November 10, 2022

Dear Church Family,

No matter how things are, with God there is always room for hope! The Book of Ezekiel shares some very tragic news for God’s people. Much of the book is focused on the judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem, culminating in their destruction and exile at the hands of the Babylonians. Surely some of the hardest words for the people to hear come in chapters 10-11, which describe the glory of the Lord leaving the temple. Ezekiel receives a vision and visibly watches God’s glory departing from the temple and going east.

Ezekiel 11:22-23 (ESV)
Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them. 23 And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain that is on the east side of the city.

Even though the news brings with it despair and hopelessness, God isn’t finished with Israel. Fast-forward to chapter 43 and Ezekiel has a very different vision:

Ezekiel 43:1-5 (ESV)
Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east. 2 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. 3 And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and just like the vision that I had seen by the Chebar canal. And I fell on my face. 4 As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east, 5 the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

Ezekiel witnesses the glory of the Lord returning from the east. When will this happen? Zecheriah 14:4 describes Christ’s return to establish His Millennial Kingdom:

Zecheriah 14:4 (ESV)
“On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward.”

Just as tragic and hopeless as things would become, so glorious will be their ending. God will bring restoration for everything lost. With God, the story isn’t over until Jesus comes back and His glory fills the earth. No matter what things look like now, glory is waiting!

What’s Happening at Gospel Life:

New Location: Just a reminder that we are now meeting at Columbia High School. Coffee and Connections are at 9:30 am and the morning worship service starts 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.

Communion: We will be celebrating the Lord’s Supper together as part of our Sunday morning service on Sunday, November 20th. Through the ordinance of communion, we remember Jesus’ body that was broken and His blood that was shed for us.

Lakeview Ladies Christmas Party: Our sending church, Lakeview Bible Church, would like to invite our ladies to their annual Christmas Party. Ladies (of all ages) are invited to enjoy an evening of fellowship, worship, devotional, candlelight singing and a scarf exchange on Friday, December 2nd from 6-8:30 pm! Dinner will be served at 6:30 pm in the gym and catered by Olive Garden. Please sign up by November 27th. You can sign up below:
https://lakeviewbiblechurch.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/1512932

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.

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

Gospel Life Bible Church • 208-505-8974 • daveb@gospellifebc.com • 1123 12th Ave Rd. No. 286 Nampa, Idaho 83686