October 29, 2022

Dear Church Family,

Ezekiel 28 takes a sharp turn as Ezekiel proclaims judgment against the foes of Judah. He has gone down a list that includes Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, and Tyre. He first laments Tyre in chapter 27, then prophesies against the Prince of Tyre at the beginning of chapter 28, then finally the King of Tyre in the second half of the chapter. When it comes to the prince, it could simply be an earthly prince. But when it comes to the King of Tyre, there can be no mistake that Ezekiel is no longer talking about just an earthly king.

Ezekiel 28:12-15 (ESV)
“Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. 14 You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.

This description only fits one person, Satan himself, who was in the Garden of Eden and created
as a guardian cherub. Not only does this describe who Satan is, but it explains his downfall from blameless angel to the embodiment of evil. What caused his great fall? Ezekiel explains, “Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you” (Ezek. 28:17). In Satan’s pride, he took his eyes off the glory of the Lord and focused on his own glory.
Pride was at the root of Satan’s rebellion and it shouldn’t be surprising that pride is at the root of so much of our sin. It can easily seep in and blind us. It twists our thoughts, words, and actions, and steals worship from God our Creator. How have we let pride into our lives? Is your life more God focused or self-focused? Do you find yourself giving glory to God and focusing on others, or do you seek glory from others and focus on yourself? Pride isn’t something to mess around with: God hates it! Put very simply, do you want God’s grace or do you want Him to oppose you?

1 Peter 5:5b (ESV)
Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

What’s Happening at Gospel Life:

Pray for the CWI Outreach: Continue to pray for God to use the outreach on Mondays from 11:30-12:30 pm. Kevin and Alice Edgerton are leading a study on Credible Forensics. Please pray that God brings more students to the class and that He uses it to point them to their Creator.
New Location Update: We’re excited that the Lord has opened the door to meeting at Columbia High School. We will start meeting there on November 6th, with coffee and connections at 9:30 am and the morning worship service at 10 am. The address of the school is: 301 S Happy Valley Rd, Nampa, ID 83687. Look for signs leading into the cafeteria entrance.

Life Groups: Life Groups are an important way to connect and grow at Gospel Life. If you’re looking for a group to join, we have several different options to choose from, with more coming soon. You can sign up below or stop by the Welcome Table on Sunday.
https://gospellifebiblechurch.churchcenter.com/groups/small-groups 

Watch Previous Worship Services
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW5IMNeRoI99I-QNoGMnuWDy6Y5svTt_c