happy, fulfilled life. But beforeyou leave, and dismiss everything I am saying, I hope you’ll stay long enoughto challenge your own assumptions.

You may believe that faith in general, and Christianity inparticular, is just a way to improve your life. You may think it’s a good way to raise kids, or a good way to live a morallife, and it is those things. But it isfar more than that.

In truth, the gospel, the good news of Christianity, is ameans of rescue, a means of escape. Itis a means to save your life. You have adeadly disease that is slowly killing you, and there is only one remedyavailable.

The men of power in Acts 8 came to know that. Despite their success and position, they sawthe truth of their perilous condition, the same condition that is true of youand I.

It doesn’t matter how well your life is going. It doesn’t matter how much fun you are havingor how successful you are. No amount ofpower, influence, money or pleasure will profit you on the Day of Judgment

One day every one of us will stand before God and give anaccount for our lives. The Bible says itis appointed unto men once to die, and after that the judgment.

God is holy. He isperfect and pure beyond our understanding, and if we are to earn His approval,we must be pure and holy as well. Onlynone of us are, and none of us can be.

God’s word says there is a holiness without which no onewill see Him. And we are anything butholy. We are sinful and wicked, anddeserve nothing but God’s wrath and condemnation.

Look at yourself in light of God’s law. He gave us His law as a mirror, to show ushow we compare with His perfect, holy standard

GO THROUGH THE LAW

So, when you stand before God, what will you say? Your guilt will be clear, and your mouth willbe stopped.

Every one of us is guilty before God, and any judgment hegives us is richly deserved. And if youlook at yourself in truth, you know that I’m right.

The judgment the Bible says will be given to the unbelieving,and those who reject God, is an eternity in hell.

The Bible describes hell as fire and burning sulfur, asouter darkness, and describes people in agony. It is not merely separation from God. It is horrific punishment, which we all deserve because of our moralcrimes against God. But we are prayingyou will see your danger and escape from it.

Despite all you have, all you know, and all you hope toaccomplish, there is only one thing you really need. You need forgiveness from your sins. You need to be put into a right relationshipwith your God, your creator.

Without that forgiveness, everything else good in your lifewill burn away one day, and you will realize just how useless it was to storeup earthly treasures rather than heavenly ones.

But there is hope! The gospel of Jesus Christ is a message of hope, and forgiveness.

God, who is rich in mercy and abounding in steadfast love,has graciously provided a way of escape, so you don’t have to suffer the penaltyyou deserve for your sins.

That escape is the cross of Jesus Christ. 2000 years ago Jesus Christ, God in humanflesh, and perfect in every thought, word and deed, came to earth and willinglydies for the sins of men.

When Jesus was on the cross God’s wrath, which we deserved,was poured out on Him. Because of

Hislove for His children, He laid down His life so that they could be saved.

He died a horrific death, and three days later He rose againfrom the dead, proving His power over death.

The Bible says that Jesus Christ is our lawyer, our mediatorfor the Day of Judgment. More than that,it says there is ONE God and ONE mediator between God and men, the man JesusChrist. You come to God through Him, ornot at all.

Through God’s great love, and Jesus great sacrifice, you canbe saved from sin, judgment, and hell.

So what now?

Turn from your sin and to your savior. Repent, and trust in Christ alone.

Only the God of the Bible is truly God. Only Jesus died to pay for your sins, androse to prove His power over death. Onlyhe was the perfect sacrifice, the perfect payment, so only through Him can yoube saved.

Turn to Christ today, and live! He takes no pleasure in the death of thewicked, but that they turn and live.

So turn today. Forsake your sins, put all your trust in Christ alone, and be saved!

Daniel 3 – Is What You’re Living For Worth Dying For?

2011-12-29T14:19:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy (almost) New Year everyone! This week’s commentary will be short, thoughthe outline will be about normal. Ourreading is Daniel 3, the story of the fiery furnace. The question we want to impress on people iswhether what they are living for is worth dying for. There is a saying, generally attributed tomissionary martyr Jim Elliot, that says “He is no fool who gives what hecannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Most people live for what they cannot keep. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego knew better,and were willing to lay down their lives, even if God did not save them. By God’s grace I pray that others will hearthis message and trust in God, as those faithful men did.

I pray that your True Gift of Christmas reading wasfruitful. Ours here in San Jose wasamazing!! Thousands of tracts went out,we had some amazing conversation, and I believe God was greatly glorified. I will be sharing some of our experiencesfrom the outreach, along with pictures, and I hope many of you will do thesame. They are always anencouragement. Thanks for yourfaithfulness, and we’ll see you for Project Ezra in the New Year!

All for His glory,

Dan

READ DANIEL 3

Today I would ask you to consider the story of Shadrach,Meshach, and Abednego, three men who were willing to die for what theybelieved.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were men of influence in themost powerful city of their time. Yetthey considered that worthless compared to serving God.

So today I ask you to consider what you value, and who youserve.

All of us serve andlive for something. Is what you’reliving for worth dying for?

These men understood something that many of you might bemissing. That truth is your standingbefore God is the only thing of true value in this world. If you don’t have that, you have nothing.

So what do you live for?

Do you live for money? You can’t take it with you when you die, andyou will be dead much longer than you will be alive.

Are you living for power, orinfluence, or fame? Nothing outside ofGod can give you power over death, or allow you to influence your fate, andfame is fleeting. 100 years from now noone will remember you, but your eternity will be decided.

Are you living for pleasure? Are you trying to enjoy every minute whileyou are here? There is nothing wrongwith enjoying yourself, but if you spend your life on pleasure that won’t last,what were they really worth? The Bibleasks, what good is it for a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?

One day, every one of us will have to stand before God andgive an account for our lives. For it isappointed unto men once to die, and after that the judgment. When that day comes, will what you have livedfor have any value?

You may not believe this to be true, but please realize thatyour opinion mean anything, and neither does mine. The only thing that is important is what istrue. And all of us, in our hearts, knowthat this is true.

So what are you trusting in for your eternity? When you stand before God, will he see you asright, and worthy to enter His kingdom?

If you are trusting in your own goodness, you do NOT have aright standing before God. The Bible saysthere is none good, and none who truly seek after God.

If you have not repented of your sins and trusted in Christalone, if you have not been born again, then you do NOT have a right standingbefore God

The Bible says none of us is right before God on ourown. It says all have sinned and fallenshort of the glory of God. Since God’s moral laws are absolute, and since we werecreated for His glory, that means we are in trouble.

Take a moment to look at yourself in the light of God’scommandments, and you will see this to be true.

Have you always put God first in everything you do? The Bible says we are to worship the Lord ourGod and serve Him only, that we should love Him with all our heart, mind, soul andstrength. On our best day we have notdone this.

Have you committed idolatry? Even if you have not built or bought a golden image to bow down to, ifyou have created an image of God in your mind that you feel more comfortablewith, and worshipped that instead of the true God, then you are an idolater andworthy of God’s wrath and judgment.

Have you ever lied? We all have, and God does not take lying lightly, as we often do. His word says that lying lips are anabomination, and that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire.

Have you ever stolen something, even if it’s small? If you’ve stolen one dollar or a milliondollars, you are still a thief, and God’s word says no thief will inherit thekingdom of God.

Have you ever coveted? So much of the Christmas holiday is desiring material possessions youreally don’t need, rather than being content with the good things God has givenyou. If you have coveted, than you areguilty before Him.

If you have done any of these things, and all of us have,then you are guilty before God.

The Bible says that God will do right, and that He will showHis justice by punishing sin completely.

The Bible says “Butas for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, thesexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, will be in the lake that with fire and sulfur, which is thesecond death.”

Hell is a very real, very terrible place, and I pray thatnone of you ever go there. But there isonly one way to escape the just judgment of God, and the righteous punishmentof hell.

That is the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ, the creator and sustainer of all that exists,humbled himself, became a man, lived the perfect life that we could never live,and then died on a Roman cross.

The one person in history who never sinned, God’s own son,died for our sin so that through Him we could be made right with God.

Jesus died for sin. Then He rose from the dead three days later, proving His power over sin,and sat down at God’s right hand. He isour advocate, our lawyer, and the only mediator between God and men.

So today, while Godhas given you time, repent, or turn from your sins, and to trust God asShadrach, Meshach and Abednego did.

They put their trust in God alone. They threw caution and doubt aside, and putthemselves wholly in God’s hands. Theyknew that even if God did not choose to save their bodies, their only eternalhope was in Him.

Today, we plead with you to do the same. Repent of your sin, and put your trust inJesus Christ alone. Because as withthose men of old, your only eternal hope is through trust in Jesus Christ.

We won’t promise that trusting in Christ will make your lifebetter. The Bible promises trails,temptation and persecution for the Christian.

But God promises that everyone who calls on His name will besaved. Through Christ’s sacrifice on thecross, and only through that sacrifice, we can be cleansed of our sin and seenas righteous, as right before Him. AndHe promises an eternity beyond what we could possibly imagine.

So turn today, and put your trust in Jesus Christ.

The True Gift of Christmas and an Alternate Reading

2011-12-20T06:59:00.000-08:00

Hello Project Ezra! Ipray that you are having a wonderful Christmas season. We are quickly approaching our True Gift ofChristmas reading, and it’s possible that some of you may have already doneyour reading. For those of you who havenot, there is still time to get a group together to read John in public. This is a great outreach opportunity, and agreat time to share the gospel. Mostcities and towns have some type of Christmas display, event, or parade, and anyof these would be a great location for Bible reading and evangelism. Bring a few other people and a stack oftracts and Bibles, and see what God does!

I realize that some of you may have trouble getting a largegroup together, and the book of John is a tough reading to do by yourself. So, for those of you who still want toparticipate by yourselves of in a smaller group, there is a reading linkbelow. My friend and preaching buddyJames Bynum put together a chronological reading of the events surrounding thebirth of Christ, which he read when we were doing outreach this lastweekend. It includes sections fromseveral of the gospels, and stretches from the statements of Christ’s deity inJohn 1 through the Magi’s visit in Matthew. It’s still a bit long, but very doable for one person, or for a smallergroup. The link below leads to BibleGateway, and you can either just print it online, or cut and paste it to adocument program. This particular linkis for ESV, but all you have to do is go to the top of the page, and you canselect you Bible version of choice. Itwill change to the whole passage to that version.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%201:1-18;%20Luke%201:1-80;%20Matthew%201:18-25;%20Luke%202:1-38;%20Matthew%202:1-23&version=ESV

Thanks again for being part of Project Ezra! I’m looking forward to hearing how yourreadings go, and hearing about the divine appointments God provided. God is faithful, and His word does not returnvoid. It could be that God will use yourreading to touch them, so that they trust in Him and have their first realChristmas. So whether or not you areparticipating, pray for the readings and those who will hear the gospel thisweekend. And don’t forget to post yourlocation so we know where you are!

All for His glory,

Dan

Ezra 9

2011-12-16T14:11:00.000-08:00

Hello Project Ezra! This week we will be reading from Ezra chapter 9. In this chapter the prophet Ezra mourns overIsrael’s disobedience, and particularly the disobedience of some of itsleaders. Then he pleads with God,acknowledging the guilt of the nation, but at the same time recognizing God’sgrace and patience with them. I thinkthis is a fantastic picture of how we should be pleading for our nations, andalso provides a great starting point for sharing the gospel with non-believersor those who claim the Christian faith, but show by their fruit that they areidolaters.

Like Israel in Ezra’s time, our nations have beenradically disobedient to God, and the majority of the political and religiousleaders have not only not spoken against sin, but have supported or evenpromoted it. It is convicting to me,because I know I have not prayed for my country and its leaders the way Ishould. And though intermarriage withthose of different backgrounds is common, at least here in the United States,that’s fine, because intermarriage is not really at the heart of the issue forus. The true concern is God’s peoplecompromising, and accepting ungodly and pagan practice that are directlycontrary to God’s word. God knew thatIsrael would be let astray by intermarriage, so He forbid it. And likewise we are often led astray when wetreat sin lightly, or are careless in what we allow to entertain and impactus. But if we love God, we will desireto keep His commandments. We need toremind people of this when we are sharing the gospel, not to encouragelegalism, but to encourage self-examination, so men and women will see whetherthey are truly in the faith.

As you all know, we are just a week away from Christmas,and as most of you know, we are also a week away from our True Gift ofChristmas reading. The event is alreadyup on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/events/144587652317567/),and some people have already responded and signed up to participate. I am praying that many more will aswell. The Facebook event has all thedetails, as does a recent blog post I also put up, but in short, we willgathering teams to read the gospel of John, front to back. It’s a pretty long reading, so if you areconsidering participating and haven’t started planning yet, now is thetime! If you aren’t able to put togethera big group, please don’t let that stop you from participating. You can choose a few relevant chapters toread instead, and I will try to put together a list of key chapters for thesame purpose. Once again, there is nobetter time of year to share the gospel in public, so be sure to take advantageof it. If you have any specific questionsabout the reading, feel free to contact me through the blog or on Facebook.

I’ll be sending another update on The True Gift ofChristmas in a few days, so stay tuned for more information. I also plan on putting together a recapvideo, provided we have enough material, so send or post whatever videos andpictures you can. God bless, and I’mlooking forward to hearing your praise reports.

For the praise of His glory,
Dan

READ EZRA 9

In this chapter the author mourns for, and then pleadsfor, the nation of Israel, which has ignored God’s command by intermarrying with people fromneighboring countries.

But the core of the issue is not the fact ofintermarriage, but the result. WhenIsrael intermarried with the nations near them, they were drawn away from thetruth of God and toward idolatry, as God knew they would be.

Israel mixed with other nations, who practiced everythingfrom animal worship to child sacrifice, and in doing so insulted and turnedtheir back on the true and living God

As a consequence, God punished them, taking their landand sending them into slavery in exile.

The chapter also said that their leading men wereforemost in these sins. Their religiousand political leaders were the foremost in ignoring God’s clear commands, andlead others into those sins.

In our country there are many people trying to lead us,and to convince us to follow their plan or their moral convictions. But be very careful who you follow. Are your leaders leading you in a Godly direction?

Most of you listening today/tonight would probably saythat you believe in God.

But is the God you worship the true God of the Bible, andhave you taken His word seriously?

Have you been participating with the abominations of theworld, as Israel did? Have youworshipped falsely, created idols, or made entertainment out of the things Godhates?

The Bible says God’s children are supposed to be separatefrom the wickedness of the world.

God’s children are not to conform to this world, but tobe transformed by the renewing of thier minds (Romans 12), and to be conformedto the image of Christ (Romans 8)

We are not perfect, and no one will be this side ofheaven. But God’s word tells us that ifwe love Him, we will keep His commandments (John 14).

You may be getting angry, or frustrated now, thinkingthat I am judging you.

But please understand that these words are not meant tocondemn you , since even the best of mankind is nowhere near perfect, and I’mcertainly not nowhere close

Every human being needs to be aware of the truth of ourstaggering level of guilt before God, and that fact that outside of JesusChrist and the salvation He provides, we all stand condemned (John 3).

Every one of us is a law breaker, and we have brokenGod’s law more times than we could count. And if I really care about you, I must let you know. Because if you don’t know about the diseasethat is killing you, you will never seek the cure.

When Ezra came before God, he came in supplication, andhe said he was “Ashamed and blush to lift my face.”

He admitted that Israels’ “Iniquities have risen higherthan our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens” and that “From thedays of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt.”

Have you come to God in humility, or only in pridefulexpectation?

Ezra understood what many of us seldom consider, that Godis Holy. He is perfect, and He has agoodness and purity that is beyond our understanding. And because of God’s holiness He cannottolerate sin.

You may say “But God is a God of Love!”, and He is. But do you understand that His is also a Godof justice? Do you understand that Hisgoodness means He will punish sin completely?

GO THROUGH THE LAW

Even if your life has been tough, and regardless of how muchyou have suffered, God has punished you far less than we deserve

Every one of us deserves punishment in hell for our sins,our moral crimes against God

But Ezra also understood God’s grace. He said “God has not forsaken us, but hasextended His steadfast love”, and that is true for us as well.

The only reason any of us live and continues to drawbreath today is because of God’s grace

But God has done much more than just allow us to continueexisting. He has made a way for ourmoral crimes against Him to be paid for, so justice could be satisfied and wecould go free. And that way is throughthe cross of Jesus Christ

2000 years ago Jesus Christ, the creator and sustainer ofall that exists, God in human flesh, humbled himself, and died to pay thepenalty for sin.

And on the cross God’s wrath, His anger and hatred towardsin, was poured out on Jesus Christ so it didn’t have to be poured out on us.

Then three days later, as He had prophesied, Jesus roseagain from the dead, proving His power over death.

Many of you may not think about death very often, and maythink about judgment even less. But150,000 people die every day, and everyone will one day have to give an accountof himself before God.

So before that day comes, do as the Bible says. Repent, or turn from sin, and put your trustin Jesus Christ alone for your salvation.

There is no other name under heaven by which we must besaved, than the name of Jesus Christ. Only He is true God. Only he cameto earth to pay the penalty for sin. OnlyHe rose again to be our advocate, our lawyer before the judgment seat ofGod. So only through faith in Him, andin Him alone, can we be saved.

So please, today, look at yourself in the light of God’slaw. And when you see the truth of yoursin, which will be obvious if you look with a tender conscience, repent of yoursin and trust in Christ.

Repent and trust in Christ today, while God has graciously given you time. Thank you.

The True Gift of Christmas - Year Three

2011-12-14T11:41:00.000-08:00

Hello Project Ezra! I pray that the Christmas season is treating you well, and hope you have had many opportunities to share the gospel. We are now about a week-and-a-half away from one of our best evangelism opportunities of the year, which we call The True Gift of Christmas. I have mentioned it recently, but for those of you who missed it or are newer to the group, a description of the event from previous years is below. I've also included links to event reports from previous years that I hope will encourage you. Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions. I am also hoping to put together a event report video/slide show about the True Gift of Christmas, so don't forget to take your cameras post on the event page. God bless!

http://projectezra.blogspot.com/2009/12/gospel-of-john-in-burbank-ca.html

http://projectezra.blogspot.com/2009/12/white-christmas-for-project-ezra-in.html

Project Ezra is dedicated to encouraging, equipping, and mobilizing born again followers of Christ, from around the world, to read the Word of God in public, and what better time to do so than Christmas! Although many, if not most, cities and towns in our country have some kind of community Christmas (or “Holiday”) gathering or fair, these celebrations that have all the trappings of the Christmas season have often nearly or completely lost the essence of what the season should be; a celebration of the birth of Christ. Some cities have banned religious (Christian) displays such as Nativity scenes on public property, and those who have not have often pushed them to the periphery, or buried them behind piles of tinsel, pretty lights, and plastic Santas. Those of us whom God has called to public ministry need to be looking for creative ways bring the focus of the Christmas season back to where it belongs.

In an effort to do so, Project Ezra will, once again, be having a very special reading event for this, and we hope many more, Christmases to come. We are encouraging Project Ezra members to gather a team to read the entire Gospel of John in public in the weeks before Christmas.

First, choose a public area in your town or city at or near one of your popular Christmas events. This could be a fair, a parade, outside your local mall on weekends, or any other place that will draw groups of people. You know your area, so pick a place you would want to visit with your friends and family.

Get together a group of like-minded believers to participate with you. This is the ideal time to get additional people involved, since the reading will be long and can be easily divided up. Call Christian friends and family, and see about announcing it in church on Sunday.

Bring a small ladder or box to stand on, and consider making a sign stating the name of our group and what you will be reading for listeners who arrive mid-reading. You may or may not use amplification, depending on personal preference and local laws.

Be sure to spend time in prayer as a group before you start!

Read of the entire Gospel of John, front to back. Consider picking one translation that everyone will read from so the reading flows more smoothly. You also might want to consider printing the book in larger type and putting in into a binder that can be handed from one participant to another. If you will be out in the evening, consider the lighting level too.

If you have a more experienced open-air preacher in your group (or even if you don’t) consider following the reading with a simple gospel presentation

Make sure you have plenty of tracts and bibles to hand out!

The event is up on our Facebook page, and although we have a few dozen people signed up, we are praying for many more. Please let us know your thoughts and ideas for improving this outreach, and be sure to RSVP the event. We look forward to lots of pictures, video, and stories!

For the praise of His glory,

Dan

Proverbs 27 - God's Goodness - Good and Bad News

2011-12-09T13:35:00.001-08:00

Hello ProjectEzra! This week’s suggested reading isfrom Proverbs 27. As with most chaptersin Proverbs, there are multiple smaller subjects addressed. But frequentlythere are common themes in each chapter that are strong enough to focus on. This chapter is no exception. I think the theme of the kindness andgoodness of honesty regarding the telling the truth, particularly in our case inthe sharing of the gospel, is a fantastic theme, since this should and must beone of our starting points in evangelism. Rebuke (and all evangelism has some aspect of rebuke and correction) canhurt, but it is still vital. Those whoare outside of Christ are in real danger, life-threatening danger, and thekindest thing we could possibly do is make them aware of it. But it is also vital that we do so with humilityand gentleness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXOWyjB7d24&list=UUVn-ygz8rxlQ3G3RmQ8C7tw&feature=plcp

I was alsoinspired somewhat by the above video, from Paul Washer. The video was produced by fellow streetpreacher and Ambassador’s Academy graduate Marcus Pitman, and he did anexcellent job. The starting point isthat the most terrifying truth in the Bible is that God is good. It is a terrifying truth because while God isgood, we are not, and God, who is a perfect judge, will make sure sin ispunished perfectly. For those who havenever considered the holiness of God, this truth can be convicting, or evenshocking, but once again, rebuke and correction are not only necessary, but arekindness if they are offered in a Biblical manner. I hope this week’s outline will help you dojust that.

Also, don’tforget that in a couple weeks we will be having our True Gift of Christmasreading, where we are encouraging people to gather a larger group to read theentire gospel of John in the open air. This will be our third year doing this outreach, and we have heard someamazing testimonies from past years. I’ll try to gather some of those testimonies and post them as anencouragement. This reading does takesome time, so plan at least a couple hours and bring plenty of tracts andBibles for those who are waiting to read to hand out. This would be an ideal opportunity for anofficial church outreach too, since by its nature it is easy to divide thereading into smaller pieces, so many people can participate. If you have any public Christmas displays orcommunity festivals, those are the perfect places for this kind ofoutreach. Just find a place with goodfoot traffic, maybe going to or from the event area, and set up there. For our Facebook followers, the event will beposted in the next couple days, so please sign up. For non-Facebook people, please comment onthis or the next blog post and let us know if you are participating.

I pray thisreading is a blessing

Dan

READ PROVERBS 27

Thank you fortaking the time to listen

You may bewondering why I would go out in public, and read the Bible aloud.

There are tworeasons. First, I want to see Godglorified, and He is glorified in the preaching of His word. Second, I care about what happens to you, andit is possible you are in serious danger.

OR TALK ABOUT YOURREASONS AND MOTIVES

As thechapter I just read says, better is open rebuke than hidden love

It tells usthat faithful are the wounds of a friend, and that he sweetness of a friendcomes from his earnest council

Though youdon’t know me, I may be the best friend you have, because I am willing to warnyou of your danger, and if you are not aware of your danger, you have nopossibility of escaping it.

And becauseit is true that you do not know what a day will bring, I plead with you toconsider this today.

The dangeryou need to consider is this: God is good, and we are not.

That may seemlike a strange statement, but please listen before dismissing it.

Mark 10:18tells us that no one is good but God alone

Jesus alsosaid be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect

AndGod’s word also tells us God will by no means clear the guilty

In Genesis,Abraham asks “Will not the judge of all the earth do what is just?”

A good judgewill see that justice is done, and God is the most perfect of judges,

If you wereto stand before a judge in court, with a long list of crimes you knew you wereguilty of, and were to plead with the judge to let you go based on yourgoodness, the very thing that you hoped would give you freedom would be whatwould insure your condemnation.

And every oneof us does indeed stand guilty before God, because all of us are law breakers.

God’s wordtells us not to lie, and every one of us is a liar.

God’s wordtells us not to steal, and every one of us has stolen, even if only somethingsmall. If you’ve wasted time at work, downloadedmusic illegally off the internet, or copied answers on a test, those make you athief as well.

If you havelooked with lust at a man and woman you are not married to, you have committedadultery in your heart.

And if youbelieve that your God would never be angry at you for any of these things, thenyou have committed idolatry, creating a god in your own imagination, a falseGod who is contrary to the God of the Bible.

I, like you,have broken God’s laws, and I too deserve His judgment and wrath. Because of our moral crimes, we are deservingof hell.

Hell is aplace of fire, and pain, and darkness that will last forever. It is not the place of unbridled sin andpleasure that some people imagine. Ifyou end up in hell, you will not spend eternity sinning with your friends, andhell is not ruled by Satan.

Hell wascreated to punish Satan, and he and those who die in their sin will sufferthere for eternity.

The truth ofour guilt before God, and the reality of hell are bad news, horrible news.

But there isgood news! God’s goodness, which meansHe is perfectly just, is also your only means of escape from that justice.

God is a goodGod. He is rich in mercy, and because ofthe great love with which He loved us,

He sent His Son, to pay the price forour sin on a Roman cross.

Jesus, God inhuman flesh, after living the only perfect human life that was ever lived, wentto

the cross to suffer and die so that men’s sins could be paid for.

On the cross,God’s anger and hatred and wrath towards sin was poured out on Jesus Christ, soit didn’t have to be poured out on us. And Jesus death satisfied justice completely.

Then threedays later, as he had prophesied, He rose again from the dead, proving Hispower over death.

But not allwill be saved. Jesus said “I am the way,and the truth, and the life. No onecomes to the Father except through me.” There is no other name under heaven by which you MUST be saved!

So today, letGod’s goodness lead you to repentance. Turn from your sins, and put your trust in Christ alone for yoursalvation.

He is a goodGod! Throw yourself on His mercy, and besaved, while He has given you time!

Psalm 25 - Humble Yourself Before God

2011-12-02T07:01:00.001-08:00

Hello ProjectEzra! This week’s reading is from Psalm25, and we will be addressing it from the perspective of humility beforeGod. King David, who wrote this psalm,was called a man after God’s own heart, but not because his behavior was abovereproach. Clearly there were times thatit was anything but. However, Davidunderstood who he was in relation to God, and when he fell into sin, he came toGod in repentance, and with true humility. Humility before God is sorely lacking in our day. From the pulpit where some pastors refer toGod with an inappropriate air of familiarity, as if He was nothing more than adrinking buddy, to the man on the street who claims that when he stands beforeGod, he will simply tell God what things are really like, and convince Him tochange His mind, people want to approach God as if He is just another man, whomust listen to them, rather than the other way around.

Of course,nothing could be further from the truth. While the Christian can have a relationship and an intimacy with Godthat is amazing, we must never forget that though we have been adopted into afamily, we have been adopted by a King. God is the creator and sustainer of all that exists, and the laws thatgovern this world, and that govern our moral conduct and our standing beforeHim are His, and are not ours to change or question. Both His loving kindness and His holy majestyare truths of His character, and the fact that the Lord of all that existscares enough to bleed and suffer and die for our sins should truly humble us. It is that message that I hope we will beable to share through this week’s reading.

As we enterDecember, we are also approaching our third year of the True Gift of Christmasreading. For those newer to the group,this is the weekend when we gather a team and read the entire Gospel of John inthe open air. This has been one of ourbest readings in the past, and I want to strongly encourage you to gather agroup of brothers and sisters in Christ, starting now, and to participate inthe reading. Most communities have somesort of public Christmas celebration area or event that would be the perfectvenue for this reading. In my area wehave a large public Christmas display called Christmas in the Park. Thousands of people visit every day, so wefind a public sidewalk area between the park and the major parking areas, wesplit up the reading between those available, and while one team member is readingthe others pass out tracts and Bibles and talk to people. I would even encourage you to consider makingthis a church event. If you have anyquestions about the reading, feel free to contact me. The Facebook event will be going up shortly.

Thanks forbeing part of Project Ezra, and consider telling others about it. The Christmas season is the perfect season toget people involved. And please shareany pictures, videos and testimonies you have from your readings. They are always a huge encouragement to me,and to others.

All for Hisglory,

Dan

READ PSALM 25

In thispassage, David demonstrated that he clearly understood what many of us donot.

He understood his true standingbefore God.

David was theking of Israel and one of the most powerful men in the world at the time of hisreign. Yet despite his power andinfluence, he was also called a man after God’s own heart.

David was nota man after God’s own heart because he was free from sin. The Bible records that David fell intohorrible sin, which he tried to cover up through murder

He was a manafter God’s own heart because of his trust and dependence on God, and becausehe saw his own sin, and came before God in true repentance, and in humility.

Davidrecognized who God was, and he recognized who he was.

And David recognizedthe greatness of his guilt, and knew that all his sin was ultimately againstGod himself.

In Psalm51:3-4 David says “For I know my transgressions and my sin is ever beforeme. Against you; you only, have I sinnedand done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your wordsand blameless in your judgment.”

David walkedclosely with God, and talked much about God’s love and mercy, but he alsotalked about God’s judgment.

Do you thinkabout God’s judgment? You may not thinkmuch about God’s judgment, about His justice. You may believe that if there is a heaven, you are good enough to getthere on your own, based on your own goodness, your own merits. But is that really true?

David knewbetter. When he tried to cover up hissin, God brought him face to face with it.

And we are praying that, through our message today,that you too will bebrought face to face with your sin, and your true standing before God.

Are youwilling to look at yourself in light of God’s standard? Or does your pride get in the way?

James 4:6says that God opposes the proud, and gives grace to the humble, and it was thepride of sin that caused Adam and Eve to sin in the beginning, bringing us allunder the curse of sin.

Because ofour pride we choose to worship a god we have created with our hands, or in ourminds that looks just like us, one who smiles at our sin, and we commit idolatry

Because ofour pride, we put ourselves first, instead of putting God first, as we should.

Because ofour pride we covet and steal, thinking we deserve more than we have, ratherthan gratefully accepting the blessings God has given us.

Because ofour pride we commit adultery, putting our own pleasure and desires above God’sperfect plan for intimacy, marriage and family

Because ofour pride, we sin. And the sin of prideleads to many other sins. Sin destroysour relationship with God, and because of our sin we deserve judgment and hell

TALK ABOUT THE REALITY OF HELL

David knewwhat he deserved from God. We need toknow what we deserve from God.

Wedeserve judgment and hell and God’s wrath. But David knew something else about God’s character. He knew that He was not only a God of wrath,but a God of love

David askedGod to remember His mercy and steadfast love, for the sake of His goodness, andfor His name’s sake.

God is a Godof love. In fact, the Bible says thatGod is love. And God demonstrated thatlove through the cross.

On the crossof Calvary Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, bled and died so that we could beforgiven.

Though Jesuswas in very nature God, He chose to humble Himself, take on human flesh, anddie for the sins of the world.

Through Hissacrifice, through His suffering, sin is atoned for, paid for, and justice issatisfied.

Then threedays after He died, He rose again from the dead, as He had said He would,proving His power over death.

The Biblesays if you will repent, or turn from your sin, and trust only in Jesus Christand His sacrifice for the forgiveness of your sins, then you will be saved fromyour sins

Please do notmake the mistake of thinking you can make yourself worthy of God’s forgivenessthrough your own efforts, that you can work your way to heaven.

The word saysthat unless you repent, you will perish. It says all our righteousness is like a polluted garment before God,that our good works are useless. And itsays that you must come through Jesus Christ, for there is no other name underheaven by which you MUST be saved!

So learn fromthe example of King Dave. Look at hisheart, and how he came humbly before God, and come humbly to the Lord today.

Confess andrepent of your sins and throw yourself on God’s mercy, and He will save.

God’s wordsays that the friendship of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and that the fearof the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge.

So put yourpride aside, and come to the Lord for salvation today!

Ecclesiastes 2 – The Vanity of Pleasure and Possessions

2011-11-24T13:28:00.001-08:00

Hello Project Ezra! Today is Thanksgiving (at least for us in the United States), and wecelebrate the day by spending time with family and giving thanks for the manygifts God has given us. Sadly, manypeople are also preparing to stand in line for hours in the early hours of themorning to satisfy their need for the best and the newest. I work in the busiest shopping center in myarea, and have been watching the Black Friday Scramble for the pastdecade. For those of you outside theStates, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, and marks the beginning ofour Christmas shopping season. It is thebusiest shopping day of the year, with many stores opening at midnight withmany special deals to draw people in. Itis sad to see so many so obsessed with possessions. Thankfully, it can also provide an excellentopportunity for evangelism, since there are few days of the year where morepeople will be out and about.

This week we will be reading from Ecclesiastes 2, whichdeals with the vanity of worldly possessions. Rather than a complete outline, I’ve given a few bullet points, alongwith a couple other passages that I think would be good follow-ups. I would encourage you to put together yourown outline based on these passages, or other appropriate passages. Be sure to include the essential aspects ofthe gospel message. For more informationon sharing the gospel biblically, I encourage you to go to www.livingwaters.com, and listen to Hell’sBest Kept Secret and True and False Conversion. They are free, and will give you an excellent foundation for sharing thegospel Biblically.

I pray this will be a blessing.

Dan

ReadEcclesiastes 2

Solomon had thebest the world had to offer, but realized the best could not satisfy.

Possessions arenot bad in themselves. God has given usmany gifts for our pleasure. But theywill never satisfy, because they are not what we were created for.

Matthew 6:19-24

"Donot lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy andwhere thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures inheaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break inand steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

"The eye is the lamp of the body. So, ifyour eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye isbad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you isdarkness, how great is the darkness!

"No one can serve two masters, for eitherhe will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one anddespise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

We were notcreated to possess. We were created toknow and be known by God.

But because ofour sin, the relationship between us and God has been broken, and we are indanger of judgment for our rebellion.

Adam and Evecoveted, desired what God had not given to them. In order to possess what was not theirs andnot meant for them, they broke God’s law.

Like Adam andEve, many of you have coveted, desiring that which is not yours, as Ihave. God’s law says you shall not covetyour neighbor’s house, his wife, or anything else he owns.

Luke12:13-21 - Someonein the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide theinheritance with me." But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judgeor arbitrator over you?" And he said to them, "Take care, and be onyour guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in theabundance of his possessions." And he told them a parable, saying, "Theland of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, 'What shallI do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, 'I will do this: Iwill tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all mygrain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laidup for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, 'Fool!This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared,whose will they be?' So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is notrich toward God."

If your life was demanded of you tonight, would you be ready tostart before God? Would He see you asgood enough to enter heaven?

GO THROUGHTHE LAW TO BRING CONVICTION OF SIN

The greatest gift we can possess, salvation through Christ.

The greatest fulfillment, since it is what we were created for.

DISCUSSTHE CROSS AND THE ATONEMENT

Jesus rose from the dead, proving His power over death

Jesus is now seated at God’s right hand, and is our advocate withthe Father.

If we repent and trust Christ alone, we can be saved.

Christ’s righteousness laid to our account. We are still guilty, but our fine has beenpaid, and justice satisfied.

Time is short, and none of us is promised tomorrow. Turn and trust in Christ while He has givenyou time.

Job 1 – Live for the Eternal

2011-11-18T14:25:00.001-08:00

This week we revisit a theme that we have looked at severaltimes in our weekly readings. The more Iread scripture the more I see the same themes, frequently regarding who God is,His character and nature, and how he deals with mankind, repeated time and timeagain. This is true from Genesis throughRevelation. Even though God operates andrelates to man somewhat differently (although not as differently as we maysometimes think) in the Old Testament than He does in the New Testament, thenature and character of God, which stands behind both, is unchanged andunchangeable. Job 1 is another great example of this.

This week we again ask the question, “What are you livingfor?” So many people are living for thetemporal, rather than the eternal, putting their trust in money, power,prestige, and the like. Job knew betterthan most that possessions are fleeting and can be snatched away in asecond. He had money, power andprestige, yet he still walked in humility before God, submitting to His willand lordship, even when had the best the world could offer and more, and evenwhen it was all taken away, and while it was clear that little if any of whathappened to him made any sense at the time.

So this week we encourage people to live for the eternal andtrust in God, as Job did. We don’t haveto know every detail of why God does what He does. We only need to recognize that He is trustworthy,and put our lives in His hands totally.

I pray this reading is a blessing to you and those who hearit.

Dan

READ JOB 1

To many, the story of Job, one of the oldest in the Bible, mayseem strange, or even cruel

Job, by God’s own words, was right and obedient before Him,yet he had tremendous struggles

But whether in prosperity and joy, or in poverty anddespair, Job worshipped and trusted God.

Does that sound strange to you? Does it sound like insanity to allow suchthings to happen to you?

Then consider for a moment what you are living for.

Job, although he struggled with the meaning behind hiscircumstances, lived for God, even when he didn’t understand the purposesbehind what God was doing.

Job lived for eternity, knowing that His trust in andfaithfulness toward God was of more value than everything else.

What are you living for? What do you strive for, and what keeps you going day to day?

Are you living for money? Pleasure? Fame? Power?

Every one of these things is temporary. There is nothing wrong with joy, or pleasure,but to live your life for them is the ultimate in foolishness.

The Bible says that we all fade like a leaf, and ouriniquities, like the wind, take us away.

We live in a world of sin, and our sin and the corruption ithas caused in our world will eventually rob us of everything of value,including our very lives. Why spend yourlife striving for something you can’t keep?

John 17:3 tellsus that“this is eternal life, thatthey know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

If you are wise, and we pray you will be, you will live forthe eternal, and for the knowledge of God. That means to know the truth of who God is, the truth about eternity,and the truth about this world.

The world we live in is not our own, and does not centeraround us. It centers around God.

God created us and the world, and revealed Himself to us inHis word, to tell us more about what He is like, and how and why He created us.

The Bible tells us that God is love, and that He ismerciful. It also tells us that He isholy, and righteous, and just.

God is holy. Thatmeans He is perfect, pure, and incorruptible. He is the creator of all that exists, and is the only true standard forall that is right and good.

Every good thing you have ever received is, at some level, areflection of His goodness, though that goodness is frequently twisted out ofshape by sin. Every pain or sorrow youhave ever experienced is a direct result of sin’s corrupting influence, and ofman’s rebellion against God’s truth.

A sin is a moral crime, a breaking of God’s law. He gave us His law to show us what sin is, sowe can see how we compare with His holiness

If you look at God’s law, the 10 Commandments, you will seethat you have broken God’s law more times than you can count.

You will see that lying lips are an abomination to Him, andknow that you have lied.

You will see that His name is above all other names, and you will know that youhave used that name disrespectfully, and thus are a blasphemer.

You will realize that you have committed adultery, either with your body orthrough lustful, impure thoughts, and see that no adulterer will inherit God’skingdom

You will know that the true God is not like the god you have created in yourmind to suit yourself, and know that you are an idolater.

You will stand before God and fully realize just how good, and gracious God hasbeen in providing for you, and know how covetous you have been, always desiringmore.

You will know, as I will know, just how short we have fallen of God’s holystandard.

God is a God of justice, who must punish sin, and a God ofwrath, who will punish sin, and punish it completely

Sin will punished in a place called hell. Hell is not a place of unbridled sin whereyou will enjoy an eternity with your friends doing whatever you want, and it isnot ruled by the devil. It is ruled by God, and the devil is God’s devil. He may only do what God allows him to. Hell is a place of pain and darkness and firethat will never end, and no one in their right mind should want to go there.

That is the bad news. There is a hell, and we all deserve to go there. But there is also good news, very good news!

Lamentations 3:32 tells us that “Though he cause grief,he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love”

The good news is this. God is not only a God of justice and wrath, but a God of grace, andmercy, and steadfast love. And becauseof the love, grace, mercy and patience of our God, you don’t have to go to hell,although every one of us, including me, deserves just that.

2000 years ago Jesus Christ, God the Son, and the creator ofall that exists, made a way for your sins to be paid for.

On the cross, sin’s debt was paid. On the cross, justice was satisfied whenGod’s hatred and wrath toward sin was poured out on Jesus Christ.

Then, three days later, He rose again from the dead, provinghis power and authority over sin and death.

But not everyone will be saved through this sacrifice. Jesus said “Unless you repent, you will alllikewise perish” and “Unless you believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.”

The only means of escape from the penalty of sin is throughJesus Christ! Only He died to pay theprice for sin, and only He rose to stand at God’s right hand as our advocate,our lawyer for the final judgment.

So, what will you do with this truth? You may choose to reject God’s incrediblegift, and try to earn heaven on your own, through good works or ceremonies orreligious rituals.

But if you are wise you trust in God no matter thecircumstances, as Job did. If you arewise, you will turn to the only name under heaven by which we must be saved,the name of Jesus Christ.

Please turn to Him today while He has graciously given youtime.

Revelation 5 - Worthy is the Lamb

2011-11-11T12:37:00.001-08:00

Hello Project Ezra! I’m running a little late this week due to some big events at work, butI’m excited about this week’s reading. Revelation 5 takes us to the throne room of God at the time of the finaljudgment, and the end of the world. Although the passage is highly symbolic, and much of the book ofRevelation is, it makes a very strong point that needs to be at the center ofall our gospel proclamation. That is theperson of Jesus Christ as God, and the ransom He paid on the cross. It is impossible to take an unbiased look atthis chapter and not see Jesus as God in the flesh, and as our only means ofsalvation.

The verse we will be focusing on the most is verse 9, wherethe four living creatures are singing Christ’s praises as He who is worthy toopen the scroll, because by His sacrifice He ransomed a people for God fromevery tribe, language, nation and people. It is the fact of that ransom, that legal remedy paid which satisfiedGod’s holiness and justice, that is most frequently missing from modern daygospel presentations. Without anunderstanding of the depth of our sin and the judgment we deserve because ofthat sin, the cross makes no sense, and the exclusivity of the Christian faithmakes even less sense. And withoutunderstanding the truth of who God is, and the deity of Jesus Christ, the fullimpact of His sacrifice cannot be understood.

By God’s grace, and your faithfulness, I pray that this reading willhelp with that understanding.

As we near the holiday season, we will be preparing forseveral special readings. We will have aBlack Friday reading (the day after Thanksgiving, the busiest shopping day ofthe year, at least here in the States), our True Gift of Christmas reading(when we will have groups reading the entire gospel of John) during the weekbefore Christmas, and a New Year’s reading. Now is the time to start encouraging others to join you for one of thesereadings, and to introduce them to Project Ezra. I will try to put up an introductory video inthe next few days, something that you can send to people who want to know whatour group is about. I’ll also have theevents up on Facebook soon, so stay tuned.

Finally, I pray that your Halloween weekend readings wentwell. We have not gotten many posts yet,and it would be a great encouragement to hear how your readings went. Ours locally, which we did the Saturdaybefore Halloween, when our local bars and clubs had most of their parties, was veryintense, but very good. We had twomembers of our team, Amanda and Jared, open-air for the first time. Both did a great job and it’s always a hugeencouragement to see someone break the sound barrier for the first time. We hope to have video up in the near future,but there is a huge amount of footage to sort through. Please pray for our videographer, Jared Duba,that he will have the wisdom to pick the footage that will be most encouraging,and give God the most glory. You canview last year’s video, which he also did, here:

PREACHING IN DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE HALLOWEENWEEKEND 2010.

I pray this reading is a blessing.

Dan

READ REVELATION 5

If you have not heard Revelation read before, some of thismaterial may seem odd to you. The bookof Revelation is highly symbolic, and can sometimes be hard to understand

However, you don’t have to understand every detail of thisbook, or of the rest of the Bible, to understand the focus of it, and it’sprimary message.

The primary message of God’s word is His salvation of Hispeople, which He accomplished through the death and resurrection of JesusChrist.

In this passage Jesus Christ is described as a lamb,standing as if slain. I the history ofthe Jews, a perfect lamb was sacrificed in the temple every year to atone forthe sins of the people.

In this passage the Lamb is the only one found worthy tostand before the throne of God, and open the scroll

We are told He is worthy because it was by His blood thatGod’s people were ransomed.

The death and resurrection of Christ for the salvation ofHis people, to ransom them from their sins, is the greatest act of mercy andlove, in fact the greatest act of any kind, in the history of the world

Jesus Christ was more than just a man. He was God in human flesh. He was and is the Lord and ruler of all thatexists.

John chapter 1 tells us that in the beginning was the Word,and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt amongus.

He is the creator and Lord of all that exists, and yet Hechose to come to earth as a ransom for sin

The idea that God the Son would humble Himself, walk theearth, and die for sin should amaze you. If it does not, you have too low of view of who God is, and too low aview of your own sin, and the ransom that needed to be paid

We needed to be ransomed, because the Bible tells us thatoutside of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, we are slaves to sin.

If you are willing to look at yourself truthfully, you willknow that is the case. You, and I, havesinned every day of our lives, and more times than we could count.

Look at yourself in light of God’s law, and you will seethat you are guilty of sin. And if youlook into your own heart, you will see that you cannot escape it. You are indeed sin’s slave, and need to beransomed.

GO THROUGH GOD’S LAWTO BRING CONVICTION OF SIN

Because we are in sin, we deserve judgment. We deserve God’s anger and wrath. And we deserve punishment, which the Biblesays will be in a place called hell.

Hell was created to punish the devil and his fallen angels,and those who deny God to live in their sin will be punished there for eternity

It is a place of darkness, and fire, and pain. It is separation from God’s goodness, andmercy and love, and being in the presence of His anger and wrath, and it willlast for all of eternity.

But although we all deserve this punishment for ourrebellion against God through sin, Christ paid our ransom!

Jesus, often called the Lamb of God because of Hissacrifice, died on a Roman cross two thousand years ago, and then rose from thedead to defeat death and pay our fine.

The Bible says God’s mercy is great, but His justice isgreat as well. Both justice and mercysaw their ultimate expression on the cross.

The cross shows God’s justice in the punishment of sin, andHis mercy and love in His sending His own Son to take that punishment.

So now you and I, though we were slaves to sin, can die toour sin and be alive in Christ

The Bible says that we are made right through repentance andfaith.

To repent means to turn. You must turn from your sin, from those things that you know to bewrong.

And you must trust in Jesus Christ, and in Him alone. Only He died to pay the price for sin, andonly He rose again, and sits at God’s right hand as our advocate.

Only through His righteousness, acting as payment for oursin, can we be seen as right on the final day, when we stand before God’sthrone.

So today, while God has given you time, while He has beenpatient with you, repent or your sins, turn to Jesus Christ alone, and besaved!