Zechariah 13:1 (KJV) Over Wishful Thinking

Zechariah 13:1 (KJV)

In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.

 

The phrase “In that day” is found twenty times in the little prophesy of Zechariah. As I was ready it this time through my mind went to those who would want to call this “wishful thinking.” God’s got a promise for Israel and “in that day” He’ll keep the promise. In that day; but not today. Israel has gone through the fires since this time, hasn’t she? 

·       She was ruled over by the Romans

·       She was dispossessed of the land and became vagabonds, scattered the world over

·       She was despised and hated in almost everyplace she has lived

·       She was murdered by the millions during the holocaust.

·       She has had to fight almost every day to keep the place God promised and the free world returned to her

The day prophesied has not yet come. Is it just wishful thinking that day will come?

 

Christians too look for a day. Jesus will come in the clouds to call all believers to meet Him in the air and then to ever be with Him in His Father’s house. A day when our sins are not only forgiven but we are made immortal and incorruptible. A day when we become joint heirs with Jesus. We shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is.

 

But more than 2000 years have passed since that promise was made. The debacle of those 2000 years has made even some professing believers give up on the ideals of the Christian faith. 

·       We aren’t any better than the unbelieving world

·       We haven’t successfully reached the unbelieving world

·       We have been, in many respects the cause of a great deal of pain in this world

“The scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”[1] seem to be not only the majority, but the ones in the right. Are we who look for “the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ” just guilty of wishful thinking?

 

This is the difference between religion and faith. Religion hopes all God’s promises are true. Faith has the testimony of the Holy Spirit in our souls assuring and convicting us it is true.

 

There was a day when “a fountain opened to the house of David.” While many of the Jews did not recognize it, this was Jesus. The fountain of His blood washes away the stain of sin to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the world.[2]

 

“There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins. And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.” We who know Jesus Christ know it’s not wishful thinking. 

Job 19:25-26 (KJV)

For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

 

#BiblicalProphecy #FaithInChrist  #JesusIsComing  #HopeInGod  #ChristianAssurance  

Over Wishful Thinking: Trusting God's Promises

 

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[1] 2 Peter 3:3-4 (KJV)

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

[2] Acts 1:8 (KJV)

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

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To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6400 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

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Zechariah 13:1 (KJV) Over Wishful Thinking

Zechariah 10:1 (KJV) Past Blessings and Future Promises

Zechariah 10:1 (KJV)

Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.

 

I beg forgiveness for the personal nostalgia. I remember hearing Jack Hyles preach on this passage. It was at Grandview Baptist Church outside of Portland, OR. Pastor Mike Mutchler hosted Hyles’ message, “Pray for Rain When It’s Raining.” He urged us to pray for God’s blessings in the midst of times of blessing. Rather than waiting for things to go bad (they always do), pray for God’s good hand during those times in life when you sense that you are experiencing God’s good hand.

 

Barnes points out that the latter rains were intended to complete what God had begun in the former rains. He says that both had been used as symbols of God’s spiritual gifts. Early rains offer the farmer hope of what is to come.

 

In the case of Israel, they could look at the blessings of the Lord in the days of Moses, in the days of Joshua, and in the days of David, and see in them God’s future promises for Israel. They could hearken back to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and recall that God had begun a good work in them.

 

In the case of Christianity, we can look back to the Lord’s love for and sacrifice for His church. We can recall the days of faithful evangelism as witnessed in the book of Acts. We can remember God’s blessings in the days of men like Charles Spurgeon. We can find refreshing in the recollection of the revival days of Moody and Billy Sunday. We can rejoice in those days of church planting in the United States like there was in the 1940-50s.

 

In the case of the believer, we might look back at the blessings of the evangelist who gave us the gospel, and the goodness of the Lord in giving us faith to believe. For me, I think of the joy of owning my first Bible, my pastor going with me to pick it out. I think of the blessing of Bible studies and devotions with Mike Riggs, the man who discipled me. I can look back at the bliss of attending services with Mike Riggs, Mike Mulhaney, and the others in that small church. I can recall when my soon-to-be bride attended our church for the first time and of the many answers to prayer the Lord has given us.

 

These earlier rains serve as an earnest for the promises of those coming in our future, especially of those awaiting us in the promise of glory.

 

#PrayForRain #GodsBlessings #SpiritualGrowth #FaithJourney #RevivalRain

Past Blessings and Future Promises: Remembering God's Good Hand

 

Call to Action

Pray – Seek God’s blessings continually, even in times of abundance.

Reflect – Recall and share past blessings to inspire others.

Encourage – Support and uplift fellow believers to stay faithful in all seasons.

Join the conversation. Subscribe to our newsletter for more biblical insights.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6400 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Zechariah 10:1 (KJV) Past Blessings and Future Promises

Zechariah 9:17 (KJV) In Jesus

Zechariah 9:17 (KJV)

For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids.

 

So many sources in the Bible speak with overflowing words of the greatness, the goodness, and the worthiness of God. 

Psalm 8:1 (KJV):

O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

 

Albert Barnes writes, “Goodness is that attribute of God, whereby He loveth to communicate to all, who can or will receive it, all good; yea, Himself.”[1] He goes on to write, “Without measurement, He possesseth and embraceth all excellence, all perfection, all blessedness, all good.”

 

Concerning the greatness of God’s beauty, the human eye has only been able to behold it one time; that was in the form of Jesus. To this, Barnes writes, “The prophet, borne out of himself by consideration of the divine goodness, stands amazed, while he contemplates the beauty and Deity of Christ: he bursts out with unaccustomed admiration! How great is His goodness, who, to guard His flock, shall come down on earth to lay down His life for the salvation of His sheep! How great His beauty, who is the 'brightness of the glory and the Image of the Father,' and comprises in His Godhead the measure of all order and beauty!”

 

And with this, I am reminded that in Jesus we have: 

·       all that is the goodness,

·       all that is the greatness, and

·       all that is the wonder and beauty of God.

 

Colossians 2:9 (KJV)

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

 

#GreatnessOfGod #GodsGoodness #WorthyIsTheLord #JesusOurSavior #DivineBeauty

In Jesus: The Fullness of God's Goodness and Beauty

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[1] I am of the conviction that all can receive it, if they will.

Call to Action

Today, I challenge you to:

Pray with Thanksgiving: Thank God for His boundless goodness and beauty in your life. 

Share the Message: Reach out to someone who needs to hear about God's goodness. Share a testimony of His faithfulness in your life or invite them to church to experience His presence.

Live Out Your Faith: Reflect God's beauty in your actions and words. Let His goodness shine through you, impacting those around you and drawing them closer to Him.

Study and Grow: Commit to a daily study plan to know Him more intimately and to understand the fullness of His goodness and beauty.

Join the conversation. Subscribe to our newsletter for more biblical insights.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6400 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Zechariah 9:17 (KJV) In Jesus

Zechariah 8:14-15 (KJV) Fear Not

Zechariah 8:14-15 (KJV)

For thus saith the LORD of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not:

So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.

 

In my mind's eye, I can see, or rather I can see in the minds of certain hyper-dispensationalists, a microcosm of the Old and New Testaments:

• In the Old, an angry and wrathful God who will not forgive without strict adherence to His rules.
• In the New, a kind and gentle God who overlooks our sins as if to wink at them and has accepted any sort of lifestyle choice men select for themselves.

 

At the same time, there is in the minds of certain religionists, the idea that there are no dispensations at all and that the same God who, in the Old Testament, would not repent of His wrath, is as angry and demanding today as ever.

 

In either case, the character of God is misrepresented. Paul said of the Old Testament that they were the times God winked at. It is today that God commands all men to repent. It is also of today that the Bible says, Colossians 2:14 (KJV):

Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

 

God hasn’t changed. Not in the least. His plan for the ages has progressed, and with that, we find ourselves in a dispensation unique to the one of the Old Testament. God’s righteous standards have not changed. Nor has God’s merciful nature.

 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.[1]

Knowing God, we have no reason to fear.

 

#UnchangingGod #RightlyDivided #GodsPlan #TruthAndMercy #FearOfTheLord

Fear Not: God's Unchanging Nature

 

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[1] Proverbs 1:7 (KJV)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Call to Action

Take a moment today to evaluate your understanding of God’s character. Are you holding onto beliefs that misrepresent His nature? Dive into His Word, seek His truth, and embrace the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom.

Join the conversation. Subscribe to our newsletter for more biblical insights.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6400 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Zechariah 8:14-15 (KJV) Fear Not

Zechariah 7:12 (KJV) Hearts of Stone

Zechariah 7:12 (KJV)

Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.

 

The passage is speaking of the post-captivity Jews, especially the priests. Though they retained their identity during the captivity, they let their standards of separation slip terribly. Now, returning to their Promised Land, they had compromised priorities—especially concerning the building of the Temple. 

The prophets, Zechariah among them, were called upon by God to challenge the people about those priorities. The Bible says that in the face of those prophetic challenges, “they made their hearts as an adamant stone.” It wasn’t that they did not know or hear “the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent.” They had simply hardened themselves so that they did not listen. They did not obey. They despised the Word instead of surrendering to it.

In many respects, this is a viable description of the United States of America today. Though there are an increasing number of people who have never darkened the door of a church, and any more there is a good possibility that their parents haven’t either. It would be impossible to say 

·       they know nothing of the Lord, or 

·      that they have never heard the name of Jesus, or 

·       that they are completely unfamiliar with the message of the gospel. 

Most certainly, they have at least heard of heaven and hell. But increasingly, these same people have made their hearts as an adamant stone. It’s more than they ignore and isolate themselves from Christians, churches, and the Bible—they are hard, angry, and aggressively opposed to the preaching of the Word of God. They are sharp, prickly, and obnoxious against the Word of God.

Mind you, many of these people would consider themselves spiritual. They might claim some sort of relationship to some sort of god. But they are hateful to what they perceive to be historic Christianity.

 

God’s response is to send preachers to them and to warn them so that, if they should repent, they might be spared the great wrath of the LORD of hosts.

 

#HeartsOfStone #RepentAndReturn #StandardsOfFaith #BiblicalWarning #GodsWrathAndMercy

Hearts of Stone: Compromised Priorities

 

Call to Action

Are we truly listening to God's Word, or have we allowed our hearts to become like adamant stone? In today's world, many have heard the message of the gospel but remain resistant. It's crucial that we not only hear but also obey and surrender to the Word of God.

Join us in prayer and action:

🙏 Pray for softened hearts, both within our community and beyond.

📖 Dive deeper into the Bible, allowing its truth to transform you.

👥 Share the message of God's mercy and salvation with those around you.

Join the conversation. Subscribe to our newsletter for more biblical insights.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6400 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Zechariah 7:12 (KJV) Hearts of Stone