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Daily Devotions
for March 2004
THEME - The Minor Prophets
Please click on the current date # above to read the devotional for the
day!
May God richly bless you this day!
These devotionals
are written by the following men:
- DW - Senior Pastor, Dan Wilkenson
- RJS - Retired Pastor, Dr. Bob Shifflett
- DM - Associate Pastor, Dave Most
Monday, March 1
God's
Judgment, God's Restoration
Obadiah 1
This single chapter 21 verse OT book, deals with the coming judgment
upon Edom. The Edomites are the
descendants of Esau, Jacobs' brother. This book deals with the sin of pride. 1Jo
2:16 because all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of
the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
As we take a look then at what God had to say to Edom, we will also evaluate where we are today in our
society and in our families and churches.
The very first statement we see is in verse 1, ...Thus
says the Lord God concerning Edom... Now
let's stop and evaluate for a moment. When you hear this statement, what is
the first thing that comes to your mind? "Uh, oh, they've done it
now?" That would be an accurate thought, as verses 3 and 4 give us the
reason. It says, ...The pride of
your heart has deceived you...you who say "Who shall bring me down to
the ground?" God then says, "I will bring you down..."
Wow, can you even imagine the foolishness of this pride among those Edomites? It is really hard to understand why any sane
and thinking person would rebel against the living and true God, but that is
what these folks surely did. But say, before we get too hard on them, it is
our turn to evaluate and take a look at where we stand before God! Can we say
that we, too, have never rebelled against God, and we, too, have always
obeyed Him in our lives? In fact, that is the very essence of where many
folks are at today. Many people, maybe including ourselves are in the very
acts of rebellious pride and constant disobedience to the clear commands of a
loving but righteous judge God, who does not hold any man above another and
is not a respecter of persons. God does not have favorites. We are all
sinners. The fact is, we live in a society today,
much like Edom. We are filled with the pride of self;
self-reliance, self-security, and apathy. Many people are so full of self
that they cannot see these simple truths that God desires for us to learn
from Obadiah. We all are sinners; every last one of us. Individually, we are
the ones that nailed Jesus to the cross. We must repent of our individual sin
of pride and disobedience to the Living and True God who is full of grace and
mercy, but must also punish sin.
"Dear God, we realize that it was us that nailed Christ to the
cross. Please forgive us and have mercy upon us. Amen.' DM
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Tuesday, March 2
The Lord Devised the First
Submarine
Jonah
1
To be out of the will of God is the most miserable situation a believer
can get into. Jonah, as a prophet, was evidently well versed in Scripture. He
went down to Joppa to purchase a ticket going in the opposite direction. Ninevah was under God's divine judgment, but Jonah went
down. To go down is to go away from God. We are admonished to look up, for
our redemption draweth nigh. I once read of a man
who found a coin in the gutter and spent the rest of his life walking along
looking in the gutters for other coins. What a miserable life he must have
had?
Nineveh was built by Asshur, in
the days following the flood, Gen. 10:11-12. It was the capital of Assyria, situated on the Tigris River and was first called Nina, after the patron goddess
of the city. Nineveh is the subject of several other books, Nahum and
Zephaniah also make predictions concerning this city.
Have you ever considered the mercy and long suffering of God and
questioned it? Jonah and Nineveh
are perfect examples of God's love and concern for children, (more to be said
in chapter 4) as well as, adults. It's impossible for us to comprehend God's
mercy and long suffering, but we must accept it by faith.
God could not permit this great city go down in destruction at that
time. God sent the storm to turn Jonah around; that failed so the heathen
sailors had only one alternative to save themselves, and that was to cast
Jonah overboard. Here's where the submarine comes in; God sent a great fish
and it swallowed Jonah. God also created another miracle; Jonah was
impervious to the gastric juices in the fish's belly. We cannot imagine being
in that environment for three days and three nights. Jonah paid the fare, or
the price of a ticket to flee from God. Evidently, Jonah had not read Psalm
139:7-13, READ IT! We knew a Christian Science lady who directed her son
to have her cremated and her ashes scattered in Puget Sound so that God could not find her in the day of
judgment. She's in for a surprise when on the "day of judgment,"
her ashes will be given up by the sea and reformed into a body to stand
before the Great White Throne. We cannot escape from God, no matter where we
go. RJS
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Wednesday, March 3
The
Spiritual Restoration of Israel
Zechariah
13
(1) The phrase "on that day" occurs 16 times in these
three closing chapters (12:3-4, 6, 8-9, 11; 13:1-2, 4; 14:4, 6, 8-9, 13,
20-21). On the day of Christ's crucifixion the fountain was opened
potentially for all Israel and the whole world. At the Second Advent of
Christ, the fountain will be opened experientially for the Jewish
nation. We need to appreciate that
the most important part of our lives is the spiritual. Now the spiritual will
have a great impact on the temporal, but the spiritual is primary.
The kingdom could not come for the nation of Israel until the hearts of the people changed. Their
hearts needed to be changed from self, above all else, to the glory of God,
above all else. In other words, the main sin in the human heart is that of
idolatry. At the end of this age, this idolatry will be manifest in the
worship of the Antichrist in the temple in Jerusalem that is dedicated to the worship of Jehovah. In the
kingdom, idolatry and false teaching will not be tolerated. Today, most
people understand the need to deal with the murderer. In that day, most
people will understand the need to deal with the false prophet. It would seem
that the nation Israel never really understood the need to deal with the
false prophets.
(2) The surviving remnant will have been purged and purified by
the persecutions in the Tribulation, as well as by God's judgment on living Israel at the Second Advent.... They will call on the
name of the Lord in faith (Zech. 12:10-13:1) and become a restored nation (Rom. 11:26-27). God's
purpose for Israel on this earth is not finished. Neither has it been
frustrated by the crucifixion. It has only been delayed. In the end, all the
glory of God's kingdom will be a reality on this earth. It is just that it
cannot be forced. It is not possible to have a spiritual kingdom on this
earth without a spiritual people. People must open their hearts to God's
grace and mercy. They must trust and follow God's law. It is only then that
the blessings of the kingdom can be realized on this earth. We look to
systems and structure, but God looks at the heart. If the heart is what it
ought to be, the practical results will be good, regardless of the structure.
Our problems are primarily a matter of the heart and soul. DW
(1) (2) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton,
Illinois: Scripture Press Publications,
Inc.) 1983, 1985.
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Thursday, March 4
True
Belief comes through True Repentance
Jonah
3
The exact opposite of the title today is in fact what many folks
blindly profess. Many people profess to be "Christian", but they
only believe a False Belief that only brings a False Repentance. In chapter
3, Jonah had already had to learn the hard way that he needed to obey God's
clear commands for his life. Jonah may have had good reasons not to obey God,
at least from his own selfish perspective of why not to go to Ninevah, but God had told him clearly and specifically to
go and to preach repentance to this city. So, through the discipline of the
Lord on his life for disobeying, (which really shows that he was a true
believer) he went and began to preach repentance. Folks, we need to grasp a
couple of very important principles here. First, when God tells us to do
something, instead of questioning or disobeying God for any reason
whatsoever, we need to have a submissive, a willing and a repentant heart to
obey God, just because we want to do whatever He would ask of us. Do we
really believe that our God and our Savior, whom we profess to know, has a
perfect and complete plan for our lives? If not, we either don't really know
God, or we are living a life of disobedience, just as Jonah was. Secondly, we
see something most wonderful. When Jonah did obey and began to preach
repentance, it wasn't the type of music or some program that he used that
caused Ninevah to repent, it wasn't the great
oratory skills or qualifications and degrees that Jonah might have had that
caused the Ninevites to repent. No, it was the
Submissive, Obedient Heart of God's willing servant, whom God used to bring
God's message in God's way to the Ninevites and it
is God who caused them to realize their sin and their pending doom and it is
God who saw their hearts and it is God who forgave them. Let us ask ourselves
an honest question. Do we also have willing, obedient hearts like Jonah's?
Even more importantly, do we live lives that back up our professions of being
a Christian? If so, God has given us a clear command to Love Him above all
else and to obey Him. Yes, this is where True Joy comes from! True Joy is a
result of True Repentance and agreeing with God that He is right and we are
guilty sinners worthy of death. Is it by His Grace and mercy that we are
saved and then we are commissioned by God to tell others? Salvation comes
through repentance and acceptance of Jesus Christ! Say Friend, Do you truly
know Him?! DM
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Friday, March 5
The Rev. Mr. Jonah's Personal Pity
Party
Jonah,
please read this 4th Chapter before you read the devotion.
Pity parties are always for selfish reasons and the person at the
pity party is only you. Others don't want to attend, because they are not
interested in your self pity. "A person all wrapped up
in his or herself makes a very small package." Selected
What good was Jonah's prayer? A person who is angry with God and
God's mercy cannot expect God to hear his prayers. Just think of this for a
few minutes. Jonah was used of God to bring a great city to its knees and
repent of their sins, also to spare 120,000 little, innocent ones who did not
know their right hand from their left. Poor Jonah, he was deeply patriotic to
Israel, but uncaring about the lost souls of Nineveh. We also can be very fundamental in our spiritual
lives, but uncaring about the lost souls all around us. Show me a spiritual
leader that is uncaring about lost souls and I'll show you a hireling, rather
than a shepherd. Jesus had no time for the hirelings.
Jonah wanted God to destroy the city of Nineveh, but God extended His mercy to that huge, repentant
city in spite of Jonah's prayer. The only bright spot in Jonah's world was a
gourd that God created for shade to protect Jonah from the intense heat.
However, because of Jonah's pitiless attitude towards Nineveh God sent a worm
to destroy the shading plant and now the sun was blasting down on Jonah's
head. As the sweat ran down his face and Jonah fainted and God came to him
again, And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the
gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto
death. Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which
thou hast not laboured, neither madest
it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: And should not I
spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore
thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left
hand; and also much cattle? Jonah 4:9-11. To have pity means to have
compassion for others. If we do not have compassion for the lost, we are as
unfaithful to our Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20), as Jonah was to his
commission. Our generation cannot be saved unless we share with them. RJS
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Saturday,
March 6
Judgment
is Determined
Micah
1
The Old Covenant included the promise of God's blessing and curse. In
Deuteronomy chapters 27, 28. (1) Micah prophesied about both
the Northern and the Southern Kingdoms, but he mentioned only these three
kings of Judah because the kings in the north were not in the
Davidic line.
The Northern
Kingdom had long
before strayed from the covenant given through Moses. And the people in the
Southern Kingdom were acting like their brothers and sisters to the north,
failing to live according to the covenant.
One of the problems with God's grace and mercy is that people tend to
presume on the grace of God. In this opening chapter, God is presented as
above what is going on this earth. He calls on all creation to bear witness
of the sin and unfaithfulness of His people. The sin was the immorality that
surrounded pagan idolatrous worship. The marital infidelity reflected the
greater spiritual adultery that was going on in the worship of idols. The
sins of the people progressed to the point where judgment was inevitable. In
verse 9, we read her wound is incurable...? At this point,
there was no way the nation could avoid the righteous judgment of God.
Judgment is so certain that they may as well begin their mourning.
(2) Tell it not in Gath recalls 2 Samuel 1:20 where David made the same statement. In that case
David did not want the Philistines to be glad about the demise of Saul, Israel's former ruler. In Micah's case he did not want the
inhabitants of Gath to hear about the Assyrian attack on Judah. God has
created this world with fixed spiritual laws. If we ignore important elements
of God's law, we will come to reap as we have sown. Sometimes when people
repent, they expect God to remove all the consequences of their sin. In most
cases, this does not happen. Yes, there are exceptions, but for the most
part, we will reap as we have sown. This is the order God created in this
world. This is why it is important that we understand and obey God's law. It
is important that we live in faith and not presumption. We are presumptuous
if we don't expect to reap even as we have sown. DW
(1) (2) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck,
Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton,
Illinois: Scripture Press Publications,
Inc.) 1983, 1985.
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Sunday, March 7
God's
Judgment on Evil Doers
Micah
2
Contrary to popular belief and the TV Media popularity poles, God
says there is consequences for sin. What God says is
always right! In fact, Mic 6:8
He hath shewed thee, O man, what [is] good; and
what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and
to walk humbly with thy God? Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? And God did say, Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God. We see on the news that
evil and sin is every where. We also see from God's Holy Word, that there
will be judgment on evil doers and upon those who do not repent of their sin.
It is always interesting that people ignorantly say that God is a God of love
and why would He cause bad things to happen, when, in fact, it is our own sin
and the evil power of Satan that cause the bad things to happen. God is in
complete control and will only allow things to happen for His children's
good. Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good
to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Plus, we know that, 1Co
10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but
God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are
able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be
able to bear it. God allows every person to make their own
choices. We can choose to repent and trust Christ as Savior. We then can
choose to serve Him. If we choose God's way, we will experience a peace that
passes all understanding in a world that does not have peace. We will
experience a life of inexpressible joy in a world that does not have joy. God
has shown us that He wants for us to live our only life in the way that would
bring glory and honor to Him, but it is our choice. We can choose the way of
evildoers and God will have to bring judgment, or we can choose to repent and
live for Him. He will bring blessing on those who obey. Deu
5:9,10 ... visiting the iniquity of
the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them
that hate me, And shewing mercy unto thousands of
them that love me and keep my commandments. What will be your choice?
DM
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Monday, March 8
The False Prophets vs. a Spirit-Led
Prophet
Micah
3: 5-7 - 8 and 12
There were false prophets in Micah's time
and Christ promised there'll be false prophets in the church, Mat. 7:15, 24:11, 24, 1 John 4:1. Micah fairly cuts down the false prophets and calls
them what they are. John even mentions that there will be false christs. False prophets make prophecies that don't come
to pass, Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a
vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun
shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them. Then
shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all
cover their lips; for there is no answer of God. 3:6-7 God
sent prophets to speak and it comes to pass. But truly I am full of
power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare
unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin. --- Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and
the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest. 8 and 12.
Note, that Micah is promising judgment on both Israel and Judah. Jerusalem is to be the recipient of God's judgment, Read
Jeremiah 26:18. History has it that Jerusalem had been plowed under seven times. Jerusalem is the apple of God's eye and God is protecting it
today because we are very close to the end of the age, and the antichrist will
come on the scene. We are preparing now for a worldwide leader. One who can
bring a false peace to Israel and will head all the governments of the world for
seven years.
Now back to Israel and Judah; the People of God were listening to false prophets
and had completely turned from God. They were worshipping false gods and
practicing every known sin. If the atheists of today and the ACLU [Anti
Christian Legal Union] have their way, America will also come under the awful
hand of God's Judgment and we will become a third rate nation. Like Israel and Judah, we are in the process of self-destruction. Let us
note some of their sins and see if that fits our society today: Hate good and
love evil. Leaders hate judgment and justice. Murder, Priest's teach for money.
Politicians take bribes and claim immunity from doing evil. Lie about God and
curse Him. Sounds like the 21st century, doesn't it? RJS
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Tuesday,
March 9
The
Blessings of the Kingdom
Micah
4
As sure as there was a beginning, there will be an end. God's purpose
on this earth will be perfectly accomplished. (1) The mountain of the
Lord's temple "...Mount Zion where the millennial temple will be built (cf. Ezek. 40-43)"will become chief among the mountains (cf. Zech. 8:3). That is, the temple site
will be the center of the millennial government, the place where Christ will
rule. This fact contrasts sharply with the desolate condition of Jerusalem stated in Micah 3:12. In the
kingdom, saved Gentiles will want to learn the ways of the Lord, whereas
ironically Israel was not interested in obeying the Lord. What a
rebuke this was to Micah's contemporaries. Micah's readers were chafing under
the Word of God, not wanting to be told by Him or by His prophet that they
were wrong. By contrast eventually the whole world will submit willingly to
God's Word and His decisions.
It is as it
was in the days when Jesus walked this earth. Those studied in the law
rejected Him while the publicans and sinners heard Him gladly. Those who are
blind to their need and satisfied with what this life has to offer, have no
desire for hope. They are content where they are. The picture is one of
oppression and the oppressed. The oppressed need hope. As long as people feel
right about oppressing others, there will be war. We find some of my favorite
words of hope about the future in verse 3. Here we read that Jesus shall
judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall
beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks:
nation shall not lift up a sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more. This earth has never known
such a time.
This time will
come when people open their hearts to God's grace. Today, most people are
bent on self destruction. By opening our hearts to grace, we can find
healing. At the end of the age, the majority of those who survive its
destruction will open their hearts to God. When this happens the kingdom will
come. However, if we open our hearts to grace now, we can find all the
spiritual blessings of the kingdom. Why not open your heart today? DW
(1) Walvoord,
John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge
Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois:
Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.
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Wednesday, March 10
The
Coming Messiah
Micah 5
This chapter deals with those who are God's own, His children. As we
go through life as Christians, we are to be, Heb 12:2,3 Looking unto
Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set
before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the
right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such
contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in
your minds. What do you focus your daily attention on? Lack of sleep,
the weather, breakfast, your job, the kids, your spouse, etc? That's the
whole point! We need to fix our eyes, our hearts on Jesus Christ! We are to
be looking for His return. His return is imminent. He could come at any time.
But do you really believe it? Do you really live like it?
There was the story of a man who stood at Niagara Falls and proclaimed to the crowd that he could walk
across Niagara
Falls
blindfolded, with a person on his back. The people were skeptical at first,
but some of them believed that he could do it. As they began to shout that
they believed, others joined in, as well, saying that they, too, believed.
Finally the man held up his hands and said that he was glad that they
believed and now he needed one volunteer from all the believers to go with
him on his back as he crossed. Not one person volunteered. The point to this
story is that there are a lot of professing Christians out there who say that
they believe, but in fact, the opposite is true because they will not allow
Christ to have full access to their lives.
A True Christian loves God with all his heart and has a desire to
read God's Word. A True Christian obeys God's clear commands to witness and
make disciples. A True Christian displays spiritual fruit. A True Christian
is looking for the return of Christ and is sending on ahead the spiritual
rewards to glory and is giving up the material rewards of this life.
God's purposes will be accomplished whether we obey or not! God will
reward those who trust and obey, and He will bring judgment on those who
chose to go their own way. "Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive us of
sin and guide us in Your everlasting truth." DM
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Thursday, March 11
Woe
to Those that are at Ease in Zion
Micah
6:1-6
The word "Woe" is found 80 times in the Old
Testament and 26 times in the New Testament. It is used to open a chapter on
13 different occasions. It is also found in Revelation 7 times and means: trouble,
sorrow, afflict-ions, grief and calamities, according to Webster's
Dictionary. In the Bible, it means God's judgment is about to fall on a
nation or an individual. Here in Micah, God is warning Jerusalem and Judah that their sins have come up before Him and He is
not going to put up with them any longer. They are ripe for Divine judgment;
their cup of sins is running over. You have not kept My Sabbatical years; you
have become involved in every sin that the mind of man can conjure up, God
says, "I've had it with you!" From verses 4-6, we see that for Israel materialism is in vogue.
In verses 7-14, we learn what type of judgment is
coming, captivity and slavery in a strange land and heathen culture. Their
beloved land and Jerusalem, are about to receive the rest God required of
Israel way back in Leviticus 25:3-4, Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit
thereof; But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath
of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou
shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy
vineyard. For 490 years they had not kept the Sabbaths, therefore,
God was going to give the land 70 years of rest.
Verse 12 is interesting in that it speaks of horses running on rock.
Horse shoeing, as we know it, was unknown in Bible times. Both Greeks and
Romans fitted leather cups on the hooves of their horses so they could walk
or run on the rock. Also speaking of plowing on the rock, to this day the
Arabs in Israel plow with one ox and instead of having steel
plowshares they use a pointed stick and turn only a shallow furrow. They pick
up the small rocks and use them for walls around their fields. In the Arab
parts of Israel, it is still very primitive. In the Jewish sections
they use modern machinery and are as up to date as America. RJS
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Friday
March 12
God
is Our Only Hope
Micah
7
The terrible time spoken of in our text is the end
of the age. It would seem that mankind as a whole must hit rock bottom before
looking to God. Consider the words of our text. We read in verse 5, trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep
the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy
bosom. If a time like this is not rock bottom, I don't know what would
be. There is no love in the land for anything but self. How tragic!
What
can a person do in such an evil age? The answer is given in verse 7. Here we read, I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the
God of my salvation: my God will hear me. This verse has application to
all who find themselves without human hope today. Man's extremity is God's
opportunity. In our text, there is an admission of guilt. We read in verse 9,
I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against
him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me
forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness. When we sin and
reject God and His ways, there is great trouble and sorrow. However, if we
will open our hearts to God's grace and truth, there is always hope.
There
is a great picture of hope in verses 18, 19, 18 Who is a God like
unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity,
and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of
his heritage? he retaineth
not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in
mercy. 19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue
our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
It is simply not possible for sin to carry us where God's grace and mercy
cannot reach us. It is fitting that in this message of sin and judgment that
we find hope. According to the covenant, there would be all kinds of problems
because of Israel's sin and unfaithfulness. She will be brought down
to where there is no where to look, but to God in faith and hope. Yet, even
in such a desperate situation, God will bring salvation and blessing to all
who open their hearts to His grace. We need to be careful about any teaching
that would take away hope from those who stray. Such doctrine is not found in
the Bible. God is always and ever ready to heal and bless, if we only turn to
Him in faith. DW
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Saturday, March 13
Does God Hear Our Prayers?
Habakkuk 1
We have all prayed and wondered if God
really did hear us, just like the prophet Habakkuk says in verse 2. There are
certain things though, that we can do to help us know that God did hear us
and we find these things in His Word. First of all, we understand that sin is
what blocks our prayers unto God. Psa
66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. How
can we expect God to hear us when we have un-confessed sin in our lives? So
we must make certain that we have confessed any and all sin first and
foremost. Then we can pray as David did, Psa
19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be
acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Next of
all, many of us usually try to fix things ourselves and we may go to the
Lord, and we may not. But God says, Jer
33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew
thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest
not. Yes, just the simple act of calling on the Lord with a
repentant heart will allow God to hear us.
Jesus gave us the example of addressing
our prayers unto God the Father. Have you ever heard someone pray without
addressing God the Father. Then there are some who
misuse Father as if it should be repeated every third of fourth word. We are
to pray to God the Father, in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and in the power of
the Holy Spirit. We need to address God with reverence and respect. We need
to understand who it is we are talking with. This is our Maker and our
Creator, our Savior and our Redeemer, not just some heavenly buddy that we
can slap high five with.
Finally, we need to ask for the things
that God desires. Jam 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may
consume it upon your lusts. God desires that all should come to
repentance and that all would be saved. How much time do you spend praying
for those that you know aren't saved? God also answers the prayers of a righteous person. Jam 5:16 ...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
God will answer the prayers of a person who has confessed his sin and is
praying for God's ways and purposes! This truly honors Him. DM
Sunday, March 14
Unfulfilled Prophecies Pointing to
the
Glorious Kingdom to Come
Habakkuk
2
Verses 2 and 3 refer to a vision of the future, to this day
unfulfilled, but to be fulfilled when our Precious Saviour
returns. The rapture of the church or the saints is not pictured here, but
the Second Coming after the Tribulation and the Kingdom on earth in the
Millennium. Verse 4 is Paul's famous sentence used as the basis of his great
argument repeated in Romans 1:17
and Galatians 3:11. "?The Just shall
live by faith." Martin Luther remembered these words when he was
climbing the glass imbedded, Apostles Stairs on his bloody knees in the City
of Rome. Luther had put his body through many forms of
self-flagellation to purify his body of sin, but to no avail. So too, we
cannot improve this body of sin any more than Paul or Luther. We need the new
birth or the new creation relationship with God through Christ.
Habakkuk was speaking to his generation, because they were a covetous
people. They were using wine to uncover the nakedness of their neighbors. Israel was filled with lust and adultery. The idol makers
were on street corners hawking these blind, deaf, and speechless idols. The
pimps were standing outside the Temple gates offering harlots to the worshippers for a
price. We have heard or read this many times that, "Americans are in
love with their cars." This writer sees a car as but a vehicle to take
him from point A to point B. We have never seen it as a status symbol. Every
car we have owned has been dedicated to the Lord from the time of purchase
and remained dedicated to Him until traded or sold.
There is a chorus in many of the hymnals that is found in verse 20,
"The LORD is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before
Him." This is another of Habakkuk's prophecies of the future. It
should apply to us today, according to Paul in I Cor.
3:16-17, we are the temple of God. God dwells in us; therefore, we should not defile
this body-temple as the Jews did their Temple in Habakkuk's day. RJS
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Monday, March 15
Praying
for Revival
Habakkuk 3
Habakkuk begins his prophecy deeply distressed because of the
wickedness in the land. God tells the prophet of the coming invasion by Babylon. As Babylon is even more wicked than Israel, the prophet is distressed that this will not help
the cause of righteousness. What is the distressed prophet to do? In chapter
three, we find his response. He prays for God to bring spiritual revival.
The prophet's
focus is on the greatness and goodness of God. This gives him hope in the
middle of times of great spiritual decline. As he focuses on the greatness
and goodness of God, he pleads for God's powerful intervention and mercy. As
he thinks of the divine presence, he recounts various elements that
surrounded God's appearance at Sinai. From there, he moves to God's work in
his experience. In particular, he recounts God's power over water. (1) God's
victory over Egypt's horsemen was pictured figuratively as if He
Himself had trampled the sea with His own horses and chariots
(cf. Hab. 3:8). In this victory God had churned the
great waters (cf. v. 10). When
God works in such powerful ways, it has a great impact on people. The prophet
Habakkuk was no different. We read in verse 16 When I heard, my belly
trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones,
and I trembled in myself...
In spite of
the impact of God's works in this earth, the prophet does not loose
confidence and hope. (2) The prophet's weakened physical state
contrasted with his incredibly strong spiritual state. Even in the
midst of absolute ruin and abject famine (which came when the Babylonians
captured Jerusalem, Lam. 2:12, 20, 4:4, 9-10; 5:17-18), the prophet was prepared to trust God. He
realized that inner peace did not depend on outward prosperity. He describes his spiritual state in verses 17,
18, Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit
be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall
fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the
fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 18 Yet I will rejoice in the
LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. In spite of desperate
circumstances, the spiritual blessings of faith can be ours. I wonder, is
this part of your experience? DW
(1) (2) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton,
Illinois: Scripture Press Publications,
Inc.) 1983, 1985.
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Tuesday, March 16
Obedience in Building God's House
Haggai 1
As we look at the beginning chapter of Haggai, we see the clear
command of God to rebuild His house, His temple. God always comes to the
point and does not beat around the bush. He says in, Hag 1:4 Is it time
for you yourselves to dwell in your finished houses, and shall this House lie waste? Solomon's temple laid
in ruins while they sat in their fancy houses. The people had become fat and apathetic to
spiritual things. Interesting! Isn't that where the church in America is today? Many church going
people who profess to be "Christian," are little interested in
Spiritual things as is evidenced by their daily and weekly activity. There are
a lot of people who miss church who wouldn't miss work. There are many who
take vacations to be relieved of work stress, but can't seem to find time for
Christ's work to make disciples (The real stress reliever). Many people find
time to go to movies and many different activities and are entertained for
hours on end each week, but can't seem to sit under the teaching and
preaching of God's Word for 1 hour on Sunday without finding fault with the
service music, or the preaching of God's Holy Word. Folks, could this be you?
What is most important in your life? You say you're a Christian, but if God
looked at your daily activities, would there be any evidence of your
profession? If God were to say to you, "It's time to build My
house!" what would you do?
What we see in our text is that God did ask that
question and the people responded favorably and got busy and went to work and
rebuilt the temple. Oh, would to God that we, too, as God's people would
respond with that same zeal out of a heart felt love for our Great God and
Savior! We don't have to wonder what to do and when. In fact Jesus says, John 4:35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then
cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your
eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. Yes, the temple today is in the hearts of those who have repented of
sin and turned to Christ. How much time have you committed to the Lord in
obedience to His clear command to be witnesses for Him to others? Most people
don't plan to fail, they just fail to plan. May our plan be to obey our Lord
Jesus Christ! DM
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Wednesday, March 17
The Glory of Solomon's Temple and the
Greater Glory of the Millennial Temple
Haggai 2
Haggai is one of the post-exilic prophets and compares the Temple of Zerubbabel with the glory of Solomon's Temple. Haggai asks the question of those who had seen the
first temple and the newly constructed temple after the return from
captivity, verses 2-3. The new building was but a shadow of the former
temple. However God says in verse 4 I am with you saith
the LORD of hosts: According to the word that I covenanted with you when you
came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth
among you: fear ye not. This
promise is of great value to the people as they return and rebuild the city
of Jerusalem. They have been out of the land for 70 long years
and now returning to their beloved land. Many is the Jewish emigrant coming
from Europe and Russia who falls to the ground and kisses the soil of Israel
as they deplane at Lod Airport in Tel Aviv. To
them, they are home! We knew an elderly Jewish lady in Rock Springs, WY, who said,"I want to
go home." And I replied "this is your home"
to which she responded, "No, I mean to Israel."
In 2:7-9, the curtain is pulled back and we see into the future when Israel will be fully restored and the Millennial Temple will be filled with the Glory of the Lord. Haggai,
in this prophecy pictures the Tribulation as history and the anti-christ and false prophet are in
the lake of fire. Satan is chained and is cast into the bottomless pit. The
nations of the world will come up to Jerusalem and worship. Those who teach that the millennium
was the 1000 years from the years 400 to 1300 A. D. is already past history.
They did not understand the teachings of the millennium, or the events taking
place at that time. Christ shall return to the Mount of Olives and a great earthquake will split the Mount to the
North and the South. A river will gush forth to the East and run to the Dead Sea and West to the Mediterranean
Sea.
Lastly in verse 7, we see that Christ will become the desire of all
nations. Americans will turn from their Anti-Christian philosophies and seek
Christ as He sits in all His glory. Believers, we will reign with Him! RJS
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Thursday, March 18
A
Call to Repentance
Zechariah 1
(1) In an often-quoted statement, George L. Robinson has called
the Book of Zechariah "...the most messianic, the most truly apocalyptic
and eschatological of all the writings of the Old Testament". Israel's relationship with God is of similar character to
our relationships with one another. We get frustrated and angry with one
another and God has an emotional response to the unfaithfulness of His
people. (2) Zechariah affirmed that the destruction of Jerusalem and the Exile experienced by the previous
generations were an expression of divine anger. In fact the Lord was very
angry (lit., "angry with anger"), a phrase indicating extreme
displeasure. The Lord ("Yahweh"), who had entered into personal
covenant relationship with the nation Israel, was intensely angry with their forefathers,
especially the last generation before the Captivity (but cf. 2 Kings 21:14-15), because of their rebellion against Him.
We find that though God is angry, through the prophet, He calls upon
the people to repent. We read in verse 4, turn ye
now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings... God takes no
pleasure in the destruction people bring into their lives. He desires good
for them, thus, calls on them to do right. (3) In a single night Zechariah
saw a series of eight visions which were interpreted by an angel and which
described the future of the nation Israel. God's program of spiritual blessing set forth in
the visions bridges the centuries from the rebuilding of the temple in
Zechariah's day to the restoration of the kingdom to Israel under the Messiah
(still future in Acts 1:6, to be fulfilled at Christ's Second Advent; cf. Acts 15:16).
This chapter includes two visions. One is of a red horseman. This
pictures God's displeasure with the nations and determination to bless Israel. The other is of four horns and four workmen. This
vision depicts God's judgment on the nations persecuting Israel. God is the prime moving force in the history of
this world. He knows the beginning from the end, and He is bringing all to
pass according to His plan and purpose. For this reason, all the blessings
foretold for Israel will come to pass. Israel will repent. DW
(1) International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Grand
Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co., 1956, 5:3136
(2) (3) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton,
Illinois: Scripture Press Publications,
Inc.) 1983, 1985.
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Friday, March 19
Does
Your Life Measure up to God's Standard?
Zechariah
2
God used the prophet Haggai to start a revival in the hearts of the
people, to rebuild God's temple, and then God used the prophet Zechariah to
continue the revival, calling people to repentance and reassuring them of
God's future blessings if they would be faithful.
God spoke to Zechariah through visions and this third vision in
chapter two speaks of the coming Jerusalem, looking ahead to the Millennial reign of Christ.
God wanted the people to open their spiritual eyes and look past themselves
and their situations and circumstances and look at things from God's
perspective. Maybe this is why so many people today are stuck on themselves.
For sure we know that this is one of the major areas of sin in 1Jo 2:16 For
all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. But the
test for a Real Christian is this; 1Jo 2:4,5 He that
saith, I know him, and keepeth
not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God
perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. It is God who gives us our
spiritual vision. That is probably the reason that so many people don't have
this spiritual vision in that they don't really know God. Even as true
Believers, we tend to get self-focused and can't see very well spiritually,
but one day when Christ returns, if we have been faithful, we will see more
clearly. 1Co 13:12 For now we
see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Who? Jesus Christ!
Say, friend shouldn't that be our hearts focus?! Paul said, 1Th 5:4
But you, brothers, are not in darkness, that the Day should overtake you like
a thief. 1Th 4:15-18 For we say this to you by the
Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the
Lord shall not go before those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall
descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with
the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are
alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet
the Lord in the air. And so we shall ever be with the Lord. Therefore comfort
one another with these words. Are you Faithful?! DM
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Saturday, March 20
Satan standing beside the High
Priest
Zechariah
3:1-10
The people have returned from the
Babylonian Captivity and rebuilt the Temple. The angel of the LORD said unto Satan, "The
LORD rebuke thee." The angel did not rebuke
Satan, but the LORD did. It is true, "Angels fear to go where fools
tread." The LORD'S rebuke paralyzes the hostile power. The Priest
standing here is named Joshua; this is not the great leader found in the Book
of Joshua, but a priest of the tribe of Levi. Joshua was wearing filthy
clothing, totally unfit for his office. He should have been wearing clean
white linen garments when ministering before the Lord.
The angel said unto Joshua, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; (The LORD of the Heavenly
armies) If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then
thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to
walk among these (people) that stand by, 3:7. Also, note in vs. 7,
Joshua is instructed to walk in the ways of the LORD. (That is the same
command given us in the New Testament, I Corinthians 6:11-20). In vs.
8, we see the "BRANCH" this name is first found in Isaiah 4:2; 11:l. Again in Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15, now here in Zech. 3:8; 6:12. The "BRANCH," when capitalized, as here,
always refers to Christ.
Lastly, we see a prophetic picture of Israel in the remote future. This has not yet come to
pass, but will in the millennium. 9For behold the stone that
I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold,
I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD
of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10In
that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call
every man his neighbour under the vine and under
the fig tree. The seven eyes are to be compared with Revelation 5:6
... in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb
as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven
Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. It is amazing how many
prophecies are found in the OT that refer to Christ
and the consummation of all things as recorded in the Revelation. RJS
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Sunday, March 21
The
Light of This World
Zechariah
4
(1) The interpreting angel aroused Zechariah from . . .
sleep and directed his attention (by a question; cf. vv. 5, 13; 5:2) to a
solid gold lampstand, the exact appearance of
which is subject to controversy. Appearing in a context of priestly temple
ministry (cf. the previous vision), this lampstand
was apparently similar to the lampstand placed in Israel's tabernacle (cf. Ex. 25:31-40), and the 10 lampstands of Solomon's temple (1 Kings 7:49). However, the tabernacle lampstand
had to be filled with oil by the priests, but this lampstand
was automatically filled with an endless supply of oil without human agency.
The spirit of God is what God uses to accomplish His work on this
earth. The spirit of God is this endless supply of oil. In verse 6 we read, not
by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the
LORD of hosts. In this case the workers lead by Zerubbabel
would finish the work of the temple through the power of God. The two olive
trees and anointed ones have double reference. One is a reference to the two
offices of prophet and priests that were a part of God's work in the nation
of Israel. Then there is also a reference to the two
witnesses mentioned in the book of Revelation (Revelation 11:3-6). In
the case of the latter, the witness is to all on this earth.
In this image, Israel is a lighthouse to the nations. This light flows
from God's Spirit through His people. Human depravity is such that God works
through those he chooses for His purpose. God is determined to redeem fallen
humanity. All have the freedom and power of choice, but God has a way of
influencing our choice.
We need to
appreciate that though we have the freedom, power and responsibility of
individual choice, others have great influence on our choices including God.
God's choice of Israel is a means to influencing all nations on this
earth. It is often said that everyone is doing a certain thing. This is
simply not true. There are always those who choose to do right. God will see
to it. The important question is, are we doing
right? DW
(1) (2) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton,
Illinois: Scripture Press Publications,
Inc.) 1983, 1985.
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Monday, March 22
Flying
Scrolls and God's Purposes
Zechariah
5
This sixth vision of the flying scroll is the Word of God, which had
been disobeyed by Israel and also the entire world. The vision given to
Zechariah, calls for God's righteous judgment of sinners according to His
Holy standard, which is clearly set forth in His Word. The flying scroll was
unrolled for anyone to read on both sides and it measured 30' long and 15'
wide, which interestingly is the exact size of the Holy Place in the tabernacle. The scroll represents God's
divine standard that will be used by Him to measure each individual person's
life.
The scroll also symbolized the law of God and it is a figure for a
curse or a punishment on any person who disobeys it and it is also for a
blessing on all who will obey it. This same picture is also given in
Revelation 5. The scroll, more than likely, had written on both sides of it,
the 10 commandments, and these two that were mentioned in Verse 3 are
probably representative of all the commands of God's law, and they were what Israel was guilty of violating. It had an immediate
message to those folks during Zechariahs time that God will root out and
destroy the sinners who reject His Word, but is also has the same future
message for Israel and also the world prior to Jesus Christ, the Messiah's
kingdom. We need to understand that there is no escape from the judgment of
God in verse 4. His Word will enter the place of all sinners and it will
remain there until it has accomplished its purpose which will be even truer
in the kingdom in purging sinners from the land.
Then in the next vision, the 7th one,
is a wickedness system, represented by a woman in a basket under a heavy lid,
the materialistic sin that had followed them from Babylon. Interestingly, we see this in our own country
today and it will also be a part of the one world system in Revelation 18.
Say, folks, are you too involved in the materialism of this world? Our
country is one of the richest and we have never had life better. We don't
even know what it is like to go without. Are you fulfilling the purposes of
God in your life and your family and in your church? If not, you are choosing
to miss the blessings of eternity in exchange for the momentary pleasures of
this old world that is passing away and will be burned up in the end. We need
to place our whole life and spiritual focus on living for Jesus Christ in obedience
to Him. DM
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Tuesday, March 23
The Four Chariots, Four Horses and
Four Spirits
Zechariah
6:1-8
These 4 chariots, 4 horses and 4 Spirits
are explained in Revelation and all have to do with the visions of John as he
is caught up into heaven to see things that are to come. Remember, Revelation
is divided into three main divisions and John, was commissioned to write in Rev.
1:19: 1. Write the things which thou hast seen, 2. the things which are, 3. and the
things which shall be hereafter. The curtain was pulled back for
Zechariah to see into the future and the glory of Israel to come. No human writer, on his
own, could write these things. Oh, he might have a thought or concept
that some great event is going to happen, but we have no ability to predict
the future as God does, because He knows the future or end from the
beginning. God is timeless. Therefore, He sees the whole picture as one
unfolding panorama at once. Some day, we too, shall live in a timeless
environment, in glory with Him.
The
Man and The Branch are Visions of The Christ
Zechariah
6:9-13
This chapter had two definite divisions;
therefore, we have two titles in today's devotion. Messiah is to build the
millennial Temple and be the Priest-King in it (Ezekiel 40:1-43:7) of
which Joshua and the restored temple were only types
of that which is to come. It would be good if you would read the above
passage in Ezekiel. Note the "MAN" in verse 12 and compare with I
Timothy 2:5, For there is one God, and one mediator between God and
men, the man Christ Jesus. There is only one mediator, not two, as
some teach. Mary is not a co-mediatrix. We only
have access to the throne of mercy through Christ. He is our High Priest and
He alone can forgive sins. It was Christ's blood shed on the cross that
washed away our sins and gave us access to the Father. In the new birth,
"we are new creations or new creatures in Christ." Christ is
Prophet, Priest and King, but He is also the Counselor of Peace. (Zech. 6:13)
Christ is the source of true peace. ...Peace I leave with you, my peace
I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it
be afraid John 14:27. In these troubling
days He will lead us by the hand into true Peace. RJS
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Wednesday, March 24
Hard,
Hateful Hearts and Minds
Zechariah
7
In this chapter, we find the case for judgment. We find that God had sent
His prophets to warn the people about the consequences of their sin. This
message is occasioned by as delegation from Bethel that wanted to know whether or not they should
continue to fast in memory of Jerusalem's destruction. (1) The question raised by the Bethelites implied a desire to discontinue the
self-imposed religious observance of fasting in the fifth month
(July-August, the month Ab), which commemorated the
burning to the ground of the city and the temple by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings
25:8-10).
God's response is a rebuke for corrupt worship. (2) ... the rebuke
was against empty formalism devoid of spiritual reality, for whether fasting
or feasting, they were doing it not for the Lord (Zech. 7:5) but for
themselves (v. 6). We would do well to realize that when it comes to
spiritual things there is only darkness and light. The essence of light is
love for God and love for others. The nature of fallen humanity is that the
highest value is self preservation. We must rise above and beyond this in order
to find salvation. Sadly, it is possible to engage in the worship and honor
of God from corrupt motives. There is nothing more spiritually corrupt than
darkness masquerading as light. Their religious observances were corrupt. (3)
This seventh-month fast was not the divinely instituted fast on the annual
Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29, 31; 23:26-32), which was also in the seventh
month, but a fast commemorating the murder of Gedaliah,
governor of Judah, during a time of civil strife after the fall of Jerusalem
(Jer. 41:2).
More important than how we worship and when we worship, is why we
worship. In spite of all this outward faithfulness in worship, God's people
hardened their hearts to the truth to the point that they refused to even
hear it. When people are ignorant and blind to important spiritual truth, it
is primarily a work of their hearts and minds. It is important to note here
that people want the form of truth without the substance. How about your
heart today? Is your heart open to important spiritual truth? DW
1. (1)
(2) (3) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck,
Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary,
(Wheaton, Illinois:
Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.
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Thursday, March 25
Jerusalem, Holy City of the Future
Zechariah
8
Have you ever stopped to wonder and ponder what the city of Jerusalem will be like in the Millennium? What is it about us
sinful, self-centered human beings that causes us to look so shortsightedly
at our immediate surroundings instead of looking ahead at what God says will
be taking place? It is through God that, 2Pe 1:2-4 Grace and peace be
multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
according as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life
and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who has called us to glory and
virtue, through which He has given to us exceedingly great and precious
promises, so that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Jerusalem interestingly means the city of peace. Let's take a
look at some other names given in scripture. It is called the city of our God
in Ps 48:1. The city of the great King, Ps 48:2. The city of the Lord of
hosts in Ps 48:8. Salem and Zion in Ps 76:2. The city of righteousness and the
faithful city in Is 1:26. Ariel, the Lion of God in Is 29:1. The Holy city in
Is 52:1. The city of the Lord in Is 60:14. Hephzibah, meaning, My delight is
in her, in Is 62:4. The Throne of the Lord in Jer
3:17. The Lord Our Righteousness in Jer 33:16. The
perfection of beauty and The joy of the whole earth in Lam 2:15. The Lord Is
There, YHWH Shammah in Ezek 48:35. The city of
truth and the Holy Mountain in Zech 8:3.
Yes, the practical results of obedience towards God was laid out in
the first 8 verses and as they were then able to see the future things that
God had in store for them, the people were excited and were exhorted to renew
their energy in obedience and in righteous living. Zechariah could remember
the previous years as folks had taken their ease and comfort including
indifference toward God's ways and the result of God's punishment. But as
they began to obey, it was also obvious that God would fulfill His promises
and would bring more than anyone could even imagine. 1Co 2:9 But as it
is written, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard," nor has it entered
into the heart of man, "the things which God has prepared for those who
love Him." Say friend, do you love God and are you willing to
obey Him?! DM
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Friday, March 26
Great
Prophecies Fulfilled and to be Fulfilled
Zechariah
9:9-17
Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice
greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King
cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an
ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. I don't think there is
another verse in the Old Testament that identifies the coming of Israel's King any better than this one. Let us analyze the
verse:
1. It is addressed to the people who were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.
2. It identifies their King and His attributes,
1. He is just,
2. He has the words that lead to salvation.
3. He is lowly, (humble)
4. He rides into Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of an ass.
On that Palm Sunday as He rode into the city, they recognized Him as
King and three short days later they cried out for His crucifixion. What they
did not know was that the only way He could secure theirs and our salvation
was the cross. He, the perfect sinless One, had to die as was planned before
the foundation of the world for the sins of the world.
Events preceding His Second Advent are also mentioned in this
passage. We now turn to Matthew 24 to find the events listed:
1. Deceptions - vvs. 4, 5, 11, 24.
2. False Christs - 5, 23-26.
3. Wars and rumors of wars
- 6-7.
4. Famines - 7, Rev.
5:6-7.
5. Earthquakes - 7, Rev.
6:12-17.
6. Anti-semitism
- 9, Mark 13:9, 13.
7. Betrayals - 9, Mark
13:12.
8. False Prophets - 11, 24,
Rev. 13.
9. Lawlessness abounding
-12
10. Love decreasing -
12-13, 2 Timothy 3.
11. Increased satanic
powers. 2 Thess. 2:8-12.
12. Sex crimes 38, Luke 13:27.
13. Procrastination and
lethargy - 39. We could continue these signs, but we have listed enough for
you to get the picture. We are admonished that when we see these things
coming to pass, and when these things begin to come to pass, then look up,
and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth
nigh. And Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away,
till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall
not pass away, Luke 21:28, 32-33. RJS
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Saturday, March 27
A
Message of Hope
Zechariah
10
In this chapter, we find the nation of Israel scattered as a result of their sin and its
consequential judgment. (1) As a result of the deception by the false (and
apparently foreign) prophets and diviners, God's people wander like
sheep. Therefore, God announced that He would bring wrath and judgment on
the false shepherds and victory to His flock (cf. Micah 5:4). The
remedy for the nation's deception focuses on the coming of the Messiah who is
described in a fourfold way as the Cornerstone (cf. Isa. 28:16), the Tent Peg . . . the Battle Bow
(cf. Ps. 45:5), and the Ruler (cf. Gen. 49:10; Micah 5:2). These terms
emphasize the strong, stable, victorious, and trustworthy nature of Messiah's
rule.
The situation is desperate, but God will turn things around. Because
of His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He will simply not allow this
terrible circumstance to stand. (2) Israel will be regathered from
present worldwide dispersion. God announced, I will signal for them.
The term "signal' means
"whistle" (as in gathering a swarm of insects; cf. Isa. 7:18) or "pipe" (as a shepherd using a reed
pipe to gather his flocks; cf. Jud. 5:16). On the human side their return will
involve the fact that they will remember God. On the divine side God
said, I will bring them back. Egypt and
Assyria </ |
