Faith means trusting God to supply all my needs…

“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. “Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’ ” (Malachi 3:6–15)

Our pastor describe how reading the OT minor prophets is like watching a recorded game on television when you already know who wins. The game is exciting with ups and downs yet the winner is certain and we experience the delight of knowing the outcome.

Jesus wins. The people had their doubts even as God continued to reassure them:

Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” (Malachi 3:16–4:6)

It took 400 years, to us a long time, but Jesus came and Jesus conquered sin by taking its penalty upon Himself and dying the death we deserved. He gave us His Holy Spirit that we might also conquer sin’s power and eventually its very presence.

Before that, His people had grown cold to His call thinking He would never restore the covenant blessings. The priesthood had become corrupt. Worship had become routine. Divorce was widespread. Social justice was ignored and tithing neglected. His people did not trust Him, not with their money or their lives. Yet God promised to “open the windows of heaven” (3:10) for those who pay their full tithe and a day would be coming with evildoers would be stubble trod under their feet (4:1-3) because He would send them One who would turn their hearts (4:6). 

Even so, come Lord Jesus. And You came and turned the hearts of millions, You who are God in human flesh. From the NT, many of the therefore words will describe Your life, our lives with You, and then the culmination of this victory that we long for with all our hearts!

  

He came and will come again

“The Lord was very angry with your fathers. Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they repented and said, ‘As the Lord of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.’ ” (Zechariah 1:1–6)

God accused them of doing the very things their ancestors had done before the exile. He was concerned about social justice for widows, orphans, and foreigners. 

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the Lord of hosts. “As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and the pleasant land was made desolate.” . . . .  The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace. (Zechariah 7:8 - 8:19)

Even as the people endured opposition from the non-Jewish inhabitants of Judea, Zechariah reassured them of God’s abiding comfort and care. He would continue his covenant with Israel. Messianic hope was rekindled as He promises to establish His rule over all the earth: 

Behold, a day is coming for the Lord, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one. (Zechariah 14:1–9)

Maybe it is my advancing age, or maybe the mess in the world and the nonsense ideas of our leaders, but I am increasing longing for the last things to happen and the return of Jesus to make all things right.

Even so, come Lord Jesus. 

Rebuilding God’s house is not about a building

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord. You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors.” (Haggai 1:2–11)

It is easy to slip into a worldly value system when the home is nice and all is convenient. Yet I am noticing that contentment easily slips away. I just heard someone say how nice it would be to live where cold water comes out of the fridge (instead of a tap and needs ice cubes to make it cold). This level of dissatisfaction hurts my heart.

Organizations like Run for H2O exist to provide clean water to people whose children are dying because their water is contaminated. People in our affluent country are now paying outrageous prices for steak, produce, and gasoline, etc. To want convenient cold water seems atrocious in comparison. I also notice how the rich politicians seem to have little awareness of how the rest of the world struggles.

But before I get on my high horse, how about my personal preferences? The past few months, I’ve been tested and very often found wanting — wanting my own way, my choices, and being annoyed when I could not do or even say my ideas and opinions. 

The point Haggai is making is that those who love God need to keep Him and His will on the top of the list. In the NT, He says that the house of the Lord is me — God lives in me. And I’m to let my light (Jesus) shine before others, so that they may see my good works and give glory to my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16) Too often I want my goodness to be seen so others will think well of me. That is not the will of God. 

Too often I want comfort not trials and yet judge harshly those who want comfort and not the lessons and maturity God brings through trials. These days, the learning curves have been steep and too often I’ve complained rather than obeyed.

Lord Jesus, life just changed again. I need to obey what You are teaching me, not just write it down and forget about it when the next test comes. You are amazingly merciful, yet often I think I need a 2 x 4 to the side of my head or a boot taken to my backside instead of Your never-ending patience.

When will God change a life gone wrong?

Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city! She listens to no voice; she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord; she does not draw near to her God. (Zephaniah 3:1–2)

The prophet is talking about Jerusalem; however, this passage describes someone that I know. Is it fair to change the name and place and be encouraged by what God says about a person not a city and apply it today as well as several thousand years ago? God is the same now as then except now we have these promises on this side of Calvary. The prophet goes on…

The Lord within her is righteous; he does no injustice; every morning he shows forth his justice; each dawn he does not fail; but the unjust knows no shame. (Zephaniah 3:5)

Yes, God has not changed. He is righteous and just, yet this person and many like her seem to feel no shame about their backsliding. However, God still speaks:

I said, ‘Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction. Then your dwelling would not be cut off according to all that I have appointed against you.’ But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt. “Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord, “for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed. (Zephaniah 3:7–8)

A day is coming when God will make all things right. He will deal with sin and those who have spurned Him, but look what He will do with those who are His, but are now without humility or loving obedience to Him…

“On that day you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain. But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord, those who are left in Israel; they shall do no injustice and speak no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue. For they shall graze and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.” (Zephaniah 3:11–13)

He will make it right. My heart has been wounded with concern for this person and others who have been in relationship with God but are still wanting to run their own lives and have become haughty about it. God will sort it out. He knows how to humble the proud — or remove the proud.

Jesus, I feel so ignorant and unable when it comes to dealing with backsliding believers. The prodigal’s father let him go, but watched for his return home. How difficult now as there are so many lures to keep them in party-mode without any praise for You. Yet You got the prodigal’s attention by pig food and a deep longing for home. You know who they are — bring the wayward back to You, and help me from being anxious, annoyed, or judgmental as I wait.

 
 

Loving enemies?

I have heard the taunts of Moab and the revilings of the Ammonites, how they have taunted my people and made boasts against their territory. Therefore, as I live,” declares the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Moab shall become like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a land possessed by nettles and salt pits, and a waste forever. The remnant of my people shall plunder them, and the survivors of my nation shall possess them.” This shall be their lot in return for their pride, because they taunted and boasted against the people of the Lord of hosts. (Zephaniah 2:8–10)

God hears the taunts and insults that people make against His people. Some sneer as if His children are stupid or foolish, as if our values and priorities have no value at all. This can be discouraging if I listen to them instead of the words of God. 

The people who do this might feel superior, as did the enemies of His OT people, but God promises to deal with them. At that time, it was to make losers out of them, wasting their efforts and prosperity, even allowing His people to plunder them.

I don’t think that is how I should deal with those who taunt my faith and ideas. God tells me:

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43–48)

In a parallel passage, He adds these ways to show love: “Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.”

He challenges me that loving those who treat me well is no different from sinners. I’m to do this even if there is no benefit to me at all. God will reward me and I will be more like Him when I do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, am kind to the ungrateful and even evil people. I’m to be merciful, as He is merciful, without judging or condemning. He even says how I give will be given to me in good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over because the measure I use will be measured back to me. (Luke 6:27–38)

My sinful nature wants to get even, tell others in an effort to seek sympathy, and even ask God to break that person for their thoughtless and mean ways. Sigh.

Jesus, it seems that in every relationship that no matter what the other person does to me that hurts, I’ve something to change in myself. I’m glad that You do not put me on the receiving end of conflict unless it is to instruct me how to be more like You. 

Up and Down Days

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace. . . . (Micah 5:2–5)

Yesterday was up, then down. A couple of nice surprises encouraged me. Then circumstances with others pulled me down as it seemed my prayers for certain people would never be answered. Yet last night I asked for sleep without anxiety and received it. This morning I asked for encouragement and the above passage popped up. God promises the One who would come and be my peace, turning my thoughts to the power of Jesus. He is my peace. Another passage reminds me that my inner joy does not depend on outer circumstances. Paul wrote this from prison:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. . . . Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:8;11–13)

Many times this passage is interpreted to mean that God will give me the ability to do whatever task that faces me, but “doing all things” is not about accomplishments because the context says it means having a deep confidence that God is in control and being content no matter the circumstances. 

It helps to know people who think positively like this, not that they can do everything but that their attitude of deep contentment overrides whatever is going on in their lives. Our friend BT was a great example. He had more reasons to be discouraged than anyone I know. He recently went home to Jesus, and I miss him and that “I’m fine” attitude that was totally genuine. Life is full of lemons yet he always poured out sweet lemonade, not a pollyanna happy-happy, but a deep joy in Jesus and His gift of thinking praiseworthy thoughts rather than ‘poor me’.

My mom is missed too. Her attitude, even into Alzheimers, was “I must need it or I would not be getting it.” That means that God wants me to see the lack of godliness in those I love? Is this to show me more about the attitude of God toward them? Or more about my need to trust what I cannot see? 

Micah wrote more and these words tell me to keep waiting and keep praying:

Put no trust in a neighbor; have no confidence in a friend; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms; for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. (Micah 7:5–7)

Micah says the worst yet kept his focus on the promises of God. He tells me not to trust what my eyes tell me, and look to the Lord when it seems that liar who is our enemy is in control.  

Lord God, so often I just want to hide from the ugliness around me and the messy news and all that makes me sad. Thinking excellence is deeply challenging when the ugly messiness is nearer than a TV newscast. Instead of escaping, deepen my faith in You and deepen my prayer life so that I can be content even when Your will and my wants seem to oppose one another. Your goodness is far deeper. I need to trust You more, even when it seems like You are not hearing my heart cries. Deepen my faith.

 

Overcoming false prophets

Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who cry “Peace” when they have something to eat, but declare war against him who puts nothing into their mouths. Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision, and darkness to you, without divination. The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be black over them; the seers shall be disgraced, and the diviners put to shame; they shall all cover their lips, for there is no answer from God. But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin. (Micah 3:5–8)

In the OT, false prophets were identified by what motivated them. In this passage, it was not spiritual illumination from the Lord, but personal desires. Micah calls it food, yet it could be anything that makes them feel good, satisfied, taken care of. They were more interested in their own comfort than in truth.

Today, there are some involved in ‘Christian’ ministry that are preaching a similar message. They say that God wants us healthy, wealthy, and wise and the more generously we give, the greater the blessing. While God blesses generosity, that motive for giving is self-centered and fleshy. 

Other false prophets are those in the cults. They call themselves true Christians and sincerely believe their way is the right way. However, they interpret the Word of God with their own way of thinking and not relying on the Holy Spirit to enlighten them. One of these cults says Jesus is “a god” and insert that “a” in this verse:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

They do not know or ignore that the original language this was translated from does not have a word for “a” — and they ignore all other references to the deity of Jesus Christ. 

They also claim that faith means Jesus “died to give us the right to earn our salvation” — an idea that is nowhere in the Bible. Yet they boast that they are the only right ones who please God. They ignore this::

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8–9)

In this verse and all others, faith is about believing in and trusting the Lord, not ourselves or any ability to earn salvation. It is also a gift, not earned. 

Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 

“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9–14)

Humility is vital. If I am proud of myself and brag about how godly I am and give no credit to the power of God and the Person of Jesus Christ, then I am deceived at best and teaching lies at worst.

Lord Jesus, only You can change lives. The best we can do becomes a boast, a personal ego trip into darkness. Micah was filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare truth to the false prophets of his day and to the people who had been deceived by them. Oh Lord, we need more people like Micah in our day too.