THURSDAY, JUNE 13
Scripture: Ezekiel 13:6-10

Ezekiel 13:6-10 says, “’They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, “Thus says the Lord!”’ But the Lord has not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed. Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, “The Lord says,” but I have not spoken.’ Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you,’ says the Lord God. ‘My hand will be against the prophets who envision futility and who divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, nor be written in the record of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord God. Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, “Peace!” when there is no peace—and one builds a wall, and they plaster it with untempered mortar—…’” It would appear that there is a very strong mammon-based element being judged in the ministry leadership in verses 6-10. Why does one build a boundary wall and plaster it with untempered mortar/white-wash? Is it not to gain more acceptance, more people and consequently to keep them without offending them? To white-wash things means to moderate or refuse to actually say how God feels about certain issues, refusing to condemn what God abhors for fear of losing people, is to white-wash something. It should be clear that the motivation for the white-wash is in order not to offend. This keeps people in the fold by not potentially offending them. This brings us into the issue of what is really true success and what is not. Is a large church really truly successful if it is built on compromise? Can a much smaller pure church have the mark of true success? Those of us who choose the obedient, pure path pass that test and those who do not, are tempted to white wash to appeal to what congregants want and like. They find themselves forced to increase the amount of white-wash. If we find ourselves going to a church that compromises the purity of Christ, then according to verse 19 every Sunday our lives are being shortened because our discernment is being diminished. The price of diminished discernment can be eternal!