“Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?'” – Ezekiel 33:11

Lesslie Newbigin, in his book “Mission in Christ’s Way”, shares a powerful analogy of repentance from his days serving as a missionary in India.

“I remember once visiting a village in the Madras diocese. There was no road into the village; you reached it by crossing a river, and you could do this either on the south side of the village or on the north. The congregation had decided that I would come by the southern route, and they had prepared a welcome such as only an Indian village can prepare. 

There was music and fireworks and garlands and fruit and silumbum (the performance of a South Indian martial art done on ceremonial occasions)—everything you can imagine. Unfortunately I entered the village at the north end and found only a few goats and chickens. Crisis! I had to disappear while word was sent to the assembled congregation, and the entire village did a sort of U-turn so as to face the other way. Then I duly reappeared.

This is what metanoia (repent) means. The point is: ‘The reign of God has drawn near, but you can’t see it because you are looking the wrong way. You are expecting the wrong thing. What you think is ‘God’ isn’t God at all. You have to be, as Paul says, transformed by the renewing of your mind. You have to go through a mental revolution; otherwise the reign of God will be totally hidden from you.’”

The Lord calls upon us to repent of our sin and to turn to Him. Today in prayer, with brokenness, repent of any sin in your life and turn to Jesus.

“With the words “turn, turn,” the Holy Spirit is calling to you saying, “I want you back! Jesus died for you too, and I have forgiven your sins.” – Joel Pankow

God’s Word: “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” – 1 Timothy 2:3-4

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2025, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EZEKIEL AND DANIEL †

Heed The Warning                                  Thursday - April 10, 2025

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.” – Ezekiel 33:7

Roger Boisjoly, a booster rocket engineer at NASA contractor Morton Thiokol, tried vehemently to prevent the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger in January 1986.

Concerned about the elastic seals at the joints of the multi-stage booster rockets, Boisjoly, six months before the Challenger explosion, predicted a “catastrophe of the highest order” involving the “loss of human life” in a memo to Thiokol managers.

The elastic seals tended to stiffen and unseal in cold weather, and the forecast for the next morning at the Kennedy Space Center included a launch-time temperature as low as 30 degrees Fahrenheit — unprecedented for NASA.

Boisjoly and his colleagues argued persistently and vigorously for a launch delay, and initially, Thiokol managers agreed.

However, during a conference call with NASA officials, the pressure from NASA caused Thiokol managers to reverse their recommendation and proceed with the launch.

Boisjoly, traumatized by the Challenger explosion and the deaths of its crew, including Teacher-in-Space Christa McAuliffe, continued to speak out about ethical decision-making and the importance of sticking with data.

He was ostracized from some colleagues and endured unsuccessful lawsuits against Thiokol and NASA.

Despite the challenges, Boisjoly remained committed to sharing his experience to impact young engineers’ lives until his death in 2012.

When we hear a warning from the Lord, we need to heed it and not dismiss it. God gives warnings to protect us and to provide for us. Today in prayer, ask the Lord to give you a ready ear and a sensitive heart to hear His warnings and to follow them.

“If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to serve as a horrible warning.” – Catherine Aird

God’s Word: “Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.” – Psalm 119:33-36

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2025, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EZEKIEL AND DANIEL †

“So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.” – Ezekiel 24:18

In an article entitled “Ministering During Personal Tragedy”, author Jess Rainer writes: “We were not prepared for the death of our son. About the only thing we could do was cry. In the months following Will’s death, we began to cope with our loss. We began to find our new normal as parents who lost a child. During those months, I learned three major lessons as a minister. I pray that I (or anyone else) will never have to apply these lessons again. 

1. Minister to your family.

 I was a new minister in a new church. There were people who needed to be ministered to throughout our community. More importantly, I had a family who needed me to minister to them. My 2-year-old son at the time wanted his daddy to hug him and play football with him. Rachel so desperately needed me to be a husband with a listening and compassionate ear. I wish I could tell you I was the perfect husband and dad during this time, but I wasn’t. If you find yourself in this position, minister to your family first.

2. Don’t hide your grief in your work. 

I tend to be a workhorse. This trait is often perceived as a good quality, but during a time of personal tragedy, it’s not. I focused what little mental energy I had into my work. I did not allow myself to grieve. In my mind, I had to be strong for my family so that they could grieve. In order to eliminate my grief, I hid it in hours of work. It’s been nineteen months since Will passed away and I am grieving more now than when he passed away.

 3. Seek God’s plan during tragedy.

God provided a peace that only He could provide during the immediate months following Will’s death. This peace was undeniable. We prayed for God’s comfort and He clearly provided it. Having this peace allowed us to seek out God’s plan during tragedy. While it is not completely clear, we understand God has enabled us to minister to others who are going through tragedy. God had and has a plan for Will’s death. Rachel and I will continue to seek it.”

The Lord leads us throughout our life, through the joy and sunlight and in the sorrows and darkness. Today in prayer, give thanks to the Lord that He is our Rock. Take His hand as He walks you through eternity. 

“How sweet the sound of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear. It soothes his sorrow, heals his wounds, and drives away his fears.” – John Newton

God’s Word: “Sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart.” – Ecclesiastes 7:3

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2025, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EZEKIEL AND DANIEL †

“I am the LORD your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” – Ezekiel 20:19

Kent and Barbara Hughes write in their book “Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome” the following:

“Elisabeth Elliot once stayed in the farmhouse of a Welsh shepherd and his family high in the mountains of North Wales. She stood watching one misty summer morning as the shepherd on horseback herded the sheep with the aid of his champion Scottish collie. The collie, she realized, was in its glory. It was doing what it had been bred and trained to do. Its eyes were always on the sheep, but its ears were dedicatedly tuned to obey its master. 

Through obedience the dog had experience its glory. The same is true in the spiritual realm, as Mrs. Elliot insightfully summarized: ‘To experience the glory of God’s will for us means absolute trust. It means the will to do his will, and it means joy.’” 

As Christians, following God’s laws and decrees bring us into a deeper relationship with Him. Today in prayer, seek to follow the Bible and live for Christ in all that you do.

“I feel that, if I could live a thousand lives, I would like to live them all for Christ, and even then, I would feel that they were all too little a return for His great love to me.” – Charles H. Spurgeon

God’s Word: “‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’” – Matthew 4:19

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2025, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EZEKIEL AND DANIEL †

“Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel?” – Ezekiel 18:31

In his book “Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine”, author Max Lucado writes: “In the spring of 2010, a skiing accident took the life of her (Tara Storch) thirteen-year-old daughter, Taylor. What followed for Tara and her husband, Todd, was every parent’s worst nightmare: a funeral, a burial, a flood of questions and tears. They decided to donate their daughter’s organs to needy patients. Few people needed a heart more than Patricia Winters. Her heart had begun to fail five years earlier, leaving her too weak to do much more than sleep.

Taylor’s heart gave Patricia a fresh start on life. Tara had only one request: she wanted to hear the heart of her daughter. She and Todd flew from Dallas to Phoenix and went to Patricia’s home to listen to Taylor’s heart. The two mothers embraced for a long time. Then Patricia offered Tara and Todd a stethoscope. When they listened to the healthy rhythm, whose heart did they hear? Did they not hear the still-beating heart of their daughter/ It indwells a different body, but the heart is the heart of their child.”

When you give your life to Jesus, you gain a new heart. Today in prayer, thank your Heavenly Father for new life in Christ and the new heart and spirit He has given you.

“You will never be happy till you are converted.” – J.C. Ryle

God’s Word: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” – Ezekiel 36:26

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2025, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EZEKIEL AND DANIEL †

“'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.” – Ezekiel 16:49

In his book, “Our Good Crisis: Overcoming Moral Chaos with the Beatitudes”, Jonathan K. Dodson points out our blind-spots with respect to pride:

We rarely think of ourselves as proud. Instead we think of others—“the arrogant guy,” “the stuck-up girl”—who seem to excel in pride as if they work at it. People from the entertainment industry may come to mind: Rosie O’Donnell, Christian Bale, or Beyoncé. Or from sports: Floyd Mayweather, Draymond Green, Nick Kyrgios.

Pride is easy to spot in those who are in the limelight but difficult to see in ourselves. When a video of Bale losing his temper and cussing out a camera crew went viral, people spewed judgments at him online. We often judge a high-profile person for an instance of arrogance, one explosion of anger, or a tirade rife with profanities, as if we’ve never done the same thing. We reduce people to the madness of a single moment.

The Lord desires us to be humble, not arrogant and prideful. Today in prayer, confess any sin of pride and arrogance and humbly seek the Lord with all of your heart.

"We have become an arrogant people, and we must understand our un-deservedness, and that without Him we can do nothing. Holy Spirit, bring us to a point of absolute repentance and confession and revival.” – Frank Page

God’s Word: “The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.” – Psalm 5:5

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2025, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EZEKIEL AND DANIEL †

"Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: 'Hear the word of the LORD!” – Ezekiel 13:2

Pastor Edward F. Markquart wrote: “The Old Testament prophet was to be keenly aware of the evil powers around them; they were also to be aware of the grand promises of the Messiah who was to come. And the worst sin of the prophet was to fall asleep, becoming lethargic to the surrounding evil, or becoming lethargic to the future possibility of the Messiah to come. The complacent prophets were the false prophets.

We then approach the New Testament and Jesus clearly calls out to us “to watch, be alert, don’t fall asleep,” don’t drift into spiritual lethargy about the evil around you, the evil peril around us and in us. Also, we are not to fall asleep to the grand possibilities of God’s wonderful miracles to unfold before our eyes. Stay awake. Don’t fall asleep.”

True prophecy of the Lord can be found in the Bible. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for giving us His Word in the Bible and spend some extra time studying it today.

“It behooves Christians to keep close to the word of God, and in every thing to seek the teaching of the Holy Spirit.” – Matthew Henry

God’s Word: “Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. They say, "The LORD declares," when the LORD has not sent them; yet they expect their words to be fulfilled.” – Ezekiel 13:6

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2025, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EZEKIEL AND DANIEL †

“But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself.” – Ezekiel 3:21

In 1915, the German consulate placed advertisements in the travel sections of major U.S. newspapers. The ad warned passengers on ships heading to Britain that they were entering a war zone, and they were in danger of having their ship sunk. Passengers ignored the ad, and set sail to England on the Lusitania. On May 7, 1915, the Lusitania was sunk off the coast of Ireland by a German U-boat. Among the dead were 128 American citizens, which sparked war fever in America. The Germans responded by saying they tried to warn the passengers. President Woodrow Wilson made diplomatic protests, and the Germans backed down on unrestricted submarine warfare. There was outrage over the German attitude that they had the right to sink passenger ships, and if any Americans died then it was their fault for being on the ship. Germany resumed the U-boat warfare in 1917, prompting an American declaration of war. The Germans had warned the passengers, but Wilson had warned them that the USA was ready to go to war. Germany did not listen to Wilson, and they ended up being defeated in the war.

Throughout the Bible, the Lord gives us warnings on how to live a holy life. Are you heeding His warnings? Today in prayer, confess any sin in your life and seek to follow the Lord as you read His Word.

“The Bible give us a list of human stories on both sides of the ledger. On list of human stories is used examples -- do what these people did. Another list of human stories is used as warnings -- don't do what these people did. So if your story ever gets in one of these books, make sure they use it as an example, not a warning.” – Jim Rohn

God’s Word: “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.” – 1 Corinthians 10:11

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2025, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EZEKIEL AND DANIEL †

“You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.” – Ezekiel 2:7

In his book “The Holy Spirit: Activating God’s Power in Your Life”, evangelist Billy Graham tells of the importance of witnessing with following illustration: “An old American Indian [Native American] legend tells of an Indian [Native American] who came down from the mountains and saw the ocean for the first time. Awed by the scene, he requested a quart jar. As he waded into the ocean and filled the jar, he was asked what he intended to do with it. ‘Back in the mountains,’ he replied, ‘my people have never seen the Great Water. I will carry this jar to them so they can see what it is like.’”

Wherever the Lord has you today, faithfully be His witness. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He is a great God and share the love of Jesus Christ with someone.

“Never, for fear of feeble man, restrain your witness.” – Charles H. Spurgeon

God’s Word: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2025, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EZEKIEL AND DANIEL †