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Friday, April 7, 2017, 2:42 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “No Less.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Zechariah 1 (Select vv. NASB).
Your Evil Ways (vv. 1-6)
I believe the Lord has a message for America, through this, that he would have me share, parts of which may be applied to other nations, as well, particularly to their close allies. I believe the Lord is saying that he was angry with our forefathers. We are not the Christian nation that many people in America think we are. Many of our forefathers were Freemasons, which is a false religion of sorts, and which worships a false god. Many of our buildings and statues in our nation’s capital are patterned after Roman, Greek and Egyptian gods and goddesses. So, our nation has been syncretistic from the very beginning. Our national symbols, in particular our Great Seal, with the All-seeing Eye of Horus and the unfinished pyramid tell the story of what our nation was and is about, and that is that we were to be instrumental in the transitioning of the world to the rule of the beast.
And, that has taken place and is presently taking place. What is prophesied in Revelation 13 is a reality in our world and in our nation today. The US government, in partnership with the institutional church, serves as Babylon, the harlot of Revelation 17-19, and she has gone throughout the earth murdering innocents, killing Christians, devouring and overtaking nations, confiscating property not their own, and covering-up their crimes against humanity with lie after lie after lie, which they proclaim to the American people as truth via the “fake news” media (Fox News, ABC, CBS, NBC, etc.).
Our forefathers did not repent of their sins, to my knowledge, and thus they passed their sins on to future generations, who have continued in their wicked ways and in their evil plans. Not only has our nation and is our nation daily committing horrendous crimes against the people of this world, and not only do they cover-up those crimes with lies to the American people, but they have convinced the church to partner with them, and to promote government worship within the church via the pledge (vow) of allegiance (fidelity) to this evil government with hand over heart, via the singing of patriotic songs, and via the honoring of our military as our heroes.
So, God is calling out to his church in America, and he is asking that she return to him as her ONLY Lord (God), that she forsake her idolatry and her spiritual adultery, and that she come out from Babylon (the harlot), so that she does not share in her sins and in her punishment. He is saying that if the wayward church in America (and throughout the world) would return to him, that he would return to her, only many are not listening. They are not paying attention, for they feel licensed to continue in their sin without guilt and without remorse, because their spiritual leaders are lying to them and are telling them that God’s grace gives them such license, and that God requires absolutely nothing from them other than some generic humanistic faith which is not followed by any action, because none is required.
So, God is visiting and will visit our nation in judgment. He will do to our nation what he had purposed to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds. Yet, the purpose of this judgment is to bring people to salvation from sin and to revive the hearts of God’s people who have wandered off to go back after their sinful and worldly ways. He is judging us in order to bring us to our knees in repentance so that he can revive and restore us, not as a physical nation, but as the people of God, in order to make us holy. And, in order that we might worship HIM ONLY as our God, and that we might vow our fidelity to Him and to Him Alone.
Exceedingly Jealous (vv. 12-17)
When we believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, with God-given faith, we are divinely persuaded as to God’s will for our lives, and so we submit ourselves to his purposes and will. Thus, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are resurrected with Christ to newness of life, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (See: Ro. 6:1-23; Eph. 2:8-10; 4:17-24). When this takes place, the Holy Spirit of God comes to dwell within our hearts and lives, and to empower us to live godly and holy lives while we wait for Christ’s return (Tit. 2:11-14). We then become members of Christ’s body, his church, and he becomes our husband, and we become his bride (Eph. 5:22-33). Our faith in Jesus Christ is, thus, a vow of fidelity to our Lord to serve him faithfully throughout our days.
So, if we wander away from our pure devotion to him, and we go back after our sinful ways, and we don’t listen when God rebukes us, and when he calls for repentance, then we are like the wife or husband who commits adultery against his or her spouse, but who does not repent. And, our God is a jealous God who longs for us to be his only, and for us to not follow after the gods of this world. He longs to have compassion on us and to have his wandering church return to him, their first love. He just asks that those who have not repented of their sins, who are still trapped in sin’s deceitfulness, to turn from their wicked ways and to return to him, and he will return to them, and he will revive, renew and restore (rebuild) them, his church.
Our Lord is not satisfied with us just mouthing words of faith in him while we drift back into our previous sinful practices. He is also not satisfied with status quo. He is not ok with us just existing under the name “Christian” while we wander far from him, or live to entertain ourselves, or if we are complacent about our present spiritual condition (if this describes us). So, he will exercise divine discipline in order to spur his wandering saints to repent of their wicked ways and to return to him, because his purpose in saving us from our sins was that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave himself up for us (1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15).
So, if you are wandering away from him, and if you have not repented of your sins, I pray you will do so today, and that you will let him renew your heart and to make you into the image of Christ. Because of all that Jesus Christ did for us, in saving us from our sins, we should love him and want to serve him with our lives, and not just serve ourselves.
No Less / An Original Work / March 19, 2012
I can do no less than praise You,
Lord, for all You’ve done for me.
You died for my sins to save me,
So I would be set free.
I adore You! Lord, I praise You!
Jesus, Savior, King of kings!
You provided my redemption.
Your grace has pardoned me.
I can do no less than serve You.
Lord, Your witness I would be,
Telling others of Your love,
And why You died on that tree.
Tell of how You gave of Your life,
So from sin we’d be set free,
So we could worship You forever,
And live eternally.
I can do no less than love You,
Lord, for You have first loved me.
You gave of Your life so willing,
Because You cared for me.
Turn from my sin! Obey freely!
Live for You each passing day.
Read Your word, and follow Your lead,
Lord, as I humbly pray.
Your Evil Ways (vv. 1-6)
In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo saying, “The Lord was very angry with your fathers. Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Return to Me,” declares the Lord of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.”’ But they did not listen or give heed to Me,” declares the Lord. “Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, ‘As the Lord of hosts purposed to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us.’”’”
I believe the Lord has a message for America, through this, that he would have me share, parts of which may be applied to other nations, as well, particularly to their close allies. I believe the Lord is saying that he was angry with our forefathers. We are not the Christian nation that many people in America think we are. Many of our forefathers were Freemasons, which is a false religion of sorts, and which worships a false god. Many of our buildings and statues in our nation’s capital are patterned after Roman, Greek and Egyptian gods and goddesses. So, our nation has been syncretistic from the very beginning. Our national symbols, in particular our Great Seal, with the All-seeing Eye of Horus and the unfinished pyramid tell the story of what our nation was and is about, and that is that we were to be instrumental in the transitioning of the world to the rule of the beast.
And, that has taken place and is presently taking place. What is prophesied in Revelation 13 is a reality in our world and in our nation today. The US government, in partnership with the institutional church, serves as Babylon, the harlot of Revelation 17-19, and she has gone throughout the earth murdering innocents, killing Christians, devouring and overtaking nations, confiscating property not their own, and covering-up their crimes against humanity with lie after lie after lie, which they proclaim to the American people as truth via the “fake news” media (Fox News, ABC, CBS, NBC, etc.).
Our forefathers did not repent of their sins, to my knowledge, and thus they passed their sins on to future generations, who have continued in their wicked ways and in their evil plans. Not only has our nation and is our nation daily committing horrendous crimes against the people of this world, and not only do they cover-up those crimes with lies to the American people, but they have convinced the church to partner with them, and to promote government worship within the church via the pledge (vow) of allegiance (fidelity) to this evil government with hand over heart, via the singing of patriotic songs, and via the honoring of our military as our heroes.
So, God is calling out to his church in America, and he is asking that she return to him as her ONLY Lord (God), that she forsake her idolatry and her spiritual adultery, and that she come out from Babylon (the harlot), so that she does not share in her sins and in her punishment. He is saying that if the wayward church in America (and throughout the world) would return to him, that he would return to her, only many are not listening. They are not paying attention, for they feel licensed to continue in their sin without guilt and without remorse, because their spiritual leaders are lying to them and are telling them that God’s grace gives them such license, and that God requires absolutely nothing from them other than some generic humanistic faith which is not followed by any action, because none is required.
So, God is visiting and will visit our nation in judgment. He will do to our nation what he had purposed to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds. Yet, the purpose of this judgment is to bring people to salvation from sin and to revive the hearts of God’s people who have wandered off to go back after their sinful and worldly ways. He is judging us in order to bring us to our knees in repentance so that he can revive and restore us, not as a physical nation, but as the people of God, in order to make us holy. And, in order that we might worship HIM ONLY as our God, and that we might vow our fidelity to Him and to Him Alone.
Exceedingly Jealous (vv. 12-17)
Then the angel of the Lord said, “O Lord of hosts, how long will You have no compassion for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been indignant these seventy years?” The Lord answered the angel who was speaking with me with gracious words, comforting words. So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. But I am very angry with the nations who are at ease; for while I was only a little angry, they furthered the disaster.” Therefore thus says the Lord, “I will return to Jerusalem with compassion; My house will be built in it,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and a measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem.”’ Again, proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.”’”
When we believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, with God-given faith, we are divinely persuaded as to God’s will for our lives, and so we submit ourselves to his purposes and will. Thus, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are resurrected with Christ to newness of life, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (See: Ro. 6:1-23; Eph. 2:8-10; 4:17-24). When this takes place, the Holy Spirit of God comes to dwell within our hearts and lives, and to empower us to live godly and holy lives while we wait for Christ’s return (Tit. 2:11-14). We then become members of Christ’s body, his church, and he becomes our husband, and we become his bride (Eph. 5:22-33). Our faith in Jesus Christ is, thus, a vow of fidelity to our Lord to serve him faithfully throughout our days.
So, if we wander away from our pure devotion to him, and we go back after our sinful ways, and we don’t listen when God rebukes us, and when he calls for repentance, then we are like the wife or husband who commits adultery against his or her spouse, but who does not repent. And, our God is a jealous God who longs for us to be his only, and for us to not follow after the gods of this world. He longs to have compassion on us and to have his wandering church return to him, their first love. He just asks that those who have not repented of their sins, who are still trapped in sin’s deceitfulness, to turn from their wicked ways and to return to him, and he will return to them, and he will revive, renew and restore (rebuild) them, his church.
Our Lord is not satisfied with us just mouthing words of faith in him while we drift back into our previous sinful practices. He is also not satisfied with status quo. He is not ok with us just existing under the name “Christian” while we wander far from him, or live to entertain ourselves, or if we are complacent about our present spiritual condition (if this describes us). So, he will exercise divine discipline in order to spur his wandering saints to repent of their wicked ways and to return to him, because his purpose in saving us from our sins was that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave himself up for us (1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15).
So, if you are wandering away from him, and if you have not repented of your sins, I pray you will do so today, and that you will let him renew your heart and to make you into the image of Christ. Because of all that Jesus Christ did for us, in saving us from our sins, we should love him and want to serve him with our lives, and not just serve ourselves.
No Less / An Original Work / March 19, 2012
I can do no less than praise You,
Lord, for all You’ve done for me.
You died for my sins to save me,
So I would be set free.
I adore You! Lord, I praise You!
Jesus, Savior, King of kings!
You provided my redemption.
Your grace has pardoned me.
I can do no less than serve You.
Lord, Your witness I would be,
Telling others of Your love,
And why You died on that tree.
Tell of how You gave of Your life,
So from sin we’d be set free,
So we could worship You forever,
And live eternally.
I can do no less than love You,
Lord, for You have first loved me.
You gave of Your life so willing,
Because You cared for me.
Turn from my sin! Obey freely!
Live for You each passing day.
Read Your word, and follow Your lead,
Lord, as I humbly pray.
