Category Archives: Eternity

Bible, Covenant, Eternity, Light, Scripture

ATTENTION TO DETAIL

ZECHARIAH 4:2

“And he said to me, ‘What do you see?’ And I said, ‘I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it;’”

Good detectives notice the little things. They can see and hear things others miss. Often these small things can make or break a case. I know some people who would make great detectives. Others would not. As we look at today’s verse ask yourself how good of a detective you would make.

The angel asked a simple question, “What do you see?” Most people may have said they saw a lampstand. Not Zechariah. He gives us a full description. It was gold with a bowl on top from which 49 spouts came out and led to seven lamps. From this description, you could probably make one.

APPLICATION

But the description isn’t just about the lampstand. This is a symbol to us. Gold, of course, represented purity. This lampstand, representing God, was pure. That bowl on top with 49 tubes tells us it is God who is the supplier of gifts in our lives.

This menorah (that’s the word used for lampstand) is showing Zechariah who is the true source of light. Light is needed by all. Without light we would walk in darkness. God’s light is eternal. It will never go out. It is a perpetual flame.

Does your life reflect the purity of God and His light. Don’t forget that Zechariah is sharing this vision with the people. They were looking for light after all the years of darkness. Come to the source of light. John tells us that, doesn’t he? In 1 John 1:5 he says, “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.  Then he goes on to say, “6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Amen? Amen! 

Father, I will carry the light of Your presence. Let it shine!

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Admonished, Advice, Angels, Bible, Commands, Eternity, Following, God's Will, Hearing, Listening, Obedience, Scripture

ADMONISHED

ZECHARIAH 3:6

“And the angel of the LORD admonished Joshua, saying,”

This time of the year here in the U.S. there are a lot of graduation ceremonies. At most high school and college graduations there will be a speaker, an invited guest. This person may be an alum, a celebrity, a politician or an educator. The purpose of this person’s speech is to admonish, to exhort, to challenge and to remind the students of their responsibilities that lie ahead. I have a granddaughter graduating this year from high school. I am sure she will hear such a speech.

You may question why I would do a devotional on such an insignificant verse. Really? Is any verse insignificant if it is inspired by God? I don’t think so. Look at the verse. The “angel of the Lord” is considered by many to be Jesus Christ who appears throughout the Old Testament. He is reminding Joshua of what is about to come. In the next four verses we will see what He says. This admonishment wasn’t cruel or harsh. It was just a firm reminder.

APPLICATION

I usually see “admonishments” in a negative way. Maybe that’s because I have actually received a lot of those. But an admonishment is not meant to be negative if it comes from the Lord. Remember, His desire is to always draw you to Him. He is not trying to scare you away. James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…”

I don’t want to react to God’s voice like a feral cat that runs away if you try to approach. I want to be like the family dog that runs to the door to greet you when they hear your car pull into the driveway. They can’t wait to see you. That’s exactly how I want to react when God admonishes me. He may just want to remind me of my purpose or to tell me He loves me.

When God speaks to you, how do you react? Well, Carl, I haven’t heard God speak to me? Oh, you are missing out. Get alone with Him and ask Him to talk to you. You’ve got to listen, though. You’ve got to get quiet and wait. You have to tune your ear to His voice. Then when He does speak you can recognize it. And then hang on. His words of admonishment will be welcomed then.

Speak to my heart, Lord Jesus. Speak that my soul may hear.

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Agreement, Authority, Belief, Bible, Commitment, Covenant, Encouragement, Eternity, God's Will, Judgment, Promises, Relationships, Reputation, Scripture

HE DOES WHAT HE SAYS

ZECHARIAH 1:6

“‘But did My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, not overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, “Just as the LORD of armies planned to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us.”’”

Keeping your word is a big thing. If you become known as someone who can’t do that, you won’t have many close friends. I have tried to keep my word. If I say I will do something, I try to get it done. If I say I will pray for someone, I pray right away so I won’t forget. Have I always kept my word? I am sorry to say I haven’t. I hope at the end of my life to be remembered as someone who did what he said he would do.

The fathers of these Israelites are quoted by God saying that God did just what He said. He told them they would be judged, and they were. Jeremiah said the same in Lamentations 2:17. “The LORD has done what He determined; He has accomplished His word which He commanded from days of old. He has torn down without sparing, and He has helped the enemy to rejoice over you; He has exalted the might of your adversaries.” God does what He says He will do.

APPLICATION

While these words in Zechariah may seem foreboding, they can be seen in the opposite light. When God makes a promise to you, He will keep it. One of my favorite verses in Joshua 21:45. “Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; everything came to pass.” Isn’t that a great verse?

That same promise applies to you. When the Lord of the universe tells you that you will spend eternity with Him because you have trusted Christ as your Savior and Lord, that’s where you will be one day. When He promises to be with you through every trial you may face, guess where He will be. Right beside you.

The Lord has been so good to me. He has been with me through thick and thin. He has always and will always keep His word. He always does exactly what He says He will do. Get into His Word. Find those promises yourself. Don’t take my word for it. Trust His Word. Joy awaits you.

Word of God speak, would You pour down like rain, washing my eyes to see Your majesty (lyrics to Word of God Speak)

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Authority, Bible, Compassion, Covenant, Eternity, Family, Holy Spirit, Scripture

SIGNET RING

HAGGAI 2:23

“‘On that day,’ declares the LORD of armies, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,’” declares the LORD of armies.”

My dad used to have this real cool ring he bought when he was in the army. It was made of nickel, I think, and was very heavy, especially for a little boy. I loved that ring. I would sneak and wear it around the house pretending it made me important, like a king or something. I made the mistake of wearing it to see a friend who had a pond on his property. Do you see where this is going? Yep, I lost that ring in the pond. I knew dad was going to kill me, but he didn’t get upset at all. Praise the Lord.

God tells Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, that He would make him like a signet ring. What does that mean? You have to understand that the signet ring carried power and authority. We saw this when Pharoah gave his ring to Joseph (Genesis 41:42) and when Ahasuerus gave his ring to Mordecai (Esther 8:2). So, when Zerubbabel is told this, he knows this is an honor. God has selected him to stand out. What a great way to end this book.

APPLICATION

Many scholars equate Zerubbabel as a type of Christ. Christ, or course, does not need a signet ring to give Him authority. He is authority. He is power. And His seal of the Holy Spirit is upon each of us as believers. Look at Ephesians 1:13. “…you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” Sealed, marked, shown as belonging to Him.

Don’t every doubt that. You belong to the King of kings and Lord of lords. You are in His family. He claims you as His own. There is no doubting that. The devil loves to try to convince us that we don’t belong to Christ. Don’t believe it. Once you have asked Christ in your life, you are His for eternity.

What kind of imprint are you leaving on this world? Who have you influenced for Christ? We should leave a Jesus-size mark on everyone we meet. They should know they have been impacted by Him, not us. Will you do that today? Tell someone how Jesus has imprinted you. Maybe they will be imprinted too.

You have marked me as You own. I am so thankful I can be counted as one of Yours.

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Abiding, Bible, Destruction, Eternity, Salvation, Scripture

THE END OF THINGS

ZEPHANIAH 2:14

“Flocks will lie down in her midst, all animals that range in herds; both the pelican and the hedgehog will spend their nights in the tops of her pillars; birds will sing in the window, devastation will be on the threshold; for He has uncovered the cedar work.”

I like movies that have the hero stopping an end of the world plot by the villain. There are a lot of those kinds of movies out there. Usually, it comes down to the last second to save mankind. The hero risks everything to accomplish his mission. But in the end, he is successful (and usually gets the girl, lol). That ending is happy, right?

Not so with the destruction of Nineveh and Assyria who Zephaniah is describing here in verse 14 of chapter 2. Their destruction will be so complete that the animals will live in their cities. They will sleep in the fallen caps of the pillars that held up their impressive homes and buildings. And among all that destruction, the birds will still sing. Total destruction and a return to the wild.

APPLICATION

How do we apply a verse like this to our lives? Remember, every word of Scripture is inspired by God and given to us for instruction. So, what does this mean to us? Nothing we can accomplish on this earth will remain. Nothing we build will withstand God’s final judgment on earth. All the wealth we obtain will get us nowhere.

The only thing that will last is our relationship with God. Our eternal destiny rests in the decision we make concerning Him. Jesus tells us in John 14:6 “…‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.’” There is no other way. You cannot earn your way to the Father. You cannot get there through anything you do here. You must go through Jesus.

I pray you have made that decision. I pray you are resting in that decision if you have made it. As believers, we know everything we have here really belongs to Him. We hold it all very loosely in our hands. But we hold tightly to Him. Why? Because He is our hero. He has already defeated the villain of our spiritual lives. We know the ending. Jesus is triumphant. Amen? Amen!

I hold my success and all I have accomplished in my hands and offer it all to You, Lord.

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Accountability, Belief, Bible, Choices, Christ's Return, Darkness, Eternity, Kingdom, Kings, Majesty, Rescue, Salvation, Scripture

CHARIOTS OF SALVATION

HABAKKUK 3:8

“Did the LORD rage against the rivers, or was Your anger against the rivers, or was Your rage against the sea, that You rode on Your horses, on Your chariots of salvation?”

All throughout Scripture we see imagery of God with water. In creation, He separated the waters above and the waters below. Then He caused land to appear which further separated the waters on earth. We see Him part the Red Sea and the Jordan River. We see Him gush forth waters from a rock in the wilderness. Water and God have a presence in the Bible that cannot be ignored.

So, it is no wonder that Habakkuk uses that same imagery in his book. But we see something here that is unique. We see the “chariots of salvation.” I can just picture what Habakkuk is describing. God swoops down and rescues His people as if He is riding a chariot. The waters of the Red Sea parting and the flow of Jordan walled up reflect the presence of God moving through and saving His people.

APPLICATION

God is still rescuing us. This is done now through His Son, Jesus Christ. Christ didn’t ride through Israel on a chariot. No, He walked and once rode a donkey’s colt. He didn’t come as a ruling king, but rather as a lowly baby in a manger. He lived in Nazareth, the lowliest of the villages in Galilee.

But one day He will return as Judge and King. He will come to reign supremely. And we will reign with Him as joint heirs of His kingdom. Won’t that be a glorious day? But you first have to acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior. Even though you don’t see a chariot of salvation, you can be assured that He reigns.

As we come closer to Christmas day and prepare to celebrate, don’t forget the saving power of God is as strong today as it ever was. God is still rescuing us from a dark and somber world. He wants us to rejoice with Him that His Son paid the ultimate price. He has truly ridden that chariot of salvation for us.

Open my eyes that I may see Your salvation to the world more clearly. Use me to reach out to those who need to hear.

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Abiding, Belief, Bible, Eternity, Loyalty, Promises, Relationships, Scripture

DISAPPEARING ACT

NAHUM 3:17

“Your courtiers are like the migratory locust. Your officials are like a swarm of locusts settling in the stone shelters on a cold day. The sun rises and they flee, and the place where they are is not known.”

Who doesn’t love a good disappearing act?! I can still remember David Copperfield making a Boeing 747 disappear. That plane is probably still wandering somewhere, lol. We all know that the plane didn’t really disappear, but the illusion was breath taking.

Nineveh would soon disappear, just like the locusts as soon as the sun rises. During the cool nights, they piled on top of each other to stay warm. They were a mass of wiggly insects. Nineveh compares the army of Nineveh in that same fashion. They were so numerous they resembled this horde of locusts at night.

APPLICATION

Unlike the strength of Nineveh that disappeared never to return, our Lord will never disappear. He is with us forever. He remains by our side through this life. Then we will reign with Him forever in the eternal. He will never, never disappear.

I worked with a lot of children during my 30+ years in the Child Welfare system. Many of them had disappearing parents. Mom or dad or both deserted them. The damage done to those precious children would break your heart. I am so grateful for parents who were present in my life all the way up to the time of their homegoing. And one day we will be reunited.

I am also grateful that my heavenly Father is always there. I may not always feel that, but that is because I have drifted away. He is still there. Jesus will never disappear on you. He is there, faithful and true, always ready to lend you His hand. Will you take it?

Place your hand in the hand of the Man who stilled the waters. Place your hand in the hand of the Man who calmed the seas.

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Bible, Death, Eternity, Heaven, Hell, Redemption, Salvation, Scripture

DEAD BODIES

NAHUM 3:3

“Horsemen charging, swords flashing, spears gleaming, many killed, a mass of corpses, and there is no end to the dead bodies-they stumble over the dead bodies!”

Pretty morbid title, huh? Hey, I’m just following the text. Blame Nahum, lol. I have had the privilege (yes, I said the privilege) to stand beside a lot of families as they ushered their loved ones into the hereafter. I have done my share of funerals. Some are easier than others. Those in which you know the dearly beloved were Christians were easy. Their dead body was just that – a dead body. They were not there.

Nahum continues his description of the vision God had shown him of the certain destruction of Nineveh. His statement “there is no end to the dead bodies-they stumble over the dead bodies” gives a very vivid picture of what was to come. Those who heard this message had to be disturbed.

APPLICATION

So, where will you spend eternity? We will all leave this body behind and will depart somewhere. We will either be with Jesus in heaven or will spend eternity in hell. Even though our bodies will be left behind, our spirits will live forever. The good news is we can determine where that will be.

As I write this blog, I am attending a Men’s Retreat on a mountain near Chattanooga. I witnessed this morning several men give their lives to Christ. Their eternal fate is set. They will live with Jesus. Many of them immediately followed that decision with baptism. They wanted all to know where they were going one day.

Paul tells us that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. I look forward to that day. I believe the Lord has much left for me to do for the kingdom, but I am ready for that day. If you ever hear that I have died, don’t mourn my dead body. Rejoice knowing where I am. Will I see you there?

Father, I cannot wait to see Your Glory and spend eternity worshipping You.

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Accountability, Bible, Chaos, Discipline, Eternity, Order, Scripture

CHAOS AND DISORDER

NAHUM 2:4

“The chariots drive wildly in the streets, they rush around in the public squares; their appearance is like torches, they drive back and forth like lightning flashes.”

I prefer things orderly. I would not say I am obsessed by it, but I like things to be put in their place. My parents taught me that. I remember my dad had all his tools displayed on a huge peg board in his shop. Everything hung in place. If you needed something, it was easy to see. Just make sure you put it back in its place, lol.

Nahum is describing a scene of war in which nothing is in order. The chariots “drive wildly” in the streets. They drive back and forth “like lightning flashes” and “like torches.” He is picturing the assault on Nineveh and the chaos that ensued. It almost seems they are fighting without any leaders. That is never good.

APPLICATION

To whom do you look to find order and discipline? Some of us look to ourselves. We think we can do it. Some look to the military to teach them discipline. Still others depend on someone in authority to tell them exactly what to do.

All of those are acceptable sources of order, but none of them are eternal. They will all cease. There is only one source of order and discipline that will last for eternity. That is the Lord Jesus. He gave us the Holy Spirit to live inside of us. He helps guide our steps each day.

Left to my own devices, I would be a mess. I would probably drift into nothingness. I would lay around and mope. But the Holy Spirit in me gives me a purpose for living. That demands I follow His leadership which gives me order and discipline. If there is one thing the Holy Spirit is not, He is not disorderly. Will you let Him direct your steps today?

O Lord, I praise You for keeping me straight. I know I can rely on Your Holy Spirit to guide my steps.

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Bible, Blessing, Encouragement, Eternity, Glory, Heaven, Inspirational, Joy, Light, Promises, Salvation, Scripture

A SIGHT TO BEHOLD 

MICAH 7:9 

“I will endure the rage of the LORD because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, and I will look at His righteousness.” 

I remember the day I married my wife. I remember seeing her appear in the doorway of the sanctuary. It was the first time I had seen her in her wedding dress. She was beautiful. I watched her as she walked down the aisle, knowing that in a matter of minutes, we would be married. Joy was bubbling over. 

Micah seems to share a similar joy in knowing the LORD would bring him out to the light and he could look at His righteousness. Micah knows he is not worthy of such a sight, but the LORD has forgiven him of his sins and pleaded his case. Wow! What a sight to behold. 

APPLICATION 

One day we will see Jesus. Can you imagine? We all have a picture in our minds of what that will be like, but none of them come close to the actual. Jesus’ presence before us will be the culmination of our spiritual journey. We will be safely in His arms for eternity. 

I have had the privilege to see some magnificent sights – the flight of thousands of pink flamingos in Kenya, the sun rising out of the Atlantic Ocean, the birth of my children. Those are just a few. But none will compare to the sight of my Lord. Just like Micah, He has pleaded my case and has executed justice for me. 

I have been given the promise of eternity with my Lord. It will be a place that is lit by His radiance. The glory of God will be everywhere! I don’t know about you, but I am looking forward to eternity. I am looking forward to seeing my Jesus. Are you? 

Thank You Lord, for the promise of eternal life with You. I cannot wait to see Your face.  

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