We should loop back to Ezekiel from time to time. I’m not going to attempt to analyze it in detail (beyond the scope of this blog!). Besides, the book needs to be felt, not analyzed. Here are a few highlights.

First, different calls for different people from Ezekiel 3:

And he said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them. For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel— not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. (Ezekiel 3.4 – 7, ESV)

A prophet to Israel, not a “foreign missionary.” Foreign missions is tough: “peoples of foreign speech and a hard language whose words you cannot understand.” But missions to religious insiders is tough too: “The house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you…”

Ezekiel 3 continues with the role of a watchman:

And at the end of seven days, the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. (Ezekiel 3.16 – 19, ESV)

I preached John 9 last Sunday, and at the verse “Once I was blind, but now I see,” I took some time to share the gospel message explicitly with many who are lifelong church people. I pray that they heard, and that those who might have been trusting in their good works instead of Jesus might respond to him.

Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. – Jesus, recorded in Mark 16.15, NKJV)

In fact, James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift God had given me, and they accepted Barnabas and me as their co-workers. They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they continued their work with the Jews. (Galatians 2.9, 10, NLT)

If you don’t live in Colorado, are you reading about our fires? Three brave firefighters have already been killed fighting the fire on the border of Colorado and Utah. It struck me that one of those was a 38-year-old lady from Michigan.

Closer to home, the 11th largest fire in Colorado history is just 70 miles from us, and NOT behind the mountains. Here’s what it looks like on the ground:

Here’s what it looks like from my house, Thursday afternoon, around 4p. It’s a crystal clear day, and normally we would see Pikes Peak in sharp relief. Not today:

Please join me in praying for the firefighters, now being led by a team from Alaska. The fire is considered number #1 priority in the US right now. Rain would be nice, also, and there’s none in the forecast. Hot, dry, windy.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4.6, ESV)

There is no shortage of fire images in the Bible.

O house of David! Thus says the LORD: “ ‘Execute justice in the morning, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed, lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of your evil deeds.’ ” (Jeremiah 21.12, ESV)

Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? (Jeremiah 23.29, ESV)

Every now and then, it’s worth a review (for me and for you!) of what I’m trying to do. My friend and Navigator colleague Bill Mowry just posted an essay on a classic book by a pastor (not by a Navigator!) on disciplemaking. The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman. (This is an abridged version for “time-starved readers,” but I’m assuming it includes all the main content.)

Bill’s essay: A Reading Life #7 is worth the read in its entirety. Here are some snippets:

Two books dominated my early years of disciplemaking. One was the Holy Bible and the other was The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman…In the 1960s and 70s, few outside The Navigators talked about making disciples. We were hungry to gain legitimacy for our ministry and its importance. Imagine our excitement when we discovered Coleman’s book. The Master Plan became our Bible for making disciples.

…Coleman kickstarts his book with these words:

It all started by Jesus calling a few men to follow Him. . .. His concern was not with the programs to reach the multitudes, but with men whom the multitudes would follow. . .. Men were to be His method of winning the world for God.

As a Navigator, I loved this opening. We lamented the church’s dependence on programs for the many. We had a vision for the “worth of the individual” — how one man or one woman could make a difference for Christ. God’s method for winning the world was people — disciples of Jesus.

Fireworks went off in my head when he wrote:

Jesus devoted most of His remaining life on earth to these few disciples. He literally staked His whole ministry upon them. The world could be indifferent toward him and still not defeat His strategy. . .. Everything depended upon their {his disciples} faithfulness if the world would believe on Him “through their word” (John 17:20).

…Chapter after chapter unfolds Jesus’ demonstration of basic disciplemaking practices. Each one resonated with this eager young leader. Space doesn’t permit me to expound on all my under linings but one principle has been a bedrock for my fifty years of making disciples — the principle of association. Here’s Coleman’s description:

Having called his men, Jesus made it a practice to be with them. This was the essence of his training program. . .. Amazing as it may seem, all Jesus did to teach these men His way was to draw them close to Himself.  . . . Knowledge was not communicated by the Master in terms of laws or dogmas, but in the living personality of One who walked among them.

Bill concludes:

Disciples are God’s means for evangelism and assist in bringing about His kingdom. Our end is the gospel advanced through disciples and leaders handcrafted a few at a time. “That is why all along our emphasis must be upon quality of life. If we get the right quality . . . the rest [the multitudes] will follow.”

Jesus’ vision and practice captured this young leader’s heart. I embraced Coleman’s conclusion about Jesus: “There was nothing haphazard about His life — no wasted energy, not an idle word. He was on business for God.” Five decades later, his words still echo in my heart. I don’t want a haphazard life. I want to be on business for God in making disciples — men and women whose quality of life will win the multitudes.

Thanks for the reminder, Bill.

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons… (Mark 3.13 – 15, NKJV)

What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2.2, NKJV)

Sahil Bloom’s essay on June 26, 2026, “The Zipper Test: How to Stop Fooling Yourself” is about our understanding of everyday things. How many of us can explain how a zipper works, for example?

When asked to what level they understand the workings of some everyday thing, people rate themselves high. After attempting to write an explanation for how something works, they rate themselves much lower. The conclusion of the research is called The Illusion of Explanatory Depth:

…we are overconfident in our understanding of the most common things that exist all around us.

Sahil’s application is:

How much do we really understand about the most basic motivations, structures, and decisions that control our everyday actions, behaviors, and life path?

Without confronting this internal Illusion of Explanatory Depth, you leave yourself exposed to a life by default. A life where all of your motivations and actions are subtly adopted through a sort of cultural and environmental osmosis.

You may climb one mountain for 40 years, only to reach the top and realize you never wanted to be on it in the first place.

That’s a good application, but here’s another. I don’t NEED to know how a zipper works to use it. I don’t NEED to know how an internal combustion engine works to drive a car. I don’t NEED to know all the technical theology about the atonement (and people debate about that sort of thing all the time) to experience its results.

One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see. – The man born blind, John 9.25, NKJV

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace… (Ephesians 1.7, NKJV)

I love workplace ministry stories, especially when they involve an unusual workplace. How about the World Cup? Arguably one of the greatest sporting events in the world. 48 teams from 48 countries, 104 games over six weeks, played this year in Mexico, United States, and Canada.

Have you heard about the Curaçao National Team? Have you heard of Curaçao? Me neither. It’s an island 40 miles off Venezuela with a population of 158,000 and a land size of 171 square miles (smaller than the county I live in). 

An article in Christianity Today entitled Smallest Country in World Cup History Praises Jesus at the Pitch opens this way:

Athletes from the tiniest country to ever qualify for the World Cup are using their newfound visibility to pray. In a World Cup that has seen quite a few displays of faith from players, Curaçao’s team has emerged as one of the most outspoken, and local pastors are hopeful the team’s example will reach the next generation of Christians on the small Caribbean island.

…

The team gathers in a circle to pray before every practice and game, a ritual previously led by the team’s late goalkeeper Jairzinho Pieter. Now team captain Leandro Bacuna leads the prayer. 

In a viral moment after their first match, a 7–1 loss to Germany, Curaçao players prayed with members of the German team. Teams have been known to pray among themselves, but it is rare for opposing teams to pray together.

Felix Nmecha, the German midfielder and an outspoken Christian, said of the moment, “We are during the game opponents against each other and then after the game, we’re all Christians and we’re brothers. … In our faith, we all believe that Jesus is glorified through the game. And that’s why we came together and simply prayed together.”

German players (in white) pray with Curaçao players after their match.

God has people everywhere!

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3.17, ESV)

Today’s blog is a feel-good story that I’m not sure has a point. Maybe one will surface while I’m writing.

Howard is a 20-year-old, 40 pound giant African spurred tortoise who is the mascot and greeter for Scales ‘N Tails pet store in Colorado Springs.

Howard apparently stays in an enclosure outside the front door, and a thief absconded with him Wednesday afternoon, June 17. The theft made the front page of our local newspaper Friday morning.

By the way, the rest of the last sentence is:

“He’s basically a walking boulder. He’s going to move a couch; he’s going to push over furniture,” said store owner Ronald Bohnert.

My son Mark posted the story on Facebook and remarked:

I’m normally opposed to the death penalty but for this guy I’d consider an exception.

Fortunately, there were witnesses and video, and the dastardly dude, who was on a several-day crime spree, was apprehended the next day, and Howard was recovered. You can read that story here as Howard made the front page again on Saturday, June 20. The opening sentence is:

Colorado Springs police announced Friday that the gym tote-sized store greeter and mascot of Scales ‘N Tales on North Academy Boulevard had been located and returned to his owners Thursday night, about a day after he was stolen from his open-air habitat outside the store.

Howard is big, but not as big as he will be. His species lives over 100 years and grows to about 150 pounds.

As I say, I don’t know the point of this story except that Howard seems to be another “gift from God.” The tortoise is social. Customers pet him and feed him. The owner said, “He belongs to the community.”

But ask the animals what they think—let them teach you; let the birds tell you what’s going on. Put your ear to the earth—learn the basics. Listen—the fish in the ocean will tell you their stories. Isn’t it clear that they all know and agree that GOD is sovereign, that he holds all things in his hand— Every living soul, yes, every breathing creature? (Job 12.7 – 10, MSG)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1.17, ESV)

Yesterday, we saw Ezekiel’s vision of the glory of God. Today a different kind of vision…

Tuesday a week ago, June 16, we had a spectacular sunset…

Followed 40 minutes later by a picture I’ve never made before: Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury, near the fingernail moon:

Part of the credit goes to Paddy, the dog. If I hadn’t been walking him, I wouldn’t have seen it. The other part of the credit goes to modern photographic technology. The shot was taken with an iPhone 17, 2-second exposure, crisp with no tripod since modern cameras ignore hand-held vibrations. The technology is a miracle, as is the view itself.

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. (Psalm 19.1, ESV)

Ezekiel starts with a bang:

I saw visions of God…As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal. And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf’s foot. And they sparkled like burnished bronze. (Ezekiel 1.1, 4 – 7, ESV)

This 6-minute video provides pictures to help you visualize the text:

The description of the vision concludes:

And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD… (Ezekiel 1.26 – 28, ESV)

The only thing I know close to it is John’s vision of Jesus:

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. (Revelation 1.12 – 16, ESV)

Ezekiel and John had similar reactions:

• Ezekiel: And when I saw it, I fell on my face…
• John: When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead….

Both then heard a call: John, to write; Ezekiel, to speak:

And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them. And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house. (Ezekiel 2.3 – 7, ESV)

It’s more spectacular, but similar to what God told Jeremiah:

Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 1.8, ESV)

And off we go into Ezekiel…

PS I saw a different vision of the glory of God…and photographed it! Stay tuned.

We begin our reading of Ezekiel: how to respond to the exile and the destruction of Jerusalem? It’s long, but I reproduce here all of the Introduction to Ezekiel in The Message Bible by Eugene Peterson.

Catastrophe strikes and a person’s world falls apart. People respond variously, but two of the more common responses are denial and despair. Denial refuses to acknowledge the catastrophe. It shuts its eyes tight or looks the other way; it manages to act as if everything is going to be just fine; it takes refuge in distractions and lies and fantasies. Despair is paralyzed by the catastrophe and accepts it as the end of the world. It is unwilling to do anything, concluding that life for all intents and purposes is over. Despair listlessly closes its eyes to a world in which all the color has drained out, a world gone dead.

Among biblical writers, Ezekiel is our master at dealing with catastrophe. When catastrophe struck—it was the sixth-century B.C. invasion of Israel by Babylon—denial was the primary response. Ezekiel found himself living among a people of God who (astonishingly similar to us!) stubbornly refused to see what was right before their eyes (the denial crowd). There were also some who were unwilling to see anything other than what was right before their eyes (the despair crowd).

But Ezekiel saw. He saw what the people with whom he lived either couldn’t or wouldn’t see. He saw in wild and unforgettable images, elaborated in exuberant detail—God at work in a catastrophic era. The denial people refused to see that the catastrophe was in fact catastrophic. How could it be? God wouldn’t let anything that bad happen to them. Ezekiel showed them. He showed them that, yes, there was catastrophe, but God was at work in the catastrophe, sovereignly using the catastrophe. He showed them so that they would be able to embrace God in the worst of times.

The despair people, overwhelmed by the devastation, refused to see that life was worth living. How could it be? They had lost everything, or would soon—country, Temple, freedom, and many, many lives. Ezekiel showed them. He showed them that God was and would be at work in the wreckage and rubble, sovereignly using the disaster to create a new people of God.

Whether through denial or despair, the people of God nearly lost their identity as a people of God. But they didn’t. God’s people emerged from that catastrophic century robust and whole. And the reason, in large part, was Ezekiel.

Words count. Prophets have a job, and Peterson captures the essence of Ezekiel’s message that God was still at work, resulting in: “God’s people emerged…robust and whole. And the reason, in large part, was Ezekiel.”

In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. (Ezekiel 1.1, ESV)

Peterson’s translation of the result of John the Baptist’s ministry is similar:

There was a lot more of this—words that gave strength to the people, words that put heart in them. The Message! (Luke 3.18, MSG)

We close out Lamentations with a quick look at chapter 5. As I wrote in the introduction, it’s 22 verses, not an acrostic, and it’s 1/3 of the length of the other chapters. In 1, 2, and 4, each verse has 3 lines. In chapter 3, each line is a numbered verse for a total of 66 verses. In chapter 5, each verse has only one line.

The chapter describes appalling conditions for those left in Jerusalem after the exile. For example,

Our fathers sinned, and are no more; and we bear their iniquities.

Slaves rule over us; there is none to deliver us from their hand.

We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness.

Our skin is hot as an oven with the burning heat of famine.

Women are raped in Zion, young women in the towns of Judah. (Lamentations 5.7 – 11, ESV)

Awful stuff. And so he closes with a prayer:

For this our heart has become sick, for these things our eyes have grown dim,

for Mount Zion which lies desolate; jackals prowl over it.

But you, O LORD, reign forever; your throne endures to all generations.

Why do you forget us forever, why do you forsake us for so many days?

Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old—

unless you have utterly rejected us, and you remain exceedingly angry with us. (Lamentations 5.17 – 22, ESV)

Daniel prays the promise of the 70 years because the 70 years were over. Jeremiah does not – he’s still in the middle of it.

In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes…O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.” (Daniel 9.1 – 3, 18, 19, ESV)

Sin will have its consequences, and it continues to give one pause in the US.

Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you.

And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.” (Matthew 11.20 – 24, ESV, emphasis mine)