Purifying the Place

Gentrification

As we continue to view the revitalization, gentrification and re-gentrification of our neighborhoods it’s important to know the difference and the impact that these actions have on our communities. To make a long story short basically there are negative things infused in vibrant communities in effort to contribute to the self sabotage of our communities. For instance many of the liquor stores in our communities aren’t owned by residents of the community. Many of the owners of these establishments prey on vulnerable residents with pay day loans, avenues of poor coping skills such as alcohol and drugs in effort to further damage the community beyond repair.

When the community has become a haven for crime, drug abuse and neglect the powers that be typically displace the poor and infuse the neighborhoods with affluent individuals in hopes to line their pockets further. The lack of fresh produce and the over abundance of alcohol and other self debilitating substances isn’t a coincidence or by happenstance.

Keeping that in mind, sometimes we cannot control our surroundings or location but that is never an excuse to misuse what God has given us. Nonetheless when we misuse our resources to fortify these demons, God is not pleased. It’s one thing to be overtaken by the enemy when you’ve done all you can in effort to stand boldly against the enemy but when we succumb to the wishes of the enemy against the wishes of God He is not pleased. Stewardship and obedience are not location specific. No matter where we are in life God expects us to be a responsible steward of our gifts, our time and our treasure. Similar to obedience, obedience is a require alike purpose no matter where you are in life.

This is a direct rebellion against Exodus 20:3 ““You shall have no other gods before Me.”

This commandment was not location specific and there were plenty of examples of withstanding idol worship due to a God that takes care of His people no matter the place, time or issue.

Poor Leadership Kills People

Yes they were in exile, yes they were in bondage to a foreign nation but the consequence of disobedience should never be a motivator to further disobedience. God is still a God of redemption. God is still a God of repentance and forgiveness.

When tough times arise it’s time for us our leaders to stand up and stop the bleeding. The problem God was having was that no one was courageous enough to stop the bleeding.

Ezekiel 17:15-20 “But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and many people. Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still be delivered? ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke—with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die. Nor will Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company do anything in the war, when they heap up a siege mound and build a wall to cut off many persons. Since he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and in fact gave his hand and still did all these things, he shall not escape.’ ” Therefore thus says the Lord God: “As I live, surely My oath which he despised, and My covenant which he broke, I will recompense on his own head. I will spread My net over him, and he shall be taken in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon and try him there for the treason which he committed against My name.”

Instead of using resources to praise to make the most of the situation, they continued to make use of the land by building more idols and more temples to other gods.

If we can’t do anything else we can be obedient. Here’s the thing about obedience, typically we are only as obedient as our example.

1 Corinthians 11:1 “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.”

Understand that typically our progress as a community hangs in the balance of what we will put up with and refuse to put up with.

Understand that sin breaks the heart of God, it was their sin that God was fed up with. In effort to get things back in order God has to start from scratch.

Signs were over, Ezekiel has given two sermons. In order to change the people the system had to change.

Poor leadership can set us up for generations of failure.

In our homes

In our churches

In our communities

In our schools

In our marriages

God Can Get Glory With Or Without Us

Ezekiel 6:1-3 “Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, and say, ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains, to the hills, to the ravines, and to the valleys: “Indeed I, even I, will bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places.”

These first three verses are a testament to the power of God. God tells the prophet Ezekiel to prophesy to the mountains. God is basically saying, since people won’t listen let me show you how much power I truly have. Preacher, teacher, don’t get caught up with the amount of people in the seats, God will get more glory out of an empty seat than a full stadium if He wants to.

God can use anything for His glory, not only did God condemn the people, He condemned their actions and He held them accountable for defiling the land that they had.

Understand that God is God alone. God is King, God is Father, God is Lord.

You want to worship idols, God says I’ll destroy you and lay you in front of your idol so you see that there’s nothing like God.

It’s time for us to find hope in the God that can move mountains and use mountains.

What the world has deemed as just a piece of land can be used to free to the captives or bring the lost to repentance!

We are dealing with a God that can make winds cease and waves calm by just a few words!

So if God can do that with nature let us remember what He has done and He can do for us!

God Uses What He Pleases

God can use what He pleases because He is creator and ruler over this entire world! Jesus understood this!

Luke 19:37-40 “Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: “ ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.””

We can keep silent if we want to, God will find a way for his message to ring out!

Matthew 8:27 “So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?””

If the wind and waves can obey, what’s our excuse! Bondage was a consequence of sin, destruction of their land was a consequence of poor stewardship and falling victim to the peer pressures of oppression, understanding that God is all powerful.

People can misuse God’s blessings, we can continue to be disobedient and not acknowledge Him and properly prioritize Him! Understand God’s is going to get due praise one way or another!