Monthly Archives: July 2022

Bible, Calling, Direction, Disciplemaking, Exalting, Humility, Modeling, Scripture

HIGH PLACES

MICAH 4:8

“‘As for you, tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you it will come—yes, the former dominion will come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.’”

High places have been used time and time again to make announcements. Politicians take to stages to make speeches. Pastors climb into elevated rostrums to deliver their messages. High places give us visibility and allow our messages to be heard more easily.

It only makes sense that these two sites mentioned by the Lord here in Micah 4:8 are both high places. The “tower of the flock” is the Tower of Adel near Bethlehem. It is the spot where supposedly the shepherds received the message from the angels of the birth of Christ. The “hill of the daughter of Zion” refers to Ophel which is a high place on the south side of Jerusalem which was prophesied as the place the Messiah would appear.

APPLICATION

Okay, Carl, enough with the geography lesson. What does this mean for us? I am glad you asked. When we think of a high place, what does that require us to do? We have to look up. The shepherds looked up to see the angels. We have to look up to see Ophel, if we are in Jerusalem. Keep looking up!

Albert Barnes has this to say about these two sites. “Both then are images of lowliness. The lonely Shepherd tower, for Bethlehem, the birthplace of David; Ophel for Jerusalem, of which it was yet but an outlying part, and deriving its value probably as an outwork of the temple. Both symbols anticipate the fuller prophecy of the littleness, which shall become great in God.”

The lowly baby, born in a manger, became the Savior of the world. He was the long-awaited Messiah. His kingdom is not of this world, but His greatness exceeds them all. God will also lift us up if we humble ourselves. If we make ourselves lowly, He will exalt us. Allow the Lord to set you on a high place, so the message he has given you can be heard.

Thank You, Lord, for setting me up so others can hear. Let me never see myself as exalted, but only allow You to exalt me when I humble myself.

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Abiding, Belief, Bible, Eternity, God's Will, Heaven, Hell, Salvation, Scripture

FOREVER

MICAH 4:7

“‘I will make those who limp a remnant, and those who have strayed a mighty nation, and the LORD will reign over them on Mount Zion from now on and forever.’”

When we make our wedding vows to one another, we promise to love and protect the rest of our lives. That may seem like a long time, but it really isn’t. I have known couples who have been married 65 and 70 years. That is practically unheard of nowadays. But as long as that is, it is not forever.

The Hebrew word for “forever” used here in today’s verse is olam. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance defines it as “vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity.” That is how long the LORD will reign. We, with our finite minds, cannot comprehend what forever really means. We just know it is a long, long time.

APPLICATION

Are you prepared to spend eternity with God? I sure hope so. The alternative is to spend eternity somewhere else – hell. Yes, hell is a very real place with real torment. We also cannot comprehend just how horrible it will be. Movies and human descriptions fall far short. The most horrible thing about hell will be the eternal separation from God.

But there is good news. That is not necessary. Jesus died for our sins to ransom us from the grips of hell. When we surrender our lives to Him and accept Him as Lord and Savior, we forever (there’s that word again) escape the horrors of hell. We will be welcomed into the loving arms of Jesus and will reign with Him forever.

That word keeps popping up, doesn’t it? Forever! I am prepared. I punched that ticket way back in 1977. I am sealed and protected by the Holy Spirit that lives in me. I desire the same for you and everyone I know. Actually, I desire that for everyone – period. Will you join me in making that known to all you know? Together we can reap a harvest.

I will praise You forever and ever, Lord. I look forward to spending eternity with You.

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Abiding, Advocate, Affection, Affliction, Bible, Blessing, Compassion, Redemption, Restoration, Scripture

COME UNTO ME

MICAH 4:6

“‘On that day,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will assemble those who limp and gather the scattered, those whom I have afflicted.’”

I have several friends who work in the medical field. Some are doctors and others are nurses, nurse practitioners or medical assistants. No matter their role, they are all there to care for their patients the best they can. I am fortunate to know these individuals, but more importantly to know they are motivated by the love of Christ to do what they do.

The Lord said through Micah that He would bring back to Him those who have been made lame and those who have been scattered. Those whom He punished will be restored. He will bring them home. He will renew His covenant with them and show them the love of a Father.

APPLICATION

I cannot help but remember the times I had to discipline my children as they were growing up. Disciplining them did not reduce my love for them. It was, in fact, an act of love. Now, they did not understand that at the time. They did not appreciate the old adage “this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you.”

I tried each time I had to discipline them to also talk about why I had to do it. Prayer was often a part of that time. My one goal in discipline was to restore them back into a relationship that had been affected by their disobedience. Their willful decisions to disobey me or their mom had to be addressed.

I am so thankful God does the same. I know He loves me, but I do not like the discipline He gives me. In fact, the author of Hebrews says that in Hebrews 12:11. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it will produce righteousness and peace for those who are trained by it.” That says it pretty plainly, doesn’t it?

Thank You, Lord, for loving me enough to discipline me. Help me to receive it as it is intended.

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Abiding, Advocate, Allegiance, Bible, Blessing, Commitment, Eternity, Heaven

AS FOR US

MICAH 4:5

“Though all the peoples walk, each in the name of his god, as for us, we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.”

We all have to choose our allegiance to something. Even though I was born in the U.S. and am a citizen by birth, I still swear my allegiance to my country. It is not perfect, but I love it. If called on to defend it, I would not hesitate. When our national anthem is played and I see our American flag waving in the breeze, my heart swells with proud. I have chosen this country as my own.

Micah is declaring that the people of God will swear their allegiance to the LORD their God and walk in His name. They had for too long sworn a false allegiance. They said they loved God but welcomed in the pagan gods. They were not true and loyal to Jehovah. All that has changed now, and Micah writes words that ring similar to the ones we hear Joshua say in the last part of Joshua 24:15 – “but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

APPLICATION

To whom does your heart belong? When we come to Christ and surrender our lives to Him, we must give Him all our heart. He deserves our utmost devotion and praise, no matter what our current circumstances may be. He is a watchful king who protects His citizens.

As His children, we are citizens of heaven already. The U-Haul truck just hasn’t showed up yet to move us home. As a citizen of heaven, I need to be thinking about it as I speak to people. I need to invite as many as I can to join me there. We want to pack that place, even though there will be room for everyone who surrenders to Christ.

Some people preach that there are many ways to reach our heavenly home. There is only one – Jesus Christ. Only He can usher us into the kingdom one day. Only He shed His blood to ransom our souls. Only He died, was buried and rose again the third day. He is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6).

I can’t wait to see my heavenly home, Lord. I know You have been preparing it just for me.

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Belief, Bible, Blessing, Christ's Return, Confidence, Contentment, Encouragement, Eternity, Fear, Promises, Rest

I AM NOT AFRAID

MICAH 4:4

“Instead, each of them will sit under his vine and under his fig tree, with no one to make them afraid, because the mouth of the LORD of armies has spoken.”

When I was growing up, my friends and I would often dare each other to do something. Sometimes it was approaching a scary looking house and knocking on the door. We had a few houses like that in my hometown. Other times it was to do some stupid physical challenge. We always said, “I’m not afraid.” Of course, inside we were trembling.

Finally, one day we can all say with confidence that we are not afraid. Just like Micah describes here in today’s verse, we can sit under our vine or fig tree (I don’t have either of these, lol) and rest. The LORD of armies has spoken. When God speaks, all is settled.

APPLICATION

Won’t that be great? No more worries. No more problems. All is at rest. That is hard to imagine, isn’t it? We live with issues and problems every day. Some of those are big, like dealing with cancer or the loss of a loved one. Other things are small, like paying that bill or a challenging child. We all have to deal with these kinds of things now.

But one day soon we will have perfect rest. I love to fish (as you who read my blogs regularly or who know me personally can attest). I love to be on the lake or at a pond early in the morning when the water is calm. It is like glass. That kind of peaceful scene will be forever. No more disturbances.

I choose to live in that peace today. I choose to believe my heavenly Father wants me to live that way. He does not desire troubles for me. Just the opposite, He desires peace. Only His peace can provide this for me. His peace gives me peace. Are you living in His peace today?

Thank You for giving me peace today, Lord. I choose to live in it.

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Affection, Affliction, Allies, Battles, Bible, Christ's Return, Confrontation, Consequences, Destruction, Enemies, Friends, God's Will, Rapture, Scripture

NO MORE WAR

MICAH 4:3

“And He will judge between many peoples and render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift a sword against nation, and never again will they train for war.”

As I write this blog, war is still raging in Ukraine. When that will end is anyone’s guess. Through the ministry I am a part of, Trans World Radio (TWR), I know of believers on both sides of this war. Many have lost their homes and livelihoods and are struggling. It is heart-breaking to see the destruction of some beautiful cities and villages, not to mention the loss of life.

Micah prophesies, however, that one day there will be no more war. We have all heard this verse quoted over the years. Swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. I love that last phrase – “nation will not lift a sword against nation, and never again will they train for war.” Just think of the billions of dollars that could be redirected towards healthcare, food and clean water. This will be an amazing sight to behold.

APPLICATION

You are probably thinking, Sure, that sounds great, Carl, but we will never see that in our lifetime. You never know. I believe the Lord’s return for His church is imminent. With that event, the end-time clock speeds up – rapture, tribulation years (yes, I am a pre-trib guy), thousand-year reign and then the second coming of Christ.

How do we play a part in this? How about not making war with your neighbors? How about not looking at someone as if they are beneath you? How about extending the olive branch of peace towards someone who has harmed you? We can all help with these things. Peace begins with us.

I am personally not at war with anyone. I do, however, show my prejudices at times, politics and sports, to name a couple. I have to make sure I am not showing myself to others. I need to be showing Jesus at all times. Only He can make the change happen in others.

Lord, we await the day when there will be no more war

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Bible, Calling, Evangelism, Gospel, Scripture, Witnessing

A CALL TO THE NATIONS

MICAH 4:2

“Many nations will come and say, ‘Come and let’s go up to the mountain of the LORD and to the house of the God of Jacob, so that He may teach us about His ways, and that we may walk in His paths.’ For from Zion will go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

I have been privileged to travel to many nations to teach and preach about the Lord Jesus Christ. In many of these nations I have trained pastors and other church leaders how to present the Gospel and how to make disciples. What a joy to see the Gospel spread far and wide.

Micah prophesies here of the end times when nations will return to the Lord. In the days of Micah, the people already knew of some of the vastness of our globe, but they had no idea just how big the world was. But they still could envision the throngs of people from all over coming to Jerusalem, to the “mountain of the LORD.” A little hope is given.

APPLICATION

We have a role in this end-time prophesy. We are to share with all who will listen about what Jesus has done. We will have a part in seeing these nations return to Him. You do not have to pack up and travel to some remote village. In our day, we can zoom around the world by computer, literally using Zoom. It is an amazing tool.

Covid shut down the world, but at the same time it opened it up. There were more sermons posted online than ever before. There were more live streamed church services than ever before. I have a friend in a small town in Kenya who is still streaming their church services each Sunday. His messages are traveling around the world.

But this all starts with our own Jerusalem. We need to be busy sharing with our neighbors and friends. We can change the world one person at a time. Will you join me today by sharing with at least one person about Jesus?

Father, I praise You for allowing me the privilege to share Jesus with all I meet.

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Advocate, Bible, Scripture, Submission, Worship

WHAT MOUNTAIN IS THAT? 

MICAH 4:1 

“And it will come about in the last days that the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, and the peoples will stream to it.” 

Have you ever traveled somewhere and saw mountains in the distance and wondered which mountains they were? It happened to me recently while traveling in Albania. I kept seeing this beautiful mountain in the distance, so I asked my friend, Ilir, what is was called. Of course, he told me and then preceded to give me the history behind it. 

What is this “mountain of the house of the Lord” mentioned here in Micah 4. Some say it is just the temple mount. They say Micah is referring to the eventual return of the people from their exile. Other scholars, of which I agree, say it is pointing to Christ. “In the last days” is combined with that to point to the day when Christ will return and establish Himself forever on that temple mount. 

APPLICATION 

Regardless of what is meant here, we all know that Christ is returning one day. It may be in our lifetimes or not, but He is returning. And when He does, He will establish Himself as the Supreme Ruler. Of course, this will be after the Rapture has occurred and the tribulation is over. But I don’t want to focus on eschatology today too much. 

My point is – Jesus is King. He Is now and forever will be. Whether He is here on earth or in heaven above, He is King. He rules. He reigns. The sooner we realize that and submit to Him, the better. 

The next time you see a mountain, think about the mountain of the house of the Lord and who that is. Let your thoughts be on Him each and every day. Start your day talking to Him and the rest of the day about Him. Your soon and coming King is on His way. It could be any day now. Are you ready? 

Lord, thank You for this image of Christ we see in today’s passage. Help us see Him every day in that way. 

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Accountability, Accused, Bible, Confession, Destruction, God's Will, Guilt, Integrity, Judgment, Modeling, Rebuke, Scripture

IT IS YOUR FAULT 

MICAH 3:12 

“Therefore, on account of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the temple will become high places of a forest.” 

No one likes to be accused of something, especially if you are innocent. But what if you are guilty? You know you did it. You deserve the blame. Perhaps you have gotten “away with it” for a while, maybe even years. But now it is out. Your sin has been discovered and has cost others. 

This is exactly where the leaders of Israel and Judah find themselves. Their guilt has been exposed. God knew all the time but is just now bringing forth the charges. The judgment is falling. It cost not only them but the entire nation because the people had followed them right into destruction. 

APPLICATION 

I see two lessons here for us today. One, be careful who you follow. Too many of us are tunnel-visioned. As long as the church looks good on the outside and has all the latest and greatest programs and technology, we think they are on top of it. After all, can’t we trust someone in ministry? Just check your paper or internet stories, and you will find that not to be true. 

Secondly, we must have someone in our lives who can and will hold us accountable. When no one is watching over us, we can resort to all kinds of fleshly decisions. We make our decisions on what “feels” right instead of what God says. Oh, the danger in that. 

I am so glad I am part of a few accountability groups. I meet weekly with two groups and another once per month. I help lead a group of men through our Every Man A Warrior study which demands accountability. If you are not aware of this study, check it out at www.everymanawarrior.com. There is no better way to get a man to go deep with God and be a responsible disciple maker.  

Lord, I am so thankful for the men You have put in my life who will hold me accountable. 

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Accountability, Bible, Disciplemaking, Judgment, Truth

WISHFUL THINKING 

MICAH 3:11 

“Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe, her priests teach for pay, and her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the LORD, saying, ‘Is the LORD not in our midst? Catastrophe will not come upon us.’” 

Have you ever wanted something which you know is totally out of your reach? You mention it to a friend and they say, “Wishful thinking.” In other words, you don’t have a chance of getting that. They kind of brought you back to reality. 

The leaders and priests to whom Micah is talking were doing just that. They thought just because they said something, it was going to come true. After all, weren’t they God’s chosen people? But they were perverting God’s message. No, really, they were saying it was God’s message, but it wasn’t. 

APPLICATION 

We must speak truth at all times. It is so important for we believers to be above reproach. We need to speak God’s Word, no matter how harsh. Now, we are told to do that in love. Of course. That just makes sense. But so many Christians forget that. 

Many Christians don’t want to tell someone the truth for fear it might hurt someone’s feelings. Let me ask you a question. Is it better to risk that or to not speak up and watch someone die and go to hell? That question may be harsher than some of you reading can handle. Sorry about that, but it is the truth. 

I have seen it happen so many times when people would not speak up and the person moves away or even dies before they are confronted. Do not let the fear of rejection deter you from telling the truth. You do not want to live to regret that decision. 

O Lord, thank for loving me and for also pointing out my need for a Savior. 

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