preferred.jpg

Eat the Book

It's About HIM
It's About HIM Bible Study Notes
Page Links-NEW
It's About HIM YouTube Channel
It's About HIM on Facebook
It's About Him Blog
Blogs Worth Reading
Children's Page-New Media Added
New Believers Page
Encouragement For His Beloved
Hope for the Backslider, the Prodigal and the Lost-New Message Listings!!!!!
Pastor BH Clendennen & The School of Christ International
Living Waters Church, Chino CA
Times Square Church Links
Beware the Angry Watchmen-Pastor Conlon, TSC
First New Testament Church
Revive Us Oh, Lord
Sermon Index
Heaven Sent Revival
The Cross
In Loving Memory...a page of dedication
BH Clendennen Now broadcasting on ActsAmerica.org
Authentic Christianity
BBL Software, Mobile and Online BBL Study Links
Highly Recommended Links & Great Online Churches
Voice of the Martyrs:JESUS: He Lived Among Us DVD
E Books
God's Sanctuary
Quick Thoughts
The School of Pentecost-Pastor Danny Kirby, Sister Beth Kirby
Pentecostal Pioneers
T Austin Sparks
the New Cruse
Daily Fellowship With God
The Cross is All
REVIVAL CONFERENCE
RESCUE THE PERISHING
Some Favorite Media Music n Sermons--NEW listing
Christ Centered Worship Favorites
Judge Roy Moore
On Hell
Prayer for the Saints
Prayer for the Lost-UPDATED
What I Believe
About My Testimony
My Pictures
Highly Recommended Reading-Updated
Ruth Bryan - The Matchless Love of Christ as the Bridegroom
Writings of Ruth Bryan
These Inward Foes
Computer Security, Site Problems, Troubleshooting, Report Broken Links

1Jo 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

Eat the Book                                                      March 23, 2006

Jer 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

 

I looked up this word "eat" here. I've heard the term in my Father's Word many times, especially in John 6 when Jesus was telling the people unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no life in you.

According to Strong's Hebrew Definitions it means "to consume, devour, dine, feed, or burn up." Jeremiah was in a terrible situation here. God was telling him that because of the grievous sins of Israel, that even if Moses and Samuel stood before him, he would not listen to their intercession for this people. He was casting them out of his sight. Jeremiah knew judgment and destruction was coming up on his people for their refusal to listen to and obey God. They had declined so much they had begun to out-sin the world around them. At such a time, Jeremiah's strength was found in the word of the Lord. He held on to the word of the Lord tightly. He did not physically eat the parchment it was written on, but he read it and read it and read it until it was hidden in his heart, not to be forgotten, he accepted it as it was, without chiding with it or trying to change or rationalize it. He kept it. He did not compromise it. He obeyed it. He did not let it go or lose it.

 

Eze 2:8 But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.

Eze 2:9 And when I looked, behold, a hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;

Eze 2:10 And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

Here you have a prophet of Israel, Ezekiel, who is also suffering the consequences of his people's sins. The captivity and judgment and destruction that God had prophesied through Jeremiah had come to pass, and the captives were sitting in Babylon by the river Chebar. He got a vision of the Lord on his throne, for even though his people were suffering and had lost their homes, their homeland and many of their loved ones, God would not leave them alone. They had brought judgment down on their heads, and God had to judge them just as he'd had to judge the nations before them whose land they had been given. He'd warned them back then if they became like the nations he cast out before them, they would bring judgment on themselves. He'd warned them for years, sending prophet after prophet. Some they mocked, some they jailed, some they killed. But God knew he had a people, a select group who though they loved righteousness, and God and his word, were suffering right along with the rebellious. God must have loved all these people. He could have just written them off, left them there and forgotten about them. After all, he'd given them chance after chance to repent, and if you read the scriptures, you will see these people mocked him, his word, his prophets, his mercy, his grace. They were so arrogant, and had become so used to the blessings and prosperity of the Lord, they thought they didn't need him anymore.

And what a word he had to give Ezekiel, to digest. It didn't appear to be anything good.

Eze 3:1 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.

Eze 3:2 So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.

Eze 3:3 And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.

Eze 3:4 And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.

Eze 3:10 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears.

God was preparing Ezekiel to receive a word-he says all my words, receive in your heart, hear with your ears. When we know what the word of God says, we have to keep it. And we have to know what He says. We have to instruct our children in His ways, rather than let them go their own way. We have to warn those we love. If we don't their blood will be on our hands that day we stand before him. God requires this of his people. The Word of God is precious, priceless. All through out history people who were holy, and devoted to God have been killed for his word. Killed for not denying his truth. Killed for proclaiming his Gospel. Many lost their lives who were part of writing this Precious Book we have. Holy Men, made Holy by the Holy God they served. Obedient servants of the Most High. Isaiah was sawn in two at the order of King Manasseh. Zechariah was killed in the temple right after the Spirit of the Lord came on him and he warned King Joash of his sin. All of the disciples, minus Judas Iscariot, the betrayer, but the remainder of the disciples, including Matthias who replaced Judas, were murdered for the Gospel's sake, except John. And they tried to kill him, but God wasn't done with him, yet. And we'll get to John, before this over. He too, was told to eat the Book. When a man or woman stops to consider that this Word of God has been written at the expense of the blood of many of the servants of God, including the precious and Beloved Son of God, HOW can we take it lightly or think we don't need to be in this Book every day? WHAT did these servants of God know about HIM that was so strong it was enough that they gave their lives for his Word, for his testimony, for their FAITH in what He said? Oh, Beloved, think about it!! Consider it very, very carefully. What did they know that compelled them to sacrifice all they had-including their lives?

Sometimes God tells his people to do things that are hard. When I got to chapter 4 of Ezekiel, I had to stop. Part of me recoiled in horror at what I read-but I know God is good, and I had to ask God why did you tell him this? Why did it have to be this way? What does it mean?

Eze 4:12 And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man, in their sight.

Eze 4:13 And the LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them.

Eze 4:14 Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! behold, my soul hath not been polluted: for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn in pieces; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth.

Eze 4:15 Then he said unto me, Lo, I have given thee cow's dung for man's dung, and thou shalt prepare thy bread therewith.

Eze 4:16 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care; and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment:

Eze 4:17 That they may want bread and water, and be astonished one with another, and consume away for their iniquity.

God had given Israel way back in Exodus just before they came out of Egypt clear instructions on how to prepare their bread. It was to be pure, unleavened, baked carefully, cleanly. Abraham had Sarah make bread-carefully, using the finest ingredients she had, upon the hearth (Gen_18:6), in Exo_12:15 they were instructed to eat unleavened bread, having no leaven in their homes, at all for 7 days for the Passover. The Lord rained bread from heaven for them to eat in Exo_16:15. Further instructions in Ex 29:2 -unleavened bread, cakes unleavened with tempered oil, wafers unleavened, anointed with oil, of wheat flour thou shalt make them. Leaven is old dough in a high state of fermentation; it's the leftover dough from a previous baking which ferments and becomes acidic. I'm not too sure on what all that means, so I decided to look up ferment and see what it means.

Easton's Bible Dictionary:

The chemical definition of ferment or yeast is “a substance in a state of putrefaction, the atoms of which are in a continual motion.”

Smith's Bible Dictionary says this:

Leaven. Various substances were known to have fermenting qualities; but the ordinary leaven consisted of a lump of old dough in a high state of fermentation, which was mixed into the mass of dough prepared for baking. The most prominent idea associated with leaven in connection with the corruption which it had undergone, and which it communicated to bread in the process of fermentation. (Another quality in leaven is noticed in the Bible, namely, its secretly penetrating and diffusive power. In this respect it was emblematic of moral influence generally, whether good or bad; and hence our Saviour adopts it as illustrating the growth of the kingdom of heaven in the individual heart and in the world at large: because

(1) its source is from without;

(2) it is secret in its operation;

(3) it spreads by contact of particle with particle;

(4) it is widely diffusive, one particle of leaven being able to change any number of particles of flour; and because

(5) it does not act like water, moistening a certain amount of flour, but is like a plant, changing the particles it comes in contact with into its own nature, with like propagating power. -- Editor).

**Source: Smith's Bible Dictionary, via E-Sword.

Now when I remember how particular, and cleanly God wanted their bread prepared, and I see how he's asking his servant to prepare and eat it, baked over cow dung, instead of a clean fire, wouldn’t the bread be polluted?

God instructs Ezekiel to use wheat, and barley. I'm not a chef or anything, but I wondered why he chose these ingredients. As I got to digging, I discovered barley is inferior to wheat, although necessary, and also used for making bread. Barley is also used for making alcoholic beverages. Next was beans-poor man's food, just as barley is the poor man's bread. Lentils is a small plant about 6 inches high bearing small reddish looking beans the size of seeds that are used in soups, and can also be used to make bread. This is where the Catholics get Lent from. Millet is a kind of grain that when it's green is used for fodder, (only used for feeding birds in the U.S.) and for bread when it's ripe. Can be used for breads and cereals. Fitches is a plant that grows in south Europe and North Africa. It's black seeds are used like pepper and the Syrians sprinkle these seeds over their flat cakes before they are baked-as with rye bread.

After I thought about all these ingredients, I saw quite a mixture of other things that though they are grown in Palestine, and surrounding countries from Egypt, (North Africa) to Palestine, (near Europe) the word "mixture" kept coming to mind. Mixture with the world. Why bake it over a fire made with dung? Dung has a very unpleasant smell to it. These people had taken the Holy things of God, the bread of God, and trampled them under their feet. It had just become ritual to them. They did their own thing, they mixed a little religion with lots of the world, and brought it into the House of The Lord. It was a stench in God's nostrils. You can read on in Ezekiel how his glory departed the Temple after he showed the prophet of the abominations and idols they had brought into the temple. God was just an unpleasant ritual to them, the world had their heart. Their idols had their hearts. They gave the Lord lip service, but couldn't wait to get out from under their "duties" to go back to their idols.


He tells Ezekiel there's a famine coming-that bread and water would be measured out because of it's scarcity. And you know, I believe although he literally meant food and drink, he was also talking about the famine for the Word of God and the moving of the Spirit. Because without that-people will be consumed by their sins. And don’t tell me this is just the Old Testament, we’re under grace now. Because I will ask you why Paul told us in Hebrews 8:5 that these things serve as an example, a shadow of heavenly things which is why God admonished Moses to make the tabernacle according to the pattern he showed him on Mount Sinai. These things are a shadow and type of things to come. Examples given to us to help us understand with physical illustrations, spiritual things.

So I can’t disregard the Old Testament. It always points to the New. They are so intertwined, you can’t separate them.

Eze 42:13 Then said he unto me, The north chambers and the south chambers, which are before the separate place, they be holy chambers, where the priests that approach unto the LORD shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; for the place is holy.

He’s talking here about the priests that approach God eating the Holy Things, in a separate place-oh, that got my heart pumping. Jesus said enter the secret closet-which could be where ever you can get away by yourself with the Lord, enter his presence by prayer and faith, and commune with him. In secret. Not so you can say “I prayed, did my duty.” Not so you can be a show off with a “word from God” for people so they think you‘re something. But because you love him, and want to get to know him. Because you know the world is in need and you don’t have what your lost loved ones in yourself-you have to get it from HIM. A word of life, a word of hope. Revelation of Who He IS. Drawing from the Lord his strength, and wisdom. What thing can be more holy than the Holy Spirit of God being poured into his willing children who enter his presence, reverently seeking his face? Seeking to glorify him with their lives, not wanting to waste their lives on self.

Eze 44:4 Then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house: and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD: and I fell upon my face.

Eze 44:5 And the LORD said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary.

It grieves my heart and I know it HAS to grieve the heart of God to see the things that go on in his name, in what is supposed to be his church in this country. People won’t leave their idols at home to come into his house. They come with the attitude, I’m going to dress comfortable, not respectable, I’m going to deck myself up so people will notice me. People think it’s okay to bring their cigarettes, their shorts, their worldly music, their video screen TV’s, their programs, their rummage sales, their bingo, their bake sales all into the house of the Lord. Too often the people come only to soothe their conscience, oh, God, I did you a favor, I came to your house, see ya next month, or next year. Or next funeral. I’ve been in churches where there are ashtrays on either side of the door going in to what is supposed to be the sanctuary when the Word of God clearly says in Rom 13:14 not to make provision for the flesh. But to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. I’ll never forget when I was a new Christian, and under conviction because I had a 17 year smoking habit. I can truly sympathize with anyone trying to quit. It’s hard. It literally took the love and help of God Almighty to deliver me. One morning getting ready for work, I went to put my cigarettes in my purse, and the Holy Spirit brought that verse to my remembrance like he whispered it to my heart. I put them down, I didn’t take them with me. It was a hard day, needless to say. I prayed much as my body was being detoxified from the chemicals in the cigarettes. Others around me were smoking, and I broke down and bummed a cigarette or two from a co-worker. But after a 2 and a half pack a day habit to two or three cigarettes, I was amazed to see I survived. It wasn’t long after that the Lord helped me lay them down for good. It wasn’t easy, but He was my Resource-all the Resource I needed. No matter what the situation he is all the church needs to be what he says we are to be. Is it wrong to not want your children to wear cartoon figures on their clothes in the House of the Lord? Or sarcastic statements meant to be funny on their tee shirts? Is it wrong to want them to be clean, and not to allow them to run and holler in the House of the Lord? To instruct them to save the sports talk for outside the sanctuary after the service because the Word of God says in Psalms 89:7
“God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.”

I don’t think it’s right to deal harshly with new Christians about their appearance in the church-that is the Holy Ghost’s job. When someone gets saved, and they don’t dress to suit you, pray for them. If you know they are doing something wrong, they are a babe in Christ, pray for the Holy Spirit to help them see. It’s not my job to criticize them. If I do I am overstepping my bounds. It’s not my job to tell them they need to change this or that. It’s my job to be a light, and pray for them. It’s not wrong to want to honor God in his own house. I am supposed to teach my children this. I have taken a lot of criticism over it, as well. And Lord knows, it’s not what you do or don’t wear that saves you, and I don’t want to be a Pharisee.

 

 

Psa 22:26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live forever.

Job 23:12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

Psa 119:72 The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.

Psa 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Pro 13:25 The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.

Isa 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Isa 55:2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

His word is available to those who want it. Seek and ye shall find. Pray for more understanding. He offers it, to those who are hungry. If you are only using it to further your own agenda, you’ll get no heavenly revelation of its precious truths. But if you are seeking it as the Pearl of Great Price, seeking to know him, it will humble and amaze and delight you. It never gets old. He always makes it fresh.

Jesus demonstrated in John 6 that he could take a few loaves of bread and feed thousands. He showed them the natural application with food. Now consider his Word. It’s bread for our spirit. Can he not take his word and feed millions? He said the word he speaks is spirit and life. (verse 63)

When you eat something, it sustains you. It becomes a part of you, it enables your body to continue to function. When you eat the word of God, and hide it in your heart, when trouble comes, it will sustain you. When the enemy lies to your mind, it will rise up against the foe, and defend you, when you are troubled, it will comfort you. When you are in danger, it will protect you. When he steps out on the clouds to get his Bride, it will quicken and change you. It’s the power that works within you, preparing you to meet him. He said if his word is not in you, you have no life in you.

Joh 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

How can you eat his flesh? Get in the Book. Eat the Book. Devour it hungrily, whole heartedly. It’s addicting. I promise it is. When I did not have the desire to read it as I should, when I’ve went through troubled times, I had to pray and ask the Lord to open my eyes, stir up the hunger in me for his word, and I kept coming back to it. He would draw me back to it. Oh, he’s faithful. He knows what we need. His word will sanctify, wash, change, and separate you from sin. It’s my wisdom, my comfort, my guide. It’s my Treasure. He said in Psalms 34:8-Oh taste and see the Lord is GOOD. He is.

But we must remember one more thing Jesus said about the Book:

Joh 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

His word is what we will face at the judgment. Have we kept it? Changed it? Disregarded it? Neglected it? Let the enemy steal it from us? Let the influence of the world compromise it from us? Or have we sought to understand and keep it? Have we asked for power to walk in his light, in his truth? If we have, then we will know him. For he said ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free. He said I am the way, the truth and the life. He’s the only way to get there. (John 14:6; John 8:32)

What about all the self-help books written by Christian authors? What about that?

Ecc 12:12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

But what did Jesus say about his Word again? It is spirit and it is life. I love to read. I have a few books by Christian authors. Most notably, I’d have to say, my favorites are those I have by David Wilkerson. Anointed and power-packed. Good sheep food. But there are others, I could never get past the first chapter. It could not hold my interest. Some have sent a red flag up within my spirit, and I put them in the trash when I found them contradictory to scripture, like a book I bought on spiritual warfare, a few years ago. The author claimed Christians could be inhabited by demons in their flesh, but the Lord in their spirit at the same time. Rubbish. Poppycock, as the old timers used to say. The Lord is Supreme in his Holy Temple and he will not dwell with a demon in the same vessel. He does not share. He casts them out, he binds them.

Luk 11:19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.

Luk 11:20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

Luk 11:21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:

Luk 11:22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

If I hadn’t been reading God’s word for myself, and had I taken heed to this man’s book, I’d have been deceived, and would have opened myself up for all kinds of problems. When someone asks me what I think about things if I can’t give them an answer rooted in scripture, then I need to clarify all I have to offer is my opinion and that is not worth much. Only what the Word of the Lord says matters.

1Ti 4:15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.

1Ti 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

If I keep my mind on his word, and marvel at his word, and it is something to marvel at, if I am seeking to live what I read, believe what I read, and share what I read-then listen to what it will do-it will SAVE me and those who will hear it. Oh, it’s such a priceless treasure. I know I’ve said it before, but it’s a Masterpiece. It’s in a class all by itself. There’s never been another book written like it. There never will be. Don’t accept anything less than the real thing.

back to top

Enter supporting content here

counter for wordpress