Category Archives: God’s Will

Answers, Asking, Bible, Blessing, Faith, God's Will, Knowledge, Listening, Messages, Scripture, Seeking

ASK IT AGAIN

ZECHARIAH 4:12

“And I responded the second time and said to him, ‘What are the two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?’”

Children can wear you out asking questions. Go to a preschool classroom full of 3 and 4-year-olds. Wow! Pastor Carl, why do ducks have webbed feet? Pastor Carl, where does the sun go at night? Pastor Carl,…? You see what I mean. They are inquisitive and want answers. If they don’t get an answer the first time, they will ask it again and again.

Zechariah has now asked the angel three times about these olive trees or branches. He still hasn’t gotten an answer (we’ll see that in a couple of days). He wants to know what all this means. He wants to make sure he understands exactly what it means. Why? Because he knows he must tell the people what God has shown him.

APPLICATION

God’s Word has all the answers to every question we have. You just have to look for it. That may mean digging it out yourself. It may mean going to someone you trust and asking them. Listen to Paul in his letter to the Romans. Romans 11:33 says, “Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”

I really like Psalm 19:9-10. “9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much pure gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.” Isn’t that awesome? And so is the study of His Word.

Let me challenge you this week to do a deep dive into the Word. You may have a pressing question you want answered. Maybe there’s a word you have been meaning to study more about. Take the time. Turn off the TV and let God speak to you. He will not withhold His wisdom from those who seek it.

Oh Lord, I want to know You more. I want to know more of Your Word.

Standard
Abiding, Bible, Choices, Faith, God's Will, Gospel, Power, Salvation, Scripture

TRUE POWER

ZECHARIAH 4:6

“Then he said to me, ‘This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel, saying, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the LORD of armies.’”

Oh, do I have stories to tell of my attempts to do things on my own. Whether it was stubbornness about a task I needed to accomplish or my impatience with others resulting in me going it alone, I learned that I need others in my life. I particularly need the one true source of power – Jesus Christ. Amen?

Today’s verse is an often quoted verse. But seldom do people go back to the vision in verses 2-5 to get the full meaning of this verse. Just as the lampstand was fed eternally by the olive trees depositing an endless supply of olive oil, so too would Israel be provided the strength through Jehovah. It wasn’t about military strength or their own physical strength. It was God who would enable them to finish the temple to His glory.

APPLICATION

We need His Spirit. We need His power. It is not about us. It is all about Him. Have you experienced this? I pray you have. Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” The power of God! For salvation! To everyone who believes!

We find later in the New Testament, another writer stating the same message. 1 Peter 1:5 says about believers, “who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” Not only does His power save us, but it also protects us. Why would we not want to yield to Him?

Let me let you in on a little secret. God will let you try it on your own. Even though He has drawn you to Him, He will not force you to receive this power. And then when you find out that you can’t do it, He is there. That was my dad’s testimony. He finally realized at 80-years-old that he couldn’t do it on his own. Glory! Hallelujah! You can know that too.

It is Your power, God. It is Your Spirit that gives us strength.

Standard
Awake, Bible, Choices, Distractions, God's Will, Obedience, Scripture, Seeing

WHO NEEDS AN ALARM?

ZECHARIAH 4:1

“Then the angel who had been speaking with me returned and woke me, like a person who is awakened from his sleep.” 

I wake up most mornings before my alarm goes off. I don’t know how to explain it except my body has a built in alarm. I think about the time I need to get up and most days I wake up just before then. I like that. I like to get up early and spend time with the Lord before it gets crazy busy.

Zechariah didn’t need an alarm clock either. He had an angel to wake him up. He was not startled, or so it seems, because this was the same angel who had been talking to him. I can just picture that, can’t you? Wake up, sleepy head. I am not finished talking. Zechariah rubs the sleep out of his eyes and, as we will see tomorrow, the angel starts right in delivering another message to him for the people.

APPLICATION

Too many of us walk around in a slumber. We are believers, but we aren’t aware of what is going on around us. It almost appears our eyes are shut to the spiritual realm in which we live. I love Psalm 3:5. “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustains me.” The Lord can awake you to a new day, a new vision.

I am not trying to get strange here. I just know that the Lord works that way. He will awaken us to new things. He will awaken us to His vision for the world. He will awaken us to a new calling. Oh, wait! I’ve gone too far, haven’t I?

You see, most Christians are fine with talking about Jesus. But don’t ask them to shift their way of seeing the world. Don’t ask them to gear up for warfare against the enemy. Since the Lord woke me up, I see the world in a whole new way – His way.

Wake me, Lord, each day to new opportunities to serve You.

Standard
Advocate, Authority, Bible, Conviction, Eyes, God's Will, Hiding, Scripture, Seeing

EYES EVERYWHERE

ZECHARIAH 3:9

“‘“For behold, the stone that I have put before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I am going to engrave an inscription on it,” declares the LORD of armies, “and I will remove the guilt of that land in one day.”’”

You have probably heard the expression that someone “has eyes in the back of their head.” I accused a lot of my teachers of having those eyes. I couldn’t get away with anything in the classroom. They would be at the chalkboard (yes, we had chalkboards, not whiteboards) and call me down for misbehaving. How did they do that?

Here in today’s verse, we have a stone with seven eyes. What in the world does that mean? Well look at a similar verse in Revelation 5:6. “And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” Do you think there is some connection? This stone in Zechariah represented the all-seeing God.

APPLICATION

The application today is obvious. God is all-seeing. You cannot hide from Him. There is no place to hide. Look at the words of David in Psalm 139:7-10. “7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. 9 If I take up the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will take hold of me.”

So, why are you still running? Why do you doubt God’s presence? There is no escape. You may have been running from God for decades. You may think you can just ignore Him and He will go away. Ask Jonah how that turned out? Lol. Instead of running from Him, try running towards Him. He will open His arms and welcome you.

My problem was I did not even know I was running. I attended church but didn’t really follow Him. I was pursuing all the pleasures of this life I could get. I was running in the wrong direction. I learned what I was missing when I stopped pursuing those things and started pursuing God. What a difference!

I run to You, Lord. I want to pursue those things Paul mentioned to Timothy – righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

Standard
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.

Standard
Advocate, Asking, Attitude, Bible, Boldness, God's Will, Requests, Scripture

SPEAK UP

ZECHARIAH 3:5

“Then I said, ‘Have them put a clean headband on his head.’ So they put the clean headband on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the LORD was standing by.”

Have you ever been watching someone build something and see something missing? If you are like me, you can’t help but speak up and suggest it. In my ministry, there have been times a thought would cross my mind in a discussion with a team about something that would just be the answer. Once it was mentioned everyone agreed that it was just what the group had been looking for. I attribute those thoughts to the Lord. He is the giver of all good things.

Zechariah is standing by watching the angels dress Joshua with the festive robes (see yesterday’s blog) and notices something is missing. Aww, the “holy crown upon it and the plate of prate gold, on which was graven, Holiness to the Lord” Exodus 28:36-38; Exodus 29:6. You see, this “crown” was to be worn by the high priest before the Lord. Zechariah suggests this in a prayerful tone, and his request was granted.

APPLICATION

The part of this verse that struck me is that Zechariah was bold enough to speak up, and his request was heard and immediately acted upon. We need to speak up. We need to let the Lord know our requests. I love Psalm 40:1. “I waited patiently for the LORD; And He reached down to me and heard my cry.” The Lord wants to hear our voice.

Notice Zechariah wasn’t asking for himself. He was praying on behalf of Joshua and the nation. When you see a brother or sister in need, stop right then and give God a shout out. Speak boldly. Come before the throne of grace on their behalf. We are commanded to pray for one another. Do that today.

In my daily Quiet Time, I pray through a list of people daily, weekly and monthly. These are friends and family. Some are fellow missionaries I have known for years. What a joy to hear back from some of them thanking me for praying. Ask your friends how you can pray for them and then do it. God is listening!

I know You are always listening, Lord. Your ears are attentive to my cries for mercy.

Standard
Abundance, Bible, Blessing, Clothing, Devil, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Lies, Restoration, Salvation, Satan, Scripture

LET’S GET DRESSED UP

ZECHARIAH 3:4

And he responded and said to those who were standing before him, saying, ‘Remove the filthy garments from him.’ Again he said to him, ‘See, I have taken your guilt away from you and will clothe you with festive robes.’”

Today, in most churches, you don’t see many people dressed up. Men rarely, if ever, wear a suit and tie. Women don’t wear dresses or hats. When I was young, those were common sights. I don’t mind wearing a suit and tie. In fact, I kind of like it. Now, God doesn’t require that, I know. But I kind of feel nice when I dress nicer for church than when I go to a ballgame. That’s just me.

We find Joshua, the high priest, clothed in filthy garments (see yesterday’s blog) in Zechariah’s vision. But the Lord does not leave him like that. He gives instructions to the angels to remove those filthy things and to clothe him in festive robes. These were probably the high priest’s garments. This action represented God’s forgiveness of the people of Israel. They were now cleansed of those sins represented by the other garments.

APPLICATION

The good news for us is God does the same for us. Take me, for instance. I was a filthy dog. Really, I was. My life before Christ was filled with debauchery. I wasn’t fit for my King. But because I placed my trust in Christ, He removed my filthy garments and clothed me in His righteousness. Now, I am wearing His garment of praise. Isaiah 61:3 says, “…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” Don’t you want that? Barnes says this about today’s verse. “But when God had pity on them, He bade them be freed from their defilements, and in a manner re-clad with justifying grace.”

Oh, friends, He does the same for you. He will free you from your defilements. He will clothe you with His grace. All you have to do is come to Him. Are you still trying to pick up those old, filthy garments? Has the devil got you believing you are not worthy of His garments? You are! God says you are. Don’t believe those lies of Satan.

I have known a lot of Christians who wallow in their own filth. They have asked Christ to be their Savior, but they just can’t believe it is that simple. Well, it is, and it isn’t. Salvation is free but is not cheap. A surrendered life will cost you everything. In return, He gives you His kingdom as a joint heir with Christ. Just look at Romans 8:16-17. “16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” Now, live like it.

I don’t deserve Your garments, Lord, but You have clothed me.

Standard
Bible, End Times, Evangelism, God's Will, Gospel, Harvest, Missionaries, Scripture, Witnessing

GATHERING OF NATIONS

ZECHARIAH 2:11

“And many nations will join themselves to the LORD on that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the LORD of armies has sent Me to you.

I have had the privilege the last several years to travel around the globe to various nations. Some of them are more welcoming of the message of Christ than others. I visited one country last year that particularly struck me. Even though the people were struggling with the economy, their hearts were full of Jesus and weren’t afraid to share that. One day we will worship as one around His throne.

Many scholars and theologians say today’s verse is a prophecy that was fulfilled through the birth of Christ and the drawing of millions of people all over the world. Zechariah could not foresee the movement of God around the world during the time he lived. He was simply a mouthpiece of the Lord proclaiming His message to the people. We have literally seen this fulfilled.

APPLICATION

My thoughts go to Romans 10:14-15, which say, “14 How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? 15 But how are they to preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written: ‘HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!’” (Isaiah 52:7)

We have a responsibility to spread the gospel to the world. We have a part in this ingathering of the nations into the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ. There is no other way! I recently received a newsletter from a fellow missionary who lives in an unnamed country. It showed a huge crowd of Muslim men praying on their prayer rugs. The line of men continued out of view of the picture. Hundreds, if not thousands, of men praying desperately to be heard.

We know that the only name that brings salvation and peace is the name of Jesus. Philippians 2:10 tells us so. “…so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,…” Will you be a part of this ingathering? Will you spread the news today?

Give me the boldness and the opportunities to share the good news

Standard
Answers, Asking, Bible, God's Will, Questions, Relationships, Scripture

WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

ZECHARIAH 2:2

“So I said, ‘Where are you going?’ And he said to me, ‘To measure Jerusalem, to see how wide it is and how long it is.’”

What a great question! Have you ever asked that question of anyone? I remember when my kids were teenagers and they were about to head out the door, I would say, “Where are you going?” Most of the time it was to work or to a friend’s house. But I wanted to know where they were going. Why? Was I just being inquisitive? No! I had a vested interest in where they were going. I was their father and needed to know that.

Verse 2 today is the first time we see Zechariah asking the Angel of the Lord anything directly. In the other two visions in chapter 1, Zechariah converses with an angel sent to speak for the Lord. But here, Zechariah talks directly to the Angel of the Lord. He sees Him with that measuring line headed towards Jerusalem, so he wants to know His intentions. He boldly asks Him and receives an answer.

APPLICATION

When is the last time you asked the Lord anything? There are so many verses in the Word that tell us to ask. One of my favorite, memorized passages is Philippians 4:6-7. I have referred to it several times in my blog. It says, “6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petitions with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

The verb used there for “let…be made known” is a strong verb. It’s Present tense, which means continuous action. It is also in the Middle voice, which means the subject (in this case – you) have to do the action. The Holy Spirit through Paul is saying to keep asking. Tell the Father what you need.

Boy, I’ve done that a lot. Haven’t you? A friend of mine just lost his wife to cancer this week. She had fought this for quite a while. They prayed for healing, believing God is capable. He chose to heal her a different way. He took her home. But my friend did not hesitate each day to ask the Lord for her healing. Dear friends, keep believing. Keep asking and see what the Lord will do.

Father, every day I come to You with my requests. I know you hear, and I know you answer.

Standard
Advice, Bible, Encouragement, God's Will, Judgment, Scripture

MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE

ZECHARIAH 2:1

“Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man with a measuring line in his hand.”

My dad always told me to remember the most important rule about cutting anything. That was to measure twice and cut once. It’s better to take the time to measure again, just to make sure. Because once you have made that cut, there’s no going back. I have tried to remember that tip all through life. It can apply to lots of situations, not just carpentry.

This vision that starts chapter two is very similar to the once by Ezekiel. Look how similar they are. Ezekiel 40:3 gives a similar description. “So He brought me there; and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a thread of flax and a measuring rod in his hand; and he was standing in the gateway.” Both men (many believe to be the Lord Jesus Himself) is measuring Jerusalem, much like Nehemiah measured as they rebuilt the walls. This is a good and positive vision.

APPLICATION

Is the Lord measuring you? I believe He is constantly measuring our lives and seeing the best way to build us up in Christ. Sometimes after measuring He may cut off the undesirable parts. Ouch! Yep, but that is crucial as He builds us according to His perfect plan. We tend to want to add on things that aren’t conducive to Christ. Then the Lord come along with that measuring line and whacks it off.

As believers, it is also our job to build up our brothers. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:8, “For if I boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame,…” Some of us carry around a measuring line of judgment and look for ways to tear our brother or sister down. That is not our job. Let God handle the judging. We need to concentrate on building up.

When I get my hammer and saw out, my wife cringes. She knows I can handle small jobs, but she doesn’t want me to tackle the big stuff. My carpentry skills are okay, but I am by no means a master craftsman. I need to stick to the small stuff. But I can spend more time building her up. Take some time today to build up a brother or sister in Christ. We all can do that.

Thank You, Lord, for seeing the parts of me that need cutting off and for building me into the replica of Your Son.

Standard