Category Archives: Confession

Affliction, Battles, Bible, Confession, Defeat, Exile, Forgiveness, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Judgment, Obedience, Persecution, Restoration, Scripture

NO TRAFFIC

ZECHARIAH 7:14

“‘but I scattered them with a storm wind among all the nations whom they did not know. So the land was desolated behind them so that no one went back and forth, since they made the pleasant land desolate.’”

No traffic sounds good, doesn’t it? I live in a city where we have daily traffic jams. One spot in particular causes daily delays. They have attempted to correct that spot and improve the flow of traffic, but it really hasn’t helped a lot. But traffic congestion can also mean that many people are coming to your area or at least coming through it. It helps the economy which in turn helps your community.

God promises the traffic will stop in Israel. He says, “so that no one went back and forth.” Because of their unrepentant sins, God “scattered them…among all the nations.” They were led into exile by foreign invaders. Their land would be left desolate. There would cease to be any reason to come to that land because everything of value was gone.

APPLICATION

Has your life been left desolate because of your sin? There is hope in Jesus. He can restore that which was lost. He can return you to a place of fruitfulness. But that is only possible as you confess and submit to Him. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

You see, our cleansing is just waiting – waiting on us to respond to His calling on our lives. When we do respond, He is there – faithful and righteous to forgive us. What are you waiting for? Aren’t you tired of the windswept streets of your life – desolate due to sin? He can restore the flow of His Spirit.

Warning: When you decide to go all in with Jesus, He will make your life exciting and real. He will lead you to new opportunities for service. He will give you a hunger for His Word that can only be sated by study and application. He will give you a passion to reach the lost with the Gospel. Are you ready for some “traffic” in your life?

Lord, lead me and I will follow. I want to be about Your business.

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Access, Answers, Asking, Bible, Confession, Forgiveness, God's Will, Hearing, Prayer, Scripture

NO RESPONSE

ZECHARIAH 7:13

“‘And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen,’ says the LORD of armies;”

Don’t you just hate it when you text someone, and they don’t text you back? In days past, you would write a letter and wait for a response. Later on, you would call and leave a message on an answering machine, expecting a return call. Our frustration with not receiving a response hasn’t changed, has it? We still want to hear back, and the sooner the better.

So, when the Lord said these words to Zechariah to deliver to the people, they must have stung. The Lord of armies (also known as the Lord of Hosts) says “they called and I would not listen.” Why? Because their unrepentant sin had cut off communication. It was as if the phone line to heaven had been cut. They called out, but no one answered. I bet the silence was deafening.

APPLICATION

Do you want God to hear your prayers? Then stay “prayed up.” Confess your sins quickly and completely. Name them. Ask Him to reveal to you those secret sins you keep tucked away. Psalm 90:7-8 tells us. “7 For we have been consumed by Your anger,

and we have been terrified by Your wrath. 8 You have placed our guilty deeds before You, our hidden sins in the light of Your presence.”

Did you catch that last phrase? It said, “our hidden sins.” Another translation says, “our secret sins.” Come on, you know you have them. What have you not confessed to the Lord? What is that secret sin you are holding on to? I know you don’t want to cut off communication with heaven. No one wants that.

Our approach to the altar makes all the difference. If we come as the Israelites did with pride and arrogance, God will not hear. But if we come in humility and brokenness, He promises to hear and answer. God wants to work in our lives. He really wants to. Clear the slate. Confess those sins. Allow Him to work in the ways He wants. You won’t be sorry.

Thank You, Lord, for hearing my confessions. I want to keep our lines of communication wide open.

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Asking, Belief, Bible, Blasphemy, Choices, Confession, Heart, Judgment, Salvation, Scripture, Wrath

HARD-HEARTED

ZECHARIAH 7:12

“‘They also made their hearts as hard as a diamond so that they could not hear the Law and the words which the LORD of armies had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the LORD of armies.’”

I’ve known some pretty hard-hearted people in my days. They cared for no one but themselves and would stop at nothing to get what they wanted. I later learned how damaged these people actually were. They had all been hurt by someone, so they decided to hurt before they got hurt again. It’s very sad.

The Lord refers to some individuals who “made their hearts as hard as a diamond.” The Hebrew word translated diamond can also be called adamant or flint. It was a hard rock or gem that could not be scratched or engraved. It was impervious to change. These people God is referring to had rejected the Holy Spirit’s leading through the prophets and were now destined for wrath.

APPLICATION

In Acts 7:51 Stephen gives us a good picture of this. “‘You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.’” One of the most dangerous things you can do is resist the Holy Spirit. He is the One who draws us to the Father. He is the One who shows us the way to salvation and is the seal of that salvation.

Matthew 12:31 Jesus tells us, “‘Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.’” The unpardonable sin! Rejecting the Holy Spirit. We don’t know how many “chances” we have to respond. There may be a breaking point when the Holy Spirit stops wooing you if you continually reject Him. Just like those “hard as diamond” people in today’s verse, you refuse to be affected by the Spirit.

I am so grateful that I did respond on that day back in 1977. I heard the Holy Spirit loud and clear. I continue to hear Him as He directs me each day. I pray if you are believer that you are hearing Him. And if you are not a believer, stop and listen. Ask the Spirit of God to speak to you. He will. Then you must decide how hard your heart really is.

Thank You, Lord, for sending Your Holy Spirit to woo me and win me. I am so glad He lives within me.

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Appearance, Battles, Bible, Confession, Deception, Evil, Forgiveness, Judgment, Salvation, Scripture, Sin

THE APPEARANCE OF EVIL

ZECHARIAH 5:6

“And I said, ‘What is it?’ Then he said, ‘This is the ephah going forth.’ Again he said, ‘This is their appearance in all the land.’”

Let me begin this blog by saying that I cannot get the picture of our world right now as it relates to this verse out of my mind. Every day when I walk around our city, I see the appearance of evil. Maybe the Lord has just given me spiritual eyes right now. I do not want to sound judgmental. Believe me, I know my sins stink just as bad. But there just seems to be a flaunting of sin all around us.

God, through the angel, is showing Zechariah the ephah, the measuring basket, that is full of the people’s sins. They had been unrepentant. Their sins were rampant. They had reached a full measure demanding justice. Some scholars equate the use of the ephah with their sin of stealing mentioned earlier since they would use it falsely for measuring grain to sell.

APPLICATION

I recall my late brother-in-law telling me that the older he got, the more he saw how sinful he was. The light exposes sin, and the closer we get to it, the more we see it. Look at the words of Paul in Ephesians 5:11-13. “11 Do not participate in the useless deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.”

Our sins will be exposed one day. As a matter of fact, they are exposed now to God. He knows everything we do. I love verse 8 in Psalm 90 which says, “You have placed our guilty deeds before You, our hidden sins in the light of Your presence.” Actually, I don’t really love that verse, but you know what I mean.

Don’t let your sins fill the ephah. Empty them out every day. Confess them to the Lord and seek His forgiveness. If you are not a believer in Jesus, come to Him now and receive forgiveness and eternal life. If you are a believer, purify your heart and walk in holiness today.

Cleanse me, Father, and let me walk hand in hand with You today.

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Accountability, Bible, Confession, Forgiveness, Judgment, Redemption, Scripture

FOR ALL TO SEE

ZECHARIAH 5:4

“‘I will make it go forth,’ declares the LORD of armies, ‘and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name; and it will spend the night within that house and destroy it with its timber and stones.’”

We have all done things which we hope no one ever finds out about. When we were little, we would lie to cover up a broken lamp. The infamous “nobody” did it, right? We lie to cover up another lie. We steal and hope no one sees. Am I right? Of course, I am. Sin lurks in dark places.

Today’s verse continues the thought from yesterday’s blog. Those who swear and steal will be found out and their homes will be made into a spectacle by the Lord. He wants all who see them to know that this is what happens to those who break His commands. This is what happens to the unconfessed.

APPLICATION

God’s wrath is still real today. Those who thumb their nose at God and His commands will suffer judgment. Romans 1:18 tells us, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,…” It doesn’t have to be that way.

But John tells us plainly in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We want the world to see this. We want all the world to see us confessing and being forgiven. Why? To draw them to Christ. Confessing our sins is a great way to show the power of our holy God.

So, let me ask you something. Are you all “confessed up”? Are you clean before Him? If Jesus appeared right now, how would He find you? I come to Him every day with a repentant heart because I long to be more and more like Him. I want to be holy because He is holy. Don’t you?

Father, I do not have anything hidden from Your sight. Purify my heart this day.

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Access, Angels, Belief, Bible, Confession, Death, Forgiveness, Glory, Heaven, Life, Salvation, Scripture

FREE ACCESS

ZECHARIAH 3:7

“‘The LORD of armies says this: “If you walk in My ways and perform My service, then you will both govern My house and be in charge of My courtyards, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing here.”’”

What does “free access” mean to you? I picture going to an amusement park and having a ticket that allows you to ride all the rides, eat all the food you want, drink all you want and having reserved parking in the parking lot. But even with that you still would not be allowed behind the scenes of these rides or in the offices of those who made all the decisions.

The LORD of armies is saying through the angel that if Joshua would “walk in My ways and perform My service” then he would have free access. But to where? He would be promised to be with the angels who were around him when he died. Eternal life, promised heaven. Who wouldn’t jump at that offer, right?

APPLICATION

We are promised the same if… Our “if” is receiving Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. There is no other way to gain free access to glory. Jesus tells us that in John 14:6. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.’”

Paul says something similar in Romans 10:9. “…that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;…”

You can’t get much plainer than that. Free access comes one way – through Jesus. Let me ask that question again. Who wouldn’t jump at that offer, right?

You may be surprised. Many think coming to Jesus will cramp their lifestyle. They will have to give up too much. They don’t understand the freedom they could have in Christ. That’s where you come in. You have to tell them. You have to show them. You have to live in such a way that they come to you asking you about your freedom. Free access is available to all. Help others come to it.

I am free, Father, to live my life pleasing You. I can’t wait to see You face-to-face.

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Abiding, Bible, Blessing, Confession, Consequences, Decisions, God's Will, Scripture

TAKING IT TOO FAR

ZECHARIAH 1:15

“‘But I am very angry with the nations who are carefree; for while I was only a little angry, they furthered the disaster.’”

As a parent, I had the responsibility to discipline my children. I had one rule for spanking – only for willful disobedience. You may disagree, but I believe the appropriate use of spanking can be helpful in rearing our children. My children always knew why they were receiving that discipline and were prayed over afterwards. There is the danger of going too far with this, though.

That’s exactly what the Lord was referring to in today’s verse. He had used the other nations to discipline his children. They were the tool God used to administer His judgment. But some of these nations went too far and tried to annihilate His chosen children. He says he was “very angry with the nations” that did this. They “furthered the disaster,” which was never God’s intention.

APPLICATION

We can take things too far, whether it be a good thing or a bad thing. Too much exercise can be bad for your health (at least that’s my excuse, lol). Too much sugar is definitely not good for you. But can you get too much of God? I don’t think so, but the downside of that is His light exposes our sins. Psalm 90:8 says that. “You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.”

Before you say anything, let me explain something. Getting too close to God may not feel good at the moment, but it is certainly what is best for us. Those sins that are exposed need to be exposed. Psalm 10:9 says, “One who walks in integrity walks securely, but one who perverts his ways will be found out.” So, is God taking it too far? I don’t think so.

I have to admit that I have been guilty of taking things too far at times. One example would be watching College football (American football for all my non-U.S. followers). I could watch it all day on Saturday. I had to make a decision to limit that to my favorite team’s game. We can take things too far, can’t we? Ask the Lord if you are taking Him too far. I bet He says no.

Father God, I want to be in Your presence, even though I know it will drive me to my knees in repentance.

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Accountability, Accused, Bible, Confession, Forgiveness, Lies, Repentance, Scripture, Truth, Witnessing

TELL NO LIES

ZEPHANIAH 3:13

“‘The remnant of Israel will do no wrong and tell no lies, nor will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths; for they will feed and lie down with no one to frighten them.’”

How many lies do you think you have told in your lifetime? Come on, be honest. We have all told lies for one reason or another. As a child, we would tell lies to our siblings, our friends and even our parents. Some lies are told to stay out of trouble. Other lies are told to brag or boast. Whatever the reason, lying is lying.

Can you imagine then that Lord says here in verse 13 that the remnant that He lives in the land will “tell not lies”? How is that possible? Remember where this remnant was. They were in the land that had been devastated by God’s judgment, yet they had been saved from death or exile. Surely, they were desirous of living to please Jehovah.

APPLICATION

Psalm 34:12-13 says, “12 Who is the person who desires life and loves length of days, that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.” Peter repeats this verse in his first letter, 1 Peter 3:10. It’s obvious the Lord does not approve of lying. Why is that?

The Lord is truth. Anything deceitful is abhorred by Him. Here in the U.S., any witness in a court proceeding is sworn in for their testimony. They have to swear to “tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God.” The whole legal system is built on telling the truth, being honest. I wish that were always the case, but many have told lies while on the witness stand.

Listen carefully, beloved. When you are on the witness stand before God, there will be no lie which you can tell that will get you out of His judgment. Because God is THE truth, He exposes all deceit. Won’t you come to Him today and lay down your lies? Confess your deceit. Repent before a holy God and receive His forgiveness and grace. Instead of lying, lie at His feet.

Father, forgive me for lying to You and others. Let truth reign supremely in my life.

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Abiding, Bible, Confession, Forgiveness, Purity, Scripture

PURE LIPS

ZEPHANIAH 3:9

“‘For then I will restore to the peoples pure lips, so that all of them may call on the name of the LORD, to serve Him shoulder to shoulder.’”

I have to confess something. When I first married Christine, I used to chew a little tobacco when I was outside working or when I was fishing. She quickly told me I had a choice – kissing or chewing. Guess which one I gave up, lol. My lips were not exactly clean and pure when I chewed tobacco. (Note to readers: I no longer use tobacco products, in case you are wondering.)

I don’t think Zephaniah had tobacco lips on his mind when he shared God’s message about Him restoring pure lips to the people. You have to look at what follows that statement to understand what the Lord meant. No one can truly call on the name of the Lord with an impure mouth, with a nasty mouth. Our lips need to confess our impurities first. Then God’s ears are attentive to our pleas.

APPLICATION

Romans 10:9 probably says it best. “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;” That act of the lips purifies your lips. God instantly and eternally saves you. He purifies your heart. He purifies your spirit. He purifies your lips. There is still a lot of purification to be done as you grow more like Him, but the act has begun.

I love Proverbs. It has a lot to say about lips. Two of my favorite verses comes from Proverbs 18:6-7. “6 A fool’s lips bring strife, and his mouth invites beatings. 7 A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are the snare of his soul.” You can’t get much clearer than that. Beware of your lips.

Impure lips can cause all kinds of problems for you. It’s not just the words you say. It’s the attitude of the heart that is shown through your lips. Ask the Lord today to purify your lips so you can call on His name. Then you too can serve Him “shoulder to shoulder.”

Wash my mouth out, Lord. Cleanse my lips that I may speak Your name boldly.

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Anger, Battles, Bible, Confession, Repentance, Scripture, Sin, Wrath

BURNING ANGER

ZEPHANIAH 3:8

“‘Therefore wait for Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘For the day when I rise up as a witness. Indeed, My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out on them My indignation, all My burning anger; for all the earth will be devoured by the fire of My zeal.’”

Have you ever been so mad you could spit flames? I have a few times. I am reading a book right now about anger. It’s entitled “Unoffendable.” The author is Brant Hansen. He has some pretty good ideas in the book, but it really is about us allowing Christ to transform us more into His image and living like that. I really don’t have a reason to get angry, according to Brant.

That does not apply to God. He says in today’s verse that His “burning anger” will devour the earth. God’s wrath on the nations and kingdoms that opposed Him will be made known. They will not be able to stand against Him. This is not the place you want to be. They did not understand that. God’s anger is always directed at sin.

APPLICATION

Do you get angry? Why? Think about it for a minute. There is no one or nothing that can really make you angry. We all make the decision to get angry. Saying someone or something made you angry gives all the power to them. You don’t want to do that, do you? James 1:20 tells us “The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” So, all that talk about having a righteous anger is just that – talk.

We need to let go of the anger that is in. We are not God. We do not have the right. Only God has that right. Paul says in Ephesians 4:26-27 that our anger, if allowed to become sin, only gives the devil a foothold in our lives. That is certainly something we want to avoid. You can’t give him an inch.

So, what’s the answer for our “burning anger”? Confession! Repentance! Yielding to God’s authority. That’s the only way. Today, if you start to feel anger rising up, stop it and confess that as sin. Allow the Lord to purge that anger from you. He can do it. Do it today.

Father, I admit my sin of anger. I confess that as sin. Forgive me.

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