Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Bible in a year podcast where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of scripture. The Bible in a year podcast is brought to you by ascension using the great adventure Bible timeline. We'll read all the way from Genesis to revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story. Today, it is day 210, and we're reading from two chapters in Isaiah 41 and 42, Ezekiel, chapter two and three, and also proverbs, chapter twelve, verses one through four. As always, the Bible translation that I'm reading from is the revised standard Version, the second catholic edition.

I'm using the great adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible into your reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com bibleina here. If you have not yet done that, you would know well, you wouldn't know if you have not yet done that, that you can check off every day. That's what he will not quench. And this is us, right? That's, we're the bruised reeds. We're the dimly burning wick of the smoldering wick, that when Jesus comes, he comes for righteousness.He comes from mercy. He did not come, as he says many times, to judge or condemn, but he comes to bring God's mercy to us in time, because he wants us to escape judgment through his mercy. Now, at the same time, we have Ezekiel. And Ezekiel is very important because as it says in chapter 42, it says, I will put my spirit upon him. I put my spirit upon him, right?And that's what happens when Jesus gets baptized in the Jordan river by John. But also in Ezekiel. Ezekiel is described as receiving the spirit of God that's come upon him. And this is remarkable because this very rarely happens. In fact, there are some people who will say that these three major prophets, they kind of represent the various persons, the three persons of the Trinity, right?So Isaiah would represent the son, because here we are, we're talking about the messiah. This incredible prophecy of the son of God, Jeremiah would represent the father and that Ezekiel here represents the spirit, the spirit of God. Because Ezekiel keeps saying that the spirit of the Lord came upon me or the spirit of the Lord picked me up and moved me. And this is just really incredible that here is the spirit. Now.This is a continuation of Ezekiel's vision of God. Now, if Ezekiel will have, I think it's four times he will have this same vision of the Lord. That's just remarkable and incredible. And it's remarkable and incredible because Ezekiel is going to be asked to be a very strange prophet. In fact, he's a different prophet than almost any other prophet in the sense that, like, kind of like Hosea.Remember, Hosea was called to marry Gomer, the prostitute who would be unfaithful to him, and yet he would have to be faithful to her. He'd be witnessing to God's faithfulness with his very life. Ezekiel also is going to be the kind of prophet who has to give witness to God and also give witness to the unfaithfulness of the people of Israel with his very life. And so part of the idea sometimes behind this is that, okay, Ezekiel, since you're going to be out there, you're going to be doing some crazy, crazy things. I'm going to give you this incredible vision of my reality, of my presence, of my power, of my glory.Glory. And that's going to be a sustaining, is going to be able to sustain you as you go forth. In fact, how many times does God say in these two chapters that we heard, son of man, be not afraid of them. Don't be afraid of their words. Don't be dismayed at their looks.He says this again and again because Ezekiel is going to do some really weird things. He is going to be sticking out like a sore thumb. Guys, just in the next couple days, we're going to see this. Tomorrow, we're going to see some of the strange things that Ezekiel is commanded to do by God in the sight of the people. So God tells them, don't be dismayed at their looks, and you shall speak my words to them, whether more about Ezekiel. We have a bunch of days to meet with Ezekiel, but one of the things that God makes very clear is that you will speak, and you can't control whether they hear or refuse to hear. In fact, remember in chapter three, we just heard, you will speak to the wicked, and you have to speak every word I said, because if you don't and the wicked one dies, they'll die for their sin, but you also will have his blood on your hands. So you can't control what the other person does, but you can control what you do.And that's really remarkable and so important, such a great, incredible reminder that, yep, do not be afraid of them. And also do not be dismayed by those who look at you, ask you because of your faith or because of your witness or because of your prophetic life, but also you have to speak the words that I give you to speak. You have to speak the words that I give you to speak. I wonder if that's one of the reasons why Ezekiel, he's bound and silenced. He knows what it is to not be able to speak the word of God.He knows what it is to not be able to bear witness to the Lord with his life. And so God gives him this little taste by being bound in silence so that he can know, okay, here's what it is to be freed, to be able to freely speak God's word to a people that needs to hear God's word. You know, this is the. The prophet of the spirit. And he ate that scroll, and in his mouth it was sweet, because these are the words of God that he must.He must speak. But, you know, later on in the bookscroll, and God's word tastes sweet, and that's so good for us, right? It's the Bible in the ear we're listening to this day, 200 and plus, you know, and the words of God are sweet. But sometimes when we let them actually penetrate our lives and change our lives and transform our lives, and we know we have to speak these words or live out these words. It can be difficult.It can become difficult. And yet we're called to do this. We're called to take God's word into us and allow it to transform us. And so that's why we need God's grace. We need the holy spirit to help us this day and every day, every moment of our lives.So I'm praying for you. Please pray for me. Pray for each other. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow.God blessed.

he will not quench. And this is us, right? That's, we're the bruised reeds. We're the dimly burning wick of the smoldering wick, that when Jesus comes, he comes for righteousness.

He comes from mercy. He did not come, as he says many times, to judge or condemn, but he comes to bring God's mercy to us in time, because he wants us to escape judgment through his mercy. Now, at the same time, we have Ezekiel. And Ezekiel is very important because as it says in chapter 42, it says, I will put my spirit upon him. I put my spirit upon him, right?

And that's what happens when Jesus gets baptized in the Jordan river by John. But also in Ezekiel. Ezekiel is described as receiving the spirit of God that's come upon him. And this is remarkable because this very rarely happens. In fact, there are some people who will say that these three major prophets, they kind of represent the various persons, the three persons of the Trinity, right?

So Isaiah would represent the son, because here we are, we're talking about the messiah. This incredible prophecy of the son of God, Jeremiah would represent the father and that Ezekiel here represents the spirit, the spirit of God. Because Ezekiel keeps saying that the spirit of the Lord came upon me or the spirit of the Lord picked me up and moved me. And this is just really incredible that here is the spirit. Now.

This is a continuation of Ezekiel's vision of God. Now, if Ezekiel will have, I think it's four times he will have this same vision of the Lord. That's just remarkable and incredible. And it's remarkable and incredible because Ezekiel is going to be asked to be a very strange prophet. In fact, he's a different prophet than almost any other prophet in the sense that, like, kind of like Hosea.

Remember, Hosea was called to marry Gomer, the prostitute who would be unfaithful to him, and yet he would have to be faithful to her. He'd be witnessing to God's faithfulness with his very life. Ezekiel also is going to be the kind of prophet who has to give witness to God and also give witness to the unfaithfulness of the people of Israel with his very life. And so part of the idea sometimes behind this is that, okay, Ezekiel, since you're going to be out there, you're going to be doing some crazy, crazy things. I'm going to give you this incredible vision of my reality, of my presence, of my power, of my glory.

Glory. And that's going to be a sustaining, is going to be able to sustain you as you go forth. In fact, how many times does God say in these two chapters that we heard, son of man, be not afraid of them. Don't be afraid of their words. Don't be dismayed at their looks.

He says this again and again because Ezekiel is going to do some really weird things. He is going to be sticking out like a sore thumb. Guys, just in the next couple days, we're going to see this. Tomorrow, we're going to see some of the strange things that Ezekiel is commanded to do by God in the sight of the people. So God tells them, don't be dismayed at their looks, and you shall speak my words to them, whether more about Ezekiel. We have a bunch of days to meet with Ezekiel, but one of the things that God makes very clear is that you will speak, and you can't control whether they hear or refuse to hear. In fact, remember in chapter three, we just heard, you will speak to the wicked, and you have to speak every word I said, because if you don't and the wicked one dies, they'll die for their sin, but you also will have his blood on your hands. So you can't control what the other person does, but you can control what you do.And that's really remarkable and so important, such a great, incredible reminder that, yep, do not be afraid of them. And also do not be dismayed by those who look at you, ask you because of your faith or because of your witness or because of your prophetic life, but also you have to speak the words that I give you to speak. You have to speak the words that I give you to speak. I wonder if that's one of the reasons why Ezekiel, he's bound and silenced. He knows what it is to not be able to speak the word of God.He knows what it is to not be able to bear witness to the Lord with his life. And so God gives him this little taste by being bound in silence so that he can know, okay, here's what it is to be freed, to be able to freely speak God's word to a people that needs to hear God's word. You know, this is the. The prophet of the spirit. And he ate that scroll, and in his mouth it was sweet, because these are the words of God that he must.He must speak. But, you know, later on in the bookscroll, and God's word tastes sweet, and that's so good for us, right? It's the Bible in the ear we're listening to this day, 200 and plus, you know, and the words of God are sweet. But sometimes when we let them actually penetrate our lives and change our lives and transform our lives, and we know we have to speak these words or live out these words. It can be difficult.It can become difficult. And yet we're called to do this. We're called to take God's word into us and allow it to transform us. And so that's why we need God's grace. We need the holy spirit to help us this day and every day, every moment of our lives.So I'm praying for you. Please pray for me. Pray for each other. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow.God blessed.

more about Ezekiel. We have a bunch of days to meet with Ezekiel, but one of the things that God makes very clear is that you will speak, and you can't control whether they hear or refuse to hear. In fact, remember in chapter three, we just heard, you will speak to the wicked, and you have to speak every word I said, because if you don't and the wicked one dies, they'll die for their sin, but you also will have his blood on your hands. So you can't control what the other person does, but you can control what you do.

And that's really remarkable and so important, such a great, incredible reminder that, yep, do not be afraid of them. And also do not be dismayed by those who look at you, ask you because of your faith or because of your witness or because of your prophetic life, but also you have to speak the words that I give you to speak. You have to speak the words that I give you to speak. I wonder if that's one of the reasons why Ezekiel, he's bound and silenced. He knows what it is to not be able to speak the word of God.

He knows what it is to not be able to bear witness to the Lord with his life. And so God gives him this little taste by being bound in silence so that he can know, okay, here's what it is to be freed, to be able to freely speak God's word to a people that needs to hear God's word. You know, this is the. The prophet of the spirit. And he ate that scroll, and in his mouth it was sweet, because these are the words of God that he must.

He must speak. But, you know, later on in the bookscroll, and God's word tastes sweet, and that's so good for us, right? It's the Bible in the ear we're listening to this day, 200 and plus, you know, and the words of God are sweet. But sometimes when we let them actually penetrate our lives and change our lives and transform our lives, and we know we have to speak these words or live out these words. It can be difficult.It can become difficult. And yet we're called to do this. We're called to take God's word into us and allow it to transform us. And so that's why we need God's grace. We need the holy spirit to help us this day and every day, every moment of our lives.So I'm praying for you. Please pray for me. Pray for each other. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow.God blessed.

scroll, and God's word tastes sweet, and that's so good for us, right? It's the Bible in the ear we're listening to this day, 200 and plus, you know, and the words of God are sweet. But sometimes when we let them actually penetrate our lives and change our lives and transform our lives, and we know we have to speak these words or live out these words. It can be difficult.

It can become difficult. And yet we're called to do this. We're called to take God's word into us and allow it to transform us. And so that's why we need God's grace. We need the holy spirit to help us this day and every day, every moment of our lives.

So I'm praying for you. Please pray for me. Pray for each other. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow.

God blessed.