Category Archives: Bible

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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Abiding, Belief, Bible, Commands, Commitment, Devout, God's Will, Mentoring, Passion, Scripture

THE ONLY ONE

ZECHARIAH 14:9

“And the LORD will be King over all the earth; on that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one.”

I have been married almost 38 years. That’s a long time, but not nearly long enough. My wife is truly the only one for me. No other woman fills my thoughts. No other woman has my heart. There is only one for me. (I’m hoping she’s reading this, lol).

Aren’t the words of today’s verse exciting? The LORD will be King over the whole earth. He will be the only one. The Hebrew literally says “It shall be Yahweh one and His name one.” There is no need to say “only,” because it is implied with the word “one.” There is only one – the LORD.

APPLICATION

When are we going to start living that way? When are we going to stop putting all these other things above Him? What are you talking about, Carl? I don’t do that. Really? Take a look at your calendar. Take a look at your bank account. Where do you spend your time and money? What do you prioritize?

We are all guilty at times of not making Him first in our lives. We get so caught up with life that we forget Who is first. I am not throwing stones. I am just as guilty. Too much time in front of the television. Too much time on the computer or phone. We are all obsessed with worldly objects.

Can we all agree to make Him first this week? I want to spend more time reading His Word. I want to spend more time encouraging other believers. I want to invest in the lives of more men to make them better husbands and fathers. What will you prioritize this week? Make Him number one. Deuteronomy 6:4 says it best. “Hear, Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!”

You are the only One for me, dear Lord. Forgive me when I fail to recognize that.

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Abundance, Bible, End Times, Flowing, Holy Spirit, Messiah, Refreshing, Scripture, Water

LIVING WATER

ZECHARIAH 14:8

“And on that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter.”

My wife and I are currently watching all the seasons of “Alone,” the survival reality show where participants are dropped in some remote location by themselves and have to live off the land. The one who stays the longest wins $500,000. The one thing they all have to find first is a source of drinking water. Water is critical for survival. Without it, they will only last a few days.

In today’s verse, we are told “…on that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem,…” Why is that? Both Joel 3 and Ezekiel 47 make reference to the water which will stream out of the temple. Of course, we know that water flows out of the Messiah and is representative of the Holy Spirit which will flow out of Him. It will never run dry. It will flow year round.

APPLICATION

Jesus explains this further in John 7:37-39. “37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, “From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.”’ 39 But this He said in reference to the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

As believers, we have the Holy Spirit living within us. He will never leave us or forsake us. He only wants to be allowed to work in and through our lives. But the Holy Spirit is not a party crasher. He won’t force Himself on us. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6 who really has control of our lives. Verses 19-20 say this. “19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought for a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

If you want those “living waters” to flow through you, you have to yield to the Holy Spirit is in you. I desire that every day. Unfortunately, I do not yield as I should. I allow my old man to raise up from time to time. Would you pray for me to yield fully? I will pray the same for you.

“Drinking at the springs of living water, Happy now am I, my soul they satisfy; (Heritage Singers)

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Abiding, Bible, Darkness, Light, Radiance, Scripture

WHAT IS THAT LIGHT?

ZECHARIAH 14:7

“For it will be a unique day which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at the time of evening there will be light.”

My wife is light sensitive. By that I mean she cannot have lights showing in our bedroom at night. If they are, she can’t sleep. She covers up the lights from the tv and cable box. There are no night lights in our room. If I have to get up at night (and at my age that is happening more and more, lol), I had better hold on to the bed or dresser to find my way. Things do go bump in the night, and they are usually me.

This day referred to in today’s verse will only be known to the LORD. Remember Christ’s words in Mark 13:22. “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” Only He knows and will reveal it to His Son at the appointed time. Well, the time has come in this verse. The light referred to at the end of the verse, “at the time of evening there will be light,” is none other than the Lord Himself.

APPLICATION

In Revelation 21:23 we read, “And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.” Of course, this is referring to the new heaven and the new earth, but this is still the God of light. We are told this in 1 John 1:5. “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”

Do you prefer to walk in darkness or light? Where do you feel the safest? Most of us would say the light. It’s pretty simple to walk in the light of God’s Word. You have to spend time in it, studying and meditating on it. You have to incorporate it into your life. It has to be the thing that drives you.

Mind you, you have to follow what it says, not what you think it says or want it to say. You can make the Scriptures fit into your theology very easily. We see that way too much today in our society. Those who do that are walking in darkness, not the light. We have the light. Use it.

One day, Lord, You will shine over the whole earth making it all seem as day.

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Abiding, Appearance, Bible, Darkness, Light, Scripture, Shining

LIGHTS OUT

ZECHARIAH 14:6

“On that day there will be no light; the luminaries will die out.” 

Once when I was preparing to fly home from Nairobi, Kenya, all the power at the airport went out. That’s not extremely unusual for Kenya, but it is for the airport. They have backup generators that normally kick in. Not this time, and this was at around 11:00 at night. Let me tell you – it was DARK. I instantly grabbed my bag, hugged it and sat motionless. I could not see my hand in front of my face.

“On that day” we are told in today’s verse, when all the activity just mentioned in verses 1-5 happens, all the light will go out in Jerusalem and the surrounding area. All the stars, the moon, the sun, all the “luminaries” will go dark. Isaiah says it well it 13:9-10. “9 Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, cruel, with fury and burning anger, to make the land a desolation; and He will exterminate its sinners from it. 10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not flash their light; the sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will not shed its light.”

APPLICATION

Prepare yourself. That’s all I can say. We live in a dark world riddled with sin. But that darkness will seem as light on this day of judgment. But I have good news. We are the light of the world. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:14-16, “‘14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.’”

Paul goes on to tell us in Ephesians, “for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light.” Will you shine today? Will you light up the darkness around you? How do you do that? Simply, be Jesus. Live with joy. As Bonhoeffer said, “Live your life as a believer so unbelievers will question their unbelief.”

All you have to do is submit to Jesus today. Let Him live through you. After all, it’s not your light that is shining. It is His light that shoots its beams out your mouth and out your eyes. You don’t believe me? Try it. And look for others around you who are shining and encourage them today.

Father of lights, shine through me in a dark world. 

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Appearance, Bible, Christ's Return, Deliverance, Devil, End Times, Eternity, Evil, Following, Glory, God's Will, Heaven, Hell, Judgment, Miracles, Return, Scripture

ESCAPE ROUTE

ZECHARIAH 14:5

“And you will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!”

I have had the opportunity to participate in a couple of Escape Room experiences. You know – those rooms set up to allow groups of people to problem solve a situation, gather clues and follow directions to get out of that room. There is always a way out if the team can just figure it out. Fortunately, I was able to escape each time, lol.

Look back at verse 4 of Zechariah 14 for a second. It says, “…the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west forming a very large valley…” That valley is the one referred to in today’s verse. Azel was obviously a village on the other side of that valley. The earthquake mentioned here is not in historical records but must have been massive for it to have been remembered two centuries later. But the best part of this verse is the last phrase – “Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!”

APPLICATION

Wow, there’s a lot in that verse, huh? Where do we start? First of all, let’s address the escape route that God will make for the people of Jerusalem on that day. He does the miraculous to achieve His purpose. He is still doing that today. We can all probably recount a story that was nothing less than miraculous. Will you join me in looking around for those today? God is still providing a way out for us. We can share the story of Jesus with someone who is lost today and provide them with that miraculous way of escape from the punishment of hell.

How about the Lord returning with “all the holy ones”? Won’t that be a sight? I plan to be there. These “holy ones” will include His legions of angels and perhaps all the saints. That last part is us, the believers, who are with Him in glory. That is shouting ground. Look at Jude 1:14-15. “14 Behold, the Lord has come with many thousands of His holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

Whether I am with Him or not when He returns to earth to judge it, the fact of the matter is He is coming with authority. He is coming back as King and Judge, not a baby in a manger. He is not coming back to spend years teaching. No, He is coming back to issue forth judgment on the unbelieving masses and on the evil one himself. What a day that will be!

What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see. And I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace…What a day, glorious day that will be. 

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Abiding, Belief, Bible, Following, God's Will, Judgment, Messiah, Return, Scripture

ON THAT DAY

ZECHARIAH 14:4

“On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west forming a very large valley. Half of the mountain will move toward the north, and the other half toward the south.” 

We have all had days that we waited anxiously for – Christmas morning, wedding day, the birth of a child. Some are more exciting than others. They all have one thing in common. We can’t make that day come any quicker. We have to wait for the day to arrive. We count the days, hours and even seconds, don’t we? We are pretty anxious bunch.

Oh, beloved, look at today’s verse. We are told that one day the long-awaited Messiah will come. We know Him as Jesus, the Son of God. He will come and stand on the Mount of Olives. When that happens there will be a great earthquake which will split the mountain. We believe this is literally what will happen. But just like our awaited days, this day will only occur when it is time. We can make guesses, but we can’t change the date. When it is time, God will send Him. He is coming. That is for sure.

APPLICATION

At the ascension of Christ, angels appeared and told the disciples, “and they said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.’” (Acts 1:11) That should get your heart pumping. That should excite you much more than the anticipation of any day on your calendar. He will return, just like He came.

Now, to be clear, this is NOT the rapture. That will precede this. We, the believers in Christ, will be caught up by Jesus in the air. This event prophesied in Zechariah 14:4 is when Jesus will literally return to earth to judge it. For those who remain on earth after the rapture, who have gone through the tribulation period, this will be a scary time. For those of us who accompany Him, it will be a glorious time. Which side will you be on?

I know where I will be. I will be with Jesus. I’m already on His side. I am just anxiously waiting. Will it be today? Tomorrow? Only the Father knows! Jesus told us in Matthew 24:42, “‘Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.’”

Lord, I am ready. Help me lead others to You so they too will be ready.

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THE LORD IS ON OUR SIDE

ZECHARIAH 14:3

“Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle.”

Everybody remembers the childhood games when kids gathered outside and picked sides to play a game. Whether it was baseball, football or red rover, getting picked last was the worst. No one wanted to get picked last. Getting picked first was the sign of being one of the best, if not the best, players. Get picked anywhere – just not the last.

Well, in verse 3 of chapter 14, we find the LORD getting picked to fight on the side of Israel. Woo-hoo! They just scored the best and most powerful player. When all the nations of the earth turn against Israel, the LORD will jump in. Those nations have no idea what is about to hit them. They don’t see the LORD, but He is there. They will feel the full force of the Creator of the universe.

APPLICATION

He is on our side, as well. Did you know that? The same God who will defend Israel has joined us in our daily battles. Deuteronomy 3:22 says, “‘You shall not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you.’” How about this one? Joshua 23:3 reads, “‘And you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the Lord your God who has fought for you.’”

You are probably saying, Carl, those are Old Testament verse about God fighting for Israel. That’s just like our verse today in Zechariah. Okay, how about this one? This is one I have referenced before. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 tells us, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,” We have God’s armament!

We have nothing to fear. God is on our side. He is fighting for us. All we have to do is yield to Him. Then He can unleash the forces of heaven against our enemies – in His time. We have to wait on Him. He will come through. Never doubt that. He may seem to be late, but He is not. He is always right on time. He will fight for us!

Thank You, Lord, for fighting my battles daily. I may not see You, but I know You are there.

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Affliction, Battles, Belief, Bible, Death, Enemies, Evil, Hell, Scripture, Uncategorized, War, Worthy

THE HORRORS OF WAR

ZECHARIAH 14:2

“‘For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be taken, the houses plundered, the women raped, and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be eliminated from the city.’” 

There is a saying, “War is hell.” I pray that did not offend anyone. But from all I have been told about it and what I have seen lately around the world, it is. We live in a fallen world where evil reigns. People do horrible things to each other. Often that is done in the name of religion. Don’t you know the devil loves that? Join me in praying for peace around the world. Pray for the nation of Israel right now.

The Lord continues His promise of judgment against Israel. Today’s verse reads like the current headlines. Could it be this prophetic statement is coming true in our day? I am not saying that is the case, but the situation the Lord describes in today’s verse is exactly what is happening today. Remember, the whole purpose of judgment on Israel was to draw them back to Himself.

APPLICATION

What will it take to draw you back? Well Carl, I don’t need to be drawn back. I’m okay. Are you sure about that? Are you walking with him as Paul describes it in Colossians 1:10? “so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”

We need to be walking worthy of Him every day. As believers in Christ, we are free from the coming judgment that will face unbelievers. We will be yanked from this world at some point, sparing us from the evils that await the rest of the world. The horrors of war that we experience today will pale in comparison of what is to come.

Therefore, we need to bring as many as we can into the fold before that day of Jesus’ coming for the saints. I have friends and family who would be left behind if He came today. That breaks my heart. Will you join me in reaching out to all those you know who need Jesus? Together we can share with the masses of His great love for them.

Lord, would You tarry Your coming for a while so we can reach more for You?

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