The End of the Books/Our Faith, Our Hope--Day 365 Through the Bible

                                           Happy New Year from Mt. Celo Church Blog!

This will be the last post for our blog for this year through the Bible.  If you did not read the post for yesterday, I would encourage you to read it. At the end of the blog, the writer eloquently sums up the year and shares the areas God has impressed upon her heart during the past year.  As believers, God works with each of us as individuals through the Holy Spirit. I am always inspired by others' testimonies as I see how God is working in their lives and often I find that God is dealing with similar issues in my heart.

These are my thoughts and impressions on the final chapters of Malachi, Psalms, Proverbs, and the book of Revelation (not in that order).

The writings of the psalmists end in a most appropriate way.  The book closes with a round of tremendous praises for God!

"Praise the Lord!"--in His sanctuary and in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for--His mighty acts, and according to His excellent greatness!
How to praise Him?---with the trumpet, the lute and harp, with timbrel and dance, with stringed instruments and flutes, with loud cymbals, with clashing cymbals!
And finally, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!"
What a glorious celebration to look forward to when all God's people are gathered together in one place to praise our Father God with all our hearts for bringing each of us to that place that we may dwell with Him forever!  But, oh, we have the opportunity now to praise Him for this hope and for all He does for us in our fleshly dwellings!  For His deliverance from spiritual bondage, for tremendous mercies and grace toward us now!  Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

We have read many instances in the Bible this year where women were connected with wickedness and evil. Eve, Jezebel, the seductress in Proverbs, Sapphira, the harlot drunken with the blood of the saints in Revelation, just to name a few. These are women without virtue--women separated from God!  The writer of Proverbs 31, and inspired by God, devotes an entire passage to the value and description of the virtuous woman. Her price is indeed "far above rubies"!  We unfortunately and too often see our young women today in settings that are degrading and without virtue. Yet, there may be more women listed in the Bible who were women of virtue than those who were not. It may pose a challenge today for women to be known for "strength and honor" in a worldly culture that encourages self-exaltation and crudeness. A challenge it is, yet godly women remain trustworthy and dedicated to God, their family and serving others in the community.  A virtuous woman is smart, has a good work ethic, and has substance beyond physical beauty. Her worth only increases with age.  She is for real and in her wake we find provision, inspiration, and encouragement left with those who have encountered her. I find it interesting that the wisdom of God in the book of Proverbs ends with praise for the virtuous woman. Women bear and rear the children. We read the biographies of many famous men and women with godly backgrounds whose mothers took responsiblity for setting them on the path of character and leadership.

God loves us greatly and without Him we are on a path of failure and self-destruction.  In Malachi 1:6, God asks, "If then I am the Father, where is My honor?  And if I am a Master, where is My reverence?"  If our eyes were open to who God really is, we would not be able to wait to get in line to eat at His table of goodness!  And, we would be more than happy to obey His instructions.  We would fall at His feet in worship, despising our sins, and begging for His mercy and forgiveness!  God says we must "take to heart" what He has told us (in His word--this year and in the coming new year.)  Or else--I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings.  Yes, I have cursed them already, because you do not take it to heart. (Malachi 2:2).  Am I reverent before God's name (2: 5)?  Is the law of truth in my mouth (v. 6)?  Is injustice found on my lips?  Do I walk with God in peace and equity?  Am I instrumental in turning others away from iniquity?  Do I see myself as a "messenger" of the Lord of hosts (v. 7)?  To what extent am I involved with the sins of the world?  Do I condone sexual immorality--the opposite of what God has established.  Am I entertained by adultery, violence and immorality in songs, movies, novels, etc?  Am I accepting of a gospel that condones sin and uses "grace" as a license?  God warns that "the day is coming" (4:1) "and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble"!  "But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings" (v. 2).  Malachi ends, however, with a warning: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse" (v. 5, 6)!

Our final reading in Revelation is the passage at the end of all "the holy books" that tells us how it will all end. It fills the believer with hope and offers peace that truly passes all understanding (see Philippians 4:7).  God's love, mercy, and compassion for us culminate in this final passage.  Read Revelation 21 & 22 for yourselves.  It is powerful.  It is awesome.  (Call to mind as you read it, the blessing that God pronounced on those who read the Book of Revelation (see Rev.1:3).  "Wonderful, Merciful Savior" is a song that has special meaning to me. I hope you will listen to it and that you will enter 2014, with a renewed desire to read through the Bible again.  God's word is not like any other book.  "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).  If we will allow it to do so, God through His word and the Holy Spirit will separate from us all those things that separate us from Him!

This Honor Have His Saints - Day 364 Through the Bible

The Seawall on Galveston Island - Gulf of Mexico - vacation

My Meditations on Today’s Readings

(Ellipses are mine and are used for contemplation.)

Key Words/Phrases:  In that day (x 10); Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the Man who is My Companion; 2/3 in it shall be cut off and die; I will refine and test them; Behold, the day of the LORD is coming; This honor have all His saints; Open your mouth for the speechless; so that he should deceive the nations no more; this is the first resurrection; the great white throne; the Book of Life.

Endings: In that Day – Zechariah 13 and 14 (Facts: What It Says – Summarized) Cutting Off / Testing: In that day…I will cut off…cause to depart…will no longer be remembered…the idols, the prophets and the unclean spirits.  The prophets…will not live…because of lies…you have spoken in the name of the LORD.  Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Awake…O sword…against My Shepherd…against the Man…who is My Companion.  Strike…the Shepherd…and the sheep will be scattered.  Then…I will turn My hand against the little ones.  And it shall come to pass in all the land, says the LORD, that…2/3 in it shall be cut off and die.  But…1/3…shall be left in it.  I…will bring the 1/3…through the fire…will refine them…as silver is refined…and…test them…as gold is tested.  They will call on My name, and I will answer them.  I will say, ‘This is My people.’  And each one will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’ Gathering for Battle: For I…will gather all nations…to battle against Jerusalem.  But…the remnant…of the people shall not be cut off from the city.  Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations.  Thus the LORD my God will come…and all the saints with You.  And the LORD shall be King over all the earth.  In that day…it shall be…’The LORD is one,’ and His name one. Jerusalem shall be raised up and inhabited.  Purification: It shall come to pass…in that day…that a great panic…from the LORD will be among…the people who fought against Jerusalem.  Those who do not…come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts…and to keep the Feast of the Tabernacles…shall have no rain…and shall receive the plague.  Sanctification: In that day…HOLINESS TO THE LORD shall be engraved on the bells of the horses, and every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the LORD of hosts.  In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.  Principle:  The Plan of Salvation and Redemption is revealed in the OT 1000’s of years before The Revelation given to John. This is the consistency, the forewarning of prophecy.  But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 1 Peter 3:8-9. 

When He Returns: This Honor Have All His Saints – Psalm 149:5-9) (Facts: What It Says) The Honor of the Saints:  1) To execute vengeance on the nations, 2) And punishments on the peoples, 3) To bind the kings with chains, 4) And their nobles with fetters of iron, 5) To execute on them the…written…judgment.  Our Preparation and Response: 1) Let the saints…be joyful…in glory. 2) Let them…sing aloud…on their beds.  3) Let the high praises of God…be in their mouth, 4) and a two-edged sword in their hand. Principle:  …at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints (2 Thess. 3:13). The two-edged sword we are to have in our hand is the Word of God.  For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12).  “It cuts either way.  It brings either salvation or judgment.”

A Queen Mother’s Advice to Her Son  - Proverbs 31:1-9 – (Facts: What It Says) – Note:  Some scholars believe this is Bathsheba speaking to Solomon. Wisdom: What the King Should Avoid: 1)Do not give your strength…to women, 2) nor your ways to that…which destroys kings.  3) It is not for kings to drink wine…lest…a) they drink and forget…the law; b) and pervert…the justice…of all the afflicted.  Wisdom: What the King Should Do: 1) Give strong drink to him who is…perishing; 2) and wine to those who are…bitter in spirit.  Let him drink and forget…his poverty…and remember his misery…no more.  3) Open your mouth for…the speechless, 4) in the cause of all who are appointed…to die.  5) Open your mouth…judge…righteously, 6) and plead the cause…of the poor…and needy. Principle: Supposing this is Solomon, it highlights the tragedy of his dissolute life – such a godly beginning and a tragic end that had devastating consequences for the people he ruled.  Note that the first admonition of the mother is the exact point on which Solomon fell.  He disobeyed God and married foreign women that turned him – and the nation – to idolatry.

Endings and Judgments Before a New Beginning – Revelation 20 – (Facts: What It Says) Bound and Chained for a Time: Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven…having the key to the bottomless pit.  He laid hold of…the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a 1000 years; and he cast him into...the bottomless pit…shut him up…and put a seal on him…so that…he should…deceive…the nations no more…till…the 1000 years were finished. But after these things he must be released…for a little while. Judgment: And I saw thrones…and they sat on them…and judgment was committed to them.  Then I saw the souls of those who had been…beheaded…for their witness…to Jesus…and…for the Word of God…who had not worshiped the beast or his image, nor received his mark on their foreheads or hands.  And they…lived and reigned with Christ for a 1000 years.  The First Resurrection: But the rest of the dead…did not live again…until…the 1000 years were finished.  This is the first resurrection.  Blessed…and holy…is he who has part in the first resurrection.  Over such…death has no power…but…they shall be…priests of God and Christ…and shall reign with Him a 1000 years. Final Return and End of Satan:  Now when the 1000 years have expired, Satan will be released…from his prison…and will go out and…deceive the nations…and gather them together to battle…whose number is the sand of the sea.  Attack Against and Rescue of the Saints: They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven…and devoured them.  The devil…who deceived them…was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are.  And they will be tormented forever and ever. The Great White Throne Judgment: Then I saw a great white throne…and Him who sat on it.  And I saw the dead…small and great…standing before God…and books…were opened.  And another book was opened…which is the Book of Life.  And the dead were judged…according to their works…by the things which were written in the books.  The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them.  And they were judged…each one according to…his works.  Then Death and Hades…were cast into the lake of fire.  The Second Death:  This is the second death.  And anyone…not found…in the Book of Life…was cast into the lake of fire. Principle: Romans 14:10-12 says, “For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat…so then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” Second Corinthians 5:10 tells us, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” For a further discussion on the whole of Scripture concerning salvation and judgment of believers, you might want to consider this further writing: http://www.gotquestions.org/judgment-seat-Christ.html#ixzz2oyZlk48m

My Lessons and Applications:  This is my final post during this year of committed daily study of the Bible.  Another layperson will write tomorrow’s final post on “Through the Bible in a Year.”  It is important to note that this is our shared personal meditations, lessons and applications as laypersons as the Holy Spirit spoke to us in our time of communion with Him.  However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  (John 16:13).

These were the primary burdens I felt God leading me to carefully consider this year in my study.  These are not necessarily my tenets of belief, but areas that have weighed upon my spirit.  1) Corruption: The earth has been corrupted by the evil world system of idolatry – of self, of materialism, of a host of other idols that take precedence over God.  This is not popular, of course, in our “Life is Good” modality of the day.  Life can and is good in many ways, but it is also fundamentally corrupt according to Scripture.  2) Suffering is the mark of a saint in New Testament teaching and, essentially, throughout the whole of the Bible.  We are at enmity with the world because of Christ’s spirit within us.  This is also a topic that is rarely preached from the pulpit but is paramount in Christ’s teachings and in His life as well as that of the apostles. 3) Sanctity of Marriage and Family and Its Dissolution – Reread the last words of prophecy in Malachi before the 4-500 year Intertestamental Period.  Reread Malachi 2 and Jesus’s comments on this as well as Leviticus and Deuteronomy.  Note how man has corrupted the purpose of marriage and “becoming one.” – “He seeks godly offspring.” 4) The Worthless Shepherds vs. The Good Shepherd– this is in all areas of leadership - political, religious, familial, corporate – in every aspect of life 5) How Much I Don’t Know – Deuteronomy 29:29 The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may…do…all the words of this law.  6) Spiritual Warfare 7) My Need to Praise Him More Frequently and More Effectively – in all things, at all times.

Blessings and God Speed to each of you as you begin a new study through the Bible in 2014.

The Prayer of Jesus for Us as Believers – John 17:20-26

 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.

His Name is called The Word of God - Day 362 Through the Bible

 

Facts, warnings, and prophecies from the world and from the Word of God-
Galveston Island Nature Preserve - on vacation - The Gulf of Mexico

My Meditations on Today’s Readings

(Ellipses are mine and are used for contemplation.)

Key Words/Phrases: Woe to the shepherds; the two staffs, Beauty and Bonds; My soul loathed them, and their soul abhorred me; in that day (x 5); 30 pieces of silver; the tents of Judah first, the glory of the house of David; the house of David shall be like God; I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; Praise the LORD; the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy; His name is called the Word of God; KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS; the marriage and marriage supper of the Lamb and His wife; the righteous acts of the saints; the supper of the great God.

Woe to the Worthless Shepherds – Zechariah 10, 11 and 12 – (Facts:  What It Says – Summarized)  Marks of the Worthless Shepherds:  1) who slaughter them…and feel no guilt; 2) who sell them and say, ‘Blessed be the LORD…for...I am rich…and their shepherds do not pity them. 3) who will not care for…those cut off; 4) nor seek…the young; 5) nor heal…those who are broken; 6) nor feed those…that stand still.  6) but eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces; 7) who leave…the flocks.  God’s Punishment of Them: Woe to the worthless shepherds!  A sword…shall be against his right arm and against his right eye.  His arm shall completely wither, and his right eye shall be totally blinded.  Thus says the LORD my God, ‘Feed the flock for slaughter.’ So I fed the flock for slaughter…particularly the poor of the flock.  The Staffs Beauty and Bonds: I took for myself two staffs…one I called…Beauty…and the other I called…Bonds. I fed the flock; I dismissed the 3 shepherds in 1 month.  My soul loathed them, and their soul abhorred me.  Then I said, I will not feed you.  Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish.  Let those that are left eat each other’s flesh.  And I took my staff, Beauty, and cut it in two…that…I might break…the covenant…which I had made with all the peoples.  Thus…the poor of the flock…who were watching me…knew…that it was…the word of the LORD. Then I said to them, If it is agreeable to you, give me my wage; and if not, refrain.  So, they weighed out for my wages…30 pieces of silver.  And the LORD said to me, ‘Throw it to the potter” – that princely price they set on me.  So I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter.  Then I cut my other staff, Bonds, that I might break…the brotherhood….between Judah and Israel. Judah First: The burden…of the word of the LORD against Israel: Behold…I…will make…Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem.  And it shall happen…in that day…that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces…though…all nations of the earth are gathered against it.  The LORD will save the tents of Judah first…so that…the glory…of the house of David…and the glory…of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not become greater than Judah.  In that day…the one who is feeble among them shall be like David…and the house of David…shall be like God…like the Angel of the LORD before them.  And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication.  Then…they will look on Me…whom they pierced.  Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for…his only son…and grieves for…his firstborn.  Principle:  This is the scarlet thread, the Messianic prophecy, God’s Plan of Salvation prophesied over and over in the OT: God replacing the worthless shepherds with the Good Shepherd to save His redeemed people for Himself.  (Charles Stanley, Life Principles Daily Bible, pg. 1577 on Zechariah 11:13 – in blue above – Judas Iscariot fulfilled this prophecy when he betrayed the Lord Jesus for 30 pieces of silver – Matt. 27:3-20.  How many of us have betrayed Him for less by choosing trinkets over Him?)

Praise the LORD – Psalm 149: 1-4 (Facts: What It Says) How to Praise Him:  1) Sing…to the LORD…with a new song; 2) And His praise…in the assembly…of saints. 3) Let Israel…rejoice…in their Maker.  4) Let the children of Zion…be joyful…in their King.  5) Let them…praise His name…with the dance. 6) Let them sing...praises…to Him…with the timbrel and harp.  Why to Praise Him: For…the LORD takes pleasure in His people.  He will…beautify…the humble…with salvation.  Principle: We praise Him for who He is, for what He has done, is doing, and will do.  We praise Him because he takes pleasure in us, because He inhabits the praises of His people (Ps. 22:3), because we are commanded to do so, because it is the natural response of the saved soul.

Glory to The Good Shepherd – Revelation 19 – (Facts: What It Says – Summarized) The Conquering Shepherd:  After these things I heard a loud voice…of a great multitude in heaven…saying, Alleluia!  Salvation…and glory…and honor…and power…belong to the Lord our God!  For…true…and righteous…are His judgments…because…He has judged the great harlot who…corrupted…the earth with her fornication…and…He has…avenged on her…the blood of His servants shed by her. Then the 24 elders and the 4 living creatures fell down and worshipped God. The Command to Praise Him: Then a voice came from the throne, saying, ‘Praise our God…all you His servants…and those who fear Him, both small and great!’ Alleluia!  For…the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!  Let us be glad…and rejoice…and give Him glory…for…The Marriage and Marriage Supper of the Lamb has come…and His wife…has made herself ready.  To her…it was granted…to be arrayed in fine linen…clean and bright…for…the fine linen is…the righteous acts…of the…saints.  Then he said to me, ‘Write: Blessed…are those who are…called…to the marriage supper of the Lamb.  I fell at the feet to worship him, but he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that!  I am…your fellow servant…and of…your brethren…who have the testimony of Jesus.  Worship God!  For...the testimony of Jesus…is…the spirit of prophecy.  The Good Shepherd as Warrior and Judge: Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse.  And He…who sat on him…was called…Faithful and True…and…in righteousness…He judges…and makes war. His eyes…were like a flame of fire…and on His head…were many crowns.  He had a name written…that no one knew…except Himself.  He was clothed with a robe…dipped in blood…and His name…is called…The Word of God.  And the armies in heaven…clothed in fine linen…white and clean… followed Him…on white horses.  Now out of His mouth goes…a sharp sword…that…with it…He should strike all nations. And He Himself…will rule them…with a rod of iron.  He Himself…treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  And He has on His robe and on His thigh…a name…written:  KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. The Supper of the Great God: Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a loud voice to all the birds that fly in the midst…of heaven, ‘Come and gather together for the supper of the great God…that…you may eat the flesh of kings, captains, mighty men, horses, and those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.’  And I saw the beast…the kings of the earth…and their armies, gathered together to make war against…Him…who sat on the horse…and against…His army.  Then…the beast was captured…and with him the false prophet…by which he…deceived…those who received the mark of the beast…and those who worshiped his image.  These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.  And the rest were killed with…the sword…which proceeded from the mouth…of Him…who sat one the horse.  And all the birds…were filled with their flesh.  Principle: This is the Plan of Salvation come full circle.  God is Faithful to bring His betrothed, Israel, to Him; Christ has ransomed His bride the church; the corrupted world system is destroyed, and the Thousand Year reign with Christ begins.

My Lessons and Applications:  1) Those who are given Biblical authority over others will give account to God for that responsibility as under-shepherds.  This will include political leaders, church leaders and family leaders (husbands and fathers.)  Abuse or neglect of those under their care will be dealt with severely and eternally.   The world system may wink at corruption, but God doesn’t.  Judgment is coming.  The world may wink at divorce.  God doesn’t.  Judgment is coming.  Marriage is so sacred before God that it is patterned after His relationship with Israel and Judah and Christ’s relationship with the church and the saints

And this is the second thing you do: 
You cover the altar of the Lord with tears,
 with weeping and crying;
 so He does not regard the offering anymore, nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. Yet you say, “For what reason?”


Because the Lord has been witness
 between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously;
 yet she is your companion
 and your wife by covenant.  But did He not make them one,
having a remnant of the Spirit?
 And why one? 
He seeks godly offspring.
 Therefore take heed to your spirit,
 and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.

“For the Lord God of Israel says
 that He hates divorce,
 for it covers one’s garment with violence,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Therefore take heed to your spirit,
 that you do not deal treacherously.” Malachi 2:13-17

2) The essence, the power of the Word of God…this is the name He is called; this passes and executes judgment during the Tribulation (the sword proceeding from His mouth); this is the testimony of Jesus (as the spirit of prophecy.)  Recall the 2 things that allow the saints to overcome and persevere: the blood of the Lamb and the testimony of Jesus.  This is why we must carefully study, meditate upon, and apply His Word.  This is our power, our hope, our covenant with Him through His Spirit and by His blood.  It is our commission (Matt: 28:16-20), mandated by Jesus Christ and enabled by His Holy Spirit, to take and teach His Word throughout the world for His glory until He returns.

Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening

"Howl, fir tree, for the cedar is fallen." — Zechariah 11:2

Be ready, servant of Christ, for thy Master comes on a sudden, when an ungodly world least expects Him. See to it that thou be faithful in His work, for the grave shall soon be digged for thee. Be ready, parents, see that your children are brought up in the fear of God, for they must soon be orphans; be ready, men of business, take care that your affairs are correct, and that you serve God with all your hearts, for the days of your terrestrial service will soon be ended, and you will be called to give account for the deeds done in the body, whether they be good or whether they be evil. May we all prepare for the tribunal of the great King with a care which shall be rewarded with the gracious commendation, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

The Power of Truth---Day 361 Through the Bible

                          The path God takes us on may not always be as pleasant as this one.
                                     However, God will always takes us down the path of truth!

My thoughtful considerations regarding today's Scripture readings in Zechariah, Psalms, Proverbs, and Revelation. Key phrases and passages that stood out for me are as follows:

"Did you really fast for Me--for Me?" (Zechariah 1:5).  God poses this question to Zechariah in response to his original question--"Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?" (v. 3). The divine response cuts to the heart of ceremony and worship practices and God suggests that perhaps obedience during prosperous times ought to have been a consideration (v. 7).

These are the words of God to Zechariah.  Through them the heart of God is revealed and the heart of the believer is challenged:

"Execute true justice,
Show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother.
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor.
Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother" (v. 9). 

Israel's response to God's directive was to shrug their shoulders and stop their ears so they could not hear (v. 11).  Their response went beyond complacency--"they made their hearts like flint", refusing to hear God's words. God dealt with them in the same manner they responded to Him--"so they called out and I would not listen" (v. 13).  They were scattered "among all the nations which they had not known" (v. 14).

"Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth" (Zechariah 8:3).  Up until recently it may have been easy to just read over this verse. However, what hope and what a welcome contrast in light of the culture of lies and deceit that is continually unfolding in the world today.  Another reason to pray, "Thy kingdom come"!  And to live in such a time of simplicity when "The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets!" (v. 5).  God promises to bring His people back from captivity, "and they shall be My people and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness" (v. 8).  Whatever our captivity, God holds out hope for us in a relationship with Him.

God says He is "determined to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Israel" (v. 15). In order to be able to accomplish this toward them God says this, "Do not fear (solutions to our problems today may seem impossible!).  These are the things you shall do: 

Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; 
give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace; 
let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; 
and do not love a false oath.  
For all these are things that I hate, says the Lord" (v. 15, 16, 17).  

And in verse 21, the inhabitants of the cities will say to one another, "Let us continue to go and pray before the Lord, and seek the Lord of hosts".  Reading through the Bible, we have discovered the truth about other gods and the fact that the God of Israel is the only true God. This understanding helps put the following verse in perspective.  "In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'" (v. 23).

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! . . .Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey. . .He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be from sea to sea. And from the River to the ends of the earth." (Zechariah 9:9,10).  Verse 12, "Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope".  Verse 14, "Then the Lord will be seen over them. . .the Lord of hosts will defend them" (v. 15).  "The Lord their God will save them in that day, as the flock of His people, for they shall be like the jewels of a crown, lifted like a banner over His land--for how great is its goodness and how great its beauty" (v. 16, 17).  Beautiful words!  A beautiful hope and future!  The truth of God!

Psalm 148:7-14, is tremendously fitting here and ends with this,  "And He has exalted the horn of His people, the praise of all His saints--of the children of Israel, a people near to Him.  Praise the Lord!"  King Solomon continues with his contemplation of God's creation and creatures in Proverbs 30:29-31, considering three things that are "majestic in pace" and "four which are stately in walk".  In this passage he focuses attention on the lion, a greyhound, a male goat, and "a king whose troops are with him".  Taking time to think and consider was something the wisest man who ever lived engaged in. (There is certainly a lesson here for us readers.)

In Revelation 18, we read of the fall of Babylon--"the evil world system" (Dr. Charles Stanley).  Her sins are listed and God warns His people in verse 4, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.  For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities".  Verse 23, "For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth".
God's word is sobering, yet God never leaves us without hope!  God always tells us the truth!

Not by Power but by My Spirit - Day 360 Through the Bible

For who has despised the day of small things? What do we look at and consider insignificant – in ourselves, in others, in resources?  Are we looking at the lack and giving up there or rising above and overcoming these through the unconquerable power of His Spirit within us?

My Meditations on Today’s Reading

(Ellipses are mine and are used for contemplation.)

Key Words / Phrases:  The golden lampstand with a bowl on top of it, seven lamps, 7 pipes, and 2 olive trees on each side; not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit; for who has despised the day of small things? a flying scroll, four chariots with red, black, white and dappled horse; the elaborate crown; praise the LORD; 4 things that are little but exceedingly wise; the great harlot of Babylon and the beast that carries her, 7 mountains, 7 kings and then the 8^th, the 10 kings; the Lord of lords and King of kings; the called, chosen and faithful

Not Despising the Day of Small Things – Zechariah 4, 5, 6 – (Facts: What It Says –Summarized)- The Promise: We have learned in our study through the Bible this year that names have great significance in the Bible.  God’s prophet to the nation at this time is to encourage the people in His power, and Zechariah – “God has remembered” is the Hebrew translation of the name.  The vision given to Zechariah is that God will remember Israel as His Chosen, His Elect, who are to serve and glorify Him, in His grace and through His power – in spite of the continued rebelliousness of His people and the opposition of the people around them.  This is the rebuilding of the temporal (physical) temple and allusion to the heavenly (spiritual) temple of the end times. The Vision of the Golden Lampstand: Most scholars understand the lampstand to be the temple and the worshipping people – the Jewish Nation, the Chosen People – and in the spiritual temple – the saved people down through the centuries after the 1^st Coming of Christ. The 7 lamps are the 7 ministering angels mentioned also in Revelation 1:20 and 5:6.  The oil – as throughout the Bible – symbolizes God’s Holy Spirit.  In this context, the two ministering witnesses would be Zerubbabel, the governor and political leader, and Joshua the spiritual leader and high priest.  Zerubabbel is from the line of David; Joshua from the line of Aaron. Of course, without the oil, the lampstand is useless.  “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the LORD.  God will rebuild the temple.  He will “bring forth the capstone” (Jesus is called the chief cornerstone in Ephesians 2:20 and 1 Peter 2:6) with shouts of “grace, grace to it!”  Again, this is all through the unmerited favor of God, not because of man’s worthiness.  “Then you will know the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you.  For who has despised the day of small things?” Principle: This is how God has worked throughout history. The humble, despised, cast-out are exalted; and the proud are brought down: the simple shepherd boy becomes the great King of Israel and the line from which the Promised Messiah will come, an unknown handmaiden becomes the mother of God, the Messiah is born in a lowly manager in a small, nondescript town; uneducated, common men become the apostles of the Lord that “turn the world upside down.”  God delights in exalting the small and the despised.  The Vision of the Flying Scroll:  “This is the curse that goes out over all the earth” – ejecting the thief and the perjurer from God's Chosen People.  Principle: Israel is being brought back to God, and sin cannot dwell with holiness.  The Vision of the Woman in the Basket: “This is Wickedness!”  He puts a lead cover over the vileness and has two angels take the basket to Shinar – another word for Babylon.  Principle: This is a removal of the idolatry and evil that the Chosen People had brought back with them from their captivity in Babylon.  It is cast out from His people. The Vision of the 4 Chariots:  These are the avengers who “walk to and from throughout the earth” and give “rest” to the Spirit of the LORD.  Principle: Notice again the parallels in the Zechariah vision and The Revelation – with the horses and men in both and their missions.  The Plan of Redemption is the scarlet thread found throughout the Bible. The Vision of the Elaborate Crown for Joshua:  This is a gift made from returning exiles from Babylon, evidently.  But the allusion immediately shifts to the Coming Messiah: Take the silver and gold, make an elaborate crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the high priest.  Then speak to him, saying, “Thus say the LORD of hosts, saying,  ‘Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH!  From His place He shall branch out, and He shall build the temple of the LORD; Yes, He shall build the temple of the LORD.  He shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.  Principle: Christ is both King and Priest – head of both the political and spiritual realms, and in His Second Coming there will be “the counsel of peace” between the two, and all glory will be His as He rules over the new temple of God that is formed from “every tongue, tribe, nation and people” who confess Him as Savior.  “Even those from afar shall come and build the temple of the LORD.  Then you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you.  And this shall come to pass…if…you diligently…obey…the voice of the LORD your God." (Zechariah 6: 15)

Praise to God – for What We Know and What We Don’t – Psalm 148: 1-6 – (What It Says) Creation Praises God: Praise Him…from the heavens…in the heights…Praise Him all His angels, all His hosts, sun and moon, all you stars of light, you heavens of heavens, you waters above the heavens. What We Praise: Praise the name of the LORD Why We Praise Him: For He commanded and they were created; he also established them forever and ever; he made a decree, which shall not pass away.  Principle: Surely this must be our natural response as we grow in knowledge of the Lord and as we walk closer with Him in fellowship each day.  The whole of creation joins us in praising Him.

More Exalting of the Small Things - Proverbs 30:24-26 (What It Says) 4 Things Which are Little on Earth but Wise: 1) The ants – not strong…but…prepare their food in the winter; 2) the rock badgers – feeble…yet…they make their homes in the crags; 3) the locusts – have no king…yet…they all advance in ranks; 4) The spider – skillfully grasps with its hands…and…it is in kings’ palaces.  Principle:  What do we look at and consider insignificant – in ourselves, in others, in resources?  Are we looking at the lack and giving up there or rising above and overcoming these through the unconquerable power of His Spirit within us?

The Whore of Babylon – Revelation 17 – (Facts: What It Says – Summarized) The Vision:  The angel carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having 7 heads and ten horns.  The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones an pearls, having in her hand a golden cup…full of abominations…and the filthiness…of her fornication.  And on her forehead a name was written:  MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.  I saw the woman…drunk…with the blood…of the saints and of the martyrs of Jesus.  The Meanings: The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of…the bottomless pit and go to perdition.  Those whose names are NOT written in the Book of Life…from the foundation of the world…will marvel when they see the beast.  The 7 heads are 7 mountains on which the woman sits.  There are also 7 kings.  One has fallen, and one is yet to come. When he comes, he must continue a short time. The beast is himself also the eighth and one of the 7.  The 10 horns are 10 kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for 1 hour as kings with the beast.  These are…of one mind…and will give…their power and authority…to the beast.  These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them…for…He is Lord of lords…and King of kings; and those who are with Him…are…called…chosen….and…faithful.  The waters are the peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues.   The 10 horns on the beast will hate the harlot, make her naked, desolate, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.  For God…has put it into their hearts…to fulfill His purpose…until the words of God are fulfilled.  And the woman you saw…is the great city…which reigns over the kings of the earth.  The Principle: The end times are not just a physical, temporal war between nations; they are the culmination of spiritual warfare waged against God and His people from the foundation of the world.  Many of earth’s inhabitant’s will follow Satan, the Antichrist, the False Prophet, and the idolatrous religion they represent.  The saints and the martyred 144,000 of the tribes of Israel will persevere as His called, His chosen, His faithful as Christ overcomes them in this final war and ushers in the Heavenly Jerusalem.

My Lessons and Applications: Biblical prophecy is very difficult for me to comprehend.  I begin to grasp the literal and get carried away by the allusions and symbolism that I know speak from the OT to the NT and especially into The Revelation.  While we have seen some of the OT prophecy fulfilled exactly as predicted, we are still awaiting the final unfathomable miracle of the Full Plan of Redemption.  When I read the visions of…some…of the work carried out by the heavenly hosts, I realize how much our finite minds cannot and do not grasp or know – how much the spiritual realm intersects with and overarches the physical realm.  Yet, I am absolutely certain that it does – just as He says – just as He has given us glimpses of this in His Word and occasionally in our physical lives.  It is this that so humbles me, so draws me into God with His cords of love.  This is the genesis of my praise, of the praise of all creation.  No other philosophy, psychology, materialism can touch my spirit with truth – only His Spirit speaking to mine. 

Some other writings on these prophecies: 

http://www.eternalgod.org/qapdf/6739

http://www.gotquestions.org/visions-in-Zechariah.html

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Glossary/Hebrew_Glossary_-_Z/hebrew_glossary_-_z.html

http://www.discoverrevelation.com/Rev_17.html

http://www.gotquestions.org/whore-Babylon-mystery.html 

Return to Me - Day 359 Through the Bible

Gulf of Mexico, Galveston Island Vacation
And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring…Luke 21:25

MY MEDITATIONS ON TODAY’S READINGS

(Ellipses are mine and are used for contemplation.)

Key Words/Phrases – Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Return to Me, and I will return to you.  Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds. But they did not hear nor heed Me.” Says the LORD of hosts; He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye; For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH; the 7 bowls of wrath; and they did not repent and give Him the glory.

Repent / Turn - Zechariah 1. 2, 3 (Facts: What It Says- Summarized) God Calling Men to Repent:  Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Return to Me, and I will return to you.  Turn now from your evil ways and evil deeds. The People’s Response:  But they did not hear Me or heed Me, says the LORD.  Zechariah’s Vision:  I saw by night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were horses: red, sorrel and white.  And the man among the myrtle trees answered:  These are the ones whom the LORD has sent to walk…to and fro…throughout the earth.  So they answered the Angel of the LORD, who stood among the myrtle trees and said, ‘We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is resting quietly.”  The Angel of the LORD’s Request:  O LORD of hosts, how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry these seventy years?  God’s Response:  The LORD will again…comfort…Zion and will again…choose…Jerusalem.  The 4 Horns and the 4 Craftsmen:  Then I looked and there were four horns.  And I said to the angel who talked with me, What are these?  And he answered, These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.  Then the LORD showed me 4 craftsmen that are coming to terrify and cast out the horns of the nations that scattered the land of Judah. Like the 4 Winds of Heaven:  Up, up!  Flee from the land of the north, says the LORD, for I have spread you abroad like the 4 winds of heaven.  Up, Zion!  Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.  For thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.  Joshua before the Angel of the LORD: He showed me Joshua standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. The brand plucked from the fire…in filthy garments standing before the LORD…and He answered:  The LORD rebuke you, Satan!  The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Take away his filthy garments.  See, I have removed the iniquity from you.  And the Angel of the LORD admonished Joshua, saying, “thus says the LORD of hosts:  If…you walk in My ways, and…if…you will keep My commandments…then…you shall also judge My house and have charge of My courts.  For, behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH for behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua: upon the stone are 7 eyes.  Behold, I will engrave its inscription, and I will remove the iniquity of the land in one day.   In that day…everyone will invite his neighbor under his vine and under his fig tree. Principle:  The prophecy of Zechariah parallels the prophecy of The Revelation given to John.  The Chosen People were scattered, but the nations that scattered them will be destroyed.  Israel and Judah will be gathered together when the Servant, the BRANCH, the Messiah, returns.

The Finality of Unrepentance: Revelation 16 – (What It Says – Summarized) – God’s Wrath Poured Out on Earth: The final part of God’s wrath comes to earth, preparing the way for Armageddon – upon those who have refused to repent and turn.  The time of the prophets, of the 1^st Coming of Messiah, of the Church Age, has ended.  No one is now allowed to enter the temple until the final wrath of God is finished.  There is no more chance for intercession.  The saints are no longer on the earth; they have been raptured. The 7 Bowls of Wrath: 1) Bowl 1 – A foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. 2) Bowl 2 – is poured out on the sea, and it became blood, and every living creature in the sea died.  3) Bowl 3 is poured out by the 3^rd angel on the rivers and springs, and they became blood…for…they have shed the blood of the saints and the prophets, and You have given them blood to drink…for…it is their just due.  ‘You are righteous, O LORD’, said the angel of the waters. ‘The One who is and who was and who is to be…because…You have judged these things.’ 4) Bowl 4 – the 4^th angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues…and they did not repent…and given Him the glory.  5) Bowl 5 – the 5^th angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness, and they gnawed their tongues because of he pain.  They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores…and…did not repent of their deeds. 6) The 6^th angel poured out his bowl on the river Euphrates, and its waters dried up…that...the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.  3 unclean spirits came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the false prophet.  For…they are the spirits...of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and the whole world…to gather them…to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.  Behold, I am coming as a thief.  Blessed…is he who…watches…and keeps…his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.  And they…gathered them together…in the place called in Hebrew…Armageddon. 7) Then the 7^th angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came from the throne in heaven saying, ‘It is done!’  There were noises, thunderings, lightnings, a great earthquake such as had not occurred since men were on earth.  The great city was divided into 3 parts, and the cities of the nations fell.  And great Babylon…was remembered before God…to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.  The mountains and every island fled away and were not found.  Great hail from heaven fell on men, and the men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail.  Principle:  God is always true to His Word – both the promises for our good and for doom.  The end has been known for 1000’s of years – through visions to Zechariah and many of the OT prophets all the way to John and The Revelation given to Him by Christ.  What has man done with God’s prophetic Word through these millennia?

My Lessons and Applications: From the OT prophetic writing of Zechariah 1000’s of years earlier than The Revelation, to this prophetic vision given to John 2000 years before our time, to the Church Age in which we now live with the Great Commission, God has been calling men to repent and turn, to give Him glory. His prophets have come and gone, He sent His Son to be our blood sacrifice that we might dwell with Holy God, and until His return we – the saints filled with His Holy Spirit – are now sent out with the Great Commission He gave us: And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.  The end of the age looms ahead of us.  Are we fulfilling our mission?  For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
 But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
 Because it will surely come. Habakkuk 2:3

Charles Spurgeon – Morning and Evening

"Blessed is he that watcheth." — Revelation 16:15

"We die daily," said the apostle. This was the life of the early Christians; they went everywhere with their lives in their hands. We are not in this day called to pass through the same fearful persecutions: if we were, the Lord would give us grace to bear the test; but the tests of Christian life, at the present moment, though outwardly not so terrible, are yet more likely to overcome us than even those of the fiery age. We have to bear the sneer of the world-that is little; its blandishments, its soft words, its oily speeches, its fawning, its hypocrisy, are far worse. Our danger is lest we grow rich and become proud, lest we give ourselves up to the fashions of this present evil world, and lose our faith. Or if wealth be not the trial, worldly care is quite as mischievous. If we cannot be torn in pieces by the roaring lion, if we may be hugged to death by the bear, the devil little cares which it is, so long as he destroys our love to Christ, and our confidence in Him. I fear me that the Christian church is far more likely to lose her integrity in these soft and silken days than in those rougher times. We must be awake now, for we traverse the enchanted ground, and are most likely to fall asleep to our own undoing, unless our faith in Jesus be a reality, and our love to Jesus a vehement flame. Many in these days of easy profession are likely to prove tares, and not wheat; hypocrites with fair masks on their faces, but not the true-born children of the living God. Christian, do not think that these are times in which you can dispense with watchfulness or with holy ardour; you need these things more than ever, and may God the eternal Spirit display His omnipotence in you, that you may be able to say, in all these softer things, as well as in the rougher, "We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us."