Ezekiel 31:1-18 KJV
1 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness?
3 Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.
4 The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field.
5 Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth.
6 All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations.
7 Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters.
8 The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chesnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.
9 I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.
10 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height;
11 I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness.
12 And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him: upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the people of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him.
13 Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches:
14 To the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height, neither shoot up their top among the thick boughs, neither their trees stand up in their height, all that drink water: for they are all delivered unto death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit.
15 Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when he went down to the grave I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed: and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.
16 I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth.
17 They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword; and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen.
18 To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.

I have my work cut out for me this month of showing how Christ blood covering does not fail the test of all others that spring up like Christ that often offer protection in the world and even try to in the world. Two things that are needed for the equation of our lessons, is what is a shroud or covering by God and what is eternal shroud or covering by God. Today lesson about the shroud God covers us with on earth is by his word, but it can lead to destruction. I sometimes think this line of ideology be best left somewhere not examined as much, but it necessary to understand why we need Christ blood covering. We need his covering by his word for eternal life. If we can understand God allows principalities and powers to rise and fall, one might look at Egypt being like Assyria rising up, only to one day be destroyed or defeated. It no difference from when the tree of good and evil rose up and grew and became bigger then all other trees. It became beautiful to the eye, and yet what it produced was death. Many trees in our world has poison within them if consumed to much of its fruit. Yet there is one fruit tree that leads not to death, but gives life and substance necessary to substain life. Eve eats the fruit we know is bad, and the tree itself is not cast out but serpent and Adam and Eve are. Their disobedience in Eden cut short their life in paradise and a second chance given outside the garden of Eden. Where did Eve fruit come from, it came from the Lord. What was her fruit the fruit of her womb, but what Genesis 4 fails to mention Adam was the father. Meaning the curse of man from the fall fell on his sons and daughters as well. Yet God's children are only covered by God in the since of being watched and cared for by God. One has to ask then those in starvation is this a punishment from God, or place where man needs to learn to stand up and love with provisions. Is the starvation of a nation, proof God's compassion within his children need to be cared for, when the world tosses food out everyday and some good enough for kings to still eat and people on the street eat out of garbage bin something is wrong. What then, are we in a place of lostness, as the world fall and rises, and is our part of humility when we have to take from someone through a hand up, to be able to walk free once more in our world or die with the next fall of old age, to the nursing home with either money for care or no money for the care, but having to be humbled by the compassion from a person that cares for those in need. What will bring us to our knees, the aid of someone, or the helping of others in the fruit we bear in love.

We all die and we all are in tomb by death. Some scatter on the earth and in the sea, but the ashes still sink into decay and buried by the dust of the earth, to be dug up by archaeologist once more, not even seeing your decay if you are ash, beyond being substance of ash. Grusome thought for 2022, of where is the hope, where is the thought of hope here, there is none, yet a glimmer comes through child bearing? Part of us remaining on the earth, part of us remaining to live and fight again, only to one day be cut off because of a lack of child bearing. The fruit we want to leave behind for the next generation is the fruit of the Spirit, the reminder of the importance of the fruit of the Spirit. We must die to self for the fruit of God to arise. We must die to self as a believer, and take hold of faith, to bear the fruit of God in our life. Some of us do it better then others, and others are still learning too.

David would mourn the death of his son, when he took Bathesheba to bed and to wife, because he took her from a soldier who he place in position to die in battle on the frontlines. Point he would mourn and repent and only arise again when God's punishment was over. He was trimmed, or cut particially down, to be corrected. In Ezekiel 31 it talking about the kingdom of Assyria being compared also to Egypt, also to the Serpent that grew tall with obedience in the garden only to be cut down and placed outside the garden. Christ talks about the fall of Satan, that it was quick like lightening. Ezekiel also talks about the shroud, the covering the branches of the trees. The serpent often depicted in pictures as sitting on a branch, but did the serpent only crawl then no he apparently had legs, for he loose his ability to walk, and would crawl on his belly after the fall. Maybe God metaphorically was telling the serpent his new position among those he would be allowed tempt and betray. The serpent being covered in the garden by his new form of no legs with no ability to stand on solid rock again, but given an eternal destination called hell, and the eternal lake of fire.

Do we forget the devil can not stand on God's word, he constantly twist it to meet his need, deceiving the world, but craftiness like he did Eve and then Adam. He believes not the word no more, though it all around him. I was watching a news video the other day online or reading article but what it mentioned is true. Many rock stars learn to sing in church, only to later get a big head of their power to rule the world because of their ability to influence, and to gather a crowd. In truth they may be very humble people in general, but for a time in their ignorance they think more of theirselves then the should. Like the world can not live without them. With Ipods, and other technology today, it maybe more true in regards to muscians having a godlike status, only to one day do what fall.

We all fall to our death, but we have a covering that God ordains leaders to rise and fall, either with humility or bigheadness. Humility is to know God still in control and on the throne. to be bigheadness is to think your bigger then God and Christ Jesus. What happen to Assyrian nation it would arises up, not to honor God because his word was true and would fall like the devil fell. He rose up to be covered by God's word that he would arise and become great, and yet he would fall by his own choices in the rising, of deciding who to honor God or himself. When he chose money, wealth, power and greed over the ways of God which is love, hope and faith, longsuffering, gentleness and so forth, his arm of power came with first destruction of his own people and then the destruction of his own government.

Last year was the first year, I did not see the loads of Christmas stuff on the shelves as there has been in many years past. I know people are ordering, but I looked around and seen the limited Christmas lights and decorations this year in my own town. The first year of Corona was like this and maybe even time of recession back in the day of President Obama as well. Whether fault of our government or loss of work, or enability to work, our nation still had Christmas in their heart for those that believe in Jesus. There was more rejoicing on social media then in Christmas past. The grinch would not steal our joy this season, for they can not take Christ from us. Christ being in the flesh, and being God's word. Christ Spirit is still with us, and he will return in his glorified body one day. His word covering the world, but salvation must come with our own faith in him. His word is for all, but our protection only comes when we believe. Our obedience comes with our faith. Our disobedience coming without faith will produce weeds. You know the boss the complains pass the attitude to new recruits. The attitude I hate school is passed on to other children.

The unhealthy attitude I can not overcome, being words of darkness and not light. Our words produce light and love, or darkness and defeat. Prophesy can bring hope, or can bring death of destruction. And our lack of faith always brings destruction to our inner being. Our position in Christ effects how we view his position in our heart, whether he the center of our faith, or we leaving his word outside our life. We are all covered by God's word, but we all do not have Christ blood covering in our life, because we except it not. if we do not accept Christ by faith as Lord we fail to honor not God and Christ. May say we live in perfection. Instead of admitting sin.

One more thought often people attitude of being better then another has nothing to do with proverty, or sin in a persons life for all sin, and all fall short of the glory of God. It when we get to that place that attitude is we better then others, it goes all the way up to being better then God eventually, and that road leads to destruction. Man will fall. Rock stars will one day fall that have no fallen. Truth is if we fail to admit God's word has power, that we need God's power to save us, we fail to receive Christ as Lord and Savior

Dear Heavenly Father, when we look around us and understand your word is still with us outside of heaven, that all we have to do is believe in your word as being true and obey it, then we understand that when we ask you to forgiveness, as you command us to and to believe in Jesus your Son that we are then covered by the blood of Jesus. If we admit our sin you are faithful and just to forgive us. Help our unbelief and keep us humble before you and not the enemy. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: 1 John 1:1-10 KJV
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.