One of the main goals of reading the Holy Bible, should be to learn ‘all’ about Almighty God.
Just as you can know about your friends by what they say and do, you can know ‘all’ about God from what is recorded in the Holy Bible if you Know When God Speaks.
Of course, we may never know all about Him, but we certainly can know what He tells us about Himself.
I think most will agree that the words spoken by God should be given a higher priority than the inspired messages of the writers .
In the New Testament, most versions print the words spoken by Jesus in red, making it clear that He is speaking, but no such emphasis exists in the Old Testament when God Himself is Speaking.
In order to emphasize When God Speaks , I wrote the Book ” Know When God Speaks ” , in which I highlighted all the text in the Old Testament when Almighty God is quoted as speaking, in Purple color.
This project, has been included in the Bible Reading Plan and also the entire text of ” Know When God Speaks ” both of which are available free, on this website.
These quotes from Almighty God are taken from the Book of Ezekiel , and are directed to Ezekiel, and to each one of us……….
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Ezekiel writes :
This is what the glory of the Lord looked like to me. When I saw it, I fell face down on the ground, and I heard someone’s voice speaking to me.
“Stand up, son of man,” said the voice. “I want to speak with you.” 2 The Spirit came into me as he spoke, and he set me on my feet. I listened carefully to his words.
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It is more than likely, you will remember what Almighty God said, because of the color of the text…. and, yes, God does want to speak directly to you !
The Book of Ezekiel is one of the best Books in the Holy Bible to learn what and how Almighty God thinks and feels, and what actions he may take, as a result of His feelings.
Focusing on the spoken words of God as recorded by Ezekiel, will reveal many of the most important of His characteristics.
Ez 5:14 “They will see what happens when the Lord punishes a nation in anger and rebukes it, says the Lord.”
God often says “they will see” , as He causes many events that have been recorded in history, for thousands of years..
Almighty God is very compassionate , and His feelings, like ours, can be hurt by those He loves. Ez 6:9 “ They will recognize how hurt I am by their unfaithful hearts ”
Although pride can be problematic for man, not all pride is sinful. Even God is very proud, and clearly says so …..
20:9 “ for I acted to protect the honor of my name. I would not allow shame to be brought on my name among the surrounding nations ( by people). ”
God gets angry when people are unfaithful to Him, especially when people act in a way that makes others think God is irrelevant or powerless. The Book of Ezekiel really teaches how His ‘ jealous anger ‘ ( Ez 23:25) caused war and much destruction in the Mid-East 2500 years ago. Like with man, God’s anger reached a tipping point, He ‘ had had enough ‘ .
Although jealousy and anger are described by Paul in the Letter to the Corinthians ( Chapter5 ) as ‘sinful’, in the Holy Bible , Almighty God has often clearly described Himself as both jealous and angry .
You may think, ‘ How can this be ??? ‘ Genesis 1:27 holds the answer. Man is created in God’s image… and often we can see in Man, the characteristics that are present in God. Jealousy, anger, and pride , are not always sinful, ( if they were, they could not exist in God) but like ‘love’, these feelings without self-control, may lead us to sin.
Since the beginning, ‘much’ of mankind has treated Almighty God as semi-relevant or irrelevant in their choices and decisions, which is not what God expected when He created man.
Consequently, a frustrated God has attempted on many occasions to cause man to change, and give to Him, the respect , honor, and willing obedience, that He expects.
33:11 “As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. ”
“And I will make the land desolate because my people have been unfaithful to me. (Ez15:8)
“ Everyone will see the punishment I have inflicted on them and the power of my fist when I strike (EZ39:25)
“ Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord. ” ( Ez 13:9 ) but as strong as He is, with His warnings, God is compassionate, and tries to motivate man to change ..and speaks clearly in Ezekiel ch18 vs31,32
“ find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel? I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live! ”
Loving and compassionate, Almighty God has clearly shown His quickness to forgive, and this is shown elsewhere in the Old Testament and here in Ezekiel.
The following passages should be the foundation for your belief in God’s Forgiveness and Everlasting Life after death, as well as His warning of Judgement and Eternal Punishment if your faithfulness and obedience have subsided and you are living a sinful life at your time of death.
18:20 “ Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness.
21 But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die. 22 All their past sins will be forgotten, and they will live because of the righteous things they have done.
23 “Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. “ Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.
24 “However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins.
It’s not often that God repeats Himself, but because our understanding of this is so important to Him, He repeats it again
25 “Yet you say, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right!’ Listen to me, O people of Israel. Am I the one not doing what’s right, or is it you?
26 “When righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things, they will die for it. Yes, they will die because of their sinful deeds.
27 “And if wicked people turn from their wickedness, obey the law, and do what is just and right, they will save their lives. 28 They will live because they thought it over and decided to turn from their sins. Such people will not die.
33:13 “When I tell righteous people that they will live, but then they sin, expecting their past righteousness to save them, then none of their righteous acts will be remembered. ”
Almighty God continues this message through the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament, and from the beginning of His Ministry, Jesus continues teaching the same message as John the Baptist, which is : Forgiveness comes through asking God for it AND our repentance..turning away from further sinful acts.
3:15 “ If they do this ( turn from their wickedness, and do what is right), then they will surely live and not die.
16 “None of their past sins will be brought up again ” but then (if) they sin, expecting their past righteousness to save them, then none of their righteous acts will be remembered.
In Malachi, Almighty God says ;
1: 10 “I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings.
3: 6, a frustrated God proclaims “I am the Lord, and I do not change.”
I believe He is frustrated, because of man’s lack of interest in understanding Him.
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then followed with the Books of the Prophets in Chronological Order,
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