Category Archives: Following

Abiding, Appearance, Bible, End Times, Following, God's Will, Messages, Scripture

SENT BY THE LORD

ZECHARIAH 6:5

“The angel replied to me, “These are the four spirits of heaven, going out after taking their stand before the Lord of all the earth,”

Years ago, I used to go to Washington, D.C. to lobby for issues that involved children. I was sent by the agency I worked with or another childcare agency. My role was to represent the group that sent me. I was to argue for their needs, not my own.

These four spirits (which we saw in the horses and chariots) had been “taking a stand before the Lord.” So, we must believe that they were receiving their orders. Why was this important? Because the people needed to know that God was aware of what had been happening and what would happen. These four spirits could only do what He allowed.

APPLICATION

Just like those four spirits, we may be sent by the Lord to accomplish His mission. Now, we don’t physically stand before the Lord in heaven, but we do stand before Him, don’t we?  Ephesian 6:14 says, “Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,” Who do you think is dressing you for battle?

We come to the Lord and stand before His holy throne every day as we pray and study His Word. You may be seated at your table or physically laying prostrate on the floor, but you are spiritually standing before His throne. Listen closely. You don’t want to miss His order. He wants to send you out.

I have received lots of orders in my lifetime from various bosses or supervisors. Some I did not like. Others I was okay with. But what I thought really didn’t matter. When I stand before my Lord, I will receive whatever He gives me. I will do my best to follow His command. I don’t always do it well, but I am trying. What is the order you have from the Lord? Can you hear Him?

I will serve only You, O Lord. It is You I want to follow.

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Accountability, Bible, Commands, Following, Love, Obedience, Salvation, Scripture

STEALING AND SWEARING

ZECHARIAH 5:3

“Then he said to me, ‘This is the curse that is going forth over the face of the entire land; everyone who steals certainly will be purged away according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears falsely will be purged away according to the writing on the other side.’”

My dad would not tolerate stealing. Nor would he put up with foul language. My dad wasn’t perfect and didn’t come to Christ until later in life, but he was intent on raising us right. I never had the desire to steal (except for that one piece of candy at the grocery store), but I was prone to cuss and swear. Of course, I knew better but still did it.

Do you wonder why this flying scroll singled out these two sins? The commandment against stealing was on one side of the tablet of the ten commandments and swearing (against God) was on the other. They were the eighth and third commandments, respectively. One had to do with sins against others and the other against God. These were representative of the sins of the people.

APPLICATION

It is not hard to see how to apply this to our lives today. What are your sins against others? What are your sins against God? You know them, but have you confessed them to the Lord and asked His forgiveness? I understand that as a child of the Lord and a believer in Jesus as our Savior, we are under grace, not the Law. But we still need to obey His commandments. We are to still strive to be holy.

Leviticus 22:31 tells us, “‘So you shall keep My commandments, and do them; I am the LORD.’” Jesus said in John 14:15, “‘If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.’” Commandment keeping is still important. Let me repeat – we are under grace, not the Law. However, we are expected to follow God’s commands.

You may not steal or swear, but I am willing to bet that you have committed sins against others and God. Take a moment right now and search your heart. Ask the Lord to reveal those transgressions to you and then confess them as sin. Confession is saying the same thing about your sin that God says. Agree with Him. He will forgive. Follow Him.

Oh Father, keep me from transgressing against You and my neighbor. I want to please You.

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Answers, Asking, Bible, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Following, God's Will, Scripture, Teaching

HERE WE GO AGAIN

ZECHARIAH 4:13

“So he answered me, saying, ‘Do you not know what these are?’ And I said, ‘No, my lord.’”

A large part of my ministry career involved supervising people. I felt like I have been a pretty good coach over the years. I tried to answer everyone’s questions. Better yet, I tried to get them to ask the right questions. I wanted them to think for themselves. We teach men in our ministry of Every Man A Warrior to think for themselves and to teach their children to do the same.

That is what the angel is trying to get Zechariah to do – think for himself. This is the second time in this vision that he has given this answer to him. In fact, if you look back at verse 5, this verse is identical to it – the same words. That is not a mistake. Repetition is important for learning. The angel was repeating himself on purpose. Think Zechariah, think!

APPLICATION

Often, in our walk with the Lord, He will not give us the answer immediately. He wants us to grow. He wants us to learn. He is helping us mature as believers. It is like Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 3:2, “I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to consume it. But even now you are not yet able,…”

Can you imagine living your whole life only drinking milk? You would not be very strong physically. You need other foods to grow. In the same way, God will not spoon feed you all your life. He wants you to grow strong, spiritual muscles, so He allows things in your life to stretch those muscles. He will give you the strength you need, but you will need to push yourself as well.

Now, don’t be afraid to keep asking Him for help. He is always there. But be patient when the answers come slowly. There is a reason for that. He may give you the exact same answer you got last time. That’s okay. That’s for a reason as well. Trust the process He has you in. He is building you into a beautiful vessel.

Lord, I do have to admit that I am impatient sometimes when I ask You for something. Give me more faith, Lord, to trust the process.

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Abiding, Bible, Following, Light, Scripture

UNENDING

ZECHARIAH 4:11

“Then I said to him, ‘What are these two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?’”

I just arrived home from a couple of weeks out of the country. One thing I know about international travel – you have to have fuel. Not only do the planes, trains or automobiles you use have to have it, but so do you. Man, I’m tired. I was pretty much doing something every day I was there, which I prefer. But boy, I needed fuel.

These two lampstands were mentioned earlier in this vision. When I wrote about them in an earlier blog, I mentioned that they were the source of oil for the bowl on top of the lampstand, giving it an unending source of oil to keep the seven lamps burning. It was a symbol of God’s unending source for the nation. He was always there and always would be there.

APPLICATION

Aren’t you glad He is your unending source? As a child of the Father, we have His unending love. Jeremiah 31:3a says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love;” We have His unending protection. In Psalm 61:4 we are told, “Let me dwell in Your tent forever; Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.”
We have His unending Spirit residing within us. 1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us that. “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?”

We have no reason to be tired spiritually because the source of our spiritual energy is not of ourselves. It is from God. He energizes us. When we get spiritually tired, check out which power source you are plugged into – yourself or God. Hmmm, that gave me a gut check, especially coming home from this trip.

The light of Christ shines through you not because of your efforts. There is nothing you can do to make that flame brighter except…die to yourself and let more of Him shine. Just like those lamps on that lampstand could not shine without that source of oil that flowed into them, neither can you shine brightly unless you allow Jesus to flow through you.

Flow through me, Lord Jesus. Let Your light shine brightly.

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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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Abiding, Accountability, Bible, Choices, Death, Following, Life, Modeling, Obedience, Scripture

DEATH AND TAXES

ZECHARIAH 1:5

“‘Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?’” 

I have heard it said many times, “There are two certainties in life – death and taxes.” While that may be true, no one likes to dwell on either. Here in the U.S., it is tax season. Everyone is expected to file their federal income taxes by April 15. I’ve already done mine and was fortunate to get a little refund. However, it will all happen again next year. At least death is a one-time deal, right? I am not worried about that because I know where I am going.

Today’s verse is kind of somber. God is reminding the people that everyone dies. Their fathers had died. Their prophets had died. There is no escaping that. Why does God do that? What was He trying to say? He was warning them that those in the past who had resisted His commands had passed away. Resisting God does you no good. Only He is eternal.

APPLICATION

Is there someone to whom you are hanging on to? You think everything will be fine as long as they are around. Warning – they won’t always be here. We can’t place our trust in anyone here on earth. We are all just passing through this earth. You may have been fortunate enough to have godly parents who taught you right. They may still be alive. Enjoy them. But our parent’s faith won’t do a thing for us as far as getting into heaven. That only comes from our own faith in Christ.

The good news is our parents’ lack of faith isn’t counted against us either. Deuteronomy 24:16 says, “Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin.” We also know Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,…”

You must come to God through Jesus. Just because you grew up in a Christian home, that does not make you a Christian, anymore than being born in a garage makes you a car. Right? So, come to Jesus. Let Him give you the plan He has for your life. Only He can be trusted to do that.

O Father, I am so thankful I am resting in Your hands and not my own.

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Accountability, Bible, Boundaries, Commands, Direction, Following, Hearing, Obedience, Scripture

YOU KNOW BETTER

ZECHARIAH 1:4

“‘Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying, “This is what the LORD of armies says: ‘Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’” But they did not listen or pay attention to Me,’ declares the LORD. “

I can’t recall the number of times my parents told me to not do something. I heard them, but I did not listen. You see, I knew better than to do the things I was doing. I knew doing them would get me in trouble if I was caught. I got to be pretty sneaky. My mom and dad went to heaven not knowing about some of them. Hmmm, now that they are up there, do they know? Lol

The Israelite’s fathers did not listen or pay attention to the Lord’s commands. They heard them over and over again. They knew the Law. They knew the commandments. However, they chose to live as if they did not care. The Hebrew word for “pay attention” means to prick up the ears. Just picture a dog laying down and resting. When you call its name, what does it do first? It pricks up its ears. You see, the Israelites had not pricked up their ears to listen to the Lord.

APPLICATION

What is the Lord telling us in this verse? Prick up your ears! Listen! Do what I say! Sounds easy enough, so why don’t we do it? Because we are just as stubborn as those Israelites who did not listen and pay attention. We want to do what we want, not what the Lord has instructed us to do.

Do you know what happened nine times out of ten when I did not follow my parents’ rules? I got in trouble. Yep, I usually was disciplined. Same is true when I don’t follow God’s rules. I find myself in trouble. God will discipline those whom He loves. Aren’t you glad? Probably not, if you are honest. But it is for our good. We know that, right?

Psalm 103:17-18 paints a beautiful picture of this. “17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting for those who fear Him, and His justice to the children’s children, 18 to those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts, so as to do them.” I can’t say it any better than that.

O Lord, I know Your commands are for my good. Lead me in the path that is true and right.

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Abiding, Bible, Commands, Following, Promises, Return, Scripture

I WILL RETURN

ZECHARIAH 1:3

“Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the LORD of armies says: “Return to Me,” declares the LORD of armies, “that I may return to you,” says the LORD of armies.’” 

Do you remember going back and forth with your friends saying I’ll go if you go? Then they would reply No, I’ll go if you go. Neither of you would commit until the other committed. This may have applied to jumping off a hill into a pond or river. It may have applied to climbing down into a hole. Whatever the situation, your decision depended on your friend’s decision.

Here in Zechariah 1:3 the LORD tells His people that He would return to them IF they would return to Him. His decision was based on their commitment to return. He had watched their past behavior. He knew how wishy-washy they were. He was still committed to them, but they had to return to Him and show their willingness to follow Him.

APPLICATION

Oh wow! Doesn’t this apply to us today? The Lord stands ready to bless us and lead us, but we have to follow. We have to humble ourselves before Him and show Him we are willing to bow. Why don’t we do that? Why don’t we trust what He says? Because we are a stubborn lot. There is a clear promise to claim in today’s verse IF we follow the command that is given first.

Take some time and dissect this verse. How does this apply to your life? Are you submitting to the Lord each day? We have to remember that God is desirous of fellowship with us. He wants to see us grow in our faith. But God will not force Himself on anyone. We must return, just like the Israelites.

This verse also reminded me of Christ’s return. I want to be found ready. Matthew 24:42 says, “‘Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.’” Are you ready? If Jesus returned this moment as you are reading this blog, are you ready? Make sure of that today? Ask Him. He’ll tell you.

Lord, help me reach others with the Gospel of Your Son, Jesus, so they will not be left behind when He returns.

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Asking, Bible, Blessing, Change, Courage, Direction, Following, Future, God's Will, Scripture

FROM NOW ON

HAGGAI 2:19

“‘Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree, it has not produced fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you.’”

“From now on” hints at a change. Something is about to happen that will change your circumstance or maybe even your life. When my children left home, they faced some “from now ons.” They no longer were protected under my roof. They were either married with a new family or in a new city with a career. Some “from now ons” are scary while others are exciting. Let’s look at the one described in verse 19 today.

What starts out as a continuation of the description of their suffering due to their disobedience ends with a “from now on.” Look at it. The last sentence says, “Yet from this day on I will bless you.” The literal translation is “From this day I will bless.” Things were changing. God was returning His blessing on His children. Don’t you know a shout went up when they heard that news? After years of suffering, God was going to rain down His blessings on them again.

APPLICATION

Have you been in a period of suffering? Take heart, friends. God has not forgotten you. His “from now ons” still happen today. He can change the trajectory of your life with one flick of His little finger. He has certainly done that in my life on a number of occasions. Moving to a new ministry or meeting that certain person can make a new “from now on” happen.

Are you praying for a “from now on” moment? Stop and pray for God’s perfect will in your life. I am reminded of the passage in James. James 4:13-15 says, “13 Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’” 

“From now on” in the life of the believer can mean many different things. But one thing is for sure – from now on the Lord will be with us. From now on His mercies are new. From now on Jesus is interceding for us. From now on…

From now on, Lord, I will pray that Your will be done in my life so that I can learn to trust You more.

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Abiding, Bible, Choices, Devil, Enslavement, Following, Hope, Pride, Return, Scripture

FAILURE TO RETURN

HAGGAI 2:17

“‘I struck you and every work of your hands with scorching wind, mildew, and hail; yet you did not come back to Me,’ declares the LORD.”

When I read today’s verse, my thoughts went back to a dog I used to have. That dog was bad about running away from home. If he got off his leash or out of his fence, he would take off and be gone for days. Most of the time I would have to track him down by neighbors’ reported sightings. You would think he would happy being fed, loved on and cared for, but he had other plans it seemed.

Even though God judged the nation of Israel in the past through the destruction of the crops with scorching winds, mildew and hail they did not return. Amos 4:9 uses almost the same words as Haggai. “‘I struck you with scorching wind and mildew; The caterpillar was devouring Your many gardens and vineyards, fig trees and olive trees; Yet you have not returned to Me,’ declares the LORD.” About 200 years separated these two prophets which tells us they were very slow to return to the Lord.

APPLICATION

Our failure to return to our Lord may not span 200 years, but we are just as disobedient. He tries to draw us back, but we reject Him. We are comfortable in our sins. Just like my runaway dog, we like the “freedom” that we think we have on our own. We don’t see the dangers that lurk behind every corner. The devil loves runaway Christians. He will continue to lure you away.

So, what must we do to return? It’s pretty simple. Just stop running. Stop, turn around and fall into the arms of Jesus. Now, what does that remind you of? How about the story of the Prodigal Son that is told in Luke 15:11-32. It says the son came to his sense and returned. Even though he probably still smelled like pigs, his father embraced him and welcomed him home.

If you are like me, you probably stink with sin sometimes, especially if you have been wallowing in it. God has been calling you home, but you have ignored Him. Return to Him. Come home. He is waiting for your return.

Come home, come home. Ye who are weary come home. Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling, calling all sinners, come home.

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