King
James Bible Daily Devotion – Learning
Scripture One Day At A Time
Date: Saturday, September 26, 2015
Chapters: The Books of Zephaniah & Haggai http://imfollowingjesus.com/Bible-Reading-269.html
Message Title: Hope And Assurance
Hello My Friend,
The Book of Zephaniah is the thirty-sixth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains three chapters, the author of the book is Zephaniah and it was written to the people in Israel and all nations, the timeline for these events took place approximately between 639BC and 609BC. The purpose of the book was to warn all nations of Judgment Day. What we are to learn from the book is that God rather save then destroy, He is mighty to save all who come to Him. “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” - Zephaniah 3:17.
It's incredible to be, Jew or Christian, we all worship the same God, yet many pick and choose which part of the Bible they want to believe and obey. Many Jews disregard any book other than the first five, while Christians disregard all of the Old Testament and much of the New. Okay, those of us who were born after the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ are not under the Mosaic law, but it's important that we learn of and study the times before Christ came here so that we have an understanding of what God expects of us and what is to come if we do not become hears and doers of all of His Word. Zephaniah prophesied around the time of Habakkuk, this time God addresses not only Israel, but the entire earth and points out exactly who will not survive Judgment Day.
“I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD. And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham; And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him. Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.” - Zephaniah 1:3,5-7,12.
And those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him. Among those who worship false gods, mix the Almighty with other gods, and whom have turned their backs on Him are those who never sought or even asked about Him. I heard a missionary to Africa say that where she is they never heard of Jesus, the majority of them are Muslim, and they are afraid to convert for being killed. Now, I know that anyone can get saved, and if God has laid it on someones heart to teach the Gospel to others in a foreign land then souls can be won, but to know of and not accept Christ is just the same as not knowing at all, ignorance does not save anyone, only Christ does. No one wants to admit that Judgment Day will come, but they all fear the end, we do not have to fear the end because God has a plan an escape for those who will come to Him. He explains this through Zephaniah.
“Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger come upon you. Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger. The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen. This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.” - Zephaniah 2:1-3,11,15.
Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger. God only saves those who humbly admit they are a sinner and need Him. You can pray a thousand times a day, worship every man made god known, but unless you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and are saved through Him than you are a part of the billions of people who will be consumed off the land upon His return. While God is willing to wait, He is not willing to share the spotlight with false gods or those who think themselves a god. This is not cruel punishment, this is just judgment from the all mighty God.
“The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame. I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings. Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy. For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.” - Zephaniah 3:5-9,12.
The Book of Haggai is the thirty-seventh book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains two chapters, the author of the book is Haggai and it was written to the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon after seventy years of captivity, approximately 520 BC. The purpose of the book was to inspire Israel to have a new zeal for God and make the leaders aware of their responsibility to rebuild the Temple of worship. What we are to learn from the book is that God demands first place in our lives. “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.” - Haggai 2:8,9.
Haggai was among the first of the exiles to return from Babylon under the leadership of Zerubbabel, who was the governor and Joshua, the high priest. Their purpose was to rebuild the Temple that was destroyed seventy years ago, but due to circumstances they let it slip and began building their own homes. Through Haggai, God calls them to get back to building the temple. “Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.” - Haggai 1:4-8.
I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD. I learned a long time ago that everything needs to be built upon the foundation of Christ. I am self employed, when business comes to a halt, I begin to wonder the cause, only to realize that I had not been putting God first. He does not want second place, He wants first place in our lives. Through Haggai, God reveals an everlasting temple that all who enter will be His glory. “According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not. For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.” - Haggai 2:5-9.
Christ is the desire of all nations, for in Him shall the families of the earth be blessed with the best of blessings. The shaking of nations will take place during the Tribulation, which will be followed by Christ’s return in all His glory. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17.
Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for giving us hope and assurance of the glorious day in which all nations will come together as one, speak one language, and worship only You in the kingdom that You are preparing for Your people. You desire our fellowship, our devotion, and our trust for all our needs, as You delight in providing us with everything we have need of. Lord, lead me and guide me in Your will and ways, help me to work only for the things that give You glory, for I know that as long as I am in Your will I will be taken care of and receive much more than I imagine. I love You Lord, and pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Date: Saturday, September 26, 2015
Chapters: The Books of Zephaniah & Haggai http://imfollowingjesus.com/Bible-Reading-269.html
Message Title: Hope And Assurance
Hello My Friend,
The Book of Zephaniah is the thirty-sixth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains three chapters, the author of the book is Zephaniah and it was written to the people in Israel and all nations, the timeline for these events took place approximately between 639BC and 609BC. The purpose of the book was to warn all nations of Judgment Day. What we are to learn from the book is that God rather save then destroy, He is mighty to save all who come to Him. “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” - Zephaniah 3:17.
It's incredible to be, Jew or Christian, we all worship the same God, yet many pick and choose which part of the Bible they want to believe and obey. Many Jews disregard any book other than the first five, while Christians disregard all of the Old Testament and much of the New. Okay, those of us who were born after the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ are not under the Mosaic law, but it's important that we learn of and study the times before Christ came here so that we have an understanding of what God expects of us and what is to come if we do not become hears and doers of all of His Word. Zephaniah prophesied around the time of Habakkuk, this time God addresses not only Israel, but the entire earth and points out exactly who will not survive Judgment Day.
“I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD. And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham; And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him. Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.” - Zephaniah 1:3,5-7,12.
And those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him. Among those who worship false gods, mix the Almighty with other gods, and whom have turned their backs on Him are those who never sought or even asked about Him. I heard a missionary to Africa say that where she is they never heard of Jesus, the majority of them are Muslim, and they are afraid to convert for being killed. Now, I know that anyone can get saved, and if God has laid it on someones heart to teach the Gospel to others in a foreign land then souls can be won, but to know of and not accept Christ is just the same as not knowing at all, ignorance does not save anyone, only Christ does. No one wants to admit that Judgment Day will come, but they all fear the end, we do not have to fear the end because God has a plan an escape for those who will come to Him. He explains this through Zephaniah.
“Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger come upon you. Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger. The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen. This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.” - Zephaniah 2:1-3,11,15.
Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger. God only saves those who humbly admit they are a sinner and need Him. You can pray a thousand times a day, worship every man made god known, but unless you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and are saved through Him than you are a part of the billions of people who will be consumed off the land upon His return. While God is willing to wait, He is not willing to share the spotlight with false gods or those who think themselves a god. This is not cruel punishment, this is just judgment from the all mighty God.
“The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame. I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings. Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy. For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.” - Zephaniah 3:5-9,12.
The Book of Haggai is the thirty-seventh book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains two chapters, the author of the book is Haggai and it was written to the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon after seventy years of captivity, approximately 520 BC. The purpose of the book was to inspire Israel to have a new zeal for God and make the leaders aware of their responsibility to rebuild the Temple of worship. What we are to learn from the book is that God demands first place in our lives. “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.” - Haggai 2:8,9.
Haggai was among the first of the exiles to return from Babylon under the leadership of Zerubbabel, who was the governor and Joshua, the high priest. Their purpose was to rebuild the Temple that was destroyed seventy years ago, but due to circumstances they let it slip and began building their own homes. Through Haggai, God calls them to get back to building the temple. “Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.” - Haggai 1:4-8.
I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD. I learned a long time ago that everything needs to be built upon the foundation of Christ. I am self employed, when business comes to a halt, I begin to wonder the cause, only to realize that I had not been putting God first. He does not want second place, He wants first place in our lives. Through Haggai, God reveals an everlasting temple that all who enter will be His glory. “According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not. For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.” - Haggai 2:5-9.
Christ is the desire of all nations, for in Him shall the families of the earth be blessed with the best of blessings. The shaking of nations will take place during the Tribulation, which will be followed by Christ’s return in all His glory. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17.
Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for giving us hope and assurance of the glorious day in which all nations will come together as one, speak one language, and worship only You in the kingdom that You are preparing for Your people. You desire our fellowship, our devotion, and our trust for all our needs, as You delight in providing us with everything we have need of. Lord, lead me and guide me in Your will and ways, help me to work only for the things that give You glory, for I know that as long as I am in Your will I will be taken care of and receive much more than I imagine. I love You Lord, and pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Subscribe To Our Devotions: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Do You Know For Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
Visit I'm Following Jesus: http://imfollowingjesus.com/index.html
Like I'm Following Jesus On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/byhisstrength
Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
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