Let’s talk about your E.D.
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
OPENING: - Now that I have your attention with that title this is not what you think, this is a message about Determination – Ezra Determination specifically.
Determination: - a firmly set in ones decisions or course of action especially with the aim of achieving a particular goal.
Ezra was a leader and reformer who was determined to study, obey, and teach the Word of God. He is an important figure in the books of Ezra and Nehimiah, which he is said to have written and edited, respectively. However, before we talk about Ezra I want to stop for a moment and I want you to think about if you got up one morning and turned on CNN or your favorite news channel and heard the following Breaking News Report. “BREAKING NEWS” “It is now illegal to gather in prayer, to have church, to read your Bible, to possess a Bible, to worship God in any way all violators will be arrested and killed on the spot”.
God forbid but if that was the Breaking News this morning would you be able to stand or would you fold under the pressure.
I believe there are 3 categories in which people would fall into if that were the Breaking News this morning.
The 1st category I would call the Turncoats, these would be the ones that would abandon the faith or depart from the faith. 1 Timothy 4:1 says, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils”. The threat of being arrested and killed for owning a Bible or praying or worshipping with others would be enough to cause them to give up and turn away.
These are the ones that truly never studied the Word of God, they never hid the Word of God in their heart, but where content on just being spoon-fed Sunday morning sermons. They come to church out of tradition and habit thinking it nothing more than a social gathering and receive from it what they receive from their bowling league or step class – just social interaction.
The 2nd category I would call the Legalist, this group would make up a large majority of people who knew scripture and would try to find some kind of legal loophole to be able to continue to gather and worship because they believe in their minds like the scribes and the Pharisees that you have to do all these things to have church. They are so head strong on doing things a certain way but miss out on the true relationship of Christ.
These know the Word of God but fail to understand the grace of God and hold to the fact that salvation comes from works and if the works are taken away then they will be lost.
The 3rd category is the E.D. group, the Ezra Determination People, these are the one that would hear the Breaking News, crack their necks, stretch vigorously, shake their shoulders and press forward still doing what they have always done looking to the hills from whence cometh their help for our help cometh from the Lord. They will continue to magnify His Holy name because they understand that the church building, the Bible, the public worship is not essential in following Jesus. They have hid the Word of God in their heart and understand and live Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law”. They take Ezra 7:10 and live it “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments”.
Let’s break this down and understand what Ezra did and why we need this same determination in order to make it and be able to stand.
1st Ezra had prepared his heart:- The KJV says prepared other translations say determined, devoted, or worked hard whatever the translation the idea is to give yourself wholeheartedly, totally. Our determination and devotion to Christ must be as Isaiah 50:7 says, “For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed”. We must be so determined, so focused, so committed that we let nothing stop us from reaching our goal. We must be like Jesus in Luke 9:51 “And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem”. Jesus knowing He was going to be crucified was determined to go to Jerusalem because He understood His purpose and realized Luke 9:62 “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God”. Determined regardless of what lie ahead I am determined to reach what God has ordained for me to reach.
So, we must have determination, that is the foundation. We must be able to say my heart is fixed and my mind is made up. I am determined I am going to serve the Lord, and nothing shall separate me.
2nd to seek the law of the Lord or as other translations say study the law of the Lord. The Hebrew word translated study carries the idea of going somewhere frequently. It is literally fulfilling 2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”. Ezra was determined to study the law of God and get it down on the inside. You can’t be satisfied being spoon fed sermons on Sunday morning and think that is enough Word to keep you. You must develop the determination to study the Word of God, to seek to know Him through His Word. John 5:39 says, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me”.
3rd and to do it other translations say obey it. One of the basic expectation God has of His people is obedience to His Word. That simply means to do and accomplish what He asked and commanded us to do. God requires our obedience over our sacrifice because obedience is a response to Him from our hearts while a sacrifice can be made from a surplus. If you have a surplus of something like money, good, animals it is not much of a sacrifice to give some of it, but obedience causes you to determine your will, intellect, and emotions to submit and follow Him. Understand obedience is following God by His laws it is not just reaching a certain destination but doing it His way.
4th and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments”. Ezra was determined to teach Israel the Laws of God. The Hebrew word translated teach means “to goad”. A farmer would lead his cattle by goading them by prodding them with a pointed stick. We must be determined to teach others leading them to Christ for we all have been given the ministry of reconciliation.
Romans 14:8 says, “For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's”. Even if it costs our lives, we must be determined that I am not going to stop pressing forward because I have E.D Ezra Determination.
CLOSING: By the Grace of God, we here in the United States of America have not experienced the Breaking News I started out this message with, but it is truly only by the grace of God that it hasn’t happened here. Time is getting worse, and the end is closer than most people realize. We must be determined to hide the Word of God in our Hearts, to press into the Holy of Holies and encounter the presence of God.
Ask yourself do I have E.D. – Ezra Determination
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
