Wayfarer

Ancient Tyre bragged of its beauty, its power, and its wealth. They believed themselves and their trade indispensable to the nations and therefore believed themselves untouchable. [Cue: Enter the prophet Ezekiel] A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 27. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

The entire Great Story from Genesis to Revelation is really about the conflict between God’s Kingdom and human empire. Human history is a study in the rise and fall of human empires. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 26. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Sometimes on this chapter-a-day journey there are moments of synchronicity. Today is one of those days. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 25. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

There is no way around the fact that human spiritual progress requires pain. Conversely, a life of ease and affluence is a surefire recipe for spiritual immaturity. And a related truth is what M. Scott Peck discovered in his research for The People of the Lie : evil only responds to the power of blunt force. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 24. The text version may be found and shared at tomva...

In today’s chapter, God through Ezekiel offers a raw and rather shocking metaphor regarding the unfaithfulness of the divided kingdoms of Israel (Samaria) and Judah (Jerusalem). They are presented as daughters of the same mother who become prostitutes, getting “in bed” with other nations. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 23. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

I have found as a modern reader that it is easy to get focused on the idolatry in the prophets’ messages and then mentally zone out because, let’s face it, the notion of worshipping strange little statues is such a foreign concept in a world that has predominantly monotheistic for centuries. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 22. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

In today’s chapter, Ezekiel is given a prophetic vision contrasting the scepter of the royal house of David to the sword of God’s judgment in the hands of the King of Babylon. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 21. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Throughout my life journey, I have experienced seasons in which I found out that I was the object of slander which is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as “a false and malicious statement or report about someone.” A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 20. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Today’s chapter is handicapped for the modern reader because it lacks the musical context that gave it metaphorical power back in Ezekiel’s day. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 19. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Stupid teenager decisions are a great example of what we call sin. We know it’s wrong, but we do it anyway. We do it for any number of reasons. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 18. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

As a disciple of Jesus, I once again find in Ezekiel’s prophetic message some comfort in our own crazy political climate. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 17. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

The prophets like Ezekiel get very graphic in their messages because the extreme nature of the sins that they were addressing, including ritualized sexual immorality and ritual child sacrifice. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 16. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

If a vine is fruitless it is useless except to be used as fuel on a fire. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 15. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

There was a credit card company who used to use the tag line: “Membership has its privileges.” And, there are certain places in life when this is true. But it can also lead to false expectations. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 14. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Dutch heritage is so woven into our town that any commercial businesses must include classic Dutch architectural design flourishes on their buildings. Even Walmart and McDonalds comply. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 13. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

There are different kinds of blindness. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 12. The text version may be found and played at tomvanderwell.com .

I pray that God  continues  my spiritual heart-replacement therapy as long as I am on this earthly journey. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 11. The text version may be found at tomvanderwell.com .

If I really believe what I say I believe, then praying for God to be present is the most illogical and unreasonable assumption to make, and a silly prayer to pray. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 10. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . The message referenced in today’s podcast: https://youtu.be/s1pv9kTPI30?si=URXa3OOpUmOPxigB

Ezekiel's vision echoes the same theme as the Passover in Exodus . It foreshadows the Judgment Day that Jesus promised will one day arrive for everyone. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 9. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

As I read today's chapter, it is obvious that Ezekiel is dealing with an entirely different problem than Jesus, and I find the comparison fascinating. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 8. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

It was about 25 years ago that I first heard of the "2G" principle of investing. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 7. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

There is a time for soft messages delivered gently, and there is a time for urgent messages emphatically delivered and physically punctuated. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 6. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

One of the more interesting things that I have observed in my lifetime is the increasing extent to which individuals and groups are given and driven to sow anarchy and chaos. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 5. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

As I sit in the quiet and meditate on Ezekiel's first prophetic message, I have to believe he was more than a little taken aback by the assignment. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 4. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

There's a difference between reading a book and digesting it. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 3. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .