by Suellen | Uncategorized
Zechariah
What a rich book is this! Just loaded with imagery and revelation about God’s plans and His kingdom. In fact there is so much that I can’t possibly approach the full meaning in a few words. So let’s take a look at some highlights.
Zechariah, like Haggai, was a restoration prophet – prophesying to the Jews after they returned from exile in Babylon. Out of fear they had stopped building, and had to be prodded to begin again.
Starting with an admonition not to be like their fathers, Zechariah continues with visions similar to John’s revelation. Angels on horses patrolling the earth. Four craftsmen who will throw down the horns of the nations which have terrified Jerusalem…”Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord; for He is aroused from His holy habitation.”(2:13) The Lord is on the move, and big things are about to happen.
A man in a vision goes out to measure Jerusalem, but is stopped by an angel. No longer will Jerusalem be a city with walls, for there will be many people in it. The vision speaks of the day when the true Jerusalem will be the city from above, in other words, the church of Jesus Christ. And in that day, the Lord will be a wall of fire around her, protecting her by His own hand. (2:4-5)
We see the two olive trees standing by the golden lampstand. (You might remember these trees from Revelation). They symbolize the anointing of God – His Holy Spirit. Then comes one of my favorite scriptures in the Bible. “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts.” (4:6) What God does, He does by His Spirit. No flesh can accomplish the purposes of God.
As he speaks of many events of the future, Zechariah comes to the moment when he says that the “Lord will be king over all the earth, and in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one.” (14:9) He is prophesying once again about Jesus, the Messiah. Every knee shall bow to the name of Jesus.
I hope you will find the time to spend reading and re-reading this great book. As you prayerfully read, you will find much wisdom awaiting you.
Revelation 20-21
This is it: the back of the book. If you want to know how it’s going to end, or if you want to find out that justice will be done, you have it in these two chapters.
First we see that the devil and all of his companions will finally be thrown into the Lake of Fire. Their day of tormenting the earth is over for good.
At the great white throne judgment, everyone great or small will stand before the throne of God. The books will be opened, and everyone, great and small, will give an account for their life. Did they receive the gift of the Lamb’s sacrifice? If so, their name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life. If not, they have chosen to go with the devil and his crew.
Then a new heaven and a new earth will be revealed. Ones with no sorrow; no tribulation.
“And he said to me, ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.” Then the bride of Christ is revealed, and she is the new Jerusalem – the city without walls, coming down out of heaven. God’s kingdom, the church, is the new Jerusalem.
Actually the first fruits of this started showing up when Jesus said, “It is finished,” on the cross. After He paid the price and went to heaven, sending back His Holy Spirit to live within us, God’s kingdom was here. His kingdom is here now, living within the hearts of His people.
That’s why just any ole religion won’t do. There are not many paths to God; there is only one. And His name is Jesus.
Only through Jesus can men and women be cleansed and have the Holy Spirit living within them. It’s not based on good works. Good works will come, of course, but they will be the fruit of a life lived with God’s power and wisdom within. Artificial fruit won’t hack it. It has to be the real deal.
Yet for those of us who want to accept the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, we have His life within us now. We are the temples of the Holy Spirit, and collectively we are the new Jerusalem. His kingdom.
So right here, right now, there are parallel universes. There is the natural world, of which we all are a part. Then there is the spiritual world – God’s kingdom – which supersedes the former. Supernatural wisdom, ability, peace, joy, and strength are all available to those of us who wish to allow Him to live within us. Those of us who want to be part of His kingdom, His Jerusalem.
The day will come when that is all there will be. That’s what we have been reading about in Revelation. “And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it.”(21:24)
Exciting, isn’t it?
by Suellen | Uncategorized
Micah
“And it will come about in the last days that the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains…and the peoples will stream to it. And many nations will come and say, ‘Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us His ways.'”(4:1-2)
Right in the middle of this book are these beautiful words which today bring hope to many. We are still expecting the mountain of the house of the Lord to be lifted up above all others. And for people to stream to it.
This reminds me of some very current teaching which is truly incredible.
Several men of God over recent years have had a revelation concerning these mountains.The idea first appeared on the scene in about 1975 when Bill Bright, Loren Cunningham, and Francis Schaeffer called them “molders of culture.” More recently, Lance Wallnau has referred to them as “mountains.” In either case, these men have felt the leading from God to identify seven areas of influence in culture: Family, Education, Business, Arts and Entertainment, Media, Government and Religion.
When you stop and think about it, these different areas have tremendous influence on the thinking of people. Especially on the young. There are many changes which have taken place in the last few decades on world views and morals. Every one of these changes can be traced to one or more of the mountains which have influenced our thinking.
From these men of God, there is a solution. When the mountain of the house of the Lord is raised up above all others, then these other mountains will get more in line with God’s influence. Why? Because every mountain will be invaded with God’s people, bringing their counsel and wisdom to the scene.
That’s what true awakening will look like. No longer will all of God’s passionate people be in ministry (on the mountain of religion), but many of His called out ones will be on the other mountains. God’s plans and purposes will be for all to hear regardless of their place in society.
Think about it for a moment. What if actors, TV anchors, politicians, educators, sports figures, CEO’s, as well as preachers, were sold out to the Lord? What if they all believed in the Bible and wanted to see His Word get into the earth? What a difference that would make!
The many changes in thought – drawing people away from God and His Word – have come about because of non-christians being in positions of authority in those other mountains. What if that were reversed?
That’s what our Father wants. When His mountain is lifted high above the others, it will happen.
So wherever you are placed today, keep your message coming from Him. Not in an obnoxious way, but in a manner of love.
You, too, can be an influencer in the earth. Living for Him. Working for Him.
Revelation 15-16
More end time prophecy. Seven bowls of wrath poured out upon the earth.
It’s important to remember that the wrath of God is sent to awaken the hard-hearted to His power. There are many who doubt God’s power – or even His existence. These negative signs show His power so that He can be worshipped and more people be saved from the eternal wrath.
Yet over and over we see that the people “cursed and blasphemed God” because of the plagues. Their hearts would not turn to Him. They would not repent of their deeds.
As the year draws to an end, we all ought to spend some time with our Father. Let Him shine the light on our innermost being, and let us respond to Him.
If there is a change we need to make, let’s do it. God’s love for us is overwhelming when we receive it, so let’s receive it and live for Him.
by Suellen | Uncategorized
Obadiah and Jonah
We’re rushing a little. Need to finish by end of year, and got behind a bit.
One of the most common stories in the Old Testament is Jonah, so I’m not going to talk about that much. I’ll just mention that Jesus saw Jonah’s trip to the fish belly to be a type for His going to hell and being resurrected. (Matthew 12:40)
Obadiah isn’t spoken of very much, but there is an important lesson here if we look at it. Throughout the prophetic books, we see contrast between Esau and Jacob. Remember, these were two sons of Isaac. Esau was the first-born, but Jacob was the one who inherited the blessing from his father.
Of course, these were two sons and this story actually happened. However, their story was also a type for something more important. It was a type for the natural flesh man and the spirit man.
Your natural birth comes first, of course, and that one is like Esau – the child of the flesh. Then as you have your “born again” experience, your spirit-man is born and this one is like Jacob.
So what is the difference between these two natures of man? The first is arrogant, self-serving, and can be very evil in its desires. This natural man, if gone unchecked, even thinks that it doesn’t need God . “The arrogance of your heart has deceived you.” (Obadiah 3)
The spirit man is much different. This man is born of God, and honors God in everything. This second man is humble and obedient – loving others as himself. In many ways the very opposite of the first man.
So the day is coming, says the Lord, when the house of Jacob will be a flame and the house of Esau will be stubble. Then the house of Jacob will possess their possessions. (V.17). But Esau will be no more. There will be no survivor of the house of Esau. Flesh will no longer prevail.
Now this speaks of a day when the Lord brings us to our final times. Yet in each of our lives, we can see this experience coming to pass as we walk with the Lord.
Our personal house of Esau – that self-centered individual we once were, can be burned up by the fire of God’s Spirit within us changing us into His likeness. (Our Jacob). As we die to self and live to Him, we see ourselves being changed from glory to glory day by day.
Let your mountain of Jacob burn up your mountain of Esau, and possess your possessions. The wonderful covenant you have with the Lord through the blood of Jesus comes into fruition as we do just that.
Revelation 12-14
Within these chapters we see lots of imagery. First there is a woman who gives birth to a Son. Who is that woman? Israel, the descendants of Abraham, who had been called as God’s people for that very purpose. The birth of God’s Son came just as it had been foretold.
Yet there was also a dragon. The dragon had been Lucifer, one of God’s greatest archangels, but because of his pride, he rebelled against God and tricked a third of the angels into following him. So Lucifer became Satan, seen here as the dragon, and when he fell he carried a third of the angels (stars) with him.
This dragon, however, went to war with God’s people. (Today in the world, the dragon is at war with Israel and with Christians. That’s why all of the persecution).
So how do we overcome? By the “blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.”(12:11) The blood of Jesus, which we have received, has given us authority, and the words we speak cause us to overcome the power of Satan. The words of our testimony agree with God and not with the devil. We speak the Word of God with lips which have been cleansed by His blood, and we in effect prophesy our own deliverance.
Chapter 13 gets into some interesting territory. Personally I think that people often miss it when they try to be so specific about the anti-christ who is revealed here. I believe that the anti-christ is a spirit, which is manifested in a religion which attacks and threatens Christians and Jews. It’s like a false Christ. (And I think that we can see him at work right now in the world).
There is a false religion which tries to force all people to worship this false god. The threat of death and persecution ensues. Violence and evil against Christians and Jews. (If you will notice, other religions are not threatened in the same way as Christians and Jews. That’s one way you can tell when the dragon is at work).
One interesting fact in all of this is that the number 666 comes into the forefront . It is the number which will be the “mark of the beast” and it is described as the “number of a man.” The number which stands for man in the Bible is 6.
God created man to be three parts: spirit, soul, and body. And His desire is for all three parts to be subject to Him by the power of His Holy Spirit. Yet often man tries to live his life without God, and he worships himself, and not God. His number is 666, signifying that all parts of his being belong to man – and not God.
There is a time – and I think we are seeing it now – when man wants to worship himself and not God. He yields to the flattery of the devil and the deception of false religions. All of the world is threatened with this type of allegiance.
Yet God wins, and so do we. The day will come when the Lamb and His cohorts will arise and the whole earth will see His glory. No longer will the false religions reign, but God Himself will reign forever.
There will be a great harvest and a great judgment.
It’s important for us to stay on the right side!
by Suellen | Uncategorized
Amos 5-9
God’s presence is glorious, and it will prevail.
But let’s back up. Both the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel were prosperous during Amos’s ministry. However, the prosperity was leading to more and more materialism, immorality, and injustice – especially in the north. In fact, the prosperity led many to believe that they just couldn’t be overthrown.
When everything is going well in the life of an individual or in a country, most can’t imagine that it would ever be different. An arrogance can set in to make some think that they are impervious to hard times. That’s where Jeroboam II and his northern kingdom were while Amos was bringing his message. They couldn’t imagine anything but prosperity.
Just three decades later, however, the Assyrians invaded and ended their false assumptions. They just wouldn’t listen to the prophets.
As with most of the prophets, however, Amos ends on a beautiful note. In fact, he has some insight which will help the new believers in Jesus centuries later. “In that day I will raise up the fallen tabernacle of David and wall up its breaches…That they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by My name.”(9:11-12).
So what is he saying? The tabernacle of Moses had three parts to it: the outer court, the inner court, and the holy of holies with the ark of the covenant – which only the priest could go into once a year. And this is not the tabernacle which would be raised up again.
The tabernacle of David was a simple one. No outer or inner court. Only the holy of holies – the ark of the covenant under a tent. With continual incense and music, praisers were assigned to worship continually – 24/7. It represented the presence of God which would be available to all people on the earth, and not just the priests.
This presence of God would be what would make all nations of the earth come to know Jesus. No longer would there be this argument and that argument concerning the nature of God, but people would come to know Him by His presence in their midst.
In Acts 15, the elders of the church gathered for a major discussion concerning the gentiles. Paul and Barnabas had been preaching the gospel to the gentiles, and the gentiles has been coming to the Lord. But there were some Jews who wanted everyone to be circumcised according to the Jewish custom. So the council met to discuss what should be done.
As they met, James stood up and quoted from Amos. (Acts 15:16-17). The tabernacle of David (God’s presence) would be restored that all the gentiles who are called by His name should seek the Lord and find Him. Obviously, the Father was endorsing the gentiles seeking the Lord. (This is a case of the meaning of scripture being revealed to the spirit-filled believers by the Holy Spirit).
Jesus said that only those whom the Father would draw would be His. (John 6:44) That’s what we see here. The presence of God, as demonstrated by the holy of holies in David’s simple tabernacle, was a type for the drawing of God’s people from every nation and every tongue to worship Him. The curtain which separated the holy of holies in the temple would be ripped from top to bottom when Jesus died on the cross (Matthew 27:51), and God’s presence would be for all to experience.
God’s presence and His love were not just for the priest. Not just for the Jews. His presence and His love were for all mankind who would believe in Him. The meaning of these scriptures written by Amos was revealed by the Holy Spirit to James and the elders.
For all of us who are not from Israeli heritage, these scriptures are really significant. God’s love is for me – and you!!
Revelation 9 – 11
Three more trumpets. The fifth and sixth trumpets blast and initiate more tribulation in the earth. Locusts, horses, and angels carrying out the judgment of God. Torment and death. But the people “did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.” (9:21)
Many of the images from Revelation are seen also in the book Zechariah. The two “olive trees” or anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord, representing Him in the earth. They are also called the two witnesses. If you have seen the movie “Left Behind,” you have seen these as two very prophetic looking men who prophesy doom on the earth.
Personally, I am not sure that these are actual men. I think that they are the Bible and the Holy Spirit of God – the two witnesses of Him in the earth. You can already see the attempt to put to death these representatives. Many want to mock and discredit God’s Word in order to live their ungodly lives with zeal. And they mock those who have a relationship with God’s Holy Spirit.
In either case, when the two witnesses seem to be dead, many in the world will rejoice. Yet God’s plan will prevail.
There is resurrection and there is life! “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.” (11: 15) Whew! I love it!
God Almighty has taken His great power and He has begun to reign. And the time came for the dead to be judged and for His reward to be given to those who “fear His name, from the small to the great.”(11:18)
God’s Word is true and it is powerful. Whether we believe it or not, His Word will eventually come to pass. His covenant will move forward and His “wrap up” will take place.
His kingdom is here now and He reigns in the hearts of those who believe. Eventually His kingdom will be all that remains.
My prayer is for a great awakening to take place in our world, so that many will come to know Him and choose to live forever with their God. I hope that you will join me in that prayer.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Daniel 8-12
In this section, we come to one of the most important principles for a successful Christian life. It’s a lesson the Lord wants us all to know.
God is sovereign; He makes the rules and He implements them. However, many people stop with that thought and never go on to think: so what are the rules?
One of the most significant rules is that He has given to man a certain amount of authority on the earth. He has designed it so that men are to pray for even His will to be done. We have a part in all that He does.
To use the words of John Wesley, forerunner of the Methodist Church, “I am convinced that God does nothing in the earth unless a man first prays.”
Wow!! That certainly goes against the grain of those who say that all we have to do is sit on the sofa and eat popcorn while God runs the world.
Yet this is the thing. God sends His word to the earth so that man will know what to pray for. How about that? We get a “cheat sheet” which tells us what to pray for; then He brings it to pass.
We see a perfect example of this in Daniel’s book. The prophet saw that God had told Jeremiah that the children of Israel would be in captivity for 70 years. And guess what! 70 years were up!(9:2)
So Daniel prays for God’s will to be done. (This is the real “your will be done” prayer, when you see in the Word what is His will and you pray for it to happen).
Now let’s be clear about this. Most of us don’t have God telling us exactly what He intends to do in the whole world – or even in our own country. O.K. So we aren’t a prophet to the whole church. But what about our family? He certainly tells us about what His will is for them.
Right in the Word when we see our covenant, we see over and over that He wants us to walk with Him, be healthy, prosperous, and successful. He wants that for our families also. Abundant life – isn’t that what Jesus said? (John 10:10)
So we do what Daniel did. We take that word and we pray it back to our Father. Then we speak it into the atmosphere for all of the demons and angels to hear. (Remember, the angels hearken to the voice of God’s Word to obey it. When we speak it, we are giving it voice).(Psalm 103:20)
We are working with God to bring about His best for our families and our communities. We aren’t begging Him for something He is trying to withhold. He wants to give us the kingdom; it’s His pleasure. (Luke 12:32)
Pray. Speak. Pray. Speak. Don’t give up until you see it manifest!
III John
This thought just moves us right into III John:2. “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health just as your soul prospers.”
There is a doctrine of demons our there, which has really worked its way into the church, and which says that God wants us poor, sick, and suffering “for his glory.”
Well that doesn’t give Him glory. What gives our God glory is for us to be filled with his love and mercy. And for us to have blessed lives in every respect so that people can see that He is really the One True God in heaven and on earth.
So let’s shake off that phoney doctrine, which is the devil’s will for our lives, and look at what His Word says.
He wants us to prosper and be in good health. I’ll take that, won’t you?
Then we take the cue from Daniel and we pray that Word of God until we see it with our eyes and hear it with our ears!
Let’s never give up until we see God’s Word being performed in our lives!
