Palm Sonday and Trafficking

Oops, that’s Palm Sunday.

I set the date without looking at the date. Then, when I did, look at the calendar, I thought I had better change the date. We can’t have a guest speaker talking about sex trafficking on Palm Sunday, can we?

I started to reschedule, but then felt the Lord wanted to keep it.

So, just to confirm the date I called Barbara Anderson, Founder and President of Butterfly Arising, an anti-trafficking organization.

She thought it was peculiar when I requested Palm Sunday, but she figured, surely the Pastor knew what he was doing.

No, he didn’t. But God did.

So, Butterfly Barb came and spoke and equipped the saints with an abundance of information and weaponry for combatting trafficking. She showed us her vision of building Monarch Village, a haven of rest and restoration for survivors of trafficking.

 Then, after that, the Lord provided a brief Bible Study, exposing the origins of the evils of trafficking and tied it to the Purpose and Power of Palm Sonday.

It went something like this:

Palm Sonday is so important it’s recorded in all four gospels.

·     Matthew 21:1-17

·       Mark 11:1-11

·       Luke 19:29-40

·       John 12:12-19

From this Palm Sonday, March 29, 2026, to the first Powerful Palm Sonday, was 728,285 days.

It’s remembered and celebrated around the world every year.

As far as we know, the events of the day weren’t all too spectacular. Jesus didn’t feed a multitude, walk on water, heal the sick or raise the dead. He simply rode a young donkey a couple of miles into Jerusalem.

What made the day extraordinarily, supernaturally, over the top, awe inspiringly spectacular is the timing of it all.

The day He did it was perfect. The sinless, spotless Lamb of God came to them on the very day that they selected their spotless Passover Lamb. Exodus 12:1-14.

The way He did it couldn’t be missed. Just as prophesied hundreds of years ahead of time, the Messiah came riding on the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9.

The timing provided undeniable proof of Who He was, and what He was doing. Daniel 9:25.

About 500 years prior the angel Gabriel told Daniel, that the Messiah would come “sixty-nine weeks” (69 sevens, or 483 years, or 173,880 days) after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem.

According to Nehemiah 2, the decree came, by Artaxerxes, March 14, 445 BC.

Exactly 173,880 days later to the day, on April 6, 32 AD Jesus rode into Jerusalem sitting on a donkey’s colt. (Zech. 9:9).

The crowd hailed Him as Messiah and King, shouting “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!” Psalm 118:25-26.

The crowds cheered. But Jesus teared.

He looked toward Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, perhaps near olive trees that still stand today (some are said to be about 2,000 years old.)

There, He wept and said:

“If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!” Luke 19:42.

Imagine the sorrow the flowed from quivering lips, as He said...

“But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another because you did not know the time of your visitation.” Luke 19:42-44.

All of that literally happened in 70 AD, exactly as He said.

Just below where He stood was the Garden of Gethsemane, at the base of the Mount of Olives. Where in less than a week, He’d be, at night, to weep and pray and sweat great drops of blood. Where He’d ask His disciples to watch and pray, but instead they’d sleep. Where He’d be betrayed with a kiss from Judas. Where He’d be bound like a criminal and be led to slaughter, by those He loved and came to save.

He knew all that, and more, would come to pass.

With a tearful gaze He looked toward Jerusalem and knew:

1.    They would reject Him as the Passover Lamb. John 1:11.

2.    They would not recognize His visitation. Luke 19:44.

3.    In less than a week the cheers would turn to jeers; from Hosanna to Crucify Him. Matthew 27:22, Mark 15:12-13, Luke 23:20-21.

Nevertheless, Jesus stayed the course, endured the cross for the joy set before Him. Hebrews 12:2.  

To seek and to save the lost. Luke 19:10.

To destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8.

To take away the sins of the world. John 1:29.

Which is what weaves the ministry of Butterfly Barb into our Palm Sonday message.

Trafficking exists because of one thing:

SIN.

Sex trafficking is the vilest of sin.

Butterfly Arising may sound like a nice, sweet name; but tackling trafficking is no small battle.

It’s David against the wickedest Goliath.

Trafficking is all in with sin. Every aspect and element associated with it comes from the worst form of evil.

Avoid it like the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, don’t touch it, taste it, smell it or even go near it.  

Listen. If you’re peeking at porn, even a little, you’re sipping poison that’ll rot your brain, defile your flesh, and damn your soul to an eternity of regret and torment. FLEE FROM IT! FAST!

If we truly understood the origins of this wickedness we’d throw up at the very thought of dabbling in it.

Genesis 6 tells us that fallen angels saw the beautiful women and took whomever they lusted after.

They crossed a sacred boundary and had offspring called, nephilim.

Now, to calm any undue fear please note that Jude 6-7 and 2 Peter 2:4-5, tell us that those demons who crossed that line are in chains and imprisoned, until judgement day. 

That evil sexual perversion plummeted the world into moral darkness until it became so corrupt that the thoughts of man were only evil continually.

This so grieved the heart of God that He decided to destroy every living thing on the face of the earth.

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Genesis 6:1-8.

NOTE: Even though it was just Noah (and family) against the world, God still expected him to do something.

Build an ark, (a Monarch Village) a haven of rest and restoration to escape the works of darkness and arise (like a butterfly) on the other side.

So, for 120 years Noah swung his hammer echoing God’s warning, REPENT! JUDGEMENT IS COMING! REPENT! JUDGEMENT IS COMING...

What’s your ark?

Where’s your hammer?

Swing. Keep swinging. Ever doing. God’s calling...

But one day... the hammering stopped. The door shut. The wrath of God poured.

Jesus has been knocking, knocking, knocking, for nearly 2,000 years. For so long, and so often, that so many, take Him for granted.

But one day... the knocking will stop. The trump will sound. The door will shut. The wrath of God will pour, and pour, and pour. For seven, long, years.

NOTE: HIStory reveals that God poured out His judgement in a major way in Noah’s day, then, again, in Abraham’s day, (against Sodom and Gomorrah).

Both involved sexual perversion that crossed sacred boundaries.  

Fallen angels took people.

Fallen people tried to take angels.

Today, sex trafficking takes, and takes, and takes, the least of these. Jesus says, in as much as you’ve done to the least of these, you’ve done to Me. (Matthew 25:40-45).

Sex trafficking crosses sacred boundaries that plummets souls into moral darkness so vile, it cannot be spoken of, so corrupt that every thought is only evil continually.

Today, Jesus’ words echo like Noah’s hammer...

As it was in the days of Noah so shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:37.

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, thank You for warning us, “In this world you will have tribulation.” Thank you for continuing Your journey, into the city, onto the cross, wrapped in a cocoon, placed in the tomb, and on the third day bursting forth like a Butterfly Arising. So, You could finish the sentence about tribulation, by saying, “but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

We love You, forever.

Amen.

Prayer Requests:

Call or text: 612-554-2522

Email: pray4measap@aol.com

Facebook: Church at WPV

Books: amazon.com/author/dougspurling

Watch online:

Facebook: Palm Sonday and Trafficking

You Tube: Palm Sonday and Trafficking

This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to sow.

Thank you for sharing.

Butterfly Arising, an anti-trafficking organization

 

Proverbs 31:8
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.

Human trafficking is a tough topic to talk about, but we tackled it on Sunday with the help of Barbara Anderson, Founder and President of Butterfly Arising, an anti-trafficking organization.

She provides a wealth of information in the presentation you can watch here:

Facebook: Butterfly Arising Palm Sunday

You Tube: Butterfly Arising Palm Sunday

 

She also gave multiple websites for additional study and action:

Reporting (anonymously): Human Trafficking Hotline

Florida Reporting 1-(855) 352-7233

National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-(888) 373-7888

Florida Exploited Minor, DCF Abuse Hotline: 1-800-96-ABUSE

Immediate Danger, call 911

 

Additional Education:

Human Trafficking Summit

CultureReframed.org

Missingkids.org/home

 

Awesome miracle story and song by Tasha Layton, about a friend trafficked from 4 to 34 (you’ll need a hanky or two):

Brave Heart (Dear Daughter)

 

Products:

Watches and phones with calling and text, no internet:

Gabb.com

Jewelry that helps support survivors:

Survivor Made

Purpose Jewelry

Starfish Project  

      

Florida Senator Ashley Moody Combating Online Predators Act Article

 

Psalms 12:5
But the Lord says, “Now I will arise! I will defend the poor, those who were plundered, the oppressed, and the needy who groan for help. I will spring into action to rescue and protect them!”

Please contact Barbara if you’d like her to speak at your Church or organization. More importantly, please pray for her and this powerful ministry.

Barbara Anderson

Founder & President

(888)200-5751

Butterfly Arising

An Anti-Trafficking Organization, Inc.

P.O. Box 46

Sebring, FL 33870

Email: ButterflyArising@outlook.com

Website: https://butterflyarising.com/

Doers of the Word, James 1:22-27

 

²² But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; ²⁴ for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. ²⁵ But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

²⁶ If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. ²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Outline: 

·       22-24 Doer

·       25 Disciple

·       26 Deliberate

·       27a Duty

·       27b Destiny

 

22-24 Doer

Chuck Norris recently entered Eternity, where, I believe, he heard the words, “Well done.” Many years ago, Roxy and I watched Walker Texas Ranger, each night as we ate supper. Did he do commercials for Bowflex? Maybe not? We owned one for years, a long time ago. Owning that Bowflex never made me muscley like Norris.

I used it all the time... for a hat rack, a chair, a bench to pile stuff... Owning it was useless, unless I was a doer of the Bowflex.

Owning a Bible is of no value unless we are doers of the Word.

Doers? Doug! That sounds like work. Wait. I thought we were saved by grace through faith, not of works, so no man can Bowflex. I mean, boast. Eph. 2:8-9.

That’s True. The thief on the cross didn’t have to do anything, but believe, and he showed up in heaven. Just because the Man on the middle cross said he could.

However, had the thief lived; after having met the Word, he’d be required to be a doer of the Word.

The Bible requires nothing of unbelievers... but belief.

But after that, it’s shoe leather. Roll up your sleeves, we’ve got work to do. 

This is how Jesus did it when He put on skin and wore shoe leather:

Matthew 9:35-38

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. ³⁶ But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. ³⁷ Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. ³⁸ Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Pray for more doers.

Be doers of the Word (Logos).

The word, for “word” in the original text is logos. It’s the same word used repeatedly in John 1:1, 14, referring to Jesus.

In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... ¹⁴ and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...

Be doers of the Word, is not a suggestion.

To obey the Word is to obey Jesus.

To be doers of the Word is to be doing like Jesus.  

Hebrews 4:12 tells us the Word is alive and powerful and exposes thoughts and motives.

That’s why James calls it a mirror. It’s an Xray mirror into our soul.  

A mirror tells the Truth.

We may not like it, but it’s the Truth. The older I get, the less I like it.

The old hillbilly never saw a mirror. So, when he found one, he said, “Well, I’ll be, a picture of Pa. God rest his soul.” He set the “picture” on his workbench in the barn. When his wife saw it she snatched it up and exclaimed, “Why’s he got a picture of an ol’ hag like that in here?

A mirror reflects the person looking into it—not someone else.

It doesn’t reflect the speck in someone else’s eye, only the log in our own.

So, when the mirror reveals something out of line, we have two options.

Be a doer, or a deceiver.

Do something to get in line with the Word.

Or walk away deceiving ourselves.

That’s why Bibles are dusty. Pews are empty. Some don’t like what they see.

But it can’t be unseen. The Word doesn’t return void. It makes its mark.

Some try to bury it with business, or numb it with drugs or booze, but it’s no use.

The Word is too powerful and breaks right through. 

So, they live a lie.

Some deceive themselves into being “doers” of the world, but not the Word.

Jesus says it like this:  

Matthew 7:21-29

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

²⁴ “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

²⁶ “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

 

To be a doer of the Word, we must know the Word.

Which brings us to the next verse.

25 Disciple

 ²⁵ But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

Looks into is to stop and lean in for a closer look into the mirror, the perfect law of liberty, the Word of God.

Continues in it, is as a lady primping, not missing, one spot or blemish or hair out of place, as a glorious bride preparing without spot or wrinkle. Eph. 5:25-27. 

2 Timothy 2:15
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Luke 11:28

Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.

Psalm 119:11
Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

The Word promises blessing on its disciples.

That’s why we invest all our time into teaching and preaching the Word. Book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, word by word. In the last few years, we’ve walked through all of Genesis, Revelation, Joshua, John, Daniel, Acts and are currently winding our way through, Ezekiel and James.

But make no mistake, its more than just knowledge.

To truly understand the Word, we must truly know, the Author.

1 Corinthians 2:14
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are Spiritually discerned

For example:

There’s another James, that knew the Word, grew up in church hearing the Word preached by his Pa in the New Hope Baptist Church, just outside Kearney, Missouri. Raised in a Bible believing, church attending, home.

I suppose his folks were so happy the day he was baptized. Surely they didn’t know, that just hours before, he killed a man.

He liked going to church. Taught Sunday School and sang in the choir.

Robbed banks and trains, killed some twenty people.

He was a Sunday School Superintendent.

Like the thief on the cross, he believed he was going to heaven.

However, after hearing the Word, unlike the thief on the cross, Jesse James had time to be a doer of the Word; but according to his deeds, he didn’t.

Only God knows the condition of his heart when he died, but his actions reveal he was a hearer only, not a doer, and thus, deceived.   

 To truly be a doer of the Word, we must truly know, the Author.

John 14:15
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

26 Deliberate

²⁶ If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 

Hearers but not doers find religion but not relationship.

They gain knowledge of the Book but lack intimacy with the Author. Thus, they fill the emptiness with talk of religion, vain, useless, religion, that deceives them into believing they’re going to heaven, while living in sin.

Doers of the Word, are deliberate in word and deed, bridling their tongue, swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath (James 1:19).

Deliberately discerning that:

Proverbs 10:19
In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.

27a Duty

²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble... 

Putting feet to faith. Shoe leather to sermons.

When the preacher’s speaking is done, is when the sermon begins to be done.

Religion that never leaves the sanctuary is useless.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 25:40: In as much as you’ve done it to the least of these, you’ve done it unto Me.

Orphans and widows in that day were the most vulnerable and needy, least of these.

The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve. Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45.

Matthew 23:11. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

Mark 6:31 says there were so many coming and going that they didn’t even have time to eat.

Of the over 900 different translations of the Bibles in English, the one that’s understood the best is: Shoe Leather.  

Pure undefiled religion is shoe leather.

It’s outside the stained glass and pews and clubhouse chairs. It’s hitting the street visiting orphans and widows, hospitals and that friend having a rough go. Helping someone with something—doesn’t matter what—just for the honor to serve and show that Jesus still puts on skin. Dropping off groceries and clothes. Crocheted donations. Standing in the street or parking lot or grocery store, praying for someone you just met and slipping them a little something extra as you shake their hand. It’s countless encouraging texts, and calls, and letters and prayers sent around the globe. Hanging out talking out how to be better doers of the Word.      

Being a doer of the Word, is dusty, and sweaty, exhausting and heavy... it’s the closest thing to heaven on earth, the greatest joy and fulfillment in the World. It’s a glimpse of our Divine Eternal Destiny.

27b Destiny

and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Being doers of the Word, will get us all kinds of dirty from the earth—and keep us unspotted from the sin-stained world.

James 1:21 tells us to lay aside all filthiness and wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save our souls.

Being doers of the Word sets the trajectory of our Divine Eternal Destiny, that looks a lot like this:

1 Peter 1:15-16
Just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: “Be holy, because I AM holy.”

Psalm 1:1-1-3
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; ² But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. ³ He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

So, let’s be:

Doers of the Word

Disciples of the Word

Deliberate in Word

Dutiful to the Word

Fulfilling our Devine Eternal Destiny according to the Word.

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, thank You for helping us to be doers of Your Word, ever looking into Your Perfect Law of Liberty, being transformed from glory to glory into Your image. So, all who see us, will catch a glimpse of You, that none are lost.

Thank You.

We love You, forever.

Amen.

Prayer Requests:

Call or text: 612-554-2522

Email: pray4measap@aol.com

Facebook: Church at WPV

Books: amazon.com/author/dougspurling

Watch online:

Facebook: Be Doers of the Word, James 1:22-27

You Tube: Be Doers of the Word, James 1:22-27

This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to sow.

Thank you for sharing.

The Prophet’s Pantomime, Ezekiel 12:1-16

The closer you get to your destination, the more signs you see. More frequent, more specific.

The closer you get to delivery, the more labor pains, more intense, more frequent.

The signs of the times work like that.

The Lord works like that. He did it back in the day, with Ezekiel and friends, and He’s still doing the same today. For those who have ears to hear and eyes to see.

For multiple chapters and months we’ve been seeing and hearing Ezekiel give warning, judgement is coming!

But did you notice, in the last chapter, the Lord actually, named, names. Ezekiel 11:1.

It’s getting more specific. More intense.

Today as we step into Ezekiel 12, we see a detailed prophecy pointing specifically to the last days of the last king of Judah, the weak, rebellious, Zedekiah.

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

 2 “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house.

Based on the repeated rebellion of the people of Judah, this one statement from the Lord basically tells Ezekiel:

Son of man your house is weak, it’s a mess, it’s a wreck. Over and over we’ve warned, but they just won’t listen.

When we built a replica of Jerusalem under siege, showing exactly what was going to happen, did they humble themselves and turn to Me? No! They did not.

When you baked bread over fire made of dung, did they run from the stench of their sin? No! They wallowed deeper in the muck and mire.

When with a sword, you shaved your head and beard, did they turn from their shame to the Lord? No! They clung tighter to idols made of wood and stone.

They are a rebellious house!

They know better. They have eyes, to see My glory every evening and morning. They have ears to hear how I’ve blessed the nation from sea to shining sea.

Yet they reject Me, turn from Me. They refuse My Word, My prophets, My people and believe the lies of false prophets that tickle their ears and tell them all is well, peace and safety, king Zedekiah will save you, and make you healthy, wealthy and wise.  

They are a rebellious house!

Rebellious house is mentioned multiple times in the Bible, over a dozen times in Ezekiel and five times in this chapter alone.

Rebellion is devilish.

1 Samuel 15:23: For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you (Saul) from being king.

Rebellion is not done in ignorance but in defiance.

Rebellion is knowing the Way but turning away.

It’s knowing the Truth but accepting the lie.

It’s knowing Life but choosing death.

It willingly rejects the Way, the Truth, the Life, Jesus Christ.

So, does God say, “Stand back while I turn this rebellious house to rubble!”  

No, He does not.

The Lord repeatedly gives warnings, when and where and why, judgement will fall.

Amos 3:7
Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.

So none, be caught unawares.

So all, have opportunity to be spared.

2 Peter 3:9
It’s not His will for any to perish, but that all come to repentance.

Ezekiel 33:11
He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that all turn, from their wicked ways and live.

That’s the heart of the God of Israel.

That’s where Israel gets it from.

Today before Israel drops a bomb, they drop millions of leaflets, texts and calls, warning, judgement is falling, at this time, at this place, evacuate.

No other nation does so much to protect civilians.

Posted after our service. Was he watching? 

So, God does not tell Ezekiel to watch out while He sends fire from heaven on the rebels. 

Instead, once again, He tells him to give them a sign. But this time, put on a play, a skit, a mime. It may be that they will consider—and turn from their wicked ways and live.

But they’re pretty hard-headed, so probably not.

3 “Therefore, son of man, prepare your belongings for captivity, and go into captivity by day in their sight. You shall go from your place into captivity to another place in their sight. It may be that they will consider, though they are a rebellious house. 4 By day you shall bring out your belongings in their sight, as though going into captivity; and at evening you shall go, in their sight like those who go into captivity.

Ezekiel (Savannah) packing belongings

NOTE: During our Sunday morning service as we talked this out, we simultaneously walked out what Ezekiel may have done, in their sight. Special thanks to our extraordinarily gifted and talented actors, Savannah and Luke.

By this time folks had grown accustomed to gathering by Ezekiel’s place to see and hear what the Lord had to say. Or what peculiar thing the Lord might have him do.

Imagine the discussion while they watched Ezekiel packing his belongings in their sight.

What’s he doing? What’s he trying to show us?

I know. He’s reenacting when we were taken captive and brought here to Babylon.

No that’s not it. It’s a sign, soon we’ll be packing up too, and going home to Jerusalem. I heard king Zedekiah was about rise and revolt against Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah will set us free. We won’t be here long.

But wait. That can’t be it. Don’t you remember, Jeremiah said the Lord told us to build houses, grow crops, settle in, have kids, make the most of it because we’re going to be here awhile—seventy years. (Jer. 29:5-10).

Nonsense. How can you listen to what Jeremiah says? He said we’re to pray for the peace of the place where we’re carried away captive, for in its peace you will have peace (Jeremiah 29:7). Ha! How crazy is that? Can you believe it? Pray for our enemies? Who in the world would ever say anything like that?

JESUS:
But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. Matthew 5:44

Back to our text.

⁵ Dig through the wall in their sight and carry your belongings out through it.

Ezekiel (Savannah) digging through wall

 ⁶ In their sight you shall bear them on your shoulders and carry them out at twilight; you shall cover your face, so that you cannot see the ground, for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.”

I have made you a sign.

You are a sign.

Are you pointing to Jesus? 

When folks see you, hear you, watch you, do they draw closer to Jesus?

Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

⁷ So I did as I was commanded. I brought out my belongings by day, as though going into captivity, and at evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I brought them out at twilight, and I bore them on my shoulder in their sight.

⁸ And in the morning the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ⁹ “Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’

So I did as I was commanded. Obey right away. Seek first the kingdom of God. Matthew 6:33.

This is what Jesus is talking about when He said, I’ve come to give you life (zoe) more abundantly (John 10:10).

He wants His family so full of zoe life (the God kind of Life) that folks ask, “What are you up to now?”

A life where you never get bored and never run out of things to do.

A life of liberty even in captivity.

Did you notice he said, “as though going into captivity”.

As though? Doesn’t he know, he’s been a captive in Babylon for five years already?

Or maybe he knows these timeless Truths:

Whom the Son sets free is free indeed. John 8:36.

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Galatian 5:1.

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. Isaiah 61:1.

¹⁰ Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem (king Zedekiah) and all the house of Israel who are among them.” ’ ¹¹ Say, ‘I am a sign to you. As I have done, so shall it be done to them; they shall be carried away into captivity.’ ¹² And the prince who is among them shall bear his belongings on his shoulder at twilight and go out. They shall dig through the wall to carry them out through it. He shall cover his face, so that he cannot see the ground with his eyes. ¹³ I will also spread My net over him, and he shall be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he shall not see it, though he shall die there. ¹⁴ I will scatter to every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his troops; and I will draw out the sword after them.

"caught in My snare"

2 Kings 25:1-10, and, Jeremiah 52:7-11, document these events happened just as the Lord had said through His prophets.

For well over a year, Jerusalem was surrounded by the Babylonian army. Just as the Lord had said.  

The Jews were starving captives inside their own city. Resulting in some eating their own young.

They dug a hole in the city wall and king Zedekiah and his men escaped. Just as the Lord had said.

But Nebuchadnezzar’s army pursued Zedekiah and crew and in the plains of Jericho (15-20 miles away) they caught them. Just as the Lord had said. 

Zedekiah’s army scattered. Just as the Lord had said.  

They took king Zedekiah to king Nebuchadnezzar’s military headquarters at Riblah, on Israel’s northern border, (Syria, today).

There they pronounced judgment on Zedekiah, killed his men (that were caught), killed all his sons before his eyes, then took out his eyes, bound him with bronze fetters, and took him to Babylon. Where he remained prisoner until the day he died. Just as the Lord had said.

It all happened exactly as the Lord had said.

God’s Word is HIStory told in advance.

God’s Word is the most relevant, current, accurate, Truth, ever written.

About 27% of the Bible is prophecy.

8,352 verses out of the 31,102 verses of the Bible, are prophetic.

Out of the 2,500 Bible prophecies, 2,000 have already been fulfilled.

The rest, every single jot and tittle, will be fulfilled, just as the Lord had said. Matthew 5:18.

¹⁵ “Then they shall know that I am the Lord, when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. ¹⁶ But I will spare a few of their men from the sword, from famine, and from pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the Gentiles wherever they go. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.”

Repeatedly, over 60 times in Ezekiel the Lord reveals His heart’s desire:

Then they shall know that I AM the LORD.

One day all will know that I AM is LORD.

One day all will see that everything came to pass just as the Lord had said.

Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Philippians 2:10-11.

The closer we get to our destination, the more signs we see; more frequent, more specific. The closer we get to delivery, the more labor pains we feel; more intense, more frequent.

The signs of the times work like that.

The Lord works like that.

He did it back in Ezekiel’s day and is doing the same today.

Prophetic Warning Signs and Next Big Events in HIStory:

RAPTURE.

·       1 Thes. 4:16-17

·       1 Corinthians 15:51-52

·       John 14:3

·       Matthew 24:4-14

7 YEAR TRIBULATION

·       Jeremiah 30:7

·       Daniel 9:27

·       Daniel 12:11

·       Revelation 13:5

Ezekiel 38-39 WAR - Russia, Iran, Sudan, Turkey, Libya.

DAMASCUS DESTROYED - Isaiah 17:1

Consider the names of the current military operations:

Epic Fury, in a name describes exactly what the seven-year tribulation will be— the ultimate Epic Fury. NOTE: It began, 2.28.26. If it ends 4.18.26, that’d be seven weeks, perhaps prophetically foreshadowing seven years. Not prophesying, just saying we should have our eyes and ears open to what the Spirit may be saying to the Church. Be alert. Watch and pray.

Roaring Lion, in a name describes exactly what Jesus second coming will be like. His first was meek and mild as a Lamb in a manger. However, at the end of the Tribulation He returns roaring like a lion. Revelation 19:11-21.

Conclusion:

Did you hear about the near miss of a missile on the temple mount? What was Iran thinking? What if they destroyed the Dome of the Rock? Would that set the stage for some charismatic world leader to rise to power and rebuild the 3^rd temple? An event that will happen at the hands of the antichrist.

The Ezekiel 38-39 war is taking shape quicker than we may think.

Arab nations turning against Persia (Iran), pulls Russia with a hook in the jaw to bail out the bully little brother. (Ezekiel 38:4-5).

He who has ears to hear let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, thank You for giving us a multitude of signs so all who are willing are able to find their way to You. Help us shine as a sign pointing to You. So that of all those You’ve given us, none will be lost.

Thank You.

We love You, forever.

Amen.

Prayer Requests:

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Watch online:

Facebook: The Prophet’s Pantomime, Ezekiel 12:1-16

You Tube: The Prophet’s Pantomime, Ezekiel 12:1-16

This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to sow.

Thank you for sharing.