Thursday, July 8, 2010

A Great Shaking

"See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire." 
Hebrews 12:25-29

Have you ever wondered why God did not create the sun until the fourth day? Sure you have! It is a common question. Men throughout the ages have worshipped the sun as a deity and science teaches that it is the sole power source for earth. Think about it. How did you get to work this morning? Most of you drove a car. That car ran on gas. Gas is called a fossil fuel because it was formed when energy, that can not be destroyed, was gathered by plants and animals (via plants) from years back. You drove to work using stored up sun power. Every bit of calories you get from food came from sugars that took sunlight through the process of photosynthesis and converted that light energy to sugars. The sun truly is important to us.

But God is greater than the sun! He didn't need to rely on such power to create as He is the primary power source of all creation! He created the sun on the fourth day as His power is all that is needed to sustain life and creation. Think then what will happen when the very powers space are rocking and reeling as the creator prepares to return upon a great white horse followed by the armies of heaven. All of mens philosophies and concepts that are not founded in the revealed truths of God will be shaken. Men will be paralyzed with fear.

Will you be shaken? Not if you are trusting in Christ alone. What will be shaken will shake so that the eternal truths of God are all that remain. When this planet and the heavens themselves begin to quake look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. (vs. 2)

Israel, the middle East, and the Coming War

Posted by at No comments:

Monday, July 5, 2010

The Fruit of Confession

Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD'S temple was laid, consider it. Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you. 
 Haggai 2:18-19

As we again look at this third vision of Haggai it seems to have almost a contradictory statement. Notice what God had just said to the people. "Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean." (Haggai 2:14) After this they are reminded that when they went to their storehouses they found half to forty percent of what they thought they would get. Why, then, does God change directions and proclaim a blessing on them in verse 19?

During the three months between message one, Haggai Chapter 1, and the third message, Haggai 2:10-19, the people followed the directions of God. They were clearly told, "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways." (1:7) This is a similar message we are given in the New Testament. "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (2 Corinthians 13:5) The only true way to do this is allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us about our relationship with Jesus and then, through godly sorrow, turn and make corrections while confessing our sin and frailty. The people in Haggai's day did consider their ways and they began immediately to correct their indifference towards God and His temple and this was shown by their obedience in laying the foundation stones. Since they had now sought to rectify the situation with all of their heart, God started the cleansing process and sent the blessings they needed.

In closing, think of Jacob wrestling with the Angel of the Lord. Christ, in pre-incarnate form, asked Jacob one simple question that Jacob seemed reluctant to answer. " What is thy name? And he said, Jacob." (Genesis 32:27b) Jacob means a deceiver. Who wouldn't want others to know a name like that and especially Jesus? However, upon confession his name is changed and the blessing in conferred upon him. Is there anything in your life where you are deceiving yourself thereby? You know what it is. It is that thing that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Repent, there is a blessing waiting. The blessing of full fellowship with God.

Israel, the Middle East, and Christ's Coming



Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)