TODAY’S DAILY READING: Zechariah 13-14 & Proverbs 29
Old Testament: Zechariah 13- Stain Removal

Zechariah 13:1
“In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.”

It seems like salespeople will make the most preposterous claims, just to make a sale. We hear of miracle products that have the ability to get stains out of anything. The problem… Read More

Zechariah 14- Ready?

Zechariah 14:1
“Behold, the day of the Lord is coming…”

Paul Revere is famous for warning the the colonial militia of the coming of the British army, before the battles of Lexington and Concord. He actually helped establish an intelligence and alarm system designed to prepare the colonies for the movements of the British troops. A good warning system will help us… Read More

Proverbs 29- Parenting

Proverbs 29:15
“The rod and rebuke give wisdom,
But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.”

Proverbs 29:17
“Correct your son, and he will give you rest;
Yes, he will give delight to… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Zechariah 11-12 & Proverbs 28
Old Testament: Zechariah 11- It’s Not Worth It

Zechariah 11:12
“Then I said to them,  ‘If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.’ So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.”

As the time of His death drew near, Jesus asked His disciple… Read Moe

Zechariah 12- Pierced

Zechariah 12:10
“They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn.”

Zechariah wrote over 400 years… Read More

Proverbs 28- Shaky Ground

Proverbs 28:26
“He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered.”

When faced with decisions, it is not uncommon to be counseled to follow your heart. Solomon suggests that doing so is a very… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Zechariah 9-10 & Proverbs 27
Old Testament: Zechariah 9- Coronation

Zechariah 9:9
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.”

A few years ago, during… Read More

Zechariah 10- Cornerstone

Zechariah 10:4
“From him comes the cornerstone,
From him the tent peg,
From him the battle bow,
From him every ruler together”

Zechariah referred to the coming Messiah as the cornerstone. A cornerstone is the… Read More

Proverbs 27- Can’t Eat Just One

Proverbs 27:20
“Hell and Destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied.”

A few years ago, the Frito-Lay Corporation ran an ad for their potato chips with the slogan, “Bet you can’t eat just one.” The concept was simple, their chips were so good, so addicting, that once you tasted one, you would keep eating until the bag was empty. In this verse, Solomon points out, sin is… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Zechariah 7-8 & Proverbs 26
Old Testament: Zechariah 7- Do The Right Thing 

Zechariah 7:3
“Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?”

The people in Zechariah’s day were beginning to realize their lifestyle was unacceptable to God. They concluded, the solution to unrighteous living was to fast on certain days. Prior to implementing their new religious program, they approached the prophet for guidance. He declared what they really needed to do was obey the Word of The Lord.

Zechariah 7:7
“Should you not have obeyed the words which the Lord proclaimed through… Read More

Proverbs 26- Answers

Proverbs 26:4-5 “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest  he be wise in his own eyes.”

Sometimes, determining what God wants us to do can be quite difficult. We can have opposing principles, which can be found in the pages of the Word, applied to the same situation. That is the case with the advice Solomon… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Zechariah 5-6 & Proverbs 25
Old Testament: Zechariah 5- Curses

Zechariah 5:2-3
“And he said to me, ‘What do you see?’ So I answered, ‘I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits.’ Then he said to me, ‘This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth…’”

Over the years, Hollywood has gone to elaborate ends to depict the… Read More

Zechariah 6- Merry Christmas

Zechariah 6:12-13
“Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out… And shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”

The Bible speaks of the riches of the grace of God. Grace is a word that refers to God’s giving nature. James 1:17 puts it this way, “Every good and perfect gift comes from the father of lights in whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” Certainly, life is filled with gifts given from heaven to earth. When we gaze into the face of nature, or a new born… Read More

 

Proverbs 25- Truth Bearer

Proverbs 25:9
“Debate your case with your neighbor, and do not disclose the secret to another;”

The Bible clearly teaches that we are not to lie. Truthfulness is a very important trait, and is the foundation for healthy relationships. We cannot have a relationship with someone we cannot trust and we cannot trust someone who does not tell us the truth. That being said, it is also important to remember, we are not required to divulge all the information to every… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Zechariah 3-4 & Proverbs 24
Old Testament: Zechariah 3- Filthy Garments

Zechariah 3:4
“Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, ‘Take away the filthy garments from him.’ And to him He said, ‘See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.’”

We cannot be certain of the… Read More
Zechariah 4- Source Of Strength

Zechariah 4:6
“So he answered and said to me: ‘This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” Says the Lord of hosts.’”

Zerubbabel, the governor of Judea, was responsible for a task far too great for himself. He had led a small group of untrained refugees from… Read More

Proverbs 24- Using Your Influence

Proverbs 24:11
“Deliver those who are drawn toward death,
And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.”

Salvation is a free gift given to man from God. Jesus Christ became a man and offered Himself as a willing sacrifice on the altar of Calvary, in order to pay mankind’s debt and wash away all sin. This salvation, while freely given, must be received. John wrote… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Zechariah 1-2 & Proverbs 23
Old Testament: Zechariah 1- Return

Zechariah 1:3
“Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,”’ says the Lord of hosts.”

After seventy years of captivity Israel was allowed to return to the land and begin to rebuild their broken down Temple. Millions had been taken captive and… Read More

Zechariah 2- Problems and Solutions

Zechariah 2:10
“ Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord.

Things looked bleak for Israel. After their defeat in battle, Jerusalem was destroyed and the Jewish people were taken… Read More

Proverbs 23- Fly Away

Proverbs 23:4-5 “Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven.”

Riches are not evil in… Read More

 

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Haggai 1-2 & Proverbs 22
Old Testament: Haggai 1- Consider Your Ways

Haggai 1:5
“Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Consider your ways!’”

Seventy years after Judah was defeated and Jerusalem was burned to the ground, a remnant of Israelites, led by Zerubbabel, made their way back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. After an initial period of success, they were met by strong opposition that caused… Read More

Haggai 2- Greater Glory

Haggai 2:9
“‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

The sermons from Haggai and Zechariah stirred the people to return to the work of rebuilding the Temple. Because of their dedication, it did not take long before walls were erected… Read More

Proverbs 22- Walk This Way

Proverbs 22:3
“A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.”

Prudent means to be wise or even shrewd. The prudent man is the one who looks carefully down the road he is walking, in order to avoid falling into sin and away from the Lord. The simple, or foolish man, keeps walking, never aware of the danger he is in until after it has overtaken him. Obviously, Solomon is exhorting us of the need to be… Read More

Zephaniah 3:17
“The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”

This verse is packed with promises. Each line provides the child of God with another source of comfort and strength. These promises will prove to be an antidote to worry, fear, loneliness and despair.

“The Lord your God is in your midst”

Look around, wherever you might find yourself God promises to be with you. The psalmist declared that it is impossible to flee from the presence of God. We find both Jonah and the prodigal son testing this concept. No matter how far they ran or carefully they hid they found it impossible to shake the presence of the Lord. Although you might not see, hear or feel Him, God promises to be with you in the midst of whatever situation you find yourself.

“He Mighty One will save”

God promises not to be a passive observer but active participant in the challenging seasons of life. Zephaniah declares that it is the Lord Himself who will be mighty to save. The word save means to deliver. God has no rival or equal. He stands above all creation and wields His might over every situation. His children have seen seas part, walls fall and provision come miraculously from heaven’s throne. God stands in the midst of the circumstances His children face with the purpose of providing deliverance. His first objective is of course our salvation from sin but He also promises to deliver from the threats we are facing and the trials that seem to consume us.

“He will quiet you with His love”

Another translation reads, “With his love, he will calm all your fears.” Life is scary. When we are young it is the tree branch banging against the window or a shadow in the hallway that fills our hearts with dread. As we age the threats become much more ominous and real. Instead of crying out in the night for our parents we can take shelter under the protective wings of the Love of God. The zenith of His love was expressed on the cross but expressions of that love are available to us daily. When our circumstances lead us to cry out to God, His love beckons Him to our side to quiet or fears and fill us with His comforting peace.

“He will rejoice over you with gladness”

“He will rejoice over you with singing”

Thousands of songs have been written to express love and gratitude to God for who He is and what He has done. One of the great benefits of the weekly gathering of the church is to express corporately in song our love for God. We sing of His grace, mercy, kindness, provision and power but Zephaniah declares that we are not the only one singing. God is also a songwriter and the subject of His love song is His children. I can only imagine what a bellowing voice the God of heaven must have. When He opens His mouth and begins to rejoice over you with a song the heavens themselves must shake under the sway of His powerful voice.

Whatever today holds, don’t forget who it is that is holding you. You don’t have to climb a mountain or make a pilgrimage to find Him. He is in your midst and mighty to save.

Pastor Jim

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Zephaniah 1-3 & Proverbs 21
Old Testament: Zephaniah 1- Privacy Please

Zephaniah 1:5
“Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops;
Those who worship and swear oaths by the Lord, But who also swear by Milcom”

Zephaniah was commissioned by the Lord to warn the people of coming judgment. In order to prepare the people for what was ahead, he explained the reason they were facing judgment. His message was both clear and simple, they must change their ways if they were to avoid what was ahead.

The first infraction the people were… Read More

Zephaniah 2- Meekness

Zephaniah 2:3
“Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice.Seek righteousness, seek humility.It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the Lord’s anger.”

Many things that are highly esteemed in our world have little value in the kingdom of God. We put such a high price tag on appearance, when God tells us that He looks past our temporal frame and into the heart. It use to be, countries… Read More

Proverbs 21- Troubles In Marriage

Proverbs 21:9
“Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop,
than in a house shared with a contentious woman.”

Proverbs 21:19
“Better to dwell in the wilderness,
than with a contentious and… Read More