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SIN IS SIN

ZECHARIAH 14:19

“This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths.”

How many times have you tried to justify your sin? Oh brother, I cannot count the times I’ve done that. That person was mean to me. That person cut me off in traffic. She cheated on me, so… I could keep naming how we do that. But listen closely – sin is sin – plain and simple. We cannot sugarcoat it. Sin stinks.

Zechariah uses a word which has been translated as punishment. The better translation is sin, which also included the punishment. This word sometimes inferred habitual sinfulness. Get the picture. Egypt and the nations were not guilty of one sin. This has been their pattern. So, why would they go up to the feast? Their hearts were sinful.

APPLICATION

Oh boy! You could drive a truck through the hole this verse causes in our lives. We cannot declare ourselves sinless. Our whole life is full of sin. Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Our righteousness is just filthy rags in comparison. God will not excuse us. We must do something about these sins.

I love Ephesians 2:8-9. It says, “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” There is hope for the vilest offender. Sin is sin. Sure! But forgiveness is forgiveness. Don’t spend too much time trying to figure out God’s forgiveness. Just accept it.

I have shared my salvation experience many times on this blog site. I never get tired of telling the story. I saw my sin at age 16. Before that I gave every reason in the book to explain away my sin. God had to show me the filthiness of my sin, and He did. He will show you how dirty you are, if you will let Him. Are you ready? He is.

O Lord, You have taken the filth of my sin and purified my heart. Praise the Lord.

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Abiding, Bible, Dependence, Drought, Faith, Scripture

SELF-SUFFICIENT

ZECHARIAH 14:18

“And if the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths.”

As parents we push our children to become self-sufficient, to be able to take care of themselves. We teach them how to potty, how to get dressed, how to make their bed, how to brush their teeth and other essential life practices. Those are important and should be taught. However, we must also teach the necessity to be all dependent on God.

The people of Egypt, mentioned in today’s verse, had always saw themselves as self-sufficient. They didn’t need the late and early rains. They had the Nile River to supply all the water they needed. The words used by Zechariah implies that will suffer the same drought as the other nations due to the drying up of the Nile, their source. One can never say they don’t need God.

APPLICATION

I am reminded of Matthew 11:28-30 which says, “’28 Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. 30 For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.’” Jesus offers us dependence on Him. He does not withhold it from us.

Have you made your spiritual life self-sufficient? Go back to Him. You cannot live worthy of your calling without total dependence on Him. Only He can give You what you need. You cannot achieve it on your own. It’s just not possible. Believe me, I’ve tried.

But when we rest in Jesus, when we take His yoke upon us and allow Him to lead, it is so much easier. He guides. He directs. He is the one accountable for where we go. We just have to trust Him. Do you trust Him? Do you want to let Him lead? Step into the yoke, beloved. The Master awaits.

Oh Lord, I praise You for making me dependent on You for every breath I take.

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Abundance, Bible, Blessing, Consequences, Dependence, God's Will, Judgment, Rain, Scripture

JUST AND UNJUST

ZECHARIAH 14:17

“And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of armies, there will be no rain on them.”

Rain is so essential for life. Plants must have it to grow. Crops must have it to produce. Lakes and streams need it to stay full. Animals in the wild need it or they will perish. I have seen firsthand the result of no rain in Kenya, where I travel each year. They have been in a period of drought for many years now in parts of the country. Without this precious rainfall life grounds to a halt.

God promises the withholding of this precious resource to those who oppose Him. This is nothing new. We see this throughout the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 28:23-24 shows this. “23 The heaven which is over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you, iron. 24 The LORD will make the rain of your land powder and dust; from heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed.” Bottom line is this – God controls the rain. It falls where He desires.

APPLICATION

I am not implying that those people in the world who are suffering from drought conditions are all sinners. Even Jesus said this in Matthew 5:44-45. “‘44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.’”

What I want you to see in today’s verse in Zechariah is this – God is in control. He measures the rain by each and every drop. He knows who needs it and who doesn’t. Man does not control the weather. Neither can we make it react a certain way. We have heard far too much about climate change, in my opinion. The climate changer is God Himself. After all, didn’t He create the climate?

In today’s verse, God is changing the weather to drive people to Him. What is God having to change in your life to get you to draw yourself to Him. James 4:8 tells us, “Come close to God and He will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” Come close now!

Father, I know You send the rains, and I praise You for them. Help me draw close to You.

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Abiding, Allies, Battles, Bible, Choices, End Times, Following, God's Will, Repentance, Salvation, Scripture

SECOND CHANCES

ZECHARIAH 14:16

“Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of armies, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths.”

God is a God of second chances. If you don’t believe that, just ask me. God has given me and others that second chance. Mine came at age sixteen, after living a lie for the previous eight years. I had been baptized at age eight but did not know Christ. At age sixteen, I was given new life in Christ when I truly repented and asked Jesus to be my Lord. Second chances are great.

It is pretty clear in today’s verse that the remnant from the defeated ones will repent and worship Jesus on the great and awesome day. They will come to Jerusalem, the very city they were trying to destroy, and worship Him there. The Feast of Booths (Tabernacles) is a daily event in the life of the Christian. We are continually “tabernacling” with Jesus.

APPLICATION

Have you thanked the Lord for your second chance? Maybe you are still running in rebellion. Maybe you have not yielded to Him and received that second chance yet. Don’t wait too long. You may miss out. But for those of us who have received it, we are continually celebrating Who He is. Amen?

I am thankful God gave David a second chance after he blew it with Bathsheba. He gave Saul (Paul) a second chance after he was guilty of jailing and even killing Christians. He gave Peter a second chance after he denied Him three times. How has the Lord given you that second chance? What has He rescued you from?

Oh, I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am for second chances, even third and fourth chances. My God has never failed me, and He never will. He is watching over me. He is ready to catch me when I fall. He will never give up on me. He won’t give up on you either. Celebrate second chances and give God the glory.

Thank You, Lord, for second chances. You desire for me to live in them.

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Affliction, Bible, Children, Innocent, Protection, Rescue, Scripture

THE INNOCENT

ZECHARIAH 14:15

“And just like this plague, there will be a plague on the horse, the mule, the camel, the donkey, and all the cattle that will be in those camps.”

Most people want to protect the innocent. We don’t like to see them suffer for someone else’s choices. What immediately comes to mind for me are the unborn, those babies still in the womb. They are the ultimate innocent. Yet, we slay them mercilessly year after year in the womb through abortion. May God forgive us for this.

In today’s verse, we see the animals owned by the enemies of Israel suffering the same fate as their owners. How sad to know that thousands of innocent animals will die just because they are the property of these people. Now, understand something. I am not an animal lover to the extent that I want to rescue every stray cat or dog. But I do recognize in today’s verse the severe loss of these animals.

APPLICATION

So, how do you apply this verse to your life? Look out for the innocent. Protect them if you can. I’ve already mentioned the babies. How about the children? What did Jesus say in Luke 17:2? “‘It is better for him if a millstone is hung around his neck and he is thrown into the sea, than that he may cause one of these little ones to sin.’” That is what I call swift justice.

Jesus also said in Mark 10:14, “But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, ‘Allow the children to come to Me; do not forbid them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’” The innocent! We must protect them. We must see that they are brought to Jesus.

I have a five-year-old granddaughter that I pray for every day. I pray that she will come to Jesus. It burdens my heart. I want so desperately for her to love my Jesus and realize what He has done for her. That goes for every child, every unreached people group. Will you look out for those who are in need? The Lord can use you today.

Father, show me those to whom I must go. Help me protect the innocent.

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Allies, Bible, Chosen, Enemies, Fighting, God's Will, Purpose, Scripture

ME TOO

ZECHARIAH 14:14

“Judah also will fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance.”

Being included is important. No one wants to be left out and alone, right? When your teenager goes to the school dance, they don’t want to go alone. They want to be part of a group or with a date. When you go to a ballgame, you normally go with someone. You want to be included and not left out. It’s just a normal, human desire.

The same will hold true on the day described in Zechariah 14. Here in verse 14, we see Judah coming to the fight at Jerusalem. Of course, they want to be included in this fight. After all, the Messiah came through the line of Judah. They have a vested interest in this fight. And for their efforts they will be rewarded with the spoils of war, the verse says.

APPLICATION

You are included! You are not left out. You are part of God’s overarching plan. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.” He wants you to come to Him. He wants all to come to Him.

You play a part in that. Just as soon as you come into the family of God, you have a part to play. Just like Judah will come to fight on behalf of Jerusalem against all its enemies, you have a role in the army of God. He may send you to some remote location in the world to help reach a lost people group. Or He may send you across the street to reach your lost neighbor. Either way, you have a part to play.

I remember my freshman year in high school playing on the varsity football team. Mind you, all freshmen dressed out for the game, but none of us were guaranteed playing time. I, however, was a big kid, so I actually got to play in a few games, enough to letter. I would stand by the coaches, hoping to hear them call my name. Put me in coach. I want to play. Are you saying that to Jesus?

I am so thankful to be included in Your family and Your army. Put me in Jesus.

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Attitude, Bible, Enemies, Fighting, Peace, Scripture

IN-FIGHTING

ZECHARIAH 14:13

“And it will come about on that day that a great panic from the LORD will fall on them; and they will seize one another’s hand, and the hand of one will be raised against the hand of another.”

Name the worst place you have ever seen in-fighting. I can – Congress. Why do those who are on the same side of “the aisle,” in the same party, fight against each other? We are experiencing that right now in the House of Representatives among the Republicans. They can’t get together and agree on a new Speaker because of all the in-fighting. That will kill a group so fast.

We see in-fighting of a literal kind here in today’s verse. The LORD, on that day, will actually cause the enemies of Jerusalem to panic, and they will start fighting each other. That sounded familiar to me. In 2 Chronicles 20:23 we read, “For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, completely destroying them; and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.” The in-fighting in today’s verse wasn’t a new tactic of the LORD.

APPLICATION

Now, in-fighting is not a good thing. It is certainly something we want to avoid in the body of Christ. In fact, we are told to do just the opposite. Look at Ephesians 4:1-3. “1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Did you see verse 3? It’s “the unity of the Spirit” that is the key to peace. It’s not us. We cannot do it. We will start arguing and fighting just because we can. Our flesh wants to fight. The Spirit does not. We believers must be one to show the world how to come to peace, to come to Jesus.

Will you stop your in-fighting? Will you seek to preserve that peace? We can each do our part and prevent it. As the world watches us, they need to see us united for Jesus. They need to see us walking worthy. Unfortunately, there is much division in the Body of Christ. Let us pray to see that dissolved.

Father of peace, let the Spirit in me drive me to do all I can to preserve the peace.

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Abiding, Allegiance, Battles, Bible, Consequences, Devil, Enemies, Fighting, God's Will, Judgment, Justice, Rebellion, Satan, Scripture

YOU HAVE TO PICK A SIDE

ZECHARIAH 14:12

“Now this will be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth.”

I have mentioned before my two experiences with stem cell transplants. Both times I had chemotherapy which is horrible. I was blessed in that I did not have to take it long term. But each time I went to have a treatment I would see other patients who were not so lucky. They were skeletons, having lost so much weight. They had no hair, and their eyes were sunk back into their heads. Each time I saw them I would say a prayer for their healing.

Why do I tell that story? Well, it’s the closest thing I have ever seen to the description in today’s verse. This plague put on the enemies of Jerusalem is consistent with the effects of a nuclear bomb on the human body. I am not saying that is what will happen. God doesn’t need a bomb. He has the power to inflict any damage He desires on His enemies. This is probably one of the worse judgment scenes in the Bible. What a horrible consequence of using their mouth to blaspheme and their eyes to lust after Israel.

APPLICATION

Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Why would I quote this verse? Because while we were sinners, we were His enemies. We were enemies of the cross, as Paul says in Philippians 3:18. “For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I weep, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ,”

Whose side are you on? God’s or man’s? God’s or the devil’s? That is what it amounts to. In past wars on earth there have been nations that remained neutral, out of the fight. There will be no neutral ground in this final battle. You cannot remain neutral. You must choose a side.

I love the verse in Joshua that reads, “‘But if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served, which were beyond the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.’” (Joshua 24:15) How about you?

Thank You, Lord, for allowing me to be on Your side. I want to serve in Your army.

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Bible, Blessing, Enemies, Favor, God's Will, Scripture, Security

SECURITY

ZECHARIAH 14:11

“People will live in it, and there will no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will live in security.”

Today you can secure your home in so many ways. You can, of course, have locks on your doors and windows. But you can also have cameras outside and inside your home. You can install a video doorbell. You can put up fences. Heck, you could even put in a moat if you wanted to. You can hire a company to monitor your home. Your home can be made to feel secure.

Oh, but in today’s verse we see the city of Jerusalem finally being made secure. For centuries Jerusalem has been the target of its enemies. But on this day God will secure it. He will lift the curse or judgment. People will live at peace. Can you imagine? No skirmishes! No battles! No attacks! Peace! That will be a glorious day.

APPLICATION

Let me ask if you are secure. Are you? What is it based on? I love what Deuteronomy 33:12 says. “May the beloved of the LORD live in security beside Him Who shields him all the day long, And he lives between His shoulders.” Isn’t that beautiful. We live between His shoulders. Wow! That’s pretty secure.

We also know this. Ephesians 1:13 says, “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise,” Now, if God seals you, you are sealed. You are secure. I don’t care how firm your grip is, you are not going to remove that seal that God puts on you – the Holy Spirit.

Unfortunately, if you are not in Christ, you are not secure. Your future is just the opposite. You are destined for another ending. We know that all who do not profess Jesus as Savior will face judgment and eternal damnation. That’s harsh, but it’s true. Even more reason for us to spread the good news. Let’s make everyone secure. How about it?

Father, thank You for making me secure through the blood of the Lamb.

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Abiding, Appearance, Bible, Confrontation, Enemies, Forgiveness, God's Will, Grace, Humility, Kindness, Scripture

THE HIGH GROUND

ZECHARIAH 14:10

“All the land will change into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; but Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site from Benjamin’s Gate as far as the place of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses.” 

Anyone with any knowledge of battle plans knows the importance of the high ground. From there you can see all around and monitor your enemies. You can defend your camp better from high ground. The downside of that high ground is your enemy can also see you. The high ground has its pros and cons, I guess.

The landscape around Jerusalem is going to change one day when this prophecy occurs. Verse 10 today tells us about this changing landscape. Jerusalem is currently surrounded pretty much with hills. But on this day, all those hills will be leveled a plain. Jerusalem will have the high ground. All will be able to observe the holy city. Jesus, the Messiah, is there for all to see.

APPLICATION

The application for this verse today has to be taken more allegorically. Will you give me some leeway today? Let me encourage you today to take the high ground, the high road, when it comes to conflict. Let your actions in response to your earthly foes be one of above reproach. I am reminded of the question posed by Peter regarding forgiveness. Matthew 18:21-22 tells us this story. “21 Then Peter came up and said to Him, ‘Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me and I still forgive him? Up to seven times?’ 22 Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times.’”

The rabbinical law taught to forgive someone three times, so Peter thought he was going above and beyond by saying seven times. Jesus blew his mind with his answer – 77 times! What?! Then Jesus went on to tell a story about a king and a slave who owed him a great amount. You know the story. I bet Peter got the message.

How about you? Can you take the high ground, the high road? Can you be the one to extend forgiveness 77 times? And if others refuse to forgive you, just keep loving them. Let me rephrase that. Allow Jesus to love them through you. Die to yourself. Give it to Him. He can and will accomplish His perfect will in His perfect time.

Father, I want my life to be lived in such a way that I can be observed as if on high ground with nothing to hide.  

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